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February 28 What Comes Next...I am excited to announce that we have signed an agreement with Capstone Development Advisors (www.onecapstone.com) to help us with the development of SOTH owned real estate.
As many of you know, the construction of a new Church home on our "South Property" has been pursued at two different points in our congregation's history. During the last three years we have made improvements to the South Property with this vision in mind (such as site development, parking, etc...). As we contemplate next steps, and the significant costs associated with them, we want to ensure that we understand the breadth of options available to us as a congregation and how they help to further our ministry and mission work in the community and beyond. Enter Capstone. Capstone Development Advisors is a local organization with extensive experience in real estate development for Christian Churches and schools. The SOTH leadership team will be working closely with Capstone over the next 60-90 days and will be presenting findings and recommendations to the congregation. At SOTH we have been blessed with an incredible opportunity, through the property that we own, to have a transformational impact on the community around us. It is an exciting time at SOTH - please keep these efforts in your prayers. February 25 The Plan and The Oldest Biblical Document EverIf you are following The Plan, you should be through NUMBERS Chapter 6 by the end of today.
Some things of interest:
· Numbers starts with a census of the twelve tribes and organizes them into camps. Everyone over 20 is counted. It seems mundane now, but watch how God uses the census and this count a little later. · The Levites get their marching orders, so to speak, and we are reminded that the Levites are dedicated to God in place of the firstborn of Israel, which is a covenant dating to the Passover – “The Levites will be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel” · In Numbers 6 we learn about the Nazirites (not to be confused with Nazarenes, no matter how similar they are spelled). Nazirites take temporary vows that set them apart for God. I am told that Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist are Nazirites for life (or from the womb). · But best of all, we read Numbers 6:24:
The LORD bless you The LORD make his face shine upon you The LORD turn his face toward you
This text was found on scrolls made of silver at Ketef Hinnom. It is the oldest biblical text ever discovered, and dates from 7th century BC. (See http://www.scriptureinhistory.org.au/Articles/Ketef%20Hinnom%20Scroll.htm, or search online for yourself.)
Blessings. Keep reading. Pray.
February 24 Don't be troubled, Believe in God...The beautiful headstone for our friend Tony Trujillo has arrived and is in place. To celebrate, we threw down some blankets (careful not to "disturb" the sites around us) and had a picnic right next to him....sandwiches, chips & soda, lots of laughter and story telling and best of all - Tony was surrounded by children once again. Running, laughing, playing.
Every day that we are here is a gift from God. Too often we get distracted by our own busyness - we walk through the day frustrated or annoyed or angry - by work, family or friends, our obligations. But scripture is clear. We are here to love. To live an abundant life. To share this amazing story of God's grace with others. Every day that we are here is a gift from God. What are you using that gift for today?
And the Nominees are....Today is the 80th annual Academy Awards (http://www.oscar.com/), but here at SOTH we are planning for a different kind of nominations – nominations for Church Officers. Every two years at SOTH members of the congregation are nominated and elected to serve as officers of the church. In general, these lay leaders’ collective responsibility is to “endeavor to coordinate the functions, plans, and activities of the Congregation in all its parts for the total furtherance of the work of Christ's Kingdom in our midst.” Since our current church officers were installed in June 2006, it is now time for us to nominate and elect officers for the 2008 – 2010 term. The officers we will be nominating and electing are: · Chairman · Vice Chairman · Treasurer · Secretary · Human Resources Coordinator · Ministry Board Chairpersons – Care Board, Family Ministry, Worship Board, and Mission Board. · Board of Elder Members
We are now in the nomination process, so we are asking all SOTH members to submit names of people that you think would be a good fit for these roles. So if you, or someone you know, has a passion of for outreach, or prayer, or worship, or any of the other roles, and is looking for a way to serve the congregation and community around us, then please submit their name to the church office. Serving on Church Council and on the Board of Elders provides a wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth and discipleship. I highly recommend it. Blessings! February 18 The Plan - LeviticusIf you are following The Plan, you should be through Leviticus 18 by the end of today.
Now, call me OT Old School, but I am really enjoying Leviticus. At first, I had a hard time reading through all of the offerings (and I am guessing many of you did too). Then I found this to help:
So what are we supposed to make of all this in the early 21st century?
· First, you should all go to your Pastor / Minister / Priest / Clergyman and tell them how easy they have it. · Second, God is serious about being obeyed. After going through most of the offerings and giving rather detailed instructions, we get to Leviticus 10 and this: “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” Oops. Figured they would have learned from the whole Golden Calf incident. · Third, God is serious about what is required for atonement. Lev 17:13 - “…For it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” · Finally, that God is serious about holiness and what is required to be in his presence. We read in Lev 16:3 – “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body with water, and put them on.”
As Christians, we read this and see how it foreshadows Jesus Christ. To be in God’s presence requires holiness, cleanliness, and a blood offering. As fallen creatures, we cannot achieve this on our own. It is God’s grace – delivered through the blood sacrifice of Jesus and the waters of baptism, that makes us holy and sinless before God.
We should all thanks God, right now, right this minute - for viewing unrighteous man as righteous and bringing us all into his presence.
Blessings. Keep reading. Pray.
February 12 The Plan - Exodus 38If you are following The Plan, you should be through Exodus 38 by the end of today.
As promised last time – there was high drama ahead….
· Moses and Aaron had their stand off against Pharaoh – plagues, boils, frogs, snakes, flies, hail, the Nile turning to blood, locusts and all. · We read the origins of Passover, God sparing his people from the Plague of the Firstborn. Interesting that they marked their doors with the blood of the lamb, and this saved them. · We read about the exodus, parting of the Red Sea, and Pharaoh’s armies being vanquished by God.
But we also read one of my favorite stories in the Bible – the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32….
· While Moses is receiving instructions about the tabernacle and the commandments, the people saw that he was gone and asked Aaron to make create a new god for them. So he fashioned a Golden Calf and said – “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” What!?!? · Of course, this doesn’t go over well with God, who actually did brought them out of Egypt - “Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.” God even makes an incredible offer to Moses, saying “I will make you into a great nation.” Tempting. But Moses stands up for the people and asks God to forgive them, and if He can’t forgive them, then Moses offers himself up in their place. Pretty amazing. Reminds me of something that comes later…… · And then there is Aaron - when he is confronted by Moses about the calf he says something like “Uhhh, I don’t know what happened – these people are sinful – I threw their gold into the fire and a the calf just came out of the fire…uhhh.”
Of course it is easy to read this story and see ourselves in it somewhere. Mostly we look upon the people of Israel and think – how could they stray from God so quickly? But it took Peter a lot less than 40 days to deny Christ. (He did it 3 times in one night). And of course, I think we all stray from God in ways both small and large, every day. Which makes the sacrifice of Jesus so overwhelming and incomprehensible. And God’s grace so amazing.
Hmmm. Grace. Amazing. Amazing. Grace. Catchy.
We are to Leviticus next.
Blessings. Keep Reading. And Pray.
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