Reflections on Exodus: Who is Joseph? Blessing or a Curse (Exodus 1.1-.14

Refelctions on Exodus
Who is Joseph?
Exodus 1.1 - .14
  The Old Testament book of Exodus opens with a  brief overview of the sons of Israel who traveled to Egypt.  We are told that the 70 decedents of Israel in Egypt had grown so that they were so numerous that the land was filled with them.  At the time of Joseph the relationship between the descendants of Israel and the Egyptians were good.
  Somewhere along the way things went bad between the king of Egypt and the Israelites.  A new king did not know Joseph and the fact that Joseph, thru the wisdom of the LORD, helped the nation of Egypt survive and prosper during 7 years of a great famine.  This new king was afraid of the Israelites because he did not know they could be a blessing to him.
  Why did this new king fear the Israelites?  Perhaps they weren’t the blessings to the Egyptians they were called to be anymore.  The LORD made a covenant with the Abraham the father of Israelites.  The LORD promised that Abraham’s descendant would be a blessing to the nations.  If you look at the story of Joseph you see this promise coming true.  By relying on the wisdom of the LORD Joseph was a blessing.
  But if Joseph hadn't relied on the LORD, he would have become a curse.  We see this in the lives of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham.  When they try to do things on their own they cause more trouble than good to those around them.  So here is my question to you are you a blessing to those around you or are you a curse.  Do you rely on the wisdom of the LORD and live a life accord to the pattern we see in his Son Jesus Christ? Or do you ignore the LORD and try to make it on your own?  If you are trying to do it yourself you will end up being a curse to those around you but if you rely on the LORD you will be a blessing.

Reflections: Genesis, Jacob Blesses His Boys (Genesis 48.1-49.28)

Reflections: Genesis, Jacob Blesses His Boys
Genesis 48.1 - 49.28

Decades after stealing the blessing from his own father, Jacob, now at the end of his life, calls his 12 own boys to him to receive a blessing. His boys are all grown men with families of their own.  They have had a bumpy history between the 12 of them.  Some of them have hated and envied each other.  While others were close friends and allies.  Jacob, now know as Israel, has had a long time to observe his boys and think about the best way to bless each of them individually.  In fact the author of Genesis tells us that He gave “each the blessing appropriate to him.” (Genesis 49.28)

Each blessing Israel gives is appropriate for each individual man and his descendants.  He must have carefully considered the lives of each of his boys and then carefully decided how to bless them.  If you read the blessings for yourself you will see that they are unique and seem to fit the lives each of them lived and their tribes will live.

As most of you know I am a big fan of parents blessing their children at important transitional times of their lives.  At each Graduate Dinner/Banquet or Senior Sunday I have planned, the parents have blessed their son or daughter.  No two of these have been the same and each has been appropriate for the graduate.  The key for us as parents is to know our children.  See them for who they truly are and not who we want them to be.  The blessings we bestow on our children should guide them in life and strengthen them as they follow Jesus.

My challenge to you is to spend some time this week thinking and meditating on how you are blessing your children each and every day of their lives.

Reflections on Abraham Part Three: Children and Volcanos

Reflections on Abraham
Part Three: Children and Volcanos
Genesis 16.1 - .16

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. (Genesis 16.1 & .2)

In our culture we love to be in control and we love to have plans. Huge amounts of money is spent on calendars, personal organizers and software to get our plans and schedule under our control. Recently the entire European continent learned that no matter what their plans, calendars or personal organizers tell them they are not in control. The Eyjafjallajokul Volcano, whose name is nearly impossible to pronounce, shut down most of Europe’s airspace causing thousands if not millions of people to put their plans travel by air on hold. They couldn’t do what they planned to do. They learned that they were not in control and nothing they did would allow them to be in control of the volcano!

When we try to control everything and go our own way rather than waiting patiently for the LORD it causes trouble. Look at Sarai and Abram’s attempt to start a family. Abram knows the LORD has promised him a child but Sarai is either impatient or thinks she has a better plan. So she offer her maidservant, Hagar, as a surrogate and will start a family through her. She wants to be in control of this situation instead of waiting for the LORD. This causes trouble. Sarai becomes jealous of Hagar. Hagar is sent away. Abram is caught in the middle. The family Sarai wanted to start falls apart instead!

