Tag: christianity

More Like Christ: Reviving, Carrying, Testifying, Messaging: “for you shall go out in His Joy, be led forth in Peace and into His whole and complete life” Isaiah 55:12-13.

Isaiah 55:12-13 Complete Jewish Bible

12 Yes, you will go out with joy,
you will be led forth in peace.
As you come, the mountains and hills
will burst out into song,
and all the trees in the countryside
will clap their hands.
13 Cypresses will grow in place of thorns,
myrtles will grow instead of briars.
This will bring fame to Adonai
as an eternal, imperishable sign.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Being a Carrier of Joy

As children of the Most High God, we are to be marked by contagious, unceasing joy. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to an unending supply of joy that comes from the wellspring of restored relationship with our heavenly Father.

God longs to fill us with his immeasurable joy that we might live the abundant life Jesus died to give us. He longs to make us children fashioned in the image of our Father that we might each share his unending joy to a world without hope.

By the Living Word and Power of God, may we discover the greater portion of joy available to us through the Spirit as you encounter the heart of your Father.

Isaiah 55:12-13 Amplified Bible

12 
“For you will go out [from exile] with joy
And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 
“Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow;
And it will be a memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.” 

As disciples of Jesus, we are to carry the joy of our salvation everywhere we go.

You and I have the power to change atmospheres on earth with the joy of the Spirit. We have the power to brighten people’s days, break off heaviness, and lead, guide and direct and inspire people to a deeper revelation of the goodness of our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ when we instinctively reflect his joy to others.

God is a joyful God.

He is the inventor of happiness and fun. 

Luke 15:10 says, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 

The Story of the Lost Coin

8-10 “Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “the joy of the Lord is [our] strength.” 

Nehemiah 8:6-10 The Message

5-6 Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, “Oh Yes! Yes!” with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground.

7-8 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, all Levites, explained The Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully. They translated the Book of The Revelation of God so the people could understand it and then explained the reading.

9 Nehemiah the governor, along with Ezra the priest and scholar and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to God, your God. Don’t weep and carry on.” They said this because all the people were weeping as they heard the words of The Revelation.

10 He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!”

In order to truly declare to the world who our heavenly Father is, we must be carriers of joy. We must be a people marked by the joy that only comes from restored relationship with an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God.

I have to confess before God here that it has taken me a long time to learn and an even longer time to realize the truth that circumstances, people, trials, work, and worldly stress do not have the inherent ability to thump on, steal, my joy.

It’s when I open my heart to outside elements that I allow stresses to come in like robbers and take what is rightfully mine in the Lord.

It’s only when I allow a fellow driver, a time crunch, a negative comment, or a troublesome problem to sledgehammer me down, take precedence over the joy and the hope I have in Jesus that I step outside of my allotted portion of peace.

Galatians 5:20-24 The Message

19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

To be carriers of joy, we have to choose to value the fruit of the Spirit over worldly emotions.

We have to choose to only open our hearts to the things of God and shrug off that which is fleeting. If we don’t take control of our thoughts and cast any fear, worry, or doubt on the shoulders of our heavenly Father, the circumstances of this world will rule our emotions rather than the steadfast joy of the Spirit.

Isaiah 55:12 says, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” 

The Lord longs to make us a people that go out in joy.

He longs to make us children who are overwhelmed by his love to the degree that the cares of this world pale in comparison to his grace and affections.

Ask the Lord for your share of Grace and His perspective today.

Psalm 139:23-24 The Message

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Allow the Spirit to help you focus your attention on the true purpose for which you were created: restored relationship with your heavenly Father. Choose the joy of the Lord, resurrection of Jesus, over the stress and cares of the world.

Choose to “be led forth in peace” rather than led by your flesh. And experience today the lifestyle of carrying the joy of the Lord with you everywhere you go.

May others come to know the abundant goodness of our heavenly Father through the way you exude joy.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of carrying joy. 

Allow Scripture to establish a new emphasis on joy for you.  

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12

2. What do you allow to steal your joy? 

What circumstances, negative comments, or people have been robbing you of peace? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the root of whatever is stealing your joy.

“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” Proverbs 10:28

3. Surrender your emotions and thoughts to the Lord alone. 

Ask the Spirit to help you open your heart only to the things of him instead of the things of the world. Ask him to make you a carrier of joy.

“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Our heavenly Father is much more patient than we often believe.

He is not in a rush with you.

He will not let you miss his perfect will for your life if you are willing to follow him in obedience.

Trust in his timing.

Cast off the burden of paving your own way to an impactful life. Take time to become a carrier of joy by resting in his presence and getting to know his heart.

Allow his perspective of patience to become your perspective. May you be filled with His peace and His joy in the knowledge of your God’s greater love for you.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 The Message

121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Look, That Serpent Deceived Me!” How to Recognize and Defeat 5 Lies the Enemy Wants You, Me, to Believe. Genesis 3:1-13

Genesis 3:1-13 Complete Jewish Bible

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Adonai, God, had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You are not to eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3 but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “It is not true that you will surely die;  5 because God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.

8 They heard the voice of Adonai, God, walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of  Adonai, God, among the trees in the garden. 9 Adonai, God, called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I ordered you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13  Adonai, God, said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me, so I ate.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Believing that the Battle is Real

The battle is real.

The Enemy is constantly on the prowl looking for ways to fill your mind with subtle lies to gain access at the table of fellowship God has prepared for you.

It’s a table described famously in Psalm 23 intended only for the Lord and you to dine. But this table isn’t set in a beautiful, peaceful meadow. No, as verse five states, it’s a table placed in the presence of your enemies. They see you seated there with the King of the Universe, and they want a piece of the action.

The Enemy will do anything to slide into a seat and begin to tell you lies that will make you doubt your rightful place at the table, or try to convince you that there are better options elsewhere.

But, when the Devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know Jesus is there with you in the midst of the temptation and pressure.

He’s there to rescue you when necessary, to protect you at all costs, and to fill your cups to over-flowing.

With all of his conniving and deceiving, it can be hard to recognize the Enemy’s voice for what it is.

It’s important to be able to spot the enemy’s lies—not so you can focus on the lies, but so you can avoid them, fix your gaze back toward the Good Shepherd.

While there are seemingly countless lies the Enemy can tell you, I’ve found that most of them fall into five broader categories.

And if you are able to spot them as they’re coming your direction, you can overcome them and win the battle for your mind with truth in Jesus’ name.

Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring  lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Complete Jewish Bible

1. The Lie of Deception

First, if you’ve heard recently that it’s better at another table, then you can be certain the Enemy is at your table. 

Jesus’ table, the one He prepares for you, is about life, life abundantly (John 10:10). Any table other than God’s table is about abundantly stealing, killing, and destroying. When the Devil sits at your table, he often points to another table and talks about how amazing it is somewhere else.

He points to a place that’s not the table where God is and says, That, over there.

That’s the solution to your problem.

Don’t give in to this lie.

The Devil loves for you to look at your life and compare it with somebody else’s, so you wish you had what they had.

He’ll mix in a little jealousy, sift in a little coveting and add a dash of woe is me and throw in a few lines about how God must love that person more than you.

Or about how God is blessing that person more than He’s blessing you. Or about how surely God has withheld something you need. Pretty soon the Devil has you convinced God isn’t good. God hasn’t blessed you, ergo, God doesn’t love you.

You missed out on something good, because God is mean, or God forgot about you, or God’s been lying to you all this time.

I have called this “the grass is always greener” syndrome. If you’re not firmly seated at the table with the Almighty, if your eyes are not locked on those of the Good Shepherd, then you’re too easily distracted by the tyranny of comparison.

