March 20 - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

1 John 4:7-21

In this time of uncertainty, there is one thing that remains constant – God’s love.  Thank you, 1 John 4 for summing up my faith:

• God is love.
• God loves us.
• God sent his Son to atone for our sins.
• If we acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God, then God lives in us.
• We rely on the love God has for us.
• When God lives in us, we have no room for fear or hate, which allows us to…
• Love one another.

This is what it’s all about.

The past few days have been rough for everyone.  We are all trying to make extreme adjustments amid chaos.  I am so thankful I worship a God who calms my fears and reminds me daily that he will not abandon me!  As Pastor Steve says, I am a child of God living in the unshakable kingdom of God.  While I may feel shaken, I know that:

• God is love.
• God loves me.
• God sent his son to atone for my sins.
• Because I acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in me.
• I rely on the love of God.
• God drives out my fear.
• I am called to love one another.

Father, help me love others as you love me.  The next few weeks will be challenging.  Humans sin, but you call us to love and be loved.  I am your child and because of that I want to be an example of your love in the world.  Amen

A Windup World

Philippians 2:12-13

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202%3A12-13&version=NIV;NLT

 

Did you ever play with a windup toy when you were a child? They were a lot of fun except they didn’t last very long. You had to keep rewinding them over and over. Eventually, the key would break and the toy forgotten.

 

Some people feel that way about God. They seem to think that he wound up the world and just let it go, never to be seen again. David sure did at times.

 

¹ God, are you avoiding me?
    Where are you when I need you?        Psalm 10 MSG

 

^1-2 Long enough, God—
    you’ve ignored me long enough.
I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough.

    Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble,
lived with a stomach full of pain. Psalm 13 MSG

 

If we’re honest, we’ve all felt that way sometimes. God just doesn’t seem to care; He doesn’t seem to have a purpose for us; He doesn’t seem to be at work in our life. Paul wrote to the Philippians about a God who does care; who does have a purpose; who is at work in your life.

 

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.   NLT

 

Even David, who experienced such deep, discouraging moments, recognized that God was ever present in his life.

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139 NIV

 

¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.            Psalm 139 NLT

 

You don’t live in a windup world where God has randomly placed you, like a toy, to aimlessly wander. Indeed, God has a plan and a purpose for you to fulfill and is constantly at work in your world. Therefore, go and discover what He is doing, and be a part of it.

 

 

 

 

Murphy’s Law

Romans 5:1-5

When I was first married, we had a small leak in our half bath downstairs. When I tried to repair it, instead of tightening the pipes, I disconnected them. Do you know how small those pipes are? And do you know what small pipes do to water pressure? Water shot out of there so hard and fast that pieces of toilet paper were blasted onto the ceiling.

That was a perfect example of Murphy’s Law which is, “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. Yup! Been there, done that!

My co-worker recently had a streak of bad luck. First her stove died and they went for weeks before the replacement arrived. Then one of their cars was making some weird noises. Several hundred dollars later, the noise was gone. Finally, the dish washer started leaking and had to be replaced. Have you ever heard of the saying, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all”? Been there, done that!

Adversity, affliction, problems, struggles, suffering, issues, trials, temptations, testing, or troubles - whatever you want to call them; we’ve all experienced them. But Paul and James suggest dealing with them in a highly unusual way.

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.    NLT

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.      James 1 NIV

To respond to adversity with rejoicing or pure joy seems not only counter-intuitive, but ridiculous. Why would you do such a thing? I’m glad you asked.

⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.   NIV

³⁸ 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. ³⁹ 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 NLT

 This is not to say that adversity isn’t hard, because it is. But even in adversity, we can know that God is with us; He is working in our life to draw us closer to Him; and that He loves us no matter what happens.

 That, my friend, is cause to rejoice.

I Am Loved—How Do I Pass It On?

Reading: I John 4:12-19

 

“It is true that no human being has ever had a direct vision of God. Yet, if we love each other God does actually live within us, and his love grows in us towards perfection. And …the guarantee of our living in him and his living in us is the share of his own Spirit which he gives us (I John 4: 12-13, Phillips).”

