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- The Fix Was in, or Was It? - The Fix Was in, or Was It? Matthew 28:11-15 reads like notes for a cheap crime novel. The mob bosses bribe the guards with money and death threats, forcing them to tell a lie about what they had seen. The story now set, the cover-up is in place, proving the lie and eliminating the threat that the man posed to their life of crime. The guards take the money and disappear, and with smugness, that belies their motives, they smile and recline on their comfortable couches, safe from the threat. Yes, those guards were no longer a problem. But, as the day’s pass, other witnesses come forth. First, just a few, then more and more. Soon there are more than five hundred witnesses, throughout the country, testify to the truth, and the threat returns. What will they do? The plan of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin: Stick with the story and never waiver. And they do, and yet...But wait. What about the guards? Had they seen what Mary Magdalene saw? Of course, they saw that the stone was rolled away. Had they heard what the angel said? They had seen Jesus, alive! Continue reading
- Who Are the Least of These? - Who Are the Least of These? The least of these? Now wait, just a dang gone minute! Who are you calling “least of these”? That sounds like a putdown to me. I am not one of those “least”! Would you want to be a “least of these”? How would that make you feel? Like a failure, like a sinner, like one that doesn’t measure up, that’s how! Just calm down. I think you are missing the point. Remember, this is Jesus teaching, and while He does use the phrase “least of these”, it is for a reason. He also uses sheep and goats, and that is also for a reason. I learned a lot of things during my years as a volunteer at Heifer International Learning Center at the Ranch in Arkansas. One of the things I learned was the difference between sheep and goats. At the Ranch, we dealt mainly with babies. From a distance is almost impossible to tell a sheep from a goat when their babies, and the only visible difference is that a lamb’s tail stands up, while a goat kid’s tail lays down. However, it would not take you long to also discover that the temperament of a lamb is so much more docile and calm than the temperament of the kid. It was because of this difference in temperament that sheep and goats were separated. Continue reading
- Touching the Face of God - Touching the Face of God: Have you been to the Sistine Chapel? It is a stunning experience. It was not what I expected. The room itself is long and narrow with a vaulted ceiling filled with frescos, high above the floor. The lighting is dim in order to protect the famous paintings. You are cautioned, as you enter, to maintain silence, and your time in the chapel is limited. The overall impression is reverent and breathtaking. Without sounding like a Vatican guide, you are looking up at approximately fifty-three individual frescos, each one depicting Old Testament characters or events. In the center of the ceiling is the iconic scene that most of us think of when Sistine Chapel is mentioned: God Creates Man. We see two muscular figures, with God, minimally clad, reclining, reaching His hand down, to naked Man reaching up. The two did not touch, though Man is trying. Continue reading
- A Faith Thought Reprised - A Faith Thought Reprised: A year ago, in a Watchword, I shared a faith story from India, about a man who rushed up to a Monk who was passing through his village and said to him, Give it to me! The Monk replied, Give you what? What you have in your pack! Last night I had a dream and in the dream God instructed me to ask the first monk I see walking through the village to give me the precious gift he carried. So give it to me! “Oh, you must mean this”, said the Monk, reaching into his pack. “I found it during a walk in the forest.” He pulled out the largest diamond the man had ever seen. It was huge and sparkled brightly in the morning sun. Well, the man was ecstatic. That diamond represented wealth. He ran home, happy beyond words. That night he found it impossible to sleep. He tossed and turned. The next day he ran after the Monk. Here, take this back, he said handing him the diamond. Instead give me the precious gift that you have, the one that permits you to give to me so freely. That is the real treasure. Continue reading
