People are always asked what we want. But there is something that God wants, and the Proverbs found in Scripture point the way to God's desire for justice.
People are always asked what we want. But there is something that God wants, and the Proverbs found in Scripture point the way to God's desire for justice.
There is a unique difference in a system of justice where lies and financial influence can sway justice, and a system of justice that is based on the truth. True justice - God's justice is based on the unadulterated truth that affects people of every persuasion. What's needed in our world is "true" justice.
There is a unique difference in a system of justice where lies and financial influence can sway justice, and a system of justice that is based on the truth. True justice - God's justice is based on the unadulterated truth that affects people of every persuasion. What's needed in our world is "true" justice.
This is the prologue to our new sermon series "God's Justice for Our Time". In it James lays out the foundations for God's edict to "do justice" in terms that restate what is means to take care of the widows and orphans.
This is the prologue to our new sermon series "God's Justice for Our Time". In it James lays out the foundations for God's edict to "do justice" in terms that restate what is means to take care of the widows and orphans.
Join us each Wednesday at noon via ZOOM for an in depth study on the Revelation of Jo… Read More
Join us each Wednesday at noon via ZOOM for an in depth study on the Revelation of John. Study materials are available a https://godswordforyou.com
Website information is available on image.
“God’s Justice for Our Time” begins a sermon series that focuses on justice as an imp… Read More
"God's Justice for Our Time" begins a sermon series that focuses on justice as an imperative for our time today. Over the next six weeks we will examine justice as an essential ministry for God's people and the church in all times, but especially for our time. God's understanding of justice is a much different concept than that our cultures and systems have developed. Each week a sermon will be posted audibly for you to hear.
While cultures and world communities vary, in every culture or community I can think of, money is often the deter… Read More
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
While cultures and world communities vary, in every culture or community I can think of, money is often the determining factor that indicates who has power and control. And in every culture and world community, it seems that money has control over those individuals. I don’t think it’s ever been any different. For years, money has been the counterweight against true justice and equality. People have often denied doing the right thing if the price was right. It just took 30 pieces of silver to get Judas to turn on God and Christ to prevent what God wanted for humanity. It seems that we each have a responsibility to make the right decision when determining what’s most important to us. If we’re tempted, we’ll deceive ourselves into believing that money is more powerful than the God we serve. Our choice is simple — justifying ourselves and getting what we want irrespective of obedience to God, selling ourselves out for the sake of money — or getting what God wants for us — to live right and just lives so that what we value does not appear detestable in God’s sight.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to live free from self-deception and the power of money to control my faithfulness to you and what you want for me — the just and right life of your favor.
Several years ago, the popular comedian named Flip Wilson coined a comedic phrase on his television show denying… Read More
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Several years ago, the popular comedian named Flip Wilson coined a comedic phrase on his television show denying responsibility for mistakes he made in his tv life. After making what we’d experience as a comedic, but human error of ethics or morality, he’d say, “… the devil made me do it.” It was funny because everyone watching realized that the mistake was made out of his free choice or will. That he deceived himself by not accepting responsibility for his actions meant that he was willing to live comfortably with the lie he was telling himself. It also confirmed that he wasn’t tempted by God.
The greatest hindrance to receiving what God wants for us rests in our ability to deceive ourselves and our inability to accept God’s truth. Denying God’s truth is an invitation to deny justice to ourselves and everything God wants for us. When we live in and with the hope of God’s planned future for us, we willingly accept God’s truth and our decisions, as such, become just in fulfillment of that plan.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, empower me to avoid deceiving myself and live with the hope of receiving every good and perfect gift from above, as you want for me.
Arrogance is defined as “… an attitude of superiority shown by an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or… Read More
22 “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Arrogance is defined as “… an attitude of superiority shown by an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions”. That attitude can be reflected in a feeling that whatever we do for God should be “good enough” for God, whether or not it’s done in concert with God’s will for us or not. To presume that we know better and more than God, and to act in a way that dismisses God’s plan for our lives is the ultimate act of both arrogance and injustice that denies any chance for true justice. In short, placing ourselves above God is the ultimate rebellion and idolatry in which we become the god of our own making. Only by being obedient to God can we receive justice and get what God really wants for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, humble me in mind and spirit that my arrogance neither prevents your justice from being applied, nor exalts me above you and what you want for my life.
It’s been said before: “Pride goes before the fall…”. We’ve seen it played out in our lives in real time as… Read More
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
It’s been said before: “Pride goes before the fall…”. We’ve seen it played out in our lives in real time as we’ve watched those filled with their own sense of pride fall and bring everyone and everything down around them — Richard Milhouse Nixon comes to mind. We’ve seen it occur in the biblical story as Goliath stood before David in all of his pride; as Naaman questioned why Elisha wouldn’t even come out of his tent to honor him, and there are others in the biblical story that indicate how pride can either get in the way of God’s justice or become an example of the self-deception we sometimes practice that inhibits what God wants for us. In our day and time our pride may well be a reflection of our unwillingness to do what God is calling us to do — the new thing, the just thing and the right thing — whether it’s to do justice by protecting the poor, the widows, the foreigner, the innocent, and the marginalized, or whether it's just letting go of our arrogance and pride long enough for us to receive what God wants for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, help me to be mindful of myself and others when pride and arrogance stand in the way of what you want for me and your world.
Humans — above all creation — have the inherent ability to deceive ourselves. We create situations in our m… Read More
2 All the ways of a man seem right to him,
But the LORD probes the mind.
3 To do what is right and just
Is more desired by the LORD than sacrifice.
Humans — above all creation — have the inherent ability to deceive ourselves. We create situations in our minds where we tell ourselves that what we do, we do for the right reasons. Our error occurs by how we determine whether or not we’ve been right or just in our actions. If we’re honest, that error is based on whether or not we’ve gotten what we want for ourselves, or if we’ve gotten what God wants for us. If we achieve our intended outcome, then we justify our motivations as being just and right even if they’re not. That proverb credited to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux which states: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, may well be true if our intentions, however good they might be, are based on selfishness and the lies we tell ourselves that motivate us. Because we tend to be self-assertive and self-protective, it could just be that no matter how well intended our actions are, the outcome may end badly for us.
And yet, God has determined that there is one thing that’s more important than all the others. It’s more important than the ritualistic sacrifices (tithes, offerings, and service) we offer that we think honors God and wins God’s approval. It’s more important even than the outcome of the decisions we make in our efforts to help people. God sees justice being done when we’re motivated by our desire to do the just thing and the right thing in every situation. God sees the underlying motivations of our hearts to do the right and just thing as actions which are acceptable to God. So “the road to hell may well be paved with good intentions …” if those intentions come because we have deceived ourselves. But the road to God’s heart is paved with the honorable intention and desire to do the right thing and the just thing. Taking that road will get us everything God wants for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, thank you for seeing beyond the outcome my actions and decisions have on others into the motivations of my heart. Enable me to always be motivated by the desire to do the just and right things that my life will be acceptable to you.
Fairness and equity are important if true justice is to be practiced, valued, and respected. When our decis… Read More
19 Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20 Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Fairness and equity are important if true justice is to be practiced, valued, and respected. When our decisions are guided by unwarranted and unmerited favoritism or the influence of money, there is every likelihood that true justice is thrown out the window and discrimination, bias, and unfairness are brought into the equation. This is not the brand of justice that our God wants us to apply in our relationships with one another. For true justice to be applied to all equally, every precaution and measure must be taken to insure that God’s desire for justice is being implemented in the world. Anything less than an impartial decision leads to injustice – a false, distorted, and twisted imitation of the true justice that is seen through God’s eyes.
Today’s Prayer —
Eternal God may my decisions and judgments always be made, absent the bias and undue influence of money to alter my sense of fairness and true justice in my life.
It’s not enough for God’s people to only be aware that injustice exists. Nor is it enough to know that thos… Read More
26 “Among my people are the wicked
who lie in wait like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
It’s not enough for God’s people to only be aware that injustice exists. Nor is it enough to know that those who make, interpret, and carry out unjust laws which victimize the poor and perpetrate “uncivilized evil” in the communities are able to do so with impunity. Knowledge that it exists is one of many steps to insure “true” justice. God’s people are instructed to seek justice. That requires a vigilance that guards against all kinds of deceit and trickery that unfairly tilts the scales of justice in favor of the rich and powerful. There is an overt warning that those with power will tend to take care of their own, reaping the rewards of their deceit. And there seems to be a warning to the oppressed that those who would perpetrate injustices against them are living among them, such that unjust laws that take advantage of the poor should come as no surprise to us. God’s two edge sword proclaiming the absence of a just world comes both as a warning for those who practice injustice. It encourages those who are victims of injustice to proactively seek justice and do it.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, grant me the power, wisdom, courage, and endurance to seek your justice such that all who are adversely impacted by injustice may come to know that your justice – true justice – exists in the world.
God’s sensitivity to the issues and dynamics of power that create systems of injustice is keen. That we exi… Read More
1 Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
2 to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.
God’s sensitivity to the issues and dynamics of power that create systems of injustice is keen. That we exist in this world of God’s creation and especially as we exist in the relationship between the human constituents of the world is one in which God wants to insure fairness, equity, and justice. There is a directive in God’s mandate for true justice that warns those with power against using abusive and oppressive laws against to deprive the vulnerable of their rights. God’s willingness to protect the vulnerable and those often pushed to the margins of life is both righteous and compassionate. And perhaps that is what “true” justice really is. In the eyes of God, it is a justice that ensures fair treatment for the oppressed, the orphans and the widows. True justice seeks to make laws and decrees that don’t unfairly make them the target of powerful people.
Today’s Prayer —
Righteous God, guide my actions toward doing your justice. Make me aware of those laws and systems that unfairly target those who have been marginalized by unjust laws that I may take action.
If we’re honest with ourselves, no one ever benefits when injustice is widespread. People who suffer injust… Read More
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
If we’re honest with ourselves, no one ever benefits when injustice is widespread. People who suffer injustice are forced to live knowing (or at least believing) that they’ve been treated unfairly. And whether those who wield the power to make judgement decisions against someone else acknowledge it or not, those with power are aware when their decisions have been weighted too heavily on the side of unfairness and inequality. But our role as God’s people when injustice has occurred is to give aid and comfort to those who are victims and to discourage them from being vengeful. It’s important to remember that true justice serves to avoid violent and what might be an unequal retribution against the offender while providing care and assurance for injustice’s victims. That is true justice – justice clothed in understanding and compassion, and not draped with spite and vengeance.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, help me to always seek true justice by working to comfort victims of injustice while building community and relationship with all persons.
Things would be much simpler for us all if we could/would just follow God’s instructions. Our human attempt… Read More
15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you — as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God.
Things would be much simpler for us all if we could/would just follow God’s instructions. Our human attempt to achieve fairness and equity through justice are noble, and often set with good intentions. But in reality, our integrity (and sometimes) our human weakness in our judgement to be fair causes us to act and make decisions based on social, cultural, and societal norms that interfere with true justice. One’s biased opinion toward justice may influence whether healthcare, housing, and a minimum wage are rights deserved, or privileges given. It can also impact whether we believe justice is served when a person “deserves what they get”, or justice is meted out fairly when a person “gets what they deserve” according to our personal biases. The practice of true justice would then depend on whether discrimination based on race, age, gender and sexual orientation, religion and a host of other factors could be eliminated. True justice brings with it the fair and unbiased evaluation of a situation regardless of social, cultural, or societal norms and tries to see justice through God’s eyes.
Today’s Prayer —
Righteous God, enable me to see situations of injustice with your eyes so that true justice can become the standard operating procedure in my life.
It’s not very often we come across what appear to be contradictions in holy Scripture. On one hand when a l… Read More
15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Matthew 5:38-
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
It’s not very often we come across what appear to be contradictions in holy Scripture. On one hand when a lie is perpetrated against another person, there is the word which demands an “eye for an eye,”. The old adage “what comes around goes around” seems to be the rule of the day. On the other hand, Jesus compels us to examine another approach that takes us in a different direction. Jesus invites us to consider compassion as an answer to dishonesty and evil. They seem contradictory on the surface. And yet, we should hold dear to our hearts another scripture that balances the scales of justice for these two seemingly contradictory texts: “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, …” (Deut. 32:25a) and “Indeed the LORD will vindicate his people, have compassion on his servants, …” (Deut. 32:26a-b).
On the surface it seems that the idea of true justice is in conflict and contradiction with itself. And yet, foundational to both scriptures is God’s desire for true justice and not a distorted justice based on vengeance or revenge. True justice comes when people are judged rightly with compassion; not when our actions are reactive; not when we seek to balance the scales of justice without compassion or understanding of one another. God’s justice – true justice – vindicates all parties, rewarding those who are victims while holding accountable those who act unjustly.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, embolden me to act with compassion and understanding toward others, allowing your vindication to be the true justice that resolves all actions which seem unjust.
The cries for real and true justice flourish amidst the apparent indifference to what true justice is in the worl… Read More
1 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
The cries for real and true justice flourish amidst the apparent indifference to what true justice is in the world. Daily reports reflect the injustices throughout the world as justice is either denied or perverted in favor of the rich and powerful. Persons are imprisoned and detained under false pretenses without even so much as a fair trial or viable witnesses. Paul Whelan, a former Marine and Evan Gershkovich are both arrested and held in a Russian prison under the pretense of espionage. Cameron Lamb, an unarmed man is shot and killed by a police officer without the benefit of a trial by jury while sitting in his truck on his property. Women summarily lose the right to have autonomy of their own bodies, even after they vote to do so. In the meantime, those of powerful political persuasion use their finances and paid legal teams to play legal gymnastics with the courts to pervert justice, avoid justice, promote lies and falsehoods to escape justice in an effort to avoid true justice, while the poor and marginalized are at the mercy of those willing to distort the truth, or punish them for being poor. That’s not to say that if the poor have violated society’s codes of ethics or morality, they shouldn’t be held accountable. But when they are found guilty of the same crimes as the rich and powerful, but the accountability standards are different, justice is perverted and often denied. When true justice — God’s justice — is in play, whether globally or locally, everyone is seen as equal. Lies and false accusations are replaced by truth. Truth is the primary standard for true justice for everyone. True justice brings with it God’s Truth and a healthy dose of grace and accountability.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, enable and empower me to always use Your truth as the standard for my decisions. Lead me into making right and fair decisions in my relationship with everyone so that true justice may always win out.
God’s laws are clear and succinct about those things we (as humans) are most likely to do in our efforts to perve… Read More
6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
God’s laws are clear and succinct about those things we (as humans) are most likely to do in our efforts to pervert justice. And while these laws are good for cultures and peoples of every persuasion in every age, these words are specifically targeted toward God’s people, while at the same time also defines those elements of justice that we may overlook. We have to acknowledge that somewhere, someone behind the scenes is able to put their finger on the scales of justice in an effort to deny justice to the poor. It additionally identifies those who are most likely to be or become victims of injustice in the world— the innocent who are falsely imprisoned, as well as those who see money as a valid reason to pervert justice. Since our directive is to keep religion real, we have an obligation to avoid our participation in devious schemes that seek to pervert justice, as well as working in the ways God has called us to intervene when justice is being perverted. Keeping religion real is a two-edge sword that is both proactive and preventative.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to act both proactively and in a preventive manner when justice is being perverted so that I may keep religion real in my life.
There is no doubt that there is a connection between our faith and our works. We often see those acts of me… Read More
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
There is no doubt that there is a connection between our faith and our works. We often see those acts of mercy — feeding the hungry, providing clothes for those who are naked — as things necessary to show God’s love in the world. They are a real and necessary part of our ministry in the name of Jesus. What we sometimes miss is the component of injustice that has allowed systems of local, regional, national, and global enterprises to create the needs that we undertake to provide for. Our efforts to provide mercy ministries is a much-needed response to those systems of injustice. But they are also acts of justice to the marginalized that fill the gap created by those systems of injustice. We have a responsibility to keep religion real by making a stronger connection to these ministries as God’s justice in a way that reminds us that our religion is real and authentic.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, help me to connect the ministries of mercy to acts of justice that others might know and understand that through meeting their primary needs I am keeping my religion real.
We never think of encountering Jesus Christ in the real sense of the word. Our visions of him are often oth… Read More
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. ' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? ' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. '
We never think of encountering Jesus Christ in the real sense of the word. Our visions of him are often other-worldly. And yet, it is our scripture that invites us to have a living and real experience with Jesus Christ by acts of caring and justice towards others that take us away from the church and out into the lives of those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned. For Jesus, that is where real justice is done and where real religion takes place. And for us, doing justice and caring for others is where we can encounter Jesus in the here and now present reality. It’s also the only way to practice doing justice and keep religion real.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, open my heart, mind, spirit, hands, and feet to the opportunities to do justice and keep religion real by being involved in ministries involving care to others.
Those of us born into faith beneath the umbrella of grace often give little thought to keeping God’s law as it’s… Read More
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
Those of us born into faith beneath the umbrella of grace often give little thought to keeping God’s law as it’s understood in Hebrew Scriptures. We forget that Jesus said, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:19) Even beneath the umbrella of grace, we will always live in a relationship with God where obedience is a mandatory requirement. Yet, in our practice of religion we have neglected the primary understanding of Law and grace. It was never a demand that we be faithful. Being faithful is an expectation of our relationship with God. But doing justice — that thing that God’s word says will make us happy — is primary to establishing a relationship with others that gets to the heart of God’s law. Doing always supersedes hearing only and makes religion real.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to be as faithful to the laws of Your word thru grace that moves me from hearing Your word only, to keeping religion real by doing justice as Your will .
There are times when we’d like nothing more than to separate the law of God from how we respond to each other’s n… Read More
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
There are times when we’d like nothing more than to separate the law of God from how we respond to each other’s needs. We’d like to hold on to our traditions, obeying the rules and ordinances of our church, all in an effort to keep our religion pure and undefiled. But it is impossible. Caring for one another by performing acts of justice despite the written rules and ordinances of the is a vital and connecting link in our relationship with God. They are two sides of the same coin. To love God is to have the freedom to love others and to do justice. To love others is to take upon ourselves the act of loving God by doing justice or securing justice for others. There is no separation between our love of God and caring of one another. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we can’t honestly state that we love God, or our neighbor without seeking justice for them regardless of our written church rules and ordinances. To deny justice based on the appearance of being true to God’s word perverts true justice and prevents us from keeping religion real.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, create in me a connectional spirit that enables me to do caring acts of justice for those who seek it. Allow my efforts to work and secure justice for others as an effort to keep religion real as an expression of my love for and them.
We live with the ongoing tension between receiving the grace of Jesus Christ and doing or practicing our religion… Read More
12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
We live with the ongoing tension between receiving the grace of Jesus Christ and doing or practicing our religion in the world. Our fear of turning grace into a faith based on our actions, keeps the war raging. The questions about our actions becoming works-based righteousness (efforts to win God’s approval by what we do) and grace (knowing we are loved without having done anything to earn it)are always at the forefront. But it’s not supposed to be a polarizing either grace, or actions. It’s supposed to be a combination of the two. Others can’t experience Christ’s love of them unless and until justice through religion becomes real for us and we implement those acts of justice by doing caring actions as expressions of God’s grace. Our blessings come from doing acts of justice that show God’s mercy and care. That’s what Jesus did for us — served us, and in the end gave us both grace and justice that exonerated us all. We would be blessed if we did the same for others by making religion real and initiating just acts for them.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower my acts of caring connected to justice as evidence that I keep religion real and end the war of tension between grace only or works only as true religion.
For many people the idea of being religious is all about believing in God and going to church. If the subje… Read More
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
For many people the idea of being religious is all about believing in God and going to church. If the subject of going to church becomes a topic of conversation, the most likely response from those who don’t attend is, “Well, I’m not religious.” However, if we take seriously what it means to believe in God, to have faith in Jesus Christ, and to have heard God’s word to us, then what it means to be religious is more than going to church on Sunday. It would suggest that hearing — while a vital part of religious life — somehow makes the practice of religion incomplete unless and until we move from hearing to keeping religion real by doing justice for those whom God deems important. To be pure and undefiled before God would involve connecting God’s word across the centuries and finding that link that makes religion real throughout eternity. If it’s true that God’s earlier warning — “cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ (Deut. 27:19), is in any way connected to [pure and undefiled religion before God],— “to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world”, then real religion is transporting God’s desire for justice out of our hearing in the pews and moving it into the lives of those who are God’s targets for real justice (the orphans or fatherless, and the widow) — and making justice and religion real in our life and theirs.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, transform me from someone who only hears Your word into someone who does Your word so others may know Your love and mercy as true justice that keeps religion real.
The light of God’s Spirit is captured in prayer. Prayer is needed even more when we assume a role that plac… Read More
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
The light of God’s Spirit is captured in prayer. Prayer is needed even more when we assume a role that places us in the position of speaking on behalf of someone else. The idea of being an ambassador for Christ — speaking on behalf of Him who came that we might be reconciled to God — is not an easy task. Knowing just what to say, how to present what we say while representing ourselves as messengers of Christ requires understanding what it means to be reconciled to God. Praying for the wisdom to carry out that work engages us with the Spirit of Christ and becomes a powerful work of grace. It also becomes vital to the ministry of reconciliation because not everyone is open to the idea of being reconciled.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, empower me to be the person through whom Your message of reconciliation becomes a clear and understandable message of grace to others.
We get it that Jesus died for us, and we believe it. It is a vital and essential part of our relationship t… Read More
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
We get it that Jesus died for us, and we believe it. It is a vital and essential part of our relationship to God. But we sometimes remove from his sacrificial death the idea of atonement — making us one again (at-one/atone) with God. It is that act of making us one with God that is at the very heart of Christ’s ministry in the world. We are only able to be in a relationship with God because of that atonement — that act in which we were reconciled to God and brought back into relationship with our Creator. That is the nature of Christ’s ministry in the world — reconciliation. And Christ has bequeathed that relationship of ministry to us, that Christ’s ministry to the world and our ministry in Jesus’ name become one.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, help me to experience what it means to be reconciled to God, and empower me to seek forgiveness and reconciliation with others.
At a time when God’s people believed in a wrathful God, to hear Isaiah writing of a God who is desperately seekin… Read More
18 “Come, let us reach an understanding,
— says the LORD.
Be your sins like crimson,
They can turn snow-white;
Be they red as dyed wool,
They can become like fleece.”
19 If, then, you agree and give heed,
You will eat the good things of the earth;
20 But if you refuse and disobey,
You will be devoured [by] the sword.—
For it was the LORD who spoke.
At a time when God’s people believed in a wrathful God, to hear Isaiah writing of a God who is desperately seeking to restore a broken relationship and offer the blessing of reconciliation between God and God’s people might be new. But God’s efforts to forgive us and reconcile the relationship between us and God are not new. Throughout the history of human experience with God, the olive branch of a restored relationship to God has been and is primary to the very nature of God. It began from the moment Adam and Eve broke covenant with God and has transcended down through the ages and was revealed as the true ministry of Christ. Now that Christ has fulfilled his covenant with God, the ministry of reconciliation — Christ’s purpose and ministry has now been given to us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to live in such a way that Your desire to live in a reconciled relationship with all people becomes my message of faith for everyone I encounter.
The church has long been accused of always wanting money. But while money is necessary in our culture to ef… Read More
20 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
The church has long been accused of always wanting money. But while money is necessary in our culture to efficiently, and effectively do ministry in our communities, collecting money is not our main priority. That’s especially understandable if and when we come to realize that most important where God is concerned (and more important than giving money to the church is the restoration and reconciliation of our relationship with each other. Perhaps we’ve gotten it backwards. We’ve become so anxious and enthusiastic about doing ministry, that we’ve placed more value on money than on the value of restored and reconciled relationships. But Christ’s idea of an appropriate relationship with God and each other clearly values reconciliation above money. Reconciliation is the foundation of every ministry we do in the name of Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, teach me how to set my priorities in order. Teach me to place the value of a restored relationship with you and others before the value of any gift I give to You.
The lengths to which God has gone to extend to us the ministry of reconciliation has been amazing. It wasn’… Read More
7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
The lengths to which God has gone to extend to us the ministry of reconciliation has been amazing. It wasn’t just that God offered the life of Christ as a gift in order to save us. It’s that in that offering God has placed an eternal claim upon our lives so that we no longer belong to ourselves, but to the God that saved us. And it’s in that precious offering that God claims our lives in and through the ministry of Christ. It’s claim extends to and from those who had lived and died before Christ was present. That claim now extends to those of us who believe today How much more then can we believe that Christ’s ministry of reconciliation extends to those yet unborn? And how much more importantly does that make our responsibility as ambassadors of the message of reconciliation to tell the story? The question is not then, “Are you saved?” The real question is, “Do you know you have been saved?” Everything after that is your response to who a person lives for — the Lord, themselves, or some other god.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, help me to understand the breadth, depth, and expanse of Your ministry of reconciliation so I may continue as an ambassador of Your grace.
Reconciliation is the proof and the outcome of God’s love for us. It justifies us and puts us in a ri… Read More
9 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Reconciliation is the proof and the outcome of God’s love for us. It justifies us and puts us in a right relationship with God. It’s not just that God’s love has justified us and put us in a right relationship with God. It’s that because of that right relationship, our own lives have been transformed into a reflection of that reconciliation — the freedom we have to live in and by grace; knowing that God has loved us, forgiven us, and saved us to and for something greater than we could have imagined. And in that relationship, God has also embraced us and holds us as sacred. It’s not outside of the relationship that we know God. It’s inside of the relationship — one that has been restored by Christ and has opened the door of invitation for us to enter into the family of our God.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me to express our reconciled relationship as the true ministry of Christ. Let others experience reconciliation through me.
We often speak of the forgiveness of God, especially as we experience God’s forgiveness in the light of our own s… Read More
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We often speak of the forgiveness of God, especially as we experience God’s forgiveness in the light of our own shortcomings. It is central to who we are and what we believe as people who confess and profess Jesus Christ as our Savior. But forgiveness, as important as it is, is only one part of God’s equation of reestablishing relationships. To forgive and end our relationships with forgiveness doesn’t quite get at what it means to have a whole relationship with God or each other. A large part of the equation on what it means to be Christian focuses on the requirements necessary to fulfill our participation in the true ministry of Christ. Forgiveness is one part. Reconciliation completes the process. Without reconciliation — without coming together, restoring what it means to be in relationship, we have essentially aborted the true ministry of Christ and our participation in it. Forgiveness allows the brokenness of relationships to be cleansed. Reconciliation allows the cleansed relationship to be reconnected. That is the true ministry of Christ — a reconnected relationship with God and each other.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, let Your compassion be reflected in my words so others may know Your forgiveness. Enable me to listen so others may know Your care. Work in me and through me that I may experience a forgiven and reconciled relationship with others and with You.
We have, by our own assent and permission, given ourselves over to the ardent and persistent worship of things…. Read More
18 What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it — a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak! 19 Alas for you who say to the wood, "Wake up!" to silent stone, "Rouse yourself!" Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all. 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!
We have, by our own assent and permission, given ourselves over to the ardent and persistent worship of things. And if we’re honest, today’s gadgets come with no other purpose than to distract us away from those things and relationships that should be given priority over everything. Yet we continually relegate what should be primary to secondary status. Yet, the truth is, those things have commanded and demanded our attention, yet they have no life of their own other than the life we give them. They have no honor beyond the honor we give them, yet, we have come to worship them day and night. We use them to wake us up and the thought of going without them drives us into panic mode. And yet, when trouble comes, we don’t reach for our devices, we reach and cry out to the living God.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, free my entire being from its prison to the present-day trinkets and shiny gods. Create a panic in me to honor You that is greater than a forgotten cell phone.