 

A couple of months ago, I wrote a Daily Bible Blast on this same portion of scripture [“The Narthex Game,” June 29, 2018], emphasizing how I finally began to believe that God actually does love me.  Today, I’m thinking about how I might pass love on to others. Verse 19 says that “We love because he first loved us.”

 

That’s the answer, then. If I know I am loved, I want to extend it others. Sounds simple enough, and it’s quite easy to do – for those who are easy to love. But what about fellow believers who are difficult to like, those who are contentious, disruptive, uncooperative, etc? God calls us to love all in the body of Christ, and somehow we need to learn to love the unlovely – something definitely not a natural thing to be inclined to do. So, I may want to love others because I am loved, but how am I able to go beyond my “natural inclination” to love only those who love me or who are easy to love?

 

God has given us a “share of his Spirit” that guarantees that we are living in him and he in us (vs 13).  We rely on his Spirit in us to love others – especially all our brothers and sisters he places in our midst (our local church body), those we rub shoulders with in ways that can rub us the wrong way! May we allow his Spirit to work in our hearts to pass on love from our Lord to his children, that we might live in unity.

 

Dear, Lord, thank you for giving us your Spirit to live in us, helping us love in ways we never thought we could.  Help me to willingly pass on your love and care to my brothers and sisters, not only for their sake but also that those who don’t know you yet will see and “know we are Christians by our love.” Amen.

What If?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205%3A16-18&version=NIV;ESV

 

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.              ESV

 

What if your baby’s diaper pail is full and as you begin pulling the plastic bag out, it rips and… well you get the picture. Would you be rejoicing or giving thanks?

 

What if your husband, who is a farmer, is out on the tractor when a nearby driver is texting and runs off the road killing him making you a young widow and leaving your three young children without a father?

 

What if you are pregnant with your first child when the doctor tells you that your baby is still born?

 

What if, at age fifty-five, after you’ve given your heart and soul to your career, your employer informs you that you’re being let go?

 

What if your best friend from high school dies from cancer at age 66?

 

What if… life happens? Are you able to rejoice; to give thanks; to pray?

 

We’re not robots are we? We have feelings when things like this happen. We get angry. We feel defeated, depressed. We feel worthless. We want to lash out at someone, but who? God is pretty convenient sometimes.

 

How can we obey these verses? Paul wrote that this is God’s will for us, but how do we do it? In fact, it can be just as difficult to obey these verses when everything is going well as it is when life sucks.

 

Yes, life can be very painful at times. But just as Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers that God loved them; that the power of the Holy Spirit was working in them; that death is not the end, but the ultimate victory is ours through Christ - he is reminding us of these same truths as well.

 

What if when life happens you not only feel the pain or the joy of the moment, but you put yourself in the hands of God? What if you pray?

 

 

 

 

It's Not About The Money, Money, Money

18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. -Mark 4:18-19

Last week I highlighted this passage and talked about how scripture should be our highest authority.  It should be the first thing we go to when trying to discern God’s will for our lives.

What are some things that get in our way from allowing scripture to take root.  Our passage today mentions some things such as the worries of life, the desire for other things, and what I want to highlight today is, “the deceitfulness of wealth”.

How can wealth be deceptive.  It gives us a false sense of security.  If we have wealth we tend to think we can control whatever comes our way.  

Scripture warns against this ideology. Our passage today says that if we are deceived by our wealth, scripture will be unfruitful in our lives.

Having wealth is not a sin.  Placing our security in wealth rather than God, is.  Don’t let anything hinder your walk with God.  Put your trust in him and not your bank account.  Look for peace in the pages of the bible rather than the bottom line of your retirement plan.  And instead of following the money trail, let the word of God guide you.

Read today entire passage here. Mark 4:15-20

Spoiled, But Hopefully Not Rotten

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Romans 3:23-25

My eleven year old son is home-schooled.  It was a decision Steve and I made a few years ago and I love it.  I love teaching my son.  I love eliminating homework from our lives, opening up the evenings for fun activities.  I love being able to go on vacation whenever we want and not having to worry about his school schedule.  

