Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Awe of God: The Feast of Weeks


This month at Freedom, we’ve been talking about the various feasts and festivals mandated by God to the Israelites. What has been most fascinating and “goose bump-inducing” for me is the way each of these celebrations ties into the work Jesus completed in the New Testament. Jesus’ work is so obviously the fulfillment of the things God had begun to do through the nation of Israel.

The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was to take place 50 days after Passover:

“Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord our God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.”
Deuteronomy 16:9-10

It was a time of focus. The Israelites were to look “upward,” to God, in gratitude.  Their gratitude was to be in proportion to the blessings they received.  Gratefulness is crucial in maintaining true awe of the Lord. When we are constantly thinking about “where our stuff comes from,” it’s hard to forget the amazing provision of God.

Also, the Israelites were to focus “outward” during this time by extending the blessings to those outside their circles:

“ …your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you.”
Deuteronomy 16:11b

The Lord instructed the Israelites to invite the “outsiders” to celebrate the goodness of God alongside them.

Generations later, Jesus would tell His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit – the Advocate. (John 14:26; Acts 1:4). This happened on the day of Pentecost, which the Jews had already been celebrating for hundreds of years. The disciples were gathered together looking “upward,” expecting something from the Lord. The Holy Spirit filled them and gave them boldness to preach the Gospel – which resulted in many coming to know Jesus that day. That’s the “forward” focus – generations of people who would come to know Him!

I love how God brought it full circle.

And I love how He’s continuing to work through His people today. We live in tumultuous days and yet God’s using His Church to draw the “outsider” to Him. Let us not forget that He wants everyone to come to the celebration – the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, those who are outside our “circles.” Let’s set aside our differences and expand the upward, outward and forward focus. Let’s expand the awe of our God to a world that so desperately needs Him. 

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Awe of God: Feast of Passover


Lately I have been preoccupied with minutes. Each one passes by us as inconsequentially as a raindrop, and together they collect into unstoppable rivers. You spend, on average, around 1,000 minutes out of bed every day. Every son or daughter you bring into the world comes with about 10 million minutes of childhood -- to spend with you or someone else. It's been just over 1 billion minutes since the last books and letters of the New Testament were written. And the total US labor force earned about $31 million combined per minute last year (that's another average -- daytime minutes were more than seven times as costly as graveyard shift minutes, by man-hours worked).

What's my point? Well, we never know which few of those minutes that drift by us will change the whole course of our lives. The Israelites lived through four hundred years of enslavement in Egypt with no change in sight -- never knowing when their deliverer would come. And then, one night, freedom was coming so quickly they didn't even have time to leaven their bread. "Eat the meat roasted over a fire, with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast...," the Lord commands, "with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover." (Exodus 12:9,11). For centuries, the months passed by in futility on the calendar. Then, the Lord gave his people a whole new calendar ("This month is to be the first month of your year," (Exodus 12:2).

It is sobering to think how quick and how awe-inspiring those minutes of transformation are when they come along. They remind me of other Bible passages like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins who never knew when exactly the bridegroom would be visiting. On a personal level, I am reminded of the random times a loved one has asked me to pray the sinner's prayer with them, or has asked me to lift up their needs in prayer during a trying time to the God they have seen sharing my life with me. I can't tell you I rise to the occasion each time, but I know I need to strive to "be prepared in season or out of season" (II Timothy 4:2), and try to inhabit a sense of constant expectation. Because I'm starting to think that the kingdom of God doesn't operate much on lead time.

As we heard this week, you are a new person with an old history. That's because when you come to know Christ, your redemptive process is both instantaneous and lifelong. And lifelong changes don't come at a uniform rate. We can spend months or years preparing for one moment with no signs of progress until, suddenly, we turn a sharp corner.  But those moments come along so powerfully for ourselves and those around us that only God can take credit for them.

We often hear that adage, in this church, that you have the relationship with God that you want. Too true. But the good news is, if you're willing, that relationship could change for the better at any minute.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Awe of God: The Feast of Firstfruits


And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

This verse has weighted heavily on my heart this past week. The principle behind this text has starkly awakened me to my responsibility as a Christian. The reality is, an absence of faith makes it impossible to have a relationship with God.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were presented with the challenge of living a faith-filled life by giving their first fruits (Leviticus 23:11-14). Specifically, they were asked to give their first harvest to God regardless of impending drought or famine. Quite literally, they were asked to trust God with their lives.

In the New Testament, this charge is echoed. As 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 states, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” In other words, Jesus is the resurrected king who is the foretaste of our resurrection. He was the “firstfruits” of God’s promise to His followers. As we [followers of God] trust Him faithfully with our lives, He will remain faithful to us.

In seeking to grasp this concept deeper, I have been challenged by its application to my own life. If I am being honest, there are several areas in which I am not fully trusting God. I often struggle to set aside my own power in order to surrender my thoughts, plans, and worries to God’s strength. I have come to the realization that when I am not trusting God with my future, my finances, my relationships, my health, and my joy, I am NOT giving God the honor He deserves. Furthermore, I am not living out the call He has given me.


This week, I challenge you to examine your own life. If you find yourself in a similar position as me, I encourage you to hold tight to the promises of God’s faithfulness. While it can be easy to fall into the trap of relying on human strength, let us remember that God has greater plans in store for us than we could ever imagine. His faithfulness goes beyond our lives on earth. While the challenges of today may be tough and the future may be uncertain, God’s plan supersedes and overwhelms all that is lacking.   

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant