pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Author Archives: pastorjohnb


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Extend His Love

God offers a covenant to David that is not contingent upon what David or his descendants do.  God promises His faithfulness and love to David and his descendants no matter what they do.  This is an extravagant promise.  God acknowledges that if the sons sin, there will be consequences.  In doing so God recognizes that the human side of the relationship or covenant will at times fail.  But God will remain steadfast.

Human relationships are dynamic and often fluid.  People we were once friends with are no longer close to us.  Others will come to occupy our time and interest for a season.  Some friendships last a lifetime.  Even in marriage, where forever is our intent starting out, some of these relationships come to an end.  Human relationships are affected by so many things; change is often the norm.  And as we are humans, at times we fail.  This can be fatal to some of our relationships.

Through Jesus we are connected into the covenant God made with David and his descendants.  As sons and daughters of Jesus Christ, we too are heirs to this steadfast and unchanging love that God offers.  Our claim to the love of God begins the covenant relationship between God and each of us.  At some point we recognize that love and choose to enter into a relationship with God the creator.

Even though at times we too will fail in this relationship, His love will never fail.  God’s love never fails.  As we come to know this unfailing love more and more, we too begin to share this love with others.  We extend His love.  This is our grateful response to God’s love.  Love generously today.

Scripture reference: Psalm 89: 20-37


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In God’s Presence

God is really big.  He is the creator of all that is in the world.  God continues to create new life, new experiences, and new discoveries.  God has a hand on and in all life, in nature, and in the physical world.  In spite of how vast God and His reach are, at times we think we can control or dictate to God.  We cannot.

Perhaps it is because God allows us to have free will that we feel this authority and power.  Perhaps it is because God placed humankind as stewards over all creation that we feel in charge.  Perhaps it is because God enabled us with the ability to reason and make decisions that we feel we should.  Yet it is through a relationship with God that we should exercise our free will, our stewardship, and our decision-making.  It is within this relationship with God that we were intended to live.

Despite the omnipotence and omnipresence of God, at times we pretend He is not there.  We ignore a temptation or give in to sin or we compartmentalize an area of our life and live as if God did  not exist.  But God is not just in our churches, He is everywhere.  He is a constant presence in our lives and in our world.

It is natural for us to acknowledge and live within God’s presence all of the time.  A close relationship is what God most desires from each of us.  Just as we are intimately known, God wants us to grow to know Him intimately as well.  When our efforts focus on His presence in our lives and in the world, we live a life that is truly blessed.  We see God is so many people, places, and experiences.  We are made to live in step with our creator.  This day may we all choose to walk closely with our God.

Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a


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Where You Lead

As peace settles in over David and he feels secure, he begins to ponder.  David has returned the ark to Jerusalem and he decides to build a home for God.  God has been ‘living’ in a tent ‘forever’ as far as Israel is concerned and David is in a palace, so building a house for God makes sense.  But not to God.

Through the prophet Nathan, God lets David know.  In a way it is another reality check for David.  It is a “let’s not forget who really is in charge” moment.  Through Nathan, David is reminded who it was that plucked him out of the shepherd’s field and who guided him to be king, leading David every step of the way.

Sometimes I fall into David’s trap too.  On my own I start planning the next great thing for our Youth or begin to write a sermon or whatever.  I don’t always seek God’s guidance through a time of prayer and discernment.  My first instinct is not always to let God lead.  But soon enough I too am reminded.  Soon enough I come to a roadblock or are somehow else stymied and I realize that I am out there alone.  If I could just always start with God and seek His plans and will first, then life would be so much better.

In trusting in God, I give Him control.  In allowing Him to lead, I follow His plan.  In my heart and soul I know He has a plan and that the plan is awesome and amazing and more than I could ever dream up.  Make me humble O Lord, that I may walk each day where You lead and do as Your Spirit directs.

Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a


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Alignment

David is often called a “man after God’s own heart”.  Although he had his moments of poor choices and bad decisions, in the end David always humbly came back to God seeking His forgiveness.  No matter how mighty or great he would become, David honored God’s call on his life in the end.  David recognized that he was just a small part of God’s plan.

