Take the Next Step!

Fifteen years ago, I had a life plan! Today, just a few of the pieces of that plan are in place. Was my strategy flawed? Not so much. Things I could not have foreseen changed the course of my life, Bev’s illness and death, the COVID pandemic, just to name a couple of those. Yet, I am still in God’s hands and at peace. What I learned is the importance of taking the next right step along the way, even when the future is unclear.

James, the pastor of Jerusalem Church, wrote these inspired words to us. "Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog-it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15, NLT)

The real issue for Christians is greater than some detailed life plan. It is our daily obedience. But what is His will? Do you ever wish God would be clearer in His directions? We wonder if we should take that position or stay where we are, if we should invest in that effort or walk away, if it is the right time to buy a house, go to school, get married, go for a second career. We love our options. True disciples of Christ realize that all these plans are made in submission to the will of One who sees beyond today. So, we hold onto our plans loosely, ready to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

How does that happen? While reading about Paul in the book of Acts, we might mistakenly conclude that a voice from the heavens sounded in his ears, pointing him in the right direction. Well, think again. “Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas. “Acts 16:6-8 NLT Study a map and you will find that these apostles wandered! Their plans kept changing.

The impressive lesson in this passage is their faithful endurance as they kept walking and waiting. They pushed in one direction until the Spirit said, "No," then they went in another direction. Maybe they wondered IF they had heard from God at all, but they kept moving forward. In the next few verses, we see that God led them into a new region, and they were privileged to extend the borders of Christianity into Macedonia and Phillippi.

Pastor Mike Woodruff wisely observes that often we just ‘do the next thing.’  “After Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, he instructed her parents to keep the miracle a secret. He also told them to get her something to eat. In the past, I’ve wondered about the secrecy. I’m now intrigued by the sandwich. Why? Because it fits a pattern.

After healing a paralytic, Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk. After cleansing a leper, he told him to report to a priest. After preventing a stoning, Jesus told the woman to “go and sin no more.” Jesus didn’t demand people develop a life plan. Nor did he leave them alone. Instead, he directed them to do the next right thing. It was an immediate and simple step forward.”

IF we choose a daily response of obedience to love Him, to love others, keeping our heart and mind in a worshipful place, HE WILL GUIDE US. Many choices need no special revelation to us. These things are always the right choice.
Love others.
Be forgiving.
Do good works.
Stay in fellowship with God’s people.
Tell others about His love.
Have a servant’s heart.
Keep a prayerful heart.”

A heart yielded to His Lordship is the key to ultimately finding our way to peace and contentment and will cause us to know the greater fulfillment in His service. There are so many reasons we don't always sense the Spirit guiding us as clearly as we might wish. There are -
-the tests that come to lead us to deeper trust and greater intimacy with God,
-the circumstances unknown to us but known to God Who is always at work for our good,
-the sins that make us insensitive to God’s Spirit,
-the pride and/or prejudice that makes prayerless and self-willed.

If you're feeling like you’re on a detour from your plans, if you feel like you are just wandering at the moment, stay faithful! Do the next right thing.
Keep praying. Don't sit down and feel sorry for yourself! God is alive and well. He is actively working out His plans and purposes, so keep the faith. Keep walking and waiting, listening, and responding.

The word from the Word is a beautiful passage, packed with promise. Take it with you today and live in His peace. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  (Romans 8:13)

Amen

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

Meaning?

With my 70^th birthday a few days away I am reflecting on life; choices made, days invested or wasted. My reveries are part nostalgia and more importantly, evaluation. I think these thoughts are common to people of a certain age.  There are so many ways to measure one’s life, aren’t there?  Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, with a net worth estimated at more than $200 billion, is getting married in Venice today. The wedding will gather 200 of the world’s glitterati and cost more than $75 million! Such excess is one way to attempt to declare one’s worth.

We more common folk look a bit differently on life, right?

We might ask -
*How much money do I have in the bank?
*What kind of status do I enjoy?
*What positions did I hold?
*What awards with my name etched on them hang on a wall somewhere?
*Was I happy?
*Did I make family relationships work? Who loves me/hates me?
*Is a street named in my honor?
*Did my life add net worth to my place in this world?

There is a book in the Bible that asks and answers the question of meaning.
An old king named Solomon wrote it, calling himself “the Teacher.”  He had a whole list of accomplishments – cities and buildings he had brought into existence, a prosperous nation he had led, hedonistic pleasures beyond the imagination of most enjoyed, great wealth amassed, envy and recognition of many… and in summary he cynically recognizes that none of it proves a thing about his meaning, purpose, or ultimate value.

He cries “as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” (Ecclesiastes 2)

When life comes down to the essence of our existence, there are just two measures of worth and value. Jesus calls them the ‘greatest commandments.’ “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22)

Rich or poor, famous or obscure, accomplished or not, what pleases God and gives us the deepest satisfaction is knowing and living in God’s love, gifted to us through Christ Jesus, and then boldly loving others – not just in words, but with profound care, respect, and compassion. He asks, “what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8)

Solomon set aside his cynicism in the end and left this inspired wisdom to us. We do well to heed his words so that when we are near the end of the race, we will not cry that life has been a ‘vanity of vanities,’  without meaning! He says “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”… Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”  (Ecclesiastes 12)

Here is a prayer of Augustine. As we make his words our own, may our choices make our lives full of holy purpose and eternal significance. Let us pray -

“Grant me, even me, my dearest Lord, to know you, and love you, and rejoice in you.
And, if I cannot do these perfectly in this life, let me at least advance to higher degrees every day, until I can come to do them in perfection.

