Tag: God

Is the Lord With Me, A Stone Worthy of our Acceptance, A Savior Worthy of our Following? Psalm 118:1-9, 22-29 

Psalm 118:1-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.

118 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
3 Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
4 Oh let those who [a]fear the Lord say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

5 From my distress I called upon [b]the Lord;
[c]The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.

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.

“What can mere mortals do to me?”

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
    from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
    who would dare lay a hand on me? (Psalm 118:6 – 8 Message)

Lately, I am running into days that I feel; Am I the only one who balks at the question that the psalmist asks here—“What can mere mortals do to me?”

“What can mere mortals do to me that I have not already done to myself twice?”

I think we all know what the psalmist is getting at here, but people can be mean!

They can hurt us verbally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically. And my guess is that we’ve all experienced at least one of those hurts, if not all of them.

I don’t necessarily live in daily fear of their physical harm, but some people do—and that can be devastating. I am learning, relearning the limits of my heart.

However, I do live in an irrational fear of being hurt by other people’s words.

Every time I do stretch the limits of my surgically repaired heart, I find myself subconsciously feeling “watched and assessed and evaluated,” for limitations.

Limitations I want no part of, self assigned, self imposed limitations I struggle mightily against believing even exist, limitations I feel I am too young to have at my age, limitations I may just have to listen to others who’ll say: “accept it.”

That is not the sort, measure, of “acceptance” which I will surrender myself to.

Still, the psalmist knew all of that “acceptance” as well as we do. He was pursued, threatened with bodily and spiritual harm. But even in the midst of threats and dangers, he was able to give thanks to God, confess the Lord was with him, and be certain that mere mortals could not ultimately destroy him.

Even if the mere mortal was himself turning against himself, body, mind, spirit.

While people might be able to hurt our bodies or minds, they can’t hurt our souls. And while people can hurt us in this world, they can’t hurt us forever.

That is the message the psalmist wants us to hear.

We aren’t assured of health and safety on this earth.

But we don’t need to fear what anyone on this earth can do to us. They cannot control our destiny. With God, we can be certain that our destiny is in his hands.

A Stone Worth Accepting? A Savior Worth Following?

Psalm 118:17-29 The Message

17-20 I didn’t die. I lived!
    And now I’m telling the world what God did.
God tested me, he pushed me hard,
    but he didn’t hand me over to Death.
Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates!
    I’ll walk right through and thank God!
This Temple Gate belongs to God,
    so the victors can enter and praise.

21-25 Thank you for responding to me;
    you’ve truly become my salvation!
The stone the masons discarded as flawed
    is now the capstone!
This is God’s work.
    We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
    let’s celebrate and be festive!
Salvation now, God. Salvation now!
    Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

26-29 Blessed are you who enter in God’s name—
    from God’s house we bless you!
God is God,
    he has bathed us in light.
Adorn the shrine with garlands,
    hang colored banners above the altar!
You’re my God, and I thank you.
    O my God, I lift high your praise.
Thank God—he’s so good.
    His love never quits!

“I didn’t die. I lived!
    And now I’m telling the world what God did.
God tested me, he pushed me hard,
    but he didn’t hand me over to Death.”

Most of my life, I’ve known the facts of the Christian faith: God made the world, Jesus came into the world, Jesus died for the sins of the world, and Jesus came back to life. If I believe in Him, I get to be with Him forever. But I ignored truth.

But as I got older, I met people who questioned the truth of what I believed, of what truth I ignored at unexpected moments, doubts crept through my mind: 

Is any of it really true?

What have I been ignoring?

What have I not been purposely paying attention to?

Confusingly, some people told me it didn’t matter who or what I believed in.

“As long as you believe in something, that’s what counts,” one told me.
“Believe in yourself because you are the only one you know you can count on.”

“Nothing really matters, all roads either lead to heaven, or to hell.” another said. so it is easier to say You believe what you want, and I’ll believe my way.”

And I wondered more. Would I reach the end of life and find out none of what I believed or purposely ignored about Jesus was true? Was I wrong for thinking or believing there was only one way to reach God? Why would Jesus ever say that no one could come to God except through Him (John 14:6)? That’s allot of Ego!

When others came to me and challenged my beliefs, face to face, challenged my faith, I realized what I longed for was a clear example of why only Jesus saves.

I found my answer in the form of a rock.

Someone then showed me a very large rock, close to being a boulder, which had clearly been stuck in the ground for a very long time – and that someone dared, challenged me, to try and move it even one inch from its present firm position.

That someone taught me, in that moment, that rock was part of an illustration which Jesus Himself gave to show that even the weight and measure of our day to day burdens, our earthly lives contain problems that have only one solution.

According to Matthew 21:38-46, in the last week of His life, Jesus used the fitting image of a cornerstone to describe His unique purpose and identity, quoting a prophecy about Himself in Psalm 118:22: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Asking those people around them if they had ever seriously bothered to even read and study and share the Scriptures?

In ancient buildings and walls, certain unique stones, different from typical, rectangular building stones, were used at pivotal points in the structure.

For example, a cornerstone could set a foundation or anchor a wall.

Just as a stone different from all the rest is the only one that will fit the need to hold up a wall or establish a firm foundation, only Jesus can restore our world to what God wants it to be.

Jesus may not fit the mold of what people are looking for in a Savior, but as the the only authentic Cornerstone, He has a specific, essential purpose: to save the world from sin, to provide those who accept Him, believe, the gift of eternal life.

When we encounter others who insist that all belief systems are equal, it is hard to stand apart as having a different view.

We may be accused of being insensitive, narrow-minded and unaccepting.

We may suffer socially, spiritually, or even physically, for believing there’s only one way, one truth, one life, to salvation. But I’m so very thankful Jesus lovingly invites all people to accept Him and trust in Him, and teach He has given us an everyday example to clarify how He is, and must be, the only way to get to God.

Lord, thank You for Your patience in showing me, teaching, why Your Son is the essential piece I need to draw near to You. Give me courage to share that beautiful message even with those who’ll challenge my confidence in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 91 The Message

91 1-13 You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
    spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.
    I trust in you and I’m safe!”
That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
    shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
    under them you’re perfectly safe;
    his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
    not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
    not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
    drop like flies right and left,
    no harm will even graze you.
You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
    watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God’s your refuge,
    the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
    harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered his angels
    to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
    their job is to keep you from falling.
You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
    and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

14-16 “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God,
    “I’ll get you out of any trouble.
I’ll give you the best of care
    if you’ll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times;
    I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I’ll give you a long life,
    give you a long drink of salvation!”

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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Viewing Ourselves Rightly, Accepting Ourselves With Very Sober Judgment. Romans 12:3 (1 – 8)

Romans 12:1-8 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

The Word of God for the People 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.

Viewing Ourselves Rightly

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

No one is immune to the grievous sin of self-exaltation.

To find evidence of this, simply enter any kindergarten classroom.

In this little group of children, soon enough somebody will be singing their own praises about building the biggest tallest block tower or drawing the best family portrait—in other words, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought.

Constantly comparing ourselves with other people is a worldly way to think.

An exaggerated view of ourselves is a dreadful problem—one that puts others down and ignores our place before God. The answer, though, is not found in self-denigration, which is the opposite and equal error to self-exaltation.

This self-disparagement is also the product of pride because it still surfaces from contrasting and comparison ourselves to others. It is still self-focused.

The Christian’s view of self should be grounded in a mind renewed by God (Romans 12:1-2).

With this heavenly perspective, we find our value in God’s mercy and grace.

Our significance, identity, worth, and role all find their foundation in who God is, what God has done for us, not on any self exaggerated account of who we are or what we believe or boast about having done for Him to make His life better.

We are reminded of this proper perspective of self when we sing the lines “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died.”[1] 

1 Isaac Watts, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (1707).

To survey the wondrous cross is to focus on the wonders of the gospel—the sobering truth that another has died in our place and borne our punishment.

