keep it holy

I finished up Exodus today. In some ways I'm glad. It can be overwhelming to read about all the dimensions and designs for the tabernacle... over and over again. However, try to look beyond the repetition and the monotony of it and look at what this is implying. Did God care how it was built? Absolutely. It seems ridiculous to think that he didn't when he went into such detail about each item no matter how seemingly insignificant. Yet He established something as "holy" that wasn't covered in gold - the Sabbath. This was a day to do nothing but honor God; no work, no stress, just a day to say "thank you". In Exodus 31:13 God said, "Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy." What happens when we forget to honor God? Well, we might say that we forget what He's done for us, or what He's promised to do for us at Judgment Day. If we forget about his blessings then we may look around and see that others have things we want to be ours instead of taking time to thank God for what He HAS given us. Once our jealous and envious hearts want what other have long enough we'll be at risk of making compromises to our faith in order to get what they have. But as Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" However, we'll do it! We'll exchange the glory and blessings of God for garbage that kills us spiritually. After that we'll no longer look much different than the world and soon enough we'll completely lose our influence. Hmmmmmm, does that sound familiar? When Sunday became the day to honor God through His son Jesus, we were to commit the same standard from the Sabbath to the Lord's day. When did we give the Lord's day away? There was a time when things closed down for Sunday, not anymore. Perhaps our culture's rebellion against the day God set aside to honor him was more important than we must have thought. Our culture has suffered tremendously because of their lack of respect for God. What can you do about it? Try making it holy again.

3,000

Reading scripture is like reading a really good mystery, in that you can anticipate whatever you like, but you're surprised to see how it ends. With God, he doesn't change the story on us, and he doesn't make it where you can't understand the story; but he definitely has written his book in a way where you never run out of the need to read it anymore. Hebrews 4:12 says, "that the word of God is living and active...", if you're a "reader" then you know that's true. Over the last couple days I've read about Israel's amazing exodus from Egypt, God's display of his power, and also how rebellious the people were. As God threatened to destroy the Israelites for their lack of faith in his directions and their lack of confidence in his chosen leader I couldn't help but see that God means business. Although, more than business, he really wanted to see his people become truly free. While Moses was on the mountain getting the commands from God, the people were frolicking down below as they made false gods to worship. This was what brought God to a boiling point. Yet Moses interceded on the people's behalf. I like to think that God was wanting for Moses to stand up for his brothers and sisters, and demonstrate his loyalty to this motley crew. He didn't condone their behavior, but he was faithful to the cause. In fact Moses delivered a pretty severe punishment to all those involved in the idolatry. Moses was told to kill those people that committed this sin. In Exodus 32:28, Moses writes "on that day about three thousand of the people died." Some would read this and be mad at God for behaving so severely, but this was a form of discipline that helped people respect God's power. Hebrews 12:7-24, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear." But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel..." The point in many ways is that Jesus has given us a better incentive and opportunity to be "holy" in God's eyes. For the Israelites' unholiness at the presentation of the law, which Paul says "kills", 3,000 died because of the conviction of the law. On the other hand, when the Holy Spirit came, which was only possible because Jesus died to remove the guilt of our sins, 3,000 were reborn. Look in Acts 2:38-41 where Peter replied to the crowd's plea for help, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call." With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." 3,000 die because they rebelled against the law several thousand years later 3,000 are reborn because of the spirit. Praise God for the Holy Spirit.

What's a "prayer warrior" look like?

Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing”, but for some of us just keeping our mind focused on a 1 minute prayer may seem like a hard enough task. A sister in Christ shared this helpful prayer prompter with me, and someone else shared it with her. Even Jesus’ disciples needed help with knowing how to pray (Luke 11). It’s good to have supportive prayer warriors in our life. MONDAY - M-Missionaries, Mothers, Ministers TUESDAY - T - Trials and Temptations and the Troubled WEDNESDAY - W- Workers, Widows/Widowers, Wisdom THURSDAY - Th-Thanksgiving FRIDAY - F - Fathers, Friends & Family, Forgiveness SATURDAY - S- Society, Sisters and Brothers, Sick & Sorrowful SUNDAY – Sanctification The lines of communication are always open with God, give it a try…daily. Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Not the way I remembered it

