tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38917799740730437372024-03-14T04:14:28.604-06:00Musings of a Spontaneous Youth PastorDevotionals, Insights, Sermons, and Resources.Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-65253047130476856952013-07-18T15:02:00.000-05:002013-07-18T15:02:40.270-05:00THE BLOG IS MOVING!!!!! INTRODUCING WWW.NERDYNICODEMUS.COMHi everyone,<br />
<br />
I've taken quite a break from writing and have been developing a better and more interactive website. I hope to be putting one new post up every week. From now on, don't come to this site. Instead use the new one: <a href="http://www.nerdynicodemus.com/">www.nerdynicodemus.com</a> <br />
<br />
If you've got the site saved somewhere in your bookmarks or favorites, go ahead and make the change now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the new site!<br />
<br />
MarkMark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-58762469953856781232013-06-20T17:30:00.000-05:002013-06-20T17:53:57.059-05:00Man of Steel Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nwdndnN63zeUQMDCuye0S8cNbIaJ5cSaj7iJtXpVn98_-U_sKQ_FJsA9PbPp5tPOYKEH1ecRqWY6UCY5PW_RkzlWZ478LP84d-sIzBTLWV_jUB4df5wiiw0Rh4wxjsFnW9DJD0DEuL42/s1600/Man+of+Steel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nwdndnN63zeUQMDCuye0S8cNbIaJ5cSaj7iJtXpVn98_-U_sKQ_FJsA9PbPp5tPOYKEH1ecRqWY6UCY5PW_RkzlWZ478LP84d-sIzBTLWV_jUB4df5wiiw0Rh4wxjsFnW9DJD0DEuL42/s400/Man+of+Steel+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Superman is important to
Christians. The hero has a longstanding
tradition, whether intentional or not, of being a Christ figure. His
father sends him from the heavens down to lowly earth in order to lead and save
humanity. He is (nearly) all powerful, a God among men. The only
thing fiercer than his strength is his goodness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Man of Steel has been
catching a lot of negative feedback, but I just don’t see it. I thought this was the best Superman movie
yet. Here's why:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Good</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No sex! Finally, a blockbuster movie that doesn't
flaunt what the good Lord gave it. There's no skin tight leather
Black Widow here and nobody decides to get dressed in front of the camera
at entirely inappropriate times like certain members of Starfleet (I'm
looking at you Into Darkness). Let's face it, with the history of
Lois Lane and Clark's X-Ray vision, it would have been easy to throw sexual garbage in there. Instead, they took the high road and made a movie
that believes there are more things that sell than just sex, like…<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Action! Holy canoli! Here's a Superman
movie that actually shows the kind of scale and devastation that would be
involved if someone as indestructible, fast, and powerful as Superman
actually got into a fight. Some have complained that there is too
much destruction, but when Superman and his equals face off, it's silly to
think that there would be little or no collateral damage. This movie
shows just how devastating a superpunch can be when thrown in Kansas,
Metropolis, spaceships, satellites, and everywhere else you can imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jumps right in. We all know the classic story of
Superman. So much so that it's honestly starting to get stale. Planet
goes boom, Superbaby lands in a field. Kents raise him and then “Holy super
pubescent powers Batman!” Clark
meets Lois. Will they? Won’t they? How many more scenes will those glasses
fool her? Until we all want Clark to just tell her his secret
already! Instead of dragging all of
that out for us again in time honored fashion, this movie handles it in a
fresh and different way. The Lois arc moves quickly and some well-timed,
emotional flashbacks give us what we need while allowing the film to jump
right into its own story arc.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Realism. Superman movies have always been hokey
and filled with more cheese than a calzone. This one was more
serious and I like that. None of that "Up, Up, and Away"
business. This movie tried to seriously deal with what Clark would go
through growing up on earth. How would the nation and world react
knowing such an unstoppable individual existed? Could he ever really
be one of us? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Old villain, new experience. Zod and the gang
from the Phantom Zone are old characters who have been recycled over and
over. But this movie does a great job of making them new and
fleshing them out. Deeper backgrounds, creepy dialogue, and a new
armored look made these villains better than ever. (Props to my friend Don for pointing this out to me)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Great acting and casting. Henry Cavill nailed
Clark/Kal/Superman which is no easy task. I think what I liked the
most was that, aside from the Kryptonians, everyone in this movie looked
like real down to earth people. Movies filled with gorgeous people
often add to the phoniness of the film. These actors looked real and
made the movie all the more immersive.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Bad</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rapid clean up. The end of the movie doesn't really
address or display the aftermath you would expect from the colossal
showdown. Jump to the Daily Planet where everything seems A-OK.
Apparently, the devastated city regrew overnight. And let's
just pretend the entire planet is fine and earth's atmosphere and gravity
have better healing powers than Wolverine.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Confusing science. How does the atmosphere and
sunlight give the Kryptonians all of that power with just an instant of
exposure? Why is it that the Kryptonians with all of their
technology can't just relocate to one of their outpost planets? For
that matter, why can't they make their AI floating computer things sound
better than an echoing cassette player in my bathroom shower? How
is Lois standing calmly in the open bay of a flying aircraft without
falling to her death? And what is the air speed velocity of an
unladen swallow?!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As always, Superman's disguise is lousy. But for
tradition's sake, you've just got to give the guy a pass on that one. In other news, the costume looked great!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Long action. These fights tend to drag on and on.
That’s enjoyable for most people but can leave you overwhelmed.
It makes sense that when you have indestructible Kryptonians
punching each other in the face, you're going to be there a while.
In the midst of the high speed and long fights, it's easy to get a
little lost wondering who is throwing what punch and which guy is getting
his face rammed through an exploding vehicle. Overall, I suspect the
majority of teens and guys won't raise this objection. It's an
adrenaline ride many will enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MAJOR SPOILER HERE Superman breaks his golden rule and they don't give it
enough consideration. The Man of Steel never kills. It would
shatter the ability for earth's people to trust him and would take him one
step closer to being a tyrant accountable to no one. When he breaks
this huge rule, he cries for a second and sheds a single tear. It
left me feeling like the movie makers didn't realize what a big deal that
moment was for Superman history.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Godly</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Man of Steel doesn't
disappoint the Christian looking for Christ imagery. The dialogue is ripe
with stuff that believers can unpack. Superman strikes a pose that
reminds us of the cross and Clark even visits with a priest for counsel. There's so much of this, that some
non-Christians might gag on it as it's shoved in their faces. Sorry
guys, I didn't make the movie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">While undoubtedly
violent, I believe that Man of Steel will open family and friends to great
conversations about faith, sacrifice, and even the purpose of your own life.
Just check out these words from Jonathan Kent, "You are my son.
But somewhere out there you have another father, and he sent you here for a
reason. And even if it takes you the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself
to find out what that reason is." Powerful words for Clark and just
as powerful for you and me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With Man of Steel, you
get a very entertaining movie that continues the tradition of Superman by
pointing to the real Savior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-64309857687415397552013-05-17T11:59:00.000-05:002013-05-17T11:59:05.162-05:00A Woman to be Praised<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PsufYNiin-h2uys9Yx5CqH47nvX9vQkXB4HWBRhE8kgeAyfqVNwAWhnF9qMPMKYJRD2ePTf-pTzisjtG8g1OlLKK5-QjcGBncvWeid5cQsZchTfGxoBHQJgWeZ-nANT2MhwTTpXpg5Lc/s1600/Mark+Preaching.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PsufYNiin-h2uys9Yx5CqH47nvX9vQkXB4HWBRhE8kgeAyfqVNwAWhnF9qMPMKYJRD2ePTf-pTzisjtG8g1OlLKK5-QjcGBncvWeid5cQsZchTfGxoBHQJgWeZ-nANT2MhwTTpXpg5Lc/s320/Mark+Preaching.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This last Sunday was Mother's Day and I got to preach at church! I spoke on Proverbs 31 to encourage the women in our church to strive for godly character, show the men what kind of girl they should be looking for, and help us all see the importance of praising the godly women in our lives.<br />
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I hope you are blessed by it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.cbcop.com/Sermons/English/5-12-13%20A%20Woman%20to%20be%20Praised%20Proverbs%2031%2010-11%2028-29%20Pastor%20Mark.mp3" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> for the sermon.Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-59405252863091829552013-05-08T14:13:00.000-05:002013-05-08T16:25:23.881-05:00Iron Man 3 <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAb89v2bHdabpeN_-Di-v1BIm3m6XUhjzhn2L-Y7ruTYbEBe6owUoZgQ1G_tNQ7VnIvW5OQjod5qNUaFfFMA6ECEGeDMi-j2X5sf7xeEmDTH0aP-xGdbRM5JhHK29nEG2rYYLD1qzENh/s1600/ironman3+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAb89v2bHdabpeN_-Di-v1BIm3m6XUhjzhn2L-Y7ruTYbEBe6owUoZgQ1G_tNQ7VnIvW5OQjod5qNUaFfFMA6ECEGeDMi-j2X5sf7xeEmDTH0aP-xGdbRM5JhHK29nEG2rYYLD1qzENh/s320/ironman3+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Iron Man 3 was a blast. It was humorous, action packed, full of cool new gadgets and upgrades, and had a solid and unexpected twist. It was inappropriate at times with language and sexuality, which is pretty much par for the course with Tony Stark. I was mildly annoyed twice when Tony is saved by gadgets he happened to have on him the whole time. This installment of Iron Man was quite different from the last two in the way it was directed, narrated, and even the plot structure and camera angles. It was a lot of fun, but there is something about it that left me unsure how I'd rate it. For now I'm thinking it was better than the sequel but not as good as part one. Vague Spoilers Follow...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z77etUyCoCVLLR4DaCUMka8zZmMGGC62ctcFMSuwAo7VTDdYCGSPZCZDd5LmL5dZoEpcC6WEIwC5SUo_wZDqAhDWaJ_jbCyRCztRZnyrBmf4to7HbA5x9Z1NpgcU-8X_4WBoyqccrmOV/s1600/ironman3+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z77etUyCoCVLLR4DaCUMka8zZmMGGC62ctcFMSuwAo7VTDdYCGSPZCZDd5LmL5dZoEpcC6WEIwC5SUo_wZDqAhDWaJ_jbCyRCztRZnyrBmf4to7HbA5x9Z1NpgcU-8X_4WBoyqccrmOV/s320/ironman3+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is Tony Stark without his suits?</td></tr>
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One of the major themes of this movie is Tony Stark's struggle to feel safe and secure. The events in the Avengers movie have left him distraught, nervous, fearful, and suffering from anxiety attacks. He doesn't feel safe without the Iron Man armor and has become obsessed with improving it and building new versions of it. Despite his strongly felt need for the suit, he gets separated from it time and time again in the movie. <br />
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The whole issue of him feeling helpless without the armor is highlighted when a kid doesn't even recognize Tony Stark but points to the empty suit on the couch and says, "That's Iron Man!" That's how Tony feels. He is nothing without the suit. Yet Tony continues to save the day with or without his fancy suits over the course of the two hour and ten minute film. As Tony and not the suit rise to be the hero, he goes through a healing process. By the end of the movie, he ends up with a restored confidence when the realization comes that he doesn't need the suits. The suits don't make him great. He made the suits! The armor is not the hero. Tony, not the suits, is Iron Man. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV_cWVZDN5DGQGjSc8neZ8FcecoyBcUR3S883E5dKH0-qGYQ38SLbFUpuSu2AYUr2onyQJyjyKZfMC7gW9smWMSpksvZ1K-GuUrH4XpZtUvtI9i4N5Kc_j1QRMQ2MOJjCGCm05LEc2iqE/s1600/ironman3+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV_cWVZDN5DGQGjSc8neZ8FcecoyBcUR3S883E5dKH0-qGYQ38SLbFUpuSu2AYUr2onyQJyjyKZfMC7gW9smWMSpksvZ1K-GuUrH4XpZtUvtI9i4N5Kc_j1QRMQ2MOJjCGCm05LEc2iqE/s320/ironman3+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just chillin' with my bro.</td></tr>
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Ultimately this movie sends Tony on a quest to find himself and discover something about his own identity. He was basing his identity on the suits so much that they became his only hope for safety and peace and led to anxiety and fear when they weren't around. We all do that don't we? Maybe we don't base our lives around our billion dollar robotic armor, but we all turn to the people and possessions around us to find our worth, safety, and peace. <br />
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We trust in our jobs and bank accounts to get us through life and when either of those is in jeapordy, we panic! We look to our friends and family to be our rock and give us peace but when we feud with them our whole lives fall apart. As parents, we base our whole life and identity on our kids and when they aren't home by curfew and haven't called, we go to Def-con 1 (or is it 5?) and absolutely lose our minds.<br />
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Just like our friend Tony, none of us will be at peace until we stop putting our sense of worth and security in the people and stuff around us. You are more than your job, career, friends, money, clothes, significant other, children, and high-tech armor.<br />
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But in the end, I think Tony still ends up finding his answer in the wrong place. In Iron Man 3, he finds his ultimate confidence and security in himself. He is the great Tony Stark and there is nothing he can't face.<br />
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But you and I aren't billionaire geniuses who can MacGyver our way out of anything life throws at us. The Bible says there is something greater than anything in this world and even greater than us that we need to base our identity, worth, and security on: our relationship with God.<br />
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<i>For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. - Romans 8:14-17</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Who are you? You're more than your career and possessions and friends. If you've trusted in Christ as your Savior, you are a child of God! That's where you need to find your identity first and foremost. That's where you need to find your security. As a child of God you know you are loved fully by God. You are cared for. You are watched over. You have nothing to fear because Almighty God is your Abba, your Daddy!<br />
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Learn this well. Let it sink into your soul. And the next time the people around you let you down or your possessions are lost you will be calm as a Hindu cow because you know that your Father is still on the throne watching over you and He cares for you deeply. You aren't Iron Man, you're something much, much more.Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-3972283345388822292013-04-02T15:03:00.000-06:002013-04-02T15:03:44.460-06:00Near Far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXuNAVjFMBof5Hi0PkvbpTEN9ZYBWxXLb2gQ0EKj4eQy6CckIettzorHXFKmHj4Bkl-OBQ7yXIvYaJCcJDrIYM-hpNpuTJRCpFiqjRj2d7p26A57sYGgsyCaMo_6WrpV6x41m2r5-7GEs/s1600/Grover_near_far.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXuNAVjFMBof5Hi0PkvbpTEN9ZYBWxXLb2gQ0EKj4eQy6CckIettzorHXFKmHj4Bkl-OBQ7yXIvYaJCcJDrIYM-hpNpuTJRCpFiqjRj2d7p26A57sYGgsyCaMo_6WrpV6x41m2r5-7GEs/s1600/Grover_near_far.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good old Sesame Street.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ah yes, the difficult concepts of near and far. Michaela and I have been working on those for a few months now. We stand by the mirror and jump back and forth saying near and far. She laughs and smiles and when we're done she says, "Mah," which means "more" in Michaelanese. <br />
