Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
What does a “WHOLE HEART” look like? S29e65 Dt27:1
God is asks us for a response to all that He does for us.
He sets His love upon us. He chooses us. He walks in our midst.
We can give Him ½ a heart, or probably even a 1/16th of a heart. He asks for the whole enchilada.
He'll picture our ideal response quite literally today:Even the rocks bear witness to the full hearted response that God wishes. Listen 7 minutes. Like. subscribe. share. re-post. Make a whole-hearted response.
https://youtu.be/B6zrjOL-QUs
What does a “WHOLE HEART” look like? S29e65 Dt27:1
Call today for a “whole heart”, not partial, not ½ way, not divided
Prayer is for a whole heart. In me. In you. In the people of God.
How did we get there?
Dt. Has gone on and on about what the Lord has done for the people o God
He set His heart in love on your fathers and their offspring
He chose you above all peoples
Dt is the story of God moving out of the mist of smoke and fire and moving into the midst of a planetary people that needed a lot of help, to assist a planet full of people that need a lot of help.
The Lord walks in the midst of your camp—so how shall I respond Deuteronomy 26:5
5 “And you shall make response before the Lord your God
Here is the picture He has for us today: Be WHOLE HEARTED
Keep the whole command. Don’t hold the spiritual acres under your control and command back from Him: HERE IS THE PICTURE FOR TODAY: Build an altar with UNCUT stones. Build a response to God that is not divided, not partial
Make a response that gives to God all that He deserves…whicheverything.
27 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. 2 And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3 And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; 6 you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
Mt. Ebal is is on the north side of Shechem right in the middle of Israel
Excavations at mt. ebal: discovered what? Worshiop site w altar 30’ x 23 feet. Constructed of Unhewn stones
Ex 20: 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
Are you going to make an altar of response? A sacrifice? An act of worship that costsyou something? Yes: YOU SHALL MAKE RESPONSE 26:5
Shall it be. Half -hearted? No. Even the rocks bear witness to the full hearted response that God wishes.
When one comes to the Lord, it is the beginning of lifetime of mercies from God. He tenderly does the gentle work, and sometimes dramatic work of heart surgery on the believer.
If you come to Him, expect Him to begin the work of having an undivided soul. That is, I give you all of me. If you are stealing…stop that. If you are using your sexual agency in a way outside of His design…stop.If you are dividing off your financial life from your spiritual life…stop.
If you thing about your spiritual life like pieces of a pie. Segment off your spiritual life from your health, what you drink, who you love, how you love, your character to the world, what you do with yoiur time or your money, stop. Your relationship with God is not apiece of the pie. It is the whole pie!
Burnt offerings: offer for sin—our great and ongoing problem
OT response to the timeless question: “what are you going to do about your sin?” this is it. Sacrifice. Appeasement of a holy God by the blood and life of another being. OT animal. But temporary, incomplete, imperfect—and just a shadow of the reeal thing…
NT response is Jesus. Perfect sacrifice. One for all. Once for all time.
This is specifically why, no further sacrifice is needed, or is even appropriate.
PEACE offerings: If this is really true, that God has made a way to Himself, then let’s party. Yea! I have peace with God. I can rejoice before Him. I don’t have to pay for my own sin. How can I rejoice before the Lord? By understanding what He has done for me.
We MUST make a response. He asks for whole-heartedness. Full disclosure. Will it cost you something? I certainly hope and expect so.
What are we shooting for? A whole hearted response.
. Even the rocks bear witness to the full hearted response that God wishes.
Call today for a “whole heart”, not partial, not ½ way, not divided
Prayer is for a whole heart. In me. In you. In the people of God.