There is a sharp contrast made between the true God who created us and those that are created by us. The un… Read More
18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 19 We know that we are God's children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
There is a sharp contrast made between the true God who created us and those that are created by us. The understanding derives primarily from the essence of who God is and who we are. Are we humans who live and have a spiritual experience, or are we Spiritual people, born of God who are living and having a human experience? The answer to that question may give us personal insight to who and what it is we worship. If are answer is that we are humans who live and have a spiritual experience, then any god of our choosing can motivate us to honor it, whether it be gold, silver, iron, wood, or clay. But, if our answer is that we are spiritual people, whose life is born of the God who created us, then it is the God of our creation who deserves glory, honor and first place in our lives and idols have no place in our lives at all.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, help me to be mindful of who I am and whose I am so that my worship is directed to the true and real source of my being and not some thing that has been created by human hands.
I’m always curious when I see religious “art”. Even statues and images of Christ, however inaccurate they m… Read More
29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."'
I’m always curious when I see religious “art”. Even statues and images of Christ, however inaccurate they might be, arouse my curiosity to some extent. Whenever I see those images of Christ, I’m always reminded that he lived in history but that he also is alive today within me. He was real, not just for me, but for historians and theologians all over the world. There is a different curiosity when I see other images of wood, silver, and gold that have somehow been given the same or more significant honor than Christ. I have never seen, nor heard of a tree coming back to life once it was struck down or a statue reconstructing itself after having encountered the smelter’s fire. And while there are stories of a Phoenix rising from the ashes, that story is categorized in its writing as myth. The story of our God and Christ has real historical and spiritual significance.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, continue to affirm in me the truth that the God that deserves first place honor in my life is the true God of spiritual power and life.
That God would speak to us in words that we could understand and would write down is transformational. It’s… Read More
1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
That God would speak to us in words that we could understand and would write down is transformational. It’s not the tools used to record what was said, nor is it the fact that we have them that’s important. What’s important is that a living presence spoke to them, giving life to them just as surely as life was present in the One who spoke to them. The transformation occurs when we recognize that these thoughts didn’t come from some inanimate object but spoke to us about them when the converse isn’t true. Idols can’t and don’t speak to us about our God. That gives our God a higher honor and place than any idol we might allow to take the place above our God.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to always give You first place over any object that is a creation of human hands and ingenuity.
We are a nation of people who are accustomed to tests. We run tests for everything — to see which car drive… Read More
5 To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? 6 Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh out silver in the scales — they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! 7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. 8 Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, your transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me,
We are a nation of people who are accustomed to tests. We run tests for everything — to see which car drives the best; to see which food tastes the best. There is an entire industry set up to compare and tests similar products, everything from electronics to the smallest insignificant gadget. Ironically, we are the only ones able to do a comparison test between God and gods to see which of them is truly outstanding. If we run our tests, we would discover that the gods we choose always leave us unable to accomplish or even draw close to being an Award winner. Only the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — our God — will stand out in first place.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, help me to see without a comparison test that You are the only God and that the gods of our own making can never compare to You.
It’s difficult for us to see clearly when our eyes and other senses are distracted by events and things and tools… Read More
22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
It’s difficult for us to see clearly when our eyes and other senses are distracted by events and things and tools of their various capacities. It’s hard for us to see exactly how the constant distractions that we invite into our lives each day actually come between us and God. Those distractions can become very disrespectful to God. But for a moment, imagine yourself speaking to someone when, without warning, they suddenly direct their attention to something that has nothing to do with you. It’s the same situation that occurs when we’re supposed to be acknowledging God as the Award winner, but we get distracted by something else and the distracted thing makes God our 2nd priority.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, cleanse me from the present-day distractions that display an open disrespect of my relationship with You. Help me to award You my full attention.
We live in a world where, for the most part, we are consumers. We use all of our senses to experience our w… Read More
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
We live in a world where, for the most part, we are consumers. We use all of our senses to experience our world. We see with our eyes, smell with our noses, touch with our hands, sense the smoothness or texture of something with our skin, hear with our ears, and taste with our mouths and tongues. All of this sensory data reaches into our life experiences, and, from our very human perspective, affects or desire, inviting us to crave more and more of those things which become an attraction to us — everything from the sweet creamy taste of our favorite ice cream, or the emotional attraction we feel when we see our favorite color, the gloss or glint of gold or silver that hits our eyes, the smell of bacon frying or coffee brewing in the morning — all of those things hit our senses with a power too wonderful to ignore, inviting us — no, luring us — to give more and more of our attention to them. The truth is that they enter our lives with such a harmless appearance that they subtly, but powerfully command a place in our lives, often consuming us and becoming our god — that thing we worship, pushing out the One who should be first in everything and overtaking our loyalties.
Today’s Prayer —
God of all creation, help me to see more clearly those gods of all kinds that come between me and full worship of You. Strengthen me so that I can remove any and all barriers that get between me worshiping You with all that I am and all that I have.
There is a great relief in all things —big and small — if we know in our hearts and minds that we have peace with… Read More
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
There is a great relief in all things —big and small — if we know in our hearts and minds that we have peace with God. Somehow, that puts everything else in its proper perspective. If we can live in a perpetual state of peace with God, then in reality, nothing else should be able to upset the apple cart of our life. Any and everything else becomes a mere inconvenience — a distraction of suffering in some regards — to remove us from that place of peace. But living with the truth that we are justified by our God (free to live beneath the umbrella of God’s grace) — then peace with God becomes and is an unmovable and unstoppable force of calm and endurance in our lives.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, empower me to find Your peace, even amid those distractions in life that cause suffering, but build character and allow peace.
Finding peace in the world comes with some basics, especially if we have an engaged and active relationship with… Read More
14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Finding peace in the world comes with some basics, especially if we have an engaged and active relationship with God and Christ. Of necessity, it means that we will be at war with various enemies of God that creep into our lives. But what a peace we discover when we find that we’ve submitted and held on to God’s truth, our faith, our knowledge of salvation and the presence of Christ’s spirit to protect us. And what a “peace” we find when we realize that the gospel of peace (that which offers the contentment of Christ to the lives of people) can actually free them to discover a peace that they had not known before. There can truly be no greater peace than to live within the shelter of God’s protective grace and truth. That is a peace that passes all understanding.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, enable and empower me to always find peace living within the context of Your truth, my faith, Your Spirit, and salvation.
Life’s situations and challenges seem to have the unique ability to take us off our game. All the peace we… Read More
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.
Life’s situations and challenges seem to have the unique ability to take us off our game. All the peace we know and experience seems to evaporate when death, or some other crisis, or major unplanned even enters into our lives. Finding peace in God (or God’s peace) takes us away from the distractions and events of life that take us off of our game and become game (life) changers for us. The peace that God gives to us gives us new eyes and a new mind to understand — or at the very least, to accept life’s disappointments in order to find and know God’s peace. The blessing is that Christ has already deposited that peace with us. The difficulty comes in trying to embrace that peace on a daily, or continual basis. When we come to the reality that life’s situations are temporary, it becomes easier to “let go and let God”. It’s in the release that we learn to trust God and achieve the peace that we so often seek to embrace.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to find Your peace in the world — a peace that enables me to be unmoved by the disappointments and crises of life.
Perhaps our greatest difficulty in life is getting rid of the things that cause worry and fear preventing God’s p… Read More
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Perhaps our greatest difficulty in life is getting rid of the things that cause worry and fear preventing God’s power and authority to take control, giving us assurance and peace. When we’re troubled and anxious — worried about any and everything, it’s difficult for us to be thankful. It then becomes that much more difficult to focus on God’s word to instruct us, while reminding each other that there is a way — a process to follow so that we can experience God’s peace in our lives. Once we find that peace, it’s normal to break out in songs of praise.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to find that peace of Christ that takes away all of my worries and allows me to break out in songs of praise to You.
If we were to make a list of the things that destroy our sense of peace, there’s no telling how long that list wo… Read More
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
If we were to make a list of the things that destroy our sense of peace, there’s no telling how long that list would be. And yet there’s a word of wisdom from someone who discovered how to live without being overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. She said, “I you can control your problems, there’s no need to worry, because you can control them. If you can’t control them, there’s no need to worry, because you can’t control them.” How much easier it is to find peace knowing that God is faithful to care for our needs and is always in control, even when we’re not.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to experience the peace of heart, mind, Spirit, and soul that comes from knowing that you have all things under control.
Finding peace is a fairly simple recipe of life. There are certain things that should become a part of our… Read More
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Finding peace is a fairly simple recipe of life. There are certain things that should become a part of our daily ritual — our life’s discipline — that not only allows us to find peace in the world, but to live in a state of continual peace. Does that mean that we won’t experience trials or challenges in life? NO! Absolutely not!! But following the recipe will invite us into that relationship with God where God can do what God says God will do. If we continually find joy, pray with thanksgiving allowing God’s Spirit to reign, and abstain from evil, God’s peace will make us holy.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable and empower me to follow the simple recipe for finding peace so that my life will be holy and sanctified and acceptable to You.
Peace is a long sought after, difficult thing to find. And people have tried to find peace in various ways…. Read More
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co- workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything — by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving — let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Peace is a long sought after, difficult thing to find. And people have tried to find peace in various ways. Too often we have believed that peace was achieved when conflict was avoided. And so, in our efforts to achieve what we believed to be peace, we sought to avoid situations which lead to conflict, believing that if we avoid the situation, peace could be real for us. Yet, while the immediate situation was avoided, the underlying, inner tension did not create an environment of peace. But peace is more than the absence of conflict. And, if we find ourselves thinking about the situation (or person) responsible for the chaos in our lives, the idea of peace still remains far from us. There are several places, people, and organizations that promise to deliver on the idea of peace. And I suppose that it’s possible to go to anyone of them to see if their claims to deliver on their promises are true. On the other hand, there is someone who can lead us to real peace. And that One not only tells us exactly how and where to find it. They deliver it and the result is a peace that defies our understanding — and is able to exist even in the midst of personal or global tension, chaos, and the other unsettling events of life. And if the truth is told, finding it is easier than we think, but it involves a shift in how we go about finding it. Finding peace invites us to use our heart, mind, and spirit by concentrating on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Or concentrate on God the things of God to find peace in the world.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me by Your Spirit to embrace those things that lead to Your peace within my heart, mind, and spirit. Let me be the presence of Your peace in the world so that others may find Your peace through me.
It’s not often that we see ourselves as wealthy — as people who live in luxury and pleasure. And yet… Read More
5 Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
Sirach 4:1-2
1 My child, do not cheat the poor of their living,
and do not keep needy eyes waiting.
2 Do not grieve the hungry,
or anger one in need.
3 Do not add to the troubles of the desperate,
or delay giving to the needy.
4 Do not reject a suppliant in distress,
or turn your face away from the poor.
It’s not often that we see ourselves as wealthy — as people who live in luxury and pleasure. And yet, there are those who make a pretty healthy living off of migrant farm workers, undocumented aliens, and others. The lives of luxury that have come from those who make their profit is but one side of the coin of our relationship with the poor. The other side displays those of us who benefit from their labor but refuse to stand in support of those who have been victimized by our desire to have cheap labor and cheap prices. That is not pleasing to God.
Today’s Prayer –
Gracious Creator, convict me of my responsibility to help those at my doorstep and empower me to become more sensitive to the needs of the poor.
It’s difficult for us to think of being generous to the extent that we would give to everyone who begs from us…. Read More
30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?”
It’s difficult for us to think of being generous to the extent that we would give to everyone who begs from us. That idea flies in the face of a mindset that says a person should be willing to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. It is an easy platitude to reach for as long as the person doing the reaching also has some boots to reach for. But all too often we see only from the perspective from which our own eyes can see, when the question really is, “What would I have them do to me?” Perhaps if we saw ourselves as God saw us, we’d realize that we are all beggars in some ways.
Today’s Prayer –
Loving God, enable me to see those in need as I would see myself in need and empower me to give what is asked for knowing that only by Your grace can I supply their needs.
A healthy relationship with the poor has often been strained by our need to characterize them as unwelcome and un… Read More
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him.
A healthy relationship with the poor has often been strained by our need to characterize them as unwelcome and undesirable. There are those who capitalize off of the poor because the poor seem to have no voice of power to speak on their behalf. But that is a terrible accident of thought. God speaks for them. It’s not so much that we insult the poor as we insult the God of the poor. It’s difficult to justify insulting God when all that’s necessary to honor God is to perform those random acts of kindness and respect toward those who are, though poor, children of God in every way.
Today’s Prayer –
God of mercy and love, give me the wisdom to honor You by showing kindness to those who live in poverty.
There are so many crumbs that fall from our tables. There are even scraps of food that we throw away and wa… Read More
24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
There are so many crumbs that fall from our tables. There are even scraps of food that we throw away and waste and let spoil. I wonder if we ever consider our waste when it comes time to offer something for the poor. A “Business Week” magazine article estimated that the average household throws away 20 pounds of food each week and American restaurants throw away 6000 tons of food a year. Those scraps that fall from our tables could feed a lot of poor people — if we would just see them or even consider that they are as worthy of God’s bread as we are.
Today’s Prayer –
Gracious God, enable me to be convinced that the poor who are on my doorstep just outside the gate are worthy of the scraps that fall from my table.
The Jewish Study Bible uses the term kinsman instead of neighbor, meaning one who is related to you. The Ne… Read More
10 Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."
The Jewish Study Bible uses the term kinsman instead of neighbor, meaning one who is related to you. The New Revised Standard Version broadens the understanding from kinsman to neighbor – one who is in your community. For Christians, this is an opportunity to move beyond the boundaries of a tribal – relationship understanding and opens us up to define all humanity as “neighbor”, or of being related to one another. But we also live in a culture that often has a particularly negative view of the needy. They are often considered to be leeches and parasites upon society and culture. The question is does our Christian faith shape our relationship to the poor through God’s view of the world, or have we adopted an un-Christian relationship to the poor by accepting a worldly and cultural understanding of the poor and poverty?
Today’s Prayer –
Loving God, enable me to clearly see my participation in systems of injustice that create poverty. Help me to become an advocate of Your justice.
In some ways, we are invited to see those who are poor as victims of a system of injustice. There are times… Read More
12 For I have noted how many are your crimes, and how countless your sins — You enemies of the righteous, you takers of bribes, you who subvert in the gate the cause of the needy!
13 Assuredly, at such a time the prudent man keeps silent, for it is an evil time. 14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live, and that the LORD, the God of Hosts, may truly be with you, as you think. 15 Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate;
In some ways, we are invited to see those who are poor as victims of a system of injustice. There are times when our political affiliations and loyalties invite us to see poverty and those who are poor as disinterested and lazy, slothful, and unambitious. And yet, God, who sees all truth in a much more comprehensive way, understands that poverty doesn’t just happen. God has provided enough for everyone to have if we share. There is a system that gets in the way of our sharing that promotes, rather than inhibits justice.
Today’s Prayer –
God of Wisdom, allow me to be young and wise enough in heart, mind, spirit, and strength to see the wisdom Your Holy Spirit reveals to the world.
The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church offer us this understanding about the poor of our world, but… Read More
1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well- aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well- aged wines strained clear.
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10a For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church offer us this understanding about the poor of our world, but specifically our immediate community:
“Because we recognize that the long-term reduction of poverty must move beyond services to and employment for the poor, which can be taken away, we emphasize measures that build and maintain the wealth of poor people, including asset-building strategies such as individual development savings accounts, micro-enterprise development programs, programs enabling home ownership, and financial management training and counseling. We call upon churches to develop these and other ministries that promote asset-building among the poor. We are especially mindful of the Global South, where investment and micro-enterprise are especially needed. We urge support for policies that will encourage equitable economic growth in the Global South and around the world, providing a just opportunity for all.”
Today’s Prayer –
Gracious God, open my heart that I may be as much a helper and protector of the poor as You are. Humble me that I may see them, not because of their poverty, but because they are valuable and precious children of Yours.
When everything seems to be going all wrong and there’s no logic or reason to explain it, we usually look to our… Read More
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
When everything seems to be going all wrong and there’s no logic or reason to explain it, we usually look to our own human understanding of how things should be or should have been. If everything operated off of a cause-and-effect relationship, we could order our world the way we wanted. But, the reality is that we can’t. A lot of things don’t happen because one thing doesn’t ordinarily lead to another. Things begun with good intentions turn out horribly wrong, and things that look inordinately bad turn out just fine. Because there is a God who loves us, it’s important for us to be reminded that everything is not always as it appears. God is in control and is often working out life’s difficulties for our benefit, whether we can see it or not. Our objective is to learn to trust in the Lord.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, empower me to grow in my trust of You and your faithfulness. Help my belief that You are always working things out for my better good.
One of the greatest challenges we face in life is understanding suffering. And the type of suffering is irr… Read More
11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him.
One of the greatest challenges we face in life is understanding suffering. And the type of suffering is irrelevant. It could be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Suffering, whenever it happens, is both difficult to understand and to endure. But suffering becomes manageable when we realize that the One we have trusted to brings us through times of suffering is faithful and true. When our confidence is secured in knowing that our God is faithful and that we can trust in God, we can find peace in knowing that God will come through for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, in the midst of life’s difficulties, empower me to trust in Your power to save me from harm. Strengthen my belief in Your faithfulness.
There are no words any truer than those that remind us that, “God is a mystery.” And so, it’s difficult for… Read More
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe,
There are no words any truer than those that remind us that, “God is a mystery.” And so, it’s difficult for us to fully understand how God works. It’s also true that when our lives are in distress, it’s difficult to for us to see things clearly. Our thoughts are typically clouded and darkened by our inability to see our way out of our circumstances. It is then that we are compelled to reach out for someone who can bring enlightenment to our situation. Those of us who are among the believers in God turn to God with prayers hoping to bring light into the darkness of our world. It is trying to see the world through God’s eyes with God’s understanding that the door of hope is then, opened and we learn that we can trust in God.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, enable me to have a more God-like understanding of life’s situations. Empower me to see clearly that my trust God fully so that my hope may endure.
When life is going sideways, the most difficult thing to do is to wait for God. It’s difficult for many rea… Read More
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
When life is going sideways, the most difficult thing to do is to wait for God. It’s difficult for many reasons. We have short term memory about how God has been there for us before. We feel the anxiety and pressure of our circumstances. But it’s difficult mostly because we’re never aware of how God is working things out. We don’t get emails, text messages, or find God connection to us on God’s personal social media platform. Our only recourse is to go to God in prayer and hope that God’s ears are open to our petitions. But it is God’s silence that discomforts and disturbs us. It is God’s silence and the waiting for God to act that works against us, making us doubt God’s trustworthiness. We often fill as though while we’re waiting on God, that we don’t mount up on wings like eagles, but flop around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, grant me the strength to endure life’s challenges until I know You’ve heard my pleas and have come to save me. Help me to wait patiently and trust in You.
I would imagine that it’s pretty easy to feel forgotten or ignored when our prayers seem to go unanswered. … Read More
20 Why have you forgotten us completely?
Why have you forsaken us these many days?
21 Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored;
renew our days as of old —
22 unless you have utterly rejected us,
and are angry with us beyond measure.
I would imagine that it’s pretty easy to feel forgotten or ignored when our prayers seem to go unanswered. It may even lead us to believe that we’ve fallen out of favor with God — that perhaps we’ve done something that angered God — something to cause God not to respond. We may even begin to believe that the weight of our sin so angered God that there was no way back to that relationship. But it seems we have short-term memories. We often forget that God has a reputation for being merciful. Also, God has said He would never leave us or forsake us, and that God’s love for us is unbreakable. What a comfort it would be to think on those things that remind us of times when we questioned God’s faithfulness and yet, afterward knew God could be trusted.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, help me to remember your faithfulness when I am in distress. Enable Your faithfulness to be my salvation and teach me to trust in You through every trial.
Waiting for God is the most difficult thing to do. And we don’t wait alone. Accordingly, all creation… Read More
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Waiting for God is the most difficult thing to do. And we don’t wait alone. Accordingly, all creation longs to be restored to healing and wholeness. And if Paul is right, there is a futility about it — about our lives, our prayers, and how God responds in that time of our waiting while everything is made right. The waiting, however, is not as futile as we think because we wait in hope. We wait in hope for the one who is our savior who has, can, will, and does save us. We trust with the past knowledge that our Savior will come and be there when we need our Savior most. God can be trusted.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, teach me to wait in patience and faith, trusting in Your faithfulness to save me and all creation from their distresses.
There are times when there don’t seem to be any answers to life’s challenges. It’s not unusual at those tim… Read More
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and my enemy will say, "I have prevailed";
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
There are times when there don’t seem to be any answers to life’s challenges. It’s not unusual at those times that we turn to God. When the world is closing in on us and there doesn’t seem to be an escape route, we look to God to come to the rescue. And usually what we’re looking for is a “right now” God. We want that God that sees our distress and comes to us before we get stressed out. In fact, we sometimes believe that if we’re in distress, then God has waited too long. Our prayers become prayers of anxiety and we enter into panic mode, believing that God must be ignoring us, or at the very least, avoiding us. It’s usually when the darkness is dropping around us like a canopy that we experience the morbid fear of death. And yet, in the midst of that darkness we are challenged to see God’s light and remember God’s trustworthiness — to remember those earlier times in our lives when God’s goodness prevailed in our lives just when we thought it was all over. It’s those times when we remember that our God may not come when we want, but God can be trusted and we can be sure and our peace can be certain.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, there are times of distress when life seems to be threatening and I fear You are not with me. Comfort me with reminders of Your faithfulness and mercy that I may fully trust in You.
There is much more to life than simply disclaiming the principles that Christ teaches us. Bob Dylan once wr… Read More
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
There is much more to life than simply disclaiming the principles that Christ teaches us. Bob Dylan once wrote a song that said, “You’re going to have to serve somebody. It might be the devil; it might be the Lord, but you’re going to have to serve somebody.” Even if we choose to believe and follow someone besides Christ (God with us) whose principles advocate ,align with and even embody the same principles of God, what difference does it make if we don’t follow them? We will either be convinced and life by faith taking care of the poor, or be unconvinced and be convicted by our indifference to the poor.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, direct me in the way of truth that convinces me of my responsibility to minister to those who are poor at my doorstep.
In some ways, our culture believes in an old adage “Give a person a fish and they can eat for a day. Teach… Read More
30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
In some ways, our culture believes in an old adage “Give a person a fish and they can eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime.” Seldom do we first ask if those persons we want so badly to fish for themselves are strong enough to hold a fishing pole. Christ invites us to look at the immediate condition of a person and not look upon them as we wish them to be. It might be to our advantage to first feed a person a fish so that they have the strength and energy to go fishing themselves.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, fill my heart with Your Spirit, and my mind with Your attitude, and my actions with Your compassion that I may be convinced that the “Golden Rule” is a Godly rule.
There are many philosophies and ideologies that people aspire to, even if they’ve chosen to reject Christ. … Read More
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
There are many philosophies and ideologies that people aspire to, even if they’ve chosen to reject Christ. Sometimes it’s because it’s just easier to avoid the criticism that comes from being labeled a Christian. And so it is that some people claim Buddha, Confucius, and many other people besides Christ. And yet it has become clear. What’s important, beyond acknowledging God’s gift in Jesus Christ is for all people to live in love and charity caring for the poor. God’s message of kindness has not been reserved for one group over another. Perhaps there is a common thread of God’s truth present in each understanding that should convince us all to care for the poor.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, enable me to be convinced of a global need to care for the poor, but especially those poor who wait for the crumbs from my table.
There are so many crumbs that fall from our tables. There are even scraps of food that we throw away and wa… Read More
24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
There are so many crumbs that fall from our tables. There are even scraps of food that we throw away and waste and let spoil. I wonder if we ever consider our waste when it comes time to offer something for the poor. A business week magazine article estimated that the average household throws away 20 pounds of food each week and American restaurants throw away 6000 tons of food a year. Those scraps that fall from our tables could feed a lot of poor people — if we would just see them.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to be convinced that the poor who are on my doorstep just outside the gate are worthy of the scraps that fall from my table.
5 Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
It’s not often that we see ourselves as wealthy — as people who live in luxury and pleasure. And yet, those of us who live in the USA have one of the highest standards of living in the world. Now, in that, perhaps there’s nothing to be ashamed about. The question is not only “Did we profit from dishonest gain, but what we have done with that which we have accumulated?” There is a tendency to disregard those who have been victimized by our desire to get rich. God does not approve of that kind of behavior. And it could well be the fuel that ignites workers who go on strike for a fairer distribution of wealth.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Creator, empower me to become more sensitive to the needs of those at my doorstep. Help me to be convinced of my responsibility to help.
In some ways, we are all invited to see those who are poor as victims of a system of injustice. There are t… Read More
12 For I have noted how many are your crimes,
And how countless your sins —
You enemies of the righteous, you takers of bribes, you who subvert in the gate the cause of the needy!
13 Assuredly, at such a time the prudent man keeps silent, for it is an evil time. 14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live, and that the LORD, the God of Hosts, may truly be with you, as you think. 15 Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate;
In some ways, we are all invited to see those who are poor as victims of a system of injustice. There are times when our political affiliations and loyalties invite us to see poverty and those who are poor as disinterested and lazy, slothful, and unambitious. Sometimes they’re viewed as manipulators and con artists, out to get something for nothing. And yet, God, who sees in a much more comprehensive way, understands that the poverty doesn’t just happen. God has provided enough for everyone to have if we share. There is a system of greed and indifference to the poor that gets in the way of our sharing that promotes injustice, rather than inhibits justice.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to clearly see my participation in systems of injustice that create poverty. Help me to become an advocate of Your justice.
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church offer us this understanding about the poor of our world, but… Read More
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church offer us this understanding about the poor of our world, but specifically our immediate community:
Because we recognize that the long-term reduction of poverty must move beyond services to and employment for the poor, which can be taken away, we emphasize measures that build and maintain the wealth of poor people, including asset-building strategies such as individual development savings accounts, micro-enterprise development programs, programs enabling home ownership, and financial management training and counseling. We call upon churches to develop these and other ministries that promote asset-building among the poor. We are especially mindful of the Global South, where investment and micro-enterprise are especially needed. We urge support for policies that will encourage equitable economic growth in the Global South and around the world, providing a just opportunity for all.
And of course, this complies with God’s expectation that we feed the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison. But it’s also an invitation to seek justice as we are doing those things to diminish and eliminate poverty in our world. That is, unless we remain unconvinced that meeting the needs of the poor are unimportant.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and gracious God, open my heart that I may be convinced that the poor on my doorstep are persons who need a hand up as well as a hand-out, Empower me to see them in their poverty without judging them because of their poverty.
The death of old habits and ways do not always come quickly, especially when we’re talking about being transforme… Read More
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
The death of old habits and ways do not always come quickly, especially when we’re talking about being transformed into a new creation. The hardest part of the transition is avoiding the reversion factor where we, from time to time, go back to old ways and habits of doing things. But, once we’ve made a conscientious decision to never return to who we were and figured out that who we were then is not who we are now, the transition becomes a lot easier. One of the ways of managing that is to firmly fix in our minds, soul, heart, and Spirit, that Christ is in each of us who believe. That enables us to strip off the old self and all that we have been accustomed to doing. It’s not easy, but it is the process that reminds us that Christ has transformed us from the inside out.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy Christ, make me mindful of Your presence within me. Help me to avoid the lifestyle of my past that prevented me from being identified with You.
The idea that we are a part of a community is a welcoming thought. That we are connected to one another giv… Read More
1 Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride.
