John 13 "The Uttermost"

John 13 - Brandon Hatmaker - “The Uttermost”

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love… so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” –John 13:1,4-5

Scripture tells us that one of the ways Jesus showed the “full extent” of his love was by washing their feet. The Greek says he loved them to the “utter most” it was “the point aimed at as a limit.”

He washed their feet. Then He gave up His life.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

John 12 "Only the Best"

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." -John 12:1-3

"Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections." - Matthew Henry

Father, may we give you our absolute best. Help us to see each day what our offering can and should be. May we never wait for tomorrow what we can give today.

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." - John 12:7-8

John 11 "Jesus Wept"

"When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept." John 11:32-35

There it is. The shortest verse in the Bible. Simply put, Jesus wept. Many say Jesus wept because of the compassion he felt for Lazarus. That He would miss him. That's what the Jews thought as evidenced by verse 36.

But I think verse 38 gives us some more insight to his emotions as he approached the tomb of Lazarus. It says that Jesus was "once more deeply moved". The word for deeply moved means "To have indignation on. To sigh with chagrin." At first this is confusing to me. But then when you think about it, maybe Jesus was frustrated with their lack of faith. They had seen so much that should build their faith, yet Jesus still had to remind them in verse 40, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

God, we do believe, help us with our unbelief.

John 10 "Raving Mad"

John 10 - Brandon Hatmaker - “Raving Mad”

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” Vs. 11-13

What an amazing word picture Jesus is painting. He reminds us that the “hired hand” abandons the sheep when he sees the wolf coming. But Jesus is the shepherd. He stands guard and not only protects life, but offers it. He’s not a “hired hand”. He is creator of life. He owns the sheep. He is vested in the sheep. He loves what is His.

I’m given so much comfort through these verses today. I guess that’s why it seems so odd for me to read later about the people’s response in verse 19 and 20, “At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"

I guess that’s why Paul said what he did in 1 Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Thank you Jesus that you draw closer and closer to us. You do not abandon us in our place of desperation. Thank you God that your fullness is revealed through Jesus.

John 9 "I Once was Blind"

John 9 - Brandon Hatmaker - "I once was blind"

“Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." Vs. 17

This verse gives us a reminder of our nature. Although this man could see for the first time after Jesus’ healing, when he was questioned the first time, he said Jesus was a prophet. Not the Christ. Not the Son of God. Not the One He claimed to be.

Later his parents dodged the question as well because they were afraid of the Jews and being put out of the synagogue.

If we truly believe He is the Christ. If our lives have truly been changed or if He has truly revealed Himself in our lives, shouldn’t we commit our lives to living what He said? Shouldn’t we trust that a stand for Him trumps tradition, ritual, and legalism. Shouldn’t we trust that although we may be called out of our comfort zone personally or relationally that, if surrender comes and if done out of faith, it will bring Glory to God?

I guess my heart today is a desire to trust. And in places where my mind says trust but my heart holds on, to prayerfully ask God to search my heart and change me.

Eventually, the man spoke the truth. I would imagine it was out of a thankful heart. Maybe the miracle had finally sunk in for what it was. Either way, he spoke out, and boldly at that: “The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." Vs. 30-33

He makes a lot of sense doesn’t he? I once was blind, but now I see. Talk about the “Good News”.

John 8 "Simple Truth"

John 8 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Simple Truth"

“You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." Vs 23-24

Just like everything else in our lives, we tend to make things more complicated than they actually are. I was marveling recently with another pastor friend, who just started a church near downtown Austin, how complicated it is to keep things simple. Ironic really.

Jesus gives us the simple truth. We just need to believe that He is the one that He claims to be. All else will fall into place.

Obedience? If we really believed, we’d obey. If we really believed with everything we had, we’d seek out His truth. We’d seek out Biblical community. We’d have a desire to worship in Spirit and in Truth. We’d be very thankful. We’d serve others. We’d even love others.