Have you ever revisited your school, or your old house, or some place that had a lot of meaning to you and it didn't seem the same. Not that it was bad, it just seemed smaller than the way you remembered? Or perhaps it wasn't as glamorous as you had thought it was. The same could be said about stories you hear, or events you were part of when you were younger. In yesterday's reading, I came across something that I hadn't seen before, or at least I didn't remember it this way. In Exodus 7-11 is the account of God delivering the Israelites from the hand of Egyptian slavery. However, I never realized how much Aaron was used in this process. Moses had complained to God in Exodus 3 about being unable to speak, unconfident in his own ability, and eventually God told him to bring his brother Aaron as the spokesman. So you may be wondering why this seemed like such a revealtion; but the truth is that Aaron basically shared the staff with Moses to bring out God's judgments upon Pharaoh. God told Moses to have Aaron bring the first three plagues: water to blood, frogs, and gnats. Ironically, Pharaoh's magicians could duplicate the plague, but they couldn't remove it. It was at the plague of gnats that the magicians couldn't do their tricks anymore. But it was also God that brought some plagues, well, I guess you could say that God brought all of them, but there's no mention of Aaron or Moses bringing the: flies, the disease on the cattle, or the death of the first born. Moses was told to bring the: boils, the hail, the locusts, and the darkness. Although that may not seem very deep at all, but as I started out, this was something I had always remembered Moses as being the catalyst for the plagues and Aaron did all the talking but as I read through this again, I realized that wasn't the case. Perhaps this shows us that God works in concert with us, but we have to do some work ourselves. Many may feel that sounds too much like "working your way to heaven", however, God wants us to be alive in our faith, which means we "don't just hear the message from God, do what he says" (James 1:22).

As the years went on...

Ok, so I've demonstrated that creating a new habit is much harder than they sound. It's been several days since I've posted on the exciting adventure of reading through the book that describes God's plan, his involvement, and his great love for all people. If you're not onboard yet, pick up reading either in Exodus, or start at the beginning and catch up (just 4 chapters a day) - that's not too hard is it? So far, for those keeping up, we've been introduced to Abraham, his son Isaac, his son Jacob (or Israel), and his 12 sons, of which Joseph is the hero at the end of Genesis. Now as we move into the book of Exodus, we see that there has been some time pass. Stephen said in Acts 7:6 that the Israelites were "enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years." If you do that math, Joseph was 110 when he died but he was around 33 years old when he brought his family from Canaan to Egypt to survive the famine. So he lived roughly 80 years after they got there. In Exodus 6:14-25 there's a brief family tree that confirms what Stephen said. Levi, one of Joseph's older brothers, lived to 137 years old. His son Kohath lived 133 years and he had a son named Amram. Amram lived 137 years and had a son named Aaron and Moses. So 80 + 133 + 137 + 80 (because Moses didn't do his thing til he was 80) that is 430 years. However, what I wanted to share was that once Moses began working for God, God reveals the itinerary for this trip. He says in Exodus 7:2-5, "Tell Aaron everything I say to you and have him announce it to Pharaoh. He will demand that the people of Israel be allowed to leave Egypt. But I will cause Pharaoh to be stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will crush Egypt with a series of disasters, after which I will lead the forces of Israel out with great acts of judgment. When I show the Egyptians my power and force them to let the Israelites go, they will realize that I am the Lord." This may not be much, but it looks like how God and mankind's relationship would go from the time in Egypt to our eternal home in heaven. Moses would tell people about what they need to do, but the Pharaoh (people) would reject it, then they become so stubborn that problems would come for them (in the form of plagues). Finally, God will show people who He really is and what He's capable of, and those that belong to him will leave their world of slavery and be guided by God into the Promised Land. To me that's a pretty neat comparison to our own journey out of spiritual slavery. Praise God! Keep reading.

A lesson from Potiphar

What's it look like to trust in God? Well, I think we could look at Hebrews 11 to get a pretty good snapshot, however there's a guy by the name of Potiphar that shows us what it might look like. Although we don't have any indication he trusted in God at all, yet he benefited in trusting in someone that did trust in God. In Genesis 39 we're told that Potiphar realized that Joseph was blessed in whatever he did, so it made sense to Potiphar to turn everything in his house over to Joseph. Similarly, God tells us in Malachi 3 that if we'll give what we've purposed to give without reservation then he will "will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing so great [we] won't have enough room to take it in! Try it!" He says, "Let me prove it to you!" Potiphar got it, even though he probably never became a follower of God. Can other people see you trusting in God and be blessed by it? I think so. Paul said in Colossians 3:23 to "work as if we're working for the Lord", so we will be doing the best job we can, with the fullest of integrity, and the purest of motives. When we "commit our work to God" then Solomon says in Proverbs 16:3, "our plans will be established". That's kind of another way of saying, "you'll be blessed". Potiphar trusted Joseph, and he was blessed. Although Joseph is my hero, Jesus is my Savior and has a little more power. Praise God by giving something you've been afraid to give to someone for the glory of God. If Potiphar can trust a Godly person, I think I should be able to trust God himself. Have a great day.

