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

Family Ties

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25 NIV)

These are not just idle words. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit in us. This Spirit convicts us to do better. It is often the voice of reason we hear, sometimes called our conscience. The Holy Spirit prods me to be a better person, to take a better path than I have in the past. My goal is to keep in step with the Spirit.

In Romans 8:14 we read, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the Children of God."

Child of God, what a fantastic title. I love to think of God as my father. From the beginning of my faith journey, I discovered comfort from this title. To think of God as father means I am a part of a huge family. When reading from my Bible, I know I have lots of other relatives; cousins, aunts and uncles, and oh, so many friends. I sometimes consider Paul a good friend, one who understands my failures because of his own.

Jeremiah 31:33, "...I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people."

Belonging to this great big loving family is such fun. It is a challenge too, but the fun outweighs the difficulties. One of the most meaningful times in the day is first thing when I grab my coffee, journal and Bible...oh, my colored pens too. It is during these personal times that God gets right down to business with me. Some days I feel his pleasure, others, I sense He wants and expects more. I always try to respond accordingly.

He is my God, and I am one of His people. How great is that!

Galatians 5:16-25

Perfect Love

1 John 4:13-19

I don’t doubt God’s love for me.  I grew up saying, “I am a child of God,” and I confidently repeat those words often.  My difficulty arises in verse 16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”  I know God loves me, but I don’t always rely on it.  When I’m struggling, I tend to look for strength within myself, in others or in things.  I forget where my strength lies.

Maybe that’s why anxiety and fear have played a much larger role in my life than I’d like to admit. When I read in verse 18, “The one who fears is not made perfect in love,” it makes me cringe.  I know I’m not perfect and fear has taken over my heart on too many occasions, but I would like to be made perfect in love. I want the peace that God can bring. So, how does that happen?

The Message translation states, “Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life is one not yet fully formed in love.”  Not YET fully formed – so there is hope.  It’s not too late!  God is working on me and doesn’t give up.  I believe he works on each of us every day.  Some days we get it and some days we don’t, but he loves us no matter what.  God is love and love doesn’t abandon.  One day we will be fully formed in love.

Jeremiah 29:13 talks about finding God when we seek him will all our heart. Father, I am your child.  Continue to transform me each day to know your love more and more.  Cast out my fears, so I may love you perfectly with my whole heart. Amen

Ready to Declare?

John 1:9-13

The world didn’t recognize him, they didn’t even notice.  Not being recognized for who you are and what you mean; not being believed, can be crushing.  We all want to be recognized and validated and have people believe in us.  

Was Jesus hurt by this?  Was he disappointed and frustrated?  If he came as a man to live among men, then he had feelings.  He felt what others felt, yet it was heaped with a God-sized portion of empathy.  It’s why he hung out with the “lowly.”  

Jesus knew what it was like to be overlooked and taken for granted.  He knew pain, but the difference was he didn’t let it cloud his vision and cause him to lash out, shut down and abandon his mission.  Jesus knew the truth and he wasn’t about to let people’s failure to take notice throw him off course.  

He came to make those who believed, children of God.  Why children and not men and women of God?  Because a child’s capacity to believe is so much greater.  Once we’re tainted by life, it gets harder and harder to believe in anything. Our minds want to study and analyze and prove or disprove any information we receive.  It’s why it’s so much harder to convince us of anything at 40, than it is at four.

Some say that children are naive and unwise, but what I wouldn’t give to love with abandon the way a child does.  I want to be a child of God, I need to be a child of God, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. 

It’s that simple.  Believe, and receive the right to become His child.  In this new year, are you ready to declare (or redeclare) your status as His child?  It’s not a step back - it’s really the only way forward.  

Enjoy the journey in 2019!

