I believe, Lord help my unbelief
Subscribe in a readerWe're solidly in the pentateuch now...the students are just finishing Exodus. It's always interesting transitioning back into the Old Testament world. It takes a few weeks to start to think like an Israelite again...
It's amazing how much you can learn about your own heart through studying the lives of the early Israelites. One thing I'm seeing today: It's crazy how quickly we tend to blame God for the slightest bit of hardship that arises, and in the blaming we tend to gloss over/minimize/conveniently dismiss and forget all the other times in the past that God bailed us out/came through/blessed/provided...you name it. I used to think that maybe it was all the late nights up with my kids that's been causing me to be so forgetful...but reading Exodus its pretty clear to me that selective amnesia towards the saving Acts of God on our behalf is something that plagues us all.
If I didn't know myself so well I'd think its ABSOLUTELY OBSURD that Israel, just THREE DAYS after seeing the most AMAZING act of deliverance the world has ever seen, began to complain and doubt God. Just three days after walking through the Red sea on DRY GROUND the Israelites are acting like they've been hopelessly abandoned in the wilderness to die of thirst (Exodus 15:22-25). Three hot days...three thirsty days...and its just as if all the plagues, the passover deliverance, the Red Sea crossing and the TOTAL destruction of the most powerful nation on earth right before their eyes never even happened.
Wow.
If I didn't have so much experience doing the same thing with God myself I'd be mad as heck at Israel for how they acted...but....how quickly we all play the "what if" scenarios out in our minds..."what if the year end bonus doesn't come, what if my health deteriorates, what if I lose my job, what if the roof leaks again...what if...what if...what if...until we're all blue in the face and TOTALLY forgetful of the fact that none of the scary "what if" scenarios have EVER taken us completely out of the game...and not once, have ANY of them materialized in a way that God couldn't and hasn't brought us straight through and out the other side.
I don't want to be like this anymore. I want to trust like a little kid (Mt 18:3) I want to see the kingdom, believe it, live it, love it, trust it like my three year old daughter does. She's got no "what if scenarios" no contingency plan beyond childlike trust. I love that...the thought of living with abandon like that totally draws me into God, and completely freaks me out at the same time. But that's what the journey of following Jesus is like...you gotta try and see it like a little child would, or you don't see it at all.
I don't want to be the type of person who hurried through the Red Sea afraid that the walls of water were going to crash back down before they made it through. If I'm going to have to make the journey regardless, I'd much rather enjoy the ride, take a second to pick up a shell or two from the ocean floor, put it in my pocket and NEVER FORGET that it was God's hands who parted the waters of my darkest past. He did it once, and he will do it again.
Upcoming special lecture
Subscribe in a readerWell everyone is back from a great Christmas break and we're two days into our journey through the old testament. We have an exciting quarter ahead, I think everyone is fired up to dive into the rest of the Bible.
One exciting invitation to present to you: We have an entire week of lectures on Biblical archaeology and the peoples and places of the OT world coming up in February with David Hansen, an expert on Biblical geography and military affairs. He's an amazing lecturer and his talks are the product of years of study. During his stay he'll be giving a special evening lecture on Feb 7th on "The Exodus Route at the Red Sea: Evidence that Suggests a Possible Solution". Come on out at 7 pm if you can, it should be a fun evening. Check out his bio below, and be sure to download the audio files from his upcoming lecture series.
Colonel David G. Hansen (Ret.) served in the US Army for thirty-five years. He taught at the US Army War College for nine years where he was chairman of the Department of National Security and Strategy and a tenured professor. He left active military service with four academic degrees in geography and international relations. He then taught at Penn State University for eight years while finishing a Ph.D. in biblical studies. He has lived in Europe and Asia; travelled, taught and lectured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Middle East where he also has participated in archaeological expeditions; published over 32 articles in several journals about the impact of geography and military affairs in the Bible; written chapters in three books, authored one book (In Their Sandals, Xulon Press, 2008) and co-authored five. David’s 2009 co-authored book, A Visual Guide to Bible Events (Baker Books) was one of five finalists for the 2010 Christian Evangelical Publishers Association (ECPA) Book Award in the “Bible Reference and Study” category. His latest co-authored book, A Visual Guide to Gospel Events (Baker Books) was released in September 2010 and it, too, was a finalist in the 2011 ECPA Book Award. He was President of the Associates for Biblical Research for seven years and is now an Associate with over 30 man-years serving on various boards of nonprofit organizations.
Done with the New Testament...
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We just finished the New Testament...and the students are off on Christmas break, heading all across the country today, back to the places from which they came (Texas, Hawaii, Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Ontario, Illinois, all over North Carolina).
It's always weird for me to think about the scattering that happens at breaks...I walk around the empty campus and it's so obvious to me that the lifeblood of the program is the people. I'm so thankful for this community, so full of life, full of God...each person a part of it by the sovereign direction and leading of the Lord. I'm aware that this year's school, these people, and these moments together are precious once-in-a-lifetime gifts from God. It's clear to me today, standing around with Jessie the camp dog, and an empty campground, that my focus needs to be to not ever take one of these days God has given us together for granted.
Many of our students are still looking for additional tuition money to finish the school. Quarter 3 payment is due Jan 3. Pray for God's provision, and if you feel lead to be a part of it, let me know...tphillips@camplurecrest.org
merry christmas
Tom
Meet Wren Francis
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| Katie and baby Wren |
Subscribe in a readerWe're rejoicing today at the birth of John and Katie's daughter Wren. Born yesterday. Katie was the third side of the ESBS 2010-11 staff triangle of trust...with Scott and I....:).... We loved spending a year with her and John, and we're so fired up about Wren's arrival...we've got a spot saved for her at the school for 2030.
Congratulations John and Katie
Student blog
Subscribe in a readerGod continues to break things wide open in the lives of the students in this year's class. I'm so encouraged by what God is doing. In many ways the curriculum/study/lecture/classroom stuff etc. is just a backdrop for the real business God does in the hearts of each student as they experience what I would call "real christianity"...that is, a community of people who don't pretend to be someone they aren't...who don't ignore real issues/conflict and struggles...and who at the end of the day strive to look at each other through the redemptive lense of the gospel.
I love that about this school, and I continually hear from students that they've not experienced a community quite like this one before. I'm sad to hear that, but I'm also thankful that God is helping us create an atmosphere here of authentic christianity...real life...and real fellowship.
I'd encourage everyone to get to know our students more intimately through reading their weekly blog posts. There is a link to the blog page at the bottom of our school web-page...or just click here