Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- Jesus, the Church, and You - Jesus, the Church, and You: Churches throughout country seem to be failing when viewed through the perspective of numbers, memberships, attendance. We look for reasons everywhere. My own church has changed drastically over the years. From two services, nearly at full seating capacity, to our current attendance of 30 or less. And we wonder. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius says to Brutus, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” Ourselves? No, no, no, we aren’t the cause of churches struggling. Not us, we are in the pews. Must be something else, right? Continue reading
- Deep Dark December - Deep Dark December: December has a mixed reputation, grey and cold standing in contrast to the joy of the coming of the Christ child and our celebration of Christmas. Although, even in the happiness of this season for some the loneliness is magnified and the sense of sorrow grows darker and deeper. Even John the Baptist, a most significant figure in this story of salvation, when things got tough and the future looked bleak, those thoughts, dark and cold, encroach, “Are you the One to come, or is there another?” How do you answer the question: Is Jesus the One? Continue reading
- Wrapped Gifts - Wrapped Gifts: In a recent devotional in My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers uses the phrase “My rainbow in the cloud.” While he was not specifically referencing forgiveness, that was the first thought that came to my mind. I saw the rainbow as if it were a “lamp unto my feet”, a calming of storms in my life, that overwhelming sense of relief when a fear that we had entertained, was fully and completely removed. In our prayer life, we often load up our requests to God with all kinds of thoughts, ideas, ‘asks’ for healing, for mending, for overcoming. But I wonder if that is the human’s way of being unfaithful, or at the very least, ungrateful. Continue reading
- Being a Friend - Being a Friend: He met me in the quiet village street — And stopped and stood and talked a while — Did lend himself entire to me. Moments Raced by! He taught me how to be a Friend. Isn’t that a beautiful and blessed piece of poetry. How do you teach that? What are the nuances of that process that results in learning that Grace? Who were your models growing up? Were you aware of the affect they were having on you? How have you passed those on? Whether we are conscious of them are not we do pass on both the good and the bad, the language and the habits, our little idiosyncrasies, speech mannerisms, and on down a very long list, all of which get passed on in one form or another to those who look up to us, who have counted on us. Continue reading
- And Along Came John - And Along Came John: This is where John enters the Christmas storyline, and then fits nicely into his new name, The Baptist. It’s a name that he earns even to martyrdom. It is a familiar story for us, for we all know that Jesus and John the Baptist knew each other since childhood. John, when he grew up, embarked on a very special kind of mission, to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Jesus himself grew to manhood, left the carpenter’s bench and went off into the Jordan Valley where he was baptized by John. And so His story of ministry began. So it was that John the Baptist’s message was “Repent,” a message that is sometimes misunderstood. Continue reading
- To Know God! - To Know God! Several months ago, Oswald Chambers’ devotional started with this: “We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there.” I know that we all have those moments that we treasure, remembrances we call to mind and find that sense of amazement is still fresh. Maybe it was a sunset, or a special event in your life, an unexpected grace that just astounded you. Why is that? I believe it is the Glory of God being revealed to us and through all of creation. Continue reading
- Getting Our Steps In - Getting Our Steps In: Yesterday I got over 4500 steps in before 11 a.m.. Two or three times a week I’m at the fitness center where one of my gauges are those steps. As we read through scripture, there's a lot of ‘walking’ being done and in my crazy sense of human humor, I wonder how many steps they recorded daily? Is that sacrilegious? Then I got serious and thought that maybe ‘steps’ is not a bad way to think about our walk with the Lord. Maybe our conversation with God at the end of the day should be a review of those times when we chose steps that took us away from the will of God. Continue reading
- The Advent of Advent - Advent: "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I believe that Bonhoeffer was an exceptional theologian and Pastor, and a man of great courage and depth. So much of his writings have broadened my understanding of Christianity. But his statement on Advent, well, I don’t know exactly what to do with it, or to fully understand it. Continue reading
- Borrowed Thoughts on Thankfulness - Borrowed Thoughts on Gratitude: Invocation by A. W. Tozer -- Arise, O Lord into Your proper place of honor, above our ambitions, above our likes and dislikes, above even the family, and our health, even above our lives. Let us decrease that You may increase, let us sink that You may rise above. Ride forth upon us as You did ride into Jerusalem mounted on a humble donkey and let us hear the little children cry to You, “Hosanna in the highest”. Amen. Continue reading
- A Day of Thanks - A Day of Thanks: Don’t miss the question. 17 Jesus asked, “Has no one returned to give glory to God? The German mystic and philosopher, Meister Eckhert, once wrote: “If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that will suffice.” I think we underestimate the importance of the ‘thank you’. The acknowledgment of a gift given, assistance provided, support extended, or simply friendship that has no qualifications, it’s just always there. Continue reading
- God of All Grace - God of All Grace: How do you view God? Is he the God that is always there? Is he the God that never leaves you? Is he the God that leads you by his strong right hand? In other words, is he the God of the here and now and forever? I wonder if we spend so much of our time with God, concentrating on the grace of eternal life in our worship, through scripture readings, communion, and offering prayers, while we ignore the frequent moments of our every day life, filled with graces that floats to us through our faith in Jesus Christ? Gods graces not only carries us into eternal life, a future orientation, but also prepares us, matures us, and strengthens us to meet today’s challenges, sorrows, and pains. Continue reading