David so desired to return the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem because it symbolized God’s presence with the people of Israel.  To live as a people of faith it is very important to have a sense of God’s presence nearby.  Corporately we gather for worship to gain a sense of God present with us.  Individually we can experience His presence in times of prayer and study as well as at times throughout the day as we feel God through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

David offers extravagant worship to God for allowing the ark to return.  He knew that all is simply better when life is lived in relationship with God and in alignment with His plans.  In this David is a great role model for us.  And like David, we too have a role to play in God’s grand plan for our world.

To live in alignment with this plan we must submit our will, our desires, our plans, our priorities to God’s.  We must align our goals with God’s goals for a world known for justice, love, peace, and grace.  As we live out our lives in alignment with God we bring healing and restoration to our world.  Each and every day as we live as a follower of Jesus Christ, we make a heavenly difference in the world.

Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 6: 12b-15


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Dancing with Might

David knew God needed to be at the heart of Israel’s worship so he gathered up 30,000 men and went to retrieve the ark of the covenant.  David brought the ark “home” to reside with the people and it brought great joy.  David’s heart was so moved that he danced with all his might before the Lord.   The song “Undignified” speaks of this – one lines days, “nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul.”

Of if I could just live my life that way!  To be passionately sold out for God and to joyously allow my love for Him to fill all I do… that would be life!  The song also says, “lay my pride by my side.”. This is where I get stuck.  I think others do too.  We let ourselves get in the way of truly worshiping and living for God.  All I need to do is lay my pride aside and allow God’s lead to be my guide.

I worry about the Michals in my life.  Michal is David’s wife and Saul’s daughter.  When she saw David dancing unrestrained before the ark, she despised him.  She was old-school, raised in religion, not in faith.  Her heart was hard towards this open, exuberant show of love for God.  She was dignified and proper.

The song begins, “I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my King.”. The verse ends with, “and I’ll become even more undignified than this”.  May I be like David – willing to live and dance with all my might for the Lord of my life and the salvation of all mankind.

Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 6: 1-5 and 12b-19


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The Question

Herod is a man who lived by manipulation, force, coercion.  He desperately wanted to be loved.  He worked at rebuilding the temple to curry favor from the Jews.  He went to great lengths to please his wife.  Guilt and self-doubt filled Herod.  When he hears stories of Jesus, he feared that John the Baptist had returned to judge him again.

Herod did not understand the world that John, and later Jesus, was trying to bring about.  Both John and Jesus experienced rejection and death because the rulers of the day would not hear their message of justice, peace, and love.  Both men willingly died to challenge the way the world was operating.  Both sought to bring the world shalom – the well-being of all, justice for all, equality for all people in all situations, and the blessings of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

In the world today I see people like Herod – driven by self-interests and greed.  Their priorities are far from those Jesus taught and died for.  In the world today I see many people who lack peace, justice, the basic necessities of life – things Jesus strove to bring to all people.  In the world today I see people who are suffering injustices and oppression – both in my hometown and throughout the world.

The question I must ask – the question all Christians must ask – is: what I am willing to do to bring this shalom to others?  It is a hard question.  But it is a question all Christians must not only wrestle with but one we must answer with how we live our lives.

Scripture reference: Mark 6: 14-16


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Conflict

No one likes conflict.  Often we avoid it.  Maybe we go the other way or we accept another’s idea.  Maybe we simply choose to not be involved or we remain silent.  Yet God calls us to stand against injustice, oppression, and all things evil.  He calls us to always do what is right.  In making these choices we can find ourselves in conflict.

John the Baptist found great conflict at the end of his life.  He spoke out against Herod marrying his own brother’s wife.  This angered her greatly.  It led to John’s arrest and eventually to his beheading.  John’s integrity would not allow him to remain silent.  John’s cost was much higher than any cost I may have to pay for following Jesus, but at times there are still costs.

Living as a follower of Jesus will at times put me in a place where I have to choose between silence and integrity.  This can be a hard choice.  When I am led by the Holy Spirit to speak and I choose to remain silent, I am less than I could be.  I am less than I am called to be.  In silence I sacrifice part of myself and my faith to avoid conflict.

