pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Monthly Archives: October 2014


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God’s Mighty, Loving Hands

Sometimes a situation or a conflict can become so consuming that we lose sight of God and our faith.  We allow ourselves to be lost in the trial and forget our God who can and wants to save us.  Like Moses, when he came down the mountain and found the people worshipping the idol, we too can lash out and allow our frustrations to rule us.

But God calls us to be faithful to Him and wants us to go to Himself first all of the time.  God so loves us and seeks to have the most intimate relationship we can muster up.  God longs for us to think of and go to Him in both the good times and in the times of trial.  He wants to just pour strength and guidance into us to lead us through those times when we are angry or frustrated or perplexed.

Despite all of this, we still fail now and then.  We still seek to solve it or to work it out on our own.  But soon enough we are on our knees.  Having borne all we can bear, we  turn to Him.  Without condemnation and without judgment, God comes to our side.  And when the crisis has passed, we wonder why we did not turn to God at the beginning.  (I bet God wonders this too.)  Yet as we grow in our faith, we learn to turn sooner.  We come to learn that it is ALL in God’s mighty. loving hands all of the time.  May we all learn to make God our first stop.

Scripture reference: Exodus 34: 1-12


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Teach Them Well

I’ve heard that when people have an experience where they think they are going to die, that their life flashes before their eyes.  At times with those near to death, they often reminisce about their lives as the end draws near.  Even after death, at funerals we tell stories and share about a life well-lived.  We are wired to be connectional and relational and this process of remembering our past brings comfort. peace, and often strength.

The process of remembering and retelling also serves to help the next generation.  So we must not limit this gift to end of life moments.  When we share our lives and experiences, we can teach the young people in our midst.  Our stories of faith and life lived as a believer can strengthen and encourage them.  It may even give them a model to follow or an example to look upon as then navigate through life.

From the beginning, God directed the parents to instruct their children in His ways.  They were to write His word on the doorposts of their homes, to write it upon the hearts and minds of their children, to carry it in little boxes tied to their foreheads and forearms.  This charge is the same for us.  May we too be diligent in teaching our children and young people about Christ and what it means to live as a Christian.

Scripture reference: Deuteronomy 34: 1-12


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Eye on the Prize

In Matthew 22 the religious leaders come to Jesus with a question about paying taxes.  On one level it is a silly question – of course taxes belong to Caesar.  It is like asking a Christian is they believe in God.  The basic answer to both questions is pretty obvious, but if we dig a little deeper see complexities and more questions arise.

We all have certain people in authority over us.  The government is usually the final authority in civic matters.  To this day we pay taxes and obey the laws.  Unless a law conflicts with our faith.  Most of us are employees and have bosses and managers above us in the work environment and we must follow their decisions and directions.  Unless a policy or directive violates our beliefs.  In our homes many of us have parents or a spouse in whom some authority rests.  We uphold our responsibilities and follow norms here too – unless there is an abuse of power or something else that runs counter to our faith.

God is ultimately in control and we owe our allegiance to Him alone.  Yet our reality is that we live in the here and now and to a limited extent that determines some of our choices.  As a Christian, we live in a delicate balance – living as a good member of society, work, and family while using our faith as the first decision pont in matters of conflict.  We are citizens of two worlds, the earthly and the heavenly.  May we be good members of both groups.  Yet may we ultimately and always keep our eyes on the prize for which we are called heavenly.

Scripture reference: Matthew 22: 15-22


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Conversing with God

In Exodus 33 Moses asks to see God.  His request seems almost foreign to me at first.  But as I thought about it, then it made a little more sense.

In many ways our relationship with God is very personal and private.  We have our times of study and devotions, our times of prayer.  In these moments we come to know God more and come to know Him more intimately.  We seek His guidance, direction, and will for our lives.  On some days, His presence is tangible to us – perhaps as we go intensely in prayer before Him.   Sometimes we may also experience His presence in a worship experience at church, but often that is private in a sense too.  At times we can even experience a type of interaction as the Holy Spirit nudges or prompts us.

Yet I have not felt like I actually need to see God – not just yet anyway!  But Moses wanted to see God.  Their relationship was different though.  Moses and God had actual conversations and even argued from time to time.  I think this type of relationship would be great – talking with God in a real sense.  Moving beyond praying to God to praying or talking with God would be amazing.  So in this Moses provides us a glimpse of a deeply intense relationship with God.  May all of our faiths grow to become worthy of an actual conversation with our creator.

Scripture reference: Exodus 33: 17-23


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Thankful for Each

In 1st Thessalonians, Paul begins the letter by thanking them for their faith and the community that exists between them.  For Paul it is all about the relationships – the ones between the people and God, the one between them and Paul himself, and the ones the people share with each other.  Paul is thankful for both the people and the many relationships that they have.

I too am thankful for the people of my church and the relationships that exist.  The relationships are what bind us together.  Through their willingness to be present and to offer what they can, we see the value of the community and the relationships that undergird it.  I can think of many specific people who offer themselves on Sundays – as singers, players, greeters, servers, reading, praying.  I can think of others who offer of themselves as teachers, shepherds, drivers, cleaners, leaders of areas of ministry.  I can think of many who volunteer at the day center for the homeless and needy – making a difference in people’s lives as they form relationships and offer what they can.

