pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Christ


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Patience

Reading: James 5: 7-10

Verse 8: “Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming near”.

James is encouraging the early Christians to be patient in their suffering. Having patience can be hard, especially during trying times. The early Christians faced persecution and oppression. On occasion they faced turmoil within. James begins in our passage today by encouraging them to be patient until Jesus’ return. The early church thought Jesus’ return would be very soon. 2,000 years later this encouragement takes on a different feeling and meaning.

James chooses the analogy of the farmer and the seed as a model for patience. The seed is placed in the ground and then the farmer waits. The sun rises and falls, rises and falls, and the farmer waits. The rains will come. But not today either. So the farmer waits. How does the farmer wait patiently? Year after year the process has been the same. Year after year new life has poked up from the ground. Year after year the rains come and nourish the plants. Year after year the harvest comes. The farmer trusts in what has always been. God has been and always will be. James writes, “Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming near”. Be patient. Like the farmer, trust that God’s reign will come.

The Lord comes near to us in the form of the Holy Spirit. The constant presence of Jesus Christ living in us will speak words of peace into our troubled hearts. The Holy Spirit will bring strength when we feel hard pressed. The living presence will fill us with love instead of anger, with empathy instead of judging. This and more if we are but patient, quieting the voices of the world and of Satan, leaning in and listening for that still small voice.

Our short passage closes with a reminder to consider the prophets of old. When we waver we are tempted to give in to our emotions. When we question if we can go on, James says to think of Moses or Ezekiel or Micah or any of the other Old Testament prophets. Whether it was with a grumbling people wandering the desert for forty years or if it was battling king after king that led the people astray, each prophet drew near to God and found peace and strength and voice. May we too draw near to the Lord, finding there the ability to patiently stand firm.

Prayer: God of all time, just as you always have been, continue to remain present this day. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see the way to walk and to lead. Fill me with your holy wisdom and mighty strength to lead well. With you, may I stand firm. Amen.


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New Life Blooms

Reading: Isaiah 35: 1-10

Verse 10: “Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away”.

In my Bible today’s chapter is titled “Joy of the Redeemed”. The first two lines speaks of redeeming creation – new life blooms in the desert. The next two lines speak of redeeming God’s people. God will strengthen the feeble and the fearful. Both of these stanzas are about God’s desire and efforts to bring new life and wholeness to all of creation. For a nation laid waste and a people feeling that all was lost, these words would be full of meaning.

In verse five and the first part of six, Isaiah gets more personal with those most in need of healing and wholeness. These infirmities would keep these folks outside of true community, so their isolation would feel even greater and their vulnerability would be increased. Isaiah tells them that the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute will also be restored. These physical healings will lead to emotional and spiritual restoration too. Even today this is the order we most often experience. Physical needs must be met first. It is true in our schools, in our churches, in our shelters…

Isaiah continues in verse six and into seven with the physical restoration of the created world. But like the crocus blooming in the desert, these words can be read figuratively as well. Water represents new life in the faith of the people. The spring is their renewed faith bubbling up. In the haunts where evil once lay, new growth will come. Into a dry and weary people God will bring forth new life and hope.

These words of hope and promise still apply to God’s people, to our lives and our times as well. In those seasons where grief or trial or testing make our faith and life feel dry, when we are weary of the hard road we’ve been trudging, we too can recall that God still reigns, that God still desires good for us, that our redeemer lives. With God’s presence and surrounded by our faith communities, we can step forward and walk where only the redeemed and restored walk. We walk forward, uplifted on our earthly journey, one eye on our imperishable inheritance. With gladness and joy overtaking us, with sorrow and sighing falling away, we bear witness to our faith in this life and in the new life to come. We know the joy of the redeemed. May we walk in it all of our lives.

Prayer: Lord God, it is good to remember my place in your family. You have claimed me since before I was born. I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I know your joy. I live in your strength. I eagerly await the crown of life. You are my God. I am so thankful. Amen.


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The Way

Reading: Isaiah 35: 1-10

Verse 8: “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness”.

Isaiah 35 paints a picture of hope for all peoples. For those of Isaiah’s time, those living in captivity in Babylon would envision a future back in the Promised Land with hope. For the Jews living in Jesus’ day, they would envision a future of hope too. Their vision would not include the Romans or any other overlord. For Christians living today, we read this passage and envision a day when all of creation is restored to new life. For each group, the Messiah is the focal point. The one who frees and brings healing and wholeness is what is awaited.