The idea that we are a part of a community is a welcoming thought. That we are connected to one another gives us a sense of belonging and community. But belonging to the group really means that we are compelled to live our lives in an independent, yet interdependent reality. What we do, we do for the benefit of the whole. What we do benefits us independently as well. Our source of pride will always be what Christ has done in us and through us. But our pride also comes from our knowledge that what we’ve done we’ve done for Christ that he might be glorified by what we do.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, enable me to live knowing that because of You I am who I am, and what I do is done because of who You are in me.
In some ways, our culture believes in an old adage “Give a person a fish and they can eat for a day. Teach… Read More
30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
In some ways, our culture believes in an old adage “Give a person a fish and they can eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime.” Seldom do we first ask if those persons we want so badly to fish for themselves are strong enough to hold a fishing pole. Christ invites us to look at the immediate condition of a person and not look upon them as we wish them to be. It might be to our advantage to first feed a person a fish so that they have the strength and energy to go fishing themselves.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, fill my heart with Your Spirit, and my mind with Your attitude, and my actions with Your compassion that I may be convinced that the “Golden Rule” is a Godly rule.
I have to admit that when I look at myself in the mirror, I’m more likely to see my flaws and what’s changing in… Read More
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
I have to admit that when I look at myself in the mirror, I’m more likely to see my flaws and what’s changing in this body of mine from day to day. Changes in hair, skin, and other things noticeable, that which I love and despise are right before me. It’s not often that I look in the mirror and say to myself, “Staring back at you is the very temple of God.” That’s a lot to remember and live up to from day to day. And yet, if I am to believe God and what’s been accomplished in Jesus Christ, that is exactly who I am. To remember it and internalize it gives me a foundation on which I am being built. I am becoming a part of the very structure against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and loving God, empower me to awaken to the reality that this human shell is more than that. It is the very temple where You dwell each day.
One of the songs we sing as children is “Jesus Loves Me.” The song is simple, but it misses a very salient… Read More
2 When you pass through the water, I will be with you; through streams, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be scorched; through flame, it shall not burn you. 3 For I the Lord am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom for you, Ethiopia and Saba in exchange for you.
One of the songs we sing as children is “Jesus Loves Me.” The song is simple, but it misses a very salient point regarding who we are as God’s people. While it teaches us as children that we are weak in comparison to God, and God is strong, it doesn’t lift up the promise that God is with us — inside of us — to be our strength and give us strength. What the song does not do is help us to understand that our powerful and almighty God has taken up residence within us and gives us our identity, telling us who we really are in this world.
Today’s Prayer —
Amazing God, enable me to see Your strength and power present in me and with me each day, giving shape, power, and definition to who I am in You.
Our character is shaped at times by a very grueling process. Many of us would like to think that we simply… Read More
6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith — being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Our character is shaped at times by a very grueling process. Many of us would like to think that we simply develop into who we are. But that is not the case. Our character is forged by the various trials and circumstances that affect our life. A wise person once said, “A tree is made stronger by contrary winds.” Another person, motivational speaker, Les Brown, has attributed his success to those days when challenges came. He called them “character building days.” If that’s so, then trials we face as people of God only serve to forge our Christian character and define who we are becoming as persons born anew in Christ Jesus. He will be praised as our strength in him is molded because of our trials.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and gracious Christ, enable the trials that I face each day to forge me into the holy temple You’ve created me to become.
begins to support and give substance to who we are becoming. Any changes in who we are should then be attributable to Christ, our foundation…. Read More
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ. 20 Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else's foundation,
begins to support and give substance to who we are becoming. Any changes in who we are should then be attributable to Christ, our foundation. Jesus, then, is the one on whom our identity as people is defined. He is responsible for who we are becoming unless we highjack our own development and build upon his foundation with works that have nothing to do with Christ. Just as we were once new in Christ, we now have an opportunity, not to build upon the work of ourselves or another, but to build upon the foundation upon which our work in Christ will rest.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, help me — by the power of your Spirit alive in me — to remember my new life in You which identifies me to others as Your child, and allows my good works to stand.
Much of what we do in life is determined by how we identify ourselves. It’s not a one day, one time process… Read More
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — 13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Much of what we do in life is determined by how we identify ourselves. It’s not a one day, one time process, though. It’s a process of learning who we are, and then acting out of that place of identity. Sometimes the process can be disturbed if we have claimed ourselves as one person, but then suffer from memory confusion and forget who we really are. If we live our lives in a way that who we believe ourselves to be internally can give credence to what we do on a daily basis, then the process of identification remains fairly simple. But, if by our words, and actions, people are left in a quandary about the person we say we are as opposed to the person they might have just met, then they are left with nothing more than an image of confusion. It really comes down to us being able to integrate what we do and how we live with who we really are. Those of us who are people of faith are faced with the responsibility of remembering and connecting who we are on a spiritual level with how we act on a physical level. If there is a connection between the two, then our actions will speak louder than any words we can say.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and Loving God, grant that as I seek each day to live a life to honor You, I may always remember who I really am. Bless me to know that Christ is my foundation and that I am made Your holy temple by the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit.
We tend to look for the most complex way to solve life’s problems. Perhaps that’s our human nature — to fin… Read More
20 When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Stand up and walk'? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he said to the one who was paralyzed — "I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home." 25 Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God.
We tend to look for the most complex way to solve life’s problems. Perhaps that’s our human nature — to find the most difficult way into and out of something. God has provided us with a profound, yet simple solution to the problems we encounter while living in relationships with God and each other. The burden we carry is trying to find a way other than the which has been provided by Christ. Perhaps the weight of trying to please God by some other way outside of a simple act of forgiveness is what makes God’s acceptance of us far more difficult than It has to be. If we are, in fact, trying to find the easiest way of acceptance, perhaps it comes from yoking ourselves together with Christ through faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me to grow deeper into my relationship with You so that I may learn to accept the yoke of Your grace as the easier way of a relationship with You.
Life as we know and live it is not easy. If we’re honest about our relationship with God, then we live with… Read More
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Life as we know and live it is not easy. If we’re honest about our relationship with God, then we live with God’s commandments as responsibilities that yoke us together in that relationship. That typically means that we are yoked together in ways that obligate us to go in the same direction that the strongest part of the team (Christ) is leading. However, it’s not unusual, being yoked together, to sometimes drift off course. The beauty of being yoked together with Christ is knowing that whether we drift into the high weeds of life, away from the quenching streams of water, or we’re on the path chosen by the leader, that Christ will always be with us. That makes life and living and putting on the yoke of Christ much easier when we know that no matter how difficult the journey, we will never be alone.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful Christ, empower me to be comforted by the benefits of Your faithfulness that come when I take Your yoke upon me knowing that You will always be with me.
Psychologists have suggested that it takes 21 days of consecutive practice to change a person’s behavior pattern…. Read More
21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Psychologists have suggested that it takes 21 days of consecutive practice to change a person’s behavior pattern. That may be true when moving a wastebasket from one side of the room to another, but I’m not certain that is the case when asking people to change from who they are into who they wish to become. Our human condition seems to add a layer of complexity to the issue of transformation as we seek to move from the physical attractions of life to the spiritual way of living. What we do and who we are requires something different and more than 21 days. Yet, we find ourselves knowing what God requires almost immediately, but unable to achieve the standard God has set for us. Jesus has offered and taught us the truth about forgiveness and grace as a highly radical way of finding acceptance with God, while at the same time providing grace as the much easier way. Grace is the element that fills the distance between where we are and where God wants us to be. It is the yoke of God’s grace offered in Jesus Christ that makes a relationship with God easy.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, help me to accept the easy yoke of Your grace as I become transformed from the person I was into the person you have called me to be.
There will always be perennial questions about how we might come to know God or be in an authentic relationship j… Read More
25 Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? 27 Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from." 28 Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. 29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
There will always be perennial questions about how we might come to know God or be in an authentic relationship journeying together doing God’s work. The obvious answer is we know God as we live in relationship with Him. Since we can’t know another person’s experience with God, we have great difficulty knowing who is right. But there is a common denominator. Others can know us by our relationship with God. Others can know the degree to which we are in that relationship by what we say and do to honor the relationship. It is in essence what we practice out of our relationship with God that gives evidence of a faithful relationship with God. It also speaks to how simple it is to accept God’s way into the relationship.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower Your grace offered to me in Jesus Christ and my acceptance of that grace as evidence of my life lived in a relationship yoked together with You.
It is impossible to know God without being in an authentic relationship with God. And there is a difference… Read More
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It is impossible to know God without being in an authentic relationship with God. And there is a difference between “knowing of God” and “knowing God.” It is possible to know of God without being in relationship with Him in the same way that it’s possible for us to know of someone famous without ever having met them or having been in a true relationship with them. And of course, how a person’s life is involved with the presence and connection (or yoked) to the other individual would be one way of determining the validity of that relationship. Perhaps the clearest evidence would be a life that reflected the grace of God experienced from living within that relationship. In that way simply going through the motions and living life independently of the other absent a true relationship is not being yoked.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, continue to allow Your grace present in my life to be and my willingness to walk with Christ to be evidence that we are yoked together for eternity.
It is probably a part of human nature to want to do things for ourselves. God knows we’ve tried. We h… Read More
25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Consider your own call brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
It is probably a part of human nature to want to do things for ourselves. God knows we’ve tried. We have left no stone unturned in our efforts to devise ways to earn God’s acceptance. All of our ways have been woefully inadequate. It’s been inadequate because we are not all equally strong emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually. It is because God is wiser than we are. And it’s out of that wisdom that God has developed a way to level the human playing field of life, creating an easier way to have and maintain a meaningful partnership and relationship with Him. As foolish as it seems, it’s as easy as accepting God’s gift of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It’s much easier to accept God’s grace in Jesus Christ than to continue struggling through the daily challenges of trying not to miss opportunities to love others. Doing it God’s way by faith is a much wiser and easier way into God’s grace than trying to devise our own plan of acceptance.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, grant that I may continually trust in the wisdom of Your gift of grace in Jesus Christ as the easy yoke of partnership int my relationship with You.
We somehow forget that our relationship with Christ is one in which we are yoked together. Perhaps it is be… Read More
25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
We somehow forget that our relationship with Christ is one in which we are yoked together. Perhaps it is because the idea of a yoke, or of being yoked, is foreign to us. We don’t often see teams of animals tied together at the neck unable to go any direction independent of each other. But here we are joining together to work with Christ with the yoke of forgiveness and grace, understanding and unconditional love around our necks. And this grace has freed us from having to pull the heavy wait of the law in order to “earn” our righteousness before God. Christ’s yoke is there to lead us and guide us through life. Other yokes can be particularly problematic and difficult for us to live with. For instance, living a life of always trying to be right is an awfully heavy burden to bear. It doesn’t leave room for growth or relationship, because for every law we manage to lift, there is another heavier, more difficult law yet to shoulder. In fact, the laws seem to always leave us in the position of comparing ourselves to others to determine how we fare in winning God’s favor. But grace frees us to live into a growing relationship with the one who has lifted the burden for us. When someone else is lifting your burden, the load can be remarkably light.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, help me to know and understand your grace as the easy yoke that is able to lighten the load of my life and strengthen my relationship with You.
When a miracle occurs in the bible, we tend to point to the powers of the supernatural as the source of our heali… Read More
25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.
When a miracle occurs in the bible, we tend to point to the powers of the supernatural as the source of our healing. We point to powers that seem to come from other-worldly places that have somehow creeped into and become active in our world and situation. That was certainly true in Jesus’ day and holds true in our day as well. We sometimes fail to acknowledge what is at the heart of our healing when healing occurs in our body. We overlook the fact that if the medical profession caught our disease and brought us through to our healing, that it was (in fact) our faith that gave them the “go-ahead” to do proceed. We sometimes forget that prayers were sent up because people believed in faith that if they prayed, God would answer their prayers. We’re not always willing to acknowledge the miracle that is able to be performed because of a simple act of faith. And yes, it is God who deserves the credit for our healing whenever it occurs. But what starts the ball rolling is a simple act of faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, teach me to trust in a simple act of faith as the beginning of all my blessings. Help me to know that through my faith You will provide and supply all I need to be healed.
It’s amazing how our self-image and need to be recognized by God for what we do can interfere with a healthy rela… Read More
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
It’s amazing how our self-image and need to be recognized by God for what we do can interfere with a healthy relationship with God and others. The fact that we are willing to exalt ourselves above others says something about our own blindness to those places where we fail. It allows the seed of entitlement to creep in and grow undetected and unattended. It’s when we feel that someone (either God or other people) owes us that the attitude of entitlement becomes pervasive. We lose sight of the truth of our situation — that all that we are and all that we have comes as a blessing from God.
Humility on the other hand enables us to acknowledge those places in our life where we fall short of perfection. It as much announces to God that we need grace and mercy to be made whole. It remains eternally true that a simple act of faith opens the door to the healing of our mind and spirit and humility is the key.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, teach me in all things to learn humility as a spiritual character trait, that your blessings of grace and mercy may come to me through a simple act of faith.
I can remember being in school, and one of the most significant programs of the entire school was “Awards Day”…. Read More
10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage.
I can remember being in school, and one of the most significant programs of the entire school was “Awards Day”. That was the day students were acknowledged for almost everything. “Perfect Attendance”, “Honor Roll”, “Musical Performance” and many other awards were given to students as they had earned them in the eyes of the school administration.
Being good or working for the approval of others is a human trait that — in some ways — is unavoidable. We like being honored or rewarded for doing a good thing or for having performed a job well done. That can be noted by all of the awards shows and programs produced each year. What is unacceptable is our pride and belief that somehow God should defer to us when we are seeking a blessing for our disease. Our blessings come when we defer to God, humble ourselves in obedience, so that through our simple act of faith — believing that God is able — God will open the door for our healing to come.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, help me in all things to put aside my pride such that the simple act of faith, trusting in you to provide, will open the door to the healing of my diseases.
In some ways, many of us are born blind. We are blind to the beauty around us; blind to the evil around us;… Read More
1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.
In some ways, many of us are born blind. We are blind to the beauty around us; blind to the evil around us; blind to the love that surrounds us; we’re born blind to many things that spark our curiosity about our world and ourselves. We are also born with the desire and need to see. Most of us come by our vision through experience. We try things that either work or don’t work and learn from those experiences. There are other times when we employ a simple act of faith and simply take another person’s word to experience the outcome we desire.
I imagine the man born blind could have determined that going to the pool at Siloam might have been a lost cause. But he took a simple act of faith and followed Jesus’ instructions. God invites us to perform a simple act of faith and trust that his remedy for healing our sins (washing the mud from our spiritual eyes in the pool called Jesus) is sufficient for our healing.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and loving God, grant that I may always depend on the simple act of faith that trusting in Jesus’ blood will open my eyes to the truth that only through faith in him can I be healed.
The human family is famous for our creativity — our ability to create ways to solve problems of a complex nature…. Read More
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The human family is famous for our creativity — our ability to create ways to solve problems of a complex nature. Sometimes, even our simplest solutions, don’t end with the results we are looking for. We make a laundry list of things that we believe will make us acceptable enough to receive the approval of God and others. And in some ways, our pride and faith in ourselves that our solution is the right solution leaves us unclean from the failures of our own design. This is especially true about our relationship with God. What’s needed is something that will purge our sins from us forever. A simple act of faith — washing the robes of our lives in the blood of the Lamb will cleanse and heal us making us acceptable, and presentable before our God.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, help me to put aside all of my creative ideas to cleanse myself of my sins. Empower me to take a simple act of faith and wash in the blood of Jesus to be healed and clean in your sight.
Our disease — that thing which keeps us walking around in darkness and is the leprosy that affects our souls — is… Read More
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Our disease — that thing which keeps us walking around in darkness and is the leprosy that affects our souls — is the sin which clings to us closer than our skin. It is the very nature of our separation from the Creator and that which keeps us from being clean and walking in the light. And, if we’re honest it is an infectious disease that seems to affect everyone. We pass it on to others by doing nothing more than living with it, whether we do it covertly or overtly. The covert sins (or sins of omission) — are the things we don’t do or fail to do, and we justify them because we say we are blind to them. The sins of commission are those things we do openly and claim that “we can’t help ourselves. We’re only human”. We therefore continually live with the truth that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Not everyone has a desire to be healed and made clean. For some, their pride of believing they have a better way to be healed stands between them and wholeness. And yet, for everyone, a simple act of faith can cleanse us from our disease. It takes nothing more than dumping our pride and adopting the faith-act of trusting in the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all sin.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, I thank you that you have provided a remedy for my healing and wholeness by the simple act of faith of trusting in the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from all my sin.
We live in a world where accomplished people are everywhere. And yet, the nature of our accomplishments doe… Read More
1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”
He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”
8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
We live in a world where accomplished people are everywhere. And yet, the nature of our accomplishments does not insulate us from a common disease that seems to affect us all. For Naaman, it appeared that his disease was leprosy, but at its heart, what Naaman’s disease was pride. We all suffer from the disease of pride that at some level prevents us from becoming healed and whole persons.
Pride in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be borne from our satisfaction of knowing that we’ve done something exceptionally well. But pride that is borne of arrogance and self-indulgence — believing somehow that because of our accomplishments we always know what’s best for us and should be shown deference when the healing for our disease is at stake can be a recipe for disaster. Feeling that we deserve more or better can be a hindrance to our blessing.
Sometimes our healing can come from a simple act of faith — the willingness to put aside our pride and allow that God has provided an unconventional remedy to heal our disease. For Naaman, it was washing in the Jordan seven times, that he might be healed of his diseases. For us, God has suggested the unconventional method of washing ourselves once in the blood of Jesus, that we might be cleansed from the leprosy of a separated relationship from God. It would be a tragedy for anyone to allow their pride to prevent the healing of their diseased relationship with God when all that’s necessary is a simple act of faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, grant that I may humble myself, put away my pride, and allow a simple act of faith to become Your way to heal all my diseases.
Too often we try to make the work of Christ and the church too difficult. Perhaps we feel overwhelmed by th… Read More
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Too often we try to make the work of Christ and the church too difficult. Perhaps we feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. There are so many hungry, empty, hopeless, needy, impoverished, lonely, desperate, and sick people, that we sometimes forget that the only commandment we are bound to obey is to love one another as he has loved us. Love is everything. If faithful followership is anything, it is inviting and encouraging people to join us in partnership with Christ to practice and engage in this ministry of loving one another as he has loved us. This is the essence of Jesus’ ministry among us and the foundation of faithful followership to us.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, enable me to conscientiously practice Your commandment to love others so that my life of loving others gives evidence that I am a faithful follower of You.
The question of who is in charge is often asked by those seeking to know from whom they should get their instruct… Read More
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
'The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool."'
36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."
The question of who is in charge is often asked by those seeking to know from whom they should get their instructions, or who’s really in charge. The element of human leadership is always in question as people can frequently choose to follow or not to follow human authority. But if Christ has been given all authority by God, then there is no one higher up in the chain of command since the Father and Son are of the same mind. Regardless of who our human leader might be, our instructions and work assignments come from God through Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, enable me to put aside my questions of human authority so that I may faithfully live answering your command on my life.
Jesus’ words to us have always resonated with the belief that our work is done out of faithfulness to God. … Read More
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ words to us have always resonated with the belief that our work is done out of faithfulness to God. Questions about why we do the things we do are really non-issues. We’re supposed to do the things we do because Christ did the things he did out of faithfulness to God. Therefore, our work is not isolated from who God is or who Christ is, or who we are in relationship to Christ. We are sent into the world by Christ to do what God would have us do (love others unconditionally) in the same way that Christ was sent. Our obedience in doing what Christ has called us to do gives evidence of our faithful followership.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, empower me to be faithful to Your mission for my life so that I may go into the world, sent in the same way that Christ was sent to accomplish Your divine purpose?
It would seem that all things in the eyes of God find their center in love. There is God’s love for us…. Read More
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath.
It would seem that all things in the eyes of God find their center in love. There is God’s love for us. There is God’s love for the Son. And there is a sacred trust between the Father and the Son such that God is willing to put all authority in the hands of the Son. But there is this obedience issue which we can’t get away from. Obedience to God is not an option. Yes, there is freedom to err and grace enough for those times when our good intentions lead to disastrous results, even if our heart is in the right place. And yet it is our obedience to believe in the Son — God’s gracious act of sacrificial love for us — and our willingness to love others as he has loved us that signals the strength of our faithful followership. His command to lead others into this relationship of God-love, teaching, and baptizing them to become faithful followers is evidence of the real power of love.
As you enter into your midweek reflection, consider what it means to be obedient to Christ’s command to make disciples and how your life can be a teaching moment.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to live obediently by faith so that others may experience Your love through me as an expression of Your love for them.
Worshiping anyone other than God was typically reserved for political leaders and emperors. But that has al… Read More
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Worshiping anyone other than God was typically reserved for political leaders and emperors. But that has all changed for those who believe. Worship of Jesus is a sign of his union and communion with God. It’s offered out of reverence and respect for who he is and what he’s done. It has now become acceptable — even expected — that those who honor God will honor the Son, and those who worship God will worship the Son .
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, accept my worship of You as an indication of my belief and faith that You are the Son of God, risen and ascended.
Faithfulness can be a scary thing. First, one must have belief in what they are being faithful to. An… Read More
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Faithfulness can be a scary thing. First, one must have belief in what they are being faithful to. And then there is the issue of obedience. Once we have accepted the truth of our faith, there is the expectation that we will carry out the duties that have been given to us. If we fail in our faithfulness, then our mission fails. And yet, God continues to operate trusting that we will be faithful followers able to carry out the responsibilities of our faith. Jesus said to them, “Go,” and they went in faith to practice the art of faithful followership. In all of this time, neither the requirements nor Christ’s call upon us to go has changed.
Today’s Prayer —
Faithful God, as I go into the world in faith, increase my faithful followership through Your trust in me to carry out Your mission for Your church.
Those who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ are a unique group of people (me included). We do phenomena… Read More
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Those who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ are a unique group of people (me included). We do phenomenal work in the name of Christ, and it’s noble work that needs to be done, and is worthy of celebrating. Feeding the hungry, tending to the sick, nurturing those who are in need — these are all important works for those of us who follow Christ’s teachings. But those works represent only one part of being a faithful follower of Christ. It is in fact, the easiest part. It is important to note that those things we do are secondary imperatives, not our primary objective of a faithful follower. While we each have a role to fulfill, being a faithful follower of Christ commands us as an action group to work intentionally in God’s world to accomplish God’s purpose for humanity. And the words which call us to action are simple words — go, make, baptize, teach, and obey. The growth of the Christian community is solely dependent upon faithful followership to the original commands of Christ. We balk at the “go and the making of disciples part” believing that this is the work of specialists. But our “faithful followership” of Christ is for all who accept the authority of Christ. And to accept the authority of Christ is to act in Christ’s gives evidence of the reality of God’s love and grace as a global experience that Christ is always with us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, inspire me to become a faithful follower of Christ, intentionally teaching others as a living example of Christ’s love that to love one another is Your great mission for all humanity.
Our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is often in question by those who don’t believe as we believe. … Read More
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is often in question by those who don’t believe as we believe. They wonder how we can be so “sure” that Christ is the one. There are words to an old song that say, “Something within me, that holdeth the reins; something within me that banishes pain; something within me I cannot explain; all that I know is there is something within.” That something or rather someone, is the presence of the Holy spirit confirming what we believe to be true. It’s that same spirit that, through our faith, allows us to live satisfied with our relationship to the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, thank You for confirming within me, that which I cannot explain but yet, speaks to me in ways that let me know Your truth.
The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. That is God’s promise fulfilled. And it is that Spir… Read More
27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. That is God’s promise fulfilled. And it is that Spirit that instructs us about life and living and convicts us when we have strayed from the paths of God’s righteousness. There is, of course, always the challenge of either listening to the instruction of the Holy Spirit or following the dictates of our own will and mind, do what we want to do. Living in the Spirit is to be led by the Spirit. To be led by the Spirit is to trust in the Spirit. It is in that dwelling place that we receive confidence and satisfaction that our faith is secure.
Today’s Prayer —
Teach me, gracious Christ, to dwell securely in your Holy Spirit as Your Spirit dwells within me. Help me to discern with confidence Your true and perfect will that I may have a satisfied faith.
I was once intrigued by a television program that was being aired in Spanish. I listened for some time befo… Read More
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
I was once intrigued by a television program that was being aired in Spanish. I listened for some time before I lost interest. The reason — I don’t speak or understand Spanish beyond those limited common phrases spoken on television. It seemed foolish to me to continue watching what I couldn’t understand. In the same way, conversations about spiritual matters must seem foolish to those who aren’t able to communicate with God or Christ on a spiritual level because they haven’t received the Holy Spirit of God. It is God who (through the gift of the Holy Spirit) opens the door of spiritual understanding. And if we don’t have understanding, how can we ever be satisfied by our faith. Believing we understand when we don’t is delusional. But having a clear understanding can bring a profound sense of satisfaction.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, continue open me to an understanding of spiritual things by the gift of Your Holy Spirit alive in me that I may always be satisfied by my faith.
We are often oblivious to the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Because of that, I’m not cer… Read More
10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
We are often oblivious to the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Because of that, I’m not certain that we consider how the life of the Spirit impacts our lives if we aren’t in decision-making mode. There are, however, promises from God that are provided to us to satisfy our questions about life, death, and what happens to us following death. The promises of God are designed to remove our anxieties and uncertainties as we experience our relationship to Christ because of the Holy Spirit. It is only by faith that we can trust in God’s word and grow in our relationship of trust and satisfaction with God through the Holy Spirit. And it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we become satisfied.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, empower my faith (the awareness of Your Holy Spirit alive within me) to grow in trusting your word enough to find satisfaction in my faith.
God’s people have longed to hear God’s voice above the clamor of the world. And while we have not always wa… Read More
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
God’s people have longed to hear God’s voice above the clamor of the world. And while we have not always wanted to hear what God has had to say, God has spoken. But we also express a curiosity about seeing God and knowing what God is like. God answered our dissatisfaction with our relationship by sending Jesus Christ to reflect the glory of God by his merciful and loving nature. It is God’s nature to always show mercy, and always to seek being in relationship with us, God’s creation. The gift of the Holy Spirit to all flesh is God’s confirmation that we’ve been sanctified through forgiveness. But more; it has also been given to us to satisfy our relationship to God through faith. There is no power that can undo what Christ has done, and no satisfaction greater than that which comes through faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God and Christ, thank You for enabling me to experience Your glory through the gift of Your Holy Spirit and forgiveness revealed in Jesus Christ, the word.
Our desire to fully know God dates from antiquity. It’s borne of our desire to experience the fullness of G… Read More
18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 21 And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
Our desire to fully know God dates from antiquity. It’s borne of our desire to experience the fullness of God in all of God’s glory. But we err in believing that those of us who are mortal are able to see beyond what is physical and view the spiritual reality of God. To that extent, God the Spirit, remains a mystery. Moses’ desire to see the immortal, invisible, wise only God, led him to the place of dissatisfaction in his life about him and his relationship to God. But the revelation of God can now be fully seen and experienced in Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit has allowed those of us who have not actually seen Christ to have confirmation of God’s reality in Christ and in us. And because of our relationship to Jesus Christ, we can now be satisfied by our faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, strengthen my faith that I may be satisfied by the power of Your Holy Spirit alive in me. Bless me that I may see Your presence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of my life and find satisfaction from my faith alone.
One of the strongest needs of the human family is the need to be in relationship. Relationship is the purpo… Read More
15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
One of the strongest needs of the human family is the need to be in relationship. Relationship is the purpose of our creation — that we would be in relationship with each other and with God. Yet it is and was difficult for people to believe in that which was invisible. Jesus’ presence (in some ways) spoiled the soup. He came to be the physical presence of God with us, thus satisfying our greatest need, that of a relationship with God.
