Books and Lecture Discussion

Hey Team,

Here are my "Top 3" impressions from class last night:

1) First, the opportunity to pray for power encounters as part of our interactive. That was the first time in my 4 1/2 quarters in VLI that we were encouraged to pray in this way as part of the classwork. For whatever reason, we almost missed that question last night. Thankfully, we got pulled back to it. And we got to pray for 2 people.

Looking forward to the Intensives this Quarter! I really really hope that we don't just approach this material from an "academic" perspective. Understanding there are time constraints. Really though, how DORKY I would feel if we are learning about this stuff and somebody really needs God to break through in some area of their life but we don't give the space to serve each other.

2) The KEY to our ministry: to know that God is with us. God is so patient with Moses. He answers every single concern. The job is huge. But God sets it up so that it is really a series of little tiny baby steps. And the outcome is guaranteed by God.

How often we look at the mountain and recognize its difficulty rather than just take one step at a time. And God will provide EVERY SINGLE provision that is needed for the journey.

3) Moses boldness. We are going to sit down right here unless Your presence goes with us. Sure, we are in the desert. Sure, we are in temporary quarters. AND?!? Seriously, if we can't have You, we will sit right here until we do.

How many great sounding ventures would be pre-emptively shut down if we followed this principle.

But really, if God's presence isn't with it, why would we want have anything to do with it?

Tim Truesdale

Hey Team,

Here are my "Top 3" impressions from class last night on "Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy":

1) The imperative for God's people to demonstrate God's holiness through approaching the "poor and the sojourner" with equal treatment. In stark contrast to the prevalant cultural norms surrounding them.

Robbins referred to a passage from Deutoronomy 8 that demonstrates that even the ability to gain wealth comes from God. That flies smack in the face of the false idea that our wealth comes because of some kind of superior effort, skill or character. Those attributes certainly may be part of the equation. But the origin of all wealth is God. And His purpose for wealth seems to be rooted in His passion of working out His divine plans to expand His Kingdom.

Here it is. Deutornomy 8:17,18 in the Message: "If you start thinking to yourselves, 'I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!'—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. "

2) The notion that right relationship with God is predicated by right relationship with my brother. If I am offering my sacrifice at the altar and remember that something's not right in a relationship, I am supposed to first go and make that right, and then come back and make my sacrifice to God.

I know that. I learned that a long time ago. The trick comes in actually doing it! Like Robbins says, "Truth is a verb". How do I demonstrate that I understand the truth unless I am actually living it out? More than a cognitive acceptance.

3) Question: Why was Moses held to be "more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth?" Numbers 12:3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Answer: Because He sought God rather than vengeance against those who opposed him. He brought his issues to God, and let God ejudicate the offenses against him. WOW! So easy. So hard!

Tim Truesdale