July 4 SOAP Devotional

July 4, 2008
Read Exodus 25
To read this text go to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2025&version=51

Scripture- Exodus 25:8-9- “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.


Observations- Having rescued the people from their bondage in Egypt and established a special covenant relationship with them; God now desires to accompany them into the Promised Land. To that end, God instructs Moses to construct a portable dwelling—a tent. Just as the people were living in tents, so God was going to dwell in a tent and “live among them.” This tent, though, was going to be a very special tent that was very different and distinct from theirs. It will use special materials in its construction. From the list of materials given in 25:3-7, this was to be very special tent for royal use. The tent would have three special pieces of furniture: a chest/seat, a table and a lamp stand. These were the main items of furniture in an ancient home. These items would indicate that God lived within the tent. The abundant use of gold signified the importance of the occupant, while the provision of the bread and the light were symbolic reminders that God was there at all times, both day and night.


Application- God’s desire was to lead the people Himself as their divine King and Leader. The earthly leaders they had were abusive and wound up giving in to the corruptive temptations that accompany great power. The visible reminder of God’s desire to lead the people and dwell with them was to be the Tabernacle, or “tent of meeting.” This was to be the place where God met the people and they were reminded of His care, love, guidance and provision for their needs. This was God’s desire from the start. Back in the Garden of Eden, this was the original intent—that God would be present with humanity and personally lead, guide and care for them. God wanted a people that would choose to love in response. This was God’s way of wooing humanity. God could have created us as robots with no choice but to do as He wished. But God did not do that. God created us with the capacity to choose, good or bad, what we desire. Now we have the privilege of God’s constant presence within us through the person of the Holy Spirit. We are the light of the world who have partaken of the Bread of Heaven. God is present in all of God’s fullness within us through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We now have ready access to this wonderful reality by grace through faith in Jesus Christ! The promise of Christ is faithful and true—“I will be with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:20).


Prayer- Lord, help me to remember that you are always there, whether I “feel” Your presence or not. Thank You for the blessing of those times when I DO feel/sense Your presence with and within me. Help me to trust You even when I feel like You are very far away. In those moments, help my faith to inform my emotions of the reality of Your Truth. Amen.



God is With You!

Pastor Matt

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Inspirational Story & Song

The story behind the song, "Healer" is truly amazing. Here is the story behind the song and how it was written.



And here it the song being performed as he references at the end of the above video. If this doesn't light your fire, you got wet wood!



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July 3 SOAP Devotional

July 3, 2008
Read Exodus 24
To read this text go to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2024&version=51
Scripture- Exodus 24:11- And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!

Observations- It was common practice during this time to share a covenantal meal as the final act of commemorating the covenant. God had just called Moses and the elders of Israel up to the mountain to confirm their intentions to enter into this covenant. Moses returned to the people and they again said that they would obey God and do everything that was being asked of them. As a symbol of this commitment, they built an altar as a memorial and sacrificed animals—also a common practice when making a covenant during this era. The blood was used here as a symbol of the life of the animal and was used to signify both God’s sovereignty over life as well as the sanctity of that God-given life. Once the elaborate ceremony was over, the elders, Moses and God shared a meal together to commemorate, celebrate and solidify the covenantal commitments that were just made.

Application- We have our own covenantal meal. When Jesus was celebrating the Last Supper with the disciples, he took what was present in their traditional celebration and gave it new meaning—the bread now commemorates the breaking of his body for our sin and the cup represents the pouring out of His, “blood of the new covenant, poured out for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins,” (Matt. 26:27-29). When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are reaffirming our commitment to serve God and let Him lead our lives. The celebration of this meal is not about us, but about God and what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. The invitation is based on grace; our participation is based on grace, as our lives are lived by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So, we can approach this meal with great joy because we have encountered the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord! This is not to be a funeral procession, but a great celebration of thanksgiving for what God has already done for us. The church in Africa celebrates the Lord’s Supper by dancing and singing their way down to the table and then they take their celebration out in to the world. It is the last thing they do in their worship together. What a wonderful picture of the Good News!

Prayer- Gracious God, thank You so much for inviting me to come to Your table and feast on Your grace! I am so grateful for the Good News of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Thank you for generously offering this wonderful gift to anyone who will come! Amen.

Dancing with Joy!
Pastor Matt
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July 2 SOAP Devotional

July 2, 2008
Read Exodus 23
To read this text go to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ex%2023&version=51#en-NLT-2161

Scripture- Exodus 23:32-33- “Make no treaties with them or their gods. They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”

Observations- The Israelites were to observe the festivals and Sabbath as a reminder that they were to serve God and God alone. These festivals were to bring to mind God’s goodness, care and faithfulness to them. The Sabbath held special significance because it was to be a sign of the covenant being established between God and Israel. This covenant relationship was reciprocal in nature. If the Israelites obeyed God, then they would enjoy their own land as well as future comfort and security. Because of this relationship with God, the Israelites were to distance themselves from the worship of any other gods by destroying all pagan images and places of worship. They also were not to enter into any treaties with the inhabitants of the land because this would cause them to compromise their exclusive allegiance to God and make them susceptible to “the trap of idolatry.”


