Let It Not Be In Vain

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
Galatians 2:20-21

We had just observed Memorial Day in the U.S. I had done a bit research and discovered that many countries have a similar sort of day - a day to remember those members of their Armed Forces who paid the ultimate price in defending their countries. Many countries, especially in the Western world seem to have two such days each, one in the spring and one in the fall - it is important to remember the sacrifices these men and women have made.

Thinking about all the men and women who have given their lives to give us the amazing freedoms we have here in the U.S. and in much of the free world reminded me of this week’s passage written by Paul to the Galatians church. You see, in my opinion there are two types of freedom in this world – one is the freedom created by the political systems under which we live and the other is spiritual freedom. Both types have been won for us by the sacrifice of others. Both types come with responsibilities. Both types we often take for granted.

Paul is reminding the Galatians that rule following or just being a “good person” wouldn’t be enough, that if following the letter of the law was enough to reconcile us with God, Jesus’ death would have been for nothing, would have been in vain. So we are responsible for living in His grace, not taking His death and resurrection for granted but letting His Spirit make us new and to live as Christ. We can take this lesson right into our lives of political freedom. When we fail to take part in how are nations are run, if we think it doesn’t matter what we think or how we vote or not vote then we take for granted the freedom we have and the sacrifices of those who fought for it and of those that defend it today are for nothing, are in vain. We might as well give it all away and live in bondage ruled by power hungry dictators.

This week I want to challenge you to embrace the responsibilities of spiritual and political freedom. Allow the Spirit of Jesus to make you know, so you can reflect His love, grace, compassion and mercy to everyone around you especially on the people you don’t like or who society says are unlovable – because those are the people Jesus hung around with. Take the time to get involved in the political workings of your nation. Some may be called to serve, but most of us can make a difference if we educate ourselves on the issues and candidates then use that knowledge to vote responsibly according to our good consciences. And pray for your leaders – they need Spiritual freedom too.

Don’t take your freedoms for granted. Don’t let these extraordinary sacrifices be in vain.

A Prayer
Father - thank you for the sacrifice of your Son. Thank you for the sacrifice of our nation’s armed forces and first responders. Thank you for the freedom that is ours because of these sacrifices. Help us to not take our freedom for granted, but to instead lead lives worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf. In the name of Jesus, we pray - Amen

A Test of Authenticity

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’”
Genesis 22:1-2

Abram became Abraham because he had found favor with God, favor that had come with obedience – so why the test, why this most difficult test? From personal experience I know that some acts of obedience are harder than others, some don’t really require total surrender to the one asking. God, however, wants all of our lives and so we get tested – a test of authenticity and surrender.

There are plenty of examples in the Bible of people who were given a test of authenticity. Joseph was tested, Job was tested, Esther was tested, Elijah was tested, and Peter’s test came in the form of the same question being asked three times by a risen Jesus. Because all of these heroes of faith were tested, we shouldn’t be surprised when our authenticity as followers of Jesus is tested.

I want to share a story of a time when I feel like I failed such a test – the description may be a little graphic, but life is messy. A couple of decades ago, my husband, a friend and I were in San Francisco to see a play. As we walked from a restaurant to the theatre there was a homeless man sitting in a doorway, urinating where he sat – that’s a sad state for anyone but to make the indignity of the situation even worse, someone was standing there taking a picture of him. The scene is etched in my mind. I wish that I had, had the strength of character and courage of faith to have stopped the guy with the camera, to have told him that it wasn’t right to do that. Today, I would have had the courage to act on the injustice of the moment, but then I did not.

It is highly unlikely that any of us will be asked to sacrifice a child the way Abraham was, but the Lord will still test our authenticity, our willingness to surrender our lives for His calling. What will it be for you? Will it be to stop looking past or through someone with a disability? Will it be to stop and look that person with the “I’m hungry sign” right in the eye and give them a hand? Will you travel to a third world nation to serve those less fortunate? Will you set fear or selfishness aside to love someone the way Jesus loves you?

The test will come, probably when you least expect it; probably, when you are feeling pretty secure in your faith. Abraham didn’t question God; he just did what was asked of him – even when he probably didn’t understand. Abraham and all the others I mentioned prove to us two things – first, that the Spirit of God will grant us what we need to pass the test of authenticity and then that in doing so we will be blessed as good and faithful servants.