In doing this, we realize “my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.”

Philippians 3:7-9 The Message

7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

The cross both raises us and lowers us at the same time, and this frees us from needing to push ourselves too far forward in life and enables us, to with much sobriety, acknowledge great, greater, greatest ways in which God has gifted us.

This is thinking of ourselves with “sober judgment.”

The church, then, is to be noticeably different from the world in the way we view ourselves and each other. When we come together, united by the gospel, all else that relates to our identity, though not irrelevant, loses its primary significance, and we use our gifts not to please ourselves but to serve others.

Look soberly at the cross, where your Savior bled and died for your sins because while we were all still his enemies, He loved us. There is no room for you or me to feel too proud. There is no need for us to compare yourself to others. Instead, you can use all that He has given you in selfless, sober joyful service of others.

The Most Critical Task of Self: of Accepting Ourselves

Romans 12:3 Amplified Bible

3 For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].

There is probably no single part of our inner life that’s more fragile and more important than our own self-concept.

Parents must wisely help children develop a healthy concept of self. All of us, in all stages of life, are shaped by our self-concept more than we’ll often realize.

In our Scripture reading for today, Paul cautions us, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” It’s easy for us to think more highly of ourselves—or at least to sound as if we do. We can pretend very well, sound proud so easily.

It seems to me, though, that there are also many times when we think too lowly of ourselves. A lack of self-esteem is a drag on many of us. We remember so well what we cannot do or what we haven’t done well. We quickly look at others as though we falsely believe they have superior abilities, and we feel inadequate.

In our Scripture for today Paul also gives us some very healthy encouragement, however. He reminds us that, in Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior, we are all important functional, functioning servants, and members of the body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-8 Amplified Bible

4 For just as in one [physical] body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use, 5 so we, who are many, are [nevertheless just] one body in Christ, and individually [we are] parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other]. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them accordingly: if [someone has the gift of] prophecy, [let him speak a new message from God to His people] in proportion to the faith possessed; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or he who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or he who encourages, in the act of encouragement; he who gives, with generosity; he who leads, [a]with diligence; he who shows mercy [in caring for others], with cheerfulness.

Each and every single one of us immeasurably counts as much as anyone else.

We all have unique God given gifts, some of them different from others, but all are important gifts from God meant to be fully used in the building up and the edification of His Kingdom. “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth.”

“In Christ we who [are each unique, created in the image of God]are many form one body, each [uniquely created by God] member belongs to all the others.”

Paul’s point is that we are all uniquely called to sacrificially give of our whole selves in His service and to discover and faithfully use the gifts God has given.

In Christ There Is No East or West [Author: John Oxenham (1908)]

1. In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north;
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

2. In Christ shall true hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.

3. Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.

4. In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.

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

Let us Pray,

Creator God, Author of my past, my present, and all of my tomorrows, I thank you for all the ways you have made me and the gifts you have given me. Help us all to affirm each other and to unconditionally utilize our gifts in loving service. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Psalm 91 Amplified Bible

Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 He who [a]dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].
2 
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”
3 
For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 
He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions,
And under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.

5 
You will not be afraid of the terror of night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 
Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon.
7 
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But danger will not come near you.
8 
You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes
And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High].
9 
Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 
For He will command His angels in regard to you,
To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12 
They will lift you up in their hands,
So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone.
13 
You will tread upon the lion and cobra;
The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 
“Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him;
I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never].
15 
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And I will let him see My salvation.”

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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Happiness to Be Able to Help Dignify those who are down on their luck; in the margins, the untouchable places. Psalm 41:1-3

Psalm 41 The Message

41 1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

4-7 I said, “God, be gracious!
    Put me together again—
    my sins have torn me to pieces.”
My enemies are wishing the worst for me;
    they make bets on what day I will die.
If someone comes to see me,
    he mouths empty platitudes,
All the while gathering gossip about me
    to entertain the street-corner crowd.
These “friends” who hate me
    whisper slanders all over town.
They form committees
    to plan misery for me.

8-9 The rumor goes out, “He’s got some dirty,
    deadly disease. The doctors
    have given up on him.”
Even my best friend, the one I always told everything
    —he ate meals at my house all the time!—
    has bitten my hand.

10 God, give grace, get me up on my feet.
    I’ll show them a thing or two.

11-12 Meanwhile, I’m sure you’re on my side—
    no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp!
You know me inside and out, you hold me together,
    you never fail to stand me tall in your presence
    so I can look you in the eye.

13 Blessed is God, Israel’s God,
    always, always, always.
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

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.

Happiness to Be Able to Help

41 1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

A compassionate heart is not among the most popular qualities in our world today. If you want to climb to the top, people say, you often have to trample on others. Compassion is considered an attribute of people who are weak.

But what does the Word of God have to teach and admonish us about this?

The Bible says, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak.”

And this does not mean just thinking about people who are disadvantaged; it means caring about them, doing something about it, entering the moment. (Read, Study, Pray, the Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 15:11 – 32)

People who care are those who open their hearts with the willingness to share what they have with people in need. God’s generosity goes hand in hand with his compassion and his care as people seek to show God’s love in this world.

We find happiness not when we have everything in our hands but when we look beyond our own needs, our own biases and prejudices and also agendas to share with people in need, giving from our abundance as the Lord has given to us. (Read, Study and Pray over Genesis Chapter 1)

The generous person sows happily and reaps the blessed fruit of God’s ongoing favor. God himself multiplies our sowing so we can continue to give generously.

From the beginning, God provides for us and gives us health and strength to do more by spreading his love to others. When we open our hearts, souls, hands, and pockets, move our feet, to share from all that God has given us, we find joy and happiness too in giving freely as the Lord gives, without strings attached.

The Gospel is Good News for all, Without Exception!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/several-injuries-reported-suspected-chemical-144200065.html

Romans 14:10-14 Amplified Bible

10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you again, why do you look down on your [believing] brother or regard him with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God [who alone is judge]. 11 For it is written [in Scripture],

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Then let us not criticize one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block or a source of temptation in another believer’s way. 14 I know and am convinced [as one] in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean [ritually defiled, and unholy] in itself; but [nonetheless] it is unclean to anyone who thinks it is unclean.

The Ministry and Mission of Passing Judgment or the Ministry and Mission of Extending God’s Forgiveness

To people outside the faith, Christians often seem like Goliath sized hypocrites who look on the rest of the world with great scorn and in high condemnation.

We are seen as highly critical and massively self-righteous. And sometimes it’s true. Sometimes our rejection, our rhetoric and derision make Christ look bad.

We condemn those who have heard only judgment and long for grace.

We disapprove of people who have made life choices different than our own. We wish common sense were a little more common in them but not any of us. Our impatience with others for whom Christ died shows how much we need him too.

Sometimes we lack wisdom, maturity, impulse control, we have been hurt, and our hearts cry far out for justice. We want to take judgment into our own hands.

We want to maximize our vengeance, we also want our maximum retribution.

Yet, Jesus teaches that the critically essential part of forgiveness involves our stepping back from our worldly desires, allowing God to take care of justice.

Matthew 5:43-48 Amplified Bible

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, [a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? 48 You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Romans 12:18-21 Amplified Bible

18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap [a]burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We may need good boundaries with those who are still broken, and God ordained civil authorities to restrain crime—but God alone is the judge.

Practically speaking, looking scornfully at our neighbor makes it difficult to share our witness.

If we Christians shared the truth of how we have fallen down, the world might receive us better. Admitting our brokenness would allow Jesus’ restoration to shine brighter. If we approached each other as fellow sinners pointing the way to salvation in Christ, to be forgiven, maybe more sinners would follow Christ.

How can we be more Christ like in our relationships, in our responses, in our conversations, and less biased and prejudiced with those ‘different neighbors’?

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

How can you show and extend grace today?