But just as Jesus accused them in verse 15, “You judge by human standards”, we have a hard time getting out of our “mindset” and really taking a look at things as Jesus did. Knowing that this is our nature is step one. Seeking Christ, His compassion, His vision, and His ways, and then trusting (believing) and living them is step two, three, four…

John 7 "Life and Death"

John 7 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Life and Death"

“After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.” Vs. 1

Take that in for a moment. They pursued Jesus to take His life. We know that they eventually did (as a part of God’s plan). I thought today about how Saul pursued David seeking his death. Remember the ancient martyrs of the Bible, as well with those who take a stand today.

We have strife and we have struggle because of our faith, Jesus said we will have trouble in this world, but very few of us (in the good ole’ USA) are pursued because of our faith to the death.

Lord, forgive me when I continue to complain about personal struggles that are many times selfish. Forgive me for treating them like they are life and death when they are not. Teach me God, to find complete peace in you in the middle of storms, no matter their size.

John 6 "Always Concerned"

John 6 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Always Concerned"

Jesus had been healing those who were sick, he crossed the Sea of Galilee, and now He is concerned about those who are hungry. He saw the crowds and he asked his disciples, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" We know from the following verse that Jesus was testing His disciples at this moment, but He was also showing them the perfect “method” in which He accomplished tasks. Jesus always accomplished what He set out to accomplish while maintaining compassion for others (most of the time it was accomplished THROUGH His compassion for others). Talk about Biblical "multitasking".

The result of this strategy, “After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." (vs.14)

Isn’t it amazing that the way Jesus showed his power and authority was through caring for those in need? To me the beauty is in how convincing it is to those who see it, they wanted to make Him King right there, whether He wanted it or not! Check out verse 15, “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

We do things our own way too much. Many times we'd rather create a way than find out how Jesus would have done it. Jesus told us clearly to love and have compassion for others. But often we’re so busy trying to “save” them that our own religion gets in the way and we forget to love and “serve” them. Don’t get me wrong, the ultimate goal is that others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But we have got to remember the way in which Jesus himself accomplished that goal.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45

John 5 "No Matter What"

John 5 - Brandon Hatmaker "No Matter What"

“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." – John 5:16-17

The Sabbath was certainly a critically important thing to the Jews. I can understand why when reading Exodus and hearing the law God gave Moses about the Sabbath. It was a life or death command. It was a command not only for rest, but also for remembrance.

I wonder today if that is one of the reasons why it’s so significant that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. At all costs, he showed compassion and love for others, all in the name of the Father. What a gift, far greater than silver or gold.

John 4 "Credit Due"

John 4 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Credit Due"

“The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.” – John 4:1

Jesus didn’t do it alone. He could have. But he didn’t. John reminds us here that he entrusted much to his disciples. He didn’t need the glory or attention that would be accredited by men. Glory was already His on a much greater level. And yet, the Pharisees were STILL jealous.

Father, thank you for the men (and women) in my life who share burdens. Thank you Jesus that you give us a share in your work. Protect our hearts that we would not be concerned about getting the credit for things you do.

John 3 "Ultimate Love"

John 3 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Ultimate Love"

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

I love this verse. No duh, right? Seriously, God loved us before we loved Him. Regardless. What a mistake it is to believe God only loves believers. Skeptic of faith, God loves you. Distant from faith, God loves you. He loved the world even before the new covenant came through Christ.

This week we shared in communion together at our church. Such a sweet time to remember Christ’s sacrifice. Such a sweet time to remember what He went through to offer us life. What an amazing gift it is to simply worship out of thanks.

God, thank you for your love. Thank you for everything that it comes with. Thank you for your love manifest through Christ. Thank you that your love does not depend on us. Thank you for teaching us what unconditional means. I love you.

John 2 "Saving the Best for Last"

John 2 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Saving the best for last."