Let the knowledge of you increase in me here, that it may be full hereafter. Let the love of you grow every day more and more here, that it may be perfect hereafter; that my joy may be full in you.

I know, O God, that you are a God of truth, O make good your gracious promises to me, that my joy may be full; to your honor and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen." (Augustine - 354-430)

________________
Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

Lesser Things?

In the Summer of 1974, I fell in love, really madly in love! I thought of Bev when I awakened, dreamed about her when I went to sleep. When I was driving to pick her up for a date, I planned ways to surprise her with little gifts. As I discovered more and more about her likes and desires, I made it my purpose to delight her. There were cards, flowers, and phone calls – because I was focused on her.

40 years later, as she was dying, my life centered around her for those final months- sitting with her through the evenings, often just silent, coming home from the office early to care for her needs. It was not an effort because of our connection, the priority of love we had cultivated for decades!

Christians who want to know the real joy promised by Christ Jesus will make a similar kind of choice to prioritize Him in life. They will choose a higher focus, a daily connection, keeping Him in mind and heart through the day. The Spirit-inspired words of Colossians 3 teach us that. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

 A key to this kind of focus is the Resurrection of Jesus, that pivotal event that reveals our eternal nature and God’s promise of forever life. Christians tend to focus on the Cross, where Jesus satisfied the holiness of God and opened the way for our reconciliation to our Creator Father. What happened at Calvary is important, but it is not the whole of the God-story. The completion, the ultimate moment was triumph over Death!

That is why in the passage I quoted earlier we read that we are ‘raised to new life with Christ.’  Our Christian hope is not just to live a bit better for a few decades on this earth. In Christ we become creatures of eternity, our goal a home with God in Heaven.

Make no mistake, there is a whole lot of living to be done before we go on Home, BUT the way in which we live is to be shaped by the promise of our Heavenly home. “Set your sights on the realities of Heaven” we are told. Let that hope captivate your heart and mind so that every thought is aimed at that moment when we step over time’s threshold into the unimaginable splendor of the Father’s house.

Yes, I live in the same world in which you live. I know fully well how easily attention is diverted to the new shiny things that can be bought. I know that promised wealth and greater pleasure can obscure our vision. Oh yes, I believe that we can and should live to enjoy love, to find a place of connection with others, and to experience the satisfaction that can be found in a great meal, a comfortable home, and rich relationships.

HOWEVER, those things are all transitory, easily taken from us by storms, wars, economic cycles, or cruel, selfish people. So, we remember always that our “real life is hidden with Christ in God.”  

What is most amazing about being possessed by the promise of eternal life through Christ is that we will live and love better in this world! That same passage continues making a direct connection between what we know of Heaven’s promise and the life we live.

The word from the Word comes from the practical instructions about the ‘new life’ we enjoy. Make the Risen Lord and the hope of Heaven your focus then go bless your world.

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. …
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Amen

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

AI Christians?

The world is being changed, very rapidly, by a technology called AI - Artificial Intelligence. It is an amazing development that increasingly is being used by people to create ‘better’ images of themselves. Need a great letter written? Enter a few prompts into ChatGPT and in a few seconds you will have what you requested. Want your resume’ polished? AI will do it for you. Do you need a headshot photo that makes you appear a few pounds slimmer and a decade younger? And so it goes.

As the technology improves the task of sorting out what is generated by AI is becoming more difficult, if not impossible. We can support the careful edits on social media that burnish our public image in ways that make being a ‘fake’ easier and more common. That is a real problem, especially for those who are committed to an authentic life of following Christ. Are we truly ‘becomers,’ growing in faith and commitment or are we just AI productions, without reality and substance?

Paul wrote about people who would come into the church who are posers! He tells us that they will learn the language of Christianity and be able, from time to time, to appear to be the ‘real’ thing, while lacking a genuine experience of the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses this telling line about their ‘spirituality.’ "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Timothy 3:5, NLT) Those pseudo-Christians were not changed by the Power of the Holy Spirit from the inside out and therefore they were, in the candid moments, still "heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. … They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure." (2 Timothy 3:3-4 CEV)

The apostle’s next lines were not AI generated. They are inspired words of truth. "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them." (2 Timothy 3:10-12, NIV) 

Paul says, in so many words, “Tim, look at who I really am. Observe my day-to-day life. I have been through some rough times, but Jesus has held onto me as I held onto Him.”

Friend, does your claim to discipleship hold up in the candid moments? When you are disappointed, frustrated, under pressure, short on cash, uncertain – does your faith shine brightly still? Is Jesus Lord of all? Are you a Christian, through and through? I am not writing about perfection! That is the goal of AI. Our aim is growth and authenticity.

In another letter Paul speaks of his own growth in the life to which Christ called him. “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ^I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3) He confesses, as all Christians should, that he is a work in process!