Perhaps our greatest fear is losing that intimacy that comes with being in relationship with God. Those who lived in close relationship with Jesus quickly became attached to the love of God. When it was time or Jesus to leave, like any of us who have experienced what seems like the dissolution of a relationship, the disciples began to grieve. Jesus (God with us) was sensitive to that feeling of separation and loss and the dissatisfaction that accompanies the severing of emotional and spiritual ties. To solve this dilemma, God chose to send an Advocate, the Spirit of Truth to remain with us and remind us that God is always with us. Knowing that God is always with us can be deeply satisfying. We can know God by the presence of God’s Spirit, “poured out on all flesh” for the express purpose of uniting and sealing God’s relationship with humanity. Pentecost represents God’s the active sharing of God’s spirit making it available to all humanity so that our desire to know God is fully met and our need to experience God’s can be satisfied.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to live with the assurance of faith that satisfies all questions about Your reality and truth and confirms Your gift of Your Holy Spirit alive in me.
A lot of emphasis placed on the importance of being in unity with others. Solidarity is a valued and honore… Read More
20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — 23 I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity.
A lot of emphasis placed on the importance of being in unity with others. Solidarity is a valued and honored tradition among those who believe they are working collectively to right a wrong, to bring justice to an unjust system, whether political or religious. Tragically, the comment is made, “God is on our side.” It’s said with the belief that God is standing with us in whatever position we take. And, yet being in unity with God begs another question: “Are we on God’s side?” When unity with God is in question or doubt, that is the question that requires a more profound answer. If we seek to make God a partner with us, rather than seeking to be in unity with God, there may be a faith collision ensuing that can place spiritual anxieties on high alert. In Jesus, we have the assurance that his plan is God’s plan, and both he and God agree. If we are in unity with God and Christ, then we seek to be on God’s side, rather than seek God to join in on our agenda.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, thank You for providing the assurance in Christ that no matter what happens, my salvation and eternal safety are not in jeopardy.
We experience joy in our relationship with the Lord when our cries of distress have been heard. Out of God’… Read More
6 Blessed be the LORD,
for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
We experience joy in our relationship with the Lord when our cries of distress have been heard. Out of God’s discernment of our cries and God’s hearing, we can be assured of God’s actions. And though they may not always be certain about what we can expect from God, God is consistent. God is consistently our strength in weakness and our protection when we are vulnerable. When we look back in perspective, we may well come to understand that we have been spared more times that we give God credit for. It has often been said of those times when we know that God has saved and protected us, “He may not come when you want him, but he’s always right on time!”
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, You and You alone are my protection from the world’s hostility. Continue to hear me when I cry out to You that I may rejoice in Your salvation.
In the broad landscape of things in life, from the greatest to the smallest, God is truly untouchable. Ther… Read More
6 Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and by him the rocks are broken in pieces.
7 The LORD is good,
a stronghold in a day of trouble;
he protects those who take refuge in him,
8 even in a rushing flood.
In the broad landscape of things in life, from the greatest to the smallest, God is truly untouchable. There is no recourse to be taken against God, for whom we may exhibit human emotions and feelings. It is ridiculous to even try. And yet, within that truth is a greater truth. Not everyone needs to fear any retributive action from God. God’s gift to us was Jesus Christ who came to provide a hedge of protection throughout eternity. His hands are God’s hands. If we are in his hands, nothing can take us out. We need not fear hostility even though the storms of life rage and danger floods in to overwhelm us. Jesus and God are there as one, and therein lies our safety.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty and powerful God, thank You for being my protector, offering safety and security from a hostile world that will last longer than eternity.
Safety and security are hallmarks of human need. We desire it from the cradle to the grave. Our desir… Read More
36 The LORD will vindicate his people
and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.
37 He will say: “Now where are their gods,
the rock they took refuge in,
38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you!
Let them give you shelter!
39 “See now that I myself am he!
There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life,
I have wounded and I will heal,
and no one can deliver out of my hand.
Safety and security are hallmarks of human need. We desire it from the cradle to the grave. Our desire for security and safety from perceived hostile forces has driven the sale of guns in this nation to unprecedented levels. That we continue to seek more and more guns to ensure our safety seems to only heighten the presence of our insecurity. However, it also appears that safety and security are things we can experience in our lives as something more than a desire without guns. We are typically at the mercy of those we encounter on life’s journey to protect us. That usually means we’re at the mercy of the stronger over the weaker.
But God offers us a safety that extends beyond the mere boundaries of our earthly life’s parameters and brings us to a place of safety so secure that not even the strongest can violate its boundaries. It is a security and safety that even extends beyond death and comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
God of strength and love, enable me to find security in my faith that your omnipotence is my safeguard against hostility from outside sources.
Sometimes safety is found, not in what you see, but in what you believe deeply in your heart. The outside c… Read More
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us — eternal life.
Sometimes safety is found, not in what you see, but in what you believe deeply in your heart. The outside circumstances of our life have the potential to change with whatever direction the winds blow. But there is something credible and powerful in knowing something without a doubt. And that “knowing” is grounded by the reality that you are certain about what you know. When you are confident about what you know and that knowing is secured by a promise from a higher source, there is a safety that is provided that can fill a believer’s heart with a peace that passes all understanding.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and generous Christ, fill me with the security found in your promise of eternal life. Enable me to experience that peace (in faith) that passes all understanding.
The full identity of Jesus is and has always been a matter of people’s questions and doubts. From the momen… Read More
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
The full identity of Jesus is and has always been a matter of people’s questions and doubts. From the moment his ministry began down through our own contemporary time and culture, Jesus remains a mystery to some, contested by others, and denied by still others. But there are also those who see Jesus and proclaim from a place deep within them that Jesus is the Son of God. Knowing and trusting Jesus as the Son of God gives people of faith a tremendous sense of safety and security, precisely because in Jesus, their term of service under sin is over and their iniquity is pardoned. The hostility that once existed between God and humanity is ended in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Precious God, may I dwell secure knowing that my faith in the one I call the Son of God provides safety through all eternity from the hostility of the world.
The world is sometimes a hostile place. Identify theft has increased our need to protect ourselves from tho… Read More
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The world is sometimes a hostile place. Identify theft has increased our need to protect ourselves from those who would misrepresent us by pretending to be us. Physical attacks by diseases from within threaten our lives in ways that leave us feeling vulnerable. The lingering effects of the latest pandemic witness to that truth. Questions about life and its origin, longevity and eternity are always topics of philosophical discussion. They too, at times, threaten our security about the past, the present, and our future in ways that are not necessarily hostile in terms of violence, but a threat to preconceived ideas of what we know or think we believe. And yet, there is a God who invites us to find safety in the eternal things where God is and place less assurance on those things which are transient. I once heard a comedian tell a joke in which he said: “Based on the history of the world, we’ll be dead a lot longer than we will have lived.” Perhaps that’s why Christ’s invites us to believe in things eternal, where our lives and presence with him are safe and can’t be taken away from him.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and merciful God, fill me with the assurance in the promise of Your eternal protection and safety through my faith in Jesus Christ in a world where hostility comes from without and within.
Forgiveness is a highly underrated source of power in our world. Some people think of forgiveness as an act… Read More
47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Forgiveness is a highly underrated source of power in our world. Some people think of forgiveness as an act of weakness — something that we do or offer submissively rather than a power we have that allows us to do greater things than Christ. Forgiveness — the ability to place ourselves and our neighbors in a right relationship with God is the greatest power on the face of the earth and anywhere else. It is the power of God at work in us and through us, giving us the power to rebuild relationships that centers us in Christ. Forgiveness allows us to tell the story of a resurrected Christ who forgave us and offers forgiveness to anyone willing to accept it.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and merciful God, empower me to practice to greatest act of all — to forgive others and tell the story of our resurrected Christ through the simple act of forgiveness.
The very essence of God is revealed in Jesus. While some people may doubt who he was, those of us who have… Read More
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
The very essence of God is revealed in Jesus. While some people may doubt who he was, those of us who have faith have been affirmed by God’s Holy Spirit that Jesus is and was God’s presence in the world. To know who Jesus is (that is, to be in a living relationship with him) is to have knowledge of who God is and what God is like. It’s impossible to experience the love of Christ and believe that he is somehow, different from God. Our faith provides us with proof beyond all doubt that Jesus and God are one. And yet, the greatest thing we can do is not to selfishly hold on to that information, but to share the entire story of Christ with others. That is truly one of the greatest things we can do in this life.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, continue to assure me that you did a great thing revealing yourself to in Jesus Christ. Empower me to do a great thing by sharing who You are and what you’ve done through him.
I believe it is the deepest desire of all people of faith to want to see the fullness of God. It seems for… Read More
17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
I believe it is the deepest desire of all people of faith to want to see the fullness of God. It seems for all practical purposes that it is impossible. Moses desired it but was unable to see God as God fully existed. He did however get to see all of God’s goodness, grace, and compassion. The blessing of Simeon was that he looked upon the face of the baby Jesus and knew that he had seen his Savior and his God. The greatness of God is displayed in his presence. We have been given that authority to be God’s greatness and presence in our time. Being God’s presence in the lives of people everywhere is perhaps the greatest thing we can ever do.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and loving God, enable and empower others to see You, and that You made me for greatness through loving acts of mercy that I do in Your name.
Doing the greatest thing in God and Christ comes as a conferred gift of prayer. It is an essential part of God’s… Read More
25 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Doing the greatest thing in God and Christ comes as a conferred gift of prayer. It is an essential part of God’s grace. We didn’t ask for it. If we are to be honest, there are some of us who may even have doubts about it. But the initial act of our doing the greatest thing began with knowing and believing the truth about who Jesus is. That knowledge alone is powerful enough to save lives in this world for the next. We should be humbled that Christ has chosen us to experience God’s presence in our lives as an expression of God’s truth in the world. It is not our greatness, but God’s greatness working through us that enables us to share that truth with others.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, enable others to know the truth about You — that knowing You through faith comes with the built-in benefit of being capable of doing the greatest thing.
Our efforts to do the greatest thing in the world doesn’t have to come at great expense of time and energy from u… Read More
19 We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Our efforts to do the greatest thing in the world doesn’t have to come at great expense of time and energy from us. Once we have acknowledged that we’ve received grace from God, the ability to do a great thing is happens through our understanding of God’s truth. Doing a great thing — sharing the story of God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy isn’t an act of arrogance. It’s an act of love. We come to know God as God has chosen to reveal the truth of Christ to us. But it is that truth of knowing who Christ is and sharing that message allows us to do a great thing with our lives. We are in him and he is in us. There is nothing greater than our ability to share that truth.
Today’s Prayer —
Eternal Christ, empower me by Your presence in me to faithfully represent Your truth so that others may know that they, too, can do the greatest thing.
There are those for whom access to God has been deemed impossible. For them, the very idea of approaching G… Read More
15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So, he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
There are those for whom access to God has been deemed impossible. For them, the very idea of approaching God sets behind the mental, emotional, and spiritual barriers of their own lack of faith. If they only knew Christ — who he was and what he did — they could approach God without fear or trepidation, graciously receiving the blessings that come gifted in a reconciled relationship to and with God. And with that reconciled relationship, they receive power to become children of God, and power to offer the truth about God to others — that they, too, are able to do the greatest thing — something greater than Christ has done.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, empower me to do the greatest thing — witnessing to others about Christ’s resurrection and God’s offer of forgiveness —to become the method by which others may be called to their greatness in you.
The desire to do great things is an aspiration of many people. There is also a common belief that in order… Read More
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
The desire to do great things is an aspiration of many people. There is also a common belief that in order to do something great, it has to be “off the charts”. Accomplishing a great thing is sought in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s for personal glory. Sometimes doing something great isn’t sought at all but achieved because of an unavoidable circumstance. But if we think in terms of doing things greater than Christ, we think of turning to the chapter in life’s book titled, “It’s Never Going to Happen.” Christ, however, has rewritten the book and edited that chapter out. He has announced to us and all who are willing to understand that doing something greater that he has done can still be achieved through faith and divine intervention. It is a part of the Christian’s DNA. The trouble for us comes in realizing and understanding what we could do that would equal to the things Christ has done, and then realize what we have the ability to do greater things than that. The greatest that we believe Christ did were the miracles — walking on water, giving sight to the blind, healing the lame — things that Christ did boldly in front of everyone. Yet his greatest accomplishment was to forgive people and tell them about the love of God. Our leverage is that we have the benefit of his resurrection as evidence of his greatness and generations to inform a much greater audience. The greatest thing we can do is to tell others the story of God’s redeeming love through Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, give us the courage to do this one great thing in Your name — proclaim Your resurrection to those in need of resurrection in their lives that they may come to know the saving power of Your forgiveness.
Life can be described in many ways. And as many ways as there are to describe it, there are probably ways i… Read More
37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. 40 These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Life can be described in many ways. And as many ways as there are to describe it, there are probably ways in which people try to attain it. Some surround themselves with money. Others choose objects such as books, recordings from old vinyl to newly streamed. But once we get past those tangible things that define life, we are left with the spiritual component which is the most important. That life — real life — comes by faith in Jesus Christ and following him was rejected by those in his day and some in ours. And yet, it is by faith that we are more likely to hear his voice calling our name and we are more inclined to follow him after having heard him clearly. And when we have heard his voice and followed him, our life in him will be saturated with his life and ours will be a life both abundant and eternal.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, thank you for allowing me to hear your voice calling to me by faith, and to secure the gift of an abundant life through your name.
When we accept Jesus as our shepherd and follow him, we also acknowledge and accept David’s image of a good sheph… Read More
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff —
they comfort me.
When we accept Jesus as our shepherd and follow him, we also acknowledge and accept David’s image of a good shepherd as our experience. There is abundant life at every turn. There is enough food, water, and rest for our sustenance and maintenance. There is also safety and security, the absence of even the fear of death. But there is also the promise of abundant life relative to what we can expect to experience in our relationship with our shepherd. There is comfort in knowing that God’s grace protects us. There is the additional benefit of knowing that we can be shown favor in the presence of those who despise us. Lifting up and edifying our spirits leads us to be unafraid of living and dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, I rejoice that you have chosen Jesus to be my emotional, physical, and spiritual support that leads me to life eternal.
Just as the sheep are supposed to be faithful when they are called to follow the shepherd, there is also an expec… Read More
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.
Just as the sheep are supposed to be faithful when they are called to follow the shepherd, there is also an expectation that the shepherd will be faithful to his responsibilities. God’s expectation from the shepherd is that he/she will act in caring ways toward the sheep, protecting them from danger giving them what they need to live while not exploiting the sheep for their own purposes. Following Jesus invites us to examine a much different picture of the shepherd than the one where the shepherd is labeled a “thief and a robber”. Following Jesus is an invitation to follow the shepherd who cares enough to lay down his life for the sheep. That is the ultimate act of caring a shepherd can provide. That’s the kind of shepherd Jesus is.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, enable me to clearly hear the voice of the good shepherd calling to me that I may receive the proper spiritual care you have desired for me.
It’s one thing to proclaim a relationship with someone. It’s another thing to claim that relationship by ut… Read More
46 Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
It’s one thing to proclaim a relationship with someone. It’s another thing to claim that relationship by utilizing clearly defined objectives and the security that comes out of faithfulness to the relationship. The renowned preacher Billy Sunday once said, “Being in church on Sunday no more makes you a Christian than being in a garage makes you a car.” In other words, there’s a correlation to who we say we are and what we do. If we truly hear Jesus’ voice calling us and choose to follow him, then there is the expectation that if we follow him out of the sheep pen, we are expected to remain faithful to his command as his faithfulness voice.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, empower me to not only hear your voice, but to respond to it in faithfulness to our relationship by doing what you say do.
Often the liabilities of following Jesus are spoken of in terms of things Christians have to give up. There… Read More
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Often the liabilities of following Jesus are spoken of in terms of things Christians have to give up. There is perception that following Jesus is a limiting faith system that takes everything out of life. But there is another perspective which offers the fundamental realities of following Jesus as something that isn’t a liability, but as a benefit, or as something gained. Following Jesus means that we come to know Jesus more intimately because he knows us. It also points to security within that relationship as Jesus affirms that his follower’s future is a secure and eternal present and future life with God. That’s good news no matter who’s saying it.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, I celebrate and rejoice in the knowledge that you know me and have promised security and an intimate relationship with you.
Compassion is an integral part of a caring relationship. It doesn’t mean that the ones on whom you show com… Read More
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So, he began teaching them many things.
Compassion is an integral part of a caring relationship. It doesn’t mean that the ones on whom you show compassion are necessarily perfect. It does mean that you may be able to look beyond their faults to supply their needs. That’s the nature of a good shepherd. The good shepherd knows that his flock may have some blemishes but is willing to look past those flaws to address them at the point of their need. As such, it is a gift to be able to see people’s needs above the flaws. Following someone who has that kind of compassion will rub off on the followers, so that they learn to do the same thing. And those who become the recipients of that gift of grace, find that their lives have been enriched and abundant. That’s the ultimate goal of a good shepherd – to enrich the lives of those to whom he had come near.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, as one who is called to follow you, teach me as one being shepherded by you to show compassion and provide abundantly the life which you have freely given to me.
We live in a world where many voices are calling out to us. They come from different places and spaces and… Read More
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
We live in a world where many voices are calling out to us. They come from different places and spaces and can be a distraction. Some of those voices calling us are calling to influence us in one way or another. “Come, go with me here.” “Let’s do this.” “Vote for me.” “Do this for me.” Some of the voices we hear calling to us are innocent in some ways, but nonetheless are designed to get us to follow them. Some of those voices are inviting us to compromise our integrity, even to the point of losing our life. These persons become shepherds to us in some respect. When they try to lead us in a direction that strikes against God’s desire for us or seek to satiate their personal need for power or control, then our lives and the extent to which they may become abundant are put at risk.
On the other hand, Jesus calls us to life. Jesus calls us to freedom. Jesus calls us into a life of a caring and being cared for through an intimate relationship with God. Following Jesus is invitation to enjoy a life free from the religious laws and rules that lead to sin and invites us into a life of freedom by grace. To follow Jesus is to be invited into a loving relationship where God’s grace abounds and life flows abundantly. Perhaps the best decision we can make is to hear Jesus’ voice and follow him.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and caring Christ, in a world where there are many voices and distractions calling out to me, teach me to clearly hear your voice calling my name so that I will faithfully follow you.
One of the most difficult truths to deal with is the reality of our sins. It’s not that we do them. W… Read More
13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.
One of the most difficult truths to deal with is the reality of our sins. It’s not that we do them. We know we do. Our difficulty comes in letting them go. We carry them around reminding us of our imperfection and our guilt; or we carry them around to punish ourselves, believing apparently, that God is holding onto them to punish us as well. The truth of our God is found in many places but has tremendous weight and meaning as phrased in the words of this song:
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.
It is well with my soul.
How refreshing to accept God’s truth that we no longer carry our sins.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, allow me to cherish the freedom I receive when I come to Your truth that you have erased the record of my sins through Christ.
We don’t necessarily think of suffering as a good thing. Perhaps it’s because we work so hard in all our li… Read More
9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
We don’t necessarily think of suffering as a good thing. Perhaps it’s because we work so hard in all our lifetime to avoid suffering at all costs. And yet suffering has a qualitative edge to it. Suffering that occurs because someone has violated a law has invited the actions of justice. We find some sense of satisfaction in our belief that “when you do the crime, you have to do the time.” But when suffering occurs without justification and is made visible for all to see, then God makes it right, and the sufferer is perfected through his suffering. Christ’s suffering was redemptive and perfected him before God. It also and was justified by God paying the wages of sin for everyone. Those who deny God’s truth have essentially chosen to pay the wages for their own sin. Most agree with God’s truth that the wages of sin is death.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to accept righteous suffering as verification of God’s truth that Christ is the pioneer of my salvation.
Ignorance is a difficult thing to justify. Sometimes ignorance is a choice we make. It comes from our… Read More
12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Ignorance is a difficult thing to justify. Sometimes ignorance is a choice we make. It comes from our weakness and refusal to accept God’s truth. There is a familiar saying that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” That may be true in a world where laws, men, and women rule. Where ignorance of the law brings punishment from the justice of the world, ignorance of God’s truth brings a much different response. It brings with it the absence of the knowledge of God’s grace is a world where belief in God’s power may seem like foolishness, makes us seem wise. But God’s truth reveals the reality that God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. God’s truth accomplishes things that no human knowledge or wisdom can overcome.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, help me to overcome the foolishness of the world to become wiser by living more intently into Your truth.
Coming to the truth is filled with the blessings of God. It additionally gives us the freedom to respond to… Read More
21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
Coming to the truth is filled with the blessings of God. It additionally gives us the freedom to respond to one another in ways that are pleasing to God and imitates the very nature of God present in our lives. To value others and love others in the same way that Christ loves us is the greatest testimony to God’s truth active and present in our world today. It’s shown as God’s truth in ways that others can actually see and either accept or reject. Love is God’s truth displayed in unmistakable ways, proved by public displays of affection (spiritual) showing how great the love by which he loved us. God asks nothing more than, in coming to God’s truth, we let our actions speak the truth of God in unmistakably loving ways.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, give me the freedom to openly share Your truth with others by the gracious acts of love I do in Your name that my life will be a witness to Your truth in me.
We do not all come to God’s truth at the same time. For some, it is revealed little by little until the eye… Read More
12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well-spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; 15 for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.
We do not all come to God’s truth at the same time. For some, it is revealed little by little until the eyes are opened and the truth stands before them with amazing clarity. Others come to the truth through the God’s revelation and the faithful witness and words of others simply being faithful and obedient to God’s truth in their lives. It’s not when we come to the truth that’s important (the earlier the better, however). It’s that we come to God’s truth, and what we do in response to God’s truth after it is revealed to us. It’s how we faithfully respond to the truth of God and share that truth from our own experience that others may know the truth and be set free.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love, let my life be a living example of Your truth’s power to raise people to new life so that others may receive my simple gift of belief and faithfulness.
The beauty of coming to God’s truth is that it doesn’t speak just for the current moment. Coming to God’s t… Read More
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55 though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.”
The beauty of coming to God’s truth is that it doesn’t speak just for the current moment. Coming to God’s truth answers all of our questions and reveals the truth across the ages and pages of history. It is not locked into a time warp but is as ancient as time and is more current than tomorrow’s news. And whatever glory comes from that powerful a revelation of truth is glory from the creator alone. When we come to God’s truth, it is God’s glory which rests upon us and enlightens the truth that we tell others by our lives and glorifies us in that truth.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, may Your truth (which has existed throughout the ages) continue to enlighten my life and generations to come that they may know and accept Your Grace and Truth.
Some people would say truth is subjective. Those who believe that have developed a carefully constructed wo… Read More
12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 “And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
Some people would say truth is subjective. Those who believe that have developed a carefully constructed world in which their truth is the only truth that matters. There! Now, we’ve said it; “Their truth.” It opens the very real possibility that there may in fact be as many truths as there are individual personalities to create them. But alongside those many truths stands God’s truth — and it stands in front of, behind, above, below, and around, yet superior to all other truths. God’s truth is the defining reality for each of us despite the truth we promote. But, of course, the question is: “What does it take us to come to God’s truth — to recognize that with God, there are no variations of fact or discernment. God’s truth is not altered by our ability to create our own stories of convenience. God’s truth is immovable and immutable. God’s truth stands despite all of our clever inventions. And it is in the light of God’s truth that we are invited to put our truths aside and accept the truth that is eternal.
Today’s Prayer —
God of truth and love, enable and empower me by faith to come to Your truth in all circumstances of life. Allow Your truth to guide my faith throughout my life that others may find their new life in Your truth.
The world has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to prove and disprove the events surrounding Jesus’ death… Read More
7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
The world has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to prove and disprove the events surrounding Jesus’ death. The Shroud of Turin stands as evidence of one such exhaustive, ongoing examination. However, Jesus invites us to consider his works — things he’s done that give evidence to who he is. And our first tendency is to think about the miracles: the blind see, the lame walk, etc. But there is more tangible evidence as people’s lives are changed because of their relationship with Jesus. Addicts and those on the margins of life continue to find God’s grace and are made whole. He still invites us to believe because of the works themselves. There are myriads of people whose lives have been changed because of their relationship with Jesus Christ, and yet many still demand proof.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, help me to understand the miracle of transformed lives as evidence of the work that Christ continues to do in the world today.
The difficulty in believing in someone or something that you’ve never seen requires an act of faith. Faith is des… Read More
8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The difficulty in believing in someone or something that you’ve never seen requires an act of faith. Faith is described as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. And yet, the power of God is that God doesn’t allow our faith to be an empty vessel. The Spirit of God moves in us to substantiate the reality of that which we cannot see, but that which we know to be real. Our faith in Christ is not an illusion. It is the evidence of him whom we have not yet seen, but whom we know to be real. To that end, true faith is an awareness of the presence of God. Eyes are not a requirement.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty and invisible God, enable my faith in You to be all the evidence I need to confirm Your reality in my life and Christ as my Savior.
Faith is our most powerful resource. Faith is that intangible element that enables us to hold on when every… Read More
5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord — 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Faith is our most powerful resource. Faith is that intangible element that enables us to hold on when everything around us says give up. Faith is what invites us to continue believing when every piece of evidence points toward doubting and denial. With faith, we are able to overcome overwhelming circumstances and rise to accomplish what some people believe to be impossible. This same faith confirms in us the reality of a God who cannot be seen, but who is more real than anyone or anything we have seen.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and gracious God, empower me to grow in my relationship with You, not based on what I can see with my eyes, but by what I know deep within me.
We don’t often think of ourselves as having any power to affect things. And yet, God has conferred upon Chr… Read More
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
We don’t often think of ourselves as having any power to affect things. And yet, God has conferred upon Christ the authority to empower us. And with that power we enter into the world just as Christ did. We are sent with the power of relationship and forgiveness. We have the power to bring people together and set people free. This is not something that we do in isolation. Our power to build up and set free is done in partnership with the Spirit of Christ and invites us to partner with each other to carry out this ministry. We ae sent just as he was sent, and he is with us in our faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful Christ, enable my relationship with You to be one in which, as one who is sent, I go with joy to do the things You would have me to do in Your name.
Peace is an elusive quality in our lives. We are, perhaps, by nature an anxious people. We’re nervous… Read More
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
Peace is an elusive quality in our lives. We are, perhaps, by nature an anxious people. We’re nervous about life, and nervous about death. We’re nervous about living and dying and worried about not being able to live life to the full. And yet Christ comes to us offering us the peace of God. God’s peace moves beyond the absence of conflict but offers us the presence of a peace that somehow dispels our fears and anxieties. It comforts us and quiets all of the storms raging in our lives. The peace of Christ allows us to be a non-anxious presence to those who don’t know God’s peace.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, may Your peace be such a presence in my life that Your love becomes an overflowing fountain or comfort to everyone around me.
Unexpected experiences of encounters with God literally present in our world often catch us by surprise and frigh… Read More
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
Unexpected experiences of encounters with God literally present in our world often catch us by surprise and frighten us. Perhaps it’s because we have become so accustomed to what is common, that we no longer expect to experience the holiness of God’s world in tangible ways. And yet, God invites us into those holy experiences, not to frighten us, but to assure us and affirm our faith. God allows us to experience these events so that we will ultimately come to know God as the God who invites us to live beyond our fears. Life lived behind a wall of fear is no life at all, and certainly not the life that moves us beyond the events of the cross or a personal encounter with God.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me to move beyond my fears of encountering Your Holy world to live courageously in this world of which I am a daily participant.