Isaiah writes, “the wilderness will rejoice and blossom”. What was dry and without life will flow with water and new life will spring up. The shoot from the stump of Jesse – that which we just read about in Isaiah 11 and Romans 15 – will bring healing to all things. As believers in Jesus Christ, we know that the Messiah has come. Jesus brought life to our dryness and his living waters bubble up within us, like springs in the desert, renewing and refreshing us.

In verse eight we read, “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness”. As followers of Jesus Christ we know this highway. In repentance and faithful obedience we walk this road every day. It is not an eight lane super highway. It is a narrow path. While it is narrow his yoke is easy and the burden light. Once we enter the Way of Holiness, life lived in Christ, the journey becomes purposeful and the steps are clear. The steps are not always easy to take, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, they are clear. It is a road that once walked brings joy, love, hope, peace, and so much more. As we walk in the Way, we approach Zion and the everlasting crown referred to at the end of Isaiah 35. May the Lord bless the journey today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for walking with me. Because you are always there, I never go alone. Thank you for your abiding presence and guiding Spirit. Lead me today, O great Jehovah. Amen.


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Overflow

Reading: Romans 15: 7-13

Verse 7: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”.

Stop. Read verse seven again. Slowly. The words “as Christ accepted you” are powerful. Jesus accepted me as I am. That includes my sin, yes. But, more than that, Jesus accepted me knowing that I would sin again. And again. And again. A love so perfect, accepting me as I am, is a powerful love. The “you” is also universal. Jesus’ love and acceptance knew no bounds. Many rejected Jesus. But that did not stop him from loving even these.

Rejection is something we must consider if we are to really live out this verse. To the proper Jews, the Gentiles were base and vile. They were to be avoided. But to Jesus, to Paul, to the early Christians, the Gentiles became ones to accept, to love as Jesus had first loved them. The Gentiles were simply people in need of Jesus’ saving love. The rejection did not come from the Gentiles. It came from those proper religious folks who would not go there themselves. Jesus experienced this kind of rejection too. He ate with the sinners, touched the lepers, healed on the Sabbath. Oh the things Jesus would do to love another.

That’s what this passage is calling us to. It is so easy to love those like us, those that fit the same boxes we fit. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”. For Jesus, the “you” was universal. Ours should be as well. But be prepared – some will ridicule you for ministering to that people or in that neighborhood. Some will reject you because you love and accept those kinds of people. Do not worry – Jesus was rejected too. To those who accepted Jesus, he was life. That is what brought praise to God.

I close with Paul’s closing: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

Prayer: Oh God! Fill me with that hope, joy, and peace. Fill me so much that I overflow. Use me today as you will, O Lord my God. Amen.


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The Spirit of the Lord

Reading: Isaiah 11: 1-5

Verse 2: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him…”

Isaiah 11 begins by connecting Jesse, King David’s father, to the “branch” that will spring up to bear fruit. Looking at this verse through the lens of Jesus, we read these words and connect them to Jesus. The lineage is one logical line of thinking that does connect Jesus to Jesse. But our passage today also describes the person of Jesus. In verses two through six we get a great description of the character and heart of the Messiah.

Verse two begins with “The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him…”. Yes, God was clearly with Jesus. In fact, Jesus was God incarnate – God in the flesh. This verse continues to describe what the Spirit gave Jesus: wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. Looking through the gospels one can see these gifts sprinkled throughout Jesus’ life and ministry.

The Messiah will rule, but not in the militaristic way that the Jews longer for. Jesus was an altogether different king. He was not influenced by those in the halls of power. He did not judge by first impressions or by what others thought. Jesus was guided by the love of God. Consequently, Jesus cared for the needy with righteousness and brought justice to the poor. Jesus’ reign of love sought to bring all people into the family of God. There was not one person Jesus encountered that he did not try and draw into God’s love. Many rejected Jesus, but he turned no one away.

Our passage closes with two reminders. At the end of verse four we are reminded that Jesus will one day defeat evil and the wicked. His culmination of power will be with might and strength. But it will be clothed in righteousness and faithfulness. The belt and sash will guide his reign forevermore.

