Remember

“Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, ‘You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?’”
Matthew 16:8-10

Remember - such a simple word and yet it can take us back in time when we hear it. This simple word appears 165 times in the Bible, not to mention all of its variances found there as well. It always takes the people back, often times to something God did or said - to something Jesus did or said. 

As we stand on the threshold of another new year it is good to look back and remember all that God did in our lives, all that he provided in His love and faithfulness. Taking time to remember those times when He carried us because we had grown too weary to go on. Those times when He shielded us from the brunt of the storm we were facing. What about those times when He provided us with our version of “loaves and fish?” We should remember those as well and we must remember how He was faithful to save us even when we were not faithful. 

None of us know what we will face in the New Year - we are praying for blessings and those in abundance. Yet, there is little doubt that we will face some struggles there too and when we do we should remember what we know from experience to be true. God is faithful, He will provide and protect. He will be our light when we only see our dark world. He will carry us when we grow weary. He will put people in our lives to travel with us so we are not lonely. He will be there each day of the year - laughing with us, singing with us, crying with us and molding us into His image. 

I suggest that as we step into to this New Year that we take time to remember and take those remembrances with us into the future. 

My Prayer For You
Father, thank you for the many blessings you have given us over the last year. Thank you for Your faithfulness in providing all that we needed. Thank you for loving us. As we begin this New Year we ask for Your blessing and continued care. We desire the year to be free of trials but we know we will face some and when we do may we remember You are with us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Make Room

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn”
Luke 2:6-7

Joseph and Mary had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem - the City of David for the census and when they arrived they found the city full of people and not a spare guest room to be found. Why was there no room for them? Scriptures don’t make it clear - perhaps the city had too many people in it, maybe they were being shunned. I suspect that if the “why” had mattered we would have been given the answer. The point is there was no room - no room in the city, no room in the hearts and minds of most of the people - there was just no room for the child foretold by the angel Gabriel and the prophets.

We don’t know what was going on in the city that day and night, had it turned into a big party, were politicians debating, and Roman soldiers patrolling the streets? What we can be sure of was no one was really interested in a baby that had been born and lay sleeping in a manger. No one, that is except the shepherds who had witnessed a marvelous sight and heard amazing news. They were not too busy, they made room in their activities to go and see this thing - this child they had been told about.   

It is so easy to get caught up in the activity of the season, in the “celebration” or the struggles that we can, whether we intend to or not, crowd out the very reason for the season and celebration. Is there room at your house and in your heart for Jesus? In our modern world if Joseph and Mary were to show up at your door, would you let them in? 

This year, amidst the family gatherings, gifts and food make room for Mary’s baby. Make room in your heart and life for the Son of God, make room for Jesus. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS - may your celebration be filled with the peace, hope and love found only in Jesus.

My Prayer For You
Father, as we celebrate Christmas, help us to make room for Your Son since He is the reason we Celebrate. May we feel His presence in a new way as we gather with our families. In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Light in the Darkness

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world, whoever follows after me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
John 8:12

The prophet Isaiah speaking about the coming Messiah says: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isa. 9:12). From the time of the first act of disobedience, our world has been cloaked in darkness. But God’s plan was to infiltrate the darkness with His own light. 

Jesus the Son of God, entered into this dark world to bring the light of life and love. Born into the darkness of his time, he would push back the darkness and with everyone who believed and made the choice to follow Him and call Him Lord the darkness was pushed back more.

We can see the darkness all around us, and yet for those of us who are followers of Jesus, followers of “the light of the world” we by our prayers, by our love for one another and our compassion for those around us, help hold back the darkness. 

Jesus was born in to an era when no doubt the people thought it couldn’t get any worse. A tyrant king was ruling in the land, the Roman government was oppressive and violent. In his efforts to rid himself of the One called “the king of the Jews” this king had all the male children killed - put to death by the sword. 

Today we live in a world equally dark, the weapons may be different but tyrant rulers still kill and imprison those who they fear and mankind can be cruel beyond the imaginable. But there is hope even still - even in the midst of tragedy, because life giving - life changing light it still present. We who call ourselves followers of Jesus bear that light within our very beings - we must allow it to shine as brightly as we can, inviting others into its comforting glow. 

This time of year as we celebrate the coming of Jesus, we celebrate the coming of God’s light and love into our dark world. Be the light today. Shove back the darkness to reveal an abundant life of joy, peace, and love. 

My Prayer For You
Father, thank you for sending your light into the world through a child. Thank you that Your Son imparts His light to us through Your Holy Spirit. Lord, how hard it is for us to comprehend the evil we witness in our world and yet we are called to shine Your light - Help us especially now to be the beacons that will show others the way to You. In the name of Jesus, the light of the world. Amen.

Christmas Lessons from the First Disciple

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:26-28

Writing about Mary, Timothy George says: “Mary was a disciple of Christ before she was his mother, for had she not believed she would not have conceived.” Later in Luke’s Gospel Jesus tells the crowd what the marks of a disciple are when he says: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (Luke 8:21). So what can we learn from Mary - the first disciple that we can apply to our celebration of Christmas?

Have and keep the faith. Unlike Zechariah who did not believe Gabriel when he said Elizabeth would have a son, Mary does believe when Gabriel tells her she is going to have a son, and acts on that faith even though she does not fully understand how it will happen. Mary understands the potential dangers and says yes to God’s plan anyway. No matter what you are facing during this season of Christmas, hold fast to your faith and say yes to God’s plan.

Worship! Her act of obedience is an act of worship. The song she sings when she visits Elizabeth is another act of worship. Sing this Christmas season! Turn your radio, mp3 player, tablet or computer up and sing. Sing, to worship the One who came to give you peace and joy. 

Reflect. “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart: (Luke 2:19). Take time this Christmas season to slow down or better yet to stop completely to reflect on all that God has done and is doing in your life. Have you seen Him in the storms? Have you felt His victory? Mary was human like us - she said yes to God without really knowing what would follow, so when out of the ordinary things happened she pondered it all in her heart. 

This Christmas take some pointers from the first disciple: keep the faith (He will never leave you), worship by answering his call and singing of His goodness, and reflect - stop and ponder in your heart all that He has done for you, your family and your friends. 

My Prayer For You
Father, Thank you for the celebration that we call Christmas. Help us to keep the faith, to be obedient. May we worship You with every fiber of our being. In the midst of our busyness as we prepare to celebrate the greatest gift, help us to stop and reflect on all You have done. Thank you for the examples set by those who have gone before - may we learn from them what it means to be a follower of Your Son. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

What Christmas Should Be

“I bring you good news of great joy!”
Luke 2:10

I don’t know about you, but I strongly dislike Christmas in its current modern form at least. I dislike that there are a few that want to make it a secular, consumer driven event – an opportunity to bolster the economy by spending money we don’t have to buy stuff that nobody needs or wants. Another excuse to over indulge in food and alcohol - did you know that more people die from alcohol related incidents during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays than at any other time of the year? That is not what Christmas is supposed to be about. I know, I haven’t created a very pretty picture of this sacred holiday, but let’s face it folks, even those of us who call ourselves Christians fall into the trap of “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”  

So what should Christmas really be? Webster defines Christmas as: “A Christian feast celebrating the Birth of Christ.” Then should only Christians celebrate it? In Luke 2:10 the angel tells the shepherds, “I bring you GOOD News of GREAT JOY!” and in verse 11 “A Savior has been born.” These two simple phrases tell us Christmas should be filled with joy and hope, not stress and hopelessness. How many of you feel joy while you were fighting the crowds at the mall? Christmas should be a time of Joy - the kind of joy you feel when you see a new born baby, for those of you who are parents – do you remember that feeling? Christmas should be a time of hope, the birth of Jesus the Christ was in many ways a new beginning, new beginnings bring hope. Christmas should be about peace. God decided to come to earth, not in a blaze of glory, not with a grand entrance, not even as a rich man. He chose to come, as a baby – born to a poor earthly family, born in a stable. I don’t know if any of you have ever been in a barn at night, I have and it is a peaceful place, the animals are resting, it is quiet and there is warmth. There in the Bethlehem stable, Mary, Joseph and the baby whose purpose was to restore man’s relationship with God were at peace. John 3:16 puts the final touch on what Christmas should be – it should be about love – “For God so LOVED…” We live in uncertain times, times that are not joy filled, where we can and do lose hope, where there is violence instead of peace and hate or at least indifference instead of love. 