 

Our aim should be to ‘keep step with the Spirit,’ to learn to be responsive to His call to surrender Self and embrace the way of Christ. Here is what I know – if we present ourselves to Him in honest humility He will transform us, from the inside out, creating an authentic faith that shows up in the best of times and the worst days.

Don’t slip into the trap of being a poser, a pseudo-Christian.
Pray to be real.
Invite others, not pridefully, but because you are authentic, to follow you as you follow Christ Jesus.

Here is a word from the Word.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. …
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.
Hate what is wrong.
Hold tightly to what is good.
Love each other with genuine affection, and
take delight in honoring each other.
Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Rejoice in our confident hope.
Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.”  (Romans 12)

God, keep us from fakery, pretense, and polished images.
Rather, may we be authentic followers of Jesus, growing in grace each day.
Help us to know the Way and to invite others to walk it with us.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen

__________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

You wanna fight?

Yesterday the world was treated to the spectacle of two American billionaires have a public fight, trading insults for all to see. Whatever your political persuasions, it was unpleasant to see Musk and Trump acting like two little boys on a playground. I grew sadder with each comment. Fighting and anger are so common.

Karl Pillemer, a professor studying human relationships, found that “27% of Americans 18 and older had cut off contact with a family member, most of whom reported that they were upset by such a rift. That translates to at least 67 million people nationally – likely an underestimate since some are reluctant to acknowledge the problem.”   

Anger tears families apart. 
Friends stop speaking over differing political ideas. 
Churches split over petty preferences.
The sad history of humanity, both inside and outside of the Church, is one of anger, conflict, and fighting despite Jesus’ commands that we live peaceably and in unity. 

Christians must, for Christ’s sake, do better!

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth where divisions over personality and preference broke out, did not regard their fights as acceptable or ‘just being human.’ He tells them to repent because their fighting was evidence of sin and spiritual immaturity.

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, NLT) Pointedly, he speaks to their spiritual immaturity.  “You are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord…  you are acting like who are not Christians. " (1 Corinthians 3:3-4, NLT)

So, how can you and I become people of peace, who build, not tear down?

First, we put our identity in Christ FIRST.
When we are secure in the love of God, fully living in His forgiveness and grace, the Spirit in us will help us to ‘let it go’ when necessary.  He will teach us to live with grace and gentleness. Indeed, we will learn who to get far beyond ‘tolerance’ to seek the best and highest for others, just as Jesus did for us.

Second, we work to be loving even more than being ‘right.’
Sometimes people are just flat wrong and we know it!  Sure, we all have our own perspective, shaped by our experience, training, and information.  None of us can lay claim to complete knowledge. With maturity in Christ we can learn to graciously accept the differences that exist, listening and learning.

If someone persists in utter nonsense, we gently engage with the facts, not with disgust or disdain, but with the gentleness of Jesus. Living with grace will allow us to create a space for change and patiently pursue relationships.

Third, we refuse to elevate secondary issues into primary ones.
"There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT) Prayerfully, learn to sort through your differences with others.  Ask yourself if the issue at hand is worth the emotional effort being invested in it.

There are not many things in life that require us to bare our fangs and put out our claws!

Fourth, we will need to die to self to maintain relationships. 
Bev and I were married for almost 41 years before she went home to heaven and we had our share of disagreements. Staying married, we both knew, demanded that we set aside our personal preferences, that we give up “me” to live as “we.”  Any married person can tell you that it is very hard to do.

Over the years, when I have felt myself drawn in conflict, I also have experienced the gentle voice of the Spirit asking me to surrender my personal comfort (dying to Self). When I was obedient (tragically not all of time!) and was willing to adopt a position of love that worked ‘first to understand’ the person and to prioritize the relationship, peace followed. Yes, sadly, when I fail and fire back at the other with a snarky remark the conflict only escalates.

Christian we cannot descend to the level of those who live by their natural instincts or their own wisdom. We are ‘of Christ.’ We are to be filled with His loving heart. Can you even imagine Jesus writing off a family member or a friend over a difference of opinion or preference?

In a world full of noise and fury, bullets and bombs, snarky social media posts and thinly veiled insults, let’s commit – for Jesus’ sake- to be different, people who work to create peace in our families, our places of work, our nation, and our world.

Here is a word from the Word, a directive for all Christians.
 "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5.8)

__________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

More than Heaven’s Promise

In days past, some ridiculed Christianity’s hope with words that suggested that the Gospel was just a story about ‘pie in the sky by and by!”  In a more sincere conversation, I had with a young man, raised in the church, he wondered aloud about the Gospel he heard that made much of being ‘forgiven for his sins so he could go to Heaven.’

I appreciated his honesty when he said something like this: “Heaven is not all that close to me at this stage in life, so what does Christ Jesus mean to me now?”  I replied by reminding him that life is short and we are just a breath from eternity and then, to his point, we looked at this passage about being “Christian.”   Peter reminds us that the Gospel offers us real joy, real benefits right here, right now.

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  (1 Peter 2)

We want to know that our lives count for something. The idea that we exist just to eat, gather possessions, procreate, grow old and die is depressing! When we come to Christ Jesus, He brings a purpose; becoming part of His Church that is commissioned with making God seen and known in this world. The church I served is a beautiful place of worship. There are thousands of bricks that form the walls. Singularly they are just a little red block of clay. Together they are beautiful!

