pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Christian


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Redeeming the Lost

Reading: Romans 11:1-2

Romans 11:1a – “So I ask you, has God rejected his people?”

Photo credit: Mitchel Lensink

As we begin two days in Romans 11, we begin with the first two verses. These verses continue Paul’s argument against salvation through the Law. Instead, Paul sees grace as the saving agent. In our two verses today, Paul touches on when God’s people (or us) are not faithful to God. Verse 1 begins, “So I ask you, has God rejected his people?” When I first read this verse, to be honest, my mind said, “Maybe.” I thought of the policies and things done today by those claiming to be Christian, and thought, surely God is at least deeply grieved by this. But upon more reflection, I realized that this has been going on since the actual time of Jesus. In his day it was the Pharisees who used the Law for their own purposes. Later it was those who led and funded the Crusades. There have always been folks who have used “faith” as a weapon.

Paul’s response to his opening question is this: “Absolutely not!” God always remains faithful. Paul offers himself as proof. He is an Israelite through and through – and he loves and follows Jesus. Paul invites us to remember Elijah. He felt like he was the only faithful person left. But the faithful were actually down to a small fragment – 7,000 who had not turned to idols. Through the faithful, God redeemed the lost. God continues to do so today. You and I – we are living examples. Through our sin and failures, God has not rejected us once. Through grace we are redeemed again and again. Like the story of Elijah and God’s faithfulness, our story of grace and redemption has power. Our story can change lives. Who do you know that needs to hear the story of how Jesus changed your life?

Prayer: Lord God, today many worship idols. They aren’t carved of stone or wood but are found in the mirror, parked in driveways, stashed in bank accounts, put forth in social media. These folks are as lost as most in Elijah’s day. So, Lord, use us to turn people to you – some back to you, many encountering you for the first time. Fill our stories with a Holy Spirit power – with the power to change lives. Amen.


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Our Chosen Walk

Reading: Genesis 37:1-4

Genesis 37:4 – “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn’t even talk nicely to him.”

Returning to the opening verses of our Genesis 37 passage, we focus today on the larger picture. Overall, the Old Testament is the story of God’s chosen people – the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, the Jews. Within this story, Joseph is like many others: the chosen among the chosen. Others also suffered at times because of their chosen status: Moses, David, Elijah… Whether an individual or the nation, at times each could relate to verse 4: “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn’t even talk nicely to him.” When the people grumbled against Moses, when Saul hunted David like an animal, when Elijah fled into the wilderness, when Edom attacked Israel, when Joseph was sold into slavery or was thrown into prison – the chosen suffered on God’s behalf.

This story line continued into the New Testament. The Christians were singled out, harassed, stoned, beheaded, crucified. It begins in the story with John the Baptist losing his life. Then Jesus suffers the cross. Stephen was the first of many followers to die for their faith in Jesus. This story line has continued down through the ages. The chosen people of God, whether Jew or Christian, are still persecuted, targeted, and even killed for their faith. To be the Father’s favorite can be a hard path to walk – individually and as a nation.

We are invited to walk this path. We’ve chosen to be called a Christian, to live a life of following Jesus’ words and example, picking up a cross at times. Now and then, we will be hated by the world and by people living in the ways of the world. In these moments, may the Holy Spirit give us the strength, faith, and hope to walk in Jesus’ footsteps.

Prayer: Lord God, “chosen” has always carried a weight with it – whether in faith or in athletics or politics or family. In our chosen walk of faith, O Lord, be close to us in the difficult moments, when that weight becomes a cost. And when we need it, please shoulder some of that weight. Amen.


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Through Faith

Reading: Romans 4:13-17

Romans 4:16 – “The inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace.”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he references Abraham and his faith. For Paul and others working to welcome the Gentiles (all non-Jews) into the “church,” Abraham was a key Old Testament figure. For the Jews, he was the father of Israel, one of the pillars of their faith. Abraham’s radical obedience to God made him one of the Jew’s primary examples of faith lived out. An absolute obedience to God was important for those in the body of Christ too. Being the persecuted minority, it took a great amount of faith and obedience to stay true to Christ.

In our Romans passage, Paul points to two facts about Abraham that were relevant for the church of his day. In Rome (and in other places) there were serious tensions between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. The former wanted the latter to basically become Jews first, Christians second. This meant following the Law. Hold on, says Paul. First, he reminds them all that God “appointed” Abraham to be “the father of many nations.” It is not just the Jews who will be blessed through Abraham’s example of faith. For Paul, this meant that all peoples would be welcome in the body of Christ.

Addressing the main tension, Paul turns to the Law and Abraham. He reminds those holding onto the Law as the admission price to the church that Abraham was declared righteous long before the Law even existed. Therefore, “The inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace.” God’s promises come through faith. Like it was with Abraham – “our father in the eyes of God” – to all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God will “give life to the dead.” All who have faith in Jesus Christ will inherit eternal life and all of the other promises. Not through the Law, but through grace. As it was in the early church, may it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, father of us all, thank you for opening wide the doors of your church. Long ago you established faith as the point of entry. Even so, today we can still try to limit access – sometimes very intentionally, sometimes in ways that we don’t always see or recognize. Lord, break down these barriers and open our eyes to other ways we can limit access to the body of Christ. Make us a people who see and treat all as they are: all created by you in your image, all worthy of a place at the table of grace. Amen.