But we can change that – we can keep our focus on the real reason for the season – JESUS. He was born of God’s love. His birth brought good news and hope. The circumstances of His birth show us we can have peace no matter what. If you call yourself a Christian, make Christmas what it should be, a time of celebration, joy, hope, peace and love. If you are hopeless today, if you want Christmas to be something different, accept the greatest gift that was ever given – Jesus. Open his gift and find the true meaning of Christmas.

My Prayer For You
Father, I know that some who are reading this are having a hard year, they are facing painful and stressful circumstances in their lives. I ask that as we draw nearer to the celebration of Your Son’s birth that we may each receive the gifts of joy, hope, peace and love, In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Extraordinary in the Ordinary

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13

I saw an interesting news story on the internet the other day. In the story a seemingly normal guy set out to make a documentary about getting rejected… go figure - don’t we face enough rejection in this world without having to intentionally go look for it? One day he walked into a Krispy Kreme donut shop and made an unusual request - he wanted a donut in the shape of the Olympic rings, and colored correctly. Now of course he expected to be told no, instead he found himself in an extraordinary situation. The manager of the shop was up to the challenge, did her best to meet the gentleman’s request, even googling the symbol to make sure she got the colors right. When she presented the donuts to him, he was thrilled and then it got even better. She gave him the donuts - no charge. He said he had failed in his attempt to get rejected but that the actions of the Krispy Kreme manager was extraordinary and made his heart feel good. 

In today’s passage it is not that Peter and John were courageous as they preached the Good News of Jesus, it is the fact that they were ordinary men, doing something extraordinary because they had been with Jesus. For some of those they touched with their message powered by the Holy Spirit - hearts where changed, fear was driven out and healing took place. But for others, the effect was the opposite - they were afraid because two ordinary men were doing extraordinary things in the name of Jesus.

I am fairly certain that most of us get that we are just ordinary people, but I am also sure that every once in a while I catch a glimpse of the extraordinary in others and sometimes myself. What about you? Has your heart been changed by an extraordinary act of an ordinary person? Have you been the extraordinary answer to the prayer of an ordinary friend or stranger?

As we clear away the leftovers of our Thanksgiving feasts and approach the season of Advent may we experience the extraordinary in the ordinary and be made better for it.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you, for using ordinary people and circumstances to do extraordinary things in this world. Help us to be on the lookout for those extraordinary moments that will fill our hearts to over flowing and bring You glory and honor. In the name of Jesus - Amen.

Always Thankful

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:3-6

I really like that in almost all of his letters Paul at some point - almost always by way of his greeting - says that he is thankful for the people to whom he is writing. The four verses above speak volumes about being thankful.

Like Paul each week as I write this simple devotion, hoping that it will be used by the Lord to encourage someone, I think of you, pray and thank God for each of you. Some of you reading this have been a part of my life for a long time and have been an encouragement to me throughout the years - for you I give God thanks. Some of you I don’t know as well but you have touched my life in some way, so for you I also give thanks to God. Some of you I am just getting to know and have already been encouraged and am excited to see what happens next as we journey together - I am thanking God for you too. 

None of us are perfect; no relationship is without its occasional drama - that’s part of life and something to be thankful for. We are being made over, by a God who loves us and perhaps one of the greatest things we have to be thankful for is that He is not finished with us yet, but He will keep working until we are radiant and perfect. Then we will see each other, the way He sees each of us - as amazing masterpieces, one-of-a-kinds that together form an even greater masterpiece. I wonder what the portrait of the Family of God will look like then, when it is already so spectacular.

This week as you gather to feast with friends and family remember you are loved by God and so are they (even the difficult ones). I thank God every time I remember you. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

A Prayer
Father - Thank you, that you remember us and will not leave us unfinished. Thank you for the people you place in our lives to help us, to encourage us and to journey with us, they are all part of your plan. May we all give thanks every time we remember one another and especially as we remember all that You have done for us. In the name of Jesus - Amen.

Thankful for Freedom

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Colossians 2:6-7

This is the day when we pause to recognize the members of our armed services and since 9/11 our first responders. All of these men and women who daily place their lives in harm’s way to protect our freedom and the many that have made the ultimate sacrifice for that same cause. For this we must be ever thankful. For this we must never take our freedom for granted.

As I was thinking about the great privilege anyone living in a free country has, I realized that in this world there are some who fight against freedom and I wonder why anyone do that? Why would anyone fight to protect a tyrant or slavery? Is it fear, is it ignorance, is it miss placed faith that drive some to surrender their lives in order to hold freedom at bay?

But there is a greater freedom available to everyone no matter the government they live under. It is a freedom paid for by the blood of Jesus. For those of us who call Jesus Lord, who have accepted his grace and his mercy, whose debt has been paid - Paul reminds us that we should live lives of abundant thanksgiving.

Because we are free in more than one way we have a responsibility to live free and to pray for those who live in captivity, both on this planet and spiritually. We have a responsibility to pray for those who have found freedom in Christ but are not free to worship Him. We also need to heed the example of those who risk their lives to worship Him in a captive land - for they are abundantly thankful for His sacrifice - they do not take it for granted.

For those who fight that we may be free - give thanks. For the freedom we have in Christ - give thanks.

A Prayer

Father - Thank you, that we live in lands where we have the freedom to worship you. Thank you for the men and women who fought for that freedom and who have died for it. Thank you for those to fight to protect our freedom still. Thank that your Son has set us free from sin and death. Help us to be abundantly thankful for all of the freedoms we enjoy. In the name of Jesus - Amen.

Tis the Season...

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”
Psalm 69:30

The season of thanksgiving that is. As I was looking for today’s verse I was struck by the idea that God has to remind his people that they need to be thankful. How well the Father knows His children, He knew that they would take the many blessings He provides either for granted or that like a spoiled child they would develop an attitude of entitlement. How easy is it for us to take our many blessings for granted or at times to feel entitled to the good things God has for us? I suspect it happens more often than we would like, I know that is the case with me. 

The Hebrew word translated as thanksgiving in the Old Testament is toda and the Greek word used in the New Testament is eucharistia. Both of these words have similar meanings but something in the definition of toda really caught my eye it said: “Thanks is the speaking of the excellence of a person or object, with a focus on the personal gratitude of the speaker.” Did you catch that? When we give thanks for the people and things in our lives the attitude of how we express our gratitude is important. Do you say thank you because you are just being polite or do you give thanks from a place of sincere gratitude?

As we race toward the next “Tis the Season” may we slow down enough to truly enjoy the season of Thanksgiving and may we give thanks for the amazing God we serve, for the people in our lives who are walking on this journey with us - no matter how rough the road may get, and for the many things we have and may we give that thanks out of hearts overflowing with gratitude.

What are you thankful for? Today, as I have written this, the list of things I have to be thankful for is growing longer by the second. In fact that list is so long that I think today I am even thankful for the not so good things in life.

Tis the season for giving thanks - do so with an attitude of extreme gratitude. 

A Prayer
Father - Thank you, thank you for every good thing You have given to us. Thank you for the people who have given us to share life with. Thank you for the struggles and hard times that make us stronger and make us turn to You. Thank you that you hear our prayers and long to give us good things. Thank you that You loved us so much that you sent Your Son to take away our sins and restore our relationship with you. Help us to live from a place of gratitude all year long. In the name of Jesus, who gives us a reason to be thankful we pray - Amen

What a Difference a Day Makes

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'"
Lamentations 3:22-24

An old song popped into my head this morning, songs don’t normally do that so I realized there must be a reason. The song has the same title as this week’s devotion “What a Difference a Day Makes.” The first verse says: “What a difference a day makes. Twenty-four little hours brought the sun and the flowers where there used to be rain.” As I thought about that I realized that sometimes twenty-four hours can make a big difference in our lives.

Today as I write this I have completed the first day on a new, second part-time job - answer to prayer really. While I celebrate today - the past twenty-four hours haven’t been so pleasant for millions of people on the other side of the country. In the past twenty-four hours some of us have gained victory and others have literally been in the midst of a storm of historic magnitude. 

