The Chosen Ones - Num. 1-2 & Mark 2:1-19

As we begin the book of Numbers, we are introduced to the different tribes and a census is taken. The census was based on men who were able to fight - that is healthy men who were 20 yrs. of age and older. The numbers are pretty staggering. All together, not counting the women, children, or Levites, there were approximately 600,000 people! Add in wives for each of those men and a couple of children and we're talking about 2.4 million people traveling with Moses through the desert in search of God's promised land. Holy cow! Have you ever imagined that many people when you read these stories? Even if it was just the 600,000 that's a lot of people - and when times were tough - a lot of complaining!

We also see a select group of people in Mark 2. Jesus chooses 12 disciples. Several of these men were fishermen, one was a tax collector, and the others we're not sure about. Not exactly an all-star team. But Jesus obviously knew what He was doing. That rag-tag group of men seemed a little slow when Jesus was teaching them, and a little cowardly when Jesus' time of persecution came, but they sure came through when it mattered. When Jesus was crucified and then resurrected, this small group of guys were filled with power, courage, and wisdom by the Holy Spirit and their witness was so powerful that this Jesus-movement is still very much alive today.

The cool thing is God chooses us in the same way. Just like the Israelites and the 12 disciples, we are ordinary people. But once we get "infected" by God, we become powerful. Our focus is changed and God begins to transform us. If this transformation is missing in your life, you need to check into that quickly, because you, as a Christian, are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. You have to realize that you must be active in this process. God works in and through us, but we must be intentional about how we live our lives. May we seek to live for Him and become like Him in the process.

On a side note: I will not be blogging this weekend. Our youth group is teaming up with another youth group to do the 30 Hour Famine. We will not eat for 30 hours in an effort to become more aware of the millions of people who struggle with malnourishment and starvation everyday. Through our fundraising efforts we are working to fight hunger throughout the world. Please pray for us as we take part in this life-changing event and pray for those around the world who battle just to stay alive each day.