When test comes, follow Him, obey Him - then it will be a no worries kind of situation and your faith will be proved authentic.

A Prayer
Father, none of us like to be tested and while I am sure that Abraham, Joseph, Job, Esther, Elijah and Peter didn’t enjoy the tests they faced because of your power they passed and are examples for us today. So thank you for the tests that cause us to rely on You, even when we don’t know where You are taking us. May You find our faith and obedience authentic in everything you call us to do. In the name of Jesus who wants our whole lives, we pray - Amen

The Line is Drawn

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4

There is a crimson line that has been drawn in our lives, it’s a line that the world dares us to cross, and it’s a line that Jesus calls us to cross.

The world tells us that we are sufficient in and of ourselves and that life can be perfect if only we drive the right car, wear the right clothes, have white enough teeth, go along with whatever the crowd says is right, never discipline our kids – at least not the way we were and on and on it goes. From where I am sitting that whole if it feels right do it, it’s all about me and my stuff philosophy doesn’t really seem to be working generally speaking – how’s it working for you?

On the other side of that crimson line Jesus is calling us to cross over to a life that has a completely different focus. Jesus tells us, He is all we need – that He alone is sufficient, that the cars, clothes, whitening toothpaste and the crowds will not give you more power, will not make life easier or perfect.

Jesus never promises that life will be easy but as we read in this week’s passage His divine power – which is available to all who believe and cross over the line in response to his call gives us everything we need to deal with life and the journey to godly perfection. It is power He wants to give us because of who He is and how much He loves us. His resurrection power draws us into His divine nature and way from the “stuff” of this fallen world.

The world dares us to cross line counting on our unwillingness to live selflessly and our fear of the unknown to keep us from stepping over.

Jesus calls us to step over the line that is colored by his amazing grace and mercy – to a life filled with His power – to a life better than anything the world has to offer.

What will it be? I think we should take the dare and answer the call daily to cross the line and live in His power.

A Prayer
Father, thank you that we do not have to be stuck in life, held captive by all sorts of stuff that keep us focused on ourselves. There is a cost to stepping over that crimson line – but show us each day how worth that cost is – when we can live with power and hearts that beat to serve those around us, not to mention the rich reward waiting for us in eternity. In the name of Jesus who calls us, we pray - Amen

Jesus Style

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:5-8

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us and by this He demonstrates His love for us. Stop and really let that sink in. Let it sink in all the way to your heart. Because of His love we have hope and a future - if we have chosen to believe that Jesus is who He says He is and have let Him heal our souls by His wounds. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, and I have hurt people sometimes intentionally and sometime not. I have behaved selfishly at times, even still when I am at my worse. I need the love and grace Jesus offers, I need the hope those things give. What about you?

What about the people around you? Jesus taught those around him that they needed to love God and love others. Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that the “tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom before them because the sinners had heeded John’s words to repent and be baptized and they - the leaders that is - did not” (See Matthew 21:31b-32). Jesus, liked to hang out with the tax collectors and other sinners he encountered, because they knew they needed what He was offering - love, mercy and grace - friendship and family, a future so bright they would have to where shades - sorry I couldn’t help it. But, the law keepers, the teachers, the high muckity-mucks were so blind that they didn’t see they needed what Jesus was offering too.

I am sure it was much easier for the sinners to come Jesus way back then, when they could see Him, feel Him, be really embraced by Him. Today though, I am sorry to say there are some who call themselves Christians who seem to have forgotten we are called to be Jesus to the world around us. We are to love the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners of today, we are suppose to love them right into the embrace of the Risen Savior - so that His Spirit can pour His love into their hearts. So that they can be changed from the inside out because of Jesus’ love and grace.

Scriptures suggest that some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day figured it out - Paul the writer of Romans is a great example of that and while Scriptures don’t say so specifically I get the feelings that those leaders who didn’t get that love and grace were more important than rule keeping may not be in heaven. 

Where are you in this? Do you speak truth without love and grace? Are you pushing people away from Jesus with your words and actions? Maybe you are at the other extreme all love and grace with no truth? Are you pushing people away from Jesus with your words and actions because they don’t think they need Him?