“..the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine… the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” Vs.9 & 11

So Jesus’ first miracle in Galilee was to turn water into wine. I heard someone (not a theologian) say once that Jesus’ first miracle was to “save the party”. At first, that sounds pretty sacrilegious. But the more I think about it, it’s pretty much what He did. He even told his mother that it wasn’t his time, but he did it anyway, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

Bottom line, Jesus did something amazing for others, it revealed his glory, and people’s faith grew because of it.

I thought another interesting parallel is found in verse 10 when the master of the banquet said, “"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

I couldn’t help but to think about religion and ritual and the old covenant. At one point or another, if we go through the motions of ritual long enough, we will have our fill. But we are offered something better. Something complete. God gave His absolute best through Jesus. While we thought it once was great, everything brought to the table earlier just doesn’t compare.

Father, help us to see your miraculous work. We wouldn’t have to look hard, if we’d just look. When we see, help us not to doubt, but may it grow our faith and lead us to trusting you even more.

John 1 "Full of Grace"

John 1 - Brandon Hatmaker - "Full of Grace"

How perfectly does the sacred garments of Aaron describe the Grace of Christ discussed in John 1?

Exodus 28 says, "Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.”

It’s not our dignity and honor. It’s His blood that covers us. Not a blood of a sinner or fallen saint, but that of Jesus, who was with God in the beginning, who was (and is) God (vs.1), and who became man and made His dwelling among us.

“We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

Exodus 40 "Whatever"

Monday, March 31, 2008 – Brandon Hatmaker - “Whatever”

(Exodus 40)

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” – Exodus 40:36-38

These were the final words in the Book of Exodus. They give us such insight to our daily walk with God. They apply when making massive changes in life. They apply in the simple decisions we make each day. We should do everything possible to stay in the presence of the Lord.

I think Paul gave us great instruction on how to do this in his letter to the Philippians when he said, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

God, help me to hear your voice, see your movement, and sense your Spirit that I might stay in your presence daily. Help me to pursue the things that are of you with everything I have. Amen.

Exodus 39 "Inspection"

Exodus 38 "Burnt Offering"

Exodus 37 "Fully Adorned"

Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

“Fully Adorned”

(Exodus 37)

“Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.” Vs. 1-5

Simply put, the Ark was adorned as beautifully as possible. In the “language” and culture of the Israelites, it had all the symbolism of value, purity, excellence, rarity, sacrifice, and effort that a physical item could possibly have.

God, You are worth far beyond our best and yet many times we fail to give even that. Thank you that your Word became flesh and dwelled among us. Thank you that through Him we have life. Thank you Jesus for leaving the fully adorned realm of heaven to walk this earth as man. All to be poured out for a sinner like me.

Exodus 36 "God Provides"

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"God Provides"

(Exodus 36)

“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.” Vs. 2-3

The Lord provides for His work. Whether it was the people, the skills, or the materials, God provided. In the same way that scripture promises us as believers strength or provision of escape during times of testing, God’s calling comes with His provision.

Many times God speaks through His provision. Through it, He offers affirmation. But also then, Glory is His alone. We need to be sure and give Him praise for what can seemingly be our successes… in our families, in our careers, and in our relationships. We need to do so because then, and only then, will we truly have a thankful heart. Only then will we experience the full benefit of being used as a child of God.

The result? More trust, more faith, and a desire to be more involved. “And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.”

Exodus 35 "Wave Offering"

Monday, March 24, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Wave offering... so simple really"

(Exodus 35)

“…and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments… They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.” Vs. 21-22

What’s a wave offering?

The agricultural cycle of ancient Israel revolved around two harvests, one in the spring and the other in the autumn. Before any grain could be harvested in the spring, a ceremony took place to inaugurate the spring harvest season. This ceremony was the waving (wave offering) of the first sheaf of grain to be accepted by God. No one was to eat any of the grain of the harvest until the first sheaf of the harvest was brought to the priest, who in turn waved it before God.

Great significance came with this ceremony. This first sheaf of grain was called the "first fruits" It was the first fruits of the barley harvest, the first part of the grain harvest. Thousands of years later, we find the same term used again in the Bible-describing Jesus. "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1corinthians 1:15) Jesus is also called "the firstborn over all creation" and "the firstborn from the dead".