When we try to take control it causes trouble. When we try to make plans but don’t surrender them to the LORD we sin. (James 4.13 - .17) Instead we need to wait patiently for the LORD and surrender our plans to His will.

Work: Reflections on Genesis 1 - 11

Reflections on Genesis 1 - 11

Reflection - Work

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. - Genesis 2.15

It is clear from this verse that we had a job in the garden of Eden. The LORD creates everything and in the midst of all creation a garden is created. We are left wit the task of tilling and keeping it. I can tell you that gardens don’t maintain themselves. It takes work on the part of the gardener. The gardener needs to prune, pull weeds, fertilize, mulch, plant seeds, transplant seedlings and the list goes on. This hard work keeps a garden from being over grown and becoming wild. This was our task in the garden of Eden to be gardeners. As part of Adam’s “dominion” over creation was the task of caring for where he lived. If he didn’t till and keep the garden of Eden it would eventually become over grown, wild and not the place the LORD had made for him to live and work in.

Two important concepts come out of this.

1. Work is not a curse but a blessing. Gardening can be enjoyable but it is hard work. The work the LORD gives us to do is a blessing for us. The New Testament makes it clear that we have work to do. Our work consists of continuing Jesus’ ministry on the Earth. We are given gifts from Holy Spirit that allow us to do the work we have been called to do.

2. We are still stewards of this world. For the foreseeable future this is the only planet we have to live on. Since this is the world the LORD put us on to live on we need to take care of it. Just as Adam and Eve had the job to caring for the garden of Eden we have the task of caring for the Earth.

All You Need to KNow in Life You Will Learn From D&D

This is an awesome short talk about all you'll need to know in life.

All I Need To Know About Life I learned From Dungeons and Dragons. An IgniteOKC Talk. from Chad Henderson on Vimeo.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving after meditating on John 3:16 - .21

A Prayer of Thanksgiving after meditating on John 3:16 - .21

LORD
We come before you tonight confessing our love for lies and our love of darkness.

BUT

You out of your great love sent your son
who is the light
who is the truth
into the world

You gave him so that we will find eternal life through our belief in your Son.

Your Son, who came into this world not to condemn us but to save us all.

THANK YOU LORD

THANK YOU LORD

Thank you for giving us your Son who calls us out of our darkness into his light.
Thank you for giving us your Son who calls us out of our lies into the truth.
Thank you for giving us your Son who call us out of our condemnation into salvation.

Salvation that only comes thru the name Jesus Christ.
It is in his name that we praise you in this prayer.

Amen

A Prayer of Blessing

LORD

We ask that you will put your name on us.

We ask that you will...
guard us against temptation.
guard us against the Evil One.

LORD look at us and bless us.
Look at us and give us your grace.
Look at us and give us your peace.
Look at us and give us your love.

Open our eyes so we may...
Look at others and give them grace.
Look at others and live in peace with them.
Look at others and show them love.

As we wear your name make us a blessing to the world.
We ask this in your Son’s wonderful and holy name.
Jesus the Christ
Amen

snow day pictures

snow day pictures

10 years and sad news

me and lisa with our 10 year anniversary cake

this weeks marks my 10th year as the youth minister at the church of Christ in falls church. Back in 1996 i had no idea that i would be here this long but God has blessed me and my family here.

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sad news
on a sad note a homeless man that has been a regular at our food pantry was found dead on monday morning. a worker went to the laudry room at and apartment complex and found him there. the worker thought he was sleeping there and called the police. the police found that he was daed. they believe it was a murder.

we called him dave, his name was david r. feliz, and he was a lost soul who had made some really bad choices in his life, with drugs, alcohol and in his relationships. as far as i know he has no family in the area and was completely alone. from time to time he would disapear and then reapear clean shaven and clean from the time he spent in jail for some petty offense.
here are two stories about dave

String of Murders in Fairfax County (he is the first story in this clip)
String of 3 Slayings Startles Authorities (his story is near the bottom of the page)