pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: alignment


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Bring Your Kingdom

Reading: Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:9 – “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Today’s passage holds three connected teachings on prayer. The first gives us a model for prayer. The second teaches us to be persistent in our prayers. The third reflects on the goodness of God’s answers to our prayers.

Our passage begins with a disciple asking Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus models a prayer life that is worth emulating. The disciple wants to have what Jesus receives when he prays: joy, peace, strength, hope. The prayer Jesus teaches is a simple prayer. It begins with praise to God and quickly moves to seeking God’s will. Notice the focus: God. It then shifts to needs: our need for daily provision and our need for forgiveness – both given and received. The prayer model closes with a plea for protection from the world, our source of temptation.

Verses 5-10 tell the story of a friend in need. Hospitality was and is highly valued in Judaism. In the story a man cannot offer hospitality. He turns to his neighbor, who initially refuses to help. But because of his friend’s persistence around doing a good and right thing, the friends give his what is needed. Connecting to the idea of prayer, Jesus says, “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Our reading closes by unpacking what verse 9 means in terms of God’s answers to our prayers. Jesus tells us that our heavenly Father, who is good, will surely give good gifts to his children. Running through the bread example and this portion is the meaning of “bring your kingdom.” In the translation that we know better it is worded “your will be done.” This good and right alignment will most often yield a fish or an egg instead of a snake or scorpion. And when our prayers yield what we see as a snake or scorpion at first – may we keep the faith in our good God who works all things towards good for those who love God.

Prayer: Lord God, prayer is at the center of our relationship with you. It is the place where we can openly and honestly express all that is on our hearts and minds – our needs, emotions, struggles, joys, praises. Help us to focus on the ways that our lives bring your kingdom into this world. Empower us to walk and live in faith. Amen.


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Conform to Christ

Reading: Romans 8:26-29

Romans 8:28 – “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Photo credit: Robert Linder

As our passage today begins, Paul speaks again of God’s presence in our lives. The Spirit – God’s constant, indwelling presence – helps us in our moments of weakness. In those times when our trial or hardship or suffering is so great that we cannot even form the words to pray, it is then that the Holy Spirit takes up our case. The Spirit “please” for us before God, lifting us up before God. We too can pray in this way. When we hear of the time of great suffering of a friend, we can lift their case before God.

Because God is three-in-one, the Spirit prays for us “consistent with God’s will.” In this way we and our need(s) are brought before God in the best possible way. There is no selfishness, no fear or worry or doubt, no greed or envy in the Holy Spirit’s prayers. This idea connects to verse 28, where we read, “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God is good and loving and kind and caring and compassionate and merciful and… God desires that our lives be filled with these things too. Yes, the world and this life will bring death and illness and sin and tragedy into our lives, but God works even these difficult and hard things towards good and into alignment with God’s plans for our lives.

The Spirit and God do all of this in order to “conform” us more and more into the image of Jesus. God conforms – and forms and reforms – us into the image of Christ so that we can be goodness, love, kindness, care, compassion, mercy… to one another. In this way we bring Christ to the world. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the example that Jesus set for us. He revealed what it means to be fully present to one another, to love without condition, to give selflessly to the other. That is not always easy for us. So thank you also for the Spirit, that constant presence that points us towards and forms us into Jesus’ witnesses. Lead us to be people of presence, people who pray, people who show up, people who give of ourselves. Amen.


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One Priority

Reading: Acts 5:17-7:60 (8:1a)

Acts 5:29 – “We must obey God rather than humans!”

Jealousy and anger drive one side of the tensions found in today’s reading. The Holy Spirit drives the other side. One side is fully in alignment with God’s will and ways. One side focuses on worldly things.

Jealousy leads the Jewish leaders to arrest the apostles. An angel comes and frees them in the night, instructing them to keep teaching in Jesus’ name. Found and brought before the Jerusalem Council, Peter and the other apostles state, “We must obey God rather than humans!” A wise council member suggests patience. Gamaliel suggests that if this new movement is of human origins, ultimately it will fail. But if it is of God, then they will actually find themselves fighting God. The apostles are beaten and released, warned again not to teach in Jesus’ name. After rejoicing because they were counted worthy of suffering for Jesus’ name, they resume preaching and teaching.

After reading about the apostles working through an administrative issue with an administrative solution, we read the story of Stephen. He stood out among the believers because of the way that God’s grace and power was with him. Again jealousy stirs up tension and then false accusations. Stephen’s response is a history lesson that focuses in on Israel’s rejection of Moses, the Law, and all of the prophets, including Jesus. The council members are enraged. As he’s condemned Stephen has a vision of Jesus standing at God’s right side in heaven.