Application- There are plenty of idols out there calling for our allegiance. The problem we face in modern society is that they are not as clearly identified. An idol can be anything that has a higher priority in our lives and allegiances than God. We can make people, possessions, relationships, experiences, teams, events, certain doctrinal positions, ministry positions, jobs, careers, or a whole host of other things, idols. When we do, we get sucked into the “trap of idolatry.” We wind up, mostly unintentionally, placing these other things ahead of our devotion to God. God desires to have our complete allegiance and devotion. We were shown what a life lived in allegiance to God looks like in the life of Jesus. We are called to live into that life as we grow more and more into the identity that God already sees in us. What idols are you tempted to serve? I know what mine are and I know that I must jealously guard my heart and keep it for God first and foremost. Because when I am not careful, they slip back into their comfy chair at the center of my soul.


Prayer- Lord, there are so many things that compete for our attention and allegiance in today’s world. We are so busy that it is sometimes scary to think about. We get so caught up in our own lives and our own agendas that we fail to guard our hearts. As a result, we allow other things to creep in and push You out of Your rightful place on the throne of our hearts. Help us, Lord, to take the time and make the effort to guard our hearts so that we will worship and serve You above all else. Amen.



Guarding My Heart,

Pastor Matt

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Rube Goldberg Fire machine!

Rube Goldberg and fire...what more could you want? This is one of the coolest Rube Goldberg machines ever! I only wish I thought of it.

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July 1 SOAP Devotional

July 1, 2008
Read Exodus 22
To read this text go to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=22&version=51


Scripture- Exodus 22:31a- You must be my holy people.


Observations- The end of this chapter sounds more like the Ten Commandments than the first part of the chapter, because the penalties given here don’t seem to be enforceable by a human court. The content of the material starting with verse 21 encourages a concern for the weak and vulnerable members of society (aliens, orphans, widows, the needy, the poor).


Application- The relationship God is establishing with the people is to have a significant impact on their lives. They are called to be God’s “holy people.” What does that mean—a people that follow a bunch of rules and laws to show how much better they are than the sinners in the world around them? The purpose of the rules was not to save them, but to help them realize the difference that their devotion to God was to have in their lives. The word holy means to be set apart or consecrated for a special purpose. Our commitments or obedience do not make us holy. God’s presence in our lives makes us holy. God has declared us holy based on what Jesus has already done for us. We are involved in the process of living into this reality on a daily basis—continually growing and learning more and more about God and reflecting God’s image to the world through the lives that we live. We are holy when we say yes to God and surrender our lives to Him. When we make that kind of commitment, we are setting ourselves apart and consecrating ourselves for service to God and the Kingdom of Heaven. When we give ourselves completely to God in this way, then we become concerned about what concerns God. That concern will guide our lives as we care about God’s people and world. God has a special place in God’s heart for the weak, vulnerable outsiders. This is clearly reflected in Jesus’ life and ministry. The folks Jesus hung out with the most were the “dregs” of society—the social outsiders and outcasts. That was one of the chief charges the Pharisees and religious leaders brought against him—he hung out with sinners!


Prayer- Lord, free me from the tyranny of my pharisaical past where I was more interested in being right than in being Your beloved son. Help me to give all that I know of myself to all that I know of You in a humble act of complete surrender. Make me what You have already declared me to be. Help me to care about what, and WHO, you care about. Help me to see others through Your loving eyes and to have Your loving heart toward them. Amen.



Surrendering All—Again and Again,

Pastor Matt

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June 30 SOAP Devotional

June 30, 2008
Read Exodus 21
To read this text go to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2021&version=51


Scripture- Exodus 21:5- But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’


Observations- This section of law follows the Ten Commandments that were to govern the covenantal relationship between God and the Israelites. This section further illustrates how this covenantal relationship was to impact how they lived their lives. First, they were given the rules concerning how slaves were to be treated. This is significant, given the mistreatment they experienced at the hand of the Egyptians. Slaves were to be treated equitably and compensated if they were injured. They were to be freed after a given period of time. After that time had elapsed, they were even given the option of staying on if they loved their master. What a contrast to their experience in Egypt! This was intended to highlight certain aspects of Israel’s covenantal relationship with God—the Israelites will serve God because they love Him. And, having chosen Israel, God will remain faithful to them.


Application- Surrendering to God is a hard notion in our independence-minded American lives. Our country was founded by a rebellion that was based on fighting back against unjust treatment. We didn’t need the authority of England, we could do better ourselves, thank you very much! Ever since this time we have developed a very strong sense of independence and self-reliance that encourages us to “depend on no one.” We rightly fought against slavery and bristle at its presence in the Bible. Here, we find God setting out a system where slaves were to be treated equitably. God didn’t invent slavery, but addressed its presence in such a way that it would be much different in Israel than it is in the rest of the world. They were to treat their slaves with such respect, that they would choose to serve out of love. We are to do the same in our relationship with God—choose to serve out of love, not obligation or duty.


Prayer- God, there are times when I am tempted to serve You because I feel that I have to—it is my duty. Help me to remember that my service to You should be done out of love—mine for You and Yours for me. Deliver me from my rebelliousness and independence—the times when I think I can do it on my own. Remind me of my need for You and dependence upon You. Too often I feel like a toddler when it comes to serving you—wanting to “do it myself.” Remind me often of how stupid that notion truly is! Amen.



Depending on Jesus,

Pastor Matt

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