The book of Lamentations most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah is a heart wrenching poem that expresses the pain, suffering and incredible loss the prophet experienced. All things we can all relate to whether we are experiencing them now in this moment or have in the past. There is however a message of hope in the midst of Jeremiah’s pain. The tone of his poem changes really with the verses above. The LORD’s great love, unfailing compassion and faithfulness are not only constant they can be experienced new every day. Those truths allowed Jeremiah to have hope while he waited for the Lord’s healing and restoration. Those truths allow us to have hope as well. 

Storms come and go - whether they are literal storms or personal storms, they leave behind a mess. The mess can take time to clean up, sometimes we are forever changed by them. But one day you’ll wake up and realize that you were not consumed by it because His love, compassion and faithfulness did not fail. 

A Prayer
Father - Thank you that in the midst of the storm Jeremiah found himself in, he also found you. May we look for You in the midst of whatever we face - good or bad. Thank you for the hope we have because of Your love, compassion and faithfulness. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The Language of We and Us

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’”
Nehemiah 2:17

As I write this Cornerstone Fellowship is working its way through the book of Nehemiah, not just on the weekends but throughout the week in hundreds of small groups. We are being called to rebuild the brokenness we see in our families, neighborhoods, cities, and beyond. How exactly does one go about mobilizing that kind action? Use the language of “we” and “us”. Nehemiah was a stranger to Jerusalem and yet when he addressed the people using “we” and “us” the people responded with a positive “Let us start building” (v. 18). 

Now we may not all be leaders like Nehemiah, but we all lead in some way great or small. What language do you use, with your friends, your children, your co-workers? If you are a “boss” what kind of language do you use with your subordinates? 

Husbands and wives you are stronger as “we and us” than as “you and I”. Neighborhoods would be better as we and us. Imagine what our country and world would be like if we could stand together as we and us, instead of nations of you and I. 

The New Testament speaks often of the unity of the body - the church is not supposed to be you and I rather it is called to be we and us. 

This week if there are walls that need to be rebuilt in your life, time sometime to think about the language you have been using to gain the cooperation of others. If you find yourself demanding change with you and I language I want to encourage you to stop, pray and then from heart of love try using we and us language. 

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the example your servant Nehemiah set for us as we work to rebuild the broken walls in our lives. Help us to use the language of understanding and cooperation, the language of we and us. Show us favor this week in all You call us to. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Life is Not a Freeway

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14

I have been thinking a lot lately about this journey we are on called life and it is definitely not a smooth, easy traveling freeway. Many have heard the saying “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” no doubt there is some truth to that, but I suspect looking forward to the destination help make the journey bearable when the going gets rough. 

Joshua, who would finally lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the land that had been promised to them, had seen the land forty years earlier - during a scouting mission. He and Caleb had been the only returning spies who said let us take the land. Because they believed and stood ready to be obedient Joshua and Caleb were the only ones from that generation to step onto the land God had promised his people. For forty years Joshua and Caleb wandered in the wilderness with everyone else but remembering the land they had seen. Did that keep them going? I think it did.

Paul, after his Damascus Road experience knew that his ultimate destination would be heaven, but he would also travel the world sharing the Gospel. He knew that his earthly destination was Rome and that his life would be spared until he got there. It was not an easy journey by any stretch of our imaginations.

We are each on a journey and for those of us who identify ourselves as followers of Jesus; our ultimate destination is eternity in His presence. Until we get there, we will travel all kinds of roads - some smooth, some steep, and some filled with ruts. We will face obstacles - some that God has or will allow and some that we have placed there. We will spend time in the mountains and time in the desert. Sometimes we will have to wade through the flood and other times the waters may part. Sometimes we will have just the right number of travel companions, sometimes we will be caught in a traffic jam and other times we will travel the road seemingly alone. 

The journey is intended to mold us into who we are meant to be - the destination will keep us going when we would rather not take another step. This week keep your eyes on the road and your heart on the destination.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the journey each one who reads this is on. You know where they are at and what they are facing. Some are on a rough road, some are on a steep mountain road, some are feeling alone - even though You are with them. Help us Lord, especially when the road is not easy to remember where You are leading us and may we find strength in the destination. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Believe it or Don't

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made.”
John 1:1-3

The Bible is an incredible book. Taken simply as literature it contains some fantastic stories, many of which could fall into other genres of literature like: fairy tales and fables, myths and maybe even a little science fiction. Consider just few of these stories. A boy kills a giant and becomes the king. A man lives for three days in the belly of a big fish. Three slaves survive a fiery finance. A peasant girl becomes the queen of Persia and saves her people from total destruction. Another peasant girl is told she will give birth to the messiah and gets pregnant without - well you know. A man named Phillip disappears from one location and appears in another. Then there are the amazing creatures described in its pages as well. Amazing stuff right?

Now if the Bible was just any book we could decide which of the many stories it contains we wanted to believe and not to believe. But, the Bible is not just any book it is the very word of God and he took great care in preparing it and protecting it so that people could get to know him. It seems to me that He intended for us to believe all of it, but not everyone - including some Christians - do not believe it all.

For instance a 2009 poll revealed that among weekly church goers: 24% believed in evolution; 41% did not believe in evolution and 35% had no opinion on the matter at all.

The story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is one of the most fantastical stories in the Bible. God become a man - born into this world like the average human is. He grows up and chases out demons, brings people back to life, heals with a touch or a word. Then he dies a brutal death and come back to life himself. I believe that story is true, that it happened the way it is related in the Bible - all of the Christians I know believe it too. So how can some say they believe that and then turn around and say that same God could not possibly have made the universe and everything in it in six days?

Do you pick and choose what you believe when you are reading the Bible? Do you believe in Jesus but not in God’s creation of the world? Do you believe there is more than one way to heaven even though Jesus says he is THE way?

I want to encourage you this week to spend some time thinking and praying about what you believe about the Bible and what it says. It is my prayer that you will go closer to God as a result.

A Prayer
 Father - Thank you for giving us Your book. Help us as we read it to really understand what you are saying to us. Help us to believe what it says and may that realization draw us closer to you even as we are overwhelmed by your immenseness. You hold our world and everything in it in your hands and still you came to be with us for a time - to save us. Thank you for loving us so much. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Careful What You Say

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-19

The word translated as detestable in the verse above can also be translated as the word abomination. On occasion I have heard or read about Christians who describe certain groups of people as detestable or as abominations. I often wonder how many of the people who talk like that about people who have been made in the image of God, might also be considered detestable in the eyes of God. 

How many of us would consider pride or lying an abomination. If we catch our sons or daughters in a lie do we call them detestable? Of course not. If we act prideful, would we expect some to call us an abomination? No we would not and we would be offended if someone did.  

Every member of the human race is made in the image of God and also falls short of the standard of God. Sin is real; we all at times act in selfish disobedience and disappoint God with our behavior and our words.  

I know this is a tough subject, none of us want to be considered detestable and yet perhaps there are time when we are. I want to encourage you that when you may feel tempted to use the harshest language to describe someone struggling with the bonds of sin, that you stop for a moment and consider what those words would feel like if they were aimed at you.

Jesus came - for the whole of mankind; He desires that not one be lost. He has the power to heal and save all of us if we will let Him. Consider this; if someone claiming to be a follower of Christ called you detestable - how likely would it be that you would feel as if God hated you and that there was no hope for you?

There are of course times when we need to hold one another accountable for our actions I want to encourage you to seek words of love and compassion in those instances - words that will draw people to the cross.

A Prayer
Father - Forgive us for the times when we over look our own detestable behavior and call someone detestable. Make our hearts like the heart of Your Son - filled with compassion for the brokenness around us. Help us to see the face of Jesus in every person we meet and help us speak words that will draw people to the cross where healing, restoration and your great love can be found. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

A Heart that Sees

“I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’”
Nehemiah 1:1b-2

Nehemiah, cup bearer to the king of Persia had been deeply troubled for months following a report he had received about the city of Jerusalem. For months he had been serving the king with this pain on his heart and either Nehemiah was very good about putting on the “everything is fine” mask or the king just didn’t pay that much attention. But on this day the king noticed and asked Nehemiah what was causing such distress.

