Love and discipline go together.....

Revelations 2:19 “Whoever is dear to me I reprove and chastise, be earnest about it, therefore, repent!” (NAB) “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest, and repent!” (NIV) “All those whom I love I correct and discipline, therefore, shake off your complacency and repent.” (Phillips) “The people I love, I call to account….prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!” (MSG) Heavenly Father, Love and discipline go hand in hand. When we love someone we want what is best for them. Chastisement, rebuking, prodding, correcting….all are part of discipline and shaping character. If you didn’t love us you wouldn’t care if we followed your commandments or repented or changed or even if we were saved! You have a lot of love invested in us…you invested your Son’s life to save us. That is love! If we understand that, then we can see why you take the time to rebuke and correct us. To take advantage of the grace you showed us in Jesus Christ, we must first recognize our need for repentance. You didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners….us! You are speaking to the Church and urging her to see her lukewarm condition. Lukewarm would indicate a lack of growth, a lack of awareness of your will and commands. You want them to open their eyes and see their need for repentance. You stress this by urging that they be “earnest” or “shake off their complacency”. This is important…we are to take it seriously. All of this urging of repentance and shedding of complacency (being lukewarm) is followed by that well known passage and image of Jesus at the door. “Here I am! I stand at the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus is there. We must hear his voice calling our hearts and urging us to seek him and open the door. Jesus said: “I am the Door.” He is the answer to being lukewarm. A choice is needed. That choice leads to his promise…”I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” Staying to eat indicated an abiding relationship…being “at home” and welcome and part of the family. All of this is promised to those who ”I love” or are “dear to me”, once they are rebuked and repent and open the Door to allow Jesus to come in. Thank you for the Way in, the Door to walk through, and the abiding presence you promise us. Amen.

Jars of clay carry your light.....

2 Corinthians 4:17 “The present burden of our trial is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (NAB) “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (NIV) “These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, Jars of clay. Paul in this passage compares our bodies to jars of clay that hold your light, the knowledge of Jesus Christ, to be carried to the world. Clay jars are breakable. However, the power, the glory that is yours can’t be quenched or broken. Our vessels…..our bodies….may suffer or die, but the message lives on in new clay jars, moving throughout the world. Whatever we suffer or endure now is light, momentary, transitory and counts for little to us. Our reward is eternal, glorious, permanent! Nothing here in this world compares with what we will have in heaven for eternity! No burden here is too heavy to carry with your strength and power within us in the Holy Spirit. “We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” (2 Corinthians 4:14)…..”Therefore we do not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) What happens to us here doesn’t matter…our new body, our new life is waiting because of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! The theme for this month was “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” We mourn our sinfulness and exchange it for your grace. We repent our wrongs, our disobedience and are given forgiveness and salvation. Sin creates the weakness of our “clay jars”, but Jesus Christ fills us with the Light of the World and his power and glory comfort us forevermore. Nothing can kill us! …the “real” us that lives in those clay jars and identifies with You! We are victors through Jesus Christ! We are reborn, renewed, redeemed! “Shine, Jesus, shine, flood the nations with grace and mercy, send forth your Word, Lord and let there be Light!” Punch holes in our clay jars and let your light shine for all the world to see! Thank you! Amen.

Calling all "outsiders"....

Luke 5:32 “I have not come to invite the self-righteous to a change of heart, but sinners.” (NAB) “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (KJV, NIV) “I did not come with an invitation for the ‘righteous’ but for the ‘sinners’…to change their ways.” (Phillips) “I’m here inviting outsiders not insiders…an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father, Who needs a doctor? We do! All who see themselves as healthy or righteous are deluding themselves about their actual condition. We are not doctors. We are not Saviors and cannot become righteous or clean on our own. The Pharisees that Jesus was talking to were attempting to do just that. They believed that they could perfectly follow your laws and thus make their own way to heaven. They created new laws of their own in their attempts to perfectly follow yours. Human manipulation that was necessary to convince themselves that they were righteous and “saved”. This lead to judgment of anyone who was less of a righteous person then they were…anyone who failed to live up the their standards (not yours). No love, no compassion, no bearing of anyone else’s burdens. Your love is so much bigger than that type of “righteousness”! Your righteousness and holiness are pure, but your love works through all you do. Your righteousness rejects sin, but not the sinner. Your righteousness winces at our wrongs, but lovingly chooses to reach out and draw us back home rather than pushing us away in total rejection. Your righteousness calls for a “changed life” and provides a plan so that we may obtain it. Your righteousness sent a Savior, Jesus Christ, with an invitation to “come!” Jesus doesn’t use words that wound and judge with those he invites. Jesus is seeking lost lambs to save them, not punish them. Jesus speaks of “a change of heart”…”repentance”…”change their ways”…”invitation to a changed life”. We have an opportunity for restoration, cleansing, rebirth, starting over. Grace walks hand in hand with hope! Hope is born in the grace Jesus brought for all sinners, all the outsiders, all the scorned and out-cast. Jesus’ invitation has HOPE stamped all over it and leads us to salvation and heavenly life! Thank you, Father for the love given us in your son, Jesus Christ! Amen.

Carry one another's burdens.....

Galatians 6:2 “Help carry one another’s burdens; in that way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NAB) “Carry each others burdens and so live out the law of Christ.” (Phillips) Heavenly Father, What “law of Christ” are we to fulfill or live out? In John 15:12-13 Jesus says, “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.” There is no greater love than this…that a man should lay down his life for his friends.” The command is to love each other as Christ loved us. How did Christ love us? He died to remove our sin even though he himself had not sinned. He bore our punishment, sacrificed for our eternal salvation. Total self-less love. Love focused, not on himself, or his wants and desires and comfort, but outward looking love focused on all of us and our need for salvation even at his own expense. That is a hard love to “live out”! It begins with really looking at and listening to the people around us. This verse follows verses about gently correcting those who are living in sin. We do this lovingly and with compassion. We do it without any feeling of superiority and with a watchful eye turned on our own behavior. When we carry someone else’s burden, we “live in their shoes”….put ourselves in their place with understanding and empathy. Christ didn’t refuse to bear our sins or die our death because he was “superior” or without sin himself. He carried our burden right onto the cross and into the grave! He is our example to follow, but he also is our indwelling power to do this. We can love others and live out Christ’s law of love if he dwells within us. The closer our relationship is, the more we are open to the Holy Spirit within, the more naturally we will bear each others burdens and love sacrificially and not recognize it as anything but what should be automatic behavior for us. Identification with Christ in all things, through the Holy Spirit. Correcting other sinners in love and allowing them to change their own behavior by choice is helping to carry their burden until they lay it on Christ themselves. Salvation came through love and must be taught through love. Thank you for loving me through your Son. Amen.