The Gospel turns my little insignificant life into one that is part of God’s great work – stretching across time, through many cultures, touching millions – and with real purpose.

Peter goes on to speak of the amazing identity that is found through Christ.

“Chosen” reminds us that God seeks us, desires us. It is amplified in the phrase that says we are “God’s special possession.”  When I own something, I care for it. The greater the treasure, the greater my interest in keeping it safe and in good condition. God’s love owns my heart and assures me that I am kept in His care, never set to the side in favor of someone better.

“Royal priesthood” and “holy nation” teach us about our high calling – to represent God in the world with our praise and worship. As the Spirit lives in us, we shine like a light in the dark despair of this world. Our lives, marked by His beauty, filled with His love, turn the attention of others to Him. Beyond that we are also given the privilege of carrying the world to Him in our prayers. More than just ‘God bless my family, my friends,” we pray for peace, for new life, for hope, for those in sorrow. This is work of importance.

“People of God” is a phrase we so need to understand. In Christ we are given a place in God’s family, called to live out an identity.  While I am glad to be an American my greater joy is to be part of God’s family. Paul teaches us that “in Christ” all the old labels we once wore framed by nationality, ethnicity, race, or social status are eclipsed when we are ‘baptized into Christ.’

The Gospel does include the assurance of Heaven as my eternal home, a promise that I treasure. And, the Good News of Christ offers much more, as Jesus says, “life to the full.”  He makes us noble people capable of doing much more than we could do through our own abilities. He shapes our lives and gives us love, joy, and peace. Who could ask for more?

Have you trusted Him? Would you respond to His invitation in Faith?  The word from the Word today is a familiar passage. Let the Truth find you anew.

(I pray) “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. … that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. …that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. “(Ephesians 1) Amen

______________________ 
 
Videos of this blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg 

 

 

Stressed to the max?

Stress, coupled with anxiety, is as common an ailment as the ordinary cold! Pressures, conflicts, chaos, misunderstandings, and disappointments conspire to give us knotted muscles, tension headaches, and restlessness that drives sleep away until the early hours of the morning. Many do not understand that the anger or depression they are experiencing are rooted in a failure to deal with life’s stress in a healthy way!

What’s stressing you today? Financial problems, perhaps? Health issues? A marriage that is faltering? Expectations at your place of work that conflict with your family life? Internal struggles with some habit you cannot overcome? Kids? …

In fact, stress is part of life and can make us stronger and more productive, IF we manage it. How?

Scripture tells us to “Let the peace of Christ rule your heart... live in peace... be thankful!’ " (Colossians 3;15) There is great wisdom there, reminding us that we have a choice in how we respond to the pressures of life. We can become victims, panicked by things we believe to be out of control OR we can choose to accept a gift of God – peace of mind.

REAL peace is not circumstantial. Even if we change our place, position, or find greater resources, the relief will be temporary, and we will find ourselves in yet another situation that causes stress.

True peace transcends our present situation!
Peace is not discovered; it grows from deep faith.
It is a gift from our Abba.

The Bible tells the story of Gideon, a farmer in Israel at a time when raiders were attacking God’s people, stealing their resources, and driving them into the hills where they hid in caves. Desperation was everywhere! Gideon needed to feed his family despite the raids and attacks in Israel. So, he ventured from the caves, down to the fields. Judges 6 says that he was hiding out near a winepress, threshing grain, fearing for his life.

Suddenly he is aware of a Presence and a voice! "The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!" {Judges 6:12 NLT} Gideon knew he was no “mighty hero!”   In that moment of desperation, God spoke. “Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (Judges 6:15, NIV)

He questions God's messenger about the hard times that his people are experiencing. But, when he sees the evidence of God's power, he chooses to accept the promise of God with faith, and he found something wonderful – peace! "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." So, Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. (Yahweh Shalom)" {Judges 6:22-24 NIV}

The Lord God desires to be our “Shalom.”   "Shalom" means more than the absence of conflict. The Hebrew word, “shalom” includes the ideas of wholeness, restfulness, and satisfaction.

IF we will come to God, willing to let go of our need to control, faithfully and worshipfully, we can enter Presence of God right where we are. We do not have to go to a church, find a retreat center, or go into some altered mental state. We ‘let the peace of Christ rule.’

His Spirit produces serenity. When the world around us is falling apart, when others are stressed to the max, we are productive, at peace in the middle of the storm.

Pray a simple prayer - “Lord, teach me to live in your holy ‘shalom.’  When you want to try to manage the world, attempting to fix things and people by imposing a 'peace' of your agenda, turn to the God of the universe and invite Him to take charge. Hard? Yes, it is! He seldom works at the pace we want and often in ways that are beyond our understanding at the moment. However, if we accept His offer of peace, patiently waiting to receive His wisdom, we will live remarkably differently from those around us.

Even if the situation remains the same, we are changed and able to experience peace and bring peace into it.

God’s peace is NOT a Zen-like detachment from life.
God’s peace is NOT an escape into denial or delusions.

God’s peace is a gift- His Spirit owning our mind and heart, giving us the resources we need so that we are partners with Him in His work: healing to the broken, defeat evil powers wherever they make their ugliness apparent. His peace is like a river that flows through us.