How can we show and extend the Love of God to everyone today?

John 3:16-18 Amplified Bible

16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18  Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because [b]he has not believed and trusted in the name of the  [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

This passage is perhaps the best-known and best-loved verses in the Bible.

It comes in the context of a middle of the night secret conversation between Jesus and a beyond reproach highly respected Scholar, devout Jew, Nicodemus.

It is then put into action in the following chapter of John, when Jesus converses with a woman on the opposite end of the social, moral, and religious spectrum.

This teaches us something important: that the good news of Christ’s coming is not limited to highly respected pious people, like Nicodemus, but shatters all boundaries to extend even to the dejected, rejected, like the woman at the well.

The contrast between these two individuals is stark. Nicodemus was learned, powerful, respected, and theologically trained.

The Samaritan woman at the well was uneducated, without influence, despised, untouchable, illegal and immoral – everything those Jews of that day rejected.

Jesus’ interactions with both, however, display that all humans need a Savior.

Nicodemus’s meeting with Christ makes it clear that we can never do enough good to save ourselves.

Conversely, the Samaritan woman’s experience makes clear that no one can ever do enough bad to be beyond Christ’s reach.

Hardcore Truth be Revealed, We all, without exception, live under God’s wrath and judgment until we welcome the light of Christ’s salvation—whether you’re a Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, a Levi/Matthew, or somewhere in between.

The whole world needs God’s Son; and God has given the whole world His Son.

Hardcore Truth: Because the gospel of Jesus does not discriminate, neither should we in proclaiming it.

While both Nicodemus and the woman at the well needed to hear the same good news, Jesus masterfully shared it with each one of them in a personalized way.

He did not engage them with the same formulaic conversation; with biased or prejudiced rhetoric, He met them where they were. He simply asked questions that had ultimately revealed their sinful hearts and God’s loving heart for them.

Just as God invites all to hear His gospel, so He invites all who are changed by this gospel to be the agents of change for others.

After her conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman ran back to her town, telling everyone of how He knew everything she had ever done (John 4:39).

The people then responded to her words and sought Jesus out.

This should encourage all of us, and especially those of us who lack confidence in extending the gospel invitation to others.

When God is at work, we’ll be amazed at what happens!

“For God so loved the world…” Such love has come to live in any who believe.

It empowers each of us to do what is necessary to live as God commands. It saves you from the chains that tie you to your past—be it a past of piety and of high pride, like Nicodemus’s, or a past of sordid decisions and shame, like the Samaritan woman’s. It spurs you to share this gospel of Son-giving, life-bringing love with those around you. Whoever believes will have eternal life.

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

Let us Pray,

Lord, forgive us for judging one another. Search us, Test us, Teach us, Show us how to shed our biases, prejudices, share our brokenness and to point others to Christ. Lord God, help us to open our hearts, extend our hands and feet to care about others and to share from the abundance you have given us. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Amen.

103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.
    From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
    don’t forget a single blessing!

3-5     He forgives your sins—every one.
    He heals your diseases—every one.
    He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
    He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
    He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
    He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

6-18 God makes everything come out right;
    he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
    opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
    nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
    so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
    he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
    God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
    keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
    like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
    leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
    eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
    as they follow his Covenant ways
    and remember to do whatever he said.

19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
    he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
    ready and able to fly at his bidding,
    quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
    alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
    everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless 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.

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An Ear Opened, a Will Readied, and a Vision Restored, a Life is Quickened. Acts 9:10-22

Acts 9:10-22 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him,  “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen [a]in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your [b]saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen [c] instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be  filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, [d]saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and  who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the [e]Christ.

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 the Bible, there is no mention of Ananias before his appearance in Acts 9, and there is only one brief mention of him after that (Acts 22:12).

By all accounts, he was not a tremendous man or a noteworthy leader who had done “great things” by the world’s standards. Unless you changed worldly to Kingdom standards. God saw a faithful heart within him and chose to use him in a tremendous way in the conversion of Saul (who became known as Paul).

Like Ananias, you may not have done tremendous things in your life, gone to amazing places, or gained any sort of great influence and media popularity like the Reverend Dr. Billy Graham or like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

But God is in the business of setting His own standards of greatness, laying His hand upon certain individuals, using them to accomplish His will. Our part is simply to be like Ananias, with ears open, wills ready to hear and obey our God.

The emphasis in this verse is not on the way in which God spoke to Ananias but on the immediate way in which Ananias responded saying: “Here I am, Lord.”

His ear was tuned to hear God.

What about yours?

What about mine?

What about the Churches?

Do we hear God speaking through His word? Is the posture of our hearts such that whatever it is He is calling us to do, that we will say, “Here I am, Lord”?

Ananias’ response to God is remarkable when we consider what God was calling him to do, and for whom.

He had “heard from many about this man [Saul], how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem,” and he knew that in Damascus Saul had “authority … to bind and arrest and imprison all who call on your name” (Acts 9:13-14).

Yet he willingly chose to obey God’s call despite any fear or resentment he had of Saul and his reputation. He heard, and he overcame his fears and he acted.

How often do we “quicken” our fears first, “quicken” our anxieties, excuses?

How often do we make excuses for our own inaction in response to God’s call?

How often do we hide behind our fear or live with excessive caution, forgetting that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7)? Ananias displayed this powerful spirit through his obedience.

Our culture values big names, big accomplishments, and big media ratings.

God does not have the same preoccupations.

Ananias had no great name or huge fanfare; he simply had an ear open to God’s voice and a will obedient to His command.

This resulted in a life sacrificed for usefulness in God’s service.

And on this day, it meant that he was the first to tangibly extend God’s love and grace to Saul as he reached out his hands and called him “brother” (Acts 9:17).

And so, though he may be a relatively small and quiet, inobtrusive character in the Bible, there is overmuch you and I can and the church learn still from him.

You may receive little to no recognition for your faithfulness to Christ in this life. You may take risks and make sacrifices in service to Him and feel that not much changes and no one notices. But far better than anything this world can give, we look forward to hearing God’s “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) as we arrive at our time to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 25:19-21 Amplified Bible

19 “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 And the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have [made a profit and] gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

No good work done in His service is ever wasted.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

He weaves it all into the great story of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Restored “Vision” and a Life Very Much Quickened

Acts 9:15-22 The Message

15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.

Plots Against Saul

19-21 Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”

22 But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.

When Ananias left the safety of his home, he brought the Lord’s message and Saul received the Holy Spirit, Saul “could see again”! The blindness he had experienced for three days was gone—and so was his spiritual blindness.

Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul had been sure he had perfect vision and all the answers about God. Saul had been a Pharisee, part of an elite group of Jewish legal experts who believed they had special status with God.

Some Christians go through life thinking they have all the answers.

Some are convinced they know more than anybody else.

When it comes to finding God, they think and even believe they have 20/20 vision and can answer all your questions. Of course, none of us has that kind of “perfect vision,” and no one is ever going to possess all the correct answers.

Even Old Testament Job, who was “blameless and upright” ­according to the Bible, had to admit that there was much he did not understand. He confessed that he had limited ­vision, saying to the Lord, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5).

Job 42:1-6 The Message

Job Worships God

I Babbled On About Things Far Beyond Me

42 1-6 Job answered God:

“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.
    Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,
    ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’
I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,
    made small talk about wonders way over my head.
You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.
    Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’
I admit I once lived by rumors of you;
    now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!
    I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

We too need to humble ourselves before the Lord and ask him to remove any “scales” from our eyes so that we can “see” him and “serve” him faithfully.

Saul had his physical and spiritual vision restored.

Saul did not run away to continue his over zealous pursuit of “followers” to keep arresting them and throwing them into irons and then into a prison.

He immediately recognized that the hand of God and his Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit was millstone heavy upon his shoulders, as he stood up to eat.