Nehemiah had been praying and fasting over this matter of Jerusalem since he learned of it - his heart was broken for a city he had never seen. God has broken his heart to prepare him for what He was about to have him do. But in order for Nehemiah to accomplish his task the king would have to be involved. God opened the king’s heart so he could see Nehemiah’s pain and because he could see it he responded with compassion. 

Jesus was intentional about looking for the pain in the lives of the people he encountered, the woman at the well, the one caught in adultery, the tax collectors who were despised, the sick, lonely and abandoned. His Father had given him a heart that sees a heart that responded with compassion.

Are you in pain, needing someone to see your distress and respond with compassion? Is there someone in your life who could help but doesn’t seem to see what you are going through? Pray that God would open the heart of that person to see. Maybe life is good for you right now - maybe you are that person that might be able to help. Allow God to open your heart so that it can see the pain surrounding you.

As followers of Christ we are called to do the things that Christ did. He acted because He had a heart that could see the brokenness of the lives around Him. Ask that the Holy Spirit grant you a heart that can see and then respond the way Jesus would have with compassion and love. 

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for having a heart that sees us. Put people in our lives who have hearts that see us when we hurt, when we are broken and who will respond with compassion and love. Give us hearts that can see the brokenness around us and help us to act with compassion and love. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Truth in Advertising

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14

God brings me inspiration in the most unusual ways some times. This time a commercial for an insurance company - Liberty Mutual is the springboard. The opening lines of the commercial say: “We are imperfect humans living in a beautifully imperfect world.” Isn’t that the truth? 

One look at a newspaper or the evening news confirms, beyond a shadow of a doubt just how imperfect humanity is. Our own attitudes and responses to the people and world around us are also at times evidence of this imperfection as well.  

I love that God, the Creator of us and our world still loves us even though we, at the moment are so imperfect. Jesus, the incarnation of that infinite and perfect Creator came to tell us in person how much He loves us and the lessons He taught on how to live closer to perfection are powerful in their simplicity. Put on the clothes that lead to perfect unity - compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love. 

Imagine how your relationships would be if you treated each member of your family and all your friends the way Jesus treats you. You would find a new unity, a perfect unity in those relationships. Imagine what your neighborhood, city, state or nation would be like if each individual who calls Jesus Lord treated every other person with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love. We will never have absolute perfection on this planet - that perfection is for another time and place - but we can get closer if we follow the path laid before us.

There is hope…Sometimes, there is truth in advertising.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for loving us even though we are not perfect. Thank you for showing us compassion. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for showing us what real humility and gentleness looks like. Thank you for being patient with us and for Your forgiveness. Help us to treat others the way You treat us - that we might be bound together in perfect unity. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Acquainted With Grief

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering…Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows…”
Isaiah 53:3-4

As I write this the community I live in is reeling from the tragic death of a young man. Answers will be demanded of God -“Why did this happen? Where were you God?” You know the questions, perhaps you have asked them yourself at some point. Fists perhaps are being shaken at God as grief and anger mix to bring mind and heart numbing pain.

Where is God as times like these? He is right there in the middle of it - taking whatever we throw at him, understanding the pain we feel - because He has been there, He has experienced pain - he understands. In today’s passage the prophet Isaiah describes the Messiah as a man of sorrows, a man familiar with suffering. Isaiah continues by saying the Messiah carried our sorrows.

Jesus understands the pain that comes with loss. His cousin John the Baptist was killed by a cruel ruler. One friend betrayed him and another denied knowing him. He witnessed the brutality of the Romans. He wept over a city filled with people who should have recognized him but didn’t. He was mocked, beaten and crucified - it was our sorrow, our failings, our sins that he carried to that cross. Yes, Jesus understands pain - his own and ours.

Yet, he stands in the midst of whatever storm we face. His arms open wide, allowing us to take out our hurt, our fear, our anger on him and ready to catch us and hold us when we grow weary. As we collapse into His loving embrace we can feel the tears He is crying for us. We can hear him saying - I know it hurts, its okay, let it out - let it all out, I’m here, I’ve got you, I’ll be with you, I love you.

This week no matter what you are facing know that the God of the universe, knows how you feel, He is acquainted with grief. You are not alone He is with you always.

A Prayer
Father - So many things happen in this world that just seem so senseless and cause so much pain. Thank you that because you sent your Son to be with us You understand the pain we experience. Thank you for holding us in your arms and whispering your comfort to us even when we might not want it. Thank you that we are not alone in our pain because you are acquainted with grief. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

This is a Test

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’”
Exodus 16:4

The Israelites had been on the road to the Promise Land for two months, they had been free for two months. They had seen the power of God at work when He divided the Red Sea. They could see that He was present with them in the cloud that guided them on their journey. They had seen God provide for them at Marah in the desert of Shur, and yet…

Every time they encountered an obstacle or missed the comfort and stability of their slavery they grumbled. Imagine the sound of two million people grumbling. At Marah, after providing water to quench their thirst, the Scriptures tell us that “There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.” (Exodus 15:25). The Hebrew word translated test in both of these verses is “nasa” is means: to test (usually to prove character or faithfulness). God wants to know if these people would have the character to be obedient and the faithfulness to believe and follow.

These will not be the last obstacles the Israelites face on their journey to the Promise Land. Unfortunately for them their character and faithfulness will be tested time and again. Sometimes, they pass the test with flying colors and other times… well they ended up wondering in the wilderness until a new generation would have the character and faithfulness to enter into the land that had been promised to them. It is a good thing for them that God is the God of second chances, of third, fourth and fifth chances even.

Scripture doesn’t tell how many times during the forty years they stopped at the Jordan River and possibly had an opportunity to cross over but didn’t, but somehow I suspect they may have had other opportunities.

God wasn’t testing the Israelites because He wanted them to fail; he was testing them because He wanted them to succeed. He wanted them to have the character of over-comers, people who by faith in God would face the obstacles of life head on and get past them to the blessings waiting on the other side.

If there is an obstacle, a test before you right now; trust God, have faith in Him and over come.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you that Your word reveals Your character, Your power, Your provision and Your faithfulness. Help us to have the kind of character that trusts You with every aspect of our lives. May we get to the end of our journey having passed the tests that You set before us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Did You See That?!

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”
Exodus 14:13-14

Pharaoh had finally seen the power of the Hebrew God, the True God and had let the people go. The Egyptian people had freely given the Hebrew people everything they would need for their escape to freedom. Moses had led the people out of bondage and into freedom and God was their guide - a pillar of cloud in the day and of fire at night (Exodus 13:22).What an amazing sight that must have been - perhaps over two million people, their belongings and livestock - being led by a trio of elderly siblings (Moses and Aaron were most likely in their 80s and Miriam their sister was older still) and they were being guided by a pillar of cloud and fire.

One would think this sight alone would be enough to make the multitude recognize that something amazing was taking place and that the God they thought had long forgotten them was indeed on the move in their very midst. But they didn’t or couldn’t see it. At the first sign of trouble they panic and Moses has to tell them to - be still, be quiet and watch. Watch as the waters of the Red sea divided so they could cross on dry land. Watch as those same waters came crashing back together to destroy Pharaoh’s army. Throughout their time in the wilderness the Israelites will see God at work. Sometimes God worked supernaturally to provide for them and sometimes he just used ordinary things or people to do extraordinary things.

Sometimes in the midst of our struggles we are praying and looking for a supernatural response for God, this is not a bad thing of course - He does still work supernaturally after all. I wonder sometimes though as we wait for something supernatural to happen if we miss the miracle he is trying to work for us because it’s not what we are looking for.

If we fast forward to Jesus’ day, we know that people were looking for the coming Messiah - a lot of people missed him, because Jesus didn’t look or act the way they expected Messiah to look or act.