One of the drawbacks is balancing his workload and mine.  I feel like I’m constantly moving throughout the day. Between lessons, I’m doing laundry, sweeping the floor, helping my husband with a few church things, making lunch, making beds… the lists is endless.  Evan noticed all that I was doing one day and said, “Man, I’m spoiled”.  I have to admit it felt nice to have him notice.

Have you noticed how spoiled we are with God?

As I was looking up what “Grace Alone” means I came across this excerpt from Christianity.com,

“We can only stand before God by his grace as he mercifully attributes to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ and attributes to him the consequences of our sins. Jesus’ life of perfect righteousness is counted as ours, and our records of sin and failure were counted to Jesus when he died on the cross.”

Our records of sin and failure were counted to Jesus when he died on the cross. I can’t even imagine a love that would do that for me.  I am so grateful for God’s grace.  I’ve heard before that “Mercy” can be defined as not getting what we deserve and “Grace”, getting what we don’t deserve.

We did not deserve to have Jesus perfect life of righteousness counted as ours, but that’s what God will see when meet him in Heaven.  He will see a perfect sinless child because of the sacrifice of Christ.  It’s what he sees now, when we approach his throne in prayer.  And he is able to see us sinless because of our faith in Christ, which is also a gift given by our Heavenly Father.

Just as Evan saw all I do for him, I sure hope we can see all God has done for us.

Read the entire scripture here Romans 3: 20-28

God Thought of You

I have a few Christian friends who are Jewish and I just love talking with them about their faith.  I like how they light up when they talk about how Christ is evident all throughout the Old Testament.  Some have parents who grew up following the Jewish laws and customs and then one day Christ was revealed to them.

I get excited about stories like that, but today's passage reminds me to get excited about mine too.  We serve a God who did not leave us out.  His grace extends to us, the Gentile.  When he chose to reveal himself to Abram, calling the Nation of Israel his chosen people, he thought of us too.

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

We definitely have reason to rejoice.  The hope of Christ is ours as well. Take some time today to thank God for seeing you.  His loving arm extends to all who will trust him and for that reason we should rejoice.


Read passage here Romans 15:7-13

Until the Whole World Hears

Yesterday Paul shared an inspiring story about his friend Tammy. Tammy has a heart for the lost and I love how creative she will get to reach just one person with the message of Jesus. This week we have been reading a lot about the Apostle Paul, who also did whatever it took to reach the lost for Jesus.

These past weeks have shown us how fragile life is. We have witnessed consuming fires blaze across the west, earthquakes in Mexico, hurricanes, and violence in Las Vegas. So many lives lost and I can't help wondering how many never knew the saving love of Christ. 

As inspiring as Paul is, we don't have to be a missionary across the globe to tell people about Jesus. We can do it right where we are.

My son just recently joined Taekwondo and I have met several of the parents watching their child. Evan asked me the other night if I talk to the parents because I am looking for a friend for him to meet. He still does not have any friends since we moved this past June. I kinda felt bad, but I had to answer him honestly and say, "no."  I hadn't even thought of it. I explained to him that I am meeting people so that I can start a conversation about our church and invite them to come and check us out.

Luckily Evan was happy with my answer. He said that that was more important because there are so many people who don't know Jesus.

In our passage today we learn that Paul, "witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe."

Some were convinced, others would not believe.  It is not our job to convince everyone, but there are so many people who do not know Jesus and it is our job to tell them about him. Whether you are a global missionary or a soccer mom, we don't know what tomorrow will bring let's not waste another moment.

Read today entire passage here Acts 28: 23-30

Charlottesville Justice

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

On August 13 of this year, there was a deadly incident that occurred after two days of protests, counter-protests and confrontations. It ended with a young woman being struck and killed by a white supremacist who purposefully drove his car into a crowd. No matter where you turn today, the battle for justice seems to be lost.