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But some day she'll grow up and have those concepts nailed down. She'll know that things that are near are things she can touch and see and interact with. She'll learn that things that are far are often out of reach. They are the things she can't see, can't touch, can't change, can't do anything about. She'll learn just like we all do what near and far mean.<br />
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But Jesus must not have watched Sesame Street, because He doesn't seem to have learned this lesson.<br />
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<i>Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. - John 4:46</i><br />
So Jesus is back in Cana. There is a man from the next town over whose son is dying back home. He comes looking for Jesus and begs Him to heal his son. It must have been serious and he must have tried a lot of other things to get his son well. Usually the last thing people do is run around the country looking for holy men to heal their kids. <br />
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<i>The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." - John 4:49</i><br />
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He begs Jesus to come back to Capernaum to help him. Near and far. This man understands the concept. I can picture what this father might have been thinking and saying as he begged the Lord. Jesus, we are in Cana and my son is dying in Capernaum. That's far away, twenty miles to be exact. We can't do anything to help him from here. Please Jesus, come down to Capernaum with me. If we leave now, we might get there in time for you to save him. <br />
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<i>"Go," Jesus replied, "your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. - John 4:50</i><br />
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What an under appreciated little verse. We're so used to Jesus healing people in the New Testament that it's easy for this to just seem like any other person He healed. But there's something special about what He does here. Jesus heals a boy that is 20 miles away with just a few words! Your son will live. The man later finds out that his son got better at the very moment that Jesus was speaking with him. It didn't take any time for Jesus' words to act with power even from so far away. <br />
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With Jesus, far is near. We may not be able to see or touch or interact with or change things that are far away. But Jesus can. Wherever you are, no matter how far you may feel from God, Jesus is near. He sees you and your need. You're not outside of His reach. He can change your life in an instant. You don't need to be in the right room, building, or even city to be touched by God.<br />
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What's also incredible about this story is that the royal official believes Jesus. He takes Jesus at His word. Oh how much more simple life would be if we did that! I think of the times God has seemed far and life has seemed so difficult and I read a verse that tells me God is with me and will work all things out for good. I think of all the times I've read those verses and not taken God at His word. So I stress and I fret and I worry and God ends up keeping His promise. Instead, I could have walked away with joy trusting God would do as He said. <br />
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Today, be reminded. You and I may struggle with near and far. But God isn't limited by a few miles. Even when He feels far away, remember that far is near to God. You can turn to Him anytime, any place. And remember to take Him at His word. His Word is final and He is faithful to keep His promises.<br />
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Here's a little reminder that near and far are child's play to the Creator of the Universe. <br />
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Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-50010824284983433522013-03-25T12:30:00.001-06:002013-04-02T15:04:09.092-06:00Why Easter is the Super Bowl Sunday of Christianity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBUGIXIVhzbl7Dee4nvtqz8CiBV6iFLGl4xLSm3oymVnCf-0WoiS3c2JC3U5eH-QNYw_qS9Thl3qibwKNIUAyr_UGS5OoJHMQryVoXhri3AfmWzXWP5t1ygyKsWpvBB7Z37LRzzEGktVN/s1600/Football-Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBUGIXIVhzbl7Dee4nvtqz8CiBV6iFLGl4xLSm3oymVnCf-0WoiS3c2JC3U5eH-QNYw_qS9Thl3qibwKNIUAyr_UGS5OoJHMQryVoXhri3AfmWzXWP5t1ygyKsWpvBB7Z37LRzzEGktVN/s320/Football-Jesus.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would football Jesus be the coach, the quarterback, or the wide receiver?</td></tr>
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Did you know that Easter is bigger than Christmas? I know it may not seem like it. For Christmas, we spend months decorating, planning, and shopping. We dish out a thousand or more dollars to buy gifts and host huge parties. We go on vacations and return home to visit family. We tell elaborate stories about Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty and we might even set up a Nativity scene and go to midnight mass or service. <br />
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On Easter, we paint eggs, eat candy, have dinner, and call it a day. But I'm telling you, Easter is bigger than Christmas. Easter is the biggest day of the year for Christians. It's our Super Bowl Sunday. Why?<br />
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Well let me ask you this: What's more important, the day Frodo is given the ring or the day he drops it into the fires of Mount Doom? What's more significant, the day Tony Stark built his first Iron Man suit or the day he saved the world from an alien invasion? The day the plan for Argo was drafted by Tony Mendez or the day those Americans made it back home? The day Abraham Lincoln was born or the day he issued the Emancipation Proclamation?<br />
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Enough comparisons, let's get back to Jesus. What's bigger, the day the Savior was born or the day the Savior actually triumphed? <br />
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There is no bigger day for Christianity than Easter! In fact, it's so important that Paul says that if Jesus didn't rise from the dead then you're faith is useless (1 Cor 15:14 and 17). On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus not only was born, not only lived a great life, not only died in our place, but that Jesus was victorious! By His resurrection, Jesus proved that He had conquered all of our great enemies. <br />
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<i>But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep... But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 15:20, 58</i><br />
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<u>Jesus conquered Satan</u> by His resurrection and showed that He is the King of this world and His power is greater than the evil one's. We don't have to be afraid of the devil anymore. Our King is bigger and better and stronger. No plan or scheme of the enemy can ever harm a child of God. Our God lives! Our God is victorious!<br />
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<u>Jesus conquered sin</u> by His resurrection and proved that we can be forgiven through Him and freed from the bondage of sin. We no longer have to live in fear of God's judgment or feel wracked with guilt for our mistakes. We no longer have to struggle without hope against our secret sins whether they be pride, gossip, pornography, alcohol, drugs, sleeping around, or whatever. There is freedom and a way out. Sin has been defeated. Our God lives! Our God is victorious!<br />
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<u>Jesus conquered death</u> by His resurrection and wrenched us from the grip of our greatest and oldest foe. We no longer live in fear of that day that's coming for us all. When a Christian dies, it's as much a party as it is a funeral because we know that death is not the end. Death cannot hold us because it could not hold Him. The grave doesn't have the final word, Jesus does. To us, death is sad but it is also overwhelmingly joyous because to die is to be alive with Christ forevermore. We Christians can look death in the face and ask, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Cor 15:54b-55) Our God lives! Our God is victorious!<br />
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Easter is our Super Bowl Sunday because it is the day we celebrate that Jesus is victorious and, for those of us who have put our faith in Him, so are we. We have victory over Satan because Jesus conquered him. We have victory over sin because Jesus broke its chains. We have victory over death because Jesus rose again! <br />
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Do you have that victory? If you'd like to be free from Satan, sin, and death, you can. <i>If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. -- Romans 10:9-10 </i>If you've put your faith in Jesus today, let me or a Christian friend know so we can help you take your first steps of faith.<br />
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I hope these truths settle in you deeply this week and that you have a Happy Easter as you celebrate Jesus' victory!</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-58047897845511754752013-03-18T12:56:00.000-06:002013-03-25T12:30:56.064-06:00Wanna see a Miracle?Burning bush. Parting of the Red Sea. Angelic appearances. The walls of Jericho. The resurrection. All were crazy awesome miracles. And you and I didn't get to see a single one of them. Just once, wouldn't it be awesome to see a miracle? Why did Moses, the prophets, and the apostles get to have all of the fun? It would be amazing to actually see God doing something real in my life. It would be a huge anchor for tough times when doubt creeps in. But it seems that spotting a miracles is harder than finding Waldo in those old picture books.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which is harder: Spotting a miracle or finding Jesus in this biblical Where's Waldo pic?</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Are you familiar with the miracle at the wedding of Cana when Jesus turned water to wine? At the wedding reception, the banquet hall runs out of wine. Talk about a buzz kill. So Jesus' mother Mary asks Jesus to do something about it. At first, Jesus doesn't really want to but mom gets her way. He heads over to the entrance of the hall and finds these huge jugs of water that were there so the guests could wash their hands when entering and leaving. He turns all of that water into wine. The servers that went with him took the wine and gave it to the master of the banquet who thought it was the best wine he had ever tasted.<br />
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Sound familiar? But here is what I want you to notice. Look at these three verses.<br />
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<i>...and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. - John 2:9-11</i><br />
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There were lots of people at this party, maybe over a hundred. Jesus performs a miracle that every single one of them benefit from. They all go on to enjoy the wine. Yet only a handful of people even realize that something amazing has happened. Most of them have no idea that God has just done something extraordinary.</div>
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I wonder if this is true of us today. Is God at work all around us and we just miss it? Is He doing things in the day to day and we enjoy the blessings without realizing where they came from? I think so. And here's what I learned from this passage.</div>
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<b>The Servants:</b> Sometimes when God does something, He does something colossal right in front of you and there is no hiding it. Sometimes He parts a sea, raises the dead, or turns water to wine. The servants didn't ask for a miracle and they weren't looking for one but God gave them one anyway. God's gracious like that. If this has happened to you, great! If it hasn't, don't sweat it, you're in the majority.</div>
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<b>The Master of the Banquet:</b> Sometimes when God does a miracle, we give the credit to someone or something else. The master of the banquet drinks the miracle wine and praises the groom for saving such exquisite wine for last. I don't blame him for making the assumption, it's a pretty logical one, but he gives credit to the wrong guy. Are we ever like that? Do we thank luck or karma instead of God when something great happens to us? Do we pat ourselves on the back for our own hard work when God graciously provides a job, promotion, or good grade that we actually didn't deserve? How often do we give God's credit to others?</div>
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<b>The Guests:</b> Sometimes when God does something, we don't even notice at all. Most of the guests at the wedding kept drinking, eating, talking, and having a great night. They were completely unaware there was a wine shortage, let alone a miracle to make more! We can go through life enjoying all of our blessings but never even considering where they came from or how grateful we ought to be. </div>
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<b>The Disciples:</b> Sometimes when God does something, we have to be paying attention to notice. The disciples were likely seated with Jesus at the banquet. But they didn't accompany him when He got up to perform the miracle. Jesus didn't call them over and say, "Watch this!" It seems from the story He left them at the table and went to the entrance without them. Yet the Bible says they saw His glory and believed in Him. Why did they get to see this miracle? Because they were watching Jesus. They didn't take their eyes off of Him. When He got up and walked to the door, they kept watching. They were paying attention and wondering what He was going to do next.</div>
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I think God is constantly at work in our lives. He's not doing things as huge as parting the Red Sea in your daily life. That's not what I'm saying. But I do believe that He is blessing you daily, providing wisdom daily, speaking through His Word daily, answering prayers daily, and so much more every single day. We need to learn to be like the disciples. Keep your eyes on the lookout. When something unexpected and good happens, pause for a second and say, "Thank you God!" Every day make it a habit to ask God what He is up to and what He wants you to see and learn today. Keep your eyes on God, and just like the disciples, you're going to see Him doing some amazing things. May God bless you and surprise you as you watch!</div>
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P.S. I've actually seen God do some big miraculous things in the past. Nothing quite as big as the Red Sea or resurrection, but big enough that I'd call it a miracle. However, those bigger things are somewhat infrequent in my life and I've found it's important to learn to watch for the smaller day to day things God is doing.</div>
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Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-52548563672999985082013-03-04T14:34:00.000-06:002013-03-18T12:57:03.792-06:00The Cure for FearSpiders. Crazed gunman. Car accidents. Public embarrassment. The dark. Each of us is afraid of something. What are your fears? Better yet, how do you deal with them? There is a Bible verse that I've known for years that tells us we were not given a spirit of fear but a spirit of adoption. Michaela did something that made a light bulb come on in my head in regard to that verse. <br />
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<i>"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." -- Romans 8:15</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo at church, dressed up for Chinese New Year</td></tr>