Today no matter what you are facing - keep your eyes and hearts open wide enough to see the “ordinary” miracle God is trying to work for you - you don’t want to miss it.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you that Your word shows us your commitment to providing for our needs. Thank you that sometimes you provide supernaturally and sometimes you provide in more ordinary ways, through friends, family, doctors, and the many servants you have surrounding us. Help us to be watching for all You are doing great and small in our lives. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Balancing on One Foot

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Jeremiah 6:16

Sometimes God makes it very clear which direction He wants us to go and we walk uninterrupted for quite a ways, enjoying the view as we go. Other times the direction is not so clear but we can still make progress, we just have to pay more attention to where we are going. Then there are the times when we can’t see enough of the path to take a full step and we find ourselves standing there holding one foot up trying to find a place to step. Have you been there? Are you there now?

It is in these times of balancing on one foot - balancing between faith and fear, between trust and doubt, between obedience and disobedience - when we must totally depend on God. Not only will He give us the strength to stand there on one foot as we try to figure out where to step, He will also show us where to step and the best time to step so we can walk by faith, trusting and obeying. He will show us where the good way is and we can get back to enjoying the view as we journey.

This week if you are in one of those balancing on one foot situations let me remind you of something else we read in Scripture. Paul writing to the Philippians reminds them that they can “be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Jesus will not allow us to stand there balancing on one foot forever. Be watching for what He is doing and when He makes it clear which way to go - put that foot down and get going.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you that we can ask you for directions and that you will graciously show us where to go. For those times when we feel like we are balancing on one foot and might be leaning for the negative - give us the strength to stand or send a friend to hold us up. Thank you that we can be confident that you will not leave us unfinished. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The ONE Constant

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8

I like things that provide some constancy in my life. Things like football season always starting while baseball season is still going or that the sun always rises in the East and sets in the West. I love that there is a first day of school and that meal times happen at regular intervals. Knowing there are things we can count on helps us to have a kind of security as we go through this life. These “constants” help us to know that even when times are tough, even when things are changing, some things don’t change. It’s comforting.

There are plenty of “constants” in our lives - but none, save one is a forever constant. Football players can strike and the season can be cancelled. The Scriptures tells us that one day the sun as we know it will no longer be. There may be no first day of school or regular meals. When these things and events that we consider constant, aren’t anymore what will we do?

For those of us who are followers of Christ, no matter what happens to the things and the events of life - there is still ONE constant and that one constant is a person - Jesus Christ. He has existed since an eternity before we started keeping time and He will continue to exist long after there is time to keep. Jesus has loved us since forever and will love us into forever.

In chapter 24 of Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is talking to the disciples about the end of the age. One of the things He says to them is “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Jesus is the ONE real constant in our lives - so enjoy baseball and football. Celebrate the first day of school and enjoy your meals. Embrace the glory of each sunrise and sunset and know that when heaven and earth pass away Jesus will be there to comfort you and guide you through an eternity of His amazing constancy.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for being unchanging. Thank you for being the one constant that we can rely on now and for eternity. As we enjoy the amazing things and events you have given us on this planet and for this time may we understand that what we really need is You. Thank you for loving us before time began so that we can know your love beyond time. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Laughter the Best Medicine

“…a time to weep and a time to laugh…”
Ecclesiastes 3:4

Returning home from a weekend on the California coast with eight friends - both old and new - I could not help but think back on our time spent together. A few of those present, when sharing about some of their struggles past and present, shed a few tears. When you are in the company of people who make you feel safe and loved that is a good time to feel those feelings of pain.

Mostly, however, we laughed - we laughed so hard we cried or got sore abdominal muscles. It felt so good to be surrounded by that joyful sound. When was the last time you had a good laugh, the kind of laugh that knocks you out of your chair or allows that rare snort to escape only to cause more laughter? When was the last time you spent a couple of hours laughing like that? When was the last time you were in the presence of people who made you feel safe enough or loved enough to cry and to laugh in the same day?

The bible tells us the Jesus wept but I have to believe he also had some good laughs along the way. Perhaps he laughed at some of the off the wall things Peter said or as he watched children playing. Maybe some of those tax collectors and sinners he so often had dinner with could tell a good joke.

I came across a list of some of the health benefits of laughing - just in case you need to be convinced of the importance of a good laugh:

Lowers blood pressure
Increases blow flow and oxygenation of your blood
Provides a workout for your, diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles.
Reduces stress hormones
Increases response of gamma-interferon and T-cells (boosts immune system)
Defends against respiratory infection (can even reduce the frequency of colds)
Improves your mental alertness, creativity and memory.

So if you haven’t had a good laugh for a while I would like to encourage you this week to gather some of your friends - invite them over for dinner, go on a picnic or a camp out, spend the day in the mountains or on the beach and laugh. Laugh until you cry or your side hurts or you snort. You’ll feel so much better if you do.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the times when we are surrounded by people who make us feel safe enough and loved enough that we can cry if we need too. Thank you for the times when we can laugh uncontrollably in the company of people we love. Both help us to heal from the stress of this life. Thank you that Your Son - our Lord cried and laughed too. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Put A Helmet On!

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:17

Not too long ago a friend was in need of some extra encouragement. Luckily for my friend I had just finished writing a paper on the Armor of God and had gained some insights that I thought would be encouraging and helpful. As I write this I suspect there are others who might find encouragement from the same words.

Today’s verse focuses on two parts of the armor God has prepared for us; really the helmet is one of the more important pieces. One of the commentaries I was using had this to say about this particular piece of the armor.

The purpose of the helmet, of course, was to protect the head from injury particularly from the dangerous broadsword commonly used in those days (Bible times). The fact that the helmet is related to salvation indicated that Satan’s blows are directed at the believer’s security and assurance in Christ. The two dangerous edges of Satan’s spiritual broadsword are discouragement and doubt. To discourage us he points to our failures, our sins, our unresolved problems, our poor health, or whatever else seems to be negative in our lives in order to make us lose confidence in the love and care of our heavenly father.

So take up arms against the one who wants you in the pit - the devil. Abide in the truth - live right in obedience to God - be ready by knowing God’s Word and claiming the peace it offers -grab hold of faith it will shield you from the arrows of discouragement - make sure you put your helmet on and that you have your sword at the ready. And there is a secret weapon - that makes all this armor indestructible. That weapon is prayer - pray always and for everything, pray for others and ask others to pray for you.

So this week if you feel like you are about to slip into a pit of despair, if you are discouraged and doubting the amazing grace and love of your heavenly Father… PUT A HELMET ON!

A Prayer
Father - Forgive us for the times when we allow the world to discourage us and to cause us to doubt You. Help us remember to put on Your armor and especially the helmet. Surround us with people who will encourage us when we are down and help us to live authentically, asking for help when we need it. Thank you for loving us even through our doubt. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

One

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit —just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:3-6

Generally speaking, I am not a history buff - so taking graduate level history classes are not necessarily my idea of fun. Because of where my heart lies church history is a bit more interesting to me. History of course has a purpose; there is much we can learn from the things that have happened long ago. We can learn how to take advantage of the good that has been done and hopefully we can learn to avoid the mistakes.

One of the things that have really struck me on my journey through church history is that Christians do not seem to be any better at getting along than anyone else. I expect that makes the heart of God ache.

The scriptures have much to say about unity of the body, this week’s passage implores us to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. In other places Scripture says though we are many we are one body. We are supposed to be brothers and sisters - the world is supposed to know we are Christians because we love one another.

Now don’t get me wrong I am not trying to say that we have to agree all the time or that we should not hold one another accountable when we stray from what is right. I am also not saying that how we “do” church needs to be the same as the fellowship meeting across town. What I am saying is that we need to find unity in the things that really matter - that Jesus is God and that He died on a cross and rose from the grave to save us and restore us to a right relationship with God, being just one example of the immovable foundation of His church. When necessary we need to agree to disagree on the things that don’t, like the style of music used for our worship services, as an example.

Have you ever heard a sermon that talks about breaking generational curses? In this time on this planet we who call ourselves by the name of Christ, need to work to break what perhaps we can call the generational curse of Christianity. We are to reflect the love of Christ to a dying world by loving one another.

One God, one body, one Spirit - let’s learn from history to love one another. I think that will make our lives glorify God and his heart will sing over us.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you that you call us daughters and sons. Forgive us for the times when we do not act like brothers and sister who love each other and You. Jesus paid a great price to restore the family, help us to bring unity to the fellowship of believers, so that the light of Your love will outshine the darkness of this world. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer, Amen.