The Enemy always paints a great picture of freedom.

It’s over there—where the grass is always greener.

These thoughts that you can shirk commitments and have it your way don’t come from Jesus. He comes to give life in abundance, and give it to the fullest.

2. The Lie that You’re Doomed

So often when we are asked how things are going, we reply something like, “Man, I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this season. I’m not sure I’m going to survive this semester. I don’t know if we’re going to get through this time.”

Have you ever heard yourself saying something like that? Where did you get that kind of thinking? Where did you hear those words of gloom and doubt? Not from your Good Shepherd. You likely heard them from the Enemy at your table.

See, your God has just told you that even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you don’t need to fear any evil.

Did you catch the operative word in this sentence: through. Your Shepherd didn’t just say you’re going to the valley. He said you are going through the valley. In other words—you are going to make it to the other side.

You will not find the Good Shepherd telling you that you’re not going to make it.

You will never find the Good Shepherd telling you that life is hopeless, there’s no way out. May as well chuck it all, quit, and die.

That is not the voice of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd says, We’re going through this valley, and I’m going to be with you all the way through. And guess what—we’re going to have a story to tell on the other side.

This is how God delivered His people from bondage in Egypt. He didn’t build a giant bridge over the Red Sea; He parted the sea so they could walk through it.

Oftentimes God’s plan is not to build a bridge over troubled waters. Instead, His miracle plan is to give you the grace and the power to miraculously go through the troubled waters. “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalm 77:19 NLT)

You are going through whatever circumstance you’re currently in.

And your Shepherd is going through it with you.

Have you ever believed the lie that you’re hopeless?

You are not hopeless. Jesus lives in you!

Do you believe this?

3. The Lie of Worthlessness

Now, we’ve got to be really careful about this lie, because Scripture calls us to be humble. But as it’s been well said: humility is not thinking less of yourself; humility is thinking of yourself less. We easily get these confused by thinking it honors God for us to think less of ourselves. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Maybe someone told you you’d never amount to anything. Or maybe a spouse walked away. A parent bailed. Or the right man or woman you’ve longed for never walked through the door. Maybe you’ve always wished you looked like someone else. Or had the gifts that a friend has. Or maybe a dump truck of guilt just backed into your story at some point and unloaded a pile of shame on you.

Here’s the thing: you need to know the “I am not or never enough” anthem was composed in the pit of hell. It’s crippling. Debilitating. Paralyzing. Suffocating.

It didn’t come from the Good Shepherd.

This lie isn’t a reflection of true humility.

It’s a club that beats you over the head.

This lie whispers to you that you’re useless.

You will never have what it takes.

Have you been called to lead a small group at your church?

This lie insists it can’t be done.

Have you been called to lead your family with integrity and compassion and kindness and strength as a wife and mother who follows God?

This lie tells you that you’re not good enough; you’re never going to amount to anything, so don’t even bother trying.

In the beautiful comparative picture,

we have of the Good Shepherd in John 10, Scripture tells us Jesus “lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11). Jesus has already put it all on the line for you!

Romans 5:8-10 Complete Jewish Bible

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners. 9 Therefore, since we have now come to be considered righteous by means of his bloody sacrificial death, how much more will we be delivered through him from the anger of God’s judgment! 10 For if we were reconciled with God through his Son’s death when we were enemies, how much more will we be delivered by his life, now that we are reconciled!

4. The Lie of Me Against the World

When you believe the lie that everybody is against you, that you stand alone, no one will come to your defense, you are convinced everybody 100% hates you.

Everybody at your job hates you. Everybody in your family hates you. Everybody in your church. Your pastors. Your professors. Your parents. Your children. Your friends. Your colleagues. Your neighbors. Even the politicians spit in your soul.

This is the voice of fear-based illogic, of paranoia, a voice that encourages you to mistrust everybody in your life.

Certainly, there are subtler forms of this lie.

The Enemy is great at sowing seeds of doubt, at working to undermine your confidence about what God says is true about you.

You might not exactly hear the word hate, but maybe you are hearing yourself say words like this:

“Well, that person didn’t even look up when I walked into the office—I bet she doesn’t like me. See those people talking over there—I guarantee you they’re talking about me. They are out to get me. Look at that friend—I bet she never wants to talk to me ever again. I don’t have any friends. All my friends do things without me. No one ever invites me anywhere. Nobody likes me.”

What’s the truth?

Well, it’s possible that somebody hates you. Sure. But it’s not likely that everybody’s against you.

What’s more likely if you’re hearing that lie is that you’ve got your fist clenched and you’re ready to strike.

Somewhere in the past you developed a defensive posture, an untrusting nature, and now it has become your default position. Your walls are up.

People have hurt you in the past, so you’re not going to let them ever get close to you again.

The truth is that you need to let the Good Shepherd lead you by still waters.

When God is walking you through the valley, you can stop worrying about managing all the outcomes.

You can stop looking over your shoulder. You can take the boxing gloves off.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 Complete Jewish Bible

16 “But,” says the Torah, “whenever someone turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away.”[a] 17 Now, “Adonai” in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and we are being changed into his very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.

5. The Lie that There’s Never Any Way Out

This is a classic lie of the Enemy.

It’s that ultimate lie that combines several of the lies we’ve already addressed. The Enemy convinces you there’s nowhere to turn. Nowhere to run. No way forward. No chance you’re ever going to live free again.

The consequences of your bad decisions are closing in from one side, the betrayal of one friend to another.

Your reputation is toast. You’re going to lose your job. You can’t go back to your community. You can’t trust anyone. You’ve played your last card. The pressure is too great. Give up. Cash out. Get out of town, or worse, get out of this life.

I’ve been through enough storms to know the harsh reality of those feelings, so I’m not going to pretend following the advice I’m giving you is any cakewalk.

If you feel like you’re surrounded and there’s no way out, I’ve got game-changing news for you—you are surrounded! But it’s better than you think.

It may be true that circumstances are closing in.

Enemies have taken up their position in the night. Your whole world is surrounded by threats, accusations, missiles, and hate.

But here’s the thing:

That’s only half the story.

The Enemy wants you to believe you are doomed.

That there is no way out.

But the Spirit of God is interceding for you: Lord, open their spiritual eyes; Father, let them see with the eyes of faith.

God has everyone and everything that’s surrounding you surrounded.

2 Kings 6:14-20 Complete Jewish Bible

14 So he sent horses, chariots and a large army there; they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 The servant of the man of God got up early in the morning; on going outside, he saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. His servant said to him, “Oh, my master, this is terrible! What are we going to do?” 16 He answered, “Don’t be afraid — those who are with us outnumber those who are with them!” 17 Elisha prayed, “Adonai, I ask you to open his eyes, so that he can see.” Then Adonai opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw: there before him, all around Elisha, the mountain was covered with horses and fiery chariots. 18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Adonai, “Please strike these people blind”; and he struck them blind, as Elisha had asked. 19 Next, Elisha told them, “You’ve lost your way, and this isn’t even the right city. Follow me, and I’ll take you to the man you’re looking for.” Then he led them to Shomron. 20 On their arrival in Shomron, Elisha said, “Adonai, open the eyes of these men, so that they can see.” Adonai  opened their eyes, and they saw: there they were, in the middle of Shomron.

Defeating the Lies

John 16:12-15 Complete Jewish Bible

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you.

When the Enemy tells you you’re not smart enough, you’re not strong enough, you don’t have the right background, you’re not pretty enough, you just don’t matter enough, never be good enough . . . look up and lock eyes with the King.

Hear Him say, Daughter—Son—I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than at this table with you.

His words are the words of life (John 6:68).