- He Is Here - He Is Here: She started to dash across the street without looking and the car missed her by inches. The vaccine could take two to five years to develop, yet, here we are. You stand in line at the funeral struggling to find the right words, offer a prayer, and God-inspired words flow, and your friend is comforted. You paused at the intersection of a county road and a busy state highway. Limited visibility in both directions. You start to pull out and suddenly braked, the semi misses your car by less than a foot. You are in a remote part of the Gunnison National Forest of Colorado following one of the many trout streams. You hear sobbing, and there is a child, 10-years-old or so, lost from his family. You lead him back to a joyous reunion. You learn there are over 300 searchers trying to find the boy, but you were there. You are the mother or the grandmother of young children, therefore, you are witness to the God’s great love in your everyday life. Those moments of loneliness and uncertainty, that somehow dissolve into peace. The wee small voice deep in your mind, providing guidance in the eye of the storm. Can you hear it? Do you see it? Do you feel it? Interventions by God? Most assuredly. Continue reading
- Majoring in Minors? - Majoring in Minors? Last year, just before Thanksgiving, Jim, my across-the-street-neighbor and friend, brought me an article by Greg Laurie, entitled “Turn Back to Your First Love”, sub title: Living for Christ in Troubled Times. The Article appeared in Decision magazine for November. It is funny-amazing how the Lord doesn’t forget and subtly leads us back to the track of His Will. Recently, I was reminded of the Laurie article following our men’s Bible study discussion of John chapter 5. During the course of our discussion we were trying to sort out certain events that are not stated in the scripture, that seemed to be missing pieces. At some point, one of the guys commented that when we come across places in scripture which leave us questioning, “we just make stuff up.” Actually, I might’ve said that. I am not sure what made me think of Laurie’s article, because our discussion seemed to drift into the life and times of Jews and their strict following of Mosaic Law, including all 613 requirements. I think it has to do with our focus. For the practicing Jew, their focus would be on not violating any of those 613 laws, rather than on God Himself. Majoring in minors. Continue reading
- The Sermon on the Mount - The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes, setting a standard for Christian Life and faith. The sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7. This is Jesus, early in His ministry, teaching and emphasizing moral foundations for living. This sermon takes place after His baptism, after His time in the desert, probably after His first miracle at Cana, and after His return from Jerusalem for Passover. This takes place at the very beginning of his ministry to towns throughout Galilee. In the Sermon, in addition to the Beatitudes, we find the Lord’s Prayer, and the central elements of Christian discipleship. Has circumstance ever driven you to prayer, almost in desperation? Maybe you’re being rushed to the hospital and prayers are on your lips, almost without thinking. You’re desperate, you are in need, and you call on your Lord and Savior. Those people that Jesus was reaching out to in Galilee did not know how to reach out to a Lord and Savior, yet, Jesus’ message touched them exactly in their needs. Continue reading
- 2000 Years Before Jesus? - 2000 Years Before Jesus? The Book of Job. Theologians call this part of the Old Testament difficult and theologically sophisticated. One writer quoted Virginia Woolf as saying: “I read the book of Job last night. I don’t think God comes out of it well.” One theologian has written that the book of Job should be read as a parable or a folktale. One wonders if it was written during the Babylonian exile, a period in Israel’s history of great anguish and loss. How does one write a devotional based on scripture in which God and Satan enter into a divine contest, using Job as an unwitting pawn? Think about this, ten of Job’s children are killed off in the first chapter! But, wait, in the last chapter they are replaced with ten more children! (Jeff Bezos has a children’s exchange in 2000 BC?) How do we respond to a book in which God answers Job’s anguish by seemingly browbeating him into submission at the end of the story? Continue reading
- Empty Egg – A True Easter Story - Empty Egg – A True Easter Story: Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. His parents tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School. At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade. Jeremy would often irritate his teach, Doris Miller, as he would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. One day Doris called his parents and asked them to come to the school for a consultation. The Foresters sat quietly in the empty classroom while Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Mrs. Forrester cried into a tissue, while her husband explained that there was no school of that kind nearby and it would be a terrible shock to Jeremy if he had to move. Continue reading