Let's pass it on

I'm a bit late, but I've made a new goal to post some thoughts to this site more regularly. In fact, as I read through the bible in a year I'd like to put my impression of what I read on here. I'd also love for you to comment and do the same thing. Like I said, I'm a few days late, which means according to our bible reading schedule I'm pretty far along. But I'll share a few thoughts today starting with Noah's son. This is actually a copy of the bulletin article I published this week. Do you know anything about Daniel? David? Jonah? Or Noah? Chances are you do, but why? For most people we learned about those guys pretty early on, which usually means we didn’t read about them – we were taught them. How do you rank your parents, guardian, or teachers on their efforts? Paul recognized that Timothy had been given an “A+” education about biblical history, the 10 Commandments, and many other teachings that were bearing fruit in his life. Paul gives some of the credit to the teachings of his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice (2 Tim 1:5). This really magnifies the impact that we can have on a person’s life (especially our children and grandchildren) if we’ll take the time to talk about God’s word with them. Moses told the Israelites in Deut 6:6-7, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” It must have been nice to hear about God’s mighty acts from Moses himself, who was instrumental in their exodus from slavery and Egypt. Remember that it was also Moses that wrote the first book of the Bible – Genesis. Although he wasn’t there when those events took place he was given help both by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and by the stories passed down thru the ages by people who had known people who had been there. As I was reading in Genesis last week, it came to my attention that Noah’s son most likely could have known Isaac, the promised son to Abraham in his old age. Shem, Noah’s son, was 98 years old when he stepped off the Ark; and approximately every 30+ years one of his sons were producing the next generation. There were 10 generations from Shem to Isaac, and Shem lived 500 years after his son Arpachshad was born. This may not be interesting to you at all, but to me this could have given every generation up to the fulfillment of God’s promise a chance to hear about God’s deliverance from an evil world first-hand. There are a lot of reasons God would have allowed people to live so long before the time of Abraham, but perhaps spreading God’s message was one of them. An eyewitness is always better than hear-sayers; however, as Rom 10:14-15 says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’” That’s us! You and I may not have been there when God created the world, when he destroyed it with a flood, when he delivered his children from slavery, or when warnings and blessings were given, and we may not have been there when Christ gave the great commission, but we have a book that has been well-preserved that gives us the accounts of those that were there. Pass those teachings on to someone you know. It may be what changes their life… for eternity.

On Target

Amazing things happen when you're willing to talk about our creator. Although it may not seem that just mentioning Him, or his Son, or what they mean to you can make much difference; I can attest to you that it does. Several years back I was introduced to someone who is now a good friend but one of the things that fueled our conversations was our faith. Over the years we talked more indepth about our faith. It seemed like providence when he asked me to write a book based off of the things we talked about, which were also things I put in a weekly newsletter. I was excited, and nervous to take on what seemed like an impossible task. Yet with his help our conversations of faith are now available to anyone that has questions about issues of faith. Last week I had my first book published. It's called On Target: Devotions for Modern Life, a collection of devotionals and thought provoking perspectives on spiritual matters. Checkout the link below to take a look, and I encourage you to consider getting a copy for you and use this as a springboard into deeper bible study. http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/KBenson http://manyriversharbor.blogspot.com/p/mrh-books-at-online-bookstores.html http://www.lulu.com/shop/kelley-benson/on-target-devotions-for-modern-life/paperback/product-20377201.html http://kelleybenson.blogspot.com

the lines of communication

Have you ever considered how hard it would be to not be able to speak? For some reading this, they may. For most of us we can fathom the frustration of not being able to communicate what you want because of a lack of an ability to communicate. If you've ever been to a foreign country you may be able to understand the difficulty better.

Communication is one of the most prized abilities God has given us. To be able to share a dream, to voice a concern, to be able to say "I love you", are all part of communication. We miss it when we lose it.