John 6:63-69 Complete Jewish Bible

63 It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life, 64 yet some among you do not trust.” (For Yeshua knew from the outset which ones would not trust him, also which one would betray him.) 65  “This,” he said, “is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has made it possible for him.”

66 From this time on, many of his talmidim turned back and no longer traveled around with him. 67 So Yeshua said to the Twelve, “Don’t you want to leave too?” 68 Shim‘on Kefa answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the word of eternal life. 69 We have trusted, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.”

His voice thunders from heaven (Psalm 68:33). His voice drowns out every Enemy lie. By His grace, you can start taking authority over the voices at your table and kick the Devil out of your dinner party. He has to flee in Jesus’ name.

Psalm 68:33-36 Complete Jewish Bible

33 (32) Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth!
Sing praises to Adonai, (Selah)
34 (33) to him who rides on the most ancient heavens.
Listen, as he utters his voice, a mighty voice!
35 (34) Acknowledge that strength belongs to God,
with his majesty over Isra’el and his strength in the skies.
36 (35) How awe-inspiring you are, God,
from your holy places,
the God of Isra’el, who gives strength
and power to the people.
Blessed be God!

Imagine that your mind is a garden. Seeds can float in on the wind or be dropped by birds or be scattered in your garden by any number of things.

But you as the gardener are responsible for what grows there. You have the power to water the good seeds, cultivate the good seeds, and pull out any weeds that come from seeds you don’t want.

How do you cultivate, weed, and water the garden of your mind? 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Whatever you give shelter and sustenance to in your mind is ultimately what will grow in your garden. You’re going to reap what you sow.

The way you renew your mind is to wrap your thoughts around Scripture.

You can take control of what you think about. You deliberately plant the good seeds/thoughts of God in your mind. As these thoughts take root and grow, they will help remove the destructive weeds the Enemy tries to plant in your mind.

Don’t give the Enemy a seat at your table.

You can win the battle for your mind.

Do not give in to sin, despair, or darkness. Take every thought captive.

Bind every thought in Jesus’ name that doesn’t come from God. Fill your mind with the goodness and richness of Scripture. Memorize Scripture, and become the DJ of your mind, letting thoughts of God consistently fill your heart and life.

Surrender your life completely to Jesus. He will lead you to green pastures and quiet waters. He will lead you through dark valleys, but you don’t ever need to fear. You will not be in want, because Jesus will restore your soul.

Jesus will lead you to a table in the presence of your enemies, but there’s truly nothing to worry about, because your head is overflowing with oil, and your cup overflows, and goodness and mercy are following you all the days of your life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A simple (?) question Jesus would still ask us this very day: “Who Do YOU Say that I Am?” Mark 8:27-30

Mark 8:27-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

Peter’s Confession of Christ

27 Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”  28 They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29 And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter *answered and *said to Him, “You are [a]the Christ.” 30 And He [b] warned them to tell no one about Him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

So much of our Christian life is devoted, not to learning new things, but to remembering things that we’ve already come to know and believe. And as we come together week after week, much of our time is given to reminding one another what is the truth and encouraging one another to keep on believing.

Mark begins his Gospel by announcing that he is writing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the very first verse He makes some bold claims: That Jesus is the promised, anointed One of God and that Jesus is in fact, God is in flesh.  Mark makes this declaration and then he writes the Gospel to show the real true evidence of this claim. It’s true: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Through the first eight chapters of the Gospel, Mark records miracle after miracle and proof after proof that Jesus is no ordinary man, but that He is in fact the Son of God. And while many come to Jesus and even say positive things about Him, no one up to this point has actually confessed Jesus as the Christ.

Now, in Mark 8:27-30 we come to a significant transition as Peter makes this great confession of faith: You are the Christ.

Jesus Opens Blind Eyes

The 12 disciples’ dullness of faith and their slowness to believe has been well documented throughout the Gospel, but it now becomes particularly evident in chapter 8.

Mark 8:17-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a [a]hardened heart? 18  Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They *said to Him, “Twelve.”  20 “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.” 21 And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

In 8:17-21 Jesus rebukes the disciples for their blindness and deafness. After this rebuke and before Peter’s confession Mark records that Jesus heals a blind man. Jesus came to open blind eyes and to enable us to see Him for who He truthfully is and this is what happens with the disciples: their eyes are opened.

The First Question – A General Assessment (8:27)

  • Questions on the way– As Jesus and His disciples travel from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi (about 25 miles) Jesus takes an opportunity to ask the disciples some questions. It’s important to remember that these questions come right on the heels of 8:17-21. Jesus has rebuked them for their dullness of heart and knowledge, and now He inquires about the nature of their faith.
  • A broader question – Before asking the more personal question Jesus asks a general question: Who do people say that I am? This isn’t really an attempt by Jesus to gain information; instead Jesus is helping His disciples to consider and ponder carefully the majority opinions about what they’ve heard of who He is.

The Response: An Insufficient Assessment (8:28)

The disciples share with Jesus that many people think positively of Him. They consider Him to be like one of the great prophets of the Old Testament or perhaps He’s continuing the ministry of John the Baptist – who was also well respected. Jesus greatly impressed the crowds but in the end their assessment of who He is proves to be woefully insufficient. He is far more than a prophet.

The Second Question – A Personal Inquiry (8:29a)

After beginning with the more general question Jesus moves to the personal. It’s no longer a question about the views of others or of public consensus. Jesus is asking them who they hardcore believe He truly is: Who do you say that I am? 

An Unprecedented Confession (8:29)

After all we’ve read about the disciples dullness of faith we may suspect that they will adopt one of the same positions as the crowds, but their response reveals that a change has occurred. Peter, on behalf of the others, makes this declaration: that Jesus is the Christ – the promised and anointed One of God. 

The gift of sight– How do the disciples go from lacking understanding to this bold confession of faith? As we consider the testimony of the blind man who was healed we are reminded that God opens blind eyes. In Matthew’s account Jesus tells Peter that the truth has been revealed to him by God (Mt. 16:15-16).

A Strict Warning (8:30)

Until the work of Jesus on the cross is completed Jesus continues to command complete total silence from those who believe. It’s not until after the cross that the people will be able to truthfully understand the work of the Messiah fully.

Observations to Consider

  • The necessity of a right confession – The crowds thought well of Jesus, but only good thoughts of Jesus are not enough. It’s not enough to acknowledge Jesus as a good teacher or leader. Only those who see Jesus as the Christ and their Lord and Savior trust in His sacrifice on their behalf will be saved.
  • Confession as a starting point – While a right confession of Christ is essential it is only the starting point in the journey of faith. Peter’s confession wasn’t an end, but a beginning. We must be a steadfast people of ongoing and unswerving allegiance to Christ and Christ alone (Acts 4:8-12).
  • A confession that costs everything – As we make claims that differ from public consensus we will definitely face opposition. Jesus makes it clear that following Him is extraordinarily costly (Mark 8:34-38) – but this is the way of our faith.
  • A confession that gains you everything – While there may be much sacrifice in following Christ, the gain far outweighs the loss. In Christ we have rest, hope, joy and peace both for today and for eternity. (Psalm 23, Psalm 139, John 14:1-14)

Test Yourself! Who Do You Say (Believe) Jesus Is?

When we are out in public, we meet people and get to know them a bit, it’s not unusual to ask each other about work or hobbies or other interests. We look for information to learn about others and to see what we might have in common.

It would be very rare, indeed, though, to hear a question like this one that Jesus asked: “Who do you say I am?” “Who do you say Jesus is?” And yet this is one of Jesus’ most important questions because it focuses on his identity, purpose.