But when I allow the Spirit to lead and I speak out against injustice or oppression or anything wrong or evil, then I am showing God’s ways and bringing His name honor.  When I speak hard words of truth to a friend, I am leading them back to living God’s alternative way.  In turn, I trust they will do the same when I have gone astray or made a poor choice.  Conflict is never easy, But God is always present, there to strengthen, to encourage, to lead, to comfort, and to love.

Scripture reference: Mark 6: 14-29


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Clean Hands, Pure Heart

The whole earth and all that is in it belong to God, the creator.  Psalm 24 beings by stating God’s claim to rule over all He made.  For us, as a people of God, His claim has significance and importance.  There are implications both personal and communal.

On a personal level the Lord is seeking those with clean hands and a pure heart.  To live with clean hands is to live a life of integrity.  It is a life that seeks to do good, to do no evil, and to honor God in all we do and say.  To live with a pure heart is to place God as Lord of our life.  We bow to no other god or idol – not to power or position or authority or jealousy or greed…

Psalm 24 also calls for us to open the gates of the city, to invite God in.  This means praying for God to be a part of our communities.  For example, a group of ministers from around our city gathered at a high place yesterday and prayed over our community.  It was a powerful experience to look down over our city and to pray for God’s presence to be made known.  We all can join together in our churches to pray for His presence to be in our churches and in our communities.

When we live with clean hands and a pure heart, we are blessed by God.  We proclaim His goodness and bring Him glory through our lives.  In doing so we help to manifest God’s rule over the whole earth.  This is how we shine the light for all to see.  In all we do, may we bring God the honor and glory that He is due.

Scripture reference: Psalm 24


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Each Day

Some of the challenges our world faces seem massive and insurmountable.  Some of the things that occur in our world seem so full of hate and evil that they are hard to comprehend.  When I think of myself against this backdrop, I feel small and powerless.  In these times I long for Christ’s return when He will make all things new and our new world will know no hate, no war, no pain, no injustice.

But as we look at our world today, sometimes we wonder where God is in the midst of all this or maybe we question how these things could be a part of His plan.  We begin to doubt.  In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians be opens by reminding them of God’s ultimate plan for the world as a means to counter the doubt beginning to rise in them.   Paul reminds them that all things in heaven and earth will be brought to wholeness and unity in Christ.  He also reminds them that they are part of God’s redeeming work in the world.  We too are part of this plan, part of His work.

I may not be able to end global hunger, but I can help feed hungry people in my community.  I may not be able to rid the world of evil, but I can work for justice and equality in this place.  Each of us can play our part in His plan.  The Holy Spirit will empower us to be difference makers in our little corners of God’s kingdom.  The Spirit also reminds us of our call as children of God and the Spirit works in and through us to hep bring God’s plan into being.  Each day we are closer to Christ’s return.  Each day we must live out our faith, knowing we each can make a difference for Christ.

Scripture reference: Ephesians 1: 9-14


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A Love So Great

To live the Christian life is becoming increasingly unique in our society.  All cultures evolve and change over time.  It is natural.  Today we find that the core values of society and Christianity no longer match up as well as they once did.  Currently the pendulum has swung away from ‘religion.’  The prevailing question for us and future Christians is will it swing back towards ‘faith’?

Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians with great words of encouragement.  He reminds them that God chose them as His children long ago.  He reminds them of the grace freely given.  He reminds them of the redemption from sin bought by Christ with His blood.  All of this is true for us as well.

Att times it is hard to live as a Christian in a post-Christian society.  People without faith will question why we choose to not do some things and are puzzled by other things we do.  Not pursuing the things of this world draws curiosity and offering acts of mercy invites questions.  Today it is our uniqueness that causes us to stand out and provides opportunities to share our faith story.

In choosing to live life as a follower of Christ we are choosing to be countercultural.  We are also inviting others into conversation about this radical love we offer as we seek to emulate Jesus.  It is a love so great that it has the power to change the world.  Through His love may we change lives today.

Scripture reference: Ephesians 1: 3-8