While there is an obvious connection in a "first fruit" offering to giving of our first and best, you don’t have to look hard to find the connection between the message of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ. Everything points to Jesus. But as they say, “Hind sight is 20/20”, I just still can’t believe they missed Him.

This morning I’m reminded what got in their way. What was it that kept them from recognizing Christ? It was their religion and ritual, the very thing that they thought would help them see Him when He came.

The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law thought it was only about the action. That it was only about the motions. But don’t miss it, even as this old covenant was established, in Exodus 35, there is more to it than meets the eye, “everyone who was willing and whose HEART moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD.”

We have to be very cautious that we don’t do the same. We have to make sure we are not missing Jesus as we “do” faith and we “do” church and we “do” religion. They had set ways they were not willing to look beyond. We get pretty set in our ways as well.

Exodus 34 "Radiant"

Friday, March 21, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

“Life and Death”

(Exodus 34)

“When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant.” Exodus 34: 34-35

I love Matthew Henry’s words on the veil of Moses. “Near and spiritual communion with God improves the graces of a renewed and holy character. Serious godliness puts a lustre upon a man's countenance, such as commands esteem and affection. The vail which Moses put on, marked the obscurity of that dispensation, compared with the gospel dispensation of the New Testament. It was also an emblem of the natural vail on the hearts of men respecting spiritual things. Also the vail that was and is upon the nation of Israel, which can only be taken away by the Spirit of the Lord showing to them Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Fear and unbelief would put the vail before us, they would hinder our free approach to the mercy-seat above. We should spread our wants, temporal and spiritual, fully before our heavenly Father; we should tell him our hinderances, struggles, trails, and temptations; we should acknowledge our offenses.”

Exodus 33 "Leadership 101"

Thursday, March 20, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Christian Leadership 101"

(Exodus 33)

“Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” – Exodus 33:15

Moses knew better than to leave the presence of God. Although God had told him to go ahead into the land of milk and honey (vs.3), God said he was not going with them because the people were too “stiff-necked”.

In all honesty, “stiff-necked” is a prefect description of how we get sometimes (a lot of times). That should serve as a warning for us. But there is hope when we learn from what Moses did in response to God. In verse 13 he said to God, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."

Moses gave us an incredible "four point" leadership outline through his petition to God: (1) He truly desired to be taught the ways of God, with a willingness to do it: This willingness was unconditional. He wasn't reserving the right to make a decision to follow once he learned God's ways. He had already accepted the fact that God's ways were higher than his and he didn't have to try and figure it out on his own. (2) His motivation for wanting to know God’s ways was to “know” Him more deeply: That was priority one to Moses, not just for selfish gain and to know how to do stuff better, this was more about God than it was about Moses himself. (3) The ultimate goal was to find favor in God’s eyes: A lot of great things can happen when we find favor with God. Those successes were not the most important thing to Moses, finding favor with God was. (4) He offered the entire nation of Israel back to God, all the time reminding himself that this nation does not belong to him.

Simply put, each point places God back on the throne of our efforts. That's what Moses did. And how did God respond? “And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." – Exodus 33:17

Lord, I desire to learn and live your ways, your methods, and your strategies. I want to know you more deeply each day. On my greatest day of faith, I want to know you more the next. I pray God that you would sharpen me that I would find favor in your eyes. All I have is yours, dear God, may I live and lead from this truth.

Exodus 32 "The Gift Giver"

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"The gift giver."

(Exodus 32)

“Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." – Exodus 32:2-4

I was thinking this morning as I was reading this how odd it was that they even had gold earrings. Imagine, here they are out in the desert, camping, with moments of wonder where the next meal will come and they are adorned in gold jewelry.

How easily we forget that God gave them all they needed when they left Egypt. He told them to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold and clothing. And they willingly gave. They didn’t have to plunder them like pirates on their way out. They didn’t steal what they needed. God went before them and he provided. And they made an idol out of it.