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All the Glory

Reading: John 17:1-5

John 17:3 – “This is eternal life: to know you [God], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.”

Photo credit: Uta Scholl

John 17:1-11 is this week’s gospel reading. Today we read verses 1-5 and tomorrow we read verses 6-11. Today’s reading is about glorifying God and Jesus Christ. Jesus begins by acknowledging “the time has come.” His time on earth is soon to end. In John’s gospel, Jesus is arrested in chapter 18, beginning the short journey to the cross. Jesus asks God that this would be a time of glorification for God and himself. God will be glorified through Jesus’ grace and obedience lived out in these final moments. Christ will then be glorified in the resurrection. After rising from the grave, Jesus will return to the place of glory in heaven that he has shared with God since “before the world was created.”

We too will one day experience this “glorification.” Jesus thanks God for those given to him – all believers – and for their gift of eternal life. It is interesting how Jesus defines eternal life: “to know you [God], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” To know God is to love and obey God’s will and way. Jesus modeled this throughout his ministry – especially on the cross. This example of love and obedience is what Jesus is talking about in verse 4 when he says he finished “the work you gave me to do.” Jesus came to reveal God to us.

My friends, this is our work too. Our task (or work) as Christians is to reveal God (and therefore Jesus) to the world. Through our example, through our witness, through our words and actions, we are called to show our love of and obedience to God. Living this out, we will in turn love our neighbors as Christ first loved us. Doing so, we bring God in Christ all the glory. May it be so for you and for me today and every day.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for choosing us. Thank you for drawing us into your family and into an eternal relationship with you. Lord, help us to realize our call and our “work’ and to live into both each day. In our words, in our actions, and in our presence, may others experience your love, grace, forgiveness… In these ways, use us to bring all the glory to you. Amen.


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What If?

Reading: 1st Peter 3:13-17

1st Peter 3:15b – “Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it.”

For most of my years as a Christian I have not suffered for my faith. There have been moments, here and there, and a really hard period a few years ago when I could maybe use the term “suffer.” But that has changed a bit recently. In our country, the word “Christian” has been claimed by some that do not look or sound like followers of Christ most of the time. The choice to name this and to push back against it has come with a cost. Now, this is absolutely nothing compared to what Peter and his contemporaries faced. It is extremely minor when set beside what happens today to Christians in a handful of places around the world, where people literally die for their faith in Jesus.

So as we read and consider Peter’s words of hope and encouragement today and tomorrow, we know that his audience and many today read these words much differently than we do. Even so, Peter and other followers of Jesus held and hold an attitude of “happiness” when they suffered for their faith. They were and are being counted as worthy of Jesus’ example. Verbal confrontations and physical threats were common. When Peter writes, “Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it,” this was everyday advice. Imagine if we lived out our faith in real life in such a way that this was an everyday occurrence for us as well. What if we lived our faith with such holiness and righteousness, with a “good lifestyle in Christ,” so that people regularly asked us to speak of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ? What if?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the moments when we do get a chance to share of the hope that we have in you. Lord, open our eyes and hearts to the opportunities you give us every day to spread your love and to share the good news. Inspire and empower us to live in ways that increase our opportunities to speak of our hope. Amen.


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Red Flags

Reading: 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5

2nd Thessalonians 2:3 – “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.”

As we continue in 2nd Thessalonians this week, Paul addresses these churches first concern in today’s passage. There are false teachers in their community. They are teaching something that does not seem to align with who and what they know Jesus to be or with what Paul has taught them. This confusion has raised some red flags within these communities of faith.

Paul taught the churches that one day Jesus would return in glory to gather the faithful together to be with him in eternity. This was known as “the day of the Lord.” Some false teachers are telling the Thessalonian Christians that the day has already come. Paul first calls them away from these falsehoods, saying, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.” Next he invites them to remember. He reminds them, there will be signs and behaviors that will indicate evil and not good, that will point to Satan and not to God. Our passage today closes with Paul essentially asking, ‘Don’t you remember all that I taught you?’

We do not have to look very far today to see people who claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ that act and speak in ways that run against who and what Jesus said and did. Red flags should fly up when people who claim to be Christian speak and act in ways that are in direct conflict with the “red letters” of Jesus in our Bibles. When words and actions harm the most vulnerable among us, they are clearly not words and actions aligned with Jesus Christ. Care for “the least of these” and loving the outcasts and the marginalized were the focus of much of what Jesus taught and modeled. Christians follow and are obedient to Jesus’ teachings and example. My friends, don’t let anyone deceive you.