Our joy vs. the world's joy......

John 16:20 “I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices, you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (NAB) (vs. 22) “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy!” (NIV) “…..sad and sorry while the world is glad” (Phillips) Heavenly Father, The source of our joy is different from the world’s. The world rejoices in its sin. The world rejoices in pleasure, self-satisfying gratification, fun, frivolity, lust, selfish desires, having whatever it wants. This does not mean that Christians have no joy. On the contrary, we have inner joy that isn’t dependent on physical pleasure or satisfying every whim and desire. Christians can rejoice while suffering hardship…our God is still there! Christians can rejoice while suffering loss…our God is still there! Christians can rejoice in death…our God is still there and we are going home to him! While the world rejoices in its easy sinful pleasures, we weep and mourn over our inability to not sin and because we are separated from you, our God! We grieve over our hopeless condition of rejecting your commands and disobeying your will. We want to please you….not ourselves. We want to love you more and draw closer to you. We want to find your presence and see your face and know the One who created us and loves us. We know we are too sinful ….so we mourn and grieve. But you sent hope into the world for those who seek you! You sent a Way, a Truth, a Life to redeem us and bring us joy that lasts, that can’t be taken away, that is deeper then circumstances that surround us in the world! You sent your Son, your personal representation, your very self to touch us, heal us, renew us, cleanse us, restore us. Joy is found in restoring our lost relationship with our Father, and you have given us that joy in Jesus Christ! No one can touch this joy once it resides within us. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39) amen.

Joy in suffering for the name....

Acts 5:41 “The apostles for their part left the Sanhedrin full of joy that they had been judged worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of the name.” (NAB) “The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name.” (NIV) “….full of joy that they had been considered worthy to bear humiliation for the sake of the name.” (Phillips) “….overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the name.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father, How often have we ever rejoiced to suffer for your Son’s name? Forgive us for wanting to be “comfortable” while telling others about Jesus or when spreading the faith and the gospel. We don’t want any confrontation. We don’t want anyone to disagree or argue. We certainly don’t want to be hurt or put in jail! We are soft and spoiled and have lost your power and the excitement of telling others about Jesus. We have quenched the Holy Spirit and dimmed his fire. It wasn’t intentional, like so many things in our lives. We simply have taken the “easy way”. We assume someone else is called to do the hard things and we will “help” as long as it fits our schedule and our life style. I know…because I am one of these lazy, unmotivated, weak Christians too much of the time! I don’t know how your call and your command to “go and make disciples…baptizing them…teaching them” applies to me personally. What am I equipped to do? Where do you want me to go? I don’t often ask that because I am afraid of the answer. I don’t want to do the “hard things”. I don’t seek the power to equip myself, because then I would have no excuse. I allow fear to stop me. I don’t allow myself to experience the joy of suffering for your name. The apostles weren’t just “happy”…they were “overjoyed”. I like that word a lot. Joy that is “over the top”, more than necessary, bubbling and flowing and unstoppable! Why would I resist knowing that sort of joy? This joy led the apostles to “never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ”. Once the fountain of joy was turned on, they couldn’t stop the flow! Wow! I know the Holy Spirit can give me that unstoppable joy, so why do I resist? Forgive me Father, for I have sinned against you, and you only. Forgive me Jesus when I let you down. Forgive me Holy Spirit when I close my heart to you and quench your fire. Teach me the joy of suffering for my Savior. Amen.

If we acknowledge our sins....

1 John 1:9 “But if we acknowledge our sins, he who is just can be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrong.” (NAB) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV) “If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find him reliable and just…he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.” (Phillips) (vs.8) “….live in a world of illusion, deceive ourselves” (vs. 10) “….make him a liar, his word has no place in our lives. Cut ourselves off from what he has to say to us.” Heavenly Father, There are a lot of “if's” in these 3 verses. All of these “if's” are connected to two things…what is true about Jesus, and acknowledging our sin. They hinge on each other. Verse 8’s “if” concerns claming to be without sin (NIV) or refusing to admit that we are sinners (Phillips). This is self-deception, not having a trued picture of our own character or not being willing to admit what we see in ourselves. To recognize sin we must acknowledge your existence as our God and a standard of right and wrong based on your supremacy and holiness. You spelled out the wrongs in the 10 commandments and many other scriptures, such as the Sermon on the Mount. Even if we don’t clearly understand them as “black and white” we can’t fail to see that we don’t live up to these standards of obedience to our God. We have sinned. We have disobeyed. If we can’t admit that than verse 8 says: we deceive ourselves or live in a world of illusion. Verse 10’s “if” concerns claiming we have not sinned and thus making Jesus out as a liar, not accepting his word as Truth. Now we are not only delusional and unable to admit our sin, but we are also calling You a liar and refusing to accept Your judgment on our behavior or Your right to call us on it and expect repentance. It is like Peter when he shouts out “I don’t know him!” We refuse to admit that we know Jesus or that as the Son of God he has a claim to our lives. He paid a high price to redeem us. Verse 9’s “if” says that when we do acknowledge our sins, that You are faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all that is evil. This is Truth. Jesus Christ, your Son, embodies this Truth, this Way, this Life that forgives and cleanses us. Through him we are saved. Through him sin is “taken care of”. Through him we are removed from darkness into Light. But it begins with all of the “ifs”. We must recognize and acknowledge our sin against You. Only than can Jesus Christ save us. Thank you! amen.

Who is Jesus....

John 19:5 “Look at the man.” (NAB) “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them…”Here is the man.” (NIV) “And at this Jesus came outside too, wearing the thorn crown and the purple robe. “Look,” said Pilate,” here’s the man!” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, I’m having trouble grabbing onto this verse and what you wish to say to me in it. Pilate only saw Jesus, the man. All of his questioning seemed to focus on whether Jesus had claimed to be king of the Jews. No mention of Jesus, Son of God, or his claim to be divine. He mocks Jesus as a fake earthly king…dresses him in kingly purple, places a “crown” on his head and presents him to the crowds announcing “here is the man” or “Look at the man”. He felt he was disgracing Jesus by downgrading him from “king” to ordinary man, pretending to be a king. When the priests admit that their complaint with Jesus was his claim to be the Son of God, Pilate became scared. Pilate tried to set Jesus free, out of fear, but caved into the crowds eventually. He finally announces “Here is your king”….perhaps he recognized more than the people, but he didn’t have the courage to follow through, and he let the crowd have what they wanted. Pilate even insists on a sign that says, “the king of the Jews” and won’t give into the people’s demand that he change it. Pilate was covering his own skin by making sure it was known he was crucifying Jesus because of his claim to be a king…this made him Herod’s friend. Herod would certainly be happy to have anyone killed who was trying to take his place. So Pilate pleased the Jewish crowds and leaders and he pleased Herod. But he failed to recognize Jesus for who he really was….that was too scary to contemplate. “Look at the man”…not a God…but just a man. Pilate saw only what he wanted to see or know. He refused to acknowledge the possibility of anything more profound. Jesus scared him, upset his security, threatened his self-control and power. All who refuse Jesus feel this way. Threatened. It’s easier to close you eyes, wash your hands and push the problem out of the way. Crucify Jesus!….or recognize him for who he really is…Son of God! Savior! Our hope and salvation! Amen.