As we consider our call to be followers of Jesus, we must seek to be filled by the same Spirit. In our worship and in our study, do we seek to be filled with wisdom, understanding, knowledge…? Do qualities like righteousness, justice, and faithfulness clothe us and our words and actions? If we are to truly follow Jesus, we must live out what Jesus lived out. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, fill me more and more with the qualities of Jesus and of you. Instill in me a sense of justice, a sense of righteousness. In faithfulness, fill me with a deep knowledge of you and your ways. Clothe me with Christ. Amen.


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Ever Ready

Reading: Matthew 24: 36-44

Verse 44: “You must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”.

Advent is the season when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We read the familiar stories and build up the excitement for Christmas Eve. Along the way we are reminded of how the Christ brings peace, hope, joy, and love into our lives and into the world. It is a season of anticipation and excitement. Today’s passage is subtitled “The Day and Hour Unknown” in my Bible. Yet in our Advent world and on our little calendars the day is clearly marked – December 25!

Today’s passage flashes forward to the end of the story. We jump to the time when the risen Lord will return to rule the new heaven and earth. This day and hour are unknown. Jesus’ advice is to be ready. Noah is the example that Jesus points to. Noah is a good example for us yet today. The world tends to stay busy – weddings and celebrations, enjoying life. There is little time to give to faith. A little time each day and an hour or two a week? Seems a bit much, doesn’t it? Not for Noah. As the world went on around him he faithfully did God’s work. Even when the world ridiculed him for doing something that made no sense to them, Noah stayed the course.

It can be easy for us to get distracted. The holiday season feels especially busy. Guarding our time with God, growing in our faith, can be harder this time of year. Christmas is all about Jesus so it seems counterintuitive to say this but it is the reality. Yes, it is good to gather with family and friends, to celebrate the season. But our focus must remain on Jesus.

As we move through December and celebrate the Savior of the world, may we remain focused on our larger task – being prepared to meet Christ. Whether it is in the manger, face to face, or coming on the clouds, may we eagerly anticipate the coming of our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, in this season of Advent may I be ever ready to meet you. May I seek you in quiet study, in worship, in gathering with others, and in the face of the stranger. Amen.


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Prepare… Patience

Reading: Matthew 24:42 – “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day our Lord will come”.

Precision, order, attention to details. These things we like. When the pizza or package with that special item does not arrive when we thought it would… You know that feeling. We all know that feeling. We know absolutely nothing about the delay but we do manage to feel personally injured by it. Or so we think.

Then my mind goes to God in this verse. Precision, order, attention to details. Fits God to a tee. Knowing this about God I can’t imagine what my life and decisions have caused God to feel. I wonder if God is frustrated that I did not quite read that situation correctly and missed a great growth opportunity. Did all those times I went this way when God’s perfect plan had me going that way test God? I realize how limited I am and how often I make poor choices. Yet God still loves me and still remains very much present and at work in my life. This makes me think of God’s patience.

Today’s verse reads “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day our Lord will come”. This verse is directed at us. Jesus wants us to be a faithful follower 24/7/365, not just an hour or two here and there. Jesus wants us to ever be prepared to meet him face to face. He may come in final glory or he may come to call us home. In either case, the call remains the same: be prepared. Keep faithful. Seek those growth opportunities. Discern God’s will and strive to walk that path, not our own. Be a follower, not a fan. Be an altogether Christian, not an almost Christian. Be all in, not lukewarm. Make Jesus #1 in your life, not a distant third or fourth. Keep watch, be prepared, walk the walk of faith every second of every hour of every day of…

The verse for today again draws me back to God’s patience. God could have been done with me, with all of f us, with all of this world long ago. Jesus could have returned hundreds of years ago. God is patient. Yes, God wants us to be prepared, but there are many who have not heard the gospel. There are many more who can come into a saving relationship. We still have much work to do. Thank you, God, for your patience.

Prayer: Lord God, this day, may I be one who helps others to know you. Maybe it will be to know you more. Maybe it will be an introduction. In all I do, say, and think, may Jesus shine through. Amen.


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Thank You God

Reading: Romans 13:11 – “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber because salvation is nearer than when we first believed”.

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Happy Thanksgiving!

God is the source of all that is good in the world – love, hope, peace, joy, kindness, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, generosity, grace, empathy. God blesses us with so much more – family, friends, food, shelter, work, skills, and talents. Today is truly a day to be thankful to the Lord our God.