Today, Jesus asks this question of each of us too. And it is not an easy question. It takes deep thought and reflection because our response will reveal how we go about our everyday life and in whom (or what) we believe and have faith.

Peter answered Jesus by saying, “You are the Messiah”—that is, the Christ, the Son of God, who came to save us from sin and death. And if we say the same, we heartily declare that our steadfast faith and life are grounded in Jesus Christ.

This affects how we pray, how we interact with others—how we live our whole lives. It also guides and directs us to find that place of peace and security in the Lord our God alone who completely loves us and has this world in his hands.

If we merely think that maybe Jesus is the Messiah, that will affect our lives too, and our foundation will feel less secure. Hopefully it will prompt us to ask Jesus himself, “Dear God, just how do you want me to live?” (Matthew 7:24 – 29).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 The Message

24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
    God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
    laid it out on River girders.

3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
    Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
    only the pure-hearted;
Men who won’t cheat,
    women who won’t seduce.

5-6 God is at their side;
    with God’s help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
    to God-seekers, God-questers.

7 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

8 Who is this King-Glory?
    God, armed
    and battle-ready.

9 Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

10 Who is this King-Glory?
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
    he is King-Glory.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Let’s join with all nature in manifold witness to Reveal the true Wonders of God’s Character. Romans 1:19 – 20

Romans 1:18-23 The Message

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The created world bears witness to the evidence of a Creator!

Some people can’t find God, do not want to find God, for the same reason that a criminal will not look for nor they can’t find a police man! They don’t want to!

God also knows I’m not the smartest person, will never be as smart as He is. I am so deeply grateful that his love for me is not based on how wise or foolish I am (Romans 1:14). But God does draw some lines that I need to understand.

I don’t know everything there is to know about God, but what if I suppress what I do know, or if I don’t take God seriously, or if I live in ways that deny the truth or undermine what God has said is truth? Then I will surely stir up God’s wrath.

That’s because truth is infinitely more important. In fact, Jesus said he is “the way and the truth and the life,” to which he added, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This means that when we are “suppressing the truth,” we block our way to God.

God knows the eternal consequences, the everlasting damage that our suppression of the truth can cause; he lost his Son once because of it.

“Smart, smarter, smartest” is not what God is asking of me; allegiance to the truth is what he demands. It’s the true starting place on the track of salvation.

Nature Reveals the Wonders of God’s Character

Romans 1:19-20 Complete Jewish Bible

19 because what is known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them. 20 For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities — both his eternal power and his divine nature — have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made. Therefore, they have no excuse;

Our Creator’s qualities are on display in creation. Every time we go outside to discover, explore nature, we can learn something awe-inspiring about God.

Romans 1:19-20 explains that those who want to know more about God can discover his qualities in the natural world:

“For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Whenever we’re immersed in the wonder of nature, we’re reminded we have a wise and loving Creator who maintains, sustains all of creation – including us – in powerful ways.

Example: five aspects of nature commonly found around the world – the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers – revealing the wonder of God’s character;  

1. The Sun Reveals God’s Life, Hope, and Wisdom

God is the ultimate light, and the sun shines a spotlight on that reality.

The sun symbolizes life which comes from a loving Creator who cares for creation. It shows us God’s fiery love, which motivates him to give us life and sustain our lives.

The Bible calls God the “sun of righteousness” in Malachi 4:2, “true light” in John 1:9, “light of the world” also in John 8:12, as a “consuming fire” in  Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews. 12:29, “refiner’s fire” in Malachi 3:2, and “bright morning star” in Revelation 22:16.

Just as all forms of life on Earth need sunlight to grow physically, we need the light of loving relationships with God to grow spiritually.

The sun sheds light on how God shines hope into the darkness of this fallen world.

The Bible uses light imagery in Ephesians 1:18-19 when describing the hope God offers:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”

Physically, light always overpowers darkness. The photons in light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. You can see this by entering a dark room and turning on a flashlight there. The light will be visible in the darkness, even if there’s just a small amount of light in a great amount of darkness.

This same principle applies spiritually, as the light of hope is always stronger than the darkness of chaos, discouragement and despair. No matter how dark and chaotic our circumstances are, God can truly change them for the better by shining his very brightest light of hope into our lives.

Also, the sun reveals how God enlightens us with wisdom to know the truth and make the best choices.

The Bible connects light with wisdom in 2 Corinthians 4:6, proclaiming that God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Jesus says he is the source of enlightenment:

“‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

2. Water Reveals God’s Salvation Work, Clarity, Purity, and Mercy

John 4:9-14 Complete Jewish Bible

9 The woman from Shomron said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for water from me, a woman of Shomron?” (For Jews don’t associate with people from Shomron.) 10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew God’s gift, that is, who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink of water,’ then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water.”

11 She said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle.” 13 Yeshua answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14  but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!”

Water splashes God’s salvation work into our focus.

In John 4:10, Jesus uses the term “living water” to declare his role as the world’s Savior.

A few verses later, Jesus uses the imagery of water to describe his gift of salvation: “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14). Water, which is absolutely essential for our bodies to thrive, points us toward saving relationships with God so our souls can thrive.

Water is constantly moving around our planet through natural cycles such as precipitation; evaporation; freezing, melting; currents in oceans, rivers, and lakes; the flow of groundwater, etc.

God is moving in our lives in every moment, often unseen but always at work. Water contains wondrous power that people tap into for hydropower energy, which reminds us of God’s even greater power to transform our lives.

Water, which has reflective qualities, also shows how the Holy Spirit counsels us with wise guidance.

God does so when we reflect on our lives and ask for his help to live well.

Water symbolizes clarity and purity. It inspires us to look clearly at our lives and purify them by working with God for positive change to happen. 

Finally, water symbolizes God’s great mercy toward us.

Just as water cleanses our bodies from dirt, God cleanses our souls from sin.

The ancient practice of baptism in water shows this.

As people immerse themselves underwater, they accept God’s forgiveness and let their sins be washed away. As they rise from the water, they celebrate God’s salvation gift through Christ, made possible by his resurrection.

3. Rocks Reveal God’s Trustworthiness, Handiwork, and Eternal Yet Dynamic Nature

Rocks, which are reliably strong, point to the fact God is trustworthy.

The Bible calls God “rock” in First Corinthians 10:4, “living stone” in 1 Peter 2:4, and “cornerstone” in Isaiah 28:16.

Any type of rock can inspire awe in us, which deepens our trust in God.

As Deuteronomy 32:4 declares: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

The wonder of God’s handiwork is on display in every rock – from small pebbles at a creek to huge boulders on a mountain.

Beautiful gemstone rocks called crystals display God’s craftmanship in special ways. Chapter 28 of the Book of Exodus describes how God instructed Moses to have the Hebrew people make a breastplate with 12 different gemstones.

Each stone represented one of 12 tribes of Israel and included crystals with beauty that people continue to admire today: amethyst, ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, turquoise, and more.

Rocks also reflect God’s eternal yet dynamic nature.

The 3 different types of rocks on Earth all have long-lasting durability yet are formed through dynamic processes.

Metamorphic rocks come from intense heat and pressure, igneous rocks result from volcanic explosions, sedimentary rocks, form when layers of sediments compact together and harden.

Rocks literally set the history of our planet in stone. 

4. Trees Reveal God’s Wisdom, Protection, and Connected Presence

Jeremiah 33:14-18 Complete Jewish Bible

14 “Here, the days are coming,” says Adonai, “when I will fulfill this good promise which I have proclaimed for the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah.

15 When those days come, at that time,
I will cause to spring up for David
a Branch of Righteousness.
He will do what is just and right in the land.
16 When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved,
Yerushalayim will live in safety,
and the name given to her will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness].”