Furious, the council members drag Stephen out of the city and stone him as Saul oversees and approves. As he is being stoned, Stephen asks God to accept his life and he asks for God to forgive his attackers. These statements parallel Jesus’ words from the cross in Luke’s Gospel. Here we again see steadfast faith built upon love, grace, and mercy. May our lives also exhibit all of these, bringing glory to God in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Lord God, filled with the Holy Spirit the early apostles lived out their faith boldly, unafraid, and with passion. All that the world could do to them was counted as trivial, unimportant. All that mattered was faith in Jesus’ name. Proclaiming their faith to the world was their one priority in life. May it be so for us too, O Lord. Make it so. Amen.


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Spirit Led

Reading: Galatians 5: 1 & 16-25

Verse 25: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”.

The passage for today contrasts the fruit of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. In many ways these are polar opposites. The works of the flesh are the selfish desires that we all have inside and that lead us to living a life that is not in alignment with God’s plans and purposes for our lives. On the other side of the spectrum are the works of the Spirit. When we live in alignment with these godly things we produce good fruit.

The works of the flesh are many. We are each familiar with these things. Paul provides a list in verses 19-21 that are “obvious”, to use Paul’s word. This list of sins contains many that most of us struggle with: jealousy, selfish ambition, envy – just to name a few. We each could add to the list as well: pride, lust, greed, and gluttony – again, just to name a few. Paul warns us that those living this way “will not enter the kingdom of God”. It is the reality that we all live within and that we all struggle with because we are creatures of the flesh.

Even though we are of the flesh, our inheritance does not lie here on earth. As heirs with Jesus Christ, we are children of God. When we keep ahold of this side of our character, then we are led by the Spirit. There is still this conflict within us, but we are not fighting the war alone. We are not even in charge. When we live by the Spirit our lives are different. Instead of the fruit produced by the flesh, we produce Holy Spirit fruit. Instead of guilt and shame and doubt and fear and condemnation we experience love and joy and patience and kindness and… The fruit is both within and without. When led by the Spirit we produce good fruit for the building of our faith and for the building of the kingdom of God here on earth. Therefore brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, “since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”. May it be so!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, my battle within is almost constant. But the presence of your Holy Spirit is always constant. Attune me better to the lead of the Holy Spirit so that the fruit of my life may ever be pleasing to your sight. Amen.


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Righteous

Reading: Psalm 1

Verses 1-2: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked… but his delight is in the law of the Lord”.

Psalm 1 paints a pretty sharp contrast between those who are righteous and those who are not. The psalmist begins with a warning not to spend time with the wrong crowd: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…”. The psalmist also includes sinners and mockers in the groups to avoid. While all Christians sin, we do not live a life of sin. In the general sense, the psalmist is spot-on: if we hang out with the wicked, the sinners, the mockers, then we will likely become these things ourselves.

In verse 2, the writer goes on to say, “but his delight is in the law of the Lord”. The righteous not only delight in the law but also meditate upon it day and night. It is to live and breathe God’s ways. The blessing is compared to a tree – healthy roots soak up the water of life, it bears fruit, it does not wither. Prosperity comes to those who dwell in the Lord. All done in alignment with God’s ways and desires will prosper.

The Psalm returns to the wicked in verses 4 and 5. They are blown this way and that in the changing winds. They cannot stand in the judgment. Like the house built upon the sand in Matthew 7, the winds and waves beat down the house built upon a poor foundation. If we desire to stand firm, our foundation must be found in God.

A promise concludes the Psalm: “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous”. God is present to the righteous. He goes with us always. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion offering guidance, direction, discernment, conviction… We are never alone. Thanks be to God.

Lord, help me to walk in your ways. Keep me intimately connected to your Word and your ways. Grant me discernment so that I can walk in your truth. May my life allow others to see you and your love. Amen.


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God’s Will

Reading: Amos 7: 7-9

Visions are not something we are too accustomed to today.  But in the Old Testament and some in the New Testament, visions were one of God’s methods of communication with His people.  Visions often came through prophets in the Old Testament and through the apostles in the New Testament.  In today’s reading the prophet Amos is receiving a vision from God.  As was the case with many of the visions, here God is giving Amos the vision to try and get Israel back in alignment with God.  Visions, this one included, also often lay out the consequences of continuing to live outside of a right relationship with God.

In these verses God tells Amos that He will “set a plumb line among my people Israel”.  Plumb lines are used to keep a wall true or straight while you are building it.  It is a way to make sure all is right and correct.  Here God is using the metaphor as a means of judgment as He goes on to say, “I will spare them no longer” and then describes their downfall.

Today we might not receive many visions, but for a follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit works much the same way.  The Holy Spirit speaks into our lives, prompting us to reach out here, to offer of ourselves there, not to do that or go there.  The still, small voice keeps us in alignment with God’s ways and purposes for our lives.  And much like a vision, the Spirit also warns us of the dangers of temptation and sin while also reminding us of the consequences of choosing to live outside of a right relationship with God.

Thousands of years later God’s desires for His people has not changed.  God desires for each of us “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).  Each day, as we seek God’s will and purposes for our lives, may we seek these things as we live out our faith wherever God sends us.