The same was true during Jesus’ lifetime. He was born into a world where the invading Romans ruthlessly ruled and the Jewish religious leaders imposed their legalistic interpretation of the law, which was used to control the masses. It was used to judge and condemn. There was no mercy or grace.

Into this world, Jesus made a point of healing those who others would never touch. He didn’t differentiate who he loved based on their nationality, ethnicity or religion. He didn’t care whether you lived in poverty or were wealthy and powerful. He showed

justice for all.

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”   Luke 4:18-19 NIV

 God has instructed us that it is more important to live justly than to be religious.

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.   Micah 6:8 NIV

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, that because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the battle for justice in our own life is already won! Now it is up to us, to share that Good News justice with the world; to show God’s love and forgiveness to those who He has brought into our lives.

  

⁵⁶ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.       NLT

⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection.   TLB

New Covenant in Christ

Today's passage is Hebrews 8:8-12.  It talks about how God made a new covenant through Christ. The Old covenant that he made under Moses is now fulfilled in Jesus.  I like making lists.  My bible has two lists showing how the two covenants were different.  I thought I would share some of that with you today.  Take some time to look over this list and appreciate how Jesus brings freedom into our lives.

Old Covenant Under Moses                            New Covenant in Christ

Sacrifices required for sin                                  Jesus sacrificed for our sin

Focused on a building to                                    Focused on Christ residing in our hearts
worship God      

Limited access to God                                       Unlimited access to God

Continual sacrifice                                            Conclusive sacrifice

Available to some                                             Available to all

If you find yourself taking for granted the sacrifice Jesus did on the cross. Take some time today to look over this list and maybe even add to it.  Let the love of God fill you new today.  We need to never forget how high and how deep his love is for us.

     

You Want Me To Do ALL That?

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:25-32

Today I have posted the entire scripture text for you to read.  The Apostle Paul is so strategic in how he instructs us, that I wanted you to see the entire picture.   This section of scripture ends with a very specific command. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.”

I think as a Christian we grow accustom to reading and hearing that we should be kind and compassionate and to other and forgive.  We know it’s something we should do, and I bet many of us truly want to be able to live up to that instruction.  There are times, though that we want to yell, “It’s just not fair!”

We don’t feel that God understands the hurt. There are times that being kind and compassionate, forgiving the person who hurt you so deeply is just impossible. That is where I want to introduce this entire passage to you.  Take a look. 

Paul starts by saying,

• ·         Don’t lie, but speak truthfully.
• ·         Don’t get so angry that you sin, and if you are angry make amends quickly.
• ·         Don’t steal.  Work for what you get.
• ·         What you do work for, share with those in need.
• ·         Watch your mouth.  Don’t say hurtful, negative, slanderous things.
• ·         Don’t give credit to something else that belongs to God, that Grieves the Holy Spirit.

Lastly Paul sends out a barrage of don’ts… Get rid of ALL bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with EVERY form of malice.

I think Paul structured this passage in this way for two reasons. First, before he asks us to forgive others he reminds us of our own areas of sin.  Christ has forgiving us completely so we should forgive others.  It’s easier to show compassion when you remember the compassion that was first shown to you.

Secondly, I think Paul wants us to see the impossibility of EVERYTHING he is asking us to do if we are not connected to God.  We CAN’T walk the path of speaking truthfully, not sinning in anger, making amends, honest work, giving to those in need, positive talk, giving God glory, and everything else on our own. It does seem impossible to show kindness, compassion and forgiveness to deep hurts if we do it in our own strength.  God never intended us to do this alone.  He wants us to rely on him and his strength.

We need to be mindful of all of this, but also surrender to the One who can do this work in and through us. 

I Can't Find It ANYWHERE!!!!

I am a mother of a ten-year-old.  And among other things, that means he can’t find anything I send him to look for.  It could be his baseball equipment, phone, the laundry basket… it really doesn’t matter.

It can be right in front of him and he is blind.  Can you re

late?  Is there anyone in your family who has a hard time seeing what is right in front of them?  Or maybe, please forgive me, it’s you.  You struggle locating things that are hidden in plain sight.