His life quickened, spent his first days getting acquainted with those Damascus disciples, getting oriented to the weight of the burden placed upon the disciples.

And then without hesitation, he left, got down to the Lord’s business in the local synagogues declaring the word of the Lord and Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Despite all the attitudes “They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”

Saul, who would become Paul, would plant churches, go on far reaching and incredibly dangerous missions, suffering much to teach “Jesus Christ is Lord!”

If we were to hold up our testimony and witness against that of Saul/Paul’s, how many of those “well done, good and faithful servant” words will we hear?

Would our pleas of “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom” be heard or will our eyes, ears, have to suffer through; “begone, I knew you not?”

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.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 The Message

42 1-3 A white-tailed deer drinks
    from the creek;
I want to drink God,
    deep drafts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
    arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
    tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
    people knock at my door,
Pestering,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

4 These are the things I go over and over,
    emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
    right out in front,
Leading them all,
    eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
    celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

6-8 When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
    including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
    to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
    crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

9-10 Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
    “Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
    harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
    tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my 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.

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Am I Accepting my Imperfection: Am I that World’s Worst of All Sinners? 1Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17Amplified Bible

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry], 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord [His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing] flowed out in superabundance [for me, together] with the faith and love which are [realized] in Christ Jesus. 15 [a]This is a faithful and trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who [b]would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King of the ages [eternal], immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

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.

“Of Whom I Am the Chief, the Foremost, the Worst”

In Paul’s incredible statement in 1 Timothy 1:15 the man who says that if anyone could have confidence in the flesh it was him (Philippians 3:4-6), reminds us that he is the chief of sinners, the foremost of sinners, the very worst of sinners.

Notice his wording was “I am” not “I was.”

This word is not past tense as in “I was” but present tense as if to say: no matter how far I’ve come, from confessing “13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers], by God’s mercy  in light of God’s holy perfection to professing “I still desperately need the grace of Christ.”

When we attempt to minimize the cross or our own sinfulness, we are attempting to minimize our need for Jesus. Today, no matter how holy and sanctified you are, be careful where (in whom) you are placing your trust in.

The apostle Paul was passionate about attaining righteousness (Philippians 3:7-11), but he was also honest about his own imperfections (Romans 7:14-20).

In today’s verse, he openly accepts and confesses that he is like an old beat-up neglected car. But he accepts his dents and dings, even as he drives on for God.

Maybe we would be happier too if we accepted the dents, dings in your own life.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh — Philippians 3:3 NIV

Am I the proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy?

1 Timothy 1:12-20 The Message

12-14 I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were violence and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.

15-19 Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.

Deep honor and bright glory
    to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
    ever and always. Oh, yes!

I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.

19-20 There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming.

Today, when we think of the Apostle Paul, we think of a Saint.

Yet, in his own words, in his own thoughts he counted himself the worst sinner.

But how is that even possible, because Paul wrote much of the New Testament? 

Paul, more than most of us, had an understanding of what it means to be a sinner. He didn’t look at others around him and feel better about himself.

He recognized the depth of sin that was born within him, and each one of us is so deep, that, without a Savior, sin taints our blood to the point of eternal death.

He understood that whether zealous or meek, rich or homeless there is not one difference between a little sinner, a big sinner. Without Jesus, we all fall short, (Romans 3:23) all sin leads to the same destructive destination (Romans 6:23).

Romans 6:23 Amplified Bible

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is a good Time to Come Clean; A Little Self-Examination Goes a Long Way

It’s easy to look at others and feel like we’re doing better overall. But with this type of attitude can come pride and haughtiness. Proverbs 16:18 explains how “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

2 Corinthians 13:5 urges us to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

Sometimes, we decide how we’re doing compared to another person, rather than looking at God’s word to see how we’re doing in life. Often, if we do, we’ll discover areas of our lives where we are far off-track in following God’s ways.

Worldly Effects

So many people today, some Christians included, are living their lives based on how well or poorly others seem to be doing. With social media’s daily updates, many individuals are comparing their lives to the lives of others to see if they are succeeding, up to date, or what they need to do next to get ahead in life.

But as believers in Jesus Christ, we don’t want to follow the world’s leading but look to God for our future. 1 John 2:15 warns, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

As well, Paul in Romans 12:2 urges, “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.”

Being conformed and transformed to the world can be so gradual in our lives, that we don’t recognize what direction we may be taking in life. Before long, we can be so far off course without really knowing, realizing what’s taking place. 

Feeding Our Faith

Romans 1:16-19 Amplified Bible

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.”

Unbelief and Its Consequences

18 For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.

When it comes to living into and outwards from our faith, we don’t just stay in one place; through the Gospel, we are either growing steadily in it or we’re slowly slipping back into worldly patterns and thinking without realizing it.

So how do we keep the world at bay?

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

Philippians 3:13-16 Amplified Bible

13 [a]Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us stay true to what we have already attained.

As James 1:27 explains, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

James 1:23-27 Amplified Bible

23 For if anyone only listens to the word [a]without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets [b]what he looked like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but [c]an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious [scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith], and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless (futile, barren). 27 Pure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.

Jesus Sets Us Free from the Power of Sin

Like Paul, we want to remember that sin can so easily lead us astray.

Because it can, we don’t want to lose sight of where our Salvation lies and where our power to resist sin comes from.

Romans 5:21 explains, “So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We are set free from its power, as Romans 6:14 describes, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

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.

Am I, Are you, is the Church comparing ourselves to how most people in the world are living their lives for direction in your own life? If so, look deep into God’s Word to see where you are in your faith. Pray, Ask Him to examine your heart and show you any areas where you’ve unknowingly wandered off track. 

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139 The Message

139 1-6 God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
    God, I’ll never comprehend them!
I couldn’t even begin to count them—
    any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
    And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
And you murderers—out of here!—
    all the men and women who belittle you, God,
    infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
See how I hate those who hate you, God,
    see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
    Your enemies are my enemies!

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.

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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Redeemed for Good Works: Will God Ever Ask Us to Do Something We Do Not Possess any of the Skill Set to do? Ephesians 2:7-10

Ephesians 2:7-10 The Message

7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

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.

Redeemed for Good Work: Masterpieces

Ephesians 2:1-10 Easy-to-Read Version

From Death to Life

2 In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. 2 Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers[a] that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. 3 In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were.

4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.

8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.

It is said that when Michelangelo, the great Renaissance sculptor, looked at an ordinary piece of marble, he envisioned his masterpiece long before he put his chisel to stone. In his mind, his creation existed even before he began to create.

Did you know that God, the greatest artist, has a glorious ­vision for each of his masterpieces, including you and me?

Long before creation, God had a purpose for our lives.

The apostle Paul tells us that we are God’s work of art.

He has been busy fashioning us in Christ to be his masterpiece.

But God did not create us merely for display.

God has created us so that, in turn, we too become artisans.

We are saved by God’s grace so that we will fulfill the plan God has had for us from the beginning.

What plan is that?

First, the good works God has prepared for us include a life of holiness.

And, remember, God created us to work: to cultivate his garden and to draw out the potential embedded in creation.

Though sin has damaged and distorted that plan, Jesus’ work on the cross has redeemed it.

We are re-created so that we may fulfill God’s original purpose for work!

How are we doing the good works which God has prepared in advance for us?

Will God Ever Ask Us to Do Something We Can’t Do?

There are an endless number of callings God gives to His people to labor at.

In each situation, we can probably come up with an infinite number of reasons we can’t follow through on those callings.

What we fail to consider is would God ask me to do something I cannot do?

Would God ask you to do something you cannot do?

Would God ask His Church to do something it cannot or will not do?

To answer this question, we must also consider why God created mankind in the beginning and consider how can we know when God is truly calling us.

Consider This: Why Did God Create Man?