How did Jesus say it? “Out of you will flow rivers of living water.”
We can get exhausted, yet serene! He stands alongside us to steady us, to quiet our fear.

Serenity is learned, much easier to talk about than to live. Like Jesus’ disciples that stormy day on the Sea of Galilee, sometimes my first impulse is the cry out - “Lord, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”  He does care. Sometimes He stills the storm. Sometimes He stills my soul in the middle of the storm.

Today, before you engage in life's challenges, present yourself to your heavenly Abba. Meditate on His Word and give that problem, person, or pressure to Him. Invite the Spirit to impart holy ‘shalom’ to your soul. Breathe a prayer for peace. Here’s the word from the Word:  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

Dunked!

Yesterday our church witnessed baptisms, the public declaration of faith in Jesus made by new Believers. I love those moments! At Faith Discovery Church we practice baptism by full immersion in water as did the first Christians. Why?

When that Believer is plunged under the water by the Pastor, their previous life is ‘buried’ and they emerge, raised to new life with Christ Jesus. That is what Paul wrote to the Romans. “We died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.”  (Romans 6)

Those baptized are called to a whole new way of living, beyond just this world, focused on the promise of God’s purposes, their day-to-day experience not just physical but spiritual.

Jesus taught the Church that baptism was a moment of initiation. His words to us tell us to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28) What has taken place in the heart through faith is made evident in the moment of baptism.

The significance of the moment is amplified in Galatians 3. “All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  The primary identified of the baptized Believer becomes “Christian,” not American, not white nor black, not man or woman, not rich nor poor. Those social identities are erased by the ONE unifying truth – “I am a Christian.”

One of the reasons that Christianity spread so quickly throughout the Roman Empire was that people found a place to belong regardless of their race, gender, or social status. In the Church they were ‘brothers and sisters,’ the family of God; “ONE in Christ Jesus.

I have two questions for us today.

First, have you trusted Jesus, finding the new life in Him that is promised, and baptized as a declaration of faith? It’s not just a ritual; it is a moment of obedience to His command that opens the door to wonderful life in the Spirit.

Second, if you have been baptized is your new identity as a Christian evident?
Do you know the Presence of the Spirit, live in love, and enjoy the privilege of being part of God’s great big family?

Here is the word from the Word. May the truth inspire us.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2)

Yes, we dunked those Believers in water yesterday, but the reality was more than that! They were immersed in the water, buried with Christ Jesus, now raised to new life. What a promise.

Your Best Life

It is a delight to watch a person develop a skill, seeing them put in the time and effort necessary that makes it possible for them to do that thing they do with excellence and joy. Many of us dream about ‘what could be’ but our wishes never turn into a reality … be it a toned body, a solid marriage, a useful skill, or a mature Christianity. Why? We do not value the process.

The folly of merely wishing for the best life comes through this humorous old proverb – “If wishes were horses, then all beggars would ride.”  Think about that.

Generally, we have little patience, right? We are accustomed to quick fixes. We love the self-help gurus that offer us 3 easy steps to our goal, whose words imply there is a single thread that we can follow to success. That has not been my experience.
 *Our marriage that brought me much joy demanded that Bev and I work hard on our relationship consistently.
*Becoming an effective Pastor was a process encouraged by many, over time, including making mistakes along the way that required change and development.
*Christian maturity that allows me to have a rich relationship with God has been the result, at least partially, of living out the disciplines of the Spirit over time.

The holy Scripture says “do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere (patient endurance) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-37) The writer was addressing people who were going through persecution for their faith, who wondered about the reward of serving Jesus. His counsel? “Never give up. God is faithful!”

An inspired dream is a wonderful thing, but it only becomes reality when we are willing to sweat, to learn, to adapt, all parts of the process of becoming!

Paul teaches us to live with purpose. “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” (1 Corinthians 9)

Have you prayed for real vision, asking God to give you a glimpse of what He can do in your life, through your service, which will lead you to joy?

Have you committed yourself to Him, letting Him form a God-shaped vision, not for just more money, happiness, or temporal success, but for a life that has eternal purpose?

The ancient preacher, Habakkuk, received a vision from God. Listen to the counsel about that vision. “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets … For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Refine your dream. Write it down. Pray over them for clarity asking God, the Spirit, to make it clear. Seek godly counsel, then commit to the work of living God’s best life, planned for you.

This is not just a plan for some ‘super-saints.’  God invites each one of us to live by the Spirit, gifted in the unique way He plans, so that we will find His rich commendation as we enter the Father’s house for eternity.

The word from the Word encourages me, I pray it does you, as well.
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.”  (1 Corinthians 3)

Lord, help us to be faithful to Your work, for Christ’s glory. Amen

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

Fear’s awful cost

Most adults experience those wakeful moments at 2 am when fear takes over. That lump that appeared in the body might be cancer. The note from the kid’s teacher seems ominous, signaling a deeper emotional issue. The spouse’s distance becomes a concern for the marriage. The mood at work is sour and might mean a pending cutback in staff.