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Lovely picture isn't it? Michaela typically only cries like that for two reasons. As was the case in the picture, she gets like this when she is very tired from sleeping badly the night before or missing a midday nap (often both). We call her Grumpy Brunke. The other situation that causes her to lose her mind like this is when she is scared. She doesn't get scared of a lot of things. Big dogs don't bother her. Loud trucks don't scare her. Strangers are her biggest fear. If she hasn't spent a lot of quality time with you, you can cause a Michaela meltdown just by trying to pick her up. <br />
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A few weeks ago at church, Michaela was playing near me. Someone she doesn't know very well walked up to her, bent down, and started talking to her and squeezing her cheeks. Her face immediately distorted into the look of terror as tears tumbled down her cheeks. She cried. LOUDLY. She spun around a few times until her eyes locked on me standing ten feet away. She walked around the stranger and cut a straight path to me, crying all the while. She reached her hand out and grabbed my leg. Her crying stopped almost as soon as she touched me. She sobbed a few more times as she caught her breath. She looked up, her cheeks covered in tears but with a smile on her face as she said two words: "Daddy. Up."<br />
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I couldn't help but laugh as I picked her up. She had gone from meltdown to happy in just 0.9 seconds. She was scared of the stranger but she knew that I would take care of her. Once she had made it to Daddy, she knew everything would be alright. I was her safe zone. She handled her fear in the best way she knew how. Run to Daddy. <br />
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If you've trusted Christ as your Savior, you were not give a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption. Almighty God has adopted you as His son or daughter. You are a child of God. He loves you deeply. You can cry out to God as a child cries out for their daddy. God wants you to realize that He is more than just the man in the sky who is in charge. He is your loving Daddy. <br />
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What troubles you? What scares you? What causes you to cry? What leaves you worried? Courage is not the answer. Manning up and saying, "I'm not scared. I can do this," is not the way to conquer fear. The cure for fear is not courage and trusting in yourself. The cure for fear is Daddy. Would you give that a shot next time you are afraid? Would you run to your Heavenly Daddy in prayer? Would you grab onto His leg and ask Him to pick you up? He loves you. He cares for you. He is bigger than those strangers that are scaring you. He wants to take care of you. He will walk alongside of you. Run to him with trust and faith and watch your fears melt away in 0.9 seconds.Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-17779029437716123462013-02-21T16:54:00.001-06:002013-03-04T14:34:36.471-06:00Super: David is Hawkeye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me tell you a story about a pimp. Christy, myself, and a friend were on our way to see a movie. We drove through a less than awesome neighborhood and were stopped at a red light. In the middle of broad daylight, with many people around, a fly dressed man chased a scantily clad woman through the street while hitting her with a cane. The woman was yelling for help. People on the sidewalk kept talking to each other and laughing. People in their cars locked their doors. Nobody did a single thing while this man terrorized this woman. <br />
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What do you do when nobody seems willing to do the right thing? I've slowly been going through a series called Super to show that a lot of cool modern super heroes in one way or another have a lot in common with biblical heroes. More importantly, I've been trying to learn how you and I can be heroes by following these examples. So what do we do when nobody will do the right thing? Let's take a lesson from the original sharp-shooting hero, King David.<br />
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The story of David and Goliath is extremely well known. Here are some details that you may not have known. The Israelite army and the Philistine army were camped near each other and ready for war. They each decided to send out their best warrior to settle the battle rather than thousands of people on each side dying. The Philistines send forth Goliath, a giant of a man. He was either six and a half feet tall or nine and a half feet tall. We don't know for sure, but the point is that he was so big compared to the ancient Israelites that every man in the Israelite army was too terrified to face him. For forty days Goliath challenged them and they were too afraid to do anything about it.<br />
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Do you think any of the Israelites wondered what the brave, courageous, and right thing to do was? It seems pretty clear. Go face the enemy. As I process this story, I can't help but think that every Israelite soldier knew the right thing to do. They were just too afraid to do it. The same goes for my pimp story. I highly doubt there was a single person who saw that happening that honestly believed the right thing to do was sit back, watch, and ignore. It's pretty obvious that the right thing to do is help that woman. Everyone was just too afraid. <br />
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I think 99% of the time in every day life, we know the right thing to do, we are just too scared to do it. The question is not "What should I do when I see someone being bullied at school?" or "What should I do when my job wants me to do something shady?" We already know the answer. The question is "Will I bravely do what I know is right?"<br />
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So David, a boy too young to be a soldier, volunteers to fight Goliath. Where does he get his courage? <br />
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<i>The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." -- 1 Samuel 17:37</i><br />
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He gets his courage from trusting God. He knows the right thing to do and he trusts that God will help him do it. That's hard to do! When our friends, popularity, job, or whatever is on the line, it can be very difficult to trust God. He doesn't promise to always work things out for us nicely and neatly as we know this story ends up. Sometimes doing the right thing will cost us. Will we choose to trust God anyway? David did.<br />
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Another part of the story that is often missed is a funny wardrobe malfunction. King Saul and his soldiers take David and give him the best armor and weapons to go and face Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17:38-40). "Here David, a real soldier needs a sword and armor." But the armor is too big and heavy and David can barely walk in it. The sword is made for a grown man and David hasn't been trained with it. Everyone around him ends up over-complicating things. <br />
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David could have spent a bunch of time training with that sword before facing Goliath. The guy had already waited forty days, what's another week? He could have tried to have the armor fitted to him better. Instead, he took them off, grabbed his staff and sling, and went to face the giant. He didn't fall into the trap of over-complicating things.<br />
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It's easy to fall into that trap. We know we should share the gospel with our co-worker or classmate, but we are scared and nervous. We convince ourselves that we are not fully ready or equipped as an evangelist. So first, we go read a book on sharing our faith and then attend a ten week Sunday school class on evangelism. Those things are nice, but let's not over-complicate things. Those things are ultimately not where victory comes from. David recognized that. He knew that at the end of the day, the battle wasn't won by swords, size, or armor. He knew the battle belongs to the Lord. David trusted that God had already given him everything he needed to do what was right. So should we. <br />
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We all know the climax of this story. Shepherd boy David walks right up to the giant, dodges a spear, and fires one shot from his sling. He hits the bullseye and the giant Goliath falls to the ground. The original Hawkeye. God comes through for David. I'll say the hard thing. He doesn't always wrap things up so neatly. Many times doing the right thing will cost us. But you know what else it does? It inspires.<br />
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<i>Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. -- 1 Samuel 17:52</i><br />
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When David did what was right, the entire Israelite army saw. They went from a cowering group of wimps to a ferocious fighting force. <br />
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So here is what I've learned from David on what it means to be a hero. Don't pretend you don't know what the right thing to do is. Trust that God can totally come through with power if that's His will. Don't over complicate things. Trust that God will provide what you need in the moment. If we started doing those things, we'd inspire the people around us.<br />
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If you need closure with the pimp story, here it is. I put the car in park, told Christy to lock the doors and call the police, and I went and put myself between the pimp and that woman. I was pretty scared. She ran off, I tried to talk him down, and I dodged a few swings of the cane. The people around got a lot more startled when that happened and a few of them started calling the police and yelling at the guy to stop. The cops showed up and the guy fled the scene. Best of all, I think I inspired Christy because she ended up marrying me ;-) <br />
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Here's some questions to think through:<br />
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<li>When were you scared to do what was right, but did it anyway?</li>
<li>When were you scared to do what was right, and didn’t do it?</li>
<li>Do you agree that most of the time you know what the right thing to do is? </li>
<li>What things do you know God wants you to do that you are overcomplicating instead of just doing?</li>
<li>What’s the most inspirational thing you’ve ever seen anyone do? Or even just heard about?</li>
<li>Imagine you inspire people with your life. What would you want them to say about you? Try to sum it up in two sentences.</li>
<li>What can you do now to be that kind of person?</li>
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<br />Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-6789325938435003652013-02-07T16:34:00.002-06:002013-02-07T16:34:51.485-06:00Training: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Part 4<br />
This is the fifth video in this training series. You can find the previous videos in the links below.<br />
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<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/trying-something-new-training-videos.html" target="_blank">Intro</a></li>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary.html" target="_blank">Part 1: Defining Penal</a></li>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary_24.html" target="_blank">Part 2: Defining Substitutionary</a></li>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary_31.html" target="_blank">Part 3: Defining Atonement</a></li>
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You made it! We've gone through the theological concept of the penal substitutionary atonement and learned that Jesus' death on the cross was God's way a paying the penalty of sins in our place so that we could be forgiven and at peace with Him again. Today's video is the last in this series and the goal is to see how we can use what we know as we have normal, every day conversations with people. </div>
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Well, that's it! I hope you've found this series helpful. As always, feel free to comment with questions or feedback. God bless you and may He give you fruitful opportunities to share the gospel soon!</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-71619084036064061392013-02-05T12:53:00.001-06:002013-02-07T16:35:10.606-06:00The Ultimate Kobayashi Maru<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Christy and I were watching the episode Junior Salesman of the show The Office the other night. On the show, Dwight is interviewing Clark and he presents him with this awful hypothetical where there seems to be no good option because he wants Clark to answer poorly. Instead, Clark says, "Sounds like your classic no-win situation. So I'd Kobayashi Maru it." <br />
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This morning, I brought that line up to Christy and realized I had to explain the reference to her because she is not a level 99 nerd like I am. Kobayashi Maru is a reference to Star Trek. In order to graduate into Star Fleet and be eligible for command positions, cadets would have to take many tests and exams. One of those tests was the Kobayashi Maru. <br />
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The test was a simulation in which the cadet faced an impossible scenario. They were aboard a starfleet ship and a civilian ship named the Kobayahsi Maru was in need of immediate rescue. However, in order to rescue the ship, they would have to cross into enemy territory and risk a battle or even war with the Klingons. The cadet could choose not to rescue the ship and its civilian crew would all die. The cadet could choose to attempt a rescue and Klingon ships would arrive to destroy them all. It was a no-win situation. The simulation was not designed to be beaten, but instead to allow the instructors to watch how the cadets acted under pressure and in the face of failure. <br />
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The other thing you need to know is that Kirk actually pulled it off. He took the test twice and failed and hated it. He didn't believe in no-win scenarios. Before his third attempt at taking the Kobayashi Maru test, he cheated by reprogramming the simulation so that the AI Klingons would be too afraid of the name James Kirk to attack. He got in some trouble, but he also was rewarded for his original thinking. That's what Clark from The Office meant when he said that he would "Kobayashi Maru it." He meant that he would find a way to win even when the situation was impossible. <br />
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Once I had sufficiently nerded Christy out (and I suspect I've done the same to you), Christy said something really cool. She said that's kind of like salvation. <br />
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Here's the scenario. God created us and loves us and wants us to live forever with Him. We rebel against Him and commit crimes of sin daily. Because God is holy and just, He can't let sin go unpunished just like a good judge can't let a criminal off the hook. Because we have sinned against an infinite God, the just punishment is eternity in hell. Because God loves us, He doesn't want us to suffer apart from Him in hell. If He acts out of love and let's us off the hook, He would violate His own justice and righteousness. If He acts out of justice and righteousness, He would violate His great love for us. It's a no-win situation.<br />
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Thankfully, like Captain Kirk, God doesn't believe in no-win situations. God thinks outside of the box and comes up with a plan I never would have thought of and certainly never would have volunteered for. In order to maintain His justice, He decides to provide a sacrifice to pay for our sins. In order to pay the infinite debt we owe God, the sacrifice would have to be infinite. No finite sacrifice would do; God would have to die. But in order for the sacrifice to apply to us, the sacrifice would need to be one of us. The sacrifice must be human. So God became flesh in Jesus and Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty for all of our sin. God's justice is satisfied by the infinite and human sacrifice, we are free to be forgiven and live forever, and God's love gloriously conquers Satan, sin, and death.<br />
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It's the most impossible situation but God found a way for you and I to be saved. It's the ultimate Kobayashi Maru. Have you accepted this amazing offer of salvation that God has extended to you in Jesus? You can today. No magic prayer or ritual are needed. Just tell God you need forgiveness and believe in Jesus as your Savior. Are you already a believer? Then let this give you pause. Let this make you stop a moment and reflect on the amazing way that God found a way when there was none because He loves you. Marvel at the good news of Jesus that makes possible the impossible. He saved the unsavable! Praise God!<br />