God has given us so much. In faith, in life, and in love, he has provided. We should be careful not to take it and make selfish use of it. We should remember who offered it to us. We should remember the grace that accompanies it. We should remember whom it belongs to. Our family, our church, our friendships, and our provision, truly, do we have anything outside of the gifts of God?

“Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” – James 1:16-18

Exodus 31 "Play by the Rules"

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Play by the rules."

(Exodus 31)

“Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.” – Exodus 31:14

This was the instruction God gave about the Sabbath. These instructions were given in the middle of a task to make such deliberate structures that required a high level of skill and ability (and probably emotional and mental energy). They were working for God. But God was reminding them that even with the very nature of their work, the very energy that was required, could not justify them working on the Sabbath.

This is a reminder to us. The work will get done. It will even get done in perfect timing, and it can be done right, if we’ll just do it His way. If we’ll just trust and play by His rules.

Exodus 30 "God Knows"

Monday, March 17, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker - "God knows."

(Exodus 30)

God is a God of order. God is also in the details. Everything is intentional. So much is symbolic. Prophecy is everywhere.

Matthew Henry said these words regarding the oil/perfume from Exodus 30: “Directions are here given for making the holy anointing oil, and the incense to be used in the service of the tabernacle. To show the excellency of holiness, there was this spiced oil in the tabernacle, which was grateful to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is as ointment poured forth, and the good name of Christians is like precious ointment.”

“Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” – Solomon 1:3

“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.” – Ecclesiastes 7:1

Exodus 29 "Our Native Tongue"

Friday, March 14, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

(Exodus 29)

"This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. And from fine wheat flour, without yeast, make bread, and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. Put them in a basket and present them in it—along with the bull and the two rams.” Vs. 1-3

Chapter 29 is riddled with procedure and motions. There are so many specific and detail focused bits of instruction. In a moment of personal confession, it’s hard for me to be on this side of the New Covenant and not look at these rituals as odd. They seem so temporary, because they are. How could these motions really ever get someone closer to God? The answer to that falls under the understanding of the Old Covenant. And, if you think about it, really shows God to be quite amazing.

In a culture and society filled with ritual and void of the Holy Spirit, God was speaking their language (even though He didn’t have to). I’m so glad today he speaks in a language that is opposite to our natural tongue, grace. God took it from external to internal for eternal sake.

Exodus 28 "Sacred Garments"

Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Sacred Garments"

(Exodus 28)

"Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.”

It took sacred garments for Aaron to have dignity and honor. Through this covering he is consecrated, and may serve as priest. The materials used were the finest of all materials, but were also the perfect, most appropriate, items to be used.

Exodus 27, Luke 24

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Among the Dead."

(Exodus 27)

"Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.” – Exodus 27:20-21

Thoughts from Matthew Henry: “The pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which all believers receive from Christ, the good Olive, and without which our light cannot shine before men. The priests were to light the lamps, and tend them. It is the work of ministers, by preaching and expounding the Scriptures, which are as a lamp, to enlighten the church, God's tabernacle upon earth. Blessed be God, this light is not now confined to the Jewish tabernacle, but is a light to lighten the gentiles, and for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”

I think Paul understood this word as well and was passing it along in his words to Timothy “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God… For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Father, may we always see “tending” the light as a gift and privilege, not an obligation or duty. May we see it as an active fanning, not a passive standing by.

(Luke 24)

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?” vs.5

Great question. Each in our own way, we’ve fallen guilty of searching for God in places He will not be found. He is not found in religion, he is not found in legalism, he is not found in rituals, the resurrection of Christ changed all of that. With it, He ushered in a New Covenant, a New Spirit, and a New and Living Way.

Exodus 26, Luke 23

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Stirring up trouble."

(Exodus 26)

“Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.” – Exodus 26:33

With all the adornment and gold, the chosen instrument to separate the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle, was a curtain. Not very secure, mind you. I would imagine this would be a place of temptation for thieves. I would imagine the priests and Levites took much care in keeping watch over it.