Why have you forsaken me?....

Matthew 27:46 and Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Heavenly Father, Jesus’ cry from the cross echoes in our hearts and minds. We ask, “Why?” I think more than any other moment in the crucifixion story this one grips our hearts and brings us to tears. To think of Jesus suffering and crying out words of despair, words indicating he was deserted, forsaken, separated from You. There is no greater feeling of desolation than the awareness of not being in your presence. That is what sin and death are all about…separating us from you. They open a huge hole in our hearts, our lives, an emptiness that can’t be filled. Darkness surrounds us. Many Christians at some time experience what is called “the dark night of the soul”…a time of feeling totally abandoned by God, not feeling your presence. These words of Christ are the fist verse of a Psalm written by David long before Jesus was born. Obviously David had not only experienced this sense of abandonment, but he wrote a Psalm that is almost visionary in its identification of Christ’s later experience on the cross. Is that what these times of darkness really are? An identification with Christ’s suffering at his time of separation on the cross through our sins? Christ died for all the sin of the world…past and present. Each of us has a stake in that moment of forsakenness on the cross. At some point in our lives do we so totally identify with Christ through our sin and suffering that we feel this same desertion, this separation, this despair? I’ve been there. I’ve felt it. I couldn’t explain it then, but it was real and I hated it. I felt empty and alone. You, O LORD, were not in my sight or my senses. I went through the motions of faith feeling nothing, because I knew you were there and if I waited long enough, I would find you again and reestablish my relationship. The veil of darkness eventually lifted and I walked once more in your presence. I won’t forget the time of crying out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Thank you, Jesus for enduring that moment for me. Amen.

Overflowing comfort.....

2 Corinthians 1:5 “As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.” (NAB) “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (NIV) “….experience shows that the more we share in Christ’s immeasurable suffering the more we are able to give of his encouragement.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, “The God of all comfort (vs. 3). All consolation, all comfort comes from You, the source of comfort. “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Wherever there is sorrow and suffering connected with Jesus Christ, so there will be comfort. This verse really fits better with the Beatitudes about persecution. When our suffering is for Jesus and the spreading of his gospel, we will find an equal amount of comfort and joy. His strength flows into us to bear his cross and do his work here in his name. These verses say that this comfort is given so that we can in turn comfort others. We become living examples overflowing with your grace, so that others might “take up their cross” and follow. If others only saw suffering in Christ’s followers, they would not want to join us. But when they see that You, our Father, comfort us at all times and ease our suffering so that we see it as joy rather than drudgery, than they wonder how this can be and how they can find that sort of joy! We become encouragers for the oppressed, hope for the downtrodden, a source of joy in the face of spiritual hard times and testing. This verse makes it clear that our comfort is equal to our suffering….much suffering, abundant consolation….overflowing suffering, overflowing comfort….immeasurable suffering, the more we are able to give encouragement. As long as we suffer for Christ, we need not fear but know we will rejoice in your comfort! Paul and the apostles showed the way. The Church grew through this sort of encouragement and grace. We need to stop fearing and start living for our Lord and Savior. You will sustain all who live in and for your Son! Thank you, Father of all comfort! Amen.

He will not let.....

1 Corinthians 10:13 “He will not let you be tested beyond your strength. Along with the test he will give you a way out of it so that you may be able to endure it.” (NAB)

“God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (NIV)

“God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has its way out. so that it will be possible for you to bear it.” (Phillips)

“All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father, You are faithful! You can be trusted! Important statements that the rest of this verse is supported by. You “will not let”….not allow….us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. All of this promise, all of this strength in temptations has one source…your will. The will of the Almighty God, our Father, our Creator, our Provider, the Holy One, the One True Living God, is the basis of our sustaining strength, our support, our hope, our expectation, our ability to bear and endure whatever happens. As long as we remember those words: “God is faithful, he will not let….” Than we will rest in the assurance that all is well at all times. This verse does not promise that we won’t be tempted. On the contrary, it says that we will! But it offers us the promise of your strength, and your will behind and throughout this time of trouble. “He will give you a way out”….”he will see to it that every temptation has its way out”…”He will always be there to help you.” You are our secret weapon, our trump card, our ultimate solution to all problems. Your will, your strength are there to support us and show us “the way out”. We will endure it”….”stand up under it”….”bear it”….”come through it.” Bearing and enduring sound somewhat passive, but standing up under it and coming through it sound more aggressive. We face our temptation with the knowledge that you are with us and in control! We stand up, rather than bow down, because your strength is on our side and holding us erect. We will “come through it”….not around it, not avoid it, not pass by it…but through the middle of it secure in our faith, our hope, our trust in you. This is what Jesus knew in Gethsemane that allowed him to obey your will. You only allow what is necessary, and our trust is in your perfect will. Thank you! Increase my trust in your will! Amen.

So be it.....

Matthew 26:39 “He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer. ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by, still, let it be as you would have it, not as I.’” (NAB) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (NIV) “….if it is possible let this cup pass from me…yet it must not be what I want, but what you want.” (Phillips) Heavenly Father, Jesus didn’t want to suffer and prayed to not have to if this were possible. This is not the same as not being willing to suffer. Want and will are often at odds in humans and Jesus was human. The coming time of suffering drew Jesus into intense prayer…he ”fell prostrate”….”fell with his face to the ground”. He literally threw himself at your feet in worship, humility, acquiescence, concentration. A heavy spirit can drive us to our knees or onto our face. No airs, no posturing, nothing but intense concentration and communication with you. Jesus had the “weight of the world” sitting on his shoulders. He knew this would be physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally punishing. A time of separation from you. A time bearing all the sin, the filth, the evil of the world. Putting on a cloak of darkness, for someone who is “the Light of the World”. Drinking the world’s cup of bitterness, when he is the Vine that produces the sweetness of Life! This cannot have been easy. But his perfect focus on your will, his relationship with you and your love in which he abided perfectly let him say and mean…”yet it must not be what I want, but what you want!” This isn’t an “all right, if you insist” attitude. This is recognizing the rightness of your will, the perfection of your plan, and the love flowing outward and downward from heaven in this sacrifice. This is holy, loving obedient determination. He asked 3 times but always came back to: “still let it be as you would have it!” Amen…so be it. Jesus’ life was an amen of love and praise and obedience. So be it…as you will. This prayer in Gethsemane could be summed up in one word…AMEN. We all must learn to say “amen” to your will so that our lives might reflect Jesus’ life within us. Amen is your will in control, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen to your love! Amen to your Son! Amen to your Holy Spirit! Amen to salvation leading me home.! Amen, Father God, amen!