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<i>"...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" -- Romans 10:9</i>Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-85822767614147806342013-01-31T16:22:00.000-06:002013-02-05T12:58:55.704-06:00Training: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Part 3This is the fourth video in this training series. You can find the previous videos in the links below.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/trying-something-new-training-videos.html" target="_blank">Intro</a></li>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary.html" target="_blank">Part 1: Defining Penal</a></li>
<li><a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary_24.html" target="_blank">Part 2: Defining Substitutionary</a></li>
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To recap, penal substitutionary atonement is a fancy theological term that answers the question, "What did Jesus do by dying on the cross?" The word penal tells us that His death on the cross was the just penalty for the crime of sin. The word substitutionary tells us that His death was actually paying the penalty for our crimes and sins. Jesus traded places with us sinners. Today's video will focus on the word atonement.</div>
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Before you hear what I have to say, take a look at these passages from God's Word.</div>
<i><br />All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. -- 2 Corinthians 5:18-19<br /><br />But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. -- 1 John 1:7 <br /><br />God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished -- Romans 3:25 <br /><br />This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. -- 1 John 4:10 <br /><br />Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. -- Romans 8:1-2 <br /><br />When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, -- Colossians 2:13 <br /><br />He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will -- Ephesians 1:5</i><br />
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I hope that these videos are helping you see what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Next Thursday I will put up the last video which will focus on how we can share this gospel with others. As always, let me know if you have questions or comments!Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-26829097054838940892013-01-29T12:51:00.002-06:002013-01-30T12:47:48.364-06:00Ever Changing Me<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Just a simple thought today. Last night, after Christy and I had finished an episode of Bones, I was skimming through the Netlix menu. I spotted TinkerBell and the Secret of Wings and my reaction surprised Christy and actually embarrassed me if I'm honest. I saw it and said something along the lines of, "Sweet! I haven't seen this one yet. I'll have to watch it." <br />
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Now, before you think I've lost my mind, let me inform you that I meant that I would have to watch it with Michaela, you know, my 17 month old daughter who is in love with TinkerBell. However, if I'm totally honest, I find myself legitimately interested in seeing this next movie. I've seen two of them already and want to see how the next portion of the tinker fairy's saga plays out. <br />
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Call me girly or soft or whatever but I never would have reacted like that or wanted to see this movie at all two years ago. The point is, Michaela has changed me. Her interests have somehow become my interests. Things that excite her are actually somehow starting to excite me. The more time I spend with her, the more my interests are being transformed by her. Hopefully, this will work both ways and she will be a big Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and, more importantly, Jesus fan when she grows up. <br />
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I'm not actively trying to be like Michaela or gain her interests. I didn't have a conversation with my heart or personality and try to convince myself to like the things she likes. It just happened as I spent time with her. <br />
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That, I think, is exactly how it works with God. We don't start off like God. We each start off with our own set of selfish and sinful desires. But the more time we spend with God the more we will begin to change. I'm not talking about trying to change ourselves by quoting doctrinal statements or telling our heart to change. I'm talking about just spending time with God and it just happening. Being in His presence and praying and reading His Word will change us. <br />
<i><br />For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. -- Romans 8:29</i><br />
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God wants to make us like Jesus. How?</div>
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When we spend time with Jesus, the desires of our heart will begin to change to match His. We become less self focused and more others minded, less concerned about our kingdoms and more concerned about His. I've seen it happen to me. I'm not perfect yet, but I'm also not the rude, selfish, arrogant, sarcastic, intellectual bully I used to be... though he does still rear his ugly head on occasion. How about you? Have you been changed by His presence? Are you trying hard to change your own desires? Have you tried just sitting at His feet and spending time with Him in His Word, worship, prayer, and fellowship with His people? I hope so, because it's a close relationship with Him that changes us. </div>
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May you find yourself ever more like Christ as you spend your time with Him.</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-57281299852940708302013-01-24T16:00:00.000-06:002013-01-31T12:13:55.256-06:00Training: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Part 2This is the third video I've put up to discuss the theological concept of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. If you're just joining in, you can find the <a href="http://www.markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/trying-something-new-training-videos.html" target="_blank">INTRO HERE</a> and <a href="http://markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/training-penal-substitutionary.html" target="_blank">PART 1: DEFINING PENAL HERE</a>. <br />
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As a recap, we have learned that phrases like "Jesus died for your sins" are often misunderstood by non-Christians and not necessarily fully understood by Christians either. Penal Substitutionary Atonement is a theological term used to address the issue of what exactly Jesus' death did. The word Penal is used to convey that His death on the cross was related to the crime of sin and the just penalty for sin which is death. Today's video will hopefully explain the second word: Substitutionary.<br />
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Before you watch the video and hear what I have to say, take a look at God's Word to see what He has to say.<br />
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<i>Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. -- Isaiah 53:4-5<br /><br />"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." -- 2 Corinthians 5:21<br /><br />"He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." -- Romans 4:25<br /><br />"and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." -- 1 John 2:2<br /><br />Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her and to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,o present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. -- Ephesians 5:25-27<br /><br />All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. -- Isaiah 64:6 </i><br />
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It's my hope that this training is helping you to better grasp what Jesus has done on the cross for us. I also hope you are better equipped to communicate this truth. As always, let me know what you think! Part 3 will be up next Thursday and will cover what we mean by Atonement.Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-56592672089213811322013-01-22T15:30:00.000-06:002013-01-29T12:16:06.359-06:00Lessons from the Sons of Thunder<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Boanerges. It means sons of thunder. Jesus gave that nickname to James and John in Matthew 3. This is just speculation, but I think He chose that name for a reason. I think James and John were energetic and loud. I think they were the kind of guys that were the life of the party. They brought the boom and the noise with them wherever they went. They were used to the spotlight. They craved the spotlight. That's what I think at least. <br />
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<i>Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. -- Mark 10:35-37</i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', arial, helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></i>
James and John believed rightly that one day Jesus would be King and they wanted to be the number two people in the whole kingdom. They desired greatness for themselves. They wanted the glory. They wanted the fame. They wanted the attention. They wanted the position of power. They wanted the position of privilege.<br />
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We all do from time to time don't we? We call shotgun to ride in the nice seat up front. We walk quickly to get the first place in line or the best seats in the theater. We let Facebook know that we had a bad day so that the world will pay attention to us. We all desire greatness for ourselves in one way or another like James and John. But look where their desire for greatness takes them.</div>
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In Luke 9, Jesus and his disciples are planning a trip to Samaria. The Jews and Samaritans hate each other like cats and dogs, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A63XjuA8u3U" target="_blank">Cubs fans and Sox fans</a>, and the Westboro Baptist Church and the rest of the world. But Jesus loved the Samaritans and often went against the cultural norm to visit them and teach them. This time, the Samaritans tell the group that they are not welcome and they should go elsewhere. I imagine that would sting. Some of us might have wanted to give them a piece of our mind or get expressive with one of our fingers but James and John... well, they're the sons of thunder!</div>
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<i>When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" -- Luke 9:54</i><br />
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Hey, they disrespected us, let's burn them to death! In the words of Ron Burgundy, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FONN-0uoTHI" target="_blank">"That escalated quickly."</a> You don't mess with the sons of thunder and you don't mess with Jesus. James and John get so caught up in their own greatness that they think anyone who doesn't recognize it should be burned. And they entirely miss the heart of Jesus. He rebukes them. </div>
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When was the last time someone offended you? Did you want to pay them back for failing to recognize your greatness? He called me a name, how dare he disrespect my greatness. They lied to me, how dare they disrespect my greatness. In the past, I've had a teen who would constantly speak rudely and patronizingly to me. This exact feeling rose up inside of me. How dare he speak to ME like that! I'm PASTOR Mark. It's an ugly selfishness in all of us.</div>
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On another occasion in Mark 9, James and John tell Jesus about a man they met. </div>
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<i>"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." -- Mark 9:38</i>Hey Jesus, we met this guy who was casting out demons. Sick people were getting better. Oppressed people were freed. He was doing all of this in your name. But don't worry Jesus, we told him to knock it off. You know, cause he isn't one of us awesome 12 of yours. Who does he think he is? Am I right Jesus?<br />
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Obviously, Jesus wasn't very happy with them this time either. Again, James and John get so caught up in their own greatness, that it bothers them that other people would succeed. No one but me and my team should get the spotlight. </div>
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When was the last time someone around you succeeded? Maybe it was a promotion at work or they got praised by mom and dad for getting good grades. Did your greatness rise up and grow envious of the spotlight? Did you wish they would just stop already and people would turn their attention back on you? I've grown jealous of my fellow Moody students sometimes who catch the praise of professors for doing well in ministry. I've thought to myself, well you should see my ministry and hear me preach. Ugly, ugly, selfishness.</div>
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It all comes to a head when James and John ask Jesus to make them the greatest in the Kingdom at His left and right sides. </div>
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<i>When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. -- Mark 10:41</i><br />
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Ever get into trouble when your friends hear about how great you think you are? Didn't invite so and so to the party because they are just lame, not cool enough to be around you. You told the boss all the reasons you deserve the promotion and all the reasons your coworkers don't... and then they find out what you said.</div>
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So Jesus tells them what true greatness looks like.</div>
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<i>Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -- Mark 10: 42-45</i><br />
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Jesus does greatness differently than the world and James and John. The greatness of James and John demanded the condemnation of the Samaritans for their offense. The greatness of Jesus demanded compassion for them. The greatness of James and John attacks the spotlight of others. The greatness of Jesus can rejoice in the successes of others. The greatness of James and John makes others feel less important and stirs up anger and jealousy. The greatness of Jesus makes others feel more important and stirs up love and gratitude.</div>
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The world has it wrong. The world says that if you want to be great, you focus on yourself. Jesus says that if you want to be great, you focus on others. True greatness doesn't lift itself up. True greatness stoops down low to serve. The quest for worldly greatness leads each of us to chase selfish and hurtful ends. True greatness led Jesus to die on the cross and give His very life for us that we might live. </div>
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So how are you chasing worldly greatness like James and John? What opportunities is Jesus placing before you to serve others and truly be great?</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-33351336530859371962013-01-17T14:04:00.000-06:002013-01-31T12:14:17.139-06:00Training: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Part 1As I mentioned last week, I've created some training videos for people at my church. You can find my quick intro <a href="http://www.markbrunke.blogspot.com/2013/01/trying-something-new-training-videos.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br />
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Before you hear what I have to say, take a look at the following Scriptures.<br />
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<i>For the wages of sin is death... -- Romans 6:23a <br /><br />Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.--Daniel 12:2<br /><br />God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power--2 Thess 1:6-9<br /><br />But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.--Matthew 5:22<br /><br />God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.-- Psalm 7:11<br /><br />As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." -- Romans 3:10-12<br /><br />All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. -- Isaiah 64:6<br /><br />The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. -- Psalm 5:5</i><br />