Genesis 2:15 Amplified Bible

15 So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

On the first pages of Scripture, we witness the creation of the world, including man. God created the heavens and the earth before he made Adam because He already knew where mankind would live and exactly what their purpose was. 

Genesis 2:15 states “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.”

We see similar instructions given to Noah after the flood in Genesis 9:1, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’”

In the beginning and after the destruction by the flood, God specifically states His purpose in creating humanity.

He wants us to work and watch over what is His.

He wants us to be fruitful and multiply by keeping the values of family in our hearts. 

To obey these instructions, we each must be willing to follow through on the calling(s) He has for us.

For God to call us to do something, He must know what we can do – even if we ourselves are not as aware of our skill set as God is of our respective skill sets.

Our individual gifts come from God, and he intended for us to use them to grow His kingdom.

Ephesians 2:10 Amplified Bible

10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

Consider this: A Biblical Lens on God’s Instruction

God knew that mankind would always have questions about their purpose.

Because of that truth, He revealed many great personal examples in Scripture. 

Moses was asked to bring the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt.

He questioned God.

He said he could not complete the task because he could not speak well.

But God had a plan already and knew that Moses was the one to save His people.

Then there was Esther, a young Hebrew girl who was to become a queen.

She may have thought she could not save her people, but God knew she could.

Through God’s plan, Esther became a queen and saved her people. 

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah did not want to go.

He felt he could not because the Ninevites were dangerous people.

God knew Jonah could and gave him three days in a whale’s belly to consider his choice. With God’s help, Jonah went to Nineveh and proclaimed what God had told him. The Ninevites turned from their evil ways and were not destroyed. 

The disciples may have thought they could not drop their fishing nets and just follow Jesus because they only knew the water and the nets.

When they did, the disciples were witnesses to the miracles and teachings of Jesus. The three years they spent walking and talking and listening with Jesus molded them into the witnesses for Christ that helped build the early church. 

God has always been asking His people to obey commands.

In each situation, God’s instruction is doable because He has already set his own plan into motion. God did not leave Moses, Esther, Jonah, or his disciples.

It was with Him they accomplished their tasks.

Matthew 28:16-20 Amplified Bible

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted [that it was really He]. 18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

Today, the Great Commission is still exactly the same; nothing has changed.

God will always be with us, as promised; Until the end of the age; God does not call us into ministry and mission to obey Him and leave us to our own devices. 

How Do We Know What God Wants from Us?

James 4:7-10 The Message

7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

As God’s people, we want to do whatever God asks of us. The problem we have is that too often we struggle to know what God wants us to do. We spend a lot of precious time questioning Him and that can leave little time for obedience. 

So, how can we know what God wants from us? We must start by preparing our hearts to hear the Holy Spirit. (James 4:8)

Preparation always starts with prayer.

It does not have to be an elaborate and elegantly worded prayer. It can be a simple prayer, one in which you confess your sins and God cleanses your heart. Prayer will fine tune our spiritual ears to hear the commands of our Lord. 

We also need to search the Scriptures. 

Isaiah 8:20 says, “Go to God’s instruction and testimony!”

Isaiah 8:19-22 The Message

19-22 When people tell you, “Try out the fortunetellers.
    Consult the spiritualists.
Why not tap into the spirit-world,
    get in touch with the dead?”
Tell them, “No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.”
    People who try the other ways get nowhere—a dead end!
Frustrated and famished,
    they try one thing after another.
When nothing works out they get angry,
    cursing first this god and then that one,
Looking this way and that,
    up, down, and sideways—and seeing nothing,
A blank wall, an empty hole.
    They end up in the dark with nothing.

Everything we need to know is right in front of us when we open God’s Word.

If we saturate our hearts and minds and quicken our hands and our feet, with eyes and ears tuned to God’s truth, we cannot miss what He is calling us to do. 

God speaks in various and mysterious ways.

To allow yourself to hear Him, you must silence the distractions you have in your life.

We must turn the TV and social media off at times.

We must not fill our schedules with earthly obligations and forget the sacred obligation we have to the God who created us. 

We must also seek counsel and consider the context of what we feel God is calling us to do. 

Proverbs 11:14 says “Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” Godly counsel will help you and me know if what we are feeling aligns with the character of God and will then produce kingdom fruits. 

Consider: Why Do We Miss God’s Call?

Proverbs 3:5-12 The Message

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

I believe the number one reason we can miss God’s call is that we are simply too busy to hear him. We naively rely on our own understanding, miss the mark. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us we are to rely only on the Lord and when we do, our paths will become straight. 

Our doubts can also keep us from seeing and hearing God’s call.

The idea that we cannot do something or don’t have time to carry out God’s instruction seriously clouds our judgement and hinders our faith in God. 

Hebrews 11:5-6 The Message

5-6 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

We expect God to always speak in a bold, dramatic way.

God is not always going to give you loud, vivid instruction.

You may not get your answer from a burning bush; Elijah received his answer in a gentle whisper outside a cave on a high mountain top (1 Kings 19:12).

1 Kings 19:7-12 The Message

7 The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more—you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.”

8-9 He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.

Then the word of God came to him: “So Elijah, what are you doing here?”

10 “I’ve been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,” said Elijah. “The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”

11-12 Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.”

A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God  was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.

When we quiet our souls is when we will hear Him call. 

Missing God’s call can also happen when we do not prioritize worship.

God did not intend for man to do everything alone.

He wants us to have a strong Christian community that will encourage us, pray for us, and make disciples out of us. 

Consider These Final Thoughts

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

Will God ask you to do something you cannot do?

No. God’s purpose for humanity was to steadfastly do the work He called us too.

Through examples like Moses, Esther, Jonah, the disciples, and many others in the Bible, God showed us that He would never call us to something we cannot do because we can do anything with His strength. 

Philippians 4:10-20 Amplified Bible

God’s Provisions

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] 14 Nevertheless, it was right of you to share [with me] in my difficulties.

15 And you Philippians know that in the early days of preaching the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of [a]giving and receiving except you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you]. 18 But I have received everything in full and more; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. They are the fragrant aroma of an offering, an acceptable sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights. 19 And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be the glory [b]forever and ever. Amen.

If you feel that God is calling you to do something, put the distractions and doubts aside.

Pray and search the Scriptures.

Participate in worship and lean on your Christian community to guide you.

If you do these things, you will be given the strength and knowledge to do whatever God calls you too. 

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

Let us Pray,

God, our Creator, Jesus, our Blessed Redeemer, we are in awe of the way you re-create broken people like us to be your masterpieces. Help us to honor you each day by doing the works you have prepared in advance for us to do. Amen.

Psalm 119:105-112 The Message

105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going;
    they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back
    from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
    put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
    teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
    but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
    but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
    what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
    I always have and always will.

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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Today, I am Contemplating, Praying, Upon Some Very Powerful Truths Our Prayers of Intercession Will Reveal… 2 Corinthians 1:8 – 11

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 Amplified Bible

8 For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about [a]our trouble in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], how we were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life [itself]. 9 Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death [and were convinced that we would die, but this happened] so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. 10 He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us [from danger and draw us near], 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift [of deliverance] granted to us through the prayers of many [believers].

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.

Truth: Jesus Always Lives to Intercede and Intervene

Today, I find myself reflecting on the indelible truth that Jesus intercedes for us, and that encourages us to intercede for others. As we pray for others, we lift them up to God, asking that in Jesus’ name God’s blessings pour into their lives.

As we contemplate the magnitude of that truth, as we pray for others, it’s important to know that our requests are not limited by time and space.

In today’s passage we read of Paul’s greatest struggles, both physical and spiritual, in carrying out his calling as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Time after time Paul suffered severe life threatening beatings, a few assassination plots, shipwrecks, imprisonment, the imminent threat of immediate beheading.

I do not guess that there are many people who will come to read this will have experienced the breadth of suffering Paul did. However, it is a distinct reality that this devotional will encounter someone who has suffered a deep measure of personal injury, sacrificed far more than their “fair share” for their faith.