- Like a Fish in the Water… - Like a Fish in the Water... Perhaps 50 years ago, my sister called me from Colorado, and excitedly told me about attending a concert in a mountain venue in Leadville that featured a young artist with a great name – John Denver. From that point on, John Denver has been one of my favorites. I enjoy his songs, and I grieved when he died in the crash of an experimental plane. His music lives on. Many of his songs are wistful, confirming that we do not know what will come but we trust the Lord, right here where we are. In my mind, that comes most clearly in a song called Sweet Surrender. Sweet, sweet surrender, live, live without care. Like a fish in the water, like a bird in the air. Continue reading
- The Centurion - The Centurion: Two exerpts from the book, A Life for Barabbas, that relate to Good Friday: (Calvary Hill, Good Friday, 33 AD) Barabbas’ attention was still on Jesus, when one of the soldiers, a Centurion (Longinus), approached the cross. The soldier seemed sad as he paced back and forth. He gazed at Jesus briefly, shaking his head. Then raised a spear, and, almost in anger, drove it, hard, into the side of Jesus. Jesus made no sound, nor did he move. He was dead. The Centurion withdrew the spear and bowed his head, hiding tears. Then, still looking sad and angry, he threw the spear down and walked away. (Jerusalem, three years later) The captain looked at Barabbas, surprised. “You were there, on Calvary, after Pilate pardoned you? Why in the blood of Nero would you do that? Why would you go there after you escaped that same fate? Cruel curiosity?” “No. I was drawn there. When I was released from prison, I followed a crowd of people…It was later that I learned the reason that I was there.” “So, you think you were there to learn a lesson by watching men die cruelly?” “No, that wasn’t it. I’m not sure you would understand, but being there was the most important moment of my life.” Continue reading
- April Fools - April Fool: I’m an April Fool! I was born in April, therefore, I am an April Fool. Anyone else? How about this, I am a fool for good times, for sunsets and sunrises, for puppies, even kittens, seeing love within families, flowers in bloom, a good book, The Good Book, Rummikub and Five Crowns played with friends, good wine with Italian food, a drive into the country, classical music, country-western music, any music. Just look at that – I’m a fool for a lot of things. How about you? What would you put on your list? Every idea, every point, every thought, God blessed. Oh, and I am a fool for you! April Fool’s Day. Time for a good story, like this one, entitled “I Don’t Believe God Exists” -- It started simply enough. "I don't believe God exists", Mike the barber said in a matter of fact way. Continue reading
- The Resurrection – Lenten Week #7 - The Resurrection – Lenten Week #7: The Hero faces their final ordeal, the outcome of which is far more important than their own existence. If they fail, others will suffer. Ultimately, they succeed, and emerge cleansed and reborn. How did the meaning of the Resurrection first occur to you? What difference does the Resurrection make in how you live your life?What transformations or resurrections have you had? Have you ever felt reborn? What have you learned about yourself along your journey of these 40 days? What part of the purification process would you prefer never to repeat? Continue reading
- The Shepherd’s Touch - The Shepherd's Touch: You can learn quite a bit about a person by looking at the friends they have, but probably nothing about their relation with God. Really? I think the reverse may very well be true. Look at those that God was close to: Abraham who "pimped" his wife. Then there is Jacob who cheated his brother. On the list of 'friends' were at least two murderers, Moses and David. Incidentally, David was also an adulterer. Each of these has their place in God's lessons. Oh, and so do we. We are all part of God's creation, least we forget. Philip Yancey in his book, The Bible Jesus Read, reminds us that we live in an era that has viewed our planet from the perspective of a spacecraft, looking like a tiny globe of blue and green suspended in the vastness of the universe. Which may cause us to wonder if we mattered at all. In the array of all that God has created, how can we be an object of value at all in the universe? Continue reading
- The True Heart of God - The True Heart of God: I read the passage from Isaiah and I couldn’t help but think of all the heart-break at our nation’s border, crowded with the oppressed from other nations, children separated from their parents, seeking a better life. One broken heart after another, each an individual human crisis and yet, taken together, we seem to have chaos. A problem of massive proportions, yet one for which we must find a blessed solution. That passage is part of a vision of Isaiah about Judah regarding their wickedness – our wickedness? The second passage reflected Judah’s efforts to honor God through sacrifices, offerings, and prayers. But without behavior that reflected God’s will, His Word was “I am not listening.” God desired them to turn from their wickedness, just like He desires for us to turn from our wickedness of attitude, lack of compassion and limited justice. God has given us a ‘road-map’ to His true heart in verse 17: Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Continue reading
