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- Psalm 46 - Psalm 46: Martin Luther had a great saying about Psalm 46 when he was in great distress. He said, “Let us sing the forty-sixth psalm in concert; and then let the devil do his worst.” Look at the passage, Psalm 46, broken into four pieces, and each piece has a familiar ring to it, on its own. Here the poet begins with God’s provision. He looked to God for help in difficult times and found it. He will not fear, even as he faced difficulties in his life that seemed overwhelming. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. Now there is a verse that really preaches. Streams of living water making glad, even joyful, all those who worship the one true God. Continue reading
- Ash Wednesday - Ash Wednesday: Lectio Divina? What is that? First of all, the phrase is Latin. You can probably figure this out, especially if you have any Catholic leanings. Divina would be divine or Holy. Lectio looks like the word lectionary, or reading of the Word. So, Lectio Divina means “divine reading”, or Holy Reading in Latin. It is actually more than a simple reading, it’s a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is saying to us, the focus of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday. Continue reading
- Every Good Thing - Every Good Thing: It’s hard to realize that this song, this Psalm 34, was written by David at a time when he had fled for his life out of the clutches of Saul and the Philistines, and took refuge in a cave where many other desperate men had joined him. The Message version of this passage reads like one giving their faith testimony to others, maybe those who gathered in the cave. He is also speaking to us when we’re confronted with trouble, adversity, sadness, and tells us to be joyful, to call on the Lord, to give him a hopeful smile, and to realize that we belong to Him. Continue reading
- Box of Rocks? - A Box of Rocks? We think we’re so smart. We think we’re so reverent, so dedicated to our Lord. Perhaps we work ourselves into exhaustion, doing our good deeds. We tell ourselves we are working for the Lord, and fashion our own direction and purposes. In my imagination, I see God of the Universe, sitting on his throne, watching over us, ruefully smiling and shaking His great head, and thinking our loud -- Dumb as a box of rocks! They think they’re doing my will but they’re missing the point. They take my Word, the rock of their salvation, and then take their chisel of their own desires and comforts to fashion what they think is my will. Come to think of it, I wonder if a box of rocks is smarter. I’ve got more teaching to do. Continue reading
- Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy: When someone brings up the matter of hypocrisy, does our mind wander to other people, our acquaintances, maybe we look around the congregation. As we look to others, do we consider our own maybe prideful mind and, in honesty, conclude that there are times when that label has fit. The mirror is very revealing, and the truth is hard to duck. Could it be said that in our Christian walk we are sometimes critical of those who don’t seem to be responding as we understand how Christ would have us respond. Are we judging? Continue reading
- Really Good Reads - Really Good Reads: Want a good read? I mean a really good read, one that stretches you, that opens your faith. I know you read all different kids of books for entertainment, for knowledge, to gain information for a project you are working on. I know because I’m in one of those people. However, I’m talking about really good reads, I would define as ‘faith-blessed’. Really good books that might be recommended by your pastor, when you asked “What are the great classics of Christian literature? I came across a list of faith reads that was compiled in 1989 by a group of us attending a weekend retreat. Continue reading
- Sing a New Song - Sing a New Song: Ever have your heart so full of joy that it seems you can’t stop singing, or humming or even dancing? You want to shout, “I feel goooood!” You can say that you were happy, but it’s more than that, far more than that. The Psalmist tells us to sing to the Lord a new song. I think at the very heart of our joy is the knowledge we have been invited to come to Him and he gives us rest. How do we do that? How do we lay down our worries, our fears, the sense of uncertainty about the future, and replace it with a light burden, that brings gladness to our lives, which is what our Lord has promised? Continue reading
- Being There - Being There: The Christian life is not one of competing for a trophy, rather it is one of involvement, of loving others. It is Christ honoring interaction with other people that allows us to be rooted in the light of God‘s Word. It is participating in the walk of Christ. If, as children of God, our role is to love others and encourage them to do the same, then we have to display that loving spirit, we have to be present, demonstrating that love is more than just a verbal expression, we are to love by Word, by deed, and by being there. Continue reading
- The Loophole - The Loophole: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Did you get that, he is faithful and just? He lives up to his side of the bargain, and in the transaction, there is an expectation, but if you’re going to follow him, it’s with everything. God is faithful and just and he forgives our sins, and he cleans us from unrighteousness, but our role is in that first phrase of Verse 9, if we confess our sins to him. The choice is ours; the decision is ours. There is the loophole. There is the escape clause. Continue reading
- Your Good Intentions - Your own good intentions: You sit in church every Sunday. Good for you. You have read through the Bible multiple times. Good for you. You tithe 10%, just like God has told you. Good for you. How’s your scorecard looking? Are you there yet? Do you have enough points? Have you earned your ticket to heaven? What’s happening within our hearts when we sit in the pew, and we gaze at the cross? What thoughts go through our minds when we meditate on what the cross truly means? What a sacrifice, what a price to pay for us! Continue reading