In scriptures there are several times God's chosen people lost communication with their creator. Not because God turned it off, but because they failed to listen. When we ignore what God is trying to communicate to us we are the one's that suffer.

As you consider the value of communication in your life, be sure to check the lines of communication with God. Are they weak? Are they unused? God is always ready to listen to you, and beleive it or not he's speaking out loud and clear through his powerful, living and active words in the bible.

Start listening to him today.

The Sign Said "Stop". . . I Didn't

The sign said "Stop" - I didn't...

So I said to the judge:

"I feel everyone has the right to choose their own interpretation of this word.

"My father never stopped. If I were to stop, I would be condemning him."

"My family has always refused to stop. If it was good enough for them, it is good enough for me."

"I don't want to start stopping until I am sure I can keep on stopping from now on."

"My preacher says it is not essential for people to obey that sign."

"What about those people who have never seen that sign."

"When I was young, my parents crammed stopping down my throat, so now that I am grown, I just don't do it anymore."

"I believe that only going is important, stopping is optional."

"How do you know that word really means today what it did when the sign went up."

"I will stop after I get my life straightened out."

"I will stop when my spouse decides to stop; it will mean more if we do it together."

"It is not anybody's business whether I stop or not."

"Judge, I feel that as long as we are sincere, you will accept us no matter what we do."


The scripture said, "Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

The scripture said, "Study to show yourself to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
I didn't.

So I siad to THE JUDGE...

The world is full of one excuse after another when it comes to religious matters. We cannot read our Bibles today because we woke up late. We cannot attend services today because its too hard to get the kids ready, or its too early, I'm not sure if I want to make my salvation sure today becuase I don't know if I am ready to give up my lifestyle. And the list goes on and on.
Christ gave up the glory of Heaven to live a human life full of heartache and temptation to die an agonizing death on the cross as a blood sacrificce for our sins, yet we are constantly looking for ways to get out of serving Him and one another.
Maybe it is time we stop spending so much time looking for a way out, and simply spend a few minutes dedicated to thanking the graceous, merciful God, who so lovingly gave up everything for us.

Turn to God

Knowing who to turn to when life throws you some curve balls is priceless. Too many people don't feel they know what to do when a crisis happens therefore they don't do anything, or worse yet they follow bad advice that leads them into a nastier situation.

Peter reminds us that we must "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us at the proper time, casting all our anxiety on Him, because He cares for us." God has the power to bear our load.

Ask God for advice. He tells us that "he opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble". Turn to God.

What Are You Talking About?

So, what are the last words you say when you are leaving others? I find myself often ending a phone conversation with family members by saying, “Goodbye, I love you.” Those words are not just meaningless words, but are intended to remind those who are so precious to me that I cherish them.

Thinking about this led me to wonder what parting words were used by the writers of the epistles. I actually was amazed when I took time to look into this matter. Some of them ended their letters by sending greetings or expressing expectations to see others soon, but there is one phrase used consistently by Paul in his writings. Before reading more about the answer to this question, what phrase or phrases did Paul use as he ended his letters?

Paul’s parting words in his epistles. To the Corinthians, he said, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus” and “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ . . . be with you all” (1 Cor. 16:23-24; 2 Cor. 13:14). As he finished his letter to the churches of Galatia, he said, “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Gal. 6:18). He had preached in Ephesus for three years and ended the epistle to them by saying, “Grace be with all of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph. 6:24). To the Colossians, he said, “Grace be with you” (Col. 4:18). The apostle to the Gentiles ended both letters to the Thessalonians with “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Thess. 5:28; 2 Thess. 3:18). He used the same words in the three epistles to younger preachers, “Grace be with you” (1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:22; Tit. 3:15). He finished that very personal letter to Philemon by saying, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” The same idea is found in the last verse of Hebrews, “Grace be with you all.”

Paul’s emphasis on grace. Should there be any wonder as to why Paul magnified grace in his letters? He constantly had to deal with Judaizing teachers who tried to bind the law on Gentiles. Even more overwhelming was Paul’s realization that he, the chief of sinners, had received grace from God. The remembrance of His grace is the prime motivation for spiritual maturity (2 Pet. 1:8-9). He never wanted those around him to lose sight of the grace of God.

The emphasis of your words. What words, not just the parting ones, do people hear you mentioning most often? Do they ever hear a spiritual emphasis, or is it always on secular matters? One could not be around Paul without hearing about grace. What do those around you hear from you?