17 For this is what Adonai says: “There will never be cut off from David a man to occupy the throne of the house of Isra’el. 18 Nor will there ever be cut off from the cohanim who are L’vi’im a man before me to offer burnt offerings, burn grain offerings and offer sacrifices every day.”

Trees grow our perspective so we can understand more of God’s wisdom and protection for us. 

Jeremiah 33:15 uses tree imagery in a prophecy about Jesus coming to Earth in the future.

“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”

Trees, which stand tall as silent guardians, sentinels of all around them, can help us put roots into the solid ground of God’s loving care for us.

Experiencing the wonder of trees can teach us valuable lessons when we take the time to learn them. Trees, which tower over us and exceed our lifespans, enlarge our perspective. They show we are each part of something much bigger than ourselves, so we can look beyond our circumstances to God.

Since trees stand in the same places for years, they also reflect God’s constant presence in our lives. God’s love constantly flows through the branches of relationships between us and other people. Trees remind us that our personal stories are all connected to a greater story of what God is doing on Earth. 

5. Flowers Reveal God’s Order, Fun, and Beauty

Flowers make our minds blossom with an awareness of God’s beauty.

They display the mix of God’s orderly intelligence with fun, playful ideas.

The wonder of flowers reminds us that God is the ultimate gardener.

God formed the first human being out of soil (Genesis 2:7) – the same environment that nourishes flowers – and loves to see us grow and bloom.

Jesus empowers that to happen when we’re in relationship with him.

He compares himself to a flowering plant (a vine) when he says, “I am the true vine and my father is the gardener” (John 15:1) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Jesus was resurrected from a garden tomb, redeeming humanity’s fall that had happened in the Garden of Eden.

All flowers have short lives.

They bloom briefly, only to decay soon afterward.

Yet God sees value in the wonder of all creation – even a lowly flower.

The Bible compares people to flowers numerous times and describes God’s care for both:

“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28).

Flowers are living reminders of the beauty of our Creator’s love for creation, and the wonderful joy we can experience when we’re connected to him.

The wild beauty of nature resonates deep in our souls, reminding us that a powerful Creator cares for us.

Whether we’re hiking through a forest, climbing a mountain, swimming in a lake, or sniffing a rose, God will meet us there. Simply going outdoors in any natural setting can reveal something wonderful to us about God’s character!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible

19 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.

In them he places a tent for the sun,
6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.

8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.

13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.

15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Guarding Against Unbelief – The One True Ultimate Challenge to Change. Hebrews 3:1-11

Hebrews 3:7-11 The Message

The Centerpiece of All We Believe

3 1-6 So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God’s house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.

6-11 Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this bold confidence, we’re the house! That’s why the Holy Spirit says,

Today, please listen;
    don’t turn a deaf ear as in “the bitter uprising,”
    that time of wilderness testing!
Even though they watched me at work for forty years,
    your ancestors refused to let me do it my way;
    over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked, oh, so provoked!
    I said, “They’ll never keep their minds on God;
    they refuse to walk down my road.”
Exasperated, I vowed,
    “They’ll never get where they’re going,
    never be able to sit down and rest.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Holy Spirit says (and keeps on eternally saying)

Today, please listen;
    don’t turn a deaf ear as in “the bitter uprising,”
    that time of wilderness testing!

For an untold number of years, the Holy Spirit has been repeating the exact same requests over and over again; “Please Listen!” “Don’t turn a deaf ear!”

Yet, after all the uncountable accumulated requests over the same accumulation of uncountable years who is it who has actually heard the requests and listened?

Who is it who has actually heard the requests, listened and actually changed?

God has spoken to the hearts of his children over the centuries inviting them back into relationship with him. These Spirit-inspired messages came in many and various forms, but the clearest came through Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-3). 

Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God eternally speaks to us and to those around us, inviting us to come home to him. We must respond, or our hearts will surely harden, and we lose any possible sensitivity to the message of grace.

The message from the Holy Spirit, uttered over and over through the centuries, now comes to you and me in today’s verses: “Hear God’s voice! Do not harden your hearts as in the days of the rebellion!” How will we respond today 2024?

How Well Do We Guard Ourselves Against Unbelief?

Hebrews 3:7-9 Christian Standard Bible

Warning against Unbelief

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me, tried me,
and saw my works

Before the Israelites entered the promised land, God had them send twelve spies into Canaan on a reconnaissance mission.

Two of those spies, Joshua and Caleb, are famous for their “minority report,” which concluded that the land was ripe for the taking.

The people, though, would not listen to them, demonstrating their distrust of God. Despite all the very visible evidence they had had of God’s reliability, the Israelites hardened, quickly reverted to trusting only in their own judgment.

In a moment of unbelief, the people feared they would die if, as Caleb and Joshua were urging them to, they chose to rely on God’s power to overcome a great enemy (Numbers 13:25 – 14:4). God responded with judgment: instead of enjoying the promised land, an entire generation spent the remainder of their lives in the wilderness, never experiencing the joy God offered them (14:21-23).

Like the Israelites, you and I have a propensity for hardened hardcore unbelief.

The writer of Hebrews warns us, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

Such an exhortation wouldn’t be necessary if it weren’t possible for us to have hardcore sinful, hardened unbelieving hearts! We do want to sin. We do want to go our own way. We do not wish to trust. Do not want any will other than ours.

Unbelief hardens us so that when the Bible is preached and taught and prayed, instead of God’s word coming into our hearts and minds like seeds sown in the ready earth, our hearts and minds become like old rusted corrugated tin roofs.

The more the Bible is read, taught, and prayed, the more its truths effects on us becomes like a hard rain storm hitting against that which it cannot permeate.

Matthew 6:19-21 Amplified Bible

19 “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

So be on guard, lest your heart become impervious to the truth of Scripture.

Be hyper cautious, hyper vigilant, hyper wary that you don’t become someone who defends the Bible, tells other people about it, and quotes from it, but all the while hardening your heart against what hard truths God is saying to you in it.

How do we protect ourselves against such unbelief?

Exhort others to remember what God has done in and through Christ, and ask them to do the same for you (Colossians 3:16). And ask the same Holy Spirit who authored Scripture to work in your whole heart as you hear His voice.

The Never Ending Hardcore Challenge to Change

2 Corinthians 3:1-8 Amplified Bible

Ministers of a New Covenant

3 Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!] 2 You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

4 Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. 6 He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones [the covenant of the Law which led to death because of sin], came with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, [a brilliance] that was fading, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit [the new covenant which allows us to be Spirit-filled] fail to be even more glorious and splendid?

Times are tough, spiritually tough.

In many parts of the world it’s harder to live as a Christian than it was years ago. I find that hard, fast and true for myself. The Christian virtues of humility and contentment are out of step with the culture I live in. But thankfully there are those other parts of the world where it is now easier to live as a Christian.

Whether our culture makes it easier or harder to be a Christian, we are all yet challenged to soften our hearts so the Spirit may shape us to become like Jesus.

That was the challenge for God’s ancient people (Psalm 95), and our verses for today quotes those same words so that none of us misses the point personally.

But how soft is my heart? How soft is your heart? How open am I to the Spirit’s work? How easily do I accept the place God has for me in his world? How do I react when I am spiritually tested and I hardily fail by giving in to temptation?

If we are honest, we’ll admit we are often like the Israelites who grumbled against God. After all, we are yet today as primitive and as human as they.

We need to continually take stock of our openness to God’s Holy Spirit.

The spiritual disciplines of fasting, reading, studying prayer and meditation on the whole of Scripture will help prepare the soil of our hearts for God’s leading.