This week I want to challenge you to remember that we are all sinners, Jesus died for all of us while we were still sinners - we didn’t have to clean up our messy lives before letting him in. Then, after you have remembered the work He has done in your life - let your words and actions draw the sinners in your life to the same Jesus who saved you. To the same Jesus who fills your life with hope and the promise of a bright eternal future. That is love and grace - Jesus style. 

A Prayer
Father – Thank you that we didn’t have to clean up our lives before letting You in. Thanks that Your Son’s death and resurrection make all who believe in Him new people who can leave the mess of the past behind with the help of His Spirit. Help us to remember every day that we are supposed to be drawing people to You, not pushing them away with our judgment and self righteousness. May our lives so shine with Your love and grace - that the “tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners” all around us will be drawn to the cross, like a moth to a flame. In the name of Jesus our example and Savior we pray, Amen.

Develop a Joy Habit

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you… Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:3-4; 8-9

The dictionary defines joy as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.” For those of us who call ourselves Christian, that something is not a thing at all but a who - Jesus Christ, the Risen One, the Son of God - I AM. Joy in my opinion is something much greater than happiness. Happiness can be fleeting, if we desire only happiness it becomes easy to sink into despair, to wallow in self-pity when things aren’t going according to our plan. Joy, on the other hand is dependent on the cause of joy and in this case the cause is Jesus, who is the Alpha and Omega, eternal and ever present, which means we can be filled always with what this week’s passage calls inexpressible and glorious joy. 

Ok, I can hear some of you groaning already. You can’t possibly know what I am going through; life is just too hard to be joyful right now. See that’s just my point - you are right I may not know what you are going through, but I have faced my own tough times so I know how hard it can be to keep the faith and let that amazing joy fill me. Perhaps you noticed that I left some verses out from this week’s passage. These missing verses talk about how we can rejoice in God’s protection but that we will have to face all sorts of trials - this life will give us much grief, but those things are meant to build our faith in the One we can’t see right now - the One responsible for joy. Joy that can be felt when we are exhausted, when we are in pain, when the storm is raging and of course in those moments when all feels right in our world.

We need to develop a joy habit - but how? First and most important is to remember that no matter what - joy is there just under the surface waiting to burst forth and soothe our souls - all because of Jesus. So what can we do to keep that joy flowing? Daily we need to praise and glorify the One responsible for the joy in the first place. We need to practice trusting God with every part of our lives. We must love others sincerely - remember the greatest commands that fulfill the whole law are to love God and love others. We must also remember - that God loved us even while we were sinners - so we need to show the same mercy and grace to others. We must fill our mind with good things-meditate on all that you have to be thankful for - not just the big things but the little things too. Caring for others with acts of compassion and kindness will develop that joy habit. 

So what’ll it be this week? Will you search for happiness in things that are only temporary or in other flawed humans or will you tap into the inexpressible joy that is given by an amazing and eternal God? Join me in developing a joy habit!

A Prayer
Father – like your servant Peter, may we give you all the praise. Thank you for the new life filled with hope, inexpressible and glorious joy. Lord, you know how easily we let the world, our circumstances and other people take that joy from us - help us to develop a joy habit. You’re your help we can have joy in even the midst of life’s storms. Thanks you for Your mercy and grace, love and compassion, thank you for the never ending inheritance we have through Jesus - in whose name we pray, Amen.

Be Welcomed In

“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:10-11

A little bunny had slowly hopped up near the entrance to the offices of the church where I work. I snapped a picture of it and sent it to a friend with the caption “Even bunnies come to church in Kansas.” My friend responded a bit later with, “That’s a good church, every bunny is welcome.” That made me smile and chuckle just a little - then I got to thinking. 

For a church to be good, to be great - everybody should be welcome. Jesus regularly welcomed people into his circle that the religious leaders of the day complained about as being improper. Now don’t get me wrong, making everyone welcome in church, doesn’t mean avoiding the tough issue of sin. What it means is giving everyone the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus, to feel Christ’s love for them through the family Jesus left behind to take care of business.