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Hopefully, this begins to unpack this theological concept of the penal substitutionary atonement for you. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions! Part 2 will be up next Thursday.</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-12579337123755206992013-01-15T14:01:00.000-06:002013-01-17T14:04:47.622-06:00Follow Hard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think I would have said no to Jesus. <br />
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I mean, why on earth did Peter say yes?<br />
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Matthew chapter four tells us that Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing. It was their job. We know that Peter was an average kind of guy. He had a home, friends, and a family. We also know that Peter was married because Jesus heals his mother-in-law in Luke chapter four. He's married and he has a job, a home, a wife, a family, and friends. All reasons to say no.<br />
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Jesus, a complete stranger, walks up to Peter and Andrew one day while they are fishing. Peter didn't know Jesus. To Peter, Jesus was just some preacher he had heard people talk about. Jesus hadn't even done any amazing miracles yet. He was just some preacher. And Jesus walks up to Peter and says, "Come and follow me."<br />
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I think I would have said no. I have a wife and a daughter. I have a job. I have a home and family and friends. Why would I leave all of that to follow some teacher on his preaching tour all over the country? <br />
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I get so confused when I read this story in Matthew as Peter just gets up and follows Jesus. He leaves everything behind to follow and learn from this teacher he had only heard about and never met. Why would a man do such a thing? Why would he leave his job, family, home, and life behind to chase after Jesus? I think it bothers me so much, because I would have missed this shot. I would have said no. <br />
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I'm convinced of two things. <br />
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First, I'm convinced that Peter had a longing for something more. Peter had the marriage. He had the career. He had the "ideal" life that we all strive for. Why would he leave it to follow a stranger? Because like many of us, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Was this all there was to life? Wasn't there something more? These are the questions that gnaw at us all and lead us to buy a corvette or some other crazy thing we dismiss as a mid-life crisis. He may not have known it, but I think Peter had a deep longing for God in his life. You may not know it either, but I think you do too. Have you been chasing the ideal life? Are you satisfied with it? Or are you left with an emptiness, wondering you've spent all of your time chasing things that for some reason don't seem to be satisfying your soul?<br />
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Second, I'm convinced that Peter recognized the God opportunity that was in front of him that day. I'm not sure how, but Peter saw that this was his chance to find the meaning and purpose he was aching for. He didn't know exactly who Jesus was, but he knew at the very least that Jesus was a teacher who loved God. He saw the opportunity and he left everything to take it. <br />
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Later, Jesus becomes incredibly famous and even popular. He travels all over performing miracles and kind of becomes a rock star celebrity in His day. Peter is no doubt enjoying this incredible chance to be in the spotlight with Jesus. Jesus even draws in a crowd of over ten thousand people one day as He preaches. But it doesn't last long. Jesus begins teaching some really tough things. He begins telling the people that He has come down from heaven and that He is the bread of life. He basically begins telling people that He is God and they must follow Him to live and be saved. The people were happy to follow when Jesus was performing tricks and healing people and feeding them by multiplying a little boy's lunch. They were happy to follow Him when He taught them things like blessed are the poor and love your neighbor. But things changed when He started telling people they need to obey Him and live for Him.<br />
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The crowds leave Jesus in John 6. Jesus looks to the twelve disciples and asks if they want to leave Him too. It wasn't a whole lot of fun to follow Jesus anymore. And He was starting to ask a lot from them. Peter's response is amazing. <br />
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<i>Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. -- John 6:68.</i><br />
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Where could Peter have gone if He left Jesus? Let's see. Back to his wife and family. Back to his friends. Back to his home. Back to his career. He had a lot to go back to. But Peter has realized that none of that satisfies. None of that fills his soul. Peter knew the life Jesus was calling him to would be fun sometimes and tough others. But he knew there was only one place he could find purpose in his life. There was only one thing he had been longing for all of his life. He had found it. Rather, he had found Him. Jesus held the life he was looking for. Peter would follow. Peter would leave everything else behind to follow Jesus. Peter would follow Jesus even if no one else did. Peter would follow til the day he died. </div>
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I don't think I would have said yes to the teacher I had never met asking me to follow Him if I were in Peter's sandals two thousand years ago. I might have missed that God opportunity. But, like Peter, I have tried what this world has to offer and found myself longing for more. And I have tasted the life that Jesus has to offer and realized there is nowhere else to turn to find what I'm looking for in life. </div>
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How about you? Have you been longing for something more? Are you tired of chasing the "ideal life" only to find yourself unsatisfied still? You're unsatisfied because you're looking for so much more than a career, home, money, or family could offer. You're longing for God. Like Peter, there is a God opportunity before you today as you read this. Jesus is standing before you, holding out His hand, and saying, "Come and follow me." He is not calling you to a life that will always be filled with fun or glamour He is calling you to a life that will sometimes be tough and mean leaving behind many of the things this world has to offer. But He is calling you to the only place you can find satisfaction for your soul. He is calling you to Himself. To relationship with the God who loves you. Whether you've been a Christian for 40 years or have never taken Jesus seriously, will you take the God opportunity before you today? Will you follow Jesus and see where He leads you? What do you have to lose? Where else can you go?</div>
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Let the words of Mark Altrogge's <i>One Pure and Holy Passion</i> stir your heart.</div>
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Give me one pure and holy passion</div>
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Give me on magnificent obsession</div>
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Give me one glorious ambition for my life</div>
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To know and follow hard after You</div>
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To know and follow hard after you</div>
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To grow as your dicsiple in your truth</div>
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This world is empty, pale, and poor</div>
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Compared to knowing you, my Lord</div>
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Lead me on and I will run after you</div>
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Lead me on and I will run after you</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-34191663378188721572013-01-10T11:30:00.000-06:002013-01-15T14:01:16.339-06:00Trying Something New: Training VideosI've created a series of videos to use as training for people at my church. These videos cover the theological concept of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. It's a long winded title that addresses the question "What did Jesus do on the cross?" I've put the introduction to the training below. Give it a watch and let me know what you think.<br />
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It's nothing fancy or super formal, but I'm exploring this type of training. Let me know what you think. I plan on putting up the subsequent videos over the next few Thursdays. Check back in to find them. If you think this is helpful for you, let me know what topics you'd be interested in receiving training in for the future. If this goes well, I may put out training on things like theology, counseling, teaching, evangelism, and who knows what else. Let me know what you think and check back in on Thursday for Part 1: Defining Penal.</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-22752127944544405292013-01-08T17:50:00.000-06:002013-01-10T11:30:44.246-06:00Super: Joshua is Wolverine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wolverine was never one of my favorite characters from the X-Men, but he's hard not to like at least a little. He's tough as nails and always ready for a fight. His instinct is to shoot first and ask questions later. . . or stab first in his case. He is an independent warrior who has to learn how to play on a team when he joins up with Professor X and the X-Men. He isn't used to following orders and his less than cool head make it difficult for him to obey. Often this quality of Wolverine's gets the whole group into trouble. <br />
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We can be a lot like Wolverine. Maybe we lack adamantine claws and mutant healing abilities, but we all possess his stubbornness at times. We have our way of doing things and don't want to follow the rules or someone else's orders. We often act without thinking things through. Whether it's our boss, teacher, parents, or anyone else telling us what to do, we think we know better at least half of the time. But what happens when we get this Wolverine-esque attitude with God? What do we do when we think we know better than the Almighty?<br />
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There is a man in the Bible who fits Wolverine's description rather well. He is a warrior through and through, solves problems with fighting first, and has a defining moment that revolves around obeying his commander.<br />
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<b>Joshua . . . You wanna fight?</b><br />
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You know that friend of yours who's always looking for a fight? The guy or girl who's always saying stuff like: "What did he just call me?" "Say that again to my face!" "You wanna go? Let's do this!" "Oh no she didn't!" I think that was what Joshua was like. Why? Joshua was a warrior. He was the one who led God's people into the promised land and fought battle after battle to gain the land. <br />
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His battle minded nature is probably best seen in Exodus 32:17. When Moses had gone up to the mountain to receive the commandments from God, Joshua had gone with him. Meanwhile back at camp, the Israelites had created a golden idol and begun worshiping it. On their way back down the mountain Joshua and Moses could hear the chaos below. What did Joshua think he was hearing? <br />
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<i>"When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp." -- Exodus 32:17</i><br />
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He mistakes their singing and cries of prayer for the sounds of warfare. That's the kind of guy Joshua is. He is always ready for a fight.</div>
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Knowing that Joshua was a guns blazing kind of guy, I can only imagine how he felt when he led the Israelites to conquer Jericho. As they approached the city, his mind was probably filled with tactics and plans. The city had huge walls and Joshua was certainly making plans to overcome them. He could send a small strike team into the city to open the city gates at night and allow Joshua's army in. He could construct ladders they could use to scale the walls. They could surround the city and prevent anyone from leaving or entering. Jericho would surrender when their supplies ran low. Joshua, the warrior, was certainly planning something.</div>
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<b>Super Submission & Super Obedience</b></div>
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It was as they approached Jericho that Joshua saw him. A solitary man on a hill. A man with a sword drawn. A soldier. Perhaps he was a scout from Jericho, a messenger to negotiate terms or warn Joshua away. Perhaps he was the leader of a neighboring group that also wanted to see Jericho fall. Joshua approached him and asked a straightforward question but received a rather confusing answer.</div>
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"Are you for us or for or for our enemies?" (Joshua 5:13)</div>
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"Neither" (Joshua 5:14)</div>
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Whose side are you on? That's what Joshua wanted to know. Are you on my side or are you with Jericho? But this man was no ordinary man. He was the commander of the army of the Lord. God shows up to tell Joshua something. I'm not on Jericho's side, but I'm not on <i>your</i> side either. God was not there to follow Joshua's orders, plans, tactics, or commands. God was taking charge of the mission. God was not there to help Joshua achieve all of Joshua's hopes, dreams, and desires. God was there to bring His own desires to pass. Joshua asks God, "Are you on my side or theirs?" God tells him, "I'm on my side and you need to fall in line behind me."</div>
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Then God takes it ten steps further. He lays out the battle plan, the winning strategy for the conquest of Jericho. I can only imagine what glorious strategies Joshua must have been expecting from God. Yet God hands Joshua the most foolish strategy possible. Not a single arrow was to be fired. No strike team was to be sent in. No ladders were to be built and no attempt was to be made to scale the walls. There was no rationale behind God's plan. In all honesty, it was a stupid one. God commands Joshua to march his entire group around the city of Jericho for a week and then blow some trumpets and shout. This is juvenile. Not only that, but it made them rather vulnerable as the priests, women, children, and elderly were all dangerously close to the enemy city. </div>
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It was a moment of crisis for Joshua and we often read the story without giving this moment enough thought. How would the mighty warrior respond? Would he follow his gut, instinct, and experience and attempt to take Jericho with a strategy that could actually work? Or would he submit to God's plan and obey His ridiculous strategy? Would He trust that God knew what He was talking about? </div>
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We all know the way the story ends. Joshua obeys God. They marched in circles, blew trumpets, shouted like a bunch of goofs. And then the walls came tumbling down. Joshua did nothing that day. It wasn't his plan they followed. It wasn't his might that fell the walls. It wasn't his instincts that proved right. And yet. . .</div>
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<i>So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. -- Joshua 6:27</i><br />
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Even though it seemed Joshua did nothing, that was the day he became famous. That was the day he became a hero. Why? Because there was something he did that is easy to miss. He submitted to God's leadership and he obeyed God's ridiculous plan. And he is a hero to this day because of it.</div>
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<b>Be a Hero</b></div>