It was once said of this veil that, “God would show his care of his church on earth, though it be weak and defenseless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defense, as gates of brass and bars of iron.”

God will protect His church. I believe as the bride of Christ is being prepared for the wedding day, His hand will be shown as sovereign. I think the best thing we can do is keep watch and be faithful to the things He has called us to, and remember who’s bride it is.

(Luke 23)

What were the indictments on Jesus? "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." Luke 23:5

One thing I’ve noticed is that the teaching of Jesus can certainly stir people up. At times, it can even stir up trouble. But the purity and intent of Jesus’ message is not at fault. The fault lies in how it’s received. There will be a clashing of culture, a clashing of nature, and a clashing of self. But the message is pure.

Think about the fruit of the Spirit that are offered (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). Think about the offering of Jesus when he said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

The people wanted a dominating king to ride in on a white stallion and dominate the world. Instead, Jesus rode in on a donkey, said he came to “serve not be served”, and still dominates the world. I love my Jesus.

Jesus, you have nothing to prove to me today. You don’t have to flaunt your power and your might. It is revealed through your love. God, you spoke and it was. Yet you allowed Jesus to take the cross. Thank you for offering Grace to us. Teach us to extend it to others.

Exodus 25, Luke 22

Monday, March 10, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"The ultimate answer to prayer."

(Exodus 25)

Just eight chapters ago, the Israelites were asking the question, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

As evidence of His hand, God gave them water from a rock, handed over the Amalekites supernaturally, revealed himself through a dense cloud and allowed the people to hear Him speaking to Moses, gave them the Ten Commandments, outlined rules and ethics of property, social responsibility and justice, gave the Sabbath laws, confirmed the Covenant, and now in chapter 25 is giving them instruction to make a mobile sanctuary for God that He might dwell among them wherever they may go. Yes, Israel, the Lord is among you.

Who says our God does not answer prayer?

(Luke 22)

Talk about answered prayer.

“After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (vs.17-19)

I just realized that I’ve never really focused on the fact that Jesus did not partake in this last supper. While I know he was offering an amazing act of symbolism of Him laying down His life, I always envisioned Him taking communion with His disciples. But He did not eat the bread. He did not drink of the cup. He only gave thanks for it, broke it, and gave it away.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

God, we are so self-focused. In almost all we do, we somehow make it about us. Even as we serve, it’s hard not to do so out of a debtor’s heart. We give 10% of our lives (on a good day) and keep 90%. Feel good about our selves and press on. Jesus poured out His life for us, in every way. He never stopped serving. Thank you for giving us this ultimate example for life. As Christ followers, Lord, teach us to be just that, followers of Christ. Help us to not “lean on our own understanding.” Help us to not “gain the world but lose our soul.” Help us to trust your way and not create our own that we might not find ourselves only “chasing after the wind.”

Exodus 24, Luke 21

Friday, March 7, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"The time is here... to draw near."

(Exodus 24)

Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."

In Exodus 24 the covenant was established. Also, precedence was set. Moses came near, others stayed at a distance. Later, the priests came before the lord, while the people still remained at a distance. This is how it all began.

Then through Jeremiah, God made a promise. “The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” (Jeremiah 31:31)

We now live under that New Covenant. “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Father, You went to great lengths so that as a just God, we could stand before You as Your children. Why then would we remain at a distance? Forgive us where we lack the confidence and trust to live in the freedom of the new covenant. Thank you for the Grace of the cross.

(Luke 21)

Jesus said in verse 34-35, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.”

Jesus is reminding us of our own nature. Easily we lose perspective in life, take our eyes of Jesus, and fall prey to sin. When that happens, we are one “click” away from losing confidence, losing faith, and losing hope.

We must be careful to quickly lay down all issues of concern in our lives to the Lord. We should go to great lengths to make this be our first response. We should not entertain them or allow them to grow. Jesus tells us that they will weigh us down, steal our attention, and render us unable to see Him.

