The Rock Church

Deep Underground

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheo, you are there!” — Psalm 139:7-8
 
Recently, my family and I had a chance to hike up to Timpanogos Cave National Monument. The hike was fairly steep, hot, and pretty exposed in some areas. Once we made it to the cave entrance, however, we entered a very different world. 

The cave was 50 degrees colder than the outside air temperature. We had to put on coats in the middle of summer! Plus, the cave air was humid; it was a stark contrast from the hot, dry, summer air outside. We spent an hour hiking through the cave. At one point, the ranger tour guide made everyone turn off their flashlights. It was so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. You couldn’t tell if your eyes were open or closed. The ranger said our eyes would NEVER adjust to the complete darkness. My kids and I later discussed being deep in the cave without any lights.  
 
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In Ark We Trust

In preparation for our series on the life of David, I have been studying 1& 2 Samuel. A story in 1 Samuel recently caught my eye. The Israelites went out to battle their long-time enemy, the Philistines. They lost the first skirmish, and about 4,000 soldiers were killed. When the Israelites returned to camp that night, they were very discouraged. What was their solution? Did they cry out to God in prayer? Did they seek God’s guidance? No! They sent for the ark of the covenant. Look at what they said in verse 4:3, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

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Lifting Our Eyes

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” — Psalm 121:1-2

We are blessed to live in the great state of Utah. We have such incredible, natural beauty all around us. And have you noticed our mountains lately? They are unbelievable — the snow, clouds, sunrises, and sunsets! Living in a city with such amazing creation (all around us) is a privilege. But, it’s easy for us to get used to the mountains that we see daily. Recently, a friend from out of town asked me just that, “Do you get used to the view?” I said, “Sadly, yes, I do.” It is human nature to take things for granted.

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My Tears in a Bottle

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” — Psalm 56:8 

This verse encouraged me the other morning. Christians, meditate on what this verse is actually saying. It describes the incredible level of personalized, tender care that God has for us.

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Jesus Was Fully Man

Christmas — what an amazing time of the year!

Not only do we celebrate the fact that the God of the Universe chose to enter His creation (Immanuel means “God with us!”), but the New Testament presents an equally mind blowing fact. Jesus was fully man. Can you imagine that?

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Gospel Opportunity

Recently, some of The Rock pastors went to a regional pastor’s conference in Denver. At the end of a session on outreach, the speaker challenged us to go for a walk with a buddy, discuss what we learned, and look for a Gospel opportunity.

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Recidivism

Recidivism is the rate at which a criminal offender returns to prison. One study found that within five years of release, 77% of released prisoners were rearrested. I recently had a conversation with a corrections officer who told me a similar statistic. He estimated the recidivism rate at the place he worked was 90%! The annual cost of incarcerating a prisoner in Utah is nearly $30,000. So, this is a big deal. This corrections officer said that the sad joke as the released prisoners left, was that they would see them again!

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Number of Stars

The Bible is not a science textbook. But, when it speaks about science, it is 100% accurate. Evidence for this claim can be found in the stars.

Did you know that before telescopes were invented, people counted the stars with just their eyes? They didn’t have TV, so they watched the stars and counted them. On a clear night, a person could see easily see a couple of thousand (with the naked eye).

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Hardly Notice

I started reading my Bible regularly when I was high school (way back in 1991-1995). Man, does time fly! It has been a part of my daily routine ever since. Over the years, I have read a number of translations: NASB, NIV and ESV primarily. Well, this year, I decided to mix it up and read from The Message version.

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Crowdfunding

Have you heard of crowdfunding or crowdsourcing? Companies like GoFundMe or KickStarter are raising hundreds of millions of dollars annually for personal needs and creative projects. A wide variety of needs are met with tools like these. Costs associated with mission trips, medical bills, or family emergencies have been met repeatedly through generous donations from people.

Our Christian duty is to care for the poor and needy. The Old and New Testament is full of instruction. For example, Jesus told us, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” — Luke 12:33

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