- Second Law - Second Law: Deuteronomy. What do you know about Deuteronomy? Maybe the Ten Commandments? Anything else? How about this: Deuteronomy is the last of the five books of Moses, the Pentateuch (which Jews call the Torah). Philip Yancey calls it, “The grand summation, the first full blown oratory in the Bible, Moses’s final words to the children of Israel.” Other theologians call it the “Second Law”. But it is more than the Ten Commandments. Think about this, after 40 torturous years, the Israelites, more than 1 million people, are waiting at the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, and their leader, the oldest survivor of the exodus, would not be allowed to enter. This was a nation on the verge of establishing itself, but how does one do that without the main leader? Sure, Joshua was hand-picked for that role, yet what was the plan? In our modern era, we have seen that same scenario play out multiple times. Over the centuries, wars have disrupted organized governments, often removing the old leadership and requiring reorganization. In Europe, it changed the make-up of countries, borders, and unlikely leaders stepped up. Continue reading
- Life of Faith - Life of Faith: A week ago, March 19, Oswald Chambers had an exceptional devotional on faith, drawn from Abraham’s life. He made several pronouncements, that were revealing to me. For example: “Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led.” I was thinking about that statement, trying to understand it, but another thought stuck its sharp elbows into the discussion – My will. How often do we resolved to follow our Lord without question, only to be side-tracked by our own desires, wishes and plans? Tell me, how willing are we to take the idol that we worship to the mountain and sacrifice it, send it up in smoke? Maybe it means seriously reordering your priorities; prayerfully considering where the Lord is leading you, and letting Him determine what is important. Continue reading
- Prayer for our Loved Ones - A Prayer for our Loved Ones: Sometimes songwriters get it right, striking a responsive chord to the ear and to the heart. Sometimes when you listen to the words carefully they speak to you in ways that is hard to explain. To me, the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s song, Forever Young, has a sacred tone, I prayerful statement that goes beyond the nature of a popular song. Dylan has been a prolific songwriter and so many of his songs seem to have thread of faith running through them, songs like “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, “Together through Life” and “Fallen Angels”. The lyrics of such songs speak to a man steeped in his faith. Read through the words of this song, as if prayerfully dedicating the blessings to your loved ones, little ones and the not so little. The meaning is clear, and the thread of faith runs true. May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung May you stay forever young. Continue reading
- The Road Back - The Road Back – Lenten Week #6: The hero has committed to completing the journey at accepted that they may never return to their ordinary world. Have you ever returned from an ordeal as a changed person? How were you received? Were you able to maintain the new you or did you find yourself being pressured to become who you once were? After a life changing event, familiar relationships either anchor hold change us. how do you stay true to your new self? What does it mean to you, specifically, to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, follow Christ and lose your life? Continue reading
- Preach? - Preach? When you read scripture and you come across the phrase, “Preach the word!” Do you have a reaction to that phrase? You know, like, I have not been called to preach, that is not my calling, that is nothing that I am able to do. Sometimes when we are confronted with the difficult, when we claim that we aren’t qualified, we are ignoring the fact that our Lord has equipped us in many subtle ways to be messengers of his Word. Messenger, one who shares a message, maybe not preaching, but simply living His message. You don’t originate the message, but you have been given the message throughout your life. When you embrace Christ as Lord and Savior, it is reflected in the way you live your life, you are, thus, sharing the message of Christ. Continue reading