Each of these folks have a relationship with each other, with the body as a whole, and with God.  Every single one matters and all are essential.  Who in your community of faith are you thankful for?  What relationships do you value?

Prayers of blessing upon each one and upon their continuing, growing relationships with each other and with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Prayers also that He remain the cornerstone and foundation today and forevermore!!

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10


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God Is…

God is like… a king!  No – no king has ever loved their people as much as God loves us.  God is like… a president!  No, God is absolute and forever – leaders come and go on a pretty regular basis.  God is like… a dictator!  No, God overflows with mercy and compassion and kindness.  God is like… God!

In many ways we fail to understand God and His ways.  But this is mostly when we try to “figure God out”.  Too grapple with why this happens or why that doesn’t happen is next to impossible.  Yet in very tangible and real ways we can feel God’s presence, sense His love, feel truly forgiven and cleansed of our sins, and so on.  God is certainly a God we can experience.  Our worship and praise is our outpouring of love back to the God who reigns over all.

In Christ we come to know God in the flesh and we see how we are to live out God’s love, mercy, forgiveness.. with our fellow man.  With our holy Lord, we stand for justice, we meet the needs of our brothers and sisters, and we share our faith with each other and with the lost.  God is a God we can share.

Scripture reference: Psalm 99


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Called to the Same Standard

In Matthew 22 Jesus answers the Pharisees’ question about taxes by says to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.  It is a concept we follow to this day.  Like it or not, we realize that paying taxes is a necessary thing to keep schools open, roads maintained, police and such on duty…

Jesus also says to give to God what is God’s.  Hmmm…  Isn’t everything God’s?  Technically speaking, if He created all of this, isn’t it all His?  And this leads to the questions of how do we give to God and how much do we give to God?  Do we go with the 10% tithe idea or do we give all of ourselves to God?  Hard questions.

In Jesus, we see the goal.  He gave his all for us.  In his daily life, Jesus loved all he encountered, meeting the right where they were at, offering them what he could.  We are called to the same standard.  Ultimately He took the cross and death for our sins.  What more could He give?  In the end, Jesus continued to meet us where we were at and offered what he could – himself.  To paraphrase John Wesley, may we too seek to do all the good we can for all those that we can in all of the times that we can.

Scripture reference: Matthew 22: 15-22


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Mental Notes

Do you watch other people and make mental notes or observations?  Do you listen to the words they speak, watch the decisions they make, and pay attention to who they hang out with?  I do all the time.  I think most people do too.

In 1st Thessalonians Paul is commenting them for the example the people in the church are setting – joyful is suffering, open to Christ’s leading, ready to help others in need.  They are a model of what faith should look like in Paul’s eyes.  They are a model for us as well.

How many of the people that we will encounter today will not be Christians?  Statistically speaking, it will be a significant number.  For many non-believers we are the only ‘Bible’ they will read today, tomorrow, and so on.  As they look at our choices and decisions, as they hear our words, as they judge our actions… will they see Christ?  As they watch how we treat the server in line or the stranger at the subway station, will they see Christ?  May we live each moment for our Lord so that all may have the opportunity to meet Him in us today.

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 1: 4-10


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The Relationship

In Exodus 33 God decides to take a little break from the Israelites.  He tells Moses that an angel will accompany them instead.  But Moses does not like the plan.  Its kinda like having Michael Jordan on your team and him telling you he’s sending his four-year-old niece instead next game.

For Moses, it is about that personal relationship he has with God and also about the corporate relationship the people have with God.  The relationship is with God, not an angel.  To Moses, no substitute will do.  An angel instead?  No thanks.

Put in the same situation, we should react the same way.  Today we view God as three ‘parts’ of one person – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Our personal faith is tied to God.  This relationship is the one thing that determines how we live our life.  Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Our faith grows as our relationships with God deepens and we in turn become a greater part of the community as well.

As a community of faith, we are also bound up in this same relationship.  How we live as a community of faith is determined by our relationship with God as well.  And in the community of faith we find support, encouragements, correction, and learning.   We honor Jesus’ second command most often as a community – to love neighbor as self.  As a body of believers we are intertwined and interconnected not only with each other, but also with the greater world outside our church walls.

Scripture reference: Exodus 33: 12-23


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Come Here!

Whenever we enter into a relationship, we assume the expectations and requirements of that particular relationship.  If it is a work relationship we know to show up on time, to work hard, to be productive.  If it is a marriage relationship we know we should love, honor, cherish, and serve our spouse.  If it is a friendship we know to be honest, supportive , encouraging, and so on.

When we choose to enter into discipleship and that covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, we go in knowing the expectations and requirements.  And like all relationships there is a growth component to our relationship with Christ.  And also like all relationships there are days and times when we stumble, when we fail.

Maybe at work we occasionally check our Facebook page.  Maybe at home we offer an unkind word.  Maybe we ignore a friend because we think our own situation deserves more attention.

Yet our relationship with Jesus is different than these others too.  At some point the boss, our spouse, or our friend may say they are done with us.  Christ never does.  Having walked this earth He knows our struggles.  His compassion and mercy never fail.  He is the one person who will never say “I am done with you”.  Each and every time we stumble and fail, when we get back up and look to Jesus, He says “Come here “.  Always.

Scripture reference: Matthew 22: 1-14