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Sometimes following God is easy and obvious. Be nice to people. Be generous to those in need. Don't murder. Simple. Relatively easy. But sometimes following God is tough. Sometimes it seems like God's rules are downright backwards and . . . dare I say?. . . stupid. Try to make it in business these days while being totally honest and never taking advantage of anyone as God's Word commands. Try to make it through public high school in the summertime without lusting after any of the girls in short shorts and tank tops. Try making it to your wedding day a virgin. Try not getting revenge when people wrong you and watch how quickly people realize they can walk all over you. Try any of those things and I guarantee there will be days you wonder if God's plan is an effective one. It can seem like God is a little out of touch with the reality of how His world works. Sometimes God's plan for you will just seem ridiculous.</div>
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You and I need to recognize two things though. First, God is not there to give us suggestions we can take or leave to help our lives. God owns our lives and He has the right to call the shots. He doesn't join our side, we need to join His. Second, God's ridiculous plans work, but only when we obey. There is no wall too big for God to crush, no problem too complex for Him to solve, and no person so scary God cannot overcome them. His plan may seem ridiculous, but that's only because we don't see the bigger picture. We need to trust that He does.</div>
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The summer before college I worked my butt off to be able to buy a laptop for school. Money was tight for my mom and my dad had agreed to pay my tuition, the laptop was up to me. When it was all said and done I was set to buy a standard laptop. It was hard, but I made it. Then I felt a deep conviction to tithe off of my income. Actually, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to give $500 to the church, way more than 10%. That seemed ridiculous to me. I knew what God wanted me to do, but how on earth would I make it through college without a laptop? This was insane! I wrote the check and put it in my wallet to stick in the plate that Sunday. It was that very day that my mom told me she had been saving up to get me a laptop. She had saved enough to get me a state of the art Macbook, way better than the cheap laptop I was planning on buying!</div>
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When God's way seems silly, outdated, foolish, dangerous, or any other form of bad, trust Him. Don't be an independent Wolverine who doesn't play by the rules and makes rash decisions. Recognize that He calls the shots in your life. Obey His ridiculous plan. Then stand in amazement when His plan falls into place.</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-82765133882326895552012-12-26T19:34:00.003-06:002013-01-08T11:59:12.215-06:00Unto Whom?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11 ESV)</i><br />
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"For unto you," the angels said. Unto whom?</div>
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When Jesus was born, there were shepherds nearby taking care of their flock at night. Shepherds weren't the most noteworthy of people. They did a necessary but dirty job that kept them far away from home for much of the time. Very few people aspired to be a shepherd, even after the great King David. Shepherds were like our modern day janitors. Was it a necessary job? Yes. Does doing this make you any less of a person? No. Was this position looked down upon? Absolutely.<br />
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There must have been loads of people nearby Jesus when He was born. Bethlehem itself was packed because of the census. There was no room at the inn after all. There were plenty of people around. Perhaps some farmers, merchants, and traders were there. Romans were certainly present. Certainly there were people around that were more "important" than shepherds.<br />
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But whom does God choose to send His angels to? To whom does God choose to make a glorious declaration of the arrival of His Son? Out of all of the world or even just the nearby surroundings of Bethlehem, whom does God choose? Not the merchants, traders, farmers, Roman census takers, or innkeepers, but the bottom of the wrung shepherds. The nobodies. To whom was this amazing and precious and mighty Savior born? To the lowly.<br />
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That's not to say you have to be at the bottom to join in this amazing celebration. Remember the magi, wealthy men from afar joined in the manger scene as well. So the Messiah has come for the near and far, the Jew and Gentile, those looking for Him and those minding their own business, the rich and the poor, the high and the low. And as the chorus of angels on that beautiful night made so wonderfully clear, especially the low, poor, broken, and needy. What a beautiful Savior He is! Unto whom was the Messiah born? The ordinary, the lowly, the needy like you and me. Have you received Him?</div>
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<br />Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-59871152659506878462012-12-13T13:19:00.001-06:002013-01-08T11:58:59.818-06:00The Hobbit, Jesus, and Lord of the RingsI can't wait to see the Hobbit!!!!<br />
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I'm a big fantasy nerd. I love stories about elves, dragons, magic, and knights. I have grown to love the Lord of the Rings trilogy through the movies and have only just begun reading the books. And I've been eagerly anticipating the prequel movie that comes out this weekend.<br />
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Are you planning on seeing it? If you are, keep your eyes open for some of the amazing Christian themes that run throughout Tolkien's stories. J.R.R. Tolkien was a Christian and wove loads of his beliefs into his writing in a masterful way. As a refresher before watching the Hobbit, here is a quick look at some of those themes as seen in the first three movies. There are Lord of the Rings spoilers below (but not for the Hobbit).<br />
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<b>Gandalf is Jesus</b><br />
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Gandalf is used throughout the Lord of the Rings story to portray Jesus as the Great Prophet of God. A prophet throughout the Old Testament was someone who spoke for God and therefore carried His authority as well as someone who performed great miracles for God and therefore carried His power. <br />
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Being a wizard (actually he is one of the maiar...but let's not get too nerdy), Gandalf is the biggest powerhouse on the side of good. He summons giant birds, goes toe to toe with the Balrog (remember the big fire-shadow creature he shouts, "You shall not pass!" to?), and he drives away the dragons near Gondor with a blast of light. Probably the biggest miracle he pulls off is his resurrection after apparently falling to his death in the first movie/book. He dies as Gandalf the Grey, the old and humble wizard. He returns as Gandalf the White in great shining power and glory. Yet despite being one of the most powerful beings in Middle Earth, he stoops down to befriend the lowly hobbits and to serve mortal men.<br />
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Do you see Jesus in Gandalf? He is God in the flesh. His Words are true and His power is without limit. He calmed the sea, walked on water, and drove demons out of the oppressed. The greatest sign He performed was defeating death and rising again after three days. During His first coming, He was a humble and poor Galilean. Upon His second coming, He will be glorious, dressed in white, and oh so shiny. Yet despite being the Creator of the universe who needs nothing, He stoops down to befriend us, love us, and serve us.<br />
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<b>Aragorn is Jesus</b><br />
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While Gandalf reveals Jesus the prophet, Aragorn reveals Jesus the King. When we first meet Aragorn, he is a dirty warrior known as Strider in a common inn. He is a natural leader and a loyal defender of his friends. He courageously battles the forces of evil and even faces off with most of the ring wraiths on Weathertop all by himself. Yet as the story unfolds, we learn that Aragorn is the rightful King of men and it is his destiny to wield the Sword of the King. There are others throughout the story who seek to claim his throne and would rule selfishly and corruptly. But we learn that Aragorn is a man of integrity who does not seek the power of the throne. When he finally is crowned King, those who know him are certain that he will rule selflessly and justly to bring peace to Middle Earth.<br />
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Do you see Jesus in Aragorn? We first meet Jesus in a manger surrounded by shepherds and cattle. He grows up in a nowhere town called Nazereth. He is a humble and good man. We see Him defend the oppressed like the woman caught in adultery. We see him courageously drive the corrupt money changers from the temple. And we learn that this is no ordinary man. He is the rightful King of Kings who will one day sit on the throne above all thrones. There will be a sword that comes from His mouth with which He strikes down His enemies. And like Aragorn, His rule will be just and bring everlasting peace.<br />
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<b>Frodo is Jesus</b><br />
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Frodo is not the prophet or the king. Instead, Frodo is Jesus the High Priest. In the Old Testament, it was the duty of the high priest to mediate between God and man. His most important and sacred function occurred on the day of atonement, when he would take a spotless lamb, confess the sins of the nation over it, and then slaughter it as a sacrifice to God. It was the job of the high priest to stand in the gap for the people and take away their sin before God.<br />
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As I watch the films, Frodo is one of my least favorite characters. Why? Because he is tragic. Aragorn starts as a wanderer and ends the story as a great king. Yay! Gandalf starts off Gray and ends up White. Yay! Sam gets his girl in the end. Marry and Pippin are rich and living it up. Triple yay! Frodo? He starts off happy and joyful and by the end of the movie he is empty and almost dead inside. What happened to him? He carries the One Ring for too many days. The greatest evil in all the land is literally laid around his neck. The weight of it wrecks him. It is his duty to carry it and his duty to destroy it to save all of Middle Earth. And it costs him everything. He is broken in the end and leaves Middle Earth in the hope that he will find healing across the sea.<br />
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Do you see Jesus in Frodo? Do you see the weight of sin that our Savior carried for you and me? Do you see the cost of our salvation? Do you see the ruined body of Jesus that took the cross and our sin to the grave? Do you see the agony as the Father forsakes Him and turns His Face away? Like Frodo, Jesus carried a great burden that was not His own in order to provide salvation for all. <br />
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<b>That's a Wrap</b><br />
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If you haven't looked at Lord of the Rings like this before, think about these themes the next time you view the films. Tolkien crafted a masterpiece of fantasy, but it's more than that as well. It's a masterpiece of the Christian faith. As you go see the Hobbit, keep your eyes and ears and hearts open to the analogies of faith in the story.<br />
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Until next time, may Jesus be your Gandalf, the great Risen One, who reveals God's Word and power to you. May Jesus be your Aragorn, the King of Kings, who rules over you with love, compassion, peace, and justice. May Jesus be your Frodo, the High Priest, who nails your sin to the cross so you no longer have to carry that burden.<br />
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<b><br /></b>Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-70634863800586134862012-12-04T21:38:00.000-06:002012-12-13T13:20:08.147-06:00Super: Elijah is the Flash...Kinda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Flash is one of those Superheroes that I don't think gets a whole lot of attention. His only real power is his incredible speed which lets him do a whole lot of things like create whirlwinds by spinning or vibrate his hand so fast he can shatter glass, steel, and the like. The stuff he does is really kind of cool, but he tends to be eclipsed by Superman who also has super speed on top of all of his other amazing abilities. At least the Flash is faster than Superman as shown in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xq0T3N0Lr8" target="_blank">this clip from Smallville</a>.<br />
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Now, when I originally planned out the Super series, I intended on relating the story of Elijah and connecting him to Flash based on the way he outruns a chariot at the end of 1 Kings 18. But the Lord led me in a different direction with this lesson. Instead, I'd like to focus on what happened just before that. <br />
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Elijah was sent by God to oppose Ahab and Jezebel, the worst king and queen in the history of Israel. They worshiped Baal, a false god that supposedly ruled over the rain and the harvest. God wanted to use Elijah to prove once and for all that Baal was no god and there was only one God over all the earth. James sums up what happened in the New Testament.<br />
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<i>Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. -- James 5:17-18</i><br />
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It didn't rain for three and a half years after Elijah prayed! That's one long drought. Then he prays again and down comes the rain. Could you imagine being able to pray like that? We all know that God hears and sees everything, but doesn't it seem like some people in the Bible have a direct line to God? Like they've got some sort of celestial red phone they can pick up and call in miracles? It would be nice to know where to find one of those. What was so special about Elijah? Ready for the answer?</div>
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Nothing. Look at that passage above one more time. Elijah was a man just like us. He didn't have a red line. He wasn't super holy. He was just like us. So what can we learn from the way he prayed? Here's some things I've picked up from Bible studies and sermons over the years. Take a look at 1 Kings 18:41-45. Here are five things we can learn from the way this regular guy prayed.</div>
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<ol>
<li>Pray with Faith - <i>And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." (1 Kings 18:41) </i>At this point, Elijah hadn't even prayed for rain. Nobody else seemed to know it was going to rain. The rain cloud hadn't even formed yet. So how could Elijah have heard rain? He believed so strongly that God would answer, that he could literally hear it coming. When you pray, do you have that kind of faith? Can you see with the eyes of faith? Do you believe firmly that God can do what you're asking?</li>
<li>Pray with Humility - <i>So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. (1 Kings 18:42) </i>Elijah's not in some cozy church with cushioned kneelers. He's up on a mountain. With rocks and stuff. Look at his posture when he prays. He gets down on the ground with the rocks and sticks his face between his knees when he prays. It's a posture of humility. It's a posture that says, "God you are in charge and I am just your servant." Remember that when you pray, you are not issuing orders to God. He's not your pet or genie. You are a servant making a request of your King. A child making a request of your Father.</li>
<li>Pray with Persistence - <i>"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." (1 Kings 18:43) </i>Elijah prayed for rain. And nothing happened. So he prayed again. And nothing happened. It wasn't until he had prayed seven times that he sees any sort of answer. For whatever reason, God's timing wasn't the same as Elijah's timing here. Elijah kept praying til he saw something happening. When you pray, do you pray once and quit? Or do you keep praying until God answers? Pray like Elijah. Pray until God answers or clearly tells you no.</li>