For them, we lift them up in our prayers knowing God through Jesus answers.

Yet we also read throughout his letters it did not prevent him from asking God to fill the lives of his fellow believers there with the power of spiritual blessing.

When we pray for others, we ask, plead, God to pour out his resources on them, showering them with his limitless love and grace. It’s because we recognize our own limits we’ll ask God to do for others what we are powerless to do ourselves.

Intercessory prayer demonstrates our love for others.

We forget ourselves in prayer and seek God’s best for others—even going so far as to pray for those whom we consider our enemies.

Matthew 5:43-48 Amplified Bible

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, [a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? 48 You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

One of the kindest, most power­ful things someone can ever say to us is

“I’m praying for you.”

It means they want us to thrive in ways that only God can accomplish.

Whom is the Lord leading you to pray for today?

Contemplating Powerful Truths Paul’s Prayers Reveal about Spirit-Led Living Today.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 The Message

8-11 We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

I deeply believe that one can tell a lot about a person based on how they pray.

Thankfully, God invites us to come to Him authentically, laying bare our souls before Him, expressing our heaviest and rawest emotions. (Psalms 13, 51, 63)

Unveiling the deepest parts of us to the One who loves us unconditionally, when we praise Him, when we cry out in frustration, is an indelibly beautiful thing.

In fact, the greater our intimacy with Christ, the less filtered our words become.

This is precisely why I find Paul’s prayers so empowering and deeply inspiring.

Through them, the first century church planter demonstrates what it looks like to live in the depths of full blown crisis and to fully yielded to God and His plans.

His prayers recorded in Scripture reveal characteristics of a Spirit-led Christian.

1. They Make Intercessory Prayer a Lifestyle Choice

As we grow closer to Christ, our desire to connect with Him, hear from Him, and participate with Him in His kingdom plans increase.

Matthew 9:36-38 Amplified Bible

36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.  37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

We also recognize we cannot love Him and others well in our own strength. We realize, in progressively deepening, thought provoking, spirit quickening ways, just how much we and our world need His wisdom, power, presence, and grace.

In discussing Paul, his biblical letters, late Reverend Dr. Timothy Keller wrote,

“He does not see prayer as merely a way to get things from God but as a way to get more of God himself.”

He turned to the Lord, his closest companion and ever-present source of strength, for every need, with every frustration, and with every praise.

His prayers reveal a quickened heart that remained vitally connected to Christ, in both joyous and frightening moments, and that at the sacrifice of everything he held dear, wanted others to experience the same intimacy with the Savior.

Numerous times, he mentioned how he “always” prayed for various people or “constantly” remembered them in his prayers.

In his letters to the Romans and to the Colossians whom he never saw, he thanked God for the witness of their faith, in 2 Corinthians 1:11 for the Lord’s comfort for the hurting, and in Philippians for their partnership in the gospel.

In his letter to Timothy, he urged the leader to pray for all the people, and in Ephesians he asked for all prayers that he might fearlessly share the gospel.

In each of these instances and more, Paul demonstrated his humble, ongoing communication with His Savior and how much he absolutely prioritized this in his life and ministry.

How much of a priority is intercessory prayer for you in these challenging days?

2. They Celebrate God and Celebrate Evidence of Grace

John 14:12-14 Amplified Bible

12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.

I know it is said somewhere in the bible “when we celebrate God, we multiply.”

Consider some of your most motivating experiences — the teacher who spoke words of affirmation that led to your current career.

Or, perhaps a coach saw and called out one of your emerging talents.

Most likely, such encouragement motivated you to try harder, work harder, study harder — to become the student or athlete they envisioned. I imagine we can all think of times when a critical statement produced the opposite effect.

Perhaps Paul, a thriving early church leader, understood this, or maybe he was simply overjoyed by the spiritual progress he witnessed.

Regardless, he always seemed to recognize God’s hand in people’s lives.

To the believers in ancient Corinth, he wrote,

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way — with all kinds of speech and with knowledge — … Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Corinthians 1:4-7).

In Colossians, he thanked God for the people’s faith in Christ and love for all others, both of which sprung “from the hope stored up” in heaven (Col. 1:3-6).

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish]  [a]love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); 5 because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation] 6 which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it].

He expressed similar gratitude for those in Thessalonica, stating,

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).

To the church in Rome, he wrote, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8).

I find these words particularly significant when I consider how some of the first century Christians to whom he wrote behaved.

Although some of the churches, such as the one in Thessalonica, were thriving, others were experiencing serious problems.

For example, in Corinth, people were excusing blatant sexual immorality – including temple prostitution and incest – as being permissible because of one’s freedom in Christ. The community was also plagued with division fueled by not so choice rhetoric, finger pointing, wild accusations and favoritism.

The church in Rome, comprised of Jews and Greeks, was divided as well.

People argued about the right way to follow Jesus and what and how Gentiles were to participate in religious sacraments.

But, while Paul addressed these issues, calling believers to holiness, he didn’t allow their sinful behaviors to overshadow God’s grace.

Plus, most of these men and women were relatively new in their faith.

Likely, Paul understood that it takes time for one to change from deep pagan, polytheistic mentalities to a gospel-infused worldview that permeated every area of one’s life.

I’m reminded of my early twenties. Although I somewhat responded to the word of God as a child, I didn’t grow in my faith until my early to mid forties, when I connected with a group of committed bible believing Christ-followers.

My perspective, formed by popular culture for over those intervening two decades, changed slowly, one Bible lesson, sermon, and prayer at a time.

This held as true for first century believers, especially those with deep pagan backgrounds, as it does for the men and women sitting in the pews beside us each Sunday. And if in a crowded gym, what is the assortment of their beliefs?

One morning when I was working out on a treadmill, I saw a young lady with a rainbow t-shirt on which said; “ask me what real inclusion means.” Genesis 9

May we, like Paul, remember, wherever they, or we, are at in our journey, where they live into their journey as we are always lavished with grace on top of grace.

3. They Yearn for Everyone to Come to Know Jesus

2 Corinthians 9:13-15 Amplified Bible

13 Because of this act of ministry, [a]they will glorify God for your obedience to the gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous participation [in this gift] for them and for all [the other believers in need],  14 and they also long for you while they pray on your behalf, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace [His undeserved favor, mercy, and blessing which is revealed] in you. 15 Now thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words]!

God’s love has a multiplying effect.

The more we take it in, the more we have to give.

Scholars also teach us to teach others that we become like the thing we worship.

Therefore, the closer and longer we follow Jesus, the more we resemble Him.

His desires become ours, and His driving focus, outside of bringing glory to the Father, is bringing life to souls once dead.

His passion for me, you, his church and the world was so great that He willingly endured one of the cruelest executions known to man, to bring us salvation and entrance directly into God’s global, eternal family.

Paul embraced hardship and intense persecution for the same reason.

He was willing to endure anything, everything even intense pain, if through it, others might turn to Christ.

Philippians 3:7-9 Amplified Bible

7 But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life]. 8 But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

That included those who with animosity, envy and jealously followed him from town to town, hoping to immeasurably increase the intensity of his difficulties.

But he refused to waste time on bitterness. Instead, he wrote:

Philippians 1:15-17 Amplified Bible

15 Some, it is true, are [actually] preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry [toward me—for no better reason than a competitive spirit or misguided ambition], but others out of goodwill and a loyal spirit [toward me]. 16 The latter [preach Christ] out of love, because they know that I have been put here [by God on purpose] for the defense of the gospel; 17 but the former preach Christ [insincerely] out of selfish ambition [just self-promotion], thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment.

In Romans 9:3, he wrote, “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race.”

These words gain significance when one recognizes that the men following Paul from one village or city to another were, like him very Jewish, Paul’s people.