Joy of the Redeemed

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."
Isaiah 35:1-7

I recently ran across something I had written a number of years ago for a class I was taking at the Nazarene Bible College, so I thought I would share it with you.

The Old Testament context of this passage is the state of the Hebrew people at the time the passage was written. The Israelite kingdom is divided. Judah – the Southern kingdom, where Isaiah resides is living in relative peace, having been protected from Assyrian and Egyptian attacks. Israel – the Northern Kingdom has been destroyed by the Assyrians. Israel must have been in rebellion against God and they are under judgment and have been exiled.

Isaiah is writing about a time when the people of Israel will turn back to God and be restored to their city Jerusalem. The two kingdoms may indeed be united at this time with all of the Hebrew people redeemed and living once again in obedience to God.

Having turned from God, Israel is like the dessert, barren and uninhabitable. Isaiah tells us that when the people have been returned to their right relationship with the Living God. They will once again be a Holy People. What was barren will become like a garden, land and soul alike. The people will rejoice at their healing. Holiness brings healing, to the relationship between God and the individual as well as to the nations – even to all of creation.

If I were to put this passage from Isaiah into my own words it might read something like this: My parched soul will be glad. My dry life will be made joyful. I will be restored to my former glory, before I fell. I will sing praise for the goodness and mercy shown me. Fear will no longer rule my life. I will be strong in the Lord. My eyes will be opened to the destruction of my sin and to the light of my salvation. I will hear God’s voice – He will heal my sin-sickened heart and I will be new and fresh and my relationship with God will make me holy.

The prophet Isaiah has such a clear vision of what it will be like when God’s people truly turn from their selfish desires, and return to Him. Barren hearts will bloom with joy. Eyes blinded by the deception of sin will be opened to the beauty of obedience to a Holy and Loving God. Cities and Nations will live in safety and peace for God will protect His people from the enemy.

Then we will find joy in God’s redemption.

A Prayer
Father - only you can make us holy as You are holy. We have been fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image to be holy, yet we often make the choice to allow ourselves to be blinded by the things of this world. We allow our relationship with You to be crippled by doubt. Redeem us from our selfishness. Draw us back to Your heart. Hear our hearts cry out in surrender and helplessness. Restore us to who you made us to be. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer, Amen.

It's Not What You Know

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Matthew 15:8

Jesus is talking to a group of Pharisee’s when he quotes the Prophet Isaiah with the words from this week’s passage. It is quite an indictment of their spiritual emptiness and lack of understanding. The Pharisee’s were experts on the Scriptures; they would have had all of what we call the Old Testament committed to memory. Even though they should have known and recognized Jesus, they didn’t.

As I am writing this I am reading a terrific book by Pastor Kyle Idleman of Southeast Christian Church in Kentucky. The title of the book is Not a Fan. The subtitle is Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Christ. Where are you? Are you a fan of Jesus or are you a follower of Jesus? Do you know the difference? Writing about this verse from Matthew and how it relates to fans Kyle says: “That description seems to fit most fans I know. Like the Pharisees, many fans have given their minds to the study of God, but they never surrendered their hearts.” Do you know anyone who can quote scripture chapter and verse but whose life doesn’t reflect the life change that comes with a sold out relationship with Jesus?

Jesus himself has some harsh words for the people Kyle would call fans. In Matthew 7 we read Jesus’ words: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (v. 21). Recently, I saw a comment on Facebook that said “God doesn’t judge” - I don’t know, but I think that could be the kind of comment a fan makes. Now don’t get me wrong we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, but once that gift of salvation has been accepted our actions should speak louder than words - not through a list of do’s and don’ts but out of hearts over flowing with love for God and our fellow humans.

Bottom line for the week - Jesus doesn’t really care all that much about what we know; He wants to know how much we care for HIM and our neighbors.

A Prayer
Father - Father thank for sending your son to repair the relationship between You and us. Help us to be all in followers of Jesus. Help us to know the things that break his heart and the things that bring him the greatest joy. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Very Special Armor

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Ephesians 6:11

A battle is raging, unlike any battle the inhabitants of this planet have ever witnessed, it is a supernatural battle for the souls of mankind. Those who call themselves Christians have been called to a higher standard, a holy standard of living. Christians must draw their strength and power from the Lord, who clothes His warriors in the finest of supernatural armor. As Paul nears the end of his letter to the Ephesians he exhorts the people to take up the armor of God so that they might stand firm and fearless, upholding the call to holiness in the face of the enemy and his soldiers.

Ok, so I have to admit that I just finished writing a paper on the whole armor of God passage from Ephesians. Thought I would share a bit of it with you. The armor Paul is describing and encouraging his readers to “put on” is no ordinary armor. Check out Isaiah 59:17 Isaiah is describing God himself as wearing this armor “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head…” Get that - God is giving us His armor to put on. Remember when King Saul gave a young David his armor in order to fight Goliath and it didn’t fit, so David couldn’t wear it. God’s armor is not too big, it will fit each of us perfectly for maximum protection and it will be comfortable so we can wear it always.

Paul’s words reach across the generations to remind modern followers of Christ that the same armor is available today. We, the people of Christ’s church must put on the armor so we can withstand the attacks of the enemy. Put on: truth, righteousness, readiness, the gospel of peace and take up faith, salvation and the Word of God. When the soldier in God’s army is fully prepared for battle he or she can then wield the most powerful weapon at their disposal - prayer.

What about it? Have you accepted God’s gift of His supernatural armor? Are you wearing it 24/7/365? Jesus has won the war with his death and resurrection, but Satan is still trying to pick a fight - so be prepared by putting on the whole armor of God.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the armor that gives us the power to stand against the enemy. Supplied with Your power will can live in the victory your Son has already gained. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Don't Carry it Alone

“Carry each other’s burdens, in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2

Have you ever tried to move something heavy by yourself? You may have been successful, but no doubt it was hard and maybe you hurt your back in the process. The same project with a helper makes the job faster and easier on your back. Life can be heavy sometimes that's why we need people to walk with us in life - to help us when life gets heavy.

Moses was given a heavy burden by God - lead the people out of Egypt and to the land He had promised Abraham a long time before. It would have been impossible for Moses to do it alone. Fortunately, God provided Moses with help. Miriam and Aaron helped to lead the people out. In the midst of one battle Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands all day so that the Hebrew army would be victorious (Exodus 17:12). Naomi had Ruth to help her through her time of grief. The Apostle Paul never traveled alone and his companions often ended up in jail right along with him.

We all need, not only the Holy Spirit to guide us through the darkness of this life - but we also need other people to help us carry the heavy stuff of life. The founders of Alcoholics Anonymous understood this and that is why those walking the steps have sponsors - someone to help them carry the burden when the going gets tough. Jesus, taught his disciples to care for one another, to love one another, to help each other - because he knew they would face hard times down the road.

Who helps you carry the burden, to move the heavy stuff of life? Are you helping someone with their load? As followers of Christ, as brothers and sisters in Christ we are supposed to carry one another’s burdens. When we do, we will experience what one friend of mine described as being “overwhelmed by blessings.”

To be overwhelmed by blessings is such a good thing, especially when you find yourself in the wilderness.

Don’t carry whatever struggle you are dealing with alone. Let someone help and you will both be blessed.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for putting people in our lives to help carry our burdens. Thank you for letting us help others carry theirs burdens. You made us for relationship so we would never have to be alone and what a blessing those relationships can be. Help us to let others help us and show us where we can help those around us. May we bless and honor you as we care for one another. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Help! I Think My Brain is Melting

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
Mark 6:30-32

The apostles had recently returned from a short mission trip and they were excited to share all that had gone on while they were away. No doubt they also wanted to hear about what Jesus had been up to while they were gone. But the crowds were distracting all of them - so Jesus decided they needed to retreat, to find some peace and quiet, to get some rest and quiet their minds and souls.

Enter the twenty-first century; we are constantly bombarded by information - good and bad. We face all sorts of life situations also good and bad. We are excited to share the good stuff with friends and family. We know we should share the bad, but often times don’t - we don’t want to add our troubles to the struggles our friends are facing. We can easily get overloaded and our brains begin to feel like they are turning into mush. If we can get quiet for just a moment we can hear Jesus calling us to come with him to a quiet place to rest.