- No Matter the Cost? - No Matter the Cost? Would you sell your good name for a bowl of chili? What if you were starving, then? What if the chili were known as the best in the whole world, then? How about if it’s the only way you can save your life, would you sell it then? Is our spiritual birthright, ‘Child of God’, more precious to us than the name we were given at our birth by our parents? Is it? Peter was really dedicated to his Lord, and clearly stated that he would follow him to the death, but then, when the chips were down and the opportunity extended, Peter chose to save his own hide. Are you a Peter? Continue reading
- The Power of Christ - The Power of Christ: We often hear that faith is a decision, and some elements of living our lives certainly rest with our deciding one way or another on a matter. But faith through which we are saved is a free gift of God. We become children of God not through our good works, our best efforts, or services we render to others, our salvation is a gift from God and entirely based upon His grace. Continue reading
- I Shoulda… - I Shoulda: What, you ask, is a ‘shoulda’? A ‘shoulda’ in your life are all those times when the Lord has led you to a point where you have an opportunity to live what you believe and do the right thing, but instead you turned your back and walked away. Or perhaps there were other times when you watered down your faith so as not to ‘offend’ those listening or those you wish to impress. I ‘shoulda’ done this or a ‘shoulda’ done that, or I 'shouda' done something. A ‘shoulda’follows doing nothing and is a sign of sin. Continue reading
- In Christ Alone - In Christ Alone: The Apostle Paul wrote to his friends, the Christians in Philippi, from his Roman house arrest as he waited for his court appearance before Caesar. It had been ten years since Paul and Silas had founded the church in Philippi, during his second missionary journey. This was the first church established on the continent of Europe, and it is obvious from this letter that as he considers this congregation, it brings him joy. One might say that when Paul prayed for the Philippians, he became happy. It is remarkable to see that Paul’s first reference to his own feelings or frame of mind in this letter is that of joy – though he wrote from as a prisoner facing possible execution. This is Paul’s great singing letter. Continue reading
- Blood Sport - Blood Sport: On any given weekend, stadiums, throughout the world, are packed to capacity with rabid fans, totally dedicated to their teams throughout the NFL, major and minor league baseball, Soccer, college and community sports. Occasionally, you hear stories of riots breaking out and blood being shed. In the ancient world, human life was regarded as cheap and as result death was considered a commodity of the “sport” of gladiatorial fights. It’s hard for us to imagine that these fights to the death with so popular and people were disappointed if they were deprived of their weekend executions! Martin Luther King, Jr., in our own time, would say that “the man who has found nothing to die for is not fit to live.” Throughout the history of Christianity, ordinary people have found something to die for in Christ. Continue reading
- Purposeful Intimacy - Purposeful Intimacy: As you read the proverbs passage there is an expectation of hope. When you associate with those of character and love, you are more likely to embrace those qualities. The same thing applies if you associate with those of low character, who may lack honesty, then you are more likely to embrace those ‘qualities’. The logic makes sense to me. It’s not Simply being around wise people or smart people that makes a person wiser, smarter, gentle, or compassionate. Continue reading
- He Speaks to Me - He Speaks to Me: A voice from heaven? Is that what those gathered along the Baptism River heard? The Holy Spirit speaking loud enough for all to hear, declaring that this man, this Jesus who was just baptized, “is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.“ Had you been there to witness this divine event, what would you have thought? How does God speak to you? He does you know. Is it in a voice so loud that even those nearby could hear? Probably not. Does he speak in Latin or Greek or Hebrew? Maybe, or Spanish, Chinese, or Hindi? Or, does he use a gentle whisper? Continue reading
- Heart Disease - Heart Disease: Twenty-eight years ago, while on a tour in Europe, I had a heart attack and ended up in a Belgian hospital for eight days before I was sent home to my cardiologist. You can imagine that over these many years I have been more attentive to the condition of my heart. That’s one kind of heart condition, but there’s another that may be of greater importance in our day-to-day lives than the beating of our hearts. It’s the condition of our spiritual heart, and our attentiveness to the directions the Spirit provides. Continue reading
- Help Me, Lord - Help Me, Lord: Have you up ever reached the end of your rope, the end of your hope, do you know about down by worry or adversity, and cried out to the Lord for help? Or maybe, occasionally awake in the morning feeling just a little grey, not sure what the day will bring, and that sense of worry persists until I come to the Lord in prayer? You find His hand, and you find His peace and you are better able to face the day. Someone has said “God always answers our prayers, either by giving us what we ask for or by giving us something even better.” Continue reading
- Fear, Change and Love - Fear, Change and Love: Too often the need for change comes upon us suddenly, without warning. An unexpected diagnosis, the sudden loss of a job. We quickly run through the stages of denial until we are faced with the reality that something we never expected, something we resist with every part of our being, is happening or must be done. We often miss the important part of being a friend to the hurting one. Reaching out, being there, communicating support. Maybe we are reminded of a line from the Bible, , I was sick and you looked after me, and you realized that meant you. Continue reading