Eyes fixed on Jesus.....

Hebrews 12:2 “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith. For the sake of the joy which lay before him he endured the cross; heedless of its shame.” (NAB) “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (NIV) “…our eyes fixed on Jesus, the source and gem of our faith. For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering…” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, Eyes fixed….dancers focus their eyes on one spot as they do fasts turns because it keeps them in balance and they don’t lose sight of where they are. This is what we need to do. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, we stay in spiritual balance and don’t lose sight of what we are doing or get distracted by some other false focal point. It says here that Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. He is the source, the inspiration. Without Jesus Christ our faith is lacking. He shows us you….the Father. We can’t understand your love, your mercy, your forgiveness without Jesus Christ between us. He is the Door we walk through into your presence. His death has torn away the veil that separated us. His resurrection is the new life we are born into for eternity. How does he perfect or finish our faith? Faith is knowing and trusting you, our God, our Father. Jesus Christ’s death for our sins renews our relationship with you….brings us back securely into your presence and into harmony as your sons and daughters. Faith that is complete, finished is faith acceptable to you, our holy God. Jesus Christ makes us holy and righteous through his sacrifice on the cross. Without him, our faith is incomplete. You sent Jesus to us for a reason and we must believe on him if we want to know you. He is “the Way, the Truth, the Life”. Not a way, a truth, or a life…but the only one. Jesus endured this “shame” for us, for the “joy” that would follow…saving the world, welcoming all of us back home, doing his Father’s will, ending the reign of sin and death for those who have faith that he can finish and perfect them. Perfect! What a great word! Our life is now made perfect through Jesus Christ! It starts with “fixed eyes”. No matter how many times we “spin” we won’t end up out of control with our eyes on Jesus! Thank you! amen.

The prodigal son returns......

Luke 15:18-19 “Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” (NAB) “I will set out and go back to my Father and say to him: Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his Father.” (NIV) Heavenly Father, The prodigal son made a conscious decision to “set out and go back to my Father.” He had looked at, and lived in the world and found it wanting. The world did not make him happy, it did not fulfill him, it did not even feed him. The world that had seemed so desirable was suddenly his enemy. He knew what he needed to do and where he needed to go. He remembered how good things were with his Father, living the life of a son in his Father’s house. He knew he no longer deserved any of that…he had forfeited the right to be a son and that he had hurt, disappointed and rejected his Father. But he still wanted to go back! Though he now deserved nothing, he knew that even hired men at his Father’s house lived better than he did! The prodigal son had done some growing up while he was away from his Father. He knew what he had lost and he knew it was found in his Father’s presence. Even if he was no longer a son, he was willing to serve to be near his Father and be back at his Father’s house. Repentance, a desire to change, a desire to atone for his wrongs, a willingness to bow down in his Father’s presence and submit himself. I don’t know if the son’s motives are totally pure at this point…he wanted safety and security as much as his Father. But he knew he deserved nothing and he knew where to go to get home. Recognizing our “home” always leads us to You, our Father! Verse 20 says: “But while he was still a long way off, his Father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” While we are still lost in sin, a long way off, your compassion brought you to meet us and kiss us with your grace. You threw the arms of love around us and welcomed us back home. When we sorrow for our sins and decide to come home and serve you in any capacity and obey your will, you always meet us with your grace and love and forgiveness. You sent your own Son to welcome all the lost sons back home. If we have turned towards you and our true home, we will see him running to lead us to the Way home into your arms. Thank you! Amen.

PRODIGAL SONS With arms of love, and a kiss of grace We are welcomed home to our Father’s embrace Prodigal sons need wander no more You’ve shown us the Way and opened the Door! Prodigal sons turn their backs on home The world beacons, and we long to roam. Rejecting our Father, scorning his name We leave it behind for fortune and fame. But fortune is fleeting and fame doesn’t last We come to our senses and long for what’s past. Needing home and our Father……..at last we know, What we must do, and where we must go. We’ll return to our Father, repent of our sin, Beg for his mercy, even serve as hired men. Though no longer sons, in his presence we’ll live Merciful Father, “Will you please forgive?” But love always flows from our Father’s heart And he runs to meet us when homeward we start. He welcomes us home through Jesus, his Son Salvation is ours and the victory’s won! With arms of love and a kiss of grace We are welcomed home to our Father’s embrace. Prodigal sons need wander no more You’ve shown us the Way and opened the Door!

(Mary Freeman 4-17-2008)

A clean heart.....

Psalm 51:10 “A clean heart create in me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” (NAB) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (KJV) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NIV) “Create pure thoughts in me, and make me faithful again.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, I’ve sung and said these words so often in the KJV that I almost didn’t read any other translations. But Psalm 51 is well worth reading in its entirety in all of the translations. Words of confession, words of repentance. David poured his heart out in this Psalm in recognition of his sin with Bathsheba. All of us have sins that we must face as David did. We will feel his words and understand them when we look at our sins against You and name them. This month we are sorrowing over our sin and its role in our separation from you. This Psalm personifies that sorrow. Not sorrow because we got caught or even just for recognizing that we are sinners, but sorrow over “what could have been” in our relationship with you, and how we tossed it aside so easily for love of the world. Sorrow that sees deep into our hearts and sobs over how we have hurt you and disappointed you, and disobeyed you. Now we want to come home. We can’t erase what we have done or not done, but we can seek your forgiveness and we can seek to begin again….renewal, rebirth. We ask for “a clean heart” and “a renewed spirit within”. You give us both. Jesus cleans our heart. It is hard to envision how blood can wash something clean, but this isn’t ordinary blood…this is the blood of the Lamb! Perfect, pure, spotless, unblemished blood given freely as a love sacrifice for us. Love can renew us. Love can “create a clean heart”. You renew our spirit….steadfast, faithful, right. The Holy Spirit is ours through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will keep us steadfast and faithful. The Holy Spirit will replace wrong with right, sin with righteousness. Verse 12 says: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Our joy and our salvation, are restored through the blood of Jesus Christ! My spirit rests on your Holy Spirit! Thank you! Amen.

Jesus weeps for those who reject his grace....