Lord, I worry too much. That is a dangerous thing. Forgive me for my lack of faith. Help me to surrender the concerns of my flesh. Help me to keep my eyes on You through all things.

Exodus 23, Luke 20

Thursday, March 6, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"The pattern continues... truth revealed."

(Exodus 23)

God continues His pattern in Exodus 23 of His concern for how we treat one another. The first 13 verses of this chapter deal with how we treat others and the next 6 address with how we treat Him. He wraps it all up with a reminder that He has paved the way, gone before them, and will be with them.

We hear all the time that “The Lord has a plan for us…” He truly does. He desires for us to treat each other justly, Love Him deeply, and trust His leading in our lives. And the best (Jesus) was yet to come!

(Luke 20)

“Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

Jesus gave the perfect answer. So much that some of the teachers of the law applauded him “well done, teacher!” It was such a great answer that scripture tells us that everyone stopped asking him questions.

That’s lame. Seriously.

Think about it. If their intention was to find truth, and they realized at this moment that Jesus had the answers, wouldn’t they get in line to ask more questions? I mean, I can’t wait to sit under the teaching of Jesus. He’ll probably have to tell me to shut up and let someone else ask a question or two.

But it shows their heart. They didn’t want to know the answers. They wanted to try and confuse the issues. Here’s the check…. So many of us do that today. Many times we don’t really want to know the truth, if we did, I think we’d find it. God knows our heart, and He doesn’t “owe” us answers we’re not truly searching for. Maybe the reason that many of us can't gain clarity about so many Biblical issues is that our search is more about proving our own belief or to defend our stance more than it is about actually finding truth. It becomes about us, not God.

Lord, Help us to seek your truth instead of knowledge. Help us to seek it without selfish ambition. Help us to seek whole-heartedly that we might find your truth and a desire to live it whole-heartedly.

Exodus 22, Luke 19

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

“Den of Robbers”

(Exodus 22)

It’s so easy to read over a chapter like this and miss it. Rarely do we intentionally fall into these scenarios. I don’t expect to allow my livestock to graze in another mans vineyard in the next few days… or weeks (vs.5) . Very few of us plan on stealing our neighbor’s ox or sheep today (vs.1). And although verses 16 through 31 discuss closer matters of reality for our culture, not many of us have on our agenda to intentionally mistreat or oppress and alien (vs.21), take advantage of a widow or orphan (vs.22), or expect to “blaspheme” God or curse the ruler of our people (vs.28)… okay, well during election season we seem to do the last of that more often than normal.

In essence, we do all of these often. And we’ve been on both sides of each, both as offender and the offended, at times more directly than others. Because we often think more highly of ourselves than we ought, it’s difficult to maintain the perspective that we are not without blemish, all of us. Not only is this a set of standards to live by in society, but some perspective on where we stand before God. We have offended, we have rejected, we have stolen, and we have neglected. No wonder we need a Savior.

(Luke 19)

Exodus 22 deals with theft and social responsibility. That is exactly what Jesus accuses the people at the temple of in Luke 19.

“Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer; but you have made it 'a den of robbers." vs. 45-46

So easily we teach this scripture and keep the topic on Jesus’ “righteous indignation”. He was indeed ticked. (Mark 11:15-16 paints a more vivid picture of His emotion). We like this moment, because it gives us license to be mad at what we consider to be unrighteousness. But most of the time, we fail to teach the REASON he was ticked.

Jesus drove out those who were selling and accused them of being robbers. So how were they robbers? Dishonest gain. Taking advantage of those who were there. This scripture goes far beyond this moment. As believers, when we do not lead a life seeking justice and righteousness, loving God and loving others, we make the Lord’s house a “den” of robbers.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Greek word used for “den” is defined by implication as a “hiding-place or resort.” Jesus’ life and ministry showed that the church was to be a hospital for the sick, a sanctuary for sinners, not a hiding place for thieves. Are we thieves?