I laugh as I type this, but our scripture passage today has a similar situation.  John 9 talks about a time when Jesus is walking on a road with his disciples, and they come across a man blind from birth.  This man can’t see a thing.  He was born this way.  It’s not his fault.  It’s not his parents fault.  He is just blind. 

Jesus spits in the mud, forms clay and applies it to the man’s eyes.  After washing his eyes, he went home seeing. 

Now, this is where the story get’s interesting.  The healed man comes upon some Pharisees who investigate how he regained his sight.  They question lifelong neighbors, some of who can’t decide if it is really the man they grew up knowing.  They ask his parents how it happened.  They reply, “No comment.”  All the while the young man keeps telling them Jesus did it. 

The Pharisees have dedicated their lives to God and the study of scriptures, but they cannot see the Messiah that is right in front of them.  They may not have been physically blinded, but they struggle with spiritual blindness and ironically the Light of the World is right there among them. 

Let’s not be like the Pharisees, make sure to take some time today and ask God to open your eyes to him.  Ask him to help you see where he is and how you can be a part of what he is doing.

Ready today's passage here John 9:1-25

Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” -Luke 3:21-22

Do you remember the day you were baptized?  It was September 19, 1981 I was 9 years old and my father stood next to me getting baptized as well.  I remember being so excited.  I wanted God to have control of my life.  I saw him as my protector, someone I could go to with anything. 

It's funny, I still feel that way today, but those feelings really stand out in my memory on that day.  Our scripture passage today tells us that, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.”  Why?  Jesus was perfect.  He did not need to repent.  He did not need his sins forgiven.  He was living a perfect life without need of a Savior.  He was the Savior!

So why was he baptized?  I believe it was an act of obedience.  The father wanted him to be baptized to show us what to do and to be introduced from Heaven.  Scripture says, “heaven opened up and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well please.’”

Did you know, the Holy Spirit did not fill many people in the Old Testament the way he does today. When we read the Old Testament, we see a few people such as Joshua, Saul, David and limited others who God said the Spirit was in.

The Holy Spirit was sent after Jesus resurrection, to help us communicate with God. Now when we accept Christ into our heart, it is the Holy Spirit who takes up residence.  When you pray, it’s the Holy Spirit who takes those prayers to the throne of the Father. 

It is the Holy Spirit who we feel moving in us comforting us, directing us, and convicting us of sin; leading us to repentance.  Just as the Holy Spirit came down and rested on Jesus, he has come down to all who believe in Christ and confess him as Lord.  

We can trust that God will be there for us.  He knows what is happening in our lives and we have a counselor guiding us everyday.

One Hundred Envelopes of Hope

Hebrews 11:1

The fabric of Christmas is hope.

When I was a little boy I was always the first one up on Christmas morning. One time I got up and opened not just my gifts, but everybody’s gifts. Being the youngest of four, as cute as Joey was, he was not very popular that year.

 My brother is 12 years older than I am. When he was in college and living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he didn’t have much money for himself let alone for his little brother’s Christmas gift. But he was very creative.

One Christmas I was up first, as usual. When I came downstairs it was still dark. All I could see was a pile of gifts under and around the tree, but there was also something that caught my eye. It looked like there were stalactites hanging from our living room ceiling.

When I turned the lights on, I discovered they weren’t stalactites at all, but several links of envelopes taped together, end to end. Eventually, I discovered that there were one hundred envelopes. The reason I know this is that each envelope had a shiny new penny in it. My brother had given me one dollar for Christmas, but it was one of the most memorable gifts I ever got.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.             Hebrews 11:1

As a little boy that Christmas coming down the steps, I had no idea what I was going to see around the corner. But I hoped that there would be great gifts waiting for me; and there was.

Christmas is full of hope in what we cannot see. However, it’s not just wishful thinking like that of a little boy coming down the stairs. It is being “certain of what we do not see”. For God sent His one and only son to die for us so that we might live.

We couldn’t hope for a better gift than that.