Luke 11:41-42 “Coming within sight of the city, he wept over it and said: ‘If only you had known the path to peace this day; but you have completely lost it from view’.” (NAB) “….ah, if you only knew, even at this eleventh hour, on what your peace depends….but you can not see it.” (Phillips) (vs. 44) “…..you did not recognize when God himself was visiting you.”

Heavenly Father, Jerusalem was Jesus’ city as much as Bethlehem or Nazareth. Jesus weeps over what he sees ahead for Jerusalem…destruction, falling in ruin, attacked by enemies. Jerusalem is the heart of the chosen people, the religious center where you showed your presence in the Holy of Holies of the temple. The seat of their worship of you. Jesus weeps because they are about to reject him…your Son, their Savior. They’ve closed their eyes and their minds and their hearts and shut him out. They’ve shut you and the prophets out. They have chosen to go their own way. Jesus trailed through their midst doing miracle after miracle and preaching words that could only come from you, and fulfilling every prophesy of the Messiah, but they refuse to believe. Their peace depends on him, and they close their eyes. I don’t write this with a sense of superiority because I believe n Jesus, but with sadness and understanding. “There but for the grace of God, go I!” Only your grace and the circumstances that led me to it, keep me from being the same. Jesus must weep every day over those who reject him. I know some of those people well…my children and other relatives and other people I know…..and my heart weeps with him. I so very much want everyone to love Jesus as their Lord and Savior! I want them to know your peace, your presence! I want them to turn for home, to repent, to run willingly into your arms. Father, you have loved us enough to send your son, you have given more than anyone should have to give. But there are still those who don’t believe! How can we reach them? Send your Holy Spirit’s power to strip away the veil from eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear, hearts that are hardened, minds that are too sophisticated and busy! Bring revival! Bring new hope, new Light, new Truth into those who don’t know you! Strengthen all who do know you and give us the power to preach you to all the earth before it is too late! Thank you. Amen.

Trading yokes....

Lamentations 1:12 “Come all you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering.” (NAB) “…look around and see. Is any suffering, like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?” (NIV) (vs. 14) “My sins have been bound into a yoke.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father, This month’s theme is mourning: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Our mourning is for our sinfulness, our disobedient nature that has separated us from you. Verse 14 says: “My sins have been bound into a yoke.” The freedom we thought we had to do as we please, has turned into a burden of dissatisfaction resting on weary shoulders and choking us with its grip of death. We aren’t in control as we thought, but are slaves to worldly ways and worldly appetites and worldly things. Our “free spirit” has gained us nothing, but a complicated life going in a dozen different directions at once, with multiple demands and stresses and no real satisfaction or gain. Most of all…no real relationship with You. There is a hole in our lives and we can’t fill it. We need our Father, our God, on a deep inner level to complete us. We were born in your image and we have a homing device that cries out for you if we allow it voice. We think no one else suffers as we suffer. Sin and death are burdens and the weight of them will cause suffering. We are alone in sin and death. The sin yoke is ours to bear with no help. But Jesus came to change that. In your great love you sent your son to free us, to remove the weight of sin and death! “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and by burden is light.” Jesus offers us a light yoke, an easy yoke in place of our sin yoke. Jesus destroys our sin yoke if we allow him to…”they will be comforted”. When we mourn our sinfulness and ask Jesus to free us from it, we choose to bear his yoke of obedience and service. We trade a hopeless yoke for a healing yoke. We accept Jesus’ offer to bring us back to you. We regain the relationship we lost in our sin and return to being sons. Jesus gives us “rest for our souls.” Rest in the assurance of eternal salvation. Rest to join our life with his and follow where he goes. Rest from sin and death. Rest in your presence! Thank you! Amen.

Accountability in our relationship with God....

Micah 6:3 “O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me! (NAB) “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.” (NIV) vs. 8 “What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father, Accountability. You challenge us to look at the source of our woes. Have you done something to us? Have you burdened us? Our problems stem from our own sinfulness, from our disobedience to you. You created an ordered world and set us in the midst of it. You surrounded us with all good things. In return you asked obedience….our recognition that you are in charge and not us. We honor and worship you as Almighty God, our Creator, our Father. It is when we step away from this relationship that trouble begins. Each time we refuse to obey, try to take control, attempt to put our will above your will, we stumble, we fall, we become weighted down with burdens and stress. Until we admit to our own role in our downfall, and stop blaming you, we can’t right our relationship with you. We have sinned. We have made wrong choices. We have been disobedient. We are not in charge. You are our God…high above us in wisdom, power, knowledge. You know what is right for us and the good you intend for us. We must trust you completely. We must follow you in all things. We must honor your position as our God and worship you! Verse 8 tells us that you require three things from us. We are to “act justly”….treat others with love and respect as joint heirs in your kingdom….loving them as you have loved us. We are to “love mercy”…forgive as we have been forgiven, identify with our fellow beings as Jesus identified with us. We are to “walk humbly with our God.” All of our interactions with others stems from our relationship with you. You are our Father and we are your children. We walk through life in that humble relationship that puts you first in all things. We are humble in the presence of your great love for us. We are humble in acknowledgment of our responsibility for our own sin. We are humble in the face of your love that gave your Son, Jesus Christ to die for us! Thank you! My Lord and my God! Amen.

Betrayal........

Psalm 55:12-13 “If an enemy had reviled me, I could have borne it…but you, in my other self, my companion and my bosom friend! You, in companionship I enjoyed.” (NAB) “My enemies are not the ones who sneer and make fun…it was my closest friend, the one I trusted most. We enjoyed being together, and we went with others to your house, our God.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, These verses speak of betrayal…by a close friend….a Christian friend. Betrayal isn’t always at the hand of our enemies. Sometimes our friends disappoint us the most, or let us down in our time of need, or turn against us, or go behind our backs. It happens in the church. We, who should have the highest standards of love and loyalty, turn on each other in petty quarrels, personality clashes, and other un-Christian behavior. We put our wants and needs first and withdraw our support from our “friends” when it suits us. Jesus knew what betrayal felt like….Peter denied him, Judas betrayed him, the other disciples ran and hid, the religious leaders turned him over to be killed despite a lack of evidence. We can never totally trust the love and support of other humans…even our friends. That isn’t meant to be cynical…just an honest statement of fact. We can’t know for sure how friends will react to circumstances. But there is one who we can always rely on ….You, our Father, our Lord, our God! You have promised to be with us always and you have shown faithfulness in all of your promises. You have loved us when we were unlovable and paid dearly to ransom us with the life of your Son, Jesus Christ. You are always there…waiting for us to return to your presence. It is never you who turn your back or betray us…we are the ones who move back and forth between love and devotion and apathy and sin. When we choose Jesus as our “friend”….our Lord, our Savior…we will never be betrayed by him or disappointed in his love for us! He leads us always toward home, toward you, our Father. When we call, you hear us. When we cry out, you listen. When we turn toward you, you hold open arms of endless love. Thank you! I trust your love, always! Amen.