<li>Pray with Submission - <i>After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." (1 Kings 18:1) </i>Elijah wasn't asking for selfish stuff here. He was asking God to do something God already said He would do! He was praying in line with God's will. This is what Jesus was talking about when He taught us to pray Your kingdom come, Your will be done. It's ok to pray for things you want. But do you take time to pray in line with what you know God wants? Do you take time to pray that God would help you share the gospel with the people in your life? Do you pray that God would help you to be a peacemaker when there is family drama? Do you pray in submission to God's will?</li>
<li>Pray Watchfully - <i>The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" (1 Kings 18:44) </i>As mentioned before, Elijah didn't stop praying until God answered. But notice that he wasn't waiting around to find out. He was checking. He had his servant watching for the clouds. He was keeping his eyes open to see what God would do. When you pray, do you watch? Often I pray and forget. But then I miss out on the excitement when God answers because I don't even notice. I may even miss out on the opportunities God is providing in response to my prayer. When we pray, we need to keep our eyes open for what God might be doing. Next time you pray for so and so to get saved, start paying attention for moments that God provides for you to share the gospel. Pray watchfully.</li>
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Elijah was just an ordinary man. He loved God and sought to live for him, but he was ordinary like you and I. Prayer is an incredibly powerful thing. It's not a magic wand that can order God around, but it's a conversation with your Heavenly Father who loves you. Put some of these tips from Elijah into practice. Who knows, they may improve your prayer life. Let me know what happens!</div>
Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-66588851743790456712012-11-13T12:04:00.001-06:002012-12-04T21:38:54.534-06:00Christmas is Here?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's funny how Christmas seems to arrive earlier and earlier each year. On my way to work today I heard Jingle Bells on a radio commercial. Really? Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet! Then when I was walking into the church, I saw it. There was snow on the ground. Not a lot, but it was there on the grass. In the first half of November. I guess Christmas really is coming.<br />
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Have you started Christmas shopping yet? No? Good! I'd like to give you some ideas while your Christmas budget is still flexible. Without further ado, here are some wonderful Christmas gift ideas!<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/protect-a-child-from-parasites.htm" target="_blank">Parasite Be Gone!</a> $4.00 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/garden-seeds-for-family-in-africa.htm" target="_blank">Garden Seeds</a> $10.00 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/teach-a-mother-to-read-and-write.htm" target="_blank">ABC's </a> $25.00</li>
</ul>
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Sorry if I failed to mention that these gifts aren't really great ideas for <i>your</i> loved ones this Christmas. These are gifts for people around the world who are in desperate need of life's basic necessities. It's hard to imagine their circumstances for those of us dealing with <a href="http://first-world-problems.com/" target="_blank">First World Problems</a> like running out of space on our iPods and complaining the heater in our house is either a tad too cold or a tad too hot. But for just 4 bucks, you can give a kid meds that will wipe out intestinal bugs in his system so that he doesn't go malnourished. For 10 dollars, you can give a family in Africa seeds so that they can plant a garden and be fed for months to come. For $25, you can help an impoverished mother become literate so she can provide for her family.<br />
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If you can afford to give more than that, take a look at these other options.<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/emergency-shelter-for-a-child-and-family.htm" target="_blank">Emergency Shelter</a> $50.00</li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/care-for-babys-medical-needs-for-a-year.htm" target="_blank">Year-long Care for a Baby</a> $55.00 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/safe-water-for-life-for-child-family.htm" target="_blank">Clean Water for a Family</a> $79.00</li>
</ul>
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And if you happen to be financially blessed right now, here are some pricier options that can make a huge difference. You may want to consider getting a group of friends to chip in with you for one of these options. Think of how cheap these things would be if we split them ten ways. Maybe bring it up with your co-workers, neighbors, classmates, or Bible Study group and make it a team project.<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/help-mom-toward-safe-birth.htm" target="_blank">Medical Care During Labor</a> $150.00</li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/equip-family-with-livestock.htm" target="_blank">Livestock for a Family</a> $280.00</li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm" target="_blank">Sponsor a Child</a> $38.00/month or $456.00/year</li>
<li><a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog/child-access-to-lifesaving-surgery.htm" target="_blank">Lifesaving Surgery for a Child</a> $5,000.00</li>
</ul>
Please consider giving a gift through <a href="http://www.compassion.com/catalog.htm" target="_blank">Compassion International</a> this year. Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate the greatest gift ever given by generously giving to our friends and loved ones. Please consider how you can generously give to those who are truly in need. Some of these gifts are chump change for us. You can probably give $4.00 and not even notice it's gone. Some of these gifts though will take real sacrifice and partnership. Ask the Lord to lay it on your heart what you can do to be generous this Christmas season. You won't regret it. Plan now, while your budget is still flexible!<br />
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<i>In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -- Acts 20:35</i>Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-63863570997360084442012-11-08T16:54:00.002-06:002012-11-13T12:04:17.224-06:00Super: Moses is Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I used to love watching the X-Men cartoon when I was a kid. Ok, I also watched them all on Youtube when I was in college. There was one X-Men that I always thought was cool but simultaneously never really liked. Storm. She was just too cool. She grew up in Egypt and was worshiped as a goddess by a native tribe because of her incredible mutant-granted powers. <br />
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Her mutation allowed her to control the weather which sounds tiny until you realize all of the wild things she could do with it. Controlling the wind allowed her to fly, toss enemies around like rag dolls, and even bring down aircraft. Power over the clouds meant she could create spontaneous floods, blast her foes with lethal lightning, and blind everyone with thick fog. Even when her enemies were unstoppable, she would blast them with arctic winds and freeze them solid. The the X-Men had time for lunch and naps before they thought up a plan to stop the bad guy. Storm was great. Too great. She was an "I win" button that made everything way too easy.<br />
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There is a man in the Bible who became that sort of legend and powerhouse to the people of God. He too grew up in Egypt. He too performed phenomenal miracles over nature that would cause Storm's powers to look like the magic tricks you see at a child's birthday party. He too was an "I win" button and no situation the people ran into was unsolvable with him around. But Moses didn't start out that way. The movies you've seen may have painted a very different picture than the truth in the Bible. Moses actually starts off as a bit of a loser. So what turned him into the hero we know?<br />
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<b>The Burning Bush and the Cowardly Mo </b><br />
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Moses was a Hebrew that grew up in the Pharaoh's palace but eventually fled Egypt after murdering a man and then became a shepherd and started a family out in the sticks. There's enough drama in his life for that alone to be an interesting movie but his story really gets started when God shows up to Him in the form of a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-k8GzwK6n4" target="_blank">burning bush.</a><br />
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There is a lot to this conversation that can be found in Exodus 3 and 4. The bottom line is that God tells Moses to go tell the Pharaoh to "Let My people go!" But Moses wasn't up for the task. More than that, Moses didn't really believe <u>God </u>was up for the task. Let me highlight some parts of the conversation (I'll use italics rather than quotes when I'm paraphrasing).<br />
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"Who am I?" (Ex 3:11) Moses severely doubts himself and his ability to get the job done. God's answer? "I will be with you." (Ex 3:12)<br />
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"What if they don't believe me?" (Ex 4:1) Is this self doubt or is Moses doubting God here? God just said that He would be with him. Moses didn't seem very reassured by that thought. He didn't seem to think God being with him would be of much help. God's response? "<i>I will give you three miracles to show them that will be signs to prove what you are saying is from me."</i> (Ex 4:2-9) <br />
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"I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." (Ex 4:10) Despite God's clear call, promise to be with him, and provision of miracles, Moses is still only seeing the obstacles in his way. He still isn't realizing that God can overcome anything. God responds. "Who has made man's mouth? . . . Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth." (Ex 4:11-12)<br />
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"Lord, please send someone else to do it." (Ex 4:13) Moses is so focused on the obstacles that are in his way that he doesn't realize God is big enough to overcome them all. Moses is so concerned with the things that stand in his way, that he is too frightened to do what God is calling him to do. Oddly, God concedes. <i>"Take your brother Aaron with you and let him do the talking." </i>(Ex 4:14-16)<br />
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Talk about missing the forest for the trees. Have you ever done that thing where you take a quarter or even your thumb and hold it up in front of you to completely cover up the sun. Isn't that crazy when you think about it? Your little thumb, maybe an inch wide, covering up the entire sun from view. I mean, the sun can fit 1.3 million earths in it and here you are covering it all up with your insignificant thumb. That's how important perspective is. Some things can look so much bigger than they really are while others can seem so much smaller. Moses has his eyes on all of the obstacles to what God is calling him to do. And because his perspective is dominated by those obstacles, He is failing to realize just how big God is.<br />
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<b>So Much for My Childhood Memories </b><br />
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So here is where I ruin movies like <i>The Ten Commandments </i>and <i>Prince of Egypt </i>for you. In the movies, Moses leaves the Burning Bush and storms into Egypt boldly rallying the Israelites, commanding Pharaoh to free the people, and dropping divine retribution on the nation. But if you read chapters 4 through 8 of Exodus, you may be shocked. Honestly, you may even feel lied to.<br />
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Who rallies the Israelites together with words and signs? Aaron, not Moses (Ex 4:30)<br />
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When Pharaoh doubles the labor of the people rather than letting them go, what does Moses do? He doesn't stand firm. He questions God saying things like "Why did you ever send me" and You haven't delivered us at all." (Ex 5:22-23)<br />
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Who stands before Pharaoh and turns the staff into a serpent? Aaron, not Moses. (Ex 7:10)<br />
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Who turns the Nile to blood bringing the first plague on Egypt? Aaron, not Moses. (Ex 7:19)<br />
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Who brings the plague of frogs against Egypt? Aaron, not Moses. (Ex 8:6)<br />
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Who brings the plague of gnats against Egypt? Aaron, not Moses. (Ex 8:17)<br />
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Moses may not be the courageous lion of a man we've made him out to be. In fact, Moses doubts God so badly that he can't find the courage to do what God has commanded. Instead, he hides behind Aaron. Can you blame him? Do you bravely do all that God has called you to do? Have you never chickened out of doing the right thing? Have you ever been too nervous to work up the courage to share the gospel or been too afraid to stand up for the victim of bullying? Have you ever sat back and waited for someone else to do it for you? That's how Moses was. So what changed him?<br />
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<b>The Hero Awakens</b><br />
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Moses changes when he sees the power of God. Aaron turns a staff into a snake, but the Pharaoh's magicians copy the trick. The magicians even copy the first two plagues. They are unimpressed. The obstacles that stood in the way still seem big to Moses. They still seem bigger than God. Until the third plague. After that, everything changes. "The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.'" (Exodus 8:18-19)<br />
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As Moses sees God's power beginning to triumph, he gets a courage boost. It's like he starts slowly pulling his thumb away from his eye and begins seeing the sun. His perspective starts to shift and he begins realizing that God may be bigger than the obstacles after all. From that moment on, he begins to do what he should have been doing all along.<br />
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Who brings the plague of flies? Moses with no mention of Aaron at all. (Ex 8:20-25)<br />
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Who tells Pharaoh of the coming pestilence? Moses, again no Aaron. (Ex 9:1-5)<br />
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Who brings down the plague of boils? Moses. (Ex 9:10)<br />
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Who calls down hail and lightning? You guessed it, Moses. (Ex 9:23)<br />
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Who summons the winds that bring in the locusts? If you said Aaron, you're pretty bad at this. (Ex 10:13)<br />
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Who spreads darkness over the land? Good old Moses. (Ex 10:22)<br />
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Then comes the angel of death and Pharaoh's son dies. The king of Egypt lets God's people go. They flee the land of Egypt and reach the Red Sea, when Pharaoh changes his mind. Moses finds himself responsible for over a million people including women, children, the elderly, and the sick. And he watches as thousands of chariots lead an army toward his helpless people who are trapped by the Red Sea. Can you imagine the panic? Can you imagine how scared you would be? The Moses at the beginning of this story might have cursed God and fled for his life. But not this Moses. This Moses has put things into perspective. This Moses knows that no matter how big the obstacles may seem, God is bigger. This Moses knows that if God has called or commanded, then God will provide and nothing can stop Him. This Moses is no coward. This Moses is a hero.<br />
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<i>But Moses said to the people "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent." -- Exodus 14:13-14</i><br />