While they ultimately longed to increase Paul’s persecution, and incited a mob to help, Paul, instead, prioritized God and Jesus and prayed for their salvation.

Throughout his letters, the evangelist taught many important lessons and spoke powerful, life-changing truths. He encouraged, inspired, and corrected.

But most importantly, he routinely turned to God – in every season, whether hungry or fed, joyous or discouraged. Sprinkled throughout his New Testament letters, his intercessory prayers reveal patterns and passions of a Spirit-led life.

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

Let us Pray,

Thank you, Lord, for putting neighbors in my life who pray for me. You bless and strengthen me by their prayers. Help me to pray for others too. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13 Amplified Bible

9 “Pray, then, [a]in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[b]Hallowed be Your name.
10 
‘[c]Your kingdom come,
Your [d]will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 
‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread.
12 
‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
13 
‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 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.

https://translate.google.com/

The Bride and the Bridegroom, The Husband and the Wife; When You Are Simply not Feeling very Compatible. 1Corinthians 1:10

1 Corinthians 1:10-25 The Message

The Cross: The Irony of God’s Wisdom

10 I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

11-12 I bring this up because some from Chloe’s family brought a most disturbing report to my attention—that you’re fighting among yourselves! I’ll tell you exactly what I was told: You’re all picking sides, going around saying, “I’m on Paul’s side,” or “I’m for Apollos,” or “Peter is my man,” or “I’m in the Messiah group.”

13-16 I ask you, “Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul’s name?” I was not involved with any of your baptisms—except for Crispus and Gaius—and on getting this report, I’m sure glad I wasn’t. At least no one can go around saying he was baptized in my name. (Come to think of it, I also baptized Stephanas’s family, but as far as I can recall, that’s it.)

17 God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn’t send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

18-21 The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written,

I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
I’ll expose so-called experts as shams.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

22-25 While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so cheap, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”

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.

I am wondering today as I write this devotional today if we can all agree on this;

Brides and Bridegrooms, Husbands and Wives, the Body of Christ, we all called by God to be holy and set apart unto Him but we are also called into fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ. We are each urged by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be of the same mind and of the same judgment.

The divisions and the disunity that was evident within the Corinthian church so long ago, is equally, publicly, conspicuous in the Body of Christ today, and Paul and the community and unity of the Trinity are lovingly exhorting each one of us to agree amongst ourselves so that there is no disharmony, disagreement, or dissention amongst us. Can we stop taking shavings out of the Cross of Christ?

This call for singleness of heart is founded only upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and never our preferred preacher or favored ministry, or our preferred theologies, ideologies, political zealousness, denominational tactics.

We are to have the mind of Christ. We are to develop the same attitude of heart toward each other Christ Jesus has for us so that with one mind and one voice we may only glorify our God Who in heaven, our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Timothy 2:4-7 The Message

4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

In a time when there are ever deepening divisions in the world, how important is it to go out of our way to love our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ?

Can we not just be about God’s business; let us be those who build each other up in love, encouraging and comforting each other as we see the day approaching?

And can we not just be husband and wife, being husband and wife in unity, may our love for each other flow out into the world so that unbelievers may see our love, be drawn to Jesus, and enter into a saving knowledge of our loving Savior?

When You Simply Aren’t Feeling the Compatibility

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Amplified Bible

10 But I urge you, believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your judgment [about matters of the faith]. 11 For I have been informed about you, my brothers and sisters, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are quarrels and factions among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” or “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” or “I am [a disciple] of Cephas (Peter),” or “I am [a disciple] of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided [into different parts]? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? [Certainly not!] 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say that you were baptized into my name. 16 Now I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be [a]made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].

Some say opposites attract.

Others urge couples to marry someone with whom they have lots in common.

Regardless of how the relationship starts out, there will almost inevitably come a season or two in a couple’s life where they just aren’t feeling very compatible.

People will inevitably grow and change over the years as individuals, so what perhaps started out as having a lot in common, morphed into having more differences than connections. This growth and its subsequent change can be very discouraging for couples, and even turn into a frequent source of conflict.

In a very tangible sense, Jesus Christ and compromise is usually the key.

If one half of the married couple enjoys science fiction or fantasy movies, and the other prefers dramas, documentaries or romantic comedies, take turns.

Someone loves Thai food but hates seafood?

Simply switch out who gets to choose on every other date night.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require a generous, humble and patient and merciful heart toward your spouse. You might not love the food or activity in question, but you love your spouse, so there is always a measure of joy to be found in going along with what delights them, brings them happiness.

When both people in the marriage do this for each other, unity can be found.

But some areas of differences in marriage don’t always get resolved so easily.

Perhaps your frequent incompatibility with your spouse isn’t over surface level decisions such as what to eat or what movie to watch, but rather, are deeper issues of the heart, such as parenting styles, family relationships, theologies.

These types of differences can grow argumentative, wearisome, but take heart!

If you both take time to pick up a Bible, study it together, pray over it together and patiently wait for God, You just might not be quite as different as you fear.

Step back from the frequent arguing or disunity, take a breath, to look at each other, into their eyes as God looks into ours, and ask yourself these questions.

Does my spouse love God? Do I love God?

Does my spouse desire the best for our family? Do I?

Does my spouse seek to follow after Jesus? Do I?

Does my spouse look to grow our children in the Lord? Do I?

Does my spouse desire unity in our home? Do I?

Does my spouse love me despite our differences? Do I love my spouse?

If the above answers are yes, congratulations!

Start there.

Continue here …

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Amplified Bible

9 Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor; 10 for if [a]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up. 11  Again, if two lie down together, then they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  12 And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Instead of the two of you fixating on what you can’t change about each other, focus with God the Father, Son, Spirit, on where you do agree and build on that. 

When Paul wrote to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians, he urged them toward unity. Not because they were arguing over the color of the carpet in the sanctuary, but because of their particularly unique leadership and mentality.

Some were saying they followed the teachings of Paul, others claimed Apollos or Cephas. Paul was reminding them to drop their pride. keep first things first.

1 Corinthians 8:5-13 Amplified Bible

5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, [a]who is the source of all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things [that have been created], and we [believers exist and have life and have been redeemed] through Him.

7 However, not all [believers] have this knowledge. But some, being accustomed [throughout their lives] to [thinking of] the idol until now [as real and living], still eat food [b]as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and because their conscience is weak, it is defiled (guilty, ashamed). 8 Now food will not commend us to God nor bring us close to Him; we are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better if we do eat. 9  Only be careful that this liberty of yours [this power to choose] does not somehow become a stumbling block [that is, a temptation to sin] to the weak [in conscience]. 10 For if someone sees you, a person having [c]knowledge, [d]eating in an idol’s temple, then if he is weak, will he not be encouraged to eat things sacrificed to idols [and violate his own convictions]? 11 For through your knowledge (spiritual maturity) this weak man is ruined [that is, he suffers in his spiritual life], the brother for whom Christ died.  12 And when you sin against the brothers and sisters in this way and wound their weak conscience [by confusing them], you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if [my eating a certain] food causes my brother to stumble (sin), I will not eat [such] meat ever again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

To stay united on what really mattered, to be of one mind and one doctrine.

We can learn the exact same lessons in our marriages. Running with endurance alongside our spouse is a sure way to keep our focus on God and Jesus, off petty differences and toward common goals – unity and community, pray together, ask the Lord to unite you in the areas where it matters most—on His kingdom.

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

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, forgive the times when I have allowed foolish pride or a careless attitude to cause disunity to fester within my heart towards my brothers and sisters in Christ. May I be of one heart and mind with other believers, knowing that we are all one in Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.

Matthew 6:9-13 Amplified Bible

9 “Pray, then, [a]in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
[b]Hallowed be Your name.
10 
‘[c]Your kingdom come,
Your [d]will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 
‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread.
12 
‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
13 
‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 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.

https://translate.google.com/

Are We So Unconcerned? Are We Just Passing by on the Other Side? Or Are We Simply Just Passing on Through? Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37 New American Standard Bible 1995

25 And a [a]lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? [b]How does it read to you?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Good Samaritan

30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and [c]beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two [d]denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’  hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do [e]the same.”