Fear exacts a terrible toll from us. Next to the promise of reward, fear is a powerful motivator for our choices. T. Dalrymple, in Christianity Today (May 2025) notes that “panic is profitable.”  A torrent of information warns us of all kinds of pending disasters and advertisers answer our correspondent fear by offering us cures, diversions, and distractions ranging from the newest medicine (“ask your doctor”), a vacation, a new car, or even a cruise. For some the cost of fear includes addiction to work, to alcohol, to sex, or to illegal drugs!

Christian, God gives us the best way to overcome our fears. He invites us to live in FAITH. The Word says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5) Jesus invites us to lean on God as our good Father, promising that HE is able to provide what we need.

Faith is a choice we make even in moments of crisis. The book of Daniel has great lessons in faith for us. Remember the three Hebrew men – Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego – who were commanded to kneel to the king’s image? A refusal meant being burnt alive! They did refuse and the king flew in a rage but tempered his anger by giving them one more chance to show their loyalty. Certainly they were terrified! The fire was already burning that would consume them if they would not obey his edict.

But they chose faith! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”  (Daniel 3 NLT) Their faith was greater than their fear.

Daniel also faced a terrible choice. Ordered not to pray to anyone other than the king, he chose to go to his room as he had always done and pray to the LORD God of Heaven. His choice earned him a night in the lion’s den. He did not think he would survive but he, too, chose faith over fear.

We must remember that faith does not promise us we will never feel afraid, nor does faith always clear the pathway ahead of us of every obstacle. Faith does fuel hope and gives us strength to overcome our fear and to remain steady in our commitment to God.

The Bible defines faith this way – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”  (Hebrews 11) Faith is based in the Person of God, revealed to us in Christ Jesus, and is anchored to eternity, beyond time.

Faith is informed by the truth that there is more to our existence than what we see, feel, or experience. It finds a foundation in the fact of eternity, made evident to us by the resurrection of Christ. We, as Christians, know while we are alive in this world we are blessed by His love, but the best is yet to come when we are welcomed home to the Father’s house.

Without a solid belief in Eternal Life in Heaven our faith will weaken and crumble. Indeed, Paul reminds us that “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. … if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. … If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  (1 Corinthians 15)

Answer fear with faith, real faith not mere bravado.
Built faith by making Christ your true hope, gaining a new identity as a child of God through Him.
When fear rises refuse panic and choose to pray, even if that prayer is just a desperate cry.
Declare to yourself, to your world, even to the Devil – “I am a child of God, held secure in the grace gift of Jesus!”

The word from the Word is my declaration of hopeful faith. Make it yours today.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8)

Choose faith!

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

That Trait Few Desire to Own

A long time ago one of my uncle’s advised me that success in life would require self-promotion. His line stuck with me: “He who tooteth not his own horn, the same shall not be tooted.”  While the line was humorous, his advice was serious. Think about it. Who do we tend to admire – the person who gathers attention or the one who works quietly in the background?

Several times in my work as a Pastor it was part of my responsibility to select assistants. I quickly learned to read between the lines of the resumes that were submitted looking for inflation in their descriptions of actual work and experience.

We are all tempted to try to look better than we are, to carefully tend to an image that distorts reality, or to seek to shape the world around us to our personal preferences, don’t we?

Christians are called to a different way of living, built around a trait that few desire – humility. The Scripture speaks to this point repeatedly.

• Jesus said- "whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4, NIV)
• Paul urges us to "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2, NIV)
• James is clear- "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:10, NIV)

Humility is an indispensable trait in the character of the godly.
Humility is foundational to living in harmony with others.
Humility defuses anger.
It facilitates forgiveness.
It gives value to those who are wounded or broken, viewing people as being worthy of respect. 

Humility allows us to strengthen our relationship with God as we surrender the need to ‘have our own way,’ when we come on bended knee and with an open heart before Him.

Some confuse humility with a lack of healthy self-esteem. That is untrue. Humility does not ask to say ‘I am worthless” nor does it require that we hide our abilities and/or skills. What humility does require is our use of those things in service to God and others.

When we have come to know ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, our gifts and callings; we need no longer pretend, nor will we feel the need to try to find applause to validate our worthiness. Truly humble people do not need to please others or to copy the trends that would make them ‘cool.’ (Yes, I am a person from the 1970’s)   

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that humility says – “I don’t care what you think, I march to the beat of my own drummer!”   It willingly serves, readily adapts to the greater good. Isaiah reminds us that "The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled)." (Isaiah 2:11-12, NIV) 

Humility is both a work of the Holy Spirit in us and a part of character that demands cultivation. There are real choices to be made if we want to grow in this grace.

First step is to acknowledge Christ as Lord.  Every day we renew our submission to His rule. Almost every day, among the first thoughts in mind is a prayer – “Lord, this is your day, I am your servant. May You be honored by my thought, word, and action.”  (Sin being what it is, I fall short of that aspiration too frequently!)

Second step is honest confession of need, of sin, of reliance on His grace and goodness.  WE are absolutely dependent on the Holy Spirit moment by moment for real holiness. Without the life of the Spirit actively working in us as we give ourselves to Him, we cannot please God.

If you think you are capable of living for Christ Jesus without daily dependence, without real prayer, without learning the Truth of the Word, without remaining in close fellowship with other Christians – you are deceived by pride, attempting ‘cool’ Christianity, an impossibility. 