We should not be surprised by how many times we are stopped by life’s events. We’re fearful and doubtful ab… Read More
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
We should not be surprised by how many times we are stopped by life’s events. We’re fearful and doubtful about many things that go on in our lives. We’re at times fearful and doubtful of what we see, and doubtful about things we can’t and don’t see. Things that cause us to be fearful and things in our lives that seem to be unbelievable can stop us dead in our tracks. The tragedies of life which cause us to freeze in amazement occur as spectacular moments to prevent us from living full, unimpeded lives of freedom. The invitation of Christ’s to move to life beyond the events of the cross came to those who experienced the resurrection of Jesus that first Easter morning, and to those of us who experience it now. A powerful event such as the resurrection that changed our relationship with God and humanity cannot stop at death’s door. There is a new life beyond the cross that says death is not the end of it. It is a life that begs us to live courageously unafraid of the present and confident about our future.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower and enable me to move in faith beyond those spectacular events in life that can prevent me from experiencing the abundance of life that awaits me beyond the cross.
The idea that there may be news too good to keep is neither new, nor novel. From the time that Jesus arrive… Read More
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
The idea that there may be news too good to keep is neither new, nor novel. From the time that Jesus arrived, the admonition has been to tell someone the good news. It began with his own proclamation when he picked up the scroll of Isaiah (Luke 4:18) and continues to those willing to hear it today. News that is too good to keep is typically determined by its overall value and worth to the individual or the people whose lives upon whom it may have an impact. That the Savior has entered the world is great news. That the savior has accomplished his God-assigned task is the best news ever. And that we were and still are the benefactors of that news and grace is ‘news too good to keep’!
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and gracious God, enable me to always experience that joy about the story that’s too good to keep to myself so that I might share the story with others.
There will always be events that happen in our lives that we just will not be able to keep to ourselves. It… Read More
4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’
6 “So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”
There will always be events that happen in our lives that we just will not be able to keep to ourselves. It might be that a new home for God and God’s people is about to be built after years and years of what may have seemed like forever. But once the good news comes, especially after a dry season of despair, it is possible to approach the introduction of that good news with a heartfelt desire to simply run and tell someone, and proclaim out loud the blessings of the Lord! When the Lord adds a blessing that’s beyond understanding and it benefits you personally or corporately, it’s news that’s too good to keep.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, allow me to experience the exhilaration in life that news too good to keep can bring. May it resound in a joyful noise.
Holy Scripture is clear. Jesus appeared. And the expected outcome of his appearing was that one day e… Read More
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God, the Father.
Holy Scripture is clear. Jesus appeared. And the expected outcome of his appearing was that one day every knee in heaven and on earth, and under the earth would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I cannot imagine every tongue acknowledging and that confession somehow not be filled with a joyful noise, the expression of news that is too good to keep. And how could we keep quiet knowing that Christ has saved us?
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, empower me to openly confess the news too good to keep to myself right now that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
We are, at times, given the occasion to meet someone that creates a circumstance of unexpected joy in our lives…. Read More
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.”
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, 27 saying, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
We are, at times, given the occasion to meet someone that creates a circumstance of unexpected joy in our lives. Because these situations often come as a surprise to us, it’s difficult to maintain our composure. It could simply be that someone important will be staying at our home. It was that way for Zaccheus when Jesus wanted to stay at his home. And it was that way for Rebekah at the bidding of Abraham’s servant. Sometimes it’s impossible to keep quiet about life changing events.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, allow my experience at your entrance into my life to be the kind of experience that becomes news too good to keep.
To have good news is one thing. And perhaps to have discovered something that restores your hope, and repla… Read More
8 Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
To have good news is one thing. And perhaps to have discovered something that restores your hope, and replaces something that was priceless is, perhaps, the greatest news of all. That kind of news can’t be celebrated alone. It needs to be shared with everyone you know, so that they can celebrate with you. The event of that resurrection morning fits right into that category. Once we were lost, but the news of an open tomb and salvation to life eternal is news that requires that we tell somebody. You just can’t keep news like that to yourself!
Today’s Prayer —
My God and King, empower me to become so filled with joy because of what Christ has done for me that I tell everybody I meet.
There are times when the news of something special changes our reality. If it’s really, really good news, w… Read More
10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
There are times when the news of something special changes our reality. If it’s really, really good news, we can become so overwhelmed at the reception of that good news that our desire to tell someone about it leaves us speechless. We may even resort to hand and arm gestures to convey the message without any results. Maybe this was not the case with Zechariah, but his inability to speak with words didn’t stop him from trying to motion to them with gestures. Sometimes there is news too good to keep but falls within God’s framework of divine time. Sometimes we have to wait to hear the good news, even if it is news too good to keep.
Have you ever received news so good that left you temporarily speechless?
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, enable me to rise above the limitations of my inability to tell the good news, and empower my joy to tell the story of Your amazing grace.
There is nothing that moves us like fear and joy. Fear is often a great motivator because it raises the lev… Read More
1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him. ' This is my message for you." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
There is nothing that moves us like fear and joy. Fear is often a great motivator because it raises the level of adrenaline in our bodies to abnormal levels. Joy on the other hand creates an excitement level that keeps the adrenaline going. When receiving unexpected good news that gives us new hope, it’s often difficult not to connect our emotional high with our need to share what it is that makes us feel so joyful. The energy becomes much like a capped steam valve, and if we don’t find a way to release the energy, it can create explosive feelings of anxiety within us. Sometimes we have to fight those feelings of anxiety. But at other times, it’s normal, even healthy to release it. This can often be the case when there is news that’s too good to keep quiet about. Yes. Those who first found out about the resurrection may have first been overcome with feelings of fear. But how do we keep within ourselves the news that someone once thought dead, is alive again. That, brothers and sisters, is truly news too good to keep.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, let me be filled to overflowing with joy at the good news of Your rising that I may tell the world of news that is truly too good to keep.
The very idea that there is no hope signals the end. It is the end of everything, for if there is no hope,… Read More
45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." 49 But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
The very idea that there is no hope signals the end. It is the end of everything, for if there is no hope, then there is nothing to live for or toward. There is no apparent future. The realities of the past chase after us with its shadows seeking to devour us with bitter memories of what might have been. When we look for someone to save us and they do not come, there is the appearance that all hope is lost. The curtain of life falls and death takes the seat of the victor. A good reality check allows us to acknowledge what appears to be hopeless and forces us to look for a light at the end of what might be a very dark tunnel.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and Almighty God, when there are times that it seems like all hope is lost, empower me to greet the darkness as a natural part of life.
Helplessness is an overwhelming feeling. It’s as if all time slows down and all activity within that enviro… Read More
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls surround me, mighty ones of Bashan encircle me. 13 They open their mouths at me, like tearing, roaring lion. 14 My life ebbs away: all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax; melting within me; 15 my vigor dries up like a shard; my tongue cleaves to my palate; you commit me to the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me; a pack of evil ones close in on me, like lions they maul my hands and feet. 17 I take the count of all my bones while they stare and gloat. 18 They divide my clothes among themselves, casting lots for my garments.
Helplessness is an overwhelming feeling. It’s as if all time slows down and all activity within that environment becomes magnified in its intensity. The actions of the people around you tend to become clearer, and there is a greater sense of your own self-awareness. It is difficult to accurately assess the outcome of one’s life in those closing moments of helplessness. What is also clear is the reality of a separation from all of the powers of assistance available. A real reality check is needed in that hour to accurately assess where we are and what is going on so that we don’t become delusional.
Today’s Prayer —
God of mercy and grace, enable me to do my own reality check when I’m faced with situations of helplessness in my life.
The institution of Holy Communion is not to be taken lightly. While the table of our Christ is an open tabl… Read More
23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.
The institution of Holy Communion is not to be taken lightly. While the table of our Christ is an open table, the idea of a person doing their own reality check is crucial to receiving it. What we do at the table — receiving the body and blood of Christ as a recognition of his New Covenant with us — is a decision that can only be made by those who are willing to come. But it is a sacred feast. It was a meal that was good enough for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and merciful God, let my reality check always remind of the importance of Holy Communion and that this meal was a meal fit for a King.
Long before the laying of a cloak over a puddle in the road for a lady to cross was chivalrous, people laid their… Read More
9 Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, "Jehu is king."
Long before the laying of a cloak over a puddle in the road for a lady to cross was chivalrous, people laid their robes in the dust of the road to act as walking mats for those who were of a Kingly nature. Today, people roll out the red carpet for dignitaries and people of importance. The parade into Jerusalem for Jesus and his exaltation was more than symbolic in that it represented the people’s proclamation and action that He was their King and their actions were not reserved for just anybody. This was God’s way of making the proclamation clear to those who knew the promise. Our reality check invites us to examine and explore how we acknowledge that Jesus is King in our lives.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, may the road that leads you into my heart always be filled with the palm branches of my own reality check proclaiming that you are King.
At a time in history when Jesus was entering the Holy City for Passover, the people shouted, “Hosanna in the high… Read More
9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
At a time in history when Jesus was entering the Holy City for Passover, the people shouted, “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” At the end of the age when we are in the presence of our Christ, the words will be, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” In the first instance, Hosanna means “O save us, Son of David”, admitting that Jesus is the Savior. In the second, it is clear that salvation belongs to Christ. One is exalted on High. The other is humble and sitting on a donkey. Yet they are the same King. Which is your reality?
Today’s Prayer —
My God and King, empower me to see beyond the reality check of this life to the reality of the life to come where all eyes will see Jesus as King.
When I was a child, my father would, from time to time, say, “Mark my word.” It was a term used at that tim… Read More
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.
When I was a child, my father would, from time to time, say, “Mark my word.” It was a term used at that time to indicate that what he had said would come to pass. Many years before Jesus came the prophet Zechariah said that Israel’s King would come to his people in the Holy City riding on a donkey. I would presume that no one in Zechariah’s time said, “Mark my word.” And yet, God has been faithful throughout eternity to bring to pass the assurance of the reality of God’s word. Those in Jesus’ day would have been encouraged by Zechariah’s proclamation. A reality check invites us to consider those times when God’s word became real in our lifetime.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, enable me to do a serious reality check on Your faithful promise to Your people. Assure my spirit within me that Your promises are my reality.
We typically enter Holy Week knowing what’s going to happen. Unlike those days when it was happening in rea… Read More
1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 "Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
We typically enter Holy Week knowing what’s going to happen. Unlike those days when it was happening in real time, we live fully aware of the implications of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. And even today there is a certain excitement among us. Perhaps it’s because we know that a most special day is just around the corner. Perhaps it’s because this day, like so many other special days, begins the week with a parade (of sorts). Parades have typically always signaled the beginning of something important. But on this day, those who were an active part of the parade were out front, celebrating the entrance of their self-appointed King. There were still others who dared to ask the proverbial question, “Who is this?” The journey from the wilderness to faithfulness continues to beg us to answer the question. But it also is an invitation for us to do our own reality check. The disciples thought they had done everything they needed to do. We may be with them — needing to do a reality check to determine for ourselves who this might be in the court of our own private opinion.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty and gracious God, empower me to make a reality check in my life about who I believe Jesus to be so that my reality and Your reality agree with one another
Far too often we only see what our eyes allow us to see. We have our hunches and our intuition, but at time… Read More
25 I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Far too often we only see what our eyes allow us to see. We have our hunches and our intuition, but at times our hunches and intuitions leave us scratching our heads. What we don’t often see with our eyes are the promises of Christ’s being fulfilled in our lives or each other’s lives. We seem to be blind to the presence of God, even though the hope of the world, Jesus Christ, is working in us to accomplish God’s great purposes. I contend that grace is much easier to see when we stop looking for perfection in ourselves and others, choosing instead to love each other unconditionally.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to see that we are more than we appear. We are the presence of Your grace active and alive in the world.
If all we see when we look at each other is who we are physically, then we miss God’s most glorious act of grace…. Read More
11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
If all we see when we look at each other is who we are physically, then we miss God’s most glorious act of grace. Within each of us lies the presence and reality of God’s love. Externally we are encased in the presence of God’s love. Maybe it is our unwillingness to love others as God has loved us that makes it so difficult for others to see beyond our physical presence into the spiritual reality of God’s love in us. We are more than flesh and bone. We represent the presence of God’s Spirit, grace, and love because God through Jesus Christ has placed it in us.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable and empower me to love others as You have loved me in a way that they might see that I am in You and You are in me.
We aren’t too far removed from our 1st Century Christian friends. While fornication literally pointed to “f… Read More
18 Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body.
We aren’t too far removed from our 1st Century Christian friends. While fornication literally pointed to “forsaking God, or following after idols”, it has found its way into our contemporary culture to entice us to worship other God’s physically. In today’s culture sex sells. Almost every advertisement — print, media, or otherwise — uses some form of sexuality to promote its product (young men and women physically appealing selling things that have nothing to do with how they look). And yet, we are drawn to that which the eye can see, turning people into objects. And none that I can think of ever promote the human body as the temple of the living God. Yet, for those of us who believe that we are the temple of the living God, we have become more than we appear.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, help enable me to look beyond the aesthetic beauty of the human body to see each person as the dwelling place for Your Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is something that we all hope to experience in our lifetime. If it’s not something… Read More
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self- control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
The fruit of the Spirit is something that we all hope to experience in our lifetime. If it’s not something that reflects how we live, then we (at the very least) hope to experience it coming from others. And yet, if the Spirit is alive in us and we are guided by the Spirit, then the fruit of our lives will reflect something that’s not outwardly visible. We will be more than we appear to be, and what people will experience when they connect with us are the fruits of God’s presence in our lives being shared unselfishly in their lives.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to so live that what people experience when they are in my presence is Your presence and Spirit alive in me.
When James shouted “Adulterers!”, he wasn’t talking about our contemporary understanding of an affair with anothe… Read More
4 Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?
When James shouted “Adulterers!”, he wasn’t talking about our contemporary understanding of an affair with another man or woman. He was speaking about an affair with anyone or anything that we willingly pursue taking our loyalty away from God. What we appear to be is often associated with whom we are loyal to and/or what we stand for. We sometimes fail our "fidelity-to-God-test” by not asking the right questions, or getting the right answers before we establish our position. The most agonizing question we can ask may point us back to our loyalty to God and Christ when we ask, “What would Jesus do?” The answer to that question may determine whether we have remained loyal to our God, or whether we have committed adultery with the world by clinging to the fealty of politics, race, or culture.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, give me a discerning Spirit so that my decisions are influenced by Your wisdom. Help me to appear as more than my human form.
It has been said that right is right. But apparently there is a distinction between what is right as it rel… Read More
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up!
It has been said that right is right. But apparently there is a distinction between what is right as it relates to the flesh and what is right as it relates to the Spirit. It would appear that things we do to appease our flesh (this also means our emotional needs) come with the added caveat that our actions and the results of those actions could be corrupted. On the other hand, those things we do to appease our Spirits have a greater ability and opportunity to inspire and encourage life from God. Perhaps sowing to the spirit increases the yield of the Spirit, making us more spiritually than we appear to be in the flesh.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to plant and harvest blessings from Your Spirit so that my life will always be more than it appears to be.
We tend to believe (most of the time) that we are only human. That is our default. Whether we’re doin… Read More
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason, the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
We tend to believe (most of the time) that we are only human. That is our default. Whether we’re doing something that displays a great weakness on our part, or whether we’re doing something that shows tremendous courage and strength, our claim is that we’re human. One is used to mask our faults, and the other is used to broadcast our strength. Those defaults, however, are typically based on our understanding of who we are from a physical perspective. We see our parts, both internally and externally, and presume that what we see is all of who we are. We live with the reality that our bodies will eventually die and that will be the end of us. And yet God has opened up another reality that we have to accept. Simply put: “that we are more than flesh and bone who live with a system of default that defines us on a human level but ignores that God-part that is alive in us.” To that end, we can default toward our humanity or default to our spirituality. Agreeing with God, God’s definition of us means that we accept that we are more than we appear to be.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to rise above the limiting lifestyle of my humanity to live the spirit-filled life you’ve called me to. Help me to always be mindful that because Your Spirit is alive in me, I am more than I appear to be.
There’s something about doing something repeatedly that speaks volumes about the impermanence of that thing we do… Read More
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
There’s something about doing something repeatedly that speaks volumes about the impermanence of that thing we do. And most of us enter into things knowing that nothing is one time forever. We have to do things repeatedly, at least in our world, in an effort to satisfy our attempts at the permanence of something even though we know that our efforts are temporary. Thank God that in Jesus, God has brought an end to repetitive sacrifices that have taken the lives of children and animals for our sins. In Jesus, God has accomplished what we couldn’t do by the shedding of his own blood once and for all.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, I thank You for Jesus Christ who offered His own blood as the perfect one-time sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins each day.
It is our nature (at least for those who have accepted Christ) to believe that we have no responsibility at all f… Read More
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
It is our nature (at least for those who have accepted Christ) to believe that we have no responsibility at all for making a sacrifice to God. However, while because of Jesus Christ we never have to make a sacrifice, we lose sight of the fact that now we have become God’s sacrifice to the world. Just as Christ was God’s sacrifice to the world, we have now taken on the role of being Christ-like — living sacrifices for the agenda of God to love everyone unconditionally. Our spiritual worship is not just believing in Christ, but believing and acting in ways that show that we have submitted to do the will of God just as Christ did the will of God.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, though my sacrifice be imperfect, enable me to be a living sacrifice for You that I might know Your good and perfect will in my life and live it.
There is a huge difference between knowledge and application — between theory and reality. In fact, we have… Read More
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
There is a huge difference between knowledge and application — between theory and reality. In fact, we have old sayings that help us to understand that wisdom. Phrases like, ‘a miss is as good as a mile’, ‘close only counts in horseshoes’ and ‘almost catch a rabbit don’t make no soup’. These are all phrases we use to describe what it means to come up short. We can know what to do and somehow be just short of perfection because we can’t do what we know. Being not far from the Kingdom of God may come nowhere close to God’s perfect sacrifice offered to us in Jesus Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, teach me the true understanding of what it means to accept Your perfect sacrifice for those times when I come up short of perfection in my relationship of loving You and others.
For ages we’ve done things in an effort to appease God, believing that if we offered gifts and sacrifices, they w… Read More
21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For ages we’ve done things in an effort to appease God, believing that if we offered gifts and sacrifices, they would be acceptable and perfect. That we had to offer them repeatedly was proof enough that the sacrifice we offered could never achieve that goal of being perfect. What was better than all the sacrifices in the world was doing God’s will and becoming the people God desired for us to become. But that could never happen given our nature. What was needed was a sacrifice that was perfect — someone, not something that was good once for all.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, forgive me in those times when I’ve chosen my own sacrifice rather than trusting in Your sacrifice for me in Jesus Christ.
I’m not sure we often think about what happens when the righteous die for the unrighteous. Perhaps it’s because w… Read More
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
I’m not sure we often think about what happens when the righteous die for the unrighteous. Perhaps it’s because we all know deep within ourselves that we never truly get what we deserve. All of our little hidden sins, both those we knowingly commit that never come to light are only known by us and perhaps the person we offended. Those sins we commit by omission are known only to God. And to that extent, we know we have not lived up to our responsibility as God’s children. So, if the punishment of sin is death, we deserve to die. But Jesus Christ (the righteous) died for us (the unrighteous), a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to face the truth about my broken relationship with You and trust in your perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my sins.
A perfect sacrifice does more than give the illusion that things are in order. It sets them in order in inv… Read More
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
A perfect sacrifice does more than give the illusion that things are in order. It sets them in order in invisible ways so that we may lead lives that are visible representations of our redeemed souls. And perhaps, therein lies the proof. There is something that happens within us that frees us from guilt caused by the repeated commission of our sins because we can rely on the One who became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. That doesn’t give us permission or freedom to live out of relationship with God because of our actions. But experiencing God’s forgiveness through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ has freed us once and for all, and once for all is a tremendous liberation. It is in every possible way, the perfect sacrifice for sin offered to us by God.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, keep me mindful of all that You have done in offering me the perfect sacrifice for my sin. Enable me to always live trusting in Your perfect sacrificial gift of grace in Jesus Christ.
The idea of giving up something in order to gain something else isn’t a new concept. It’s actually built in… Read More
4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll —
I have come to do your will, my God.’”
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” — though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The idea of giving up something in order to gain something else isn’t a new concept. It’s actually built into the fabric of who we are. We have to make up our minds what we are willing to sacrifice in order to get something that’s important to us. That’s why people work, and why we do it day after day. We sacrifice our time and energy in order to get those financial rewards that then allow us to find the basic necessities of life. The fact that no “single” sacrifice of time and energy suffices to bring all our necessities to us all the time means that our sacrifice is not only imperfect, but it also means that what we’ve given in just one day is, in some ways, unacceptable. Working one day will never be enough to satisfy for all time. The perfect sacrifice, whether of time or energy — or any other commodity — would meet all of our needs for all time. Once would be enough. God, however, has managed to secure the perfect sacrifice in order for us to have that perfect, reconciled relationship with God, (and with each other if we’re willing to follow Jesus’ example.) God did it by providing the perfect and acceptable sacrifice of love once and for all through Jesus Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, I give thanks to You that (through Jesus) You have provided the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for my sins. Enable and empower me to become a living sacrifice always seeking to do Your will.
The world is full of peculiar people who constantly look for proof of God’s reality, and yet, the proof of God is… Read More
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
The world is full of peculiar people who constantly look for proof of God's reality, and yet, the proof of God is all around us. They see people whose lives have been changed yet fail to see that their change has anything to do with the reality or the presence of God. The same could be said for people claiming to be believers who constantly search for proof of God. They’ve hardened their hearts, locking out faith in all the things that God has done before, yet searching instead and asking for proof of what God has done for them lately. God is not a “fast-food” delivery God who responds as soon as we place our prayers on the prayer list. There are times when the lesson to be learned can only be realized after we’ve faced life’s challenges and come out on the side of faith and trust that God is with us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to recall and remember Your faithfulness throughout the ages so that my heart is not hardened and l will not continually test You, but trust You.
It is perhaps our nature to look beyond our behavior as an answer to why we find ourselves in a certain position… Read More
22 And if you say in your heart,
“Why have these things come upon me?”
it is for the greatness of your iniquity
that your skirts are lifted up,
and you are violated.
23 Can Ethiopians change their skin
or leopards their spots?
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.
It is perhaps our nature to look beyond our behavior as an answer to why we find ourselves in a certain position in life. It seems that we have found ourselves incapable of living totally obedient lives to honor God. Yet, when we do it habitually, it is then that we ask the question, “Why is this happening to me?” While the answer is sometimes not simple, the greater question is, “Why do we persist in blaming God for our discomforted lives?” Why do we resent God for not rescuing us from our predicament when our resistance to God put us there? Perhaps the answer lies in making decisions that limit our culpability and allow us to trust God in all circumstances of life?
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to have a change of heart from blaming You for the life predicaments I find myself in, and to own my part in it all.
A part of life reminds us that we are not in control. That realization compels us to seek someone to take responsibil… Read More
12 Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD, your God?
A part of life reminds us that we are not in control. That realization compels us to seek someone to take responsibility for what happens to us. And yet, we often forget that our control occurs as we realize we are in a relationship with God. We can choose to live in a constant relationship with God and hear God’s voice or ignore it. It’s not a part-time relationship where we walk in and out, but a relationship which is constant. Instead of questioning why we left God, we often question why God has left us. And yet the answer is simply to have a change of heart about the distractions and to return to God. It’s simple, but it’s not easy.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable and empower me to have a change of heart that compels me to stay with You and avoid the distractions that cause me to stray.
There appears to be a theme which runs throughout the Bible that suggests that God, more than anything else, want… Read More
34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
There appears to be a theme which runs throughout the Bible that suggests that God, more than anything else, wants to be chosen by us. That God has chosen us is irrelevant at this point. God’s wants us to make a conscious decision to hear God’s voice over all the others. There is a sense that if we’re told the same thing over and over again and refuse to change, that we’ve hardened our hearts. It’s clear that we can’t change our minds about choosing God until we’ve had a change of heart about choosing God.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, forgive me in those times when I’ve chosen other gods and not listened to You. Change my heart that I might hear and come to You.
There is an old saying not heard much anymore, but just as valid: “You’ve made your bed; now you have to lie in i… Read More
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
There is an old saying not heard much anymore, but just as valid: “You’ve made your bed; now you have to lie in it.” In some ways that explains many of the predicaments we find ourselves in, especially when we knowingly and willingly defy God. Hardening of the heart with respect to God can occur instantly or over a period of time when we feel that God is being inattentive to our circumstances. Like spoiled and brooding children, we cry out for the immediate and instant attention of God. What brings us out of those situations is when we have a change of heart and remember that God is faithful and has been true to His Word that he would never leave us nor forsake us. Coming to that reality can be a real heart shift for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, enable me to know those times when my heart hardens against You. Lead me to have a change of heart to be obedient to you and remember Your faithfulness.
We are a forgetful people. Too often, we develop periodic amnesia and forget what God has done for us…. Read More
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
We are a forgetful people. Too often, we develop periodic amnesia and forget what God has done for us. Blind to the presence of God’s activity in our lives, we too often fail to see what God is doing. Often, we don’t trust that God will be with us in the future because we’re uncertain of God’s “now” presence with us. This forgetfulness leads us to places where our hearts are hardened. It’s then that we begin focusing on our circumstances while forgetting to worship God for the awesome deeds that God has already done. It’s a natural tendency, born out of our human relationship with God. It is, however, in our best interest to not harden our hearts, but to make a joyful noise to God, celebrating before others what our God has done, and trusting that God will again come through for us.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, keep me mindful of all that God has done, is doing, and will do so that I may praise God with a joyful heart, not a hardened one.
It is the nature of the human family (at least those who believe in God) to question the circumstances of our lif… Read More
1 O come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your ancestors tested me,
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they do not regard my ways.”
11 Therefore in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
It is the nature of the human family (at least those who believe in God) to question the circumstances of our life’s challenges. The proverbial word question “Why?” seems to leak from our mouths when we don’t have an answer or understanding of life’s challenges. And out of that word/question ‘why’, we seem to gravitate toward a belief system that says, “We don’t deserve what we’re getting.” That thought is typically accompanied by feelings of hurt and resentment because we’ve had to endure some situation that has challenged our faith and our memory of God’s presence in our lives. The tendency — at least for some and not all — is to become so frustrated with God because we haven’t been able to experience life as comfortably as we thought we should. Those feelings typically cause us to suffer from a fairly common disease called “hardening of the heart.” Symptoms of this disease are that we become resistant to what God is doing in us and through us. Protesting takes the place of praise. Worry takes the place of worship, and we begin looking and asking God for proof that we haven’t been left alone. It’s perhaps a better idea to search for places where we’ve hardened our hearts, remembering what God has done in the past, praising God for God’s faithfulness instead of living in fear and frustration.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, strengthen and empower me to search within myself to find those places where I have hardened my heart against You. Enable me to make a change of heart to fully embrace all You do for me and worship You.
There is no doubt that we all depend on something, especially as it relates to our relationship with God. M… Read More
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”
There is no doubt that we all depend on something, especially as it relates to our relationship with God. Many people are dependent upon the notion that they are good people who do good things such that God will reward them for the good works they do. And while there might be a connection to the works’ we do in the name of God, those works will never earn us the right to be in that relationship. The plausibility and possibility of any relationship with God comes by virtue of an unearned guarantee from God and no one else.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, lead me to that place in my relationship with You, where living by faith I may come to rely Your unearned guarantee of grace.