As you are reminded of God’s power and care and as the Holy Spirit goes to work in you, your hard heart will be softened to receive the seeds of His word.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

O Father, I want to have a tender heart that responds to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to hear your voice and respond to your grace. I ask that the Holy Spirit convict me of my sins, help me take notice of and avoid my vulnerabilities, overcome my weaknesses, and empower me to be like Jesus, in whose name I pray. O Holy Spirit, make my heart warm, soft, and pliable; open to your work. Heal my spiritual hard-heartedness for my Savior Jesus’ sake. Amen. Amen.

Psalm 95 Amplified Bible

Praise to the Lord, and Warning against Unbelief.

95 O come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2 
Let us come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs.
3 
For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
4 
In whose hand are the depths of the earth;
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
5 
The sea is His, for He made it [by His command];
And His hands formed the dry land.

6 
O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer].
7 
For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 
Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife],
And as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness,
9 
“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles].
10 
“For forty years I was grieved and disgusted with that generation,
And I said, ‘They are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not acknowledge or regard My ways.’
11 
“Therefore I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
‘They absolutely shall not enter My rest [the land of promise].’”

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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What More Does God Really Want Me to Do? Who Precisely Do We Believe We Are Living and Witnessing For? Matthew 5:13-16, 6:30-34

Matthew 6:30-34 The Message

30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We Are God’s Coworkers: Redemption Agents

Matthew 5:13-16 The Message

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

We are the salt of the earth …

We are the salt seasoning the earth …

Unseasoned food tends to taste rather bland, and even unpalatable too.

An unseasoned earth tastes like ____________ (fill in the blank)

Today’s verse is simple: you and I are like salt crystals that God sprinkles into a fallen world. When Jesus spoke these words, salt was used as a preservative to keep meat from spoiling. Salt was also used in Jewish religious ceremonies to remind Israel that God had made a commitment to preserve his fallen world.

Jesus was saying to the gathered crowd that we are each the means God is using to make good taste, to preserve this broken world. You and I have opportunities to labor, work as God’s agents of redemption, keeping this world from spoiling.

We know that God works through our work to accomplish his purposes.

In many ways our daily work is like salt in an unseasoned world.

I had a friend who was a mechanic working for the state government. He said that it can be difficult to work and serve among people who did not share his worldview. Yet he saw his labor, his work as a calling to bring Jesus’ voice of commitment, service, grace and truth into his arena of state government.

You may work in this way too. Perhaps you are a social worker or a family therapist. Some of us work as addiction counselors or in the prison system or in the school systems, maybe you are a customer service representative in a drug store, or a super market, a Home Depot or Lowes or Target or in a busy bank.

These can be dark, unpredictable places where the effects of sin are painfully obvious when customers get frustrated and screaming dramatically angry at staff. Yet God is the God of redemption, and Jesus, the one who accomplished the supreme work of redemption, continues to work through us, his salt.

A Christian auto mechanic once told me, “People come to me for car repairs, but sometimes they’re really looking for &lsquopeople repair.’ My business is more than cars.”

Somehow, somewhere, God, by His authority, in his sovereignty arranges things “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30).

So it’s entirely possible that what we see as drudgery “just our daily work” may in truth include some carefully planned times, behind the scenes arranging, by God thru which he aims to bless people, call them to a relationship with him.

Many Christians miss significant opportunities when they can tell stories of how they have been able to serve God in their work—not only by acting with integrity but also by telling how God has richly blessed them in their lives.

The New Testament gives us many windows into the work-a-day world of believers. Peter James and John were fisherman, Matthew was a tax collector and Luke was a doctor, Martha a homemaker, Paul is a tentmaker, and Lydia a cloth dealer. Jesus himself worked in construction alongside of his father.

Many of his parables drew from people’s experiences at home and work. The kingdom of God is not only good news for all parts of life but also through them.

Matthew 10:38-42 The Message

38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

Where has God placed you to labor for Him?

Where is God trying to place you to labor for Him?

You have been given talents so that his blessing can abound through you!

Even one single bottle of water randomly, kindly, gracefully, handed out!

There are many things you can seek to live for in life.

You can live for a lot of things.

You can live for your physical appearance.

You can live for a successful career.

You can live for pleasure.

But here is what Jesus said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33).

How can you honor God and tell others about him in your everyday work?

In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord, thank you for your resolve to redeem the world you made. We praise you for continuing to bring your redemptive mercy; help us live and work as your preserving life in this world. Sovereign God, let me pursue, see and seek your kingdom and thy righteousness in every part of my life. Give me my share of wisdom to know when and how I can be a blessing in the places you have put me. For your glory, Amen.

Psalm 18:20-24 The Message

20-24 God made my life complete
    when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
    he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
    I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
    I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
    and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
    when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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So, Are we Considering the Question: Why we Bother with Church Anyway? Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20 Amplified Bible

Peter’s Confession of Christ

13 Now when Jesus went into the [a]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”  17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to you that you are [b]Peter, and on this [c]rock I will build My church; and the [d]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [e]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [f]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Debating: Why Does Anyone Bother with Church?

In his book Church: Why Bother? Philip Yancey tells a story about a prostitute who had reached the end of the road.

She was desperate and did not know where to turn. Someone then suggested connecting with a local church. She answered, “Why would I do that? I feel bad enough about myself already. They’d only make me feel worse.”

When I asked someone once why he had given up on going to church, he said, “There’s nothing there for me.”

With the current state of division and disarray and disaffiliation, it is not at all unreasonable or irrational to keep right on asking “Why bother with church?”

The answer to that hot button question is found in today’s Bible reading and is summed up in just one phrase, where Jesus says, “I will build my church.”

The church is not any ordinary organization founded by just anyone. The church is founded by Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior who is the head of the church. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ. Belonging to the church is a sacred privilege, a high responsibility never to be taken for granted.

Matthew 6:32-33 Amplified Bible

32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

The church is here to continue the work of Christ on earth and to build God’s kingdom. You and I need the church in order to be equipped for service, to enjoy the fellowship of other believers, to honor our Lord through faithful worship.

Can, Should We, Believe The Church Is Here to Stay?

Hebrews 10:22-25 The Message

22-25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

The first one ever to use the word church was not the apostle Paul. Rather, it was Jesus Himself. He said, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).

When Jesus walked this earth, He started only one organization, and that, of course, was the church.

By emphatically stating the gates of Hell will not conquer His church, Jesus was saying, “Listen, this church is here to stay. Against all odds, it will prevail.”

Interestingly, Jesus made this statement at a place called Caesarea Philippi. We could miss the significance of that altogether. But Caesarea Philippi was a place of paganism and false belief. In fact, the Greeks had dedicated Caesarea Philippi to Pan, one of their gods. And if you were to go there today, you would see what is left of a site dedicated to false gods and idols.

In contrast, the foundation of the church is Christ Himself.

He will build His church, and the gates of Hell will not conquer it.

This reminds us that the church will face hostility and opposition.

The word church comes from the Greek word ecclesia.

And ecclesia consists of two other terms that mean “out from” and “called.”

When we put them together, the meaning of ecclesia, or church, is “called out from.”

From what is the church called out? We are called out from this world and this culture. Jesus was saying, “My followers should be separate from this culture.”

But we also are called to.

God has called us to Himself and to one another.

Wherever God’s people gather together, that place turns into a sanctuary.

That’s because the church is not a building; it is people.

Jesus said, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT). That is what the church is.

When we love God, we also will love His children.

And when we don’t love His children, then the question arises as to how much we really love God.

It is popular today to criticize the church. But understand this: when you speak critically of the church, you are speaking critically of those whom Jesus loves.

