That I May Know Him

Exodus 20 We are all worshipers.  Our Creator knows our hearts very well.  Unfortunately, there is a tendency for us as followers of Christ to look at far away cultures and even cults and scoff at their idols and how they worhsip.  We shake our heads at golden statues shrines and prayer wheels.  Thinking we are a far superior people because we follow Christ.  The reality is that we are as much of idol worshipers as they are.  We may not have golden statues and prayer wheels but we do put all kind of things before God.  And we fail to remember our former life apart from Christ.  We must continiue to remember that an idol is anything that we put in the place of God.  Even pastors tend toward pastor worship.  We at times exault a favorite pastor/leader and their teaching above what we even read in the Scriptures.  We battle over who is more Biblical or concervative.  We...

Ethan in the 2011 Christmas Program I would like to share something that my son, Ethan, wrote last week.  He is in second grade.  I am going to present it letter by letter. "I have a dream that everyone will Stop beliving in evalution like the big bang and that monkeys are our antsesters.  I belive someday everyone will go to church and belive that Jesus died on a cross for our sins.  I hope people will when they die go to heaven."  By: Ethan Dayton 1/4/12 When I got home I had barely gotten through the door when he ran up and thrust his papers into my hands.  "Read this, Daddy!"  he chanted over and over.  Once I removed my book bag, coat, and shoes I sat down and read the paper.  I was blown away to learn that he had written this paper in class at school.   I was deeply touched.  As a father who does devotions and prays with his little guy I was blown away.  He told me that he learned about Martin...

Exodus 17-18 I love puzzles and mysteries.  I remember a short-run television show called Push, Nevada .  It offered those who watched the show the chance to get involved and search for clues.  The clues were found in the opening credits, in the lines of the characters, and on objects throughout the episodes.  The goal was to put the clues together and solve the mystery for a chance to win $1,045,000.  Another more recent examples would be the show, Lost .  I admit that my wife and I got swept up intently watching season after season and even checking out special websites and other pertinent information.  Ultimately, we ended up buying all the seasons of Lost so that we could take the journey again in the future. As a child I would scour our house looking for interesting trinkets and objects.  In fact I loved traveling to grandparents or relatives houses for much the same reason.  At a young age I began to find my Chr...

Exodus 4-11 I began this quest through Exodus as an attempt to refresh myself with the Old Testament.  Throughout college and seminary I loved my Old Testament classes.  I have over the last eight years taught through the lives of many of the people in the Old Testament (OT).  My favorite study that we did in OT class was through the Kings of the OT.  A few months back I finished teaching through Genesis.  I then began to read through various epistles and and books at the end of the New Testament.  Finally, I sat and thought about how long it had been since I studied through the OT.  Here I am in Exodus.  I am loving it. My current problem is reading Exodus without pictures of Charlton Heston and the Prince of Egypt drifting through my head.  It is amazing how imprinted those visuals are in my brain.  I am working primarily from the Bible and several OT historical background books that I have in my library....

Exodus 3 Patience is not always my best virtue.  In fact I have taught my son to be frustrated and impatient as I take him to school every morning.  For the last three years I have driven my son to school and dropped him off out front nearly every day.  And for three years it has been the same thing over and over.  Often there is a line of vehicles waiting to drop off children at the front entrance.  The driveway is a circle that is marked by a yellow line to tell parents how far to pull ahead  so that the maximum number of children can be dropped off at once.  There is even a teacher or two waving vehicles to pull ahead so that more kids can be dropped off and the line can move faster.  Parents have been told to stay inside of their vehicles, to have their children to exit only off to the side of the sidewalk, and if they have a project to bring to school to be sure to park in the parking lot and walk it in.  Letters and emails ha...

Yesterday was a fun day.  I did not get a lot accomplished in the office at all (insert sad face) but I did go to Ethan and Ari's Thanksgiving parties (big smiles)!!!  Ari was a beautiful little Indian maiden in her program.  In it she proudly proclaimed her thankfulness for her big brother all the while collecting food scattered on the floor in front of her to help the pilgrims for their feast.  Following the packed out program we got to sit and talk with some great friends who have at one time or another been apart of our small group. A few hours later we went to Ethan's school for his Thanksgiving program.   My son has a flair for the theatrics!!!  Ari, Kelly, and I watched all of the other boys and girls struggle to read their lines from a paper.  Then Ethan would always bound up to the microphone with a big smile and deliver his lines that he had memorized with as much exuberance as possible.  I was ve...

Leviticus 10:1-2, I Samuel 2:12 - 3:18, 8:1-5 I don't think most guys (not boys) truly appreciate their fathers until they are older.  Unfortunately, some guys never appreciate their fathers.  And some fathers live in such a way they should not be appreciated.  We live in a culture brimming with men who have major Daddy issues.  Part of that problem can be from the immaturity of the guy.  Much of it can be from fathers who choose emotional (and even physical) distance as opposed to loving warmth and guidance.  Perhaps they choose harsh criticism instead of kind support.  Or maybe they live by the closed fist instead of an open embrace.  Men may not fully comprehend the effect or power that they hold on their children (or those who are under their care).  Aaron, Eli, Samuel all had despicable sons.  Let's look briefly at them. Aaron's Sons : Nadab and Abihu On the first day of the priesthood.  ...