Have you ever really thought about what it is to receive a gift? A gift is special in that it isn’t earned…. Read More
22b There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Have you ever really thought about what it is to receive a gift? A gift is special in that it isn’t earned. If we earn something, it means that we had it coming to us or that we deserved whatever the gift might be. On the other hand, when we receive gift, it comes to us because the giver wants us to have it. It’s not earned, but it comes to us (typically) as an expression of love from the other person. That’s how it is with God’s love. God gives us the gift of grace. It is an unearned reward of a relationship built on faith.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, please help me to live my life by faith, yet, keep me open to receive Your unearned guarantee, the greatest expression Your love.
Uncertainty is a plague of fear. When we live in uncertainty, we find that we can’t trust much of anything…. Read More
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
Uncertainty is a plague of fear. When we live in uncertainty, we find that we can’t trust much of anything. We can’t trust or depend on things being where we want them to be or rely on events happening as we would like or expect. The beauty of God’s promises is that they come with an irreversible, non-revocable guarantee that nails down with certainty all of the things that God promises. That they are promises from God, not based on the law, but on grace is our assurance and only point of comfort.
Today’s Prayer —
All-knowing God, enable and empower me to accept the free gift of salvation through faith, teaching me that I never earned the gift I received.
One of the ways we can dishonor a person’s gift to us is to not use it. In some ways it’s an insult. … Read More
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
One of the ways we can dishonor a person’s gift to us is to not use it. In some ways it’s an insult. In other ways it’s simply accepting the gift in vain — taking it without any idea of its importance or desecrating the gift as if the lifetime guarantee was of no value. It may be, in some ways, very much like using the gift as if we earned it, as opposed to using it as if it was not only important, but that we understood its significance and value as a gift. When a gift is unearned, it may cause someone to revalue the gift for their own wellbeing.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, teach me as one who can know and learn the value of a gift. Enable me to honor the unearned guarantee as it is the gift.
We are forever separated from God because of our stubbornness. We at times know the right thing to do and d… Read More
6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
7 Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD.
We are forever separated from God because of our stubbornness. We at times know the right thing to do and don’t do it. We also know the wrong things not to do and do them anywa9 (read Romans 7:18-23). We know what to say, and refuse to say it. Our inability to do right and act right prevents us from establishing a relationship with God in which God is honored. So, if we can’t earn God’s love and acceptance by our lifestyle, our only choice is to accept God’s guarantee as an unearned gift. It is through the acceptance of the unearned guarantee that we find salvation and security.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, enable and empower me to see myself for who I truly am — a person in need of the unearned guarantee of Your grace.
There is no more descriptive and satisfying scripture of truth and freedom than to know we have been saved by som… Read More
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
There is no more descriptive and satisfying scripture of truth and freedom than to know we have been saved by some other means than the works we do. Thinking or believing that what we do somehow earns God’s love dismisses God’s role in holding us accountable for the things we do wrong. That’s especially good news since we are all differently abled. Since no one could demand that God justify the situation of our sin and his righteousness, God took it upon God’s self and did it anyway. God gave us an unearned, guaranteed promise of eternal life through faith and grace for no other reason than God’s unmerited love for us all.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, enable and empower me to see myself for who I truly am — a person in need of the unearned guarantee of Your grace.
We live in a world where guarantees are an expectation of the culture. This is especially true when we purc… Read More
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
We live in a world where guarantees are an expectation of the culture. This is especially true when we purchase something. We expect that there will be a guarantee of the product we purchase, lease, rent, or own that will certifies that the product will be good for a specified time of ownership. If we’re fortunate, we might be offered a warranty good for the life of the item. But even then, the guarantee is earned depending on how well we care for the item. But all of those guarantees (even with their implied and expressed warranties) only cover items that we have purchased or earned. There is another system in place when we think about entering into a relationship with God and receiving a guarantee of that relationship. Much to our benefit, a guarantee from God can’t be purchased or earned. Our ability to be obedient never has the power to make God beholden to us. God’s guarantee of grace comes to us because God chooses to give it. We can’t afford to rely on our own merit to be acceptable with God.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, humble me so that, in faith, I will only trust in the unearned guarantee of Your grace to live in relationship with You and never rely on what I believe are my own good works to please You.
Knowing who we are requires a certain action on our part. It requires that we function according to the per… Read More
14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Knowing who we are requires a certain action on our part. It requires that we function according to the persons we claim to be. To be certain, there will be challenges to our identity. There will always be the opportunity to live contrary to who we truly are — as a lamp under a bushel basket. Knowing who we are is integral to living our lives with clarity and integrity. It’s by knowing who we are that we can serve our true function in the world.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, enable me to see that knowing who I am empowers me to live my life with clarity and integrity as a child of God.
We don’t often think about it, but self-knowledge is a prerequisite for teaching others how to recognize their tr… Read More
19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth — 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
We don’t often think about it, but self-knowledge is a prerequisite for teaching others how to recognize their true selves. This is especially true when we think about character traits that are in concert with the persons we describe ourselves to be. It’s difficult to imagine a blind eye-doctor, deaf audiologist, or a speech therapist who can’t speak themselves. Likewise, it’s difficult for us to teach someone to be a Christian if we aren’t clear about who we are and haven’t taught ourselves to claim our identity.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, lead me into that holy place where I may learn who I truly am in You so that I might live my life as a witness to others.
Lack of clarity about who we are opens the door to faulty practices of faith that are misleading to us and others… Read More
23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Lack of clarity about who we are opens the door to faulty practices of faith that are misleading to us and others. Perhaps in our culture, it’s appropriate to be divided about who we say we are and what we do. After all, everyone seems to be doing it. We even allow it in some circles. The question is about whether or not these actions lead to integrity of identity, or simply serve to confuse us and others about who we really are. It seems that knowing and practicing who we are is the key to a life of true witness.
Today’s Prayer —
All-knowing God, empower me to live my life in the full knowledge of who I am in You and with integrity before the world in which I live.
It is a special privilege to be called a child of God. It’s not a name that we take. It’s a name that… Read More
12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God …
It is a special privilege to be called a child of God. It’s not a name that we take. It’s a name that is given to us. It’s a name by which we’ve been identified by God and one by which we identify ourselves (or at least should be). It then becomes a curious lifestyle that we live when claim we have one God who claims us but often give ourselves over to serving and worshiping other gods who have no claim on us at all. Knowing who we are is a strong inhibitor against serving and worshiping other gods. It’s also a strong incentive to worship the God who protects us.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, as one who claims my relationship to You to define who I am, enable and empower me to be faithful to no other God but You.
We are forever looking for God to do something to prove God’s identity to us. Perhaps that’s a part of who… Read More
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
We are forever looking for God to do something to prove God’s identity to us. Perhaps that’s a part of who we are — someone always unsure and unbelieving. And yet, unless we live as the people we claim to be, our lack of faith that becomes a challenge (or test) of God will probably do more to identify who we really to those who may be searching. Our identity — who we really are — is proven more by our faith than by our insecurities, doubts, and fears.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, enable and empower me to wrestle my insecurities into submission such that my faith in You to do all things defines who I am.
There may, in fact, be some solace in recognizing that we are not alone in life’s challenges. It’s in those… Read More
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
There may, in fact, be some solace in recognizing that we are not alone in life’s challenges. It’s in those challenges where we succeed or we fail — where we find affirmation about who we are or live with the doubts of who we are. It’s also in those challenges that we can claim to know who we are as children of God who are at times tempted, at times succumb to those temptations, but who, through faith in Jesus Christ, can come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in time of need. That’s who we are.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, I give thanksgiving to you for clarifying my identity to you as one who is invited to boldly come to You for forgiveness and mercy.
Someone was once quoted as saying about those of us who define ourselves as Christian: “We should so live our liv… Read More
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Someone was once quoted as saying about those of us who define ourselves as Christian: “We should so live our lives that when we tell someone we are Christians, they are able to smile in affirmation rather than being surprised by the fact.” Perhaps people are surprised because some of us live our lives taking advantage of the grace we’ve been afforded rather than making a full faith effort to live according to how we identify ourselves. It may be that we choose to live our lives with aliases rather that coming to that place where there is consistency with who we say we are and the choices we make about our lives. One of the key things about how we live, the decisions we make in our life choices, and how others perceive us is knowing who we really are and knowing what it means to identify ourselves as children of God. We wear many hats throughout the day that define us for a specific moment in time. But knowing who we are makes a defining statement about who we believe ourselves to be, especially when we are tempted to make decisions that say otherwise.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, enable and empower me to avoid the temptation of living my life with an identity other than the one I claim as Your child. Teach me to choose and live my relationship to You before the entire world.
Faith has many components. Of those variables of faith, we are called to respond to God in different circum… Read More
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Faith has many components. Of those variables of faith, we are called to respond to God in different circumstances, using those different parts of our faith. In one instance, faith may simply mean being aware of God’s presence and responding to the needs of those around us. In another setting, faith may mean trusting that God will provide for us. But to remain unshaken in our faith leaning on God’s wisdom and counsel gives our faith rock-solid status. Sometimes regardless of the circumstances it just may be all about being still and knowing that God is God.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, teach me through Your wisdom to listen to Your counsel so that I may always be unshakable in my faith.
Too often we think of faith as being nothing more than a spiritual exercise — something which, once the believing… Read More
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
Too often we think of faith as being nothing more than a spiritual exercise — something which, once the believing is done, then so are we. But the truth is, faith requires wisdom beyond knowing of God. Someone once said that knowledge is knowing what to do; wisdom is knowing what to do next. We all know what to do in our faith. What we sometimes lack is the wisdom to move past our knowledge and take that extra step that may be more pragmatic than spiritual. Linking faith and wisdom is the key. Perhaps that wisdom comes from patiently waiting on God and preparing to receive him when he comes. Nothing is worse than being called on and being unprepared. The wisdom of a rock-solid faith is being prepared whenever Jesus should arrive in our lives.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious Christ, give me the wisdom of faith to know what to do, and the practical wisdom to know what to do next in serving You.
There is much religious conversation among Christians about how important it is to know Jesus Christ. And i… Read More
25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
There is much religious conversation among Christians about how important it is to know Jesus Christ. And it is true that our relationship to God through Jesus Christ is critical to our transformation. But more important than whether we know Jesus or not is whether or not Jesus knows us. Knowing of Jesus doesn’t certify that we have an intimate and personal relationship with him. We’ve all heard of famous people and may even know someone who knows someone famous. That doesn’t mean we know the friend of our friend. Jesus’ knowledge of us goes beyond whether or not we were in his presence at church or at a fellowship meal. Jesus knows us through the acts of love and kindness we do for others, through common acts of prayer and devotion. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have a little talk with Jesus and tell him all about our trials.
Today’s Prayer —
Precious Christ, enable and empower me to live knowing Your grace for me in such a way that You will know me through my acts of grace and mercy, as well as my prayers and outcries to you.
The argument of grace versus works has gone on for what seems like an eternity. Those who argue for grace m… Read More
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
The argument of grace versus works has gone on for what seems like an eternity. Those who argue for grace maintain that doing works leans toward earning God’s favor and love, which can’t be earned. Those who argue for works suggest that works are those things we do to in response to God’s love which (in turn) allows us to please God. But God judges our works through the intent of our hearts. Yes, we are justified by our faith, but people of faith have done egregious things in the name of God, and non-believers have done loving things from their heart. If not the unmerited grace of God working for us all, then all the kindnesses in the world aren’t sufficient. Perhaps it is a both faith and works and not each independent of the other.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, change my heart of faith so that my acts of love and mercy are driven by a rock-solid faith that works to please You.
Sometimes we forget that faith — our faith — is an action taken on our part on behalf of our belief in God…. Read More
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Sometimes we forget that faith — our faith — is an action taken on our part on behalf of our belief in God. It is our way of connecting with the Holy Mystery. And yet our connection to God doesn’t necessarily resolve any of the practical issues that face us in life. That requires something different. It requires an act of grace (or unmerited love) that gives evidence that there is a strong faith-filled connection between all humanity. As such, our faith response is to provide them with what they need, just as God has provided us with what we need.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful Christ, enable and empower me to merge my acts of love into a rock solid faith in You that showcases Your love and care for others through me.
We always live with the danger of people telling us things about God and Christ, and about our relationship with… Read More
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
We always live with the danger of people telling us things about God and Christ, and about our relationship with God that are offered in an effort to expand our wisdom and knowledge of God. Perhaps there’s weakness in us causing us to desire wisdom from that charismatic person who seems to know more than we do. And yet, sometimes people are more concerned with their own power and persuasion over others than leading them to an authentic and meaningful relationship with Christ. When it’s all about them, it can’t be about Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful Christ, enable and empower me to have discerning ears that the wolves of my generation might not destroy my rock-solid faith in You.
Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God. But we must also remind ourselves that at times our f… Read More
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God. But we must also remind ourselves that at times our faith is shaky. Our shakiness exists partly because we live with the polarity and tension between believing and doing. The weight of that tension weighs heavy on the faith side as we are asked to inquire of ourselves if we know Jesus. The weight weighs heavy on the ‘doing’ side as we work to do things in Jesus name that are pleasing to God. And yet, it seems that doing things in Jesus’ name isn’t enough. There’s more to having a ‘rock-solid’ faith than simply doing things in Jesus’ name. Our faith is solidified by a life of following Godly wisdom — a wisdom that leads us to produce lives that bear evidence, not that we know Christ, but that Christ knows us and is guiding our life and works. And so, we seek to be in a relationship with God in which our faith has been tried and tested — a faith that has withstood the trials and storms of life and remains steadfast and faithful to Christ.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, empower and strengthen me to act on my faith so that my life bears the good fruit of a relationship with You —one that assures me that by my works You know me and that I have a rock-solid faith.
There are certain things we do in life, many of which are done to prove we are right. And I guess there is… Read More
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.
There are certain things we do in life, many of which are done to prove we are right. And I guess there is something to be said for being right. However, being right usually has the disadvantage of telling someone else they are wrong, which may cause spiritual injury to another. What may be more important as Christians is that in all of our dealings, we try to give honor and glory to God. It’s at that point that the glory of God shines in us and through us, making God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ readily available to those we encounter.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, empower me to do everything I do so that You may glorified by all of my actions, seeking to offend no one.
It’s amazing that we have so many wonderful gifts to be used to benefit the common good of the world, and y… Read More
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
It’s amazing that we have so many wonderful gifts to be used to benefit the common good of the world, and yet, we find ourselves lacking in our ability to harness those gifts in powerful ways of transformation. It is God’s desire that the gifts we’ve received from the Holy Spirit as trustees are shared with the world to be used to magnify God’s presence in the whole world. I seem to remember a parable about a man who buried his gift and didn’t use it.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, empower me to apply the gift of Your spirit given to me as a trustee of God so that others may receive the benefit of Your love in me.
One of the responsibilities of a trustee is that the thing we’ve been given to take care of doesn’t get abused or… Read More
1 Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
One of the responsibilities of a trustee is that the thing we’ve been given to take care of doesn’t get abused or used for the wrong purpose. If what we’ve been entrusted with is the unconditional love of God, then to not use it in ways that foster God’s love to everyone is an abuse of that gift. As a trustee of God, displaying hospitality should be a hallmark of God’s welcoming nature. We never know whom we might encounter that might be in need of simple kindness, respect, love, and human warmth.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and merciful God, enable me as a trustee of Your grace to always open the door of hospitality to others that you might be glorified.
When we think of being trustees of God, we don’t typically think that our range of responsibility reaches to thos… Read More
19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
When we think of being trustees of God, we don’t typically think that our range of responsibility reaches to those outside of our faith. And yet, displaying God’s love in ways that leads others back into the family of faith has the ability to hide those gaps in a person’s life, making them acceptable to us and the God in us. A part of being a trustee of God is to care for broken and damaged goods so that they may be restored. That’s what being entrusted with God’s grace does. It restores others.
Today’s Prayer —
God of grace and God of glory, empower me as a trustee of Your grace to put Your glory on display so that those who wander may be restored.
As trustees of God, it seems that there is more to life than simply keeping and maintain a trust. It also s… Read More
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; f16 or it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
As trustees of God, it seems that there is more to life than simply keeping and maintain a trust. It also seems that we are called as trustees to represent the One who has entrusted us with this very important task. This is not unusual. The one who has been entrusted with the care of the house is the onsite representative until the homeowner returns. The same is true for those who are trustees of God. We represent God and as representatives and trustees, our actions and conduct should be in accordance with that of the owner.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love, empower me as Your trustee to always be representative of who You are in everything I do.
One of the most difficult things we will ever encounter is giving up our control. We live most of our lives… Read More
13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
One of the most difficult things we will ever encounter is giving up our control. We live most of our lives trying to become independent. All of a sudden, we enter into this relationship with God in which we are required to deny ourselves and live for a higher purpose than ourselves, and a higher purpose than we’ve done before. It’s hard to walk away from the things we’ve lived for to begin living for someone else’s dream. And yet, as trustees of God, we have a responsibility to put aside our lives momentarily in order to extend love and care for the lives of others.
Today’s Prayer —
Almighty God, enable and empower me to place your agenda for my life and living above mine. Teach me to understand that when I live for You, I am living for me.
From the beginning of time, we’ve been designated as the keeper of things. By keeper, I don’t mean one who… Read More
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), 2 so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.
6 For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.
7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
From the beginning of time, we’ve been designated as the keeper of things. By keeper, I don’t mean one who saves stuff to be brought out or revealed later. Some of us fail miserably at saving things. But, by keeper I mean that we have been given things that we have responsibility for. We’ve been given keys, cars, objects which seem to have no apparent value to us, and yet to the one who gave them to us, gave them to us in trust. Whatever the item was that was given, was given with the belief that we would keep and take care of the keys, the house, or the car — whatever item was entrusted to us. And they trusted that they would get them back in as good or better shape than they were given. In that way we literally became trustees of whatever we held.
Our first item of trust as humans was the earth. God gave it to us that we might take care of it. And yet the greatest gift of trust given to us by God isn’t the earth, but each other. We have been given each other as trustees of God with the responsibility to fulfill God’s will that we would take care of each other.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me to live in the Spirit so that I may become Your trustee — a steward of Your grace who lives according to Your will, caring for the hearts and lives of others.
It is amazing what simply valuing others as an act of caring will do. It invites us to extend ourselves bey… Read More
7b Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
It is amazing what simply valuing others as an act of caring will do. It invites us to extend ourselves beyond simply knowing people and adopt ways that offer caring — genuine caring — to others. It’s not just about using our mouths to tell people about Christ, but it’s about displaying love and caring in tangible ways that make the gospel of Jesus a reality as opposed to an abstract concept. It’s from our genuine caring that others become valued and valuable to us and the love of Christ becomes real to them.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to reach out to others through personal acts of caring so that the gospel is displayed to others in real ways.
A lack of caring and indifference is noticeably present in our world today. This is not true across the board, but it does lead people in some w… Read More
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
A lack of caring and indifference is noticeably present in our world today. This is not true across the board, but it does lead people in some ways to show apathy towards their brothers and sisters. But what seems to be a problem in our world is always converted into an opportunity for the members of the body of Christ, the church. Our opportunity unfolds as an opportunity to show Christ’s loving care in a world that may not be ready to receive it. Any other way — by sniping and back-biting only leads to bitterness and self-destruction and showcases our lack of care in ways that denigrate Christ.
Conflict in the world and in the church has always created indifference and apathy toward others in some ways.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower and enable me to see the opportunities in Your world to value others, acknowledging their gifts, while showing care and concern to others so that Your grace may prevail.
The ministry of caring, actually, goes beyond acts of mercy. It’s exhibited in ways that simply invite us t… Read More
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
The ministry of caring, actually, goes beyond acts of mercy. It’s exhibited in ways that simply invite us to offer words of encouragement — to build each other up in spirit. That is caring for each other in a very different way, and yet, it still says to the other person, “I care about you! I value you.” Sometimes a kind and encouraging word can do more to build a person up than a gift of appreciation. Or it could be said that a kind word as an act of caring is a gift of appreciation. It can do more to give value to someone else who may be feeling depressed because they’ve been devalued.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love and life, enable me to encourage others and build them up as an opportunity to create a more harmonious community in Your name.
Empathy is one of the most powerful ways to care for and be emotionally and spiritually present with others…. Read More
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Empathy is one of the most powerful ways to care for and be emotionally and spiritually present with others. It allows us to quietly cross the bridge of their discomfort or joy and join with them in deep expressions of their emotional situation. For some, it’s called the ministry of presence — of being with someone emotionally regardless of the circumstances they are in. Neither grief nor joy is anything that should be experienced alone. It is the act of care and caring to share God’s gift to our lives with others. It even means peacefully respecting them when they want to be alone.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love and grace, empower me to be sensitive and caring to the emotional needs of others. Teach me the art of valuing and caring for others with empathy and understanding.
There is no doubt in the world that we’re all different. Science has shown the power of God to create diversity in our lives. But because… Read More
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
There is no doubt in the world that we’re all different. Science has shown the power of God to create diversity in our lives. But because we are connected so closely, it’s important for us, just as the various parts of our bodies “acknowledge our dependence on one another”, and to offer the best that we have with what we’ve been given. Whether or not we know it or understand it, offering the best we have of God’s gift to us and to one another leads to our survival. It’s not just that I can survive on my own. As a member of God’s creation, we need each other to survive.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and tender God, through our gifts, it is Your will that every need be supplied. We are important to each other and need each other to survive.
We’ve been created by God differently so that we would come to be interdependent rather than independent. T… Read More
28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
We’ve been created by God differently so that we would come to be interdependent rather than independent. The value of our relationships with God and Christ depends on how we value and care for one another. We need each other for the success of Christ’s church because none of us can do it all alone. It’s therefore important for us to embrace who we are as different, and value each other as if we are the same. We can’t do anything alone, and so we need each other to do God’s work.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, help me to acknowledge the significance of the gifts of those who are placed around me. Teach me to care for them as a ministry of our Christ and Your church.
Most of us who live our lives in the Christian faith live them unaware of the spiritual gifts that God has given… Read More
14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Most of us who live our lives in the Christian faith live them unaware of the spiritual gifts that God has given us. Our entrance into the spiritual church from the secular world makes us accustomed to giving value to those who are in leadership positions without recognizing those who work behind the scenes. That typically leads to value judgments about the importance or lack of importance of certain people within the body of Christ. However, it also leads us to the place where we become blind to the value of those God-given gifts and why those gifts are given. God gives us all of these remarkable gifts, not so that we can consider how important we are, but so that we might value the gifts that each person has, acknowledging them in caring ways. And so, the purpose of our gifts — God’s gifts to each of us — is so that we might dedicate ourselves to Christ in ways that we actually honor, value, and care for one another. It’s done so that the seemingly insignificant might value and care for those who seem significant and those who seem significant would acknowledge the value and extend care to those who seem insignificant. It’s both how we acknowledge the gifts that God gives each of us and helps us to recognize that we need each other.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, teach me to acknowledge and use Your gift to me as an instrument of Your grace to care for others and empower me to acknowledge Your gift to them as a something we all need to be whole.
For all that we are, and however we might see the world and those around us, we represent those in the world who… Read More
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
For all that we are, and however we might see the world and those around us, we represent those in the world who are waiting to be restored. It’s a strange irony that God calls us — challenges us to continue the work of Christ by restoring people to life when we, too, are in need of the same healing condition of being restored. But therein is our glory. We know and depend on God’s faithfulness to bring us up from whatever condition we are in to restore us. Our job and Christian duty is to give restoring life by the love of Christ to those who are in need of restoration today.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, awaken in me a sense of Your Holy Spirit present with me so that I may courageously restore life to others while I wait for You to restore me.
God has always been in the restoration business — taken people from one broken state to a renewed state of being…. Read More
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord — Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here — has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
God has always been in the restoration business — taken people from one broken state to a renewed state of being. That’s the nature of restoration. It doesn’t put us back where we were as much as it gives us a new perspective and way of looking at the world and each other through our relationship to God. And we all need restoration in some ways. Ananias needed it to go to Paul and Paul needed it to begin his ministry in the name of Christ. Restoration energizes us, and when it’s done for others, they, too, feel more energy to live.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, open my eyes that I may see the value of restoring life to others in Your love and grace so that they may be energized to serve You.
Restoring life is not easy. Sometimes to make people whole again — to restore life to them — it means cross… Read More
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
Restoring life is not easy. Sometimes to make people whole again — to restore life to them — it means crossing traditions of faith, culture, politics, class, ethnicity, and law. And yet, there is no real law against making people’s lives better, especially if it’s done with the love of God at its center. The question we must ask ourselves is, “Are we willing to violate those traditions and boundaries to restore life to others for Christ’s sake?” It’s a simple question, but the correct and Godly answers may invoke the anger and indignation of those close to us. They may even invoke us to anger against God for requiring such a demand from us.
Today’s Prayer
God of love and life, enable me to find the courage to stand against any cultural norms in order that I might restore the lives of others in Your name
The biggest destroyer of life in any age or culture is our unwillingness to embrace those who are different from… Read More
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
The biggest destroyer of life in any age or culture is our unwillingness to embrace those who are different from us. According to this Scripture, the woman (who is a Samaritan) reminds Jesus he is crossing cultural boundaries because her experience is that the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans. In our world culture it is in some people’s minds a preference that the blacks have nothing to do with the whites, the Japanese have nothing to do with the Koreans, and the list goes on and on. In what was labeled the “Age of Aquarius” (a period of enlightenment from the 1960’s) a song writer once wrote the words: “There is a green one who won’t accept the blue one for living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one.” And it still continues in our world today. The road to restoring life begins when we put aside our differences and relate to each other as humans.
Today’s Prayer
God of all creation, work in me to remove my biases so that I may become an agent of Your life-restoring powers in my encounters with others.
We are so good at the art of justifying ourselves. We want to be right (or righteous), and yet we’re not li… Read More
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
We are so good at the art of justifying ourselves. We want to be right (or righteous), and yet we’re not limited in what we will do to make ourselves appear popular and accepted by those who are closest to us. What’s clear is that God is not impressed by our self-justifying efforts. What’s in our hearts is more important than our social or cultural acceptance by groups. And sometimes our desire to be accepted by others prevents us from restoring life to others in ways acceptable to God.
Today’s Prayer
Righteous God, empower Your Spirit to work in me that I may be justified and accepted by You in ways that inspire me to restore life to others.
In every act of righteousness toward God, there seems to be a test that comes to us, helping us to determine exac… Read More
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
In every act of righteousness toward God, there seems to be a test that comes to us, helping us to determine exactly whose side of righteousness we’re on. And the test is more than about loyalty. The test is often one that gives us an opportunity to restore life to someone or to remove it. Capital punishment is such a hot-button issue because the choices are life and death. The same is true for any man or woman lying in the middle of the road. Our decision to walk by or to help is life and death for them — restoration or cessation of life.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, when I find myself tested regarding my faithfulness to You, may I always decide in this life to choose to restore life rather than end it.
We are a people whose characteristic trait is to value life. It’s when life and lives are broken, or in som… Read More
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
We are a people whose characteristic trait is to value life. It’s when life and lives are broken, or in some ways devalued that we have a responsibility to step up to the plate and do what we can to restore to wholeness that life of an individual or those lives of a group. It sounds easy enough, but it requires some spiritual growth and resolve on our part. Many of the lives we encounter are broken because we — sometimes through negligence, prejudice and indifference — are responsible for their brokenness. It may be because they don’t represent who we are. It may be because we share our own personal biases against them. But the biggest reason why people are typically broken and devalued is because we have failed to see them as totally human. We are sometimes guilty of walking by those in our lives and communities who are lying broken and in the middle of life’s road because we have something more important to do, or we’re afraid to approach them. But if we are who Christ calls us to be, then our correct response is to be a neighborly one. We’re supposed to restore life and not dismiss it or neglect it
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, empower me to see those broken and avoided souls on life’s highway in my community whose lives need to be valued. Grant that I may be the Samaritan among those in my community seeking to restore life to others.