Some people claim to be Christians, but they don’t attend church. However, if you really are a Christian, then you should long to be seated with God’s people.

The Bible says,

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)

If you love God, then you will love His people.

As Christians, we need to live up to our name, which means “Christ followers.” And we need to be Christlike.

Colossians 3:1-4 The Message

He Is Your Life

3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ,  act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from only his  perspective.

3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

Colossians 3:12-17 The Message

12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

When we read Matthew 16:18, some think that God was saying that He would build His church through Peter. Certainly God used Peter to build the church.

However, the “rock” that Jesus was referring to was the truth of what Peter had said just before this.

In Matthew 16:13, Jesus had asked the disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” The disciples give various answer and then Jesus asked the disciples, “Whom do you say I am?”

In verse 16, Peter answers, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

It is this truth on which God built and established the church. It the most basic foundational truth about which we build our spiritual beliefs as Christians.

In fact, I believe that you cannot be a Christian until you first settle and answer Jesus’ question for yourself against the reality of sin: “Who do you say I am?”

Peter understood Jesus’ true identity as God had revealed it to him.

It was this foundational truth that Peter took with him as he preached and played a critically important role in the kingdom, the spread of Christianity.

However, it’s also important to note that Jesus said, I will build my church. 

It wasn’t Peter’s responsibility to build the church.

Peter’s job was to tell others about Jesus and then Jesus alone holds the real responsibility for the growth and expansion of the church. Peter’s job was to “go and tell.” Jesus’ job is to build the church through our own generations .

As followers of Christ, We have the same job today that Peter had – to go and tell. Then we leave the rest up to God and allow Christ to build His church.

We are all responsible for telling others about our Savior. But first we must settle in our hearts the answer to the question that Jesus asked the disciples.

So, if Jesus were to look you directly in your 20/20 eyes and asked you today:

“Who do you say that I am?” When do you, what would be your answer?

Would Jesus’ response to your answer be “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard it not what I meant” or would He say to you, like Peter: “Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father alone who is in heaven. And I also say to you that on this rock I will build My church.”

If each of us would be what we ought to be as followers of Jesus and as a part of the church, what a difference it would make in our homes, neighborhoods, our communities, our schools, our playgrounds, streets, country, and the world.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Ephesians 4:1-6 The Message

To Be Mature

4 1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

Prayer for God’s People (Ephesians 1:17-19)

God of our Lord Jesus, the Liberating King, Father of Glory:

I call out to You on behalf of Your people, the Body of Christ, the Church in the world. Give them one mind, ready to receive thy wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts and let the light of Your truth flood in. Show them all what You have promised them. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the truly glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power alone. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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O’ What a Fellowship, O’ What a Joy Divine, O’ What a Prayer to Pray for; A Prayer to Be Welcoming at Church. Romans 15:3 – 13

Romans 15:1-13 The Message

15 1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

3-6 That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!

7-13 So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God’s purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance:

Then I’ll join outsiders in a hymn-sing;
I’ll sing to your name!

And this one:

Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together!

And again:

People of all nations, celebrate God!
All colors and races, give hearty praise!

And Isaiah’s word:

There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse,
    breaking through the earth and growing tree tall,
Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!

Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Each one of us needs to ask ourselves, “How can I help?”

Romans 15:7 Amplified Bible

7 Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God.

Have you ever been invited into Christian community?

It is so refreshing to feel accepted and welcomed.

When people go out of their way to say hi, introduce themselves, and connect, it means a lot.

It can be easy over time when we reach out, become comfortable in our current community and neglect to see others who are nearby as well.

We can become routine in our church circles and forget the calling as Christians to love and welcome new people.

It is easy to do, and we all have to is pray, ask the Holy Spirit to check our hearts and reveal sin in our lives (Psalm 139:23-24). He will surely work His way into into our hearts, souls, convict and gently lead us to love others around us better.

I love how Romans 15:7 tells us to welcome others as Christ has welcomed us.

Jesus is always our example and role model.

We were sinners who He easily could have ignored but He chose to love us. We welcome others in Christ because He first welcomed us all for the glory of God.

It honors the Lord when we take the time to get to know others, love them well. We should pray for special thoughts as well to those who are different from us.

James 2 teaches us to show no partiality. We are called to show kindness to all others, and our friendship should automatically extend to a variety of people.

Matthew 22:36-39 says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Loving God and loving people are the two greatest commandments. When we welcome others, we love them. The best part is that we can often end up making wonderful new friends, meet new families who could teach us more about God.

We were created to pray for each other, to encourage each other, welcome each other and to share our hardships with each other. This has to start somewhere.

Why not in the parking lots, at the accessibility ramp, at the steps and the front doors of our churches, with wide and wider smiles, with open hands extended?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let’s pray:

Psalm 134 The Message

134 1-3 Come, bless God,
    all you servants of God!
You priests of God, posted to the night watch
    in God’s shrine,
Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place,
    and bless God.
In turn, may God of Zion bless you—
    God who made heaven and earth!

My Dear Savior Jesus,

Thank You for the gift of community. Thank you for helping us by Your Spirit to get to know new faces and people around us we do not know. Help us to be motivated to seek out relationships with others in our church communities. We pray against the sinful decisions to isolate and ignore. We pray for confidence to reach out and love others with our words and actions. We confess where we have been too cliquey and selfish. Forgive us for making “our” churches and neglecting Your church. Help us to reach out and see You at work. Enable us to have open hearts. Please help us not to show partiality or favoritism. Help us remember that we are all one in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for welcoming us and helping us to live out of gratitude for Your hospitality. Open our hearts to have the willingness to get to know others as brothers and sisters. Open the door to new friendships that are founded on you and prayer. 

Lord, thank you for the people who have welcomed us into community. We celebrate Your goodness in providing friendships in our lives. Thank you for that one person who was kind enough to say hello. Empower us to meet one new person at church this week and even every week from here on out. Help us go the extra mile and get numbers or meet for coffee. Lead us into creative ways to have community. Lord, You say that everyone is not a hand and that being the body means there is great value in different parts. Help us to see that when we get to know others we get to be a better picture of what You intended for us to be. We were not meant to be alone; we were made for this. Help us to fight the enemy and our flesh that would tell us otherwise and choose to welcome others around us. Help this not to be an individual effort, but a church-wide movement to multiply and grow. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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From Before All Time, The Word of God, True Word of God, All Thanks Be To God. John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5 Amplified Bible

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the [c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In John 1 the Greek term for “Word” is logos. John chose this word carefully.

In Greek philosophy the word logos referred to divine reason, or the power that made order out of chaos.

This idea fits well with the scriptural teaching that God—whose word is always faithful and true, and who created all things—has now, once and for all of time, revealed himself in a new way through his Son, the Word of God, who “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

God has long been communicating with us—through creation, through the patriarchs, the prophets, the Kings and the Psalmists and the Scriptures.

But with the coming of “the Word”—that is, Jesus—God revealed himself even more – “in the flesh.” Earlier forms of communication were less clear. Since the logos became flesh, however, we can see, hear, listen to and know that we have physically met God. Jesus is the best and the only perfect representation of God.

This contradicts the teachings of other religions that claim they have a better or additional revelation of God. Why would you want or need to hear more about God once you have heard from the Word himself? Jesus showed that God is love and “the light [that] shines in the darkness,” light overwhelming the darkness.

What an absolutely incredible revelation! We need to recognize that the true and complete Word of God has come into the world. That Word is Jesus Christ, “the ONE and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1 John 1:1-4 Amplified Bible

Introduction, The Incarnate Word

1 [I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what [a]we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]— 2 and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]— 3 what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].