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.

Are We So Unconcerned We Simply Just Walk on By?

Luke 10:30-32 Amplified Bible

Parable of the Good Samaritan

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he encountered robbers, who stripped him of his clothes [and belongings], beat him, and went their way [unconcerned], leaving him half dead. 31 Now by coincidence a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of the road].

A Facebook post told the story of a pastor who on his first Sunday in the pulpit at a large suburban church decided to come disguised as a homeless person.

Before the service began, he walked around in his filth, mumbling a greeting.

Only three people bothered to greet him in return.

Walking with his head down, he asked several people for money to buy his breakfast at the McDonald’s just across the street, people hurried past him.

After all, you don’t give money to a panhandler.

Besides, who knew why he was homeless?

Who knew if he was actually homeless – he might be faking it, parking his Cadillac a few blocks away in the parking garage. Many are clever conmen.

He might have been an addict who had ruined his life with drugs or alcohol.

The church members, however, simply “passed by to the other side.”

That’s what the priest and Levite in Jesus’ parable did.

Perhaps in a hurry to serve in worship, or tired and needing to get home, or simply not wanting to get involved, the priest and Levite looked the other way.

They might have witnessed the man being beaten. Not wanting to get hurt or themselves. they decide that the robbed and beaten man was not their problem, and stopping to help as the law had required them to do, could be dangerous.

Of course the real danger is to your own soul in passing by without helping.

It’s definitely much easier to look the other way. For seven years I regularly drove past several homeless shelters without ever bothering to stop and ask how, if they needed any help. I convinced myself I was far too busy to bother.

Considering that I worked at a residential program for homeless veterans at the time as a case manager, 20/20 hindsight, wondering if I should have stopped.

An Ancient Conflict, A New Struggle With Need

Matthew 26:6-13 Amplified Bible

The Anointing in Bethany

6 Now when Jesus was [back] in Bethany, at the home of [a]Simon the leper, 7 a  [b] woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive [c] perfume and she poured it on Jesus’ head as He reclined at the table. 8 But when the [d]disciples saw it they were indignant and angry, saying, “Why all this waste [of money]? 9 For this perfume might have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware [of the malice] of this [remark], said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a good thing to Me. 11 For you always have the poor with you; but you will not always have Me. 12 When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, wherever this gospel [of salvation] is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her [for her act of love and devotion].”

These are far too common situations:

Families living paycheck to paycheck. Single mothers trying to stretch their resources farther and farther, having to choose between food, utilities and rent.

Homeless men and women on street corners with their children holding signs say, “please help my children” “Will work for food.” the Children are poorly dressed, some can be seen with swollen bellies because they don’t have food.

In place of the rich provision given by God in Eden, we now find poverty and material need. Sometimes poverty is the result of injustice and oppression as we see in many developing nations around the globe, as we witness in Gaza Strip.

Other times it stems from bad choices made by people in need.

Still other times it comes from circumstances beyond people’s control: injury, disability, corporate downsizing, the effects and affects of dealing with wars.

As affluent societies, we’ll “struggle” to know how to respond to inequality.

We assign blame, we walk across the streets, pass by, often in simplistic ways.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 26 about the poor have sometimes been used as an excuse to avoid helping people in need.

But he was simply describing the never ending brokenness in which we live.

He also taught that in caring for needy people on his behalf, we will serve Jesus himself (Matthew 25:37-40). The woman who anointed Jesus was weak and broken. He protected her dignity and honored her struggle while some of the disciples indignantly, angrily wondered out loud why should anyone bother.

The poor are always with us. The struggling are also always with us, The hungry are always going to be with us standing in corners. Perhaps in this moment our love for Jesus will yield a refreshed willingness to care for the weak, struggling, those who our societies and cultures refer to as “least of these,” marginalized.

Matthew 10:41-42 Amplified Bible

41 He who receives and welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [these who are humble in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”

If you, like me, have passed by on the other side, ask for forgiveness, and ask the Lord to give you a second chance. Then watch for opportunities to serve.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

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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“… IF indeed we continue in the faith, well grounded and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that we have heard…” Colossians 1:23

Colossians 1:21-23 Amplified Bible

21 And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things, 22 yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His [a]physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 [and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed [b]in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

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.

Love Rejoices With the Truth

Love does not delight in evil.

Evil is anything that spoils, corrupts, pollutes, disables, destroys God’s good creation.

On the sixth day of creation “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

There was no trace of evil—evil has no right to exist in this universe.

When Adam and Eve listened to the devil and sinned against God, evil began to have its destructive way throughout the creation.

As a result of their sin, every human being is born with a tendency to delight in evil.

For example, we are delighted when an enemy’s reputation is ruined, or when we discover that someone we envy is having financial and or marital problems.

We make fun of people who look different, with mental and physical difficulty.

We delight in bad news and demeaning “jokes” concerning people who are of a different class, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation or religious faith.

But God’s love poured into our heart moves us to rejoice with the truth that God is reclaiming and restoring his good creation through his Son.

“God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things…by making peace [with believers] through his blood, shed on the cross.” We rejoice with the truth that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (Colossians 1:19-20, 2Corinthians 5:17)

Reality is, Though, We Never Quite Seem to Move On

Most 21st-century Western people would say human beings are, overall, good.

One day’s worth of news, however, will quickly call such a notion into question.

And one day in our own biased and prejudiced company should also undermine the claim that we are, “overall good.”

For, if we’re completely honest, we must admit that our thoughts, own hearts are unruly and out of control—and popular solutions to this problem, such as social media posting, social engineering, greater education or changes to social circumstances, just never seem to fix things. Humanity continues to be a mess.

When we turn to the Bible, we discover an ugly truth about ourselves: the reason we feel alienated from the people around us—the reason I sometimes feel alienated from myself—is because we’re far and away alienated from God.

Our horizontal alienation is indicative of a far more serious vertical alienation.

God made us so that we might have an intimate relationship with Him, yet our minds and our tongues are turned away from Him. We don’t think of Him. We don’t love Him as He loves us. We don’t even look for Him as He looks for us.

There is, however, good news.

As followers of Christ, while we were once wasting away, we have now been renewed. We were alienated, but now we’ve been reconciled. We lived in a dark place, and now we’ve been brought into the light. We were trapped, and now we’ve been set free. We were dead, and now we’ve been made alive with Christ.

That’s the reality of the experience of those who know God as He has revealed Himself through His word.

This transformation isn’t simply the result of a decision to revamp life.

At some point, most of us have thought, “I’m turning over a new leaf and making a change. I’m going to be more thankful this year than I was last year.”

And good! There’s nothing wrong with that at all. Our friends and family would probably be thrilled to hear it and actually lived out! But that alone is not the end goal for a Christian though. Rather, change in a Christian’s life is motivated and initiated only by the saving grace of God. We go on as we began: by grace.

The good news of the gospel is the fact that Jesus of Nazareth came on our behalf to bring an end to our alienation.

He, and He alone, has done what we most need but could not do for ourselves.

So the call to us is very simple: to “continue in the faith … not shifting from … the gospel.”

We never need to move on from the simple gospel of Christ crucified, risen, and reigning; in fact, we dare not.

And yet how easy it is for us to grow cold to these truths; for familiarity to breed if not contempt, then stone hardened apathy and mind numbing complacency.

So consider your heart honestly. Acknowledge your sin. And come back to the gospel once more, in awe “that thou, my God, should’st die for me.”[1]

1 Charles Wesley, “And Can It Be?” (1738).

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 108 The Message

Praise and Supplication to God for Victory.

A Song. A Psalm of David.

108 1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:
    “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.

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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