- Made to Worship - Made to Worship: Who is worthy of your worship? Who receives your worship? If we follow the trail of where we spend our money and time, we likely arrive at a few things we worship. Where does this trail lead you? Perhaps things show up like entertainment, achievement, technology, clothing or food. Any of these things can become “the forbidden fruit” of our relationship with God. It is how we use the innovations of our time and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that speaks to whether we are enslaved to them as idols, or a slave to Christ. God is able to use all these tools for his glory, and he has chosen to do it through our hearts that are surrendered to Jesus. The Internet cannot atone for your sins. The credentials you hold do not qualify you for grace. Worship Christ, he alone is worthy. Continue reading
- A 40-Day Fast? - A 40-Day Fast?: What an interesting topic, and just a week before Thanksgiving. Have you ever been on a fast, a true fast? You know, multiple days with no solid food, only liquids. Jesus’ Ministry begins with 40 days in the Judean wilderness, a vast grassland.His time in the wilderness is a time of searching. He knows that he has a special, God-given purpose.Here in this desolate place he is tempted by Satan. The magnitude of 40 days without food brought him to a point where Satan tempted him to use his power to find something to eat, turn these stones into bread. He answered the temptation with “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” Continue reading
- Never Give Up - Never Give Up: Without dredging up some of the less comfortable thoughts and feelings that we had during our time deep in the recesses of the pandemic, I think we would agree that we learned some things from that experience. Maybe we now place a higher value on social interaction, or perhaps we learned something about pacing ourselves, and considering the welfare of others. Somehow, despite what we have learned, our tendency is still to push ahead on our own limited strengths, and, when our reserves are exhausted, only then will we trust God. Often it is the dark times of our lives that brings us to the door where Jesus stands, waiting... Continue reading
- Ice Cream and Faith - Ice Cream and Faith: When I was a child, it seemed that the only time we would have ice cream would be on birthdays. It was like a ritual. Father would leave on a ‘mystery errand’ to Isalys Ice Creamery, down the hill in Steubenville, OH. And, in truth, even though we knew, it was a surprise because we rarely had ice cream, that first taste was a surprise! Taste and see that the Lord is good happens to each us along this road of faith that we follow, in the footsteps of the Carpenter/Lord. Maybe that first amazing taste of radiant joy came when we first met Jesus the Christ in the midst of a born-again experience and realized that we were cleansed, and our sins forgiven. Maybe your first taste came during a Curisillo weekend, and you left those few days walking on air. Continue reading
- Fear of The Lord - Fear of The Lord: Do you threads running through must of New Testament scripture? The presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us, the reassurance, the need to fear God in the sense of reverencing Him, and finally, I am with you always… We each have concerns about the future and too often those 'concerns' turn into fear and worry. It is easy to love the God that saves us, but much harder to trust God who asks us to undertake the difficult. To follow commands that raise the standards to our Christian life, that expresses expectations that take us out of our comfort zone and puts us on the high ledge where God says, “Come, follow me.” Continue reading
- Spelling Mistakes - Spelling Mistakes: The Christian church does not have a good track record with our own “spelling mistakes”. You might call it “majoring in minors”, but one only must look at the nearly 50,000+ different "flavors" of Christianity scattered around the world, splinters of the church of Jesus Christ, that have broken out because of the color of carpet, the naming of a room, the matter of baptism, and who is able to take communion, and how. Too often the church is seen as a political action group or has only a singular purpose to worship the Lord in strict religious ceremonies, rather than get hands dirty, by being led by the Holy Spirit. Step outside the church. Think of yourself as a child of God, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the singular purpose God has given you, personally. Continue reading
- Where’s the Hope? - Where's the Hope? Paul reminds us that though we may be at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of hope! Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us. Hoping in God does not come naturally for sinners like us. We must tell ourselves every day, preach it to ourselves forcefully, or we risk losing the Joy of the Lord each day, and give way to worry and a disquieted spirit. Again, God never abandons us. That is the foundation of our hope. Praise the Lord! Continue reading
- Embracing Trouble - Embracing Trouble: I am going to prepare a place for you: Love prepares a welcome. With love, expectant parents prepare a room for the baby. With love, the hostess prepares for her guests. Jesus prepares a place for His people because He loves them and is confident of their arrival. Jesus tells the disciples (and us) “I am going…”, referring to His own planning and initiative. He wasn’t taken to the cross; He went there. The disciples thought that His death was an unforeseen calamity. Christ taught them that it was the path of His own planning. But, His disciples still felt His departure like torture. And it was then that He consoled them with the simple and glorious “You believe in God, believe also in Me”. Continue reading
- Setting Myself Aside - Setting Myself Aside: How about this -- In the book of John Jesus tells us “A new covenant I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” I wonder if anyone could love as He loves us without Him in our lives. Think about it, unless we have an intimate relationship with Jesus, I mean every day and every day, how can we possibly understand the fullness of what he is asking us, no, commanding us to do. That would be practice, practice, practice. Continue reading