The third step is the choice to serve, to give away the need to be first, to be recognized. That is much more difficult than it sounds, believe me!

When you pray for humility to develop, prepare for struggle! Self does not die without a fight. And then, bow your head, open your heart, and learn to lean, like a child, on the complete sufficiency of the Father.

Here is a word from the Word. Peter directs us to rely on God for promotion.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6, NIV)

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

The Language of Devotion

How do you understand and receive love? Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book on the subject over 30 years ago that couples still read with interest – Five Love Languages. He opines that there are five basic ways that marital love is demonstrated -

Words of Affirmation: communicating affection through spoken and written praise, appreciation, encouragement, and frequent “I love you’s”.
Quality Time: expressing love by fully focusing attention on your partner through shared activities, conversation, and togetherness.
Physical Touch: showing care through intimate and affectionate physical contact like hugging, kissing, and sex.
Acts of Service: doing thoughtful deeds and gestures to help make your partner’s life easier by relieving burdens.
Receiving Gifts: giving meaningful surprises and symbolic presents to celebrate affection.

Chapman believes that each one of us ‘speaks’ one of those languages as our primary way of seeking love and affection and that if people in marriage learn to understand their own language and that of their spouse, the bonds of their affection grow stronger and richer. Interesting, isn’t it?  

So, let me ask you this today –
what is your primary language of devotion and worship in your relationship with God?

Yesterday, in the afternoon, I wandered into the sanctuary of our church and sat down at the grand piano. For about 15 minutes I played worship songs and hymns as my soul communed with God. Music is a primary language of devotion to me. The lyrics of hymns become the words of my prayers and meditations. Nothing beats “Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!” 

Others express their devotion in serving others, particularly those in difficult situations. As they distribute food at the church’s pantry, they praise the Father.  When they care for sick friend, their heart is moved into His Presence.

Some stand along a river or climb and mountain and as they do, their love language for God is a deep appreciation of that which He has created.

Eric Liddell, a Scottish Christian and athlete at the 1924 Olympics, a man whose accomplishments were made famous in the movie, Chariots of Fire, had a unique language of devotion - “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

C. S. Lewis, after his conversion to Christianity, poured out his devotion in his many books and essays.  Theologians study and defend the doctrines of faith to express their worship.

So, what is your language of devotion?
How do you experience God’s joy and the wonder of worship?

That is worthy of some thought, my friend, for we are made to worship. When we speak our language of devotion with excellence, we praise and lift up our God. And, we also become closer to Him, deeper in faith.

While I do hope you find yourself in a church and in focused ‘worship’ with other Christians on a regular basis, I also pray that you experience God’s Presence in a way that fills up your soul.

The word from the Word today invites us to love Him.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.”  (Psalm 95)

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

Completely Dependent

Forty years ago, my household included 4 children who were completely dependent on their parents, little ones who needed provisions of food, clothing, emotional support, and shelter. Today, though those same people love their Dad, they are independent, fully capable of caring for themselves. The truth is that their abilities have now exceeded mine. They have become amazing people, each in their own way.

There is a relationship that none of us outgrows – being a child of God! 

Even as we mature in life and in faith, we must remain utterly dependent on Him if we want to know the best of what He has in store for us. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3)

Our loving Father desires our dependence. He created us to know and love Him. He delights in us, cares for us, and has provided an eternal home for us. Jesus describes the Father’s care. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7) Human parental care and love pales in comparison to the eternal love of our Father.

I remember those turbulent years as my children became teenagers, seeking more independence from me. It was difficult to navigate the best path, giving the counsel and guidance they still needed, even as I released them into their world. It was natural for them to want to find their own path and yet I had a responsibility to try to help them avoid the difficulties that they could not see. Eventually, our relationship was redefined. I became a friend and counselor, but no longer am I the primary resource in their lives.

The pattern does not hold for our spiritual life. We never move on from our Father in heaven, having achieved self-sufficiency. We may enjoy an illusion of independence for a time, thinking that we have life well in hand and under our control but … reality is far different. In a moment, life can turn inside out for us. Disappointments come, disasters strike, death visits. All are reminders of just how fragile life is and teach of our need for God’s fathering care.

Are you in His care? You can be, by faith, as you receive the gift of rebirth! “To all who believed him and accepted him, (Jesus Christ) he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (John 1)

When the Spirit calls you into the family of God, when you are reconciled to your Father. Yes, in Christ, possibilities are released in us and for us – identity, intimacy, inheritance.

Are you living in a way that invites the Spirit to lead you to discover the full expectation of Your Father?
Lean on Him in faith.
In prayer bring every request – big or small – to Him.
Actively desire to be guided by His wisdom.
These are your rights as His child. Treasure that relationship.

Meditate on this word from the Word. Here the Spirit reminds that our full rights as children of God are fully declared, but as yet not fully realized. Pray for faith to accept what He has said, so that you will live to fully inherit His promise.

"Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:14-17, NIV)

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

He’s our Hope

In correspondence this week, a man raised in the church, spoke of the constant fear he felt about his spiritual state when he was younger. The “Gospel” he heard was focused on the wrong thing – the awful state of the sinful- rather than on the amazing love of God! I could empathize with him because that is how I heard the “Gospel” as well.