Taking time to love others.....

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (NAB, NIV, KJV) “Share the happiness of those who are happy, and the sorrow of those who are sad.” (Phillips) “Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy, share tears when they are down” (MSG)

Heavenly Father, These words of Paul’s seem so obvious, we sort of skip over them quickly. This is another “love passage”. These are rules for Christian living. These things in verses 9-21 are the difference between hating evil and loving good and living that difference in our daily life. Being devoted in brotherly love….keeping our spiritual fervor…joyfully hoping, patiently bearing affliction, praying faithfully, sharing with others, hospitality, blessing those who persecute us, sharing happiness and sadness, living in harmony, associating with anyone we meet, not conceited or proud, not revenging our hurts, doing right to both friend and foe, living in peace. In every case we show no favoritism, but treat all….high or low, friend or foe….alike. And we treat them with goodness, rather than evil. This particular verse is about identifying with the lives of others to the point of sharing their emotions and the events of their lives. Not about me, but about them. Genuine empathy and genuine concern shown to others. We are often too busy with our own lives to show real interest in what makes someone else happy or sad. Our attitude tends to be: “I don’t have time to deal with this!” We want to spend our time on our own feelings, our own problems, our own concerns. Time has become our enemy…a tool of the devil….in our daily lives. We never have “enough time” to care about others as we should! We aren’t heartless people, just self-absorbed busy ones. The Evil One works this “scam” to the max! It may be his most effective weapon in this day and age! Finding time to love others, rejoice with their happiness, cry with their sadness, is finding the heart of God! You, O LORD, are love! When we take the time to genuinely love others, we show you through our lives! My time must become your time! My thoughts , your thoughts! My actions and words, your actions and words! Holy Spirit fill me with this genuine love! Set my inner clock to your time, not mine! Amen.

Finding the power to do right.....

Romans 7:19 “What happens is that I do not the good I will to do, but the evil I do not intend.” (NAB) “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do…this I keep on doing.” (NIV) “I don’t accomplish the good I set out to do, and the evil I don’t really want to do I find I am always doing.” (Phillips) “I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it. I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.” (MSG) (vs.25) “I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (vs. 18) “I often find that I have the will to do good, but not the power.” (Phillips) Heavenly Father, Failure of the law, failure of man’s will. Everyone who reads these verses by Paul must surely sit nodding in agreement! Paul at his most human, admitting what we all find out…no matter how hard I try to be good, I still fail! What happens? Like verse 18 says: “I often find that I have the will to do good, but not the power.” The think that stands out the most here is that under our own power….”I decide to do good” and “I decide not to do bad”….we just can’t succeed. The sin within our human nature is too strong. We can’t beat it. We can’t conquer it. Our will, our deciding, our trying, just aren’t enough. In verse 25 Paul speaks words of hope: “I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord!” That sentence makes all the difference to this discouraging, human, frustrating verse of doing wrong when we want to do right and not doing right when it is what we really want to do more than anything! A way out….an answer to the dilemma…a permanent solution. “I am the Door, whoever enters by me will be saved!” (John 10:9) We think of doors as allowing us in, but the same door allows us out. We leave behind that frustrating place of trying and good intentions and the sense of failure and hopelessness that goes with it! We find “the way out” as we find “the way in”. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life!” (John 14:6) This Way includes Truth and Life! Human nature, human sin are still there….lurking, working in us. But with the Truth of Jesus Christ taking our punishment, and the Life found in him for eternity, now the Way is smoother and hopeful. Jesus gives us that “power” we lacked to go with our will. The Holy Spirit comes to straighten the path, show the way, teach, guide, empower us to overcome the flesh and sin. We will change and become more Christ-like not through our will, our efforts, our desire, but through the power of Jesus Christ who goes before us and holds open the door! Thank you, O LORD, for giving us the Way, and the Truth, the Life in Jesus Christ to empower us to obey! Amen.

"..you were not willing"......

Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I wanted to gather your children together as a mother bird collects her young under her wings, and you refused me!” (NAB) “…I have often wanted to gather your people….but you wouldn’t let me.” (CEV) “…….but you were not willing.” (NIV) Heavenly Father, Jesus speaks this message clearly to Jerusalem and the Jewish people. They have refused him…he longs to gather them…they are unwilling…they will not “see him again” until they say: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” They will have a last chance to recognize Jesus as Messiah, God’s Son, their Savior, and to call on his name. How does this apply to the rest of us? Are we too…Jerusalem? Do we kill the prophets and stone those sent to us? Do we ignore our message and go our merry way in the world? Do we avoid commitment to Jesus Christ and repentance? Do we argue with the prophets…effectively killing their message from reaching our hearts? Do we “stone” those who are sent…pick at their reputations, throw verbal persecution at them, make fun of what we choose not to accept, heap piles of unnecessary burdens on them, cover up their message with the trivial pebbles of our own wants, needs and expectations? Our methods may be more subtle then outright killing and stoning but just as effective in denying the message they strive to bring. We hinder more than help. We mostly ignore any call to a change in our character, any allowing of deep impact by Christ in his effort to save us. We turn our backs when it is inconvenient to face him. How you must despair all who refuse to be gathered…both in the world and in the church! We “refuse”…we “won’t let you”….we are “not willing”. Our will still reigns supreme most of the time, our wants still stand between us and you. We may accept your sacrifice and its reward for us, but we refuse the suffering or inconvenience it might cause us. Piling more stones on the messengers and the message. Burying the call to obedience under distractions. Worldly stones, worldly refusal….we’re just not willing. An important word…it involves will….ours against yours, just like Jerusalem. Break my will! Replace it with yours! Break my children’s will and draw them towards you! Gather all the lost chicks and don’t give up on any of us! Please? You are our only hope and salvation. Thank you, amen.

Rejoicing in suffering for Christ....

