"You want me to do WHAT, God?!"

Continuing through Genesis the past few mornings... came across this yesterday:
"And God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations... You shall be circumcised... it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.' " (Gen. 17:9, 11)

Because of the differences in cultures, customs, and worldview, we don't get the whole circumcision thing. Paul gives us a lot of insight on what was really going on there in Romans 2 & 4: "Circumcision is a matter of the heart, not outward and physical." (2:28-29), and it was given as a sign and a seal that God had already counted Abraham's faith as righteousness and set him apart as holy (4:10-12)

A few words help me understand this seemingly strange requirement of God to Abraham:

• Permanent - There's no undoing circumcision. No going back. You are all in. And it would remain a constant reminder of the unique covenant relationship God's people enjoyed.
• Personal - It was a 1:1 ratio. Every man had to bear his own part in the ongoing, unfolding redemptive narrative of God's plan. You couldn't be circumcised for someone else! "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:12)
• Painful - Remember, Abraham and his men were adults at this time. Like Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God, "Obedience is costly." The question is "Is it worth the cost?" That's why we call it worship; we are declaring what something is worth by what we are willing to sacrifice (see Gen. 22:12)
• Possession - God wants to set His people apart as His unique and holy treasure. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) Shepherds mark their flocks by cutting a notch or making a unique mark on their sheep so they will be easily identifiable as belonging to their master, even from a distance.

What sets me apart? Can anyone tell a difference? Do they see that I belong to Christ, or do I blend in with the surroundings as indistinguishable? A matter of the heart indeed!

Best of 2013

Well this is a little late but the holiday season was a busy one this year so.... Here is a sum up of my personal best for 2013:

Best Music:
Overall this was a pretty dry year for great music but there are a few highlights that deserve mentioning for me:

• Best album: "All Sons & Daughters - Live"- Where have these guys been hiding?! One of the best worship records of all time. Terrific songwriting, never cliched or predictable. The musicianship is top notch. Personal favorite: "Called Me Higher."

• Best song: "Anchor" by Hillsong United & "Promises" by Sanctus Real. While neither of these songs break any significant artistic ground, they cam e along at a time in my life when I needed to be reminded of the faithfulness of God in the worst of circumstances. These won;t win any awards for creativity but they comforted my soul when I really needed it.

• Best overplayed radio pop song: "Wake Me Up" by Avicii. Love this song! 

Best movie I saw:

"Catching Fire" While the first Hunger Games movie was decent, this second part totally surpassed all expectations I had. It was one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I have seen in some time. I know there were better movies but I could only afford to see so many. The rest are Redbox fodder for 2014. :-)

Best Superhero movie:

The big surprise this year for me was "The Wolverine." Finally, it felt like the Wolverine I knew and loved from the comics. Though I was disappointed in "Iron Man 3" in the theaters, I began to like it much more on Blu Ray after seeing a few more times. "Thor 2" was fun like a roller coaster, but still nowhere near the movie Avengers was. And "Man of Steel" was a step in the right direction for the Superman franchise but ultimately was kind of flat emotionally. Lots of cool explosions and massive destruction but if I'm not emotionally invested in the characters, so what? "The Wolverine" not only delivered on all the essentials - story, character, action, emotional depth -- it serves as a promising indicator for the whole X-Men movie franchise. Excited to see what they do with "Days of Future Passed."

Best TV show I watched:

Toss up between "Duck Dynasty" and "The Walking Dead." Two vastly different shows but wouldn't miss an episode of either. The only connection the two shows have is that in a real zombie apocalypse, I would want the Duck Dynasty guys on my team.

Best books I read:
I read a LOT of books this year and learned a lot from some brilliant, godly mentors. I can't narrow it down to one but here are a few that impacted me the most:

• Because We Love Him: Embracing a Life of Holiness by Clyde Cranford. An older, hard-to-find book given to me by a former pastor. This is definitely worth seeking out. A dry read for the casual reader but if you are a serious seeker of what it means to live a life of holiness, this book is worth the work.

• Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything by Steve DeWitt. One of my favorite books ever. A new classic. Helped me greatly to develop the discipline of letting the ordinary everyday beauty of things like nature, food, music, art, and other people draw me up into worship of the One who made it all.

• The Utter Relief of Holiness by John Eldredge. What year would be complete without a book from John Eldredge? This one is a relatively short read. Cuts to the chase on how pursuing holiness in Christ breaks the chains that bind us and sets us free from a host of addictions that plague our souls.

• Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear. Fantastic little book about assurance of salvation. Found it very helpful in counseling and discipling.

• Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. God lead me to this book a few months back when I kind of had a mini-meltdown. I had exhausted myself emotionally, physically, and spiritually and was not obeying the principle of Sabbath. I accidentally stumbled onto this book through Crossway's website and ordered it. So helpful! A must read for every pastor.

That's all I can really think of right now. I am tired and most likely no one will read this anyways. :-) Looking forward to what God is going to do in 2014!