If we are smart and want our brains to cool down and function so we can enjoy the good and deal effectively with the bad, we will heed His call and take a time out. Where is your quiet place? Of course it isn’t necessary to get in a boat like Jesus and the apostle’s did, but if you have that option it could be nice. Maybe you have a beautiful garden to sit in. Perhaps there is a beach nearby or a nice park. I like the mountains myself when I can get there. Maybe the kitchen table with a cup of tea works for you. The point is to take some time away from the busyness of life to rest, to spend time with the Lord just you and Him and to let you brain firm up again.

I hope this week you will find a quiet place and give your brain a rest.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for letting us know it is good for us to rest, to stop and find restoration for our weary minds and souls. Help us to actually heed your words and rest. Help us to slow down so that our brains won’t melt. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Clearing Away the Weeds

“Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. …The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”
Luke 8:7 & 14

Gardens take work. They have to be watered, they have to be weeded and pests have to be kept away. Weeds can cause problems - their thorns cause pain and they can overrun the flowers and vegetables in a garden. In our backyard foxtails are a particular problem especially for our dogs so we have to make the effort to get rid of them.

Our hearts are gardens too - In Jesus’ parable of the sower he talks about the different planting and growing conditions of the heart. Weeds can grow in our hearts if we are not paying attention. The thorns of life can cause pain. The clutter of worldly stuff can crowd out the hope of the Good News. Weeds can block our view of the garden path and the fruit growing there. Weeds can leave us filled with doubt, worry, and even fear.

What weeds are endangering the garden of your heart today? When was the last time you tended to the garden of your life in Christ? How is your relationship with the Master Gardener? Jesus is waiting to work in the garden with you - He will show you the weeds that need to be pulled if you let Him. He will help you plant - faith, hope, love and a lot of other beneficial things so that you can enjoy the fruitfulness of a life in Him.

This week spend some time with the Master Gardener, getting your life’s garden ready for the bountiful harvest He has planned for you.

A Prayer
Father - Help us to tend to the garden of our hearts. Show us the weeds that need to be pulled out by the roots. Show us the new seed You desire to plant in our lives - seed that will benefit us and bring a bountiful harvest of faith, hope and love. Thank you for being our Master Gardener. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Listening Heart

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
John 10:27-28

The Greek word that is translated listen in today’s passage means: hear, pay attention, understand, and obey. How do you listen? Most of us would probably say that we listen with our ears - this of course is true - at least to a point. Kardia is the Greek word most often translated as heart in the New Testament. The heart was considered the seat of the inner self comprised of life, soul, mind and spirit. The heart was the place where thinking and true understanding took place.

God has a listening heart - He hears our cries for mercy and forgiveness, strength and guidance and He responds to us with His amazing love. Picking us up when we fall, carrying us when we are to weary to go on and holding us when we are overwhelmed by life.

We need to have listening hearts, so that we will hear His voice, pay attention to and understand what He is saying to us and then respond because we love Him - we will follow Him. Sometimes we let the noise of the world overload our hearts and then all we hear is static. God doesn’t yell over the noise He whispers into it. So how do we quiet our hearts so we can listen?

I can think of several things we can do to quiet our hearts. How about fasting from artificial noise - turn off the T.V. or radio and listen to the sounds of nature. Read God’s Word. Sing simple songs of praise that come from your heart - they will break through the static. Ask for forgiveness. No doubt you can think of other ways to have a listening heart.

Today and all this week, tune your heart to hear God’s voice and follow Him where He leads because He is leading you to paradise.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for having a listening heart, for hearing and responding to our prayers. Help us to have listening hearts, show us how to quiet our hearts so we can hear your voice, know you better and follow after you all the days of our lives and for all eternity. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Bought With a Price

“…To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:6-8

Over the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war in which we Americans gained our independence from Great Britain it is estimated that between 25,000 and 50,000 American revolutionaries lost their lives. During the American Civil War an estimated 360,000 Union soldiers lost their lives in a conflict that would bring an end to slavery in the American South. God some 2000 years ago took on the form of man and in the ultimate battle over sin and death, Jesus the Christ allowed himself to be crucified at the hand of sinful man. His sacrifice, frees all who believe in him from an eternity separated from God.

For those of us blessed to live in the free world, the price for that freedom was great. Paid for with the blood of soldiers, a sacrifice that made a way for us to live the lives we do. Even as I write this, sacrifices are still being made so that we can continue to be free and that others might become free. Today, the sacrifice of the cross still offers eternal freedom.

So that none of these sacrifices are in vain, we must live life to the fullest taking advantage of our freedom to serve one another - to love each other with our whole hearts. We in the free world have the privilege to worship the One who makes us eternally free, may we do so with our whole heart.

Today and everyday remember freedom was bought and the price that was paid was unimaginably high - so give thanks to those who have gone before and support those who are paying the price still.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son, so that we can have eternal freedom. Thank you for the men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we can live free in this world today. Help us to live lives worthy of all the sacrifices that have been made for us. Be with those who are still fighting for freedom even now - keep them safe, grant them courage. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Time for a Joy Break

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone (emphasis mine) greatly valued or appreciated” is just one of the ways Dictionary.com defines joy. The psalmist says speaking of the LORD “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound” (Psalm 4:7). Jesus is our primary source and cause of keen pleasure or delight and He gives us greater joy than anything else - even an abundant harvest - just because He loves us.

What else is causing you to feel joyful today? Are you experiencing great weather? Are you enjoying your family? Do you find joy in the work you do? Maybe you are finding joy in the simple fact that you were able to get out of bed this morning. Are there people in your life bringing you joy by just being present with you in the trials of life? Can you hear birds singing where you are? Do you have opportunities to admire God’s creation? Have you seen God answer your prayers or the prayers of someone near and dear to you?

Just knowing that God loves us is enough to fill us to overflowing with joy and if you can answer yes to even just one of the questions above you definitely need to make time for a joy break. When I take a joy break - I like to spend some time just talking with the Lord and thanking Him not only for how wonderfully He loves me but for everything else as well. Listing everything that is causing me keen pleasure lifts my spirits and makes me feel lighter. I suspect that if I could see God’s face as He watches my response to Him - that maybe He considers me to be a cause of keen pleasure to Himself.

Take a joy break today - you and God will both be glad you did.

A Prayer
Father - Thank you for filling our lives with joy even in the hard times. Help us to share that delight with you today as we take time to celebrate that joy. In the name of Jesus the source of our joy, Amen.

An Extraordinary Quest

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
Matthew 6:9-10

I am tired of the status quo - are you? This is an invitation to join me on an extraordinary quest. This is a call to prayer, prayer and fasting. This is a call to spark revival in our own hearts and watch it spread. This is not about praying for our heart’s desires - it is about looking into the heart of God and seeking His heart’s desire and what does he desire of us? “That we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). This is not a call to weakness - it is a call to extraordinary strength, extraordinary faith, and extraordinary trust, things only available to us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is about fighting oppression and injustice on our knees. This is about pushing back the darkness that causes our souls to grow weary. This is about pushing the darkness back so we can catch a glimpse of the kingdom - of HIS kingdom, of our kingdom - to catch a glimpse of something so spectacular and marvelous that we will be irrevocably drawn to it. But more importantly so that when those around us see the reflection of that kingdom and of The King in our eyes and hearts - they too will be irrevocably drawn to it.

What do you say? The destination will be more amazing than anything we can imagine, but the journey will be difficult, it may be dangerous and it will demand more of us than we think we can give. Will you join me on this extraordinary quest?

Do you dare?

A Prayer
Father - today and everyday may we to know the desires of Your heart. Help us by granting us the strength, faith and trust that allows us to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with You. Provide everything we need for the journey and when we begin to falter grant us a fresh glimpse of Your kingdom through the darkness. Thank you that we will not be on this quest alone, You will be with us. We begin praying all this in the name of Jesus, Amen

There is a Fine Line

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

There is a fine line between discouragement and hope especially when we pay too much attention to the world and not enough attention to the source of encouragement and peace. Paul tells us Jesus is the source of eternal encouragement and good hope. When our lives are focused on Him that fine line becomes just a little wider.