1 Peter 4:13 “Rejoice…in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly.” (NAB) “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (NIV) “Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.” (CEV) Heavenly Father, Help me understand this verse. “Rejoice that you participate n the suffering of Christ.” None of us like to suffer. We want to tell others about Jesus, but we don’t want to suffer while doing it. Most of us could consider it “suffering” to do anything we were uncomfortable doing….knocking on doors, handing out information about Christ in a public place, telling friends about Christ in our own words, having someone ridicule us or shut a door in our face. We don’t even consider the sort of suffering that others do in foreign countries among violent non-believers. We don’t think about torture, imprisonment, physical abuse, harassment of our families, being killed and other real suffering done by those spreading the gospel in hostile environments. We would run for sure! Just like Peter, we would deny you, turn our backs on you, and disappear from the scene of danger. We don’t even like thinking about our weakness…but we know it is there! We don’t rejoice in the idea of suffering for Christ. We wish to avoid it al all costs. Peter had to face his denial of you. Peter had to get past that idea of avoidance and fear. He faced his shame when he faced you on the beach. I don’t imagine it came easily to him. But once he stood in the Upper room on Pentecost and received your power through the Holy Spirit, he was no longer afraid. He became able to face anything for you and no longer care about the possibility of suffering. Peter rejoiced because he now believed in a deeper way, that trusted your power completely and looked only for your glorious return. How can I receive that joy? How can I overcome my fear? How can I embrace your suffering and be willing to identify completely with it? Peter learned to wait on your plan, your will, your power. He stopped being “Peter” and became an extension of Jesus Christ. His life was prepared by you through his sufferings, that he might serve and glorify you in all he said and did. Remove my fear. Teach me to trust you more and face my shame and hesitation. Strengthen me in your power through the Holy Spirit that you left as your gift to us for your work. Thank you! Amen.

Humble, pray, seek, turn.....

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

“Restore us, O LORD God almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father, I chose these two scriptures to show our need to learn to “mourn” our sins and to turn to you for healing. The first verse lists 4 things to do. This verse is for “my people, the ones who are called by my name.” If we want to be your people, and bear your name, than we must: 1. humble ourselves, 2. pray, 3. seek your face, and 4. turn from our wicked ways. This is a progression of steps. First we humble ourselves and recognize that You are God…and we are not. The definition of “God” would include such words as supreme being, one to be worshiped, creator, master, LORD. Being humble in your presence is recognizing that we are not in control, we are not equal to you, we do not live up to the standards of a holy God! It is accepting the failure of our sinfulness. So we pray, step two. We pray to you, talk to you, communicate our desire to know you, to understand you, to come into your presence. We apologize, repent, hang our heads in mourning that we are separated from you. We “seek your face”, step 3…..seek to find you, to see who you are that we might be made acceptable to you, that we might restore our relationship with our Father. This results in change…turning from our wicked ways…step 4. True repentance and contrition will be shown in our actions. If we do these things, You promise to hear us, forgive us, and heal us! You did all three in Jesus Christ. We can find your open ears, your forgiveness and your healing when we accept your Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I chose the second verse because it also speaks of restoration. Putting our relationship with you back where it belongs. Fixing it. Only you can fix it, but we have to be willing to bring you the broken pieces. You….”make your face shine upon us”! Your shining love, your shining grace, your shining and glorified righteousness beams from heaven in Jesus Christ, our salvation! “That we may be saved”…that the face of God shines upon us…that we may be restored forever as sons of the Living God! Light of the World come down and shine of us! Thank you! Amen.

Blest are you when they insult you....

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Heavenly Father, Insults, persecution and slander….all of these things wound and hurt us. Jesus tells us here that if these things happen to us “because of me” then they will bring us a blessing rather than just pain, humiliation, and misery. If we are insulted because of Jesus, persecuted because of Jesus, slandered because of Jesus, than it means we have identified ourselves closely with him and spoken about him or “stood up for “ him in some way. The blessing comes in following him that closely to the point of making his words and actions ours. We are showing Christ-like characteristics. Anytime we identify closely with Christ and take on his character through the Holy Spirit, we are rewarded with heavenly rewards. The insults, persecution, slander may continue here, but we don’t care because it is for Christ’s work. We have made someone defensive or uncomfortable with Christ’s truth. Jesus made the Pharisees and religious leaders uncomfortable and they crucified him for it! They insulted him, tormented him, unjustly slandered him, and tried him for crimes he didn’t commit. Christ bore all of this because he was in right relationship with you, his Father. He knew what was right in heaven where it counts and accepted the earthly persecutions to remain in your will. We can only be blest by doing the same for Christ. If he gave his all for me, died for me, I can live for Him! We are to “be glad and rejoice”….not just bear the insults and pain, but actually be happy that we have this opportunity to serve Christ. Few of us reach this closeness in our identification with Christ. We wish to serve in ease and comfort. We don’t want to think about insults, persecution and slander. We will serve…but from a distance. We will try to avoid these things rather than rejoice in them. We miss our blessing and our heavenly reward by opting out of identifying this closely with Christ. Forgive me my weakness. Forgive me for wanting it all on my terms. “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”, that I might desire to be like Jesus Christ at all costs. Amen.

Jesus is baptized.....

Mark 1:9 “During that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father, I have trouble imagining what it must have been like for Jesus to live a dual existence….Son of Man and Son of God….human but yet God. This time of baptism seems like a beginning moment…when Jesus steps into the role of messiah publicly. John was baptizing people for repentance and forgiveness of sins. A ceremonial “washing away” of their sins, as they seek change and repent their sins against you. This was an awakening for the people….a prophet telling them to get their act together, to look at their sinful lives, to look for the Messiah who was coming to baptize them with the Holy Spirit! Preparation for Jesus’ appearance. They had to see their need in order to see Jesus for who he is. And then Jesus came. Jesus, too is baptized. Why? He was not a sinner. However, he will identify himself with all the sins of all the world. He will be a Savior….one who rescues us from sin. Jesus’ baptism seems to signal his intent to “repent”….bring change….for our sins, which he will bear on the cross. It signals his willingness to step into the role of world Savior. When he comes out of the water he sees the Spirit descend on him and hears your voice affirm his position as your son, affirm your love for him, and your pleasure with him. Do others see and hear this? I’m not sure from the gospel accounts. Immediately the Spirit leads him to the desert to be alone with Satan’s temptations. More preparation? The first test of his willingness to obey your will completely and bear all that Satan can think of to weaken him or make him back out? Jesus stands firm in the face of Satan! No wonder you were well pleased with this Son of God, Son of Man! At last….one who obeys your will, not out of fear, but out of love for you, his Father, and love for us, who he came to save. Thank you, O Father, for your Son, Jesus Christ….baptized, crucified, resurrected for my sin, my salvation, that I might have eternal life! Amen.

Bringing the people back home....