How disappointing it is to desire something and not be able to get it. It cuts right through to the heart of our desi… Read More
2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so, you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
How disappointing it is to desire something and not be able to get it. It cuts right through to the heart of our desire. And yet, our desires seem to be motivated by things that have little or nothing to do with God’s will, but more by our own selfish desires. When we lack wisdom, we lack not only the intelligence to know what’s best for us, but we lack the ability to manage it once we get it. Allowing wisdom to determine what we want and why we want it could cause our entire world change iin ways that benefit everyone.
Today’s Prayer
Loving Christ, give me wisdom so that I might know the right things to ask for and the wisdom to be a good steward of all I receive.
Wisdom — at least God’s wisdom — invites us to come openly to God in search of those things that are hidden in our hearts —… Read More
7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Wisdom — at least God’s wisdom — invites us to come openly to God in search of those things that are hidden in our hearts — things enabling us to accomplish God’s purposes in our world. And so, if we ask, search, and knock on the door of God’s wisdom, God is more than happy and willing to supply us with whatever it is we need to deal with our issues. The best gift we can receive from God is the wisdom to live a life that gives honor and glory to our God. Wisdom is the beginning of pleasing God.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious Christ, enable and empower me to draw from the deep wells of Your wisdom that my every desire may be filled with wisdom from on high.
“Experience keeps a dear school — a fool will learn in no other.” Those are well remembered words from Benjamin Frank… Read More
20 Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. 21 At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates, she speaks: 22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23 Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you.
“Experience keeps a dear school — a fool will learn in no other.” Those are well remembered words from Benjamin Franklin. It begs us to explain why we will not take wisdom at its calling and give heed to it rather than embarking on a journey of the learned experience where pain, disappointment, misery, and a host of other things are the reward for our foolishness. It seems that if having anything was the deal on the table, wisdom enough to avoid life’s follies would be number one.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, give me the wisdom to avoid making foolish decisions in life and to know that Your wisdom saves me from the lack of knowledge.
Many of our decisions are made without discernment about giving consideration to God’s will. To that end, we often fi… Read More
14 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
Many of our decisions are made without discernment about giving consideration to God’s will. To that end, we often find ourselves wondering why it seems that our prayers fall on deaf ears. Knowing what to ask according to God’s will is not a matter of knowledge, but a matter or wisdom. Wisdom seeks to find and exercise God’s will in our decisions and in our activities. To do anything else might be based on knowledge, but wisdom acknowledges God in both the present circumstances and the future outcome.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious and loving God, empower me in all of my requests to seek only Your will for my life, both in the present and in the future.
I play chess occasionally. Regardless of what people say, it’s a game that requires knowledge — knowledge about the b… Read More
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly, 8 guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
I play chess occasionally. Regardless of what people say, it’s a game that requires knowledge — knowledge about the board, about the various techniques, about strategy and tactics. But knowledge without understanding can lead to foolish and dangerous moves that point the way to defeat and failure. However, coupling knowledge and understanding allows one to play the game with wisdom. Employing God’s wisdom incorporates knowledge and understanding that leads to good decisions, enabling us to avoid living our lives as defeated people.
Today’s Prayer
All Wise and knowing God, enable me to employ Your wisdom when making any and all decisions about my life.
If we could ask for anything, I’m quite confident that wisdom would not be at the top of our list. When we think of things, we typically turn to… Read More
13 Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, 14 for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
If we could ask for anything, I’m quite confident that wisdom would not be at the top of our list. When we think of things, we typically turn to creature comforts and security — knowing that we will have a roof over our heads, that we’ll have enough to live on, and that perhaps our children will be secure when we’re gone. Those things can happen, but we think of them as being an outcome of material wealth, not wisdom. Wisdom ensures that “IF” we have “IT” we will have everything else we need.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, enable and empower me to know the true wealth of Your Wisdom that I may possess the riches and honor that Your wisdom provides.
There are many people who live with the dream of being rich beyond their wildest dreams. This can be determined by t… Read More
1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.
3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
There are many people who live with the dream of being rich beyond their wildest dreams. This can be determined by the number of people who attend gambling casinos and those who buy lottery tickets. Each one is hoping to hit it big and have enough to live on forever. But the records show that having huge amounts of money doesn’t mean keeping it all. Many who have won it all didn’t have the wisdom necessary to manage what they had. It leaves one wondering, is it money that we really need, or is it the wisdom of knowing what to do with our money. I would say that Solomon had the best request: not money, but wisdom. It’s like Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be provided.”
Today’s Prayer
Generous God, teach me through the gift of Your Spirit the wisdom of knowing what to do with the resources I’ve been blessed to receive. Empower me to know that the wisdom to know what to do with Your gifts serves me better that having them.
Being wishy-washy — uncertain of where we stand or what we stand for is almost never an admirable personality trait. … Read More
14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Being wishy-washy — uncertain of where we stand or what we stand for is almost never an admirable personality trait. Perhaps it’s borne of the fear of being wrong. Indecision because we are weighing things out is one thing, but we eventually have to come to a place of decision about where we stand. This is especially true about our faith and convictions about God. Either God is or God isn’t where we place our trust and faith. But to move the line of faith in the sand without any conviction at all leaves us with lines drawn all over the place.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to draw a line of decision in the sands of my faith so that my beliefs and my relationship with You are not all over the place.
There is something reassuring about ordering our lives according to wha t we believe and say while being consistent in that… Read More
46 Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
There is something reassuring about ordering our lives according to wha t we believe and say while being consistent in that. Now, of course, we’re human and prone to mistakes. However, to continually say we believe one thing while doing another says more about where the lines are drawn in the sands of our faith. It is impossible to consistently wear two faces before the crowd before becoming confused about which one is true. Hypocrisy begins when we tell ourselves and the world where the line of our faith is drawn, but the line is clearly drawn in another, far away from the line we speak about.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, empower me to live a faith that is consistent with where I say the lines of my faith are drawn so that my faithfulness to You has integrity.
God weeps for us when we have allowed ourselves to be “taken captive” by other gods. It’s a difficult thing for God t… Read More
16 Give glory to the LORD your God
before he brings darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the twilight mountains,
and while you look for light
he turns it into gloom
and makes it deep darkness.
17 But if you will not listen,
my soul will weep in secret for your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,
because the LORD'S flock has been taken captive.
God weeps for us when we have allowed ourselves to be “taken captive” by other gods. It’s a difficult thing for God to watch as we continually proclaim our faith one way and live inconsistent with that faith from day to day. We have, at times, chosen other gods and then blamed God and others when our lives hit a bump. We are typically willing to blame anyone as long as it doesn’t fall on us. But there is profound truth that tells us that drawing the lines of faith to exclude God’s word is the fastest way for our lives to end up in darkness and destruction.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love and life, enable me to draw the lines of my faith in the sands of a life that includes You and faithfulness to Your word and will.
God’s expectation of faithfulness happens because we are chosen to experience it. There is also the expectation that… Read More
19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
God’s expectation of faithfulness happens because we are chosen to experience it. There is also the expectation that we will live in a faithful relationship with our God so that God may live in faithful relationship with us through keeping God’s promises. The relationship of faithfulness is sealed by the promise of God. And yet, God cannot and will not honor what we do if we have chosen other gods to worship. God’s faithfulness is predicated in real ways on our faithfulness to live God’s will for our lives in justice and righteousness.
Today’s Prayer —
God of love, empower me to draw the lines of faithfulness to You in my life so that I may receive the blessings of Your promises to me.
There are times when we think of God’s requirements as a real pain. So many times we hear the “don’t do’s” of our fai… Read More
12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?
There are times when we think of God’s requirements as a real pain. So many times we hear the “don’t do’s” of our faith. In reality, God wants only that which is for our own well-being. That’s where the stretch of faith comes in — seeing that God is trying to help us and not hurt us. Life might be so much easier if and when we could draw the lines of our faith around a principle that reminds us that God is for us. And if God is for us, God is more than the world against us. I believe that’s Scripture.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving and tender God, help me to see that the drawn lines of my faith that keep me obedient to You are for my benefit and not for harm.
We can’t imagine what it’s like to be told by God to leave everything we’re familiar with and to go to a place where we wou… Read More
2 And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’
We can’t imagine what it’s like to be told by God to leave everything we’re familiar with and to go to a place where we would be a total stranger. And yet the situation is perfect for establishing a faithful relationship and trust in God. But that trust is only realized when we are able to draw the lines in the sands of our faith, as Abraham did, and trust that God is God, and that God is faithful. The question will always be before those who place their faith in God, “Where do we draw the lines of faith?” Hopefully, we can answer, “In our God.”
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable and empower me to draw the lines of my faith in such a way that my actions are representative of my total trust in You.
Loyalty, faithfulness, commitment, core values and principles — these are all human qualities that everyone will reckon with in their lifetime. … Read More
1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants.
14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.
Loyalty, faithfulness, commitment, core values and principles — these are all human qualities that everyone will reckon with in their lifetime. The question will eventually come down to: “Where do we stand, and how far will we go before we go no further?” It is an interesting question that typically comes at the point of decision on our part before the proverbial ‘line is drawn in the sand.’ That same question about where we stand in principle on certain other areas of our lives is equally important where God and faith are concerned. We surround ourselves with other gods and goddesses, some of them lifeless forms to which we pay homage which ascribe to certain ideals we hold sacred. Others are human vessels — a group of friends, a political ideology, or perhaps some person of importance to whom we raise to the level of a god in our lives. And that is where the point of decision is made in our faith as we ask and honestly answer the question, “Who and where are these other gods and goddesses in my life that I am worshiping and being loyal to over the God of all Creation?” When we have answered that question, we will have sufficiently drawn a line in the sand of our faith, choosing whom we will serve.
Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, enable me to clearly see and be honest about those other gods in my life that prevent me from being faithful to You. Empower me to draw immovable lines of loyalty in the sands of my faith so that I may serve You and You alone.
There is a significant difference in being free from the law of sin and death to practice the law of the Spirit. The… Read More
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
There is a significant difference in being free from the law of sin and death to practice the law of the Spirit. The law of sin acts as a constant reminder of our inability to do what is right. The law of the Spirit blankets us with a forgiveness that frees us from the fear of facing God’s wrath because of a tally sheet of wrong. The spiritual law of forgiveness doesn’t free us to sin without consequences, but sets us free to live with the grace of God to move forward without fear of condemnation. Even in our darkest moments, the light of God’s grace shines upon us and is a constant reminder of the forgiveness we’ve received. It’s our constant awareness of our grace that should remind us to say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
How does freedom from the law of sin and death and freedom to practice the law of the Spirit empower you to live differently?
Today’s Prayer
Gracious and giving God, enable me to live my life knowing that through Your generous act of forgiveness, the chains of sin and death are gone.
The nature of our lives in Christ is really tied to the Great Commandment. It’s a more powerful connection to our rel… Read More
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
The nature of our lives in Christ is really tied to the Great Commandment. It’s a more powerful connection to our relationship between God and each other. For some mysterious reason, God has connected our love of each other and how we practice that love to our love of God and how we practice that love so that to say we love God, but to live and act in ways disrespectful of each other is no different than living in disrespect to God. This is essentially a confirmation of Holy Scripture when John stated, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 Jon 5:20-21). Loving and honoring God and each other enables us to reach for the greatness that is within us all and allows the light of God’s glory to shine through us.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious Christ, empower me to live my life that I may see my opportunity to love others as an occasion to reach for greatness of Your light shining in me and show my love for You.
Perhaps the greatest gift of God is the gift of forgiveness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. We’re not always conscious… Read More
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, . . .
Perhaps the greatest gift of God is the gift of forgiveness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. We’re not always conscious of what it means to live each day having 10 commandments and an auxiliary and complimentary set of some 600 plus rules by which our lives are ordered and measured. It must have been a significant burden to end each day with nothing but a list of failures and the fear of facing God’s wrath and judgment. Being made righteous by faith ties us to God with the same bonds of freedom with which Abraham is tied. It is that grace of God in Jesus Christ that allows the greatness of God to shine in our lives. Thanks be to Christ and our God.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, Your grace has freed me in ways for which I can never be grateful enough. Empower me to reach for the greatness I’ve received through my faith in You.
It’s difficult for us to view grace, faith, and law in the same light. It seems that the law is so restrictive and pu… Read More
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
It’s difficult for us to view grace, faith, and law in the same light. It seems that the law is so restrictive and punitive because it exposes all of our flaws. At the same time, grace is so liberating because it frees us from punishment by the law. Faith on the other hand is our ticket to freedom or judgment; freedom if we trust in grace by faith; judgment if we choose to hold ourselves to the letter of the law knowing how often we fail. And yet, we are constantly faced with the realization that the three are not disconnected. It’s not a matter of faith only. It is God’s grace, which offers us forgiveness. It is the law which reminds us of God’s righteousness. And it is faith in Christ which justifies us, making us righteous before God. It’s not one alone, but it is all three together.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, empower me to reach for the greatness in me, always mindful of the faith that justifies me, the law which guides me, and the grace which saves me.
It’s an overwhelming thought to consider that everything that we did could be exposed and seen by everyone we knew. A… Read More
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible — and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
It’s an overwhelming thought to consider that everything that we did could be exposed and seen by everyone we knew. And if that were a real possibility, I imaging there would be some significant changes in our behavior or the way we do some things? My guess is that we would all be greatly affected by an open and uncensored exposure into our lives. And yet, God’s invitation to us is to live our lives as if we had nothing to hide. Somehow there is truth in the statement that everything that can be seen becomes light that reveals something about us. There is real power in living the truth of who we are, bringing our true selves out into the light. There is also a humbling sense of embarrassment if the truth of who we really are inside was made manifest to the world. Both can be humbling in the light of God’s truth.
Today’s Prayer
God of Light, enable me to live my life in a way that, if exposed by light, reveals me reaching for the greatness You have placed in me as Your light to the world.
It’s not often that we think about whether or not the sharing of our faith has become effective. For the most part, we do w… Read More
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.
It’s not often that we think about whether or not the sharing of our faith has become effective. For the most part, we do what we do as well as we can and what it is — well, it is whatever it is. That wouldn’t be an acceptable outcome for our work. It wouldn’t be an acceptable outcome for the way we raise our children. None of us would keep a lightbulb in the lamp if it wasn’t functioning or being effective. We would work to make sure it was doing what it was created to do. Shouldn’t we be that way for God’s work? Shouldn’t we ensure that if we were created to shed the light of God’s grace in the earth that we are achieving our goals?
Today’s Prayer
Loving Christ, enable me to reach for the greatness of Your grace and love to become as effective at loving others as You are at loving me.
Almost every person considered to be great in our time and culture has succumbed to certain laws and principle to achieve t… Read More
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Almost every person considered to be great in our time and culture has succumbed to certain laws and principle to achieve their level of greatness. And to be sure, there are certain rules that must be followed to enable them to achieve greatness in whatever form it occurs. Musicians, artists, athletes, engineers, doctors, lawyers, chefs, bakers, and candlestick makers must first excel at the fundamental laws of their profession. And it is their expertise that catapults them into the arena of greatness, first among their peers, and widely among the general public. It is in the perfecting of their craft that their light begins to shine that others may revel in their artistry or talent. But whatever the level of their expertise, they cannot abandon the basics of the rules. Those remain sacrosanct to their greatness.
The same is true for those of us who profess Christ. To be sure, there are certain fundamentals that cannot be abandoned (the law) that keep us true to who we are. But there are also the fundamentals of grace that breaks through the darkness of intolerance and exclusion. Once we’ve incorporated and perfected the fundamental rule of grace, it is then that our light begins to shine. It’s the glorious and radiant light of God-love shining forth from us that enables others to see the greatness of God’s light and what it’s capable of accomplishing. And if we do it well — let the light of God’s love shine — it can’t be hidden but becomes an attractive light to those around us.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious Christ, empower me to reach for the greatness of Your radiant light shining in me so that the grace by which others experience Your love through me becomes a great light of attraction to all people.
There are many stories told in the Bible where people were with Jesus and never recognized him. Mary met him in the Garden… Read More
15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him
There are many stories told in the Bible where people were with Jesus and never recognized him. Mary met him in the Garden and didn’t know who he was. Paul heard his voice on the road to Damascus and was unable to determine who he was. Two disciples were on the road to Emmaus and were blind to Jesus’ presence.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, allow my spirit to be open to the reality that you might be present anywhere and I might not recognize you. Teach me to love and serve all people in your name.
Biblical images of God as judge over his people are laced throughout the biblical text. And the notion of God as judge make… Read More
17 As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.
Biblical images of God as judge over his people are laced throughout the biblical text. And the notion of God as judge makes some of us anxious. We don’t like to think that we’ve not been successful or faithful in pleasing God, and yet the ritual of separation as God makes righteous judgments about people seems to be a biblical reality. In God’s world GOAT has a much different meaning than “The Greatest of All Time.” And God’s goats seem to face a much different end than those who are esteemed among the people.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, order my steps that I may be found among the faithful and blessed as you judge righteously between those who have been faithful and those who have not.
There seems to be a concurrent them running through the reality of God’s judgment on humanity. Those who are blessed by the LORD stand to inheri… Read More
22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.
There seems to be a concurrent them running through the reality of God’s judgment on humanity. Those who are blessed by the LORD stand to inherit all that God has promised to them. Those who have missed opportunities to actively care for the needy seem to be headed for a land where they will not have access to God, or in other words, be cut off. In a faith system that speaks of God’s tremendous grace through Jesus Christ, how can we make sure that we don’t miss opportunities to love others who seem to be our gateway into reconciliation and eternal life
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, lead me into a life of service and faith caring for those who are considered the least of your brothers and sisters that I may find my blessing among those you bless.
There is no doubt that our hearts are often in the right place. We’d like to see those who are hungry with food, those who are naked with clothe… Read More
15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
There is no doubt that our hearts are often in the right place. We’d like to see those who are hungry with food, those who are naked with clothes, those who are homeless with shelter, those who are sick with healthcare. And the list goes on. There is a part of the equation that makes us more likely to speak a blessing than to be a blessing.
Today’s Prayer
Loving Christ, help me to go beyond offering well wishes to those in need to becoming a person whose heart is in and whose hands are personally involved showing love to my brothers and sisters.
Poor Job. Not only is he now numbered among the least of these God’s children, but his friends are leveling the charg… Read More
5 Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins endless?
6 You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.
7 You gave no water to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,
Poor Job. Not only is he now numbered among the least of these God’s children, but his friends are leveling the charge against him that he is suffering from some large form of wicked behavior. He is accused of stealing and taking the clothes from the naked, making them thirst, and making the hungry go without bread. And yet, his friends, while laying the charges at his door, seem to be doing nothing to alleviate Job’s suffering. It’s as if they believe Job should not only pull himself up by his own bootstraps but should lend a hand to those in his same condition.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious Christ, help me to do more than keeping my hungry brothers at arm’s length by only donating food. Empower me to engage in a personal relationship with the hungry.
The prophet Isaiah raises the issue of how we live in relationship with God and how we honor our relationship with God by l… Read More
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter —
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
The prophet Isaiah raises the issue of how we live in relationship with God and how we honor our relationship with God by living in relationship with others. There seems to be a strong connection between equity, the implementation of justice, and how we treat others less fortunate than we are. And, while Jesus lived several hundred years after Isaiah, the problems have not seemed to go away. The opportunities and God’s expectation that we will proactively engage the “least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters” at the point of their need seems to have fallen at our feet.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, enable me to see the needs of those around me with your eyes. Fill my heart with compassion that I will do all in your love and power to meet those needs.
Jesus has something to say about the way we live and the way we care for one another. Matthew has placed this event a… Read More
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Jesus has something to say about the way we live and the way we care for one another. Matthew has placed this event at the end of life’s accounting period when all human accounts on the books will be settled. The people are gathered before Jesus. And while the separation begins, no clue or reason is given at the time of the separation indicating why. And then suddenly the books of life are reconciled. One separated group has a much different fate than the other. They have seemingly lived parallel existences, each sharing the same experiences and having the same opportunities. Yet the outcome of their life’s fate seems to be tragically, yet radically different because one group has blindly missed the opportunities right before their very eyes. The other group receives a blessing because they unknowingly took advantage of an opportunity because a spirit of caring was innate to them. One group is blessed and invited into eternal life, while the other seems doomed to live with the results of poor life decisions made in the midst of great opportunities missed. In our world and culture, nursing homes are filled with lonely people who have no one to visit them. Prisons are filled with people (some of whom have been unjustly judged and imprisoned) with no one visiting them to offer hope except family (and sometimes not even family). Many people have empty bedrooms just for show and special guest while the homeless are left to sleep in extreme conditions. Grocery store shelves are lined with food while people go hungry.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, so that I may live eternally with you, save me from the blindness and indifference in my heart which causes me to miss opportunities to minister to You present in those seen as the least of your brothers and sisters.
We often think of the baby Jesus at this time o… Read More
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We often think of the baby Jesus at this time of year. However, his appearing had an impact on more than those who were aware of his birth. There were eternal consequences of his coming and the reason for his appearing. His coming was an invitation to join him in denouncing those things that were not a part of God’s true purpose for creating us. He was our realized hope to live holy lives, as much as possible, while we awaited Christ’s glorious return, and our restoration to our once perfect state.
Today’s Prayer
Oh God of grace and mercy, grant that I may live my life in a way that honors Christ, my realized hope, until you come again to perfect me.
Humanity has lived in a relationship separated… Read More
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Humanity has lived in a relationship separated from God for a long time. This might not be the case for everyone. But it is our nature to separate ourselves from the One who created us because of our self-will. It was our desire to do our own thing and not God’s will that created the atmosphere of sin with separated us from God. And that separation could not be repaired by us. Our continued desire to do what we wanted over what God wanted for us prevented us from closing the breach. Our only hope was that God would do something to save us. Jesus came to do what we could not do: to save us from our sins, thereby repairing and restoring us to a right relationship to God. Jesus became what we only hoped for without achievement — our realized hope.
Today’s Prayer
Holy and gracious God, I thank You that when all hope was lost, You came into the world as our realized hope to save us to be in a right relationship with You.
God’s actions are filled with assurance and pro… Read More
27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
God’s actions are filled with assurance and provide us the certainty that God will do as God has said. For Simeon, it was that he would not die until he had realized his hope — seen his Salvation with his own eyes. God was faithful. And when Simeon had received the promises of God made to him, he recognized the wonder of what he had just experienced. It may not be a bad thing for us to always be in an attitude of thanksgiving, praising God for receiving the promises made to us from ages past. God’s faithfulness to allow us to experience realized hope is a true blessing and joy. It gives us yet more hope to cling to until all of God’s promises are completed.
Today’s Prayer
Holy God, Your faithfulness speaks Your truth to us. Grant that I may live as a witness to your faithfulness and the realized hope You’ve given through Your word.
62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Not much in life moves us any longer. We have come to the point where we’ve seen it all, or we’ve either been there and done that and have a T-shirt and coffee mug to prove it. And yet, there are still those things of God we don’t know that leave us in the dark. We don’t and can’t know everything there is to know about God. Nor do we understand why God does what God does. And yet, when our hope becomes reality and we are able to acknowledge it, there is both a reason for fear and curiosity, as well as wonderment and joy, praising God that our realized hope has come.
Today’s Prayer
God of grace and God of glory, enable me to continue to be surprised by the realized hope of God present in Jesus Christ and in my life.
The promise of God’s realized hope was planted… Read More
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.
6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The promise of God’s realized hope was planted in our hearts and minds hundreds of years before it would bear fruit. Promises that are a long time coming can wear on a person. But a promise fulfilled brings with it the best news. It can not only change the way we see things, but it can change how we respond to the promise. A promise fulfilled brings with it the realized hope of all who have waited, increasing and verifying any hope we have for the future. It is a cause for celebration whenever we see the light of reality confirming that our hope was not a false hope, but one that is confirmed in the fulfillment of the promise. God is now here. Our Emmanuel has come. And his name means more than we could ever ascribe to it. Our hope which has been realized in Jesus’ coming is more real than ever because it has reaffirmed our faith that other promises made by God yet unrealized will come to pass.
Today’s Prayer
God of faithful promises, enable and allow me to live with such joy, that your presence among us allows us to know that our hope of salvation is realized and rekindled.
The idea of becoming, much less being children… Read More
23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
The idea of becoming, much less being children of God is (for the most part) beyond us. It’s difficult for us to make the mental transition from who we are as flesh and blood to who we are as Spiritual relatives of God. And yet, who we are is not a matter of flesh and blood as much as who we are is a matter of spirit. Our bodies fail and we lose confidence in their ability to continue. But our faith continues to breed hope within us and connects us to God and Christ in ways that our flesh and blood can never do. Faith then becomes our hope realized in ways more tangible than the world we see with our eyes.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, empower me to hold on to the belief that my relationship to You is secured by faith that Christ is Your realized hope for us all.
It’s difficult for us to imagine a world that i… Read More
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me. ') 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
It’s difficult for us to imagine a world that is bathed in darkness. Most of us have never known a time when there wasn’t a light source from somewhere. And yet, there has always been and continues to be a pervasive darkness in people’s hearts and minds. That darkness is borne mostly out of our unwillingness to see what’s plainly before us. For the most part, we work hard to adjust to the darkness. We squint and self-dilate our pupils to compensate for the lack of light in order to actually adapt to the darkness that’s around us. And so, we limit ourselves to realms of darkness, learning to accept alternate forms of light even though they, too, are simply lighter forms of the darkness. And if that darkness we adjust to is simply the lack of hope, or the lies of self-deception we’d rather accept, then we learn to live without it. And hope becomes something that doesn’t lead us to anything real, only figments of what we dream about created from and in the darkness of our own lives. But God has chosen to open up the door of life so that our hope can not only be imagined, it can become as real as the God our faith confirms exists. And that reality is found in the Son, the true light that makes God known. His name is Jesus.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, help me to experience the light and truth of Christ beyond what I see with my eyes. Help me to know that he is my realized hope alive in the world and alive in me.
Peace has been defined as something more than j… Read More
14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;
Peace has been defined as something more than just the absence of conflict. Rev. Martin Luther King, using a biblical model, has called peace the presence of community. It’s difficult to create community when there is conflict and hostility between neighboring groups. And yet, Jesus is the one who came that we might put down our hostilities to live into the type of conflict and hostility free zone that represents God’s ideal world. Allowing God’s ideal world to consume us can fill us with a peaceful hope — a peace for everyone.
Today’s Prayer
Loving Christ, empower me to live with a peaceful hope, seeking to imitate You by helping to destroy the hostilities that exists within Your human family.
We aren’t the first culture to seek immediate g… Read More
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
We aren’t the first culture to seek immediate gratification. In our impatience, we want everything now. And we want it faster and faster. We don’t often consider that peace is a process. It takes time to work out the details. Like a baby being nurtured in its mother’s womb, a real and lasting peace must go through a process of growth, insuring that in the end, the peace will be a lasting peace. Our peaceful hope found in Jesus Christ arrived as God and the prophets had indicated, but the covenant of peace wasn’t signed until years after Jesus’ birth. What we hoped would be an immediate peace took 33 years to bring to effect. The first season of peaceful hope was just the beginning of the process. But because of Christ’s entrance into the world, God’s contract with humanity was introduced. We read through the contract for 33 years. It was then signed, sealed, and delivered, reconciling us to God by his blood, bringing peaceful hope to all who believe forever.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, You gave the gift of Your peace to us in Your Son who offers hope to all who believe. Grant that we may accept the peace offered and sealed through his blood shed on the cross.