Lord, may your Bride remain precious to us. May we learn and live what you say.

Exodus 21, Luke 18

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 21, Luke 18)

"The Law and the Heart"

“Here are the laws you are to set before them:” (Ex 21:1)

“All of these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor…Then come, follow me” (Lk 18:21-22)

A good friend of mine wrote the following thoughts about these two chapters: Laws are good, but they can’t change the heart. That’s the amazing thing about Jesus coming to fulfill the law and actually raise the standard. While it was certainly difficult to keep the hundreds of laws established by the Pharisees, it’s much harder to keep our hearts in the right place. Is it easier to not commit adultery, or not to look at a woman lustfully? Is it easier not to murder, or not to have hateful feelings about someone?

God established His laws in Exodus… Jesus came to offer salvation and gave two commands, to love God and to love others. The message he was giving the ruler in Luke was that abiding by a checklist… was no longer enough. He desired a changed heart and devotion to God. While some see this story as an indictment on the rich, I see it as a warning against having anything, material or otherwise, that you cling to more tightly than God. Are there things we are holding on to rather than God? Is it a relationship, a position, a title, a desire for recognition, a lifestyle, or any of the material things referred to in the story?

Exodus 20, Luke 17

Monday, March 3, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 20, Luke 17)

"Guilty as Charged"

(Exodus 20)

In Exodus 20, God gives us the Ten Commandments. He introduced them with a reminder: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

It was God, who spoke and it was. It was God, who breathed life into Adam. It was God, who called out a nation. It was God who then delivered that nation from... well… from everything. And it was God, who outlined the Commandments.

The law was given to expose our sin. Each of us has broken, in one form or another, each of these commands. There are so many indictments on us, much more than these ten. Today, my mind leans less to the list and more to the one who gave it. Why, because it is the same God who delivers us through Jesus. He made the list, exposed the problem, then, he provided the answer.

Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for a New Covenant in His blood. Forgive us in our lives for our selfish living. Forgive us for losing perspective and living our lives for ourselves. There is so much more of YOU to discover and live for.

(Luke 17)

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” Luke 17:10

The word “duty” means to owe or to be under obligation. The concept of duty is hard for many believers to grasp. As humans, when something is done for us, our nature is to try and “pay back” that act with another act. We’ve all felt it. We feed our neighbors dog because they fed ours. We let the car in, in front of us, because the car behind us let us in (or do we?). We buy a present for a non-family member for Christmas because they bought one for us. In and of itself, this is not a bad response, and seems in “good form”. But the majority of the time, we don’t do it because it’s the right thing to do. Most of the time we do it because then we’re “even” and we get to feel better about ourselves. It’s hard to admit it, but it’s true. We feel guilty for accepting generosity without trying to pay it back.

It’s our nature that Jesus is reminding us of in Luke 17. No matter our act of service, love, or sacrifice we make out of response to God’s Grace… we are still unworthy of Salvation. That’s why it’s called Grace. We cannot “make-up” for what was offered. We can only do what we should. And He wants us to stop trying and start being. Payback can so easily become self-serving.

An interesting thing is that the word for “duty” in this scripture comes from the base of the word that means “benefit”. At first this confused me, because honestly, God does not need benefit from our efforts of duty. It can bring Glory to His name if done right, but scripture is clear that he will be Glorified whether we do it or not. Jesus said the rocks themselves, will cry out. God simply doesn’t need to “benefit” from our duty.

So who does? I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to learn that we benefit, just as much if not more, than anyone. Every service project I’ve ever been on, every mission trip I’ve ever taken, any time I’ve ever made a sacrifice for another person (I need to make many more), the richness of my personal benefit is great. It’s immeasurable. And in turn, someone else might actually end up getting blessed as well.

This is a beautiful reality that God has built into our being. The danger is chasing that reality, for once again, selfish reasons because it feels good… “Hey me, look how good we are!” Our journey is a constant battle against the flesh. I guess that’s why Paul told us to deny ourselves daily. What a journey.