A revelation which needs to be fully uncovered from under our baskets of sin.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 46 Amplified Bible

God the Refuge of His People.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to soprano voices. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble.
2 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,
3 
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

4 
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 
God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved;
God will help her when the morning dawns.
6 
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

8 
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.
9 
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Blind Ambition is both a blessing and a curse, a Double Edged Swords’ Cleaving of Our Souls. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21 Amplified Bible

Covetousness Denounced

13 Someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the  family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbitrator over [the two of] you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist of nor is it derived from his possessions.”

Parable of the Wealthy Fool

16 Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very fertile and productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own all the things you have prepared?’ 21  So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“You Fool!” Ambition is both a blessing and a curse

Luke 12:18-21 Amplified Bible

18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest  and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own all the things you have prepared?’ 21 So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”

Ambition is both a blessing and a curse. When it is God-directed and also Holy Spirit-managed, it can bear tremendous fruit. When it is restrained by humility, ambition can be a powerful motivator and also a Kingdom Builder. But when it is hijacked by self and ego, it can leave a wide wake of destruction in its path.

I have wrestled with this issue for most of my life. If you have leadership gifts, you know what it is to be captivated and held captive by vision. You know what it is to have dreams of what is possible and what “possible” could truthfully be. You know what it is to pray, to want to do something significant with your life.

Here’s where it gets too sticky. Is whether of not this drive and desire and this motivation about me or about God? If we’re honest, we would have to admit our hearts are entangled with true God-directed motives and self-directed motives.

Sorting them out is complex. A debate, discussion, of motives and ambition takes us to an inner place hidden from everyone except God. Part of what makes ambition so dangerous is that it resides in the deep, unseen, world of our souls.

God hot wired into every one of us a creative tension. On the one hand, we have what the ancients referred to as a “fire in the belly.” This is our inner source of vision, our longing to make a difference, our will to achieve. In recent years in the ministry world we have been pouring not enough gasoline on these fires.

At the same time, God also has hardwired into us the need for quiet, solitude, rest, and reflection (a healthy soul). This is one reason God established the Sabbath: to teach us there is covenanted a healthy rhythm of life. I like to refer to this part of us as a “spiritual recliner.” It’s a place of rest and peace. It’s more about being a soul intentionally refreshing itself than grasping, catching, wind.

God covenanted this when He took a Sabbath day (Genesis 2:3). You and I need both a fire in the belly and a spiritual recliner to be healthy. In fact, you must have both.  The problem is that these two realities create strain in our lives.

2 And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.

Think of it like this.

Imagine that the fire in your belly (ambition) is as raw unharnessed electricity.

It’s alive, energetic, powerful, exciting and full of potential, but it can also be dangerous and potentially fatal. Then think of a healthy soul as a transformer.

A transformer serves to regulate, channel, and direct, and control electricity.

A transformer takes what’s potentially harmful and deadly and turns it into something safe useful and helpful when handled with the respect it deserves.

It seems to me we are reaping the results of a generation in the church where it has been all about raw and unchanneled electricity. We need to be just as serious about building and installing transformers, as about generating raw electricity.

My first pastorate was in a suburban church in Baltimore. We were a small hospice, legacy church of less than ten in a bustling town that had been the steadily growing and developing in size and prestige for a generation or more.

I came out of my home church with lots of ambition and drive. Why couldn’t we be a church that could grow again by ministering to the many nearby colleges?

But all my ambition and hard work didn’t translate into any growth. I fully remember going to denominational meetings or occasionally running into a few clergy more experienced friends. I dreaded those conversations because I knew the drill. Sooner or later (usually sooner) we would get to the “How are things going at your church?” question. I would try to change the subject as soon as possible. I always walked away feeling inadequate and discouraged.

God’s Kingdom is supposed to be about growth, with God all we have to do is pray for growth and believe in that growth and all the possibilities of growth.

The emotion and the pressure were mostly self-imposed. The emotions I felt had to do with my own ambition. In my mind the only successful pastor was the pastor of a kingdom building-kingdom growing church. My own obsession with size and church growth had set up unmatched strongholds of sheer frustration.

Now, let me reveal the other side of my struggle with ambition. Fast forward a few years to a time when I was a member of a new church plant that was planted in a rural area community. All indicators were up and to the right. By everyone’s measuring stick, we were working, praying hard, were moving toward success.

Unlike before, I found myself anxious to talk to other friends and neighbors. I could not wait to get to the “How are things going at your church?” question.

I’m ashamed to admit this, but I would find myself in a conversation looking for any way to turn, manipulate the dialogue so that I could talk about our church.

This was a whole different set of emotions than what I experienced in my small, hospice church in Baltimore, but, truly, it was nonetheless related to ambition.

Ultimately, God’s purpose for that hospice church far exceeded all my ambition.

Thanks be to God for His good and wondrous, wonderful gifts from His throne!

God’s vision of Kingdom building, Kingdom growth was far and away greater and more ambitious than my own – we deeded the property to a Korean Church which now ministers and serves the needs of their growing Asian Community.

As Scripture says “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.” Proverbs 27:21

21 
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal],
And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

Success with and without accolades can be just as challenging a test as failure.

I’m not quite sure when, but somewhere along the way, the measuring stick for what it means to be an effective pastor got switched. The target was no longer personal faithfulness, it became external fruitfulness.  My concern is that the measuring stick of size alone can fuel a kind of ambition that is destructive.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in recent years, it’s this: numerical growth alone is no useful indicator of God’s grace and favor or from godly leadership.

In the introduction to Purpose-Driven Church, Rick Warren talks about catching spiritual waves. It is God who creates waves and movements of his Spirit. We don’t get to decide when the wave comes, where it comes, or how big it will be.

But it’s our privilege to ride a great wave and participate in what God is doing.

My fear is that Christian leaders will no longer quietly, boldly stand on the shore looking for and pray for, a wave of God’s Spirit. When ambition does not have a healthy soul attached to it, we can start trying to create waves ourselves.

Humble Ambitions, Humble Patterns, Humble Service

Philippians 2:1-4 Amplified Bible

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians is one of the warmest and friendliest of Paul’s letters in the Bible.

The church in Philippi seems to have been quite healthy, source of joy for Paul.

But it was not perfect. No church is.

As we read along in Philippians, we see hints and whispers that Paul knows a few unhappy and unhealthy things about people in this congregation. There are some cracks in their unity, some struggles with “whose right” ambition, pride.

In Philippians 2, Paul begins to address this. And he lays it on pretty thick.

“If you are even remotely Christian,” Paul says, in effect, “then make me even more joyful by being about “of one mind – Jesus’ and embracing his ­humility.”

Many theologians teach that ambitious humility is the core Christian virtue, the characteristic that makes us most like Jesus.

Ambitious Humility helps us realize that even though we all have gifts and talents to do many things, that does not make us any better than anyone else.

Instead, we try to see life as a level playing field on which each person does her or his part. At the end of the day, pay more attention to others than to ourselves.

Let someone else compliment us for our work while we are too busy focusing on building up others. We all need each other. Each of us needs to be thankful for the next person. This is, as Paul explains next (in verses 5-8), the true pattern of life established by a humbly ambitious Jesus—so this is the pattern to follow.

5 Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], 6 who, although He existed in the form  and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7  but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Are we, as committed, covenanted Christians, more about Kingdom building for our building our self esteem through our own accolades or giving God the glory?

Pray, take a few moments to reflect on this serious issue of ambition. Are there any “signs” of unhealthy ambition.  Ask God to purify your heart and motives!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 15 Amplified Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?
2 
He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.
3 
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 
In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];
5 
He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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