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And then it happens. Moses lifts up his staff and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuipLOlk_hk" target="_blank">God splits the Red Sea</a>. We've heard this story so many times that we expect this. I wonder if Moses had the slightest clue that God was going to split the sea in two. Maybe. Maybe not. He may not have known how God would do it, but Moses knew that God was big enough to handle this hopeless situation. Moses was a hero because he had grown to believe God could do anything.<br />
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<b>Super Calling Plus Super Obstacles Equals Super Deliverance</b><br />
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There is a hero inside each one of us. God wants to use us to do great things. But we need to get things into perspective. When God calls us to do something, there is no obstacle on earth big enough to stop Him from doing it! Sometimes we hold our fears and worries so close to our face that they block out all hope and they even block out God. We need to put them in their proper place, stop focusing on the obstacles, so that we can begin to see how big God is. <br />
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Let me be clear, I'm not saying that you can do anything you set your mind to. I'm saying you can do anything that God calls you to do. If God calls you to be a plumber, you can try as you may to become an astronaut and it may not work out. But if God calls you to be a brain surgeon, you may not believe in yourself but He can do it. Would you start to believe like Moses? Would you rip the obstacles that are blinding you from God's power away from your eyes so you can see the truth? Will you stand up with courage and do what God is calling you to do? Will you trust God and follow Him even when it seems hopeless and you have no idea how God can save the day? Will you be a hero?<br />
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<b>Questions</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>What is God calling you to do in the Bible? (Share the gospel? Love your enemies? What else?)</li>
<li>What is God calling you to do personally? (Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of something lately?)</li>
<li>What obstacles stand in your way? What are you afraid of? What keeps you from acting?</li>
<li>Who is your Aaron? Who is the person you look to when it's time to do the tough things? Is it your pastor? Your Christian friend? </li>
<li>How has God come through for you in the past? How can you remind yourself of that to draw faith and courage from it?</li>
<li>Do you really believe that God is bigger than your obstacles? What will you do about it?</li>
<li>Have you joined God's team by placing your faith in Jesus, the greater Moses who freed God's peple from slavery to sin, Satan, and death? What's stopping you?</li>
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Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891779974073043737.post-79202128392708566392012-10-23T20:22:00.000-05:002012-11-08T16:58:30.878-06:00Super: Joseph is Professor X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the year 2000, hearing the name Professor X has drawn up images of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a wheel chair for people all around America. We see him as the very powerful, yet humble, old, and balding leader of the X-Men. But as X-Men First Class showed us, he wasn't always this way.<br />
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In fact, the comics that trace Professor X's origins reveal he was a slightly different man in his youth who hadn't yet received the hard lessons of life. In his younger years, the chairless Charles Xavier was rich, intelligent, and even a gifted athlete. With his psychic abilities that allowed him to read minds, see glimpses of the future, and even control other people altogether, Charles explored the world. He was an adventurer seeking fame, fortune, power, and even love. </div>
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One day, a battle of biblical proportions with an alien who was bent on destroying the world and appropriately named Lucifer left Charles a changed man. An injured spine paralyzed him from the waist down and stuck him in the wheel chair he would become known for. The powerful Charles Xavier had been humbled and seen just how short this life might be. He decided to make his life count and spent the rest of his time on earth forging a legacy he could be proud of. He founded Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and formed a team of X-Men with the goal of seeing man and mutant live at peace.</div>
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It's interesting how life experiences that knock us down can lead us to realize what really matters and guide us to make the most important decisions of our lives. Joseph from the Bible was a young man very much like our mutant friend Charles. He has a privileged childhood, a talent to see the future, and it takes some rough experiences to lead him to his calling in life. Here's his story.</div>
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<b>Shaped by Dysfunction</b></div>
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Joseph was born into a family so dysfunctional that it makes the Osbournes look like the Brady Bunch. Let's start with his dad, Jacob. Jacob married a girl named Leah . . . by accident. He took care of her, but never loved her. He was tricked into marrying her by a manipulative father-in-law, a heavy wedding veil, and some beer goggles. He was trying to marry Rachel, Leah's sister! But being married to Leah doesn't stop Jacob, he marries Rachel anyway. Jacob had the kind of love for Rachel that you see in chic flicks. In fact, the Bible says that Jacob had to work seven years to be able to afford to marry Rachel but it seemed like it was only a few days to him because he loved her so much. So he ends up with two wives. Sound crazy yet?</div>
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So Leah starts popping out kids for Jacob and Rachel starts growing jealous of her sister because it seems she is barren. So, like any rational person would, Rachel tells Jacob to sleep with her maid and any kids they have together will count as hers. Leah, who has always been jealous of Rachel because she is loved by Jacob, sees that Rachel is catching up to her with the babies. So Leah tells Jacob to sleep with her maid and any kids they have will count as Leah's. Finally, Rachel gets blessed by God and ends up having two of her own children with Jacob, but she sadly dies during the labor of the second one. In the end, Jacob had four wives, twelve sons, and at least one daughter. </div>
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<b>Spoiled & Cocky</b></div>
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In the midst of a family always envying one another and fighting for dad's attention, Joseph was the son the dad loved the most. He was Rachel's boy. He had his mother's eyes. Joseph was spoiled and all of the other siblings knew it. Joseph got the best birthday presents, the biggest portions at dinner, and dad always took his side. When Jacob gave jobs to his sons, he would send Joseph to check on them and report back. Joseph became a tattle tale always ratting his brothers out to his dad. The favoritism became painfully obvious when Jacob came home one day with a gorgeous, expensive, flamboyant tunic for Joseph and nothing for the other kids. </div>
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<b>Dreams of the Future</b></div>
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When he was 17, Joseph started having dreams that hinted at the future. His dreams told him that one day his brothers and even his parents would bow down to him. That dream could be handled arrogantly or humbly. He could keep it quiet and share it calmly with his dad and ask for advice. But Joseph chooses the cocky route. He brags about the dream to his brothers to the point where they are furious and his father has to rebuke him. </div>
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Up until this point in the story, Joseph's life has always been about Joseph. His father treats him like he is the center of the universe and it sure has sunk into Joseph's heart. He is cocky and arrogant. He doesn't think of helping or serving others because he is spoiled and has always been the one getting served. He doesn't even seem to think of God much, but instead gives all the glory to himself by bragging. God has given Joseph an amazing gift to see the future and interpret dreams. God wants to use Joseph. But God has a lot of work to do to teach Joseph that his talents are not for himself. His talents have been given to him to serve others and glorify God.</div>
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<b>The Long Hard Road to Humility</b></div>
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Things get rough for Joseph and it starts at home. His brothers explode on him one day and jump him and toss him down a well. They talk about killing him or leaving him there to rot, but they decide to sell him into slavery to some traders traveling by. This lands Joseph in Egypt as a slave to a man named Potiphar. In a flash Joseph goes from being treated like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T_obaO46Bo" target="_blank">King Curtis</a> at home to being a slave in a foreign land. He works hard as a slave and ends up slowly moving up in his duties until Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of the whole house and doesn't even keep an eye on him anymore. That's when things start to take another turn for the worse.</div>
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Potiphar's wife was likely a beautiful woman. She starts trying to seduce Joseph. The old Joseph, who thought the world revolved around him and was used to getting what he wanted might have obliged her. After all, Potiphar didn't pay attention to what Joseph did anymore. But years of slavery had begun stripping away Joseph's selfishness and pride. This Joseph refuses and tells her that it is more important to him to serve Potiphar and glorify God than to serve his own desires. <i>But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:8-9) </i>Potiphar's wife is a beautiful and rich woman, not used to being told no, so she accused Joseph of raping her and has him thrown in prison.</div>
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In the jail, Joseph has even less freedoms than he did as a slave. It's here that he eventually meets two men who worked for the Pharaoh who had been locked up. The Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer are in the slammer with Joseph and both have weird dreams. Joseph interprets the dreams for them, but before he does he says something that again shows us that he is growing in humility before God. <i>Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." (Genesis 40:8b)</i></div>
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After thirteen years as a slave and prisoner, the Pharaoh has a crazy dream. The cupbearer remembers the weird guy from jail who could tell the future from dreams and tells the Pharaoh about Joseph. Listen to the humility of Joseph before Pharaoh. <i>Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.""I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." (Genesis 41:15-16) </i>He goes on to say the dream is a warning from God that seven years of great abundance will be followed by seven years of devastating famine throughout Egypt. Joseph then advises that the Pharaoh ration the food now in order to survive the famine. He comes up with such a good plan that the Pharaoh makes him a vizier, one of the most powerful men in all of Egypt. </div>
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<b>The Moment of Truth</b></div>
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During the years of famine, Joseph's family back in Israel are starving. Ten of his brothers come to Egypt to buy food. Benjamin stays home with dad as the new favorite, the other son of Rachel. They end up standing before Joseph. They don't recognize him through all of the <a href="http://www.nanciemarsalis.com/images/Pharoah1.jpg" target="_blank">Egyptian garb and makeup</a>, but he recognizes them. Can you imagine the anger that would well up within you at this moment? Here they are. The good for nothing, jealous brothers who left you for dead and sold you into slavery. Thirteen years. THIRTEEN YEARS of slavery and imprisonment because of them. And now Joseph is the most powerful man in Egypt aside from the Pharaoh. Think of all of the wonderful ways he could get payback. He could have them all killed, no questions asked! Better yet, give them a taste of their own medicine. He could make them slaves for a few decades or toss them in prison til they rot. The old Joseph, the spoiled brat at the beginning of this story, might have done just that. But that Joseph had died long ago. His pride and ego had been broken over the years by God. </div>
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This Joseph was still angry, so he tests his brothers. He wants to see if they have really changed. Are they still the jealous men who ruined his life all those years ago? He sends them back home to get Benjamin and, when they come back with him on their second trip, Joseph frames Benjamin and makes it look as if he stole from Pharaoh. The guards then "find" the "stolen goods" on Benjamin and the brothers are brought before Joseph for punishment. Joseph puts on a show acting as if he will keep Benjamin as a slave. Would the brothers let their jealousy for dad's new favorite take over or will they fight to save their brother? Judah speaks up and pulls a <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1h7wtRgCE1qbzdj6.gif" target="_blank">Katniss Everdeen</a>. Judah volunteers to be punished in Benjamin's place. And that's all Joseph needed. He breaks down crying and promises to take care of his brothers and give them all they need. He even forgives them saying, "<i>And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Genesis 45:5)</i><br />
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In the end, Joseph uses his talents and position humbly to serve others and bring glory to God. The old Joseph would have gloried in his revenge over his brothers who hurt him. The new Joseph is willing to forgive and humbly surrender to God's bigger plan. He uses his position to serve and provide for those who hurt him and gives all of the glory to God.<br />
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<b>Super Talents Plus Super Humility Equal Super Glory</b><br />
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Like Joseph and Professor X, we've all got gifts, talents, and privileges. We can pridefully use them to serve ourselves and make our names great. When we do, we'll find we make enemies of those around us and fail to live out our true calling that God has planned for us. It's when we humbly surrender our lives to God and learn that we are not the center of the universe that we can really do amazing things. When we use the talents and privileges God has given us to serve others and not ourselves, we will be able to do great things for God's glory that really matter. We may even find ourselves with a chance to be like Joseph by humbly serving those who have wronged us and sinned against us and giving all of the glory to God. No one did this better than Jesus Himself, who humbly served and forgave us sinners who had rebelled against Him by dying in our place to provide us salvation and eternal life. <br />
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It's not always easy to remember that. Just like Joseph and Professor X, it may take some drastic life experiences to teach us this important lesson. Let's not force God to teach us the hard way! So whether your life is peachy keen or falling apart, let's humbly surrender to God and ask, "How can I use what you have given me to serve others rather than myself and to honor Your name rather than my own?" When we do that, I think we'll find our lives truly begin to matter. <br />
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<b>Questions</b><br />
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<li>What are the talents, privileges, and position that God has blessed you with?</li>
<li>How have you used them to serve yourself and glorify you own name?</li>
<li>What are some ways that God may have or be trying to humble you?</li>
<li>How can you use your talents/privileges/position to serve others?</li>
<li>How can you use them to bring glory to God?</li>
<li>How can you use them to serve and love those who have hurt, wronged, and sinned against you?</li>
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Mark Brunkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00871253985085331787noreply@blogger.com2