Child of God

Read 1 John 2:28-29

Most of my adult life I have found my identity in what I do. Joe Valentino: “Minister of Youth,” “Parks and Recreation Director,” “Assistant City Manager,” “Executive Director for Ministries.” After I got married, I started to learn part of my identity was wrapped up in my relationships: Peggy’s husband, Josh and Tori’s dad. Even as I walked the dog in the neighborhood I was Bernie's or Max’s owner. I have struggled my entire life to live into my identity. Who am I? Jay and Vera’s kid, the owner of the big white house down the street, good teacher or preacher, friend, brother, good cook, leader, etc.

In 1 John 2:29 I began to find my true identity: “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” I am born of God; I am a Child of God! And in chapter 3 of 1 John we find: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” My true identity, child of God! And I know He loves me. Join me this year in living into our identity as CHILDREN of GOD!

QUESTIONS:

1. Where do you get your identity? Who do people think you are? Do others see you as “Child of God”?

2. Have you ever just crawled up into Father God’s lap and sat with Him—no agenda just enjoying time with Him? How about today?

PRAYER:

Father God, thank you for choosing me to be Your child. Help me to take some time now just to sit with You, my Father.

Joe Valentino

The Grass is Always Greener

 (Do Not become Slaves of Men)

1 Corinthians 7:17-24

 

You know the saying, “The grass is greener on the other side”. It’s human nature to always want what we don’t have. It’s also human nature to complain about what we do have. It’s easy to complain about your boss, your spouse, the weather, the traffic; take your pick. Yes indeed, we find something to complain about every day!

When I first started working for my employer, he hired me to do marketing. It was fun, challenging and rewarding. But about the second year the personnel needs changed, so he moved me out of a private office to the main entry office. Overnight, I became the receptionist, the operator, the mail boy and the filing clerk; all jobs that I felt were beneath me; beneath my experience and my age.

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth about keeping their attitude in check about marriage, religious traditions, work, social and economic standing.

22 If the Lord calls you, and you are a slave, remember that Christ has set you free from the awful power of sin; and if he has called you and you are free, remember that you are now a slave of Christ. 23 You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.   TLB    

 “You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him.”  It took quite a while for God to straighten my attitude about being “demoted”. I suppose I could have looked for another job, but then I wouldn’t have learned a valuable lesson.

 Above all else, no matter what your circumstance, you are a child of God. For Paul it didn’t matter whether a person was married or single; circumcised or gentile; slave or free – they were a child of God, “bought and paid for by Christ”.

The same message is true for you today. God has called you to serve Him in one capacity or another; through your marriage, your job, your church, your community.

Find your calling and serve him with all your heart, mind and soul.

¹⁷ Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.            NIV

"Hello. My Name is Joe"

Psalm 139:13-24

 

 

After introductions, what do you say next? How do you answer the question, “Who are you”? Is it in terms of your job, your school or maybe your church? Do your children, your spouse or your parents define who you are?

 

For some it is something they have done, possibly an addiction. When introducing yourself at a meeting you give your name and say, “I am an addict”. What is it that defines you; that goes to the core of your being; that is the bottom line of how you truly feel about yourself?

 

In his prayer, David wrote the following about how he defined himself:

 

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”

 

He understands that although he had biological parents, God was his true creator. In polite conversation, we tend to not disclose our inner being. But God created our inner being, and not only did He create it, it is “fearfully and wonderfully made”. That means that there is nothing to be ashamed about who we are.

 

The definitions of guilt and shame are very similar, but significantly different. Guilt means that we feel bad about what we did. Shame means that we feel bad about who we are. God is saying through David that we need not feel ashamed of who we are, because God created us.

 

Finally, Paul wrote this about who we are:

 

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”         Ephesians 2:10

 

God has created you for a unique purpose to use the gifts and abilities that He has given you through His grace. God is the potter, and you are His clay. He defines who you are. He has prepared good works for you to do.

 

“Hello. My name is Joe. I’m a creation of God and a follower of Christ Jesus”. Who do you believe you are?

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139%3A13-24&version=NIV;TLB
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Ps.139.13-Ps.139.24