We need to remember that we are sinners too and that the only difference between those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ and those folks who it might be easy to shut out - is that we have experienced the amazing, life changing, life giving grace of Jesus. When we accepted Jesus and handed over the Lordship of our lives to Him we were welcomed into His family, His kingdom and He expects us to do the same for others. We have to remember that we were welcomed with a warm embrace even though we were not perfect. In this week’s passage Peter encourages his readers to do some stuff, so they will continue to grow, continue to be changed from the inside out. His encouragement reminds us that we are on a journey to perfection that we will only achieve when we are welcomed into the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ. Part of that that journey includes welcoming others to join us. But what kind of things must we do to gain the rich welcome that Peter says is waiting for us?

Fortunately, Peter makes it clear for us in verses 3-8 leading up to this week’s passage. First, Peter tells us that Jesus’ divine power gives us everything we need to live a grace filled, abundant life and that that same divine power helps us to escape the selfish temptations of this world. Then Peter tells us we must build upon the faith that bought us to Jesus in the first place. Upon faith we add goodness and then we add knowledge and with each thing we add we become more like Jesus. To knowledge we add self-control and perseverance - things that helps us resist temptation and allows us to treat others with the same kind of patience that Jesus treats us with. Then as the framework of our life becomes stronger we add more to it like godliness, brotherly kindness and the greatest and strongest part of our lives then should be love, Christ like love.  

Jesus was in that habit of welcoming in those, no one else would ever think of welcoming, let alone treat with any respect or love - what about you? Are you in the habit of welcoming in the lost, the tax collectors and sinners in your life?

This week, I want to challenge you to add to your faith all of the things Peter tells us we should, so that we will be richly welcomed into the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ who died to save us from ourselves. As you do, welcome in those in your life who need the amazing, life changing, live giving grace of Jesus. Will you be welcomed in? Will you welcome others?

A Prayer
Father – thank you for the divine power you give us to grow in faith so that we can stand firmly as daily we become more like Your Son. Help us to always be mindful of how He welcomed us into His love when we were still an unlovable mess. Show us who in our lives we need to welcome into our divine family, so they too can find faith and be made whole. Thanks you for welcoming us into Your family, into Your kingdom. In the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior we pray, Amen.

The Greatest House

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit”
Ephesians 2:19-22

I am not sure if it was the work of historical fiction I had recently read or the world waiting for the newest member of the British royal family to be born, but I was thinking about the House of Windsor and that great house is the inspiration for this week’s devotion. Now I am not talking about actual house here, rather in this case it is the family that is called a house, so the House of Windsor is of course the royal family. There are other famous houses of course for example: The House of David, from Old Testament Israel, The House of Romanov - Russia and perhaps you are familiar with the House of Faberge. All of these houses are or were powerful and influential families. 

In this week’s passage Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus they are no longer outsiders, they have become part of a great house - The House of God, members of a royal family. Unlike earthly royal families or Houses, the House of God has no line of succession, because the King will sit on the throne forever. Jesus Christ is that King and as Paul tells the Ephesians the House of God is built on a foundation of the apostles and prophets and held together by Jesus Himself. Furthermore, because this King in His power and might, compassion and love, mercy and grace has defeated our greatest enemy, we who are members of the House of God; because we have believed and trusted in Jesus have the ability, the right and the power necessary to influence our world. 

But, the privilege of being a member of this great house, the greatest house there will ever be, comes with great responsibility. It is probably safe to say that we each know at least one person who claims to be a member of the House, but whose words and actions bring shame to the family, who hurt others in the name of the King or whose hearts have not really been transformed by Jesus’ amazing grace and love and so live selfish instead of selfless lives. 

This week, I want to challenge you to reflect the power, compassion, love, mercy and grace, things that are the hallmarks of the eternal House of God - to positively influence the world around you, to love those the world says are unlovable, to hold up those who are weak, and to love the sinners around you because you are one as well, love them right into the greatest house.

A Prayer
Father – How amazing it is that we are called sons and daughters of the King, because we have been redeemed by the King’s own blood. Thank you that we are part of the greatest house, the eternal House of God. Help us to live as a reflection of Your House to the world around us, drawing them to Christ so that they too may be called sons and daughters. Jesus is King and He reigns forever over the House of God. It is in the name of the King we pray, Amen.