Yes, it is true that ‘all have sinned and fallen short’ of God’s plan for life. None of us can claim to be without fault or failure. Even our best efforts to be good enough for God never come close to His perfection. “But God …” is how Ephesians says it. The focus is not on me, nor you, nor on our guilt. The Good News is that He “is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life.”   (Ephesians 2)

That truly is Good News, the Gospel! Multiplying guilt and deepening shame is not what God does in us. He offers us restoration with Himself, hope for the future, and a life marked by love, joy, and peace. Knowing Jesus is not just about gaining a ‘get of Hell’ pass, nor is it even about ‘going to Heaven.’  It is about moving into a completely different way of living, centered on God’s care and goodness.

The late Dallas Willard spoke of the tragedy of reducing Christianity to mere moralism, attempting to make people act marginally better than their neighbors using fear of judgment. He coined a phrase I truly love – “the gospel of sin management.’   Christians who try and try, on their own, to reform their ways, who work hard at just managing temptation, have embraced a Sisyphean task, rolling a stone up a hill over and over, only to have it come tumbling back to bottom. The result is increasing fear, a defensive spirit that is often critical of others, and an utter lack of the joy of living that Jesus offers us.

We are called to true transformation, not because we ‘do’ better but because we are truly changed, inside out, and become whole!

When a religious leader came to Jesus seeking an answer for his spiritual hunger, the Lord did not tell him to work harder at perfecting himself, nor did he teach him moral principles. He turned that man’s gaze to God’s grace and told him - “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3, NLT)

Have you placed your trust in Jesus?
Have you learned to rest in the fact of the finished work of salvation from sin that HE accomplished on your behalf?
The Word teaches us that we are ‘justified’ by faith in the Son. Amazingly wonderful is the promise of the so-called second chapter of faith which is that we are then called to be “God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  (Ephesians 2) Life that is whole, hopeful, rich in love, deep in forgiveness, which seeks peace with others flows from the life of the Holy Spirit which Jesus says flows out of our inner being like ‘rivers of living water.’  

What a different from the miserable life of those who know just enough about God to become obsessed with their sin and failure, stuck in fear and dread.

Come home to the Father! He is waiting with open arms to embrace you today.

The word from the Word comes from Romans and summarizes the hope we find in Jesus’ love. “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans 5, NLT)

Now that’s Good News!

______________________

Videos of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg

Just the Good Stuff?

For a long time, the evening news was a regular habit. At 6:30 pm I was watching ‘the news.’ Not so much anymore but the reason for that decision is a subject for another blog. I truly enjoyed a segment at the end of the Friday broadcast called “On the Road.”  (https://www.facebook.com/OnTheRoadCBS/) 
The stories in that part of the news were always full of hope, human kindness, and caring!  Sometimes I just want to say, “just tell me the good stuff.” How about you?

We Christians tend to do that same thing with the Bible. A study that looked at the social media posts for Scripture quotes found that Christians posted Paul’s words from Philippians millions of times:  "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, KJV) Another favorite passage often posted is: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)  And nearly equal were the hopeful words of Jeremiah:  ^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (29:11)

Sharing hopeful words is a good thing, however… there is much more to the Bible than a few quotable passages of promise! The whole of Scripture is a gift of God to us, but there are parts of it that get a lot of play and others we seldom, if ever, read. There are, in addition, to those promises, passages that challenge us to serve, many that call on us to consider our ways, and even those which speak of God’s judgment. We are not nearly as fond of the stark visions of the Revelation as we are the warm words of Psalms, are we?

Think about this: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

We need the whole Scripture to become healthy and godly Christians.
-If we only read the passages that make us feel good, we will lack correction.
-If we avoid passages that reveal the holiness of God, we will slip into careless sins.
-If we stick to the Gospels, we will not know how to order our lives in the Church. 

Some parts of the Bible arrest us and make us realize the majesty and mystery of God.  The Spirit tells us to grow up in our appetite and tastes. "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14, NIV)

I hope you will commit yourself to the whole truth, not just the so-called ‘good stuff’ in the Bible. Be willing to wrestle with the ‘hard parts’ so that your faith is strong and mature. Jesus taught us that we live from the content of our heart.

Reading straight through the Bible, cover to cover, may sound like a noble thing, but it will lead you to long stretches in passages that are hard to understand, or in books that demand more study to mine the wealth of His wisdom.  We do better following a plan that mixes readings from the whole of Scripture.  Get a plan and hang with it.  Does it require discipline? Yes, it does, but what a reward we enjoy when the Word takes root and produces a harvest of holy living. 

 (Need a plan?  A great site online offers many. See Bible Gateway)

Here’s the word from the Word, a prayer, to know and understand the Scripture.
"Teach me, O Lord, to follow every one of your principles. 
Give me understanding and I will obey your law; 
I will put it into practice with all my heart. 
Make me walk along the path of your commands, 
for that is where my happiness is found. 
Give me an eagerness for your decrees; 
do not inflict me with love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things,
and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise, 
which is for those who honor you.
Help me abandon my shameful ways; 
your laws are all I want in life.
I long to obey your commandments!
Renew my life with your goodness." (Psalm 119:33-40, NLT)

Amen

___________

Video

of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLKiYMXGFWq1Rvuoqu3Njg