It’s difficult for us to see a baby as being po… Read More
10 See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep..
It’s difficult for us to see a baby as being powerful. So much of his/her life is spent depending upon others to be strong for them. They must be cared for, fed and protected from any and everything that could harm them. And yet, a prophet suggests that one who is weak is the more powerful; that one who is helpless comes to rule with might; that one who is dependent upon others now, will feed those who come to depend on him and carry and protect them. It is within this Godly power that we find our peaceful hope.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, enable me to find my peace and hope in the future of a baby born with the power and dominion of a king You have consecrated.
There is nothing at all peaceful about a woman… Read More
9 Now why do you cry aloud?
Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe and groan, O daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor;
for now you shall go forth from the city
and camp in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued,
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hands of your enemies.
There is nothing at all peaceful about a woman in labor. In fact, the idea of child bearing labor whether real or a metaphor, is nothing to sneeze at. In either case we long for it to be over — long to be rescued from the agony of our situation. It’s hard to hear the promises of God over the groans of our pain. And yet, it is precisely in hearing the promises of God despite our pain that we are invited to find a peaceful hope within our circumstances. Knowing that God will rescue us and bring us to safety gives us a peaceful hope.
Today’s Prayer
Faithful God, help me to live in peaceful hope remembering Your promises and not focusing on the stress and difficulty of my own labor pains.
The one who is the Ancient of Days — the eterna… Read More
13 As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.
The one who is the Ancient of Days — the eternal God — is often understood as a powerful Spirit without human substance or form. And yet the image we have from Daniel is not of one who is born of the Spirit, but one who dares to come in the flesh. Could this be our God with us — the one with whom justice and equity are a part of their existence? The idea of someone in human form raises our hope level because we know this person will also usher in peace. Peaceful hope takes our anxieties away and fills us with trust in God.
Today’s Prayer
Almighty God, open my eyes that I may see You in human form. Give me the peaceful hope of knowing that Your Kingdom will never be destroyed.
1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
It is a time when all eyes begin to point toward Bethlehem. It wasn’t a big place — hardly a dot on the map. And yet this is the place where the history of a people and of a nation and of the world would change. A city that was too busy, and filled with chaos to even take notice of the peaceful hope of God entering among them, now finds itself just a little removed by time from the delivery of God in their midst. Amid the chaos and distraction, peaceful hope made its way to Bethlehem to be delivered in peace.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, enable me in this season of chaos and distraction to discover a peaceful hope moving into my world quietly without a lot of fanfare.
2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
We each search for peace in our own way. Some of us seek peace away from others, secluded in the construct of our own little worlds. Some of us seek peace in places where conflict isn’t present – that could mean among our families or friends. Some of us seek peace as a way to protect ourselves from the chaos the world throws at us. And yet, all of our attempts to find a peaceful hope are crowded out of life by our anxieties, our insecurities, and our fears where we sit behind locked doors, nervous and afraid, sometimes surrounding ourselves with weapons, all with the hope that peace and safety are going to be a part of our reality. A peaceful hope rests secure, free from the anxieties that the fear of danger brings with it. The peaceful hope we long for is one that establishes a new norm where hope and peace are married together in the One for whom peace is natural. That can only be from the One in whom the Peace of God rests. He is the one we’ve been waiting for. He is the one in whom we model a peaceful hope and a non-anxious presence to the rest of the world.
Today’s Prayer
Holy and loving God, in a world where danger, anxiety, insecurity and fear affect us all, enable me to show others that I am at peace and that my hope is in the one who is Your peace. His name is Jesus.
We receive a certain kind of surprise and joy w… Read More
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.
We receive a certain kind of surprise and joy when the news comes that we may be called out and honored because our circumstances are about to change. If we’ve been the object of ridicule and shame and then know we will be lifted up for any reason at all, it gives us a reason to rejoice and have hope. This is especially true if our tears of sadness are transformed into tears of joy, and our prayers of anguish have been answered. Even though our hope isn’t a reality, it has become a joyful hope, rather than an anxious one.
Today’s Prayer
Holy God, enable me to live today in the joyful hope of a future being created by You in which I will experience Your delight in me.
8 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
The entire notion of moving from one who has lived with injustice and wrongdoing into the arena where justice is the norm and vindication is soon to be instituted is enough to give a person joyful hope. When we think about the season of Christmas, it’s important for us to remember that God was on a mission to right the world — to create a situation in which those who had been left out and abased would be lifted up, honored, and blessed. Just the thought of it happening is enough to create joyful hope in those who lived with injustice. Just to trust that it will happen is enough to lift one’s spirits high.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, enable me to live with the joyful hope that Your day of vindication and recompense for those who experience injustice is near.
There is nothing more joyful than knowing that… Read More
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary;
and I will glorify where my feet rest.
14 The descendants of those who oppressed you
shall come bending low to you,
and all who despised you
shall bow down at your feet;
they shall call you the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
There is nothing more joyful than knowing that our situation is being changed from bad to excellent. We can live with dreams and visions of what the change might be like for us. But, until that day of change comes, all we can do is live in hope of its coming. That time can be a time of high anxiety during the waiting period. But, with the certainty of that day coming — knowing that God’s promises are driving that day — our only hope will be a joyful hope knowing that God never fails. God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, enable and empower me to live with the steadfast and joyful hope that Your promises are going to be fulfilled and that my life will change.
It takes a relationship of experience with God,… Read More
37 See, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety. 38 They shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
It takes a relationship of experience with God, trusting that God’s word is faithful in order to be filled with a faith that can’t be moved. That kind of faith only serves to fill us with a quiet confidence that God will deliver on God’s promises. And while the time of our waiting can be an anxious time, it can also become a time that is filled with the joyful hope — the joy-filled hope of knowing that our God is faithful. It is God’s faithfulness that elicits feelings of joyful hope within us. That’s what it means to be blessed — to be filled with a hope that no one can take away.
Today’s Prayer
Faithful God, help me to live remembering Your promises and Your faithfulness so that I may live a life filled with the joyful hope of Your coming.
It’s one thing to be given instructions on what… Read More
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
It’s one thing to be given instructions on what a proper response should be. It’s another thing entirely to be able to do it. And yet, we can find encouragement — and perhaps, too, the strength — to accomplish things that we couldn’t normally do if we can rely on the person who inspires the change in our hope. Such is the power of God to alter times and circumstances when God gives God’s word. It can change a fearful, strength-sapping experience into one in which we are filled with joyful hope that God will save us.
Today’s Prayer
Almighty God, create in me the spirit and resolve to not just wait for Your promises absent of hope, but filled with joyful hope in Your faithfulness.
There is always a sense of excitement around so… Read More
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. 11 Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
There is always a sense of excitement around something as important as God coming to dwell with us. If we’re honest, we say it’s what we want and desire. We want to know that God is not a God who resides a long way off, but one who is close and accessible when we’re in need. Knowing (or believing) that God is coming gives us a reason to be filled with a joyful hope — a hope that settles everything in its place and places God at the center of that joy and hope.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, fill me with the assurance and joy-filled hope of Your promises. Enable me in faith to experience joyful hope as I await Your coming.
It’s difficult for us to imagine being removed… Read More
14 Shout for joy, Fair Zion,
Cry aloud, O Israel!
Rejoice and be glad with all your heart,
Fair Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has annulled the judgment against you,
He has swept away your foes.
Israel's Sovereign the LORD is within you;
You need fear misfortune no more.
16 In that day,
This shall be said to Jerusalem:
Have no fear, O Zion;
Let not your hands droop!
17 Your God the LORD is in your midst,
A warrior who brings triumph.
He will rejoice over you and be glad,
He will shout over you with jubilation.
He will soothe with His love
18 Those long disconsolate.
I will take away from you the woe
Over which you endured mockery.
19 At that time I will make [an end]
Of all who afflicted you.
And I will rescue the lame [sheep]
And gather the strayed;
And I will exchange their disgrace
For fame and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will gather you,
And at [that] time I will bring you [home];
For I will make you renowned and famous
Among all the peoples on earth,
When I restore your fortunes
Before their very eyes
— said the LORD.
It’s difficult for us to imagine being removed from our homeland, then taunted and chastised by our enemies, or even to imagine that our displacement has occurred because of a broken relationship with God in which our punishment was brought about by our own faithlessness. Our image of God doesn’t fit that picture. But what we might begin to imagine is what it’s like to be broken — broken by our failures, broken by poor relationships, broken because somewhere in our lives we feel we’ve failed ourselves, our children, our parents, or our friends. Sadness looms somewhere in all of our lives like a nightmare that comes back from time to time to revisit us and take us to those dark places we’d just as soon forget. And now, imagine this. We get the news that in those dark places, we’re no longer going to have to endure the humiliation, embarrassment, or degradation that broke us, whether it was because of someone else or because of something we’d done. Knowing that freedom is on the way fills us with a joyful hope of renewal — the joyful hope we experience while we wait for Jesus to come.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious and loving God, as people who are sometimes broken by our enemies — by fear, betrayal, and tragedies caused by life, You alone remain our joyful hope for renewal and honor in all the earth.
One sure way to know that our hope is a prepared hope is through our prayers and th… Read More
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
One sure way to know that our hope is a prepared hope is through our prayers and the prayers of others who are praying for us. To know that someone is praying for our wellbeing and that our lives are being lived in a way that is worthy of, and in line with God's will for us is enough to fill anyone with hope. We know that God answers prayer; and so, God's promises of inheritance fill us with a hope prepared for the day of his coming. And if God’s promises secure us, we can rest assured that our hope truly is a prepared hope.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, continue to create in me a hope that is prepared by the certainty of Your promises offered in and through the prayers of others for me.
There is a point at which all that we do to prepare ourselves becomes nothing more… Read More
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
There is a point at which all that we do to prepare ourselves becomes nothing more than a futile effort to please. We either seek to please others and provide them with false ideas of who we are, or we seek to please ourselves in order to appear acceptable. We place a clean cloth over a dirty table hoping to hide the errors of our ways. A hope that is prepared comes ready to accept the terms of agreement set by the one whose standard we are required to meet. When we rely on God to prepare us, we need not fear if all that needs to be done is done. Our hopes are as prepared as they will ever need to be.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, enable me to live with the assurance that it is Your preparation of me that secures my hope that I shall experience Your promises to me.
Our greatest hope is that God will finally and fully claim us. In some ways t… Read More
8 In the whole land, declares the LORD,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
Our greatest hope is that God will finally and fully claim us. In some ways that defines our relationship with God. That we would be cut off and considered unacceptable to God can destroy our hopes and leave us in fear of our eternal life. However, to be claimed does not necessarily translate into being prepared. Being prepared is in one sense the art of being ready. On the other hand it could mean being made ready. Just as a bride has those helping her to be prepared for her wedding, we too need help to be fully prepared to meet our God and Savior. When one is brought up to a qualifying standard, they are truly prepared, and their hope is prepared as well. God is the one who prepares us to meet our hope.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, my hope rests secure in knowing that You will be the one who refines me, making me acceptable to You. You are my sure and prepared hope.
How does one prepare for something that they really are ill equipped to prepare for… Read More
11 The LORD utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;”
How does one prepare for something that they really are ill equipped to prepare for? When we think about what this season of Advent is truly all about, there is a sense of quiet peace while we wait for our hope to come. But how can that translate into an adequate preparation for someone like the God of all creation. If God's arrival were imminent, there would be an anxious terror within us. The best preparation we can make is to sincerely humble ourselves the best we know how. In that way we are prepared for the Lord to come where the humble will be exalted.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, create in me spirit of sincere humility, that in the time of your coming my hope may be truly prepared for Your arrival.
When we are faced with the prospect of good news — news that comes as the fulfillme… Read More
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD'S hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
When we are faced with the prospect of good news — news that comes as the fulfillment of a promise — we are by nature excited. But to receive the good news and to be prepared for the coming promise are two entirely different things. There is always work to be done when we anticipate company or important guest’s arrivals. Sometimes that preparation stems from the hope that we will have done what we needed to do to make their arrival as pleasant as possible. You might say that when our hope is on the horizon, we must make room for its arrival and fulfillment in our lives.
Today’s Prayer
Holy and loving God, enable me to do those things in my life to make your arrival one that indicates that I have a hope prepared for Your coming.
There are always things to do when trying to make ourselves ready for a royal guest… Read More
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
There are always things to do when trying to make ourselves ready for a royal guest. Naturally we want our surroundings and ourselves to be acceptable. Our appearance is important, as we want to make a good impression. But more important than preparing ourselves is to make sure we've made adequate preparations for the one we are expecting. We certainly don't want their way cluttered upon arrival. We show that our hope is prepared when we’ve done what we could to ensure that our special guest’s arrival is unobstructed.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, enable me to do those things in my life to prepare a way for your entrance so that my hope will be a prepared hope, ready for you to come.
We are never so far removed from a situation as when we are unprepared to meet it…. Read More
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
We are never so far removed from a situation as when we are unprepared to meet it. It’s one thing to be surprised. Surprises usually happen when we have no knowledge that something is about to occur. But it’s another thing altogether when we know of an event, a meeting, or an important arrival and we’re caught off guard, not because we didn’t know, but because we weren’t prepared. Something of being unprepared speaks to the lack of hope within us. Something gets in the way of our trust, our faith and belief that something is really going to happen. However, when we are filled with the hope that what we want and most need — that what we’ve longed for and desired for so long is coming — there is something alive within our hope that pushes us to be prepared; to get ready. All of this presumes that we know how to prepare. There are circumstances that require more preparation than we can do ourselves. In spiritual matters, our inability to properly prepare ourselves then depends upon God, who can and does make us ready for His coming.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious and loving God, in this season of hope, prepare me, yet again, for the coming of the Christ child. Help me to realize that it is You who purifies me and prepares me to be an acceptable offering when he comes.
There are times when we are blind to the things we don’t know. As one person has wisely admitted, “We don’t know what… Read More
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
There are times when we are blind to the things we don’t know. As one person has wisely admitted, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” It seems an obvious answer to our own ignorance. Couple that with the fact that understanding who we are is a learning process. Also acknowledging that people tend to be more in tune with diminishing us than lifting us up can leave us feeling a little bruised in spirit. Even so, there are song with lyrics to remind us: “I may not be the best of anything or have the best of everything; sometimes I think that I’m the least of all. But I know someone who knows everything; and to me, He is my everything, and I am thankful just to know that I’m his child. His name is Jesus, the righteous Son of God.” Those words offer us all comfort and the wisdom of God, knowing that we don’t have to depend upon our own righteousness, but depending on the righteousness of God, the hope of who we can become can be an exciting hope.
Today’s Prayer
Holy and loving God, continue to fill me with the knowledge and exciting hope that my reliance on Christ righteousness brings, and comfort me in this hope.
We presently live in a world where safety and security of all of its citizenry is in question. The rise in gun violence threats of violence agai… Read More
25 I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. 26 I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.
We presently live in a world where safety and security of all of its citizenry is in question. The rise in gun violence threats of violence against racial groups have people on high alert about their safety whether in the cities or rural towns. And yet, we’re entering into the season of Advent where God’s promise of safety rings through Scripture as a hope for the people to look forward to. It may be something to excite our hopes, but it’s also apparently something that we will have to wait for. While it seems so far off in our culture and time, God’s promise is sure, and still gives us something exciting to hope for.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, in these troubling times, help us to find reasons to live with excited hope about Your promises of safety and security for Your people.
Waiting is one of the most difficult things we do, especially if we’re waiting for something that we’ve longed for, but has… Read More
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Waiting is one of the most difficult things we do, especially if we’re waiting for something that we've longed for, but has been a long time coming. That waiting is amplified by the importance of the thing we’ve been waiting for. If all of our hopes are hinge on that one thing we’re waiting for, then there is a tension between our excitement in the thing we hope for and the patience with which we wait for it. Knowing that our hope is coming keeps us excited. But the timing of it, forces us to be patient, lest we turn ourselves into nervous wrecks while our minds scream the question, “When is it going to get here?” We soon learn that the difference between anxiety and anticipation. One is filled with patience, the other with nervous energy never trusting the outcome of our expectations.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, in these anxious times, temper my excitement for all that I hope for with the patience brought about knowing You are faithful to Your word.
It is, perhaps, one of our greatest hopes that we live in safety. Our world seems to be in such turmoil that safety a… Read More
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin;
ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!"
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
It is, perhaps, one of our greatest hopes that we live in safety. Our world seems to be in such turmoil that safety and security are issues. It is possible to surround ourselves with things, specifically weapons that kill, to protect ourselves from harm. But at that, in our disturbed minds, we run the risk of harming the innocents or injuring someone we believe is displeasing to God. Then comes the guilt or indifference from the harm we’ve done. Finding respite from our sins, then leads us to our own pitiful sacrifices to atone for our wrongdoings. Our comfort comes in realizing that God is our hope, and that in God’s faithfulness and care, we are able to be at peace and find safety only because God provides it.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, fill me with the certain hope of Your faithfulness. Enable me to live within that hope knowing that You are my safety and security.
One of our greatest hopes is God’s promise of justice and righteousness. We try as much as we can to institute it as… Read More
1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
One of our greatest hopes is God’s promise of justice and righteousness. We try as much as we can to institute it as a principle of our lives, but our humanity often clouds our judgment. Biases, prejudices, and our blindness to what is fair and just, keep objectivity and equity for everyone just out of our reach. But it is our hope in God’s promise that excites us. It is our faith that one day God will institute His justice, equity, righteousness and faithfulness. It will not then just be principles on which we hang our laurels or hopes that excite us, yet linger in a distant future. It will become a reality that we can all experience. That’s a hope we can all stay excited about.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, excite in me the ongoing hope that Your promise of justice, equity and righteousness have and are still to become a reality in Jesus Christ.
The hope of God’s promise has been with God’s people for years. When those hopes have become a reality, God has alway… Read More
10 For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
The hope of God’s promise has been with God’s people for years. When those hopes have become a reality, God has always given us something new to hope in. And with each new promise and each new hope, God’s people have become excited. We’ve longed for those days when God would no longer be absent among us, but when God would let us find Him, and live into the fulfillment of God’s promises for us. Because we aren’t there yet, it is the hope of God’s promises that keep us excited.
Today’s Prayer
Holy God, keep me continually living with the excited hope that one day, Your promises will become a reality in my life and future with You.
Nothing quite comes over us as powerful as the emotion of anticipation. We feel it in our bodies in ways that our bra… Read More
14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."
Nothing quite comes over us as powerful as the emotion of anticipation. We feel it in our bodies in ways that our brain alerts us that something is about to happen. Our stomachs quiver. Our bodies begin to shake nervously. And our mind can’t or doesn’t stay focused on anything for very long before it’s drawn back to that one thing that we’re hoping for. Our restlessness kicks up in the excitement of our hope as we wait — and not patiently, but excitedly — looking perhaps for something that has been promised to us. And if we’ve waited for a long time, then it seems our excitement is in direct proportion to the time we’ve waited.
God gave us a promise long ago. It was a promise of certainty of God’s faithfulness. And that promise was so powerful that even today it awakens in us a fulfillment of that same hope — justice, and righteousness; safety and security; salvation and the presence of God among God’s people. It just might be that today those hopes are rekindled anew, not just because of our world situation, but because of our faith in Christ’s coming.
Today’s Prayer
Holy and loving God, as we are called once again to remember your promises of salvation, we are also called to experience the exciting hope of His coming. Fill us with the excitement of renewed hope for the days of waiting still ahead.
We’ve become constrained in our praise of God. We’re constrained to the point of limiting how and where we offer up o… Read More
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
We’ve become constrained in our praise of God. We’re constrained to the point of limiting how and where we offer up our praise with regard to all things. Some of us prefer silence, or a quiet atmosphere of worship. Musically, some only want to hear the organ. The idea of drums and tambourines is offensive and too noisy for some. Some of us prefer the more contemporary sounds of electronic instruments, bass, guitars, horns, and drums. Still other’s only desire is to hear the choir, while smaller ensembles are welcomed by others. And dancing seems all but out of the question. Yet Scripture is clear. Praise God anywhere and everywhere; with musical instruments of every kind. Then, let everything that has breath praise God, while musicians express their rejoicings of the Spirit through playing.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, enable and empower me to openly give praise to You anytime, anywhere, and in every way for all You’ve done and are doing.
The idea of the God’s glory filling the space of the sanctuary eludes us. It’s certainly not one of those experiences… Read More
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
The idea of the God’s glory filling the space of the sanctuary eludes us. It’s certainly not one of those experiences that fits into our contemporary understanding of God’s presence in sacred space. And it’s difficult to determine what our response might be if anything of that nature were to take place. But, I wonder if the brightness of God’s glory could be a result of God’s presence being seen in the faces of those present in a more contemporary age. After all, if we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and God’s Spirit is inside of us, it should be the glory of God that shines through us.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable and empower the brightness of Your glory to first be found in me that it might fill the space of Your sanctuary.
We experience life in different contexts. Some of us experience pain, disappointment, frustration and sorrow. But those are not the only experie… Read More
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
We experience life in different contexts. Some of us experience pain, disappointment, frustration and sorrow. But those are not the only experiences we have. There is also joy, freedom, peace, comfort and satisfaction. That God has dared to allow us to experience the whole of life’s experiences means that we are not mono-dimensional. We’re allowed to experience the goodness of God, enabling us to praise God and understand God’s love in a personal way.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, enable and empower me to continually give praise to You for Your goodness as I live and experience Your love daily.
I’m fairly confident that most people are more focused on what is going wrong in their lives than what is going right…. Read More
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
I’m fairly confident that most people are more focused on what is going wrong in their lives than what is going right. Mistakes we make have the ability to become distractions that eat at us and endlessly nag at us. It’s typically not until we find a corrective course through forgiveness and reconciliation that we are able to go on with our lives as normal until the next mistake — and there will be a next mistake. When God forgives us — and God does forgive us — and welcomes us back into a right relationship, it’s then that we realize that God is worthy and due all praise.
Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, may my mouth be always filled with praise for You and Your love and mercy. Thank You for the grace that makes me whole again.
One of the most devastating things in life can be walking around in darkness, living with falsehoods and untruths, and not… Read More
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
One of the most devastating things in life can be walking around in darkness, living with falsehoods and untruths, and not knowing (or believing) the truth. Nothing is more relieving than to discover that there is a light of truth that brings understanding and clarity of heart, mind, soul, and spirit. It is especially true that when that light and truth come from the wisdom of God, we find joy and release. Freedom from the lies of the past and clarity around the future when they come from God are all good reasons to give praise, making music to God’s ears.
Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable me to celebrate Your light and truth as guides to the pathways of my life. In Your truth, I find joy that empowers me to always praise You.
There are those of us who decry the use of other than what we’ve come to know as standard instrumentation in worship. We ac… Read More
1 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD.
There are those of us who decry the use of other than what we’ve come to know as standard instrumentation in worship. We accept the piano and the organ, but frown on other instruments as being inappropriate at times. The guitar has become more acceptable, and a study of Holy Scripture will show us that stringed instruments and percussion instruments, drums and cymbals were a regular part of praising God. Perhaps when we sing, “Give me that old time religion”, it will include drums, cymbals, tambourines and guitars.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy God, teach me to accept all musical instruments as an acceptable means of giving praise and thanksgiving to You.
For those of us who are believers in God, we often come to worship — to give praise to God for various reasons. Some of us… Read More
11 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to their divisions, 12 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; 13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,”
the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
For those of us who are believers in God, we often come to worship — to give praise to God for various reasons. Some of us come not to praise God but to learn and grow in our understanding of who God is in our lives. But there is always music when we come. There is always a song sung by those present. There are always those of us who lift up our voices to sing of God’s praises. I sometimes wonder if we know why.
A part of me believes that we praise God through song because it’s our tradition. Music is an intentional part of the worship experience, but we don’t necessarily do it because we are thankful. It should be realized that true praise of God comes as an expression of thanksgiving. Praise of God comes when we realize what God has done, is doing, and will do among us and for us. And if we join together in one voice of praise and thanksgiving using all of our musical talents to praise God, it is still possible for God’s presence to be an awe-inspiring event — one that leaves us helpless to do anything but stand awe-struck in silence before our God.
Today’s Prayer —
Holy and loving God, enable my praise and thanksgiving for You to so fill the earthly temple of my body and spirit that I stand helpless and in awe of You and Your awesome love for me.
Poet and author John Donne reminds us that “No man (person) is an island unto himself.” Each of us becomes what we are beca… Read More
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Poet and author John Donne reminds us that “No man (person) is an island unto himself.” Each of us becomes what we are because we are touched by someone else’s life. That person may be sent by God to do the very things that open our eyes, enlightening us, and allowing us to move forward to do God’s work in profound ways. By whatever means it happens, we are moved to a position of new truth, proclaiming our new discoveries with new found dedication and enthusiasm.
Today’s Prayer
Merciful God, open my eyes that, in my life, I may fully know the truth about who You are that my witness may proclaim the truth.
None of us are Holy enough or righteous enough on our own to do what God calls us to do. Each of us must undergo some… Read More
6 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
7 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
None of us are Holy enough or righteous enough on our own to do what God calls us to do. Each of us must undergo some type of transformation to be truly useful to God. But for the person who embraces their change, a great and challenging future awaits them. The entire act of change begins with the act of humility. That requires an inward change of heart and mind. But then, we are always most useful to God after we’ve submitted our heart, mind, and spirit to God’s will.
Today’s Prayer
Loving God, empower me to willingly embrace the changes You would make in my life so that I am fit to do whatever You would have me to do.
Many people think of God in a corporate way, meaning, their experience of God should be everyone’s experience of God. And yet, God has always ha… Read More
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
Many people think of God in a corporate way, meaning, their experience of God should be everyone’s experience of God. And yet, God has always had a rather personal and intimate relationship with people. God reveals God’s self to one person in one way, while others all around that person are seemingly oblivious to that person’s experience. That kind of intimacy alone has the power to change people. And such is the mystery of a God who chooses to be revealed (or not) to those with whom God has business specific to God’s plan for humanity.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, humble me to embrace those changes that You make in my life that allow me to share in a more intimate relationship with You.
In some ways, it is expected that we share in the experiences of the persons we follow. That can be true in other are… Read More
20 Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
In some ways, it is expected that we share in the experiences of the persons we follow. That can be true in other areas of life besides the things of God. And persecution is no different. We experience persecution often because of others misunderstanding of our position or faith, rather than their understanding. It’s borne out of their passion for what they believe, and we become guilty by association with those who are persecuted for no other reason than we shared the same belief, principle, or faith perspective.
Today’s Prayer
Holy God, empower me through my faith in Jesus Christ to gain strength from those who would persecute me because of my faith in Jesus as the Christ.
People don’t always understand how transformation and change in your life can be such a radical departure from what you’ve… Read More
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
People don’t always understand how transformation and change in your life can be such a radical departure from what you’ve been or done before. Their desire to know is often based on the fact that they don’t fully understand how or why. Sometimes their desire to know springs from curiosity. Sometimes there is the desire to drag you back into a previous lifestyle. The reasons are varied and often extensive. Yet, in the midst of great personal change, it sometimes becomes necessary to explain your new found position.
Today’s Prayer
Loving Christ, enable me when it becomes necessary to justify changes that You’ve made in my life, that I will be able to testify to Your truth in all things.
When we are passionate about something, that passion may be displayed in ways that might make other people uncomfortable…. Read More