In the verse for today, Paul adds one more to the list: salvation. He begins by asking us to wake up, to be fully engaged and present on our journey of faith. Salvation is the deliverance from the chains of sin and death. It removes all the punishment for our sin. In a world without Jesus we would still be trying to atone or pay for our sins. It would cost us something small for a white lie or unkind word to a spouse or child or friend. It would be a bit more costly as we crept into gossip and envy and moreso if we stole or worshipped and idol.

As Christians, we no longer are slaves to the old sacrificial system. We have no price to pay. We have no outstanding debt. On the cross Jesus Christ took upon himself the sins of the world – all of them, even yours and mine. He bore them all and then gave his perfect life as the atoning sacrifice. Jesus did what no one else could have or would have. Salvation is simply a gift to all who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is a gift that we do not deserve, but it is offered nonetheless. For this too we give our thanks today. Praise be to God!

Prayer: Loving and kind Father, I thank you deeply for your love and for all else that flows from your love. I remain amazed and humbled that you would love a sinner, a wretch like me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your love is amazing. Thank you. Amen.


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Willing

Reading: Psalm 122:1 – “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord'”.

Each Sunday many of us live out these words. It is a wonderful and awesome thing when we gather to worship the Lord. There is a peace and a comfort, a majesty and a power, when we gather in the sanctuary to pray and sing and proclaim God’s word. As we are on the edge of Advent, there is an elevated sense of anticipation and even a bump in our level of hospitality. The Advent themes of peace, hope, love, and joy add to the depth of our worship and to the overall experience of the season.

As Thanksgiving looms tomorrow, many of us will be thankful for our church homes, for our church families, and for the many other ways that God blesses us. May we rejoice in these gifts from God! But may our rejoicing also remind us that there are many who go without these this time of year. There are a variety of reasons for this. None are absolute barriers. Our joy and celebration with God can work in two ways. It can elevate their absence in those who do not know or experience these things. Or it can draw them in. As disciples yet living under the great commission to go out into the world, teaching others about Jesus, may we be invitational this sacred time of the year. May we offer radical hospitality, especially to those without a church home and without a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through us, may our friends and neighbors who do not have these blessings feel our love and God’s love drawing them in. May we all be willing.

Prayer: God of all, through me offer words of invitation and welcome, words of hope and belonging. Make our church and the people in it a safe and blessed space and family. May your love flow out, being poured into others today. Amen.


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The Gradual Process

Reading: Romans 13: 11-14

Verse 12: “The day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”.

Our passage today begins with Paul sounding the alarm. “Wake up”! Paul says. Quit sleeping! We could sound the same alarm today. Sometimes the alarm would be for us. At times we drift away or we let our faith slip a bit, becoming complacent. We go through the motions. Most of the time, though, the wake up call would go out to the many living outside of a saving relationship. For these, we must sound the call.

Paul is speaking today to the believers in Romans 13. His urgency to wake up is driven by his belief that salvation is nearer now than when they first believed. This remains true for us today. Paul, however, believed the day of Jesus’ return was imminent. You can feel it in his words as he proclaims that the night is almost over and that “the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”. As it is in our day and in our lives, people were struggling with temptation and sin. Paul encourages them to set aside these deeds of darkness. Instead he admonishes them to walk in the light. Paul uses the familiar illustration of armor here, much like he does in Ephesians 6. Paul sees the pull between good and evil, between God and Satan, as a battle. The armor of light protects the believer against the attacks of the enemy.

The armor of light is found in Jesus Christ. In verse fourteen Paul begs the believers then and us today to clothe ourselves with Christ. For almost all believers this is a gradual process. At first we try on a little Jesus and then gradually add more and more as we grow or mature in the faith. The more we come to know and follow Jesus, the better protected we are. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called this gradual process the “journey to perfection”. In pursuit of what Wesley called “personal holiness” the altogether Christian strives to become more and more perfect – more like Jesus Christ. Perfection comes only at the end of our journey, when we meet Jesus face to face. Until then, may we live as children of the light, prepared for today to be the day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, guide me to live every day with urgency. May my pursuit of you and my desire for all to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ drive all I do and say and think. Each and every day, bring me a little closer to Jesus, the perfector of the faith. Amen.