"Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:7

“Jesus is the only One who has defeated death” -Baucham. He opened up the gates of Heaven so that we can come after Him. He’s the door to heaven. May all the doors of our hearts be completely open to His kingship. May we be a holy sanctuary for His indwelling. May He posses all that we are. May He hold the deed to all the land of our souls. May we not keep anything for ourselves, so that we risk to lose it all. “He’s not fool who give what he cannot keep, to keep what he cannot lose”-Elliot

Cross-references: John 10:7, Revelation 3:20

The Real Source of Courage in the Face of Trials

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God" Hebrews 12:2

"Real courage is not the absence of fear, it is the presence of joy."~Keller..Real courage doesn't come from the hope that our awareness, conscience and feelings will cease as Cicero said, but instead, that they'll reach unimaginable heights which will produce in us inexpressible joy! In Christ, "death is not longer the executioner but the gardener."  May this courage, which Jesus modeled to us, be with us as we step into this beautiful day!

The Difference Between Complaining and Praying

"Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat." Numbers 11:13

Even as this passage has a sad end, I was reminded of the power of prayer. Though Moses was the leader of Israel, this wasn't a model prayer. We see that Moses also was a human who had been hit with the punch of exhaustion. This is the second time that we see Moses overburdened with his leadership of Israel. The first time he was advised by his father in law to get elders to help him judge among the people. So apparently, Moses took his God-assigned responsibilities with much zeal and continued giving far and beyond on his call for duty. I think God knew this, and It's amazing how God saw thru the fog of his hopeless cry for help and still responded with wisdom and help. I think that is the beauty of prayer..even as often it is done by those who care for us, when are too exhausted to do it. Jesus is actually continuously interceding for us. Hebrews 7:25) And the Lord always respond to it according to his infinite wisdom. We may not get exactly what we ask for, but we normally get what He thinks is best in that specific situation. In this case Moses got the help that he needed thru 70 more elders. 

Now, God is not pleased with complaining which is a blunt rejection of his perfect will. (Phil 4:6) Thus, the results of complaining are always dim and we can clearly see how God wanted Israel to learn that He's certainly powerful to respond to their needs, but also a God that loves discipline so that we learn to ask Him in a way that is pleasing to His will.

Letting God Set the Pace in your Life Journey

"So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them." Numbers 10:33

Interesting how God gave the Israelites green light to start a new phase in their pilgrimage towards the promised land. They needed to get the instructions and the preparation they got from their stationary experience in Mount Sinai. In the same way, God has a special purpose for every season He allows in our lives, and we need to learn to be led by the Holy Spirit so we can walk thru and stay in every season in complete sync with the creator of the journey and its destination. As my youth pastor once told me, don't be afraid, if you trust Him, he'll never let you get lost. In fact, He's given us a plain revelation of our destination: Christ-likeness. (Romans 8:29). In every season and every stretch, whether it feels like life is quite stationary or moving forward by leaps and bounds, God is forming Christ in us. It takes a life journey to get there, but that is the destination and we will safely arrive. It's His promise to us. (Phil 1:6) Let us enjoy the ride and let Him set the pace.  

Obeying When is Hard or Even When You Don't Understand

"At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp." Numbers 9:18

"At the command"..what a powerful statement! Interesting how the Lord would make them stand in the camp for longer periods of time and often even without an explanation. It almost looks like being in a boot camp with God to learn to obey. Interesting how it seems that the Lord was preparing his people for obedience so that they could accomplish the plans He had set for them. He knows that fulfilling our God's given purpose requires to follow him step by step even as very often we neither understand His every move nor the whole picture. But let's take heart, someday we will!..Well, or as I heard before, perhaps when the day arrives for us to understand, we would not bother anymore, because being in His presence would quiet all our questions and longings, filling us with surpassing joy and fulfilment. Oh that we would reach that worshipping level of obedience and trust! Teach us Oh LORD!

N.T - Cross-Reference: John 14:15, John 14:21

Same Honor, Different Tasks..Thank God!

"And the LORD said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar". Numbers 7:11

This passage makes me think about the same place of honor, yet the different tasks God has given to husbands and wives in marriage. In Ephesians 5:23-33 the specific headship role assigned to husbands doesn't come freely, it comes with a weighty responsibility. Look at how Paul describes the wives' responsibility to submit to and respect their husbands in just two verses, whereas he takes almost ten to eleven verses to describe the responsibility of husbands, which include dying for their wives. In the same way the chiefs of the houses of Israel were called to lead by giving a generous and special offering from their own treasure. They were called to lead by example with their own lives. I bet they were the first ones to go out to battle as well. Costly leadership. Servant leadership..What an honor!

A Different Task for Everyone, the Same Glory for All

"According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the LORD commanded Moses". Numbers 4:49

I just love the way God in his perfect wisdom doesn't disregard the community for the individual nor the individual for the community. This conflict between individualism and community is an old dog in the ranks of the "isms"..But only in God's design for humankind can we find perfect harmony between these two. God has designed every person with a specific set of features to fulfill a unique role, a role that would make his community richer, better functioning and more complete.  And as in a cyclical way, this enhanced community would help every individual fulfill his purpose. All happening through the power of the Holy Spirit and for the glory of God. 

I know this passage refers primarily to the Levites in the Old Testament, and it is mostly applied to the church in conjunction with Paul's reference to the parts of the body in 1 Corinthians 12. But I think we can also apply it to the community as a whole. After all, God's vision of community is parallel to His vision for the church.