Paul was a tremendous encourager and he found encouragement for himself in the Holy Spirit and from the people in his life. We all need to have at least one human encourager in our lives. That encourager is the person who knows you are in the midst of a storm and invites you to lunch for shared tears and a good laugh.

If we are lucky enough to have more than one person who encourages us to be all we are called to be in Christ then we are doubly blessed. I have more than one - in fact I can name six without even thinking about.

In the book of Romans Paul tells us that encouraging is a gift to be used. This week I want to encourage you to stretch your encouragement muscles and be someone’s encourager, God will give you everything you need to make a difference in someone’s life.

If you find yourself in need of some encouragement - seek it in God’s Word and allow the encourager in your life to lift you up. When you do - you will find peace in the storm.

A Prayer
Father - thank you the encouragement and hope Your grace and mercy provides for us. Thank you for putting encouragers into our lives to help us stand firm. Help us to hone our encouraging skills to that we can encourage others as well. In the name of Jesus, Amen

He Sees You

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:26-27

It is spring time, the weather is great and the air is filled with the sound of birds singing. Unfortunately it is also the time of year when baby birds have a tendency to fall out of their nests. Recently I noticed our cat paying extra attention to the tree in our backyard. When I looked I saw a little bird on the ground as I gently picked it up so that cat wouldn’t get it, the above verse came to mind. God saw that little bird fall and provided protection for it.

He sees you and me, He knows everything we are facing, He knows our trials and triumphs, He knows what we need and He is working out our circumstances for our good. The birds don’t get stressed out - they don’t over eat or go shopping, they don’t hide from life - they live life to its fullest, with all its risks and dangers and they sing the whole time. There is a celebration happening outside my window right now.

The Scripture tells us we are more valuable than the birds and that because He see us, because He knows what we are going though, He is there for us and He will pick us up when we fall.

A Prayer
Father - thank you for the lessons your creation can teach us. Help us to trust you and find rest in You no matter what we are facing today. Because You see us we can even in the midst of a storm join in the celebration of life. In the name of Jesus, Amen

Following The Leader

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:7-8

Remember playing follow the leader when you were a kid? The object was to do whatever the person who was at the front of the line did. As Disciples of Christ, Jesus is at the front of the line and he calls us to keep his commands and follow his lead. When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus’ reply was two-fold, love God and love others - together these form the greatest command. But what does that really mean for us, how does that look, what does it require that we do?

When we look at Jesus’ life what do we learn about how we should live and relate to God and one another? We see that Jesus spent time alone so he could have quality time with his Father. We see that he spent time enjoying his friends, good meals and the fellowship of others. We see that he met more than just the spiritual needs of the people - he met their physical and emotional needs as well. Jesus gave of himself continually - maybe even when he didn’t feel like it.

As followers of Christ we should look to Jesus first to see what He did and what He is doing even now in our lives. Then because we are human we should look at others who have been following Jesus to see what they have learned from Him. The writer of Hebrews is telling his readers to do just that - to remember their leaders, watch their lives do what they did and are doing.

Are you ready for a life changing, never ending round of follow the leader? Get behind Jesus He is the best leader.

A prayer
Father – Thank you most of all for your Son who teaches how to love you and love others. Thank you for the leaders you placed throughout history to who continue to teach us to follow Jesus. Help us to be people who show others the way and encourage them to join us as we follow The Leader. In the name of Jesus our Lord and leader - yesterday today and forever, Amen.

Welcome to the New Normal

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4

Rufus and Moe have been depressed, their routine has been interrupted, nothing is the same from one day to the next - this is their new normal and they don’t like it. Life is full of change both good and not so good. Our normal can be interrupted at any time by a minor detour or a major course change and then we have to deal with whatever the new normal is. Sometimes we like the new normal and sometimes we don’t. It is how we respond to these changes in normal that make a difference in our perspective and attitude.

James tells us we should consider it pure joy when we face trials because it helps us to grow in faith. Change can often be a trial even if it is a good change. I wonder how often as we go through the process of change; do we take an attitude of joy as life makes us adjust to the new normal. I know I don’t always. Sometimes like Rufus and Moe when my normal gets interfered with I am anything but joyful.

Births and deaths, prosperity and poverty, lush gardens and harsh wilderness, good health and life changing illness - all of these and more can mess with whatever our normal is. I want to encourage you to face each change with an attitude of joy, knowing full well that you are not alone in the journey.

Woohoo! Welcome to the new normal!

A prayer
Father – Forgive us for the time when we are less than grateful for the things you are trying to teach us. Help us to embrace change and make the most of the new normal in our lives, even when it means normal changing from one minute to the next. Thank you for walking with us, for showing us where to step. With Your help we can consider it pure joy. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Responsibility and Duty

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6

235 years ago those living in the New World declared their independence from England, yet today we are fascinated with the British royal family. Recent news stories about Princes William and Harry got me thinking. William and Harry have been born into a life of privilege and with privilege come responsibility and duty. All of their lives there have been expectations about how they are to behave and the things they are to do in service to God and country. These fine, young men have stepped up to the task and no doubt their grandmother Queen Elizabeth and their father are very proud of them.

Today’s passage reminds us that we too are members of a royal family - the Divine Royal family of God. We have been adopted into a life of privilege and with that privilege comes responsibility and duty. I think sometimes because we are adopted we may not understand that there are expectations concerning how we should behave and what we should be doing.

We are expected to love the Lord with every fiber of our being and we are to serve Him by serving and loving others. Just as William and Harry represent the Queen as they serve in the military and travel the world - so we represent The King as we go about our daily lives. Do our lives reflect that? Are we caring for those in our spheres of influence in the same way Jesus would, are we serving our brothers and sisters as we are called to do?

I know many of you reading this understand the responsibility and duty that comes with being a child of the King and that in many ways I am “preaching to the choir” but sometimes I think the choir can reach people in a way no one else can. So if you are serving - if you are doing your best to fulfill your royal responsibilities and you know others who aren’t - share with them the joy and blessing you gain from what you do. For those of you who may not be serving - pray that you will gain insight into the gifts you have been given and ask for direction concerning what you should do, talk to those you know who are serving for help.

We have all been adopted into a life of royal privilege may we well fulfill our responsibilities and duties. Let’s make the King proud.

A prayer
Father – Thank you for making us a part of Your royal family. Help us to understand the responsibility and duty that come with that privilege. Make clear the gifts for serving You have given us and make our hearts burn with a need to serve. Your Son showed us the way, may we walk in it by Your power. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I Died For You

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28

As I write this two things are on my mind - the hit television show Once Upon A Time and the cross of Christ. I know, I can hear some of you thinking - how do those two things fit together? Let me try to explain.

Snow White under the influence of a magic potion has forgotten what true love is, her heart has grown dark and she is bent on murderous revenge - she plans on killing her stepmother, the evil queen. True love’s kiss had failed to break the spell, so Prince Charming had to find another way to break the spell and save his beloved Snow White. He takes the arrow intended for the Queen and when Snow asks him why - he looks her in the eye and says: “I love you, I would die for you.” Now it isn’t the prince’s willingness to sacrifice his life, after all that’s what fairy tale princes do. It is Snow’s response that got me thinking. As his words sunk in to her heart the spell was broken, her heart was softened and filled will love again. Her whole countenance changed.

We have a prince too, a real prince. Isaiah calls Him the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world…” God speaking through the prophet Ezekiel says: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Eze. 36:26). Jesus, hanging on the crossing asked His Father to “forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). This is God’s true love for us. He died for me and you, so that our hearts would not become black and hard - so that we would know what true love is really like.

Can you see him? Beaten and near death as he stumbles down the road carrying His cross on the way to Calvary. Did He see you in crowds that lined that ancient street? Did He look you in the eye and say “I love you - I will die for you”. Can you hear Him even now whispering to your heart “I love you, I died for you.” Allow those words to sink in and chase the darkness away. Allow His light of true love to fill your whole being and then let it shine for the world around you to see.

A prayer
Father – Thank you for being the source of true love. Thank you for loving us so much that you laid down Your life to heal our world wounded hearts, souls and minds. May we hear often Your words of love as we travel on this journey home. In the name of Jesus, Amen.