400 year silence: Before and After

We, as Christians, strive to have the heart of Jesus...that we would love the things God loves and our hearts would break for the things for which His heart breaks. One such thing that captures the heart of God is family. God uses tons of analogies and metaphors about family in the Bible to explain his love and interaction with us, and his passion for family is never more evident than what He says before and after a 400 year silence. Here's the background: The Israelites have gone through the judges and several kings, and with them came a host of prophets. God spoke through these prophets to give the people instruction, discipline, and encouragement. There is a 400 year gap of silence where God does not speak through a prophet or angel...or anyone, and that gap is called the "intertestamental period" - the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Knowing that He would be silent for hundreds of years, God's last statements obviously carried much importance, as did his very first words after this long drought. If you look at the last words and the first words...they have a common theme, and in reading them, we see the passion of God's heart for families! Check it out:

God's Last O.T. words: Malachi 4:5-6 - "I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

God's First N.T. words: Luke 1:13-18 - ""Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son...and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Wow!! God REALLY cares about the relationships in your family - with your parents and with your kids!! Is your heart turned toward your kids--really focused on them? Is your heart also focused on loving and respecting your parents? God cares DEEPLY about this, and as we are in the middle of the holidays, please take time to warm God's heart by loving your family and turning your hearts toward each other :).

Your Thoughts??

Hey everyone,

I'd really, really love your input as we are continuing to plan details for next year. It's been an AWESOME fall, and I'm stoked for what God's gonna continue to do in our church and student ministry! Please fill out the form below - thanks!!!

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Favorite OT passage...right now.

Exodus 33 - LOVE IT. Take a second and read it 33:7-11 (I'll just focus on these few verses for this post). This passage inspires and challenges me for a three reasons:

1. INSPIRE: The word "anyone" in verse 7. God (even in the Old Testament) wants a relationship with every single person--not just Moses, Aaron, and Joshua--everyone! There were well over a million Israelites, and billions of people today...and God truly has the time and desire to hang out with me--he wants to be there with me...not just for me.

2. CHALLENGE: Verses 8-10 - This kills me...anyone could go in and meet with God personally (verse 7)...but only Moses and Joshua go (verse 11). Why!? Why would the people be content worshipping at the entrance to their own tents...worshipping at a distance. I'm sure it was a cool experience for them to sit back in their "pew" and watch the show...maybe even "sing along"; admire what God is doing through the people up front... can you see where I'm going?

I am 110% all-for having a high-quality worship band, video, lighting, etc...but I believe that it gets way too easy for people to stand and watch (maybe go through the motions of singing words they're not really thinking about)...and never really enter in to God's presence. That challenges me... Are you content with worshipping at a distance, but never really soaking in the transforming presence of Almighty God? What would "worship" look like if the whole church entered into the tent!? Would it be a crazy party? Would we all just be overwhelmed? Would we sing tons of songs and dance?... I don't know...but I want to.

3. INSPIRE: Verse 11 - Wow. Can you imagine? I try to picture what it looked and sounded like inside of that tent!!! Unbelievable. But my favorite part is the last sentence..."Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua...did not leave the Tent." THAT'S WHY I LOVE STUDENT MINISTRY! For the moments when a "young" persons realizes that there is nothing in the world more important than just "abiding." Just soaking in the transforming, healing, inspiring, loving presence of Papa...it just doesn't get better than that. Will you be a Joshua today? Will you join me in letting the business of this world fade away and allow ourselves to go into the Tent of Meeting (which is now in your heart, by the way :). Will you just bask in his Awesome presence? Soak it up...don't leave the tent!