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (NAB, NIV) “He renews our hopes and heals our bodies.” (CEV) (vs. 2) “…rebuilds Jerusalem, brings the people back home again” (CEV) “…builds up Jerusalem, gathers the exiles of Israel.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father, You’ve always taken care of your people. You “build up”…”rebuild”…”renew”…”heal”…”bind up”. I like both the standard translation….”he heals the broken hearted” and the contemporary one…”he renews our hopes.” They go well together. When broken hearts are healed, hope is renewed. Broken hearts lose their hope, and blackness, depression and despair set in. By renewing hope, you heal hearts. Our wounds are “bound up”. Jesus Christ is the bandage you applied to our broken hearts and wounds. Our brokenness comes with our poverty of spirit and our mourning for our lost relationship with you. We recognize that we are unworthy of being in your holy presence. No matter how hard we try to be good people, we are still sinners at heart. No matter how closely we follow the rules and keep the laws, we still slip up. The Pharisees tried very hard to be holy, but you recognized their hypocrisy and their inhumanity to their fellow man. Their own holiness was more important to them, than the healing touch of Jesus Christ, which they often tried to stop. It drove them crazy to have Jesus choose your authority, rather than theirs. They lost control, they lost the feeling of their own rightness, their own goodness. They couldn’t face being broken and wrong. Psalm 147:2 in the CEV says: “He rebuilds Jerusalem and brings the people back home again.” It’s all about a big homecoming party! Jesus rebuilds what we have broken, heals what we have exposed to disease, renews hope we have lost, binds up wounds inflicted by our sin. Jesus Christ leads us to this big homecoming party, brings us back into relationship with you, restores our right to be your children, resurrects our dead bodies and spirits! You, O Father God, are LORD of all! You will always heal and bind up those who belong to You! Thank you, O LORD, my God, my Father, the One who loves me, for saving me through your Son, Jesus Christ! Amen.

Taking up my cross....

Matthew 16:24 “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross and begin to follow in my footsteps.” (NAB) “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Phillips) “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat, I am. Don’t run from suffering, embrace me. Follow me and I’ll show you how.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father, No matter how many times I study this verse I feel that I just don’t quite have it figured out yet. I understand denying self…giving up my right to be in control…relinquishing the idea that I know the best plan, the best way to do things. Just like Peter….I don’t. I have to let you lead the way, no matter how strange or scary it might seem. Following you means that you choose the path, you choose the place to step and I merely place my footsteps in yours. You are “in the driver’s seat” as the Message puts it. Where you go, I go and I’m not the navigator either. Then we come to “take up his cross”…the part I’m never sure I understand. What is my cross? Your cross was the one you died on. You willingly placed your life on that cross, even through it was “chosen” by others who didn’t know or understand you. Your cross was painful. Your cross was undeserved. Your cross represented something about you that was not your true character…the death of a criminal…but it also represented something that was...the death of a sacrificial lamb. Crosses are confusing. Crosses kill and destroy, but also lead to resurrection. Death has to precede new life. Resurrection can only occur after death…it is a coming back, a returning, a new infusion of life into something/someone who has died. The cross was your instrument of sacrifice, of becoming a servant for mankind’s benefit, and of obedience to your Father’s will and his holiness and righteousness. To follow you, to pick up my own cross, is obeying my Father’s will at all cost. It is sacrificing and serving in love. It’s a single-minded focus on You, my Father, and your loving plan. It’s saying that I’m willing to die for someone else…anyone else…if that is your plan. “Taking up my cross” is identifying with Jesus’ cross and a readiness to obey my Father’s will. It signals that the world can label and condemn me, but I will go forward and be true to who You have created me to be. As Jesus has done, I must also do….obedience. That is following Jesus. Show me your footsteps that I might walk in them. Amen.

Worldly joy vs. Christian joy....

John 16:20 “I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time but your grief will be turned to joy.” (NAB) “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” (NIV) “I tell you truly that you are going to be both sad and sorry while the world is glad. Yes, you will be deeply distressed, but your grief will turn into joy.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, My mind keeps catching on the phrase “while the world rejoices”. The death of Jesus Christ makes the world rejoice. The resurrection of Jesus Christ makes us rejoice! Our grief is turned to joy! Hallelujah! He is risen! He lives! If I am of the world, I will rejoice in Jesus’ death. The sin in me wants Jesus “out of the way”…out of sight, out of mind. No one to awaken me to truth. Our joy as Christians is not the world’s joy. When the world rejoices we should be weeping. If the world is happy, than our world is in mourning. Our grief, our mourning is brief….we mourn our sinful nature, our separation from you, from our Savior, while he is dead in the grave with our sin. This is being lost, helplessness, desperation, despair. Jesus is out of sight and we feel helpless just as the disciples felt when they saw the cross, the suffering, the death, the tomb. It all seems pointless…and that is what the world wants us to feel, so the world rejoices. But death doesn’t hold Jesus Christ in the grave! Jesus is victorious! Jesus arises from the grave in glory. He has conquered sin, conquered death. Now our grief turns to joy…the joy of hope and expectation! Jesus arose, that we may also arise! John 16:22 says: “I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy!” John 16:33 says,”…I have overcome the world!” The joy found in Jesus Christ overshadows and surpasses any fleeting joy the world provides. The world has its turn at joy…briefly…and dies. But Jesus is resurrected and now we have everlasting joy that no one can take away! Salvation in Jesus Christ is forever. Turning away from the world’s idea of joy and following Jesus Christ brings true joy, lasting joy, joy flowing from the throne of God into our hearts and lives. Our grief has been buried with Christ, and our joy has arisen forever more to reign with Jesus Christ! “You are my Father, and I am your child”….Hallelujah! Thank you! Amen.

Blessed are those who mourn....

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (NIV) “Blest are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.” (NAB) “Happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort.” (Phillips) “Blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” (MSG) “God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, The Beatitudes are a complete picture of the blessings of your kingdom. We can read them separately, but we have to see those pieces as part of a “whole”. Those who mourn aren’t people who are unhappy or suffering in some way. We aren’t to become gloomy and miserable in order to know your blessing. We don’t have to seek out suffering and persecution just so we can be blessed and comforted. The Beatitudes speak about our whole attitude toward You and what we want in this life and forever more. We started with being “poor in spirit”….reaching the end of our rope, being desperate and needy for meaning in our lives. Learning that our life revolves around its source…You. We can’t live without You! Our sorrowing, our mourning is part of this. We realize that “we’ve lost what is most dear”….as the Message puts it. We face the fact that our sin separates us from you. We hate our sin. We hate not being able to get rid of it and come into your loving presence. “Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” (MSG) Until we mourn our sinfulness we can’t find comfort in Jesus Christ and grace. Paul mourned his inability to do the things he wanted to do…good and righteous things…and cursed his continued slavery to what he hated doing and being….sin. Over and over he sings the praises of Jesus Christ and grace for saving him from this prison of sin and death. The prisoner set free knows the “comfort” that accompanies the sorrow and mourning over wrong that separates us from you. Your love, through Jesus Christ is our comfort! We are embraced by the One most dear” to us! Our sorrowing, our mourning was a blessing because it led us to Jesus Christ and freedom. Salvation has come down for all! We only see it, if we first mourn! We only receive it when we need and desire it! We only experience it after we mourn. A new day dawns…resurrection and life! Thank you! Amen.