Prayer: Lord God, running throughout the scriptures we see your heart for the vulnerable in your commands to house the alien and foreigner, to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to protect and defend the immigrant. Jesus engaged the outsiders, drew in the excluded, spent time with the ignored, lifted up the downtrodden and lowly. Open our eyes, alert our hearts, Jesus, when people claim you as Lord yet ignore or even act counter to these commands and examples. Then move us, God, and use us to speak truth. Amen.


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All of the Glory

Reading: 1st Timothy 1:12-17

1st Timothy 1:13 – “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith.”

Photo credit: Matt Botsford

Paul, as Saul, was one of those anti-Christian people. As he recollects in the first part of verse 13, he used to speak against Jesus and used to attack Jesus’ “people.” Saul was proud of his religion – Judaism. Connecting to yesterday’s idea of “practical atheists,” this is how the early Christians would have seen Saul. He did not understand or even accept Jesus. Saul’s actions and words strongly opposed Christ and his disciples.

Then Saul had his “come to Jesus” moment. In his words, “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith.” Christ changed his heart. Looking back on his past life as a Pharisee, Paul now sees himself then as “the biggest sinner of all.” This view is from Paul’s new understanding of what faithful living is. He recognized how Jesus came, lived, and died both to set and example of how to live a faithful and righteous life and to save people from their sins. Christ’s “endless patience” was demonstrated in Paul’s life and conversion. Now he lives to be an example of Christ so that others will come to believe in Jesus.

Paul is very grateful that Jesus saved him. This is what leads Paul to offer these words of praise: “honor and glory to him forever.” The gift of relationship that Paul now knows, the gift that that leads to eternal life, is offered to all people. To the Saul’s of the world and to the practical atheists – even those inside of us at times – Jesus Christ still offers new life. As disciples of Jesus Christ, may we bear witness as Paul did, bringing the Lord our God all of the glory.

Prayer: Lord God, as we seek to walk in relationship with you, work in our hearts so that we live in ways that bring you glory and honor. Use us as conduits of grace and mercy, opening others to the possibility of new and eternal life. Amen.


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A Choice

Reading: Psalm 138:13-18

Psalm 139:16 – “On your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me.”

Returning to Psalm 139 today we read verses 13-18, a most personal and intimate look at our relationship with God – should we choose it. Whether or not one is currently walking with God, these words are true. Each and every one of us, no matter our ethnicity or vocation or gender or place in life or place of birth or anything else, each was “knit together” by God in the womb. Each of us was “marvelously set apart” – each formed and shaped by God in our own unique ways.

As God wove and weaves each human being together, there was or is a plan and a purpose in God’s mind. To this one that gift was given and to that one this talent is given, each to play a role in the building of God’s kingdom. Each of us was and is seen and known by God. Because of this love and knowledge, “on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me.” Here is where we have a choice. Here is where free will can thwart God’s plan. This is possible because God loves us. We were created this way by God.

The divine within some leads them to be good and kind and merciful and loving in places where Christianity isn’t even known. The human within some leads them to be evil and cruel and oppressive and hateful in places where most folks claim to be “Christian.” The Spirit of God – whether know by this name or as our conscious or as another force – this Spirit speaks into all people’s heart. Again, here we have a choice: to listen and obey or to ignore and deny. No matter one’s choice, though, God remains loving and present. Oh what great love God has for each and every one of us!

Prayer: Lord God, you create us just as you want us to be. You have plans and a purpose for us, just as you want it to be. Open our hearts to hear and follow where you lead and guide, just as you want it to be. Walk with us daily, living out your incomprehensible plans for us, just as you want it to be. Amen.


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Focus on the Good

Reading: Romans 16:17-20

Romans 16:19 – “But I want you to be wise about what’s good, and innocent about what’s evil.”

As Paul closes his letter to the Romans, he returns to a familiar topic: Christian unity. On one level, in our age where the church has split into literally 100’s of denominations, this passage applies to individual churches. Yet on the larger level I can’t help but think that all these divisions grieves the heart of God. At what point do genuine theological differences divide and at what point is it personal preference or opinion that leads to division?

Taking broad strokes today, Paul warns us to “watch out for people who create division and problems against the teaching you heard.” Paul is talking about a core set of theological understandings about Jesus and what it means to truly follow him. My mind goes to the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets… that we used to wear. This question still makes a great filter for Paul’s warning. Paul continues to advice concerning these folks, writing, “Keep away from them. They are serving their own feelings.”

We all know and see people and leaders who regularly choose selfish ambition over humble service to the common good. We see people in positions of power using “smooth talk” to justify the things they are doing and saying that would make Jesus cry and weep if he were present today. In the midst of all this Paul turns to the individuals that make up the church, saying, But I want you to be wise about what’s good, and innocent about what’s evil.” In the midst of a world focused on self, you focus on the good. Love God and love neighbor. Let that be your guide. Be well aware of the evils and stay innocent of these things. And trust. Yes, trust that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan.” Lord Jesus, come soon. Come soon.

Prayer: Lord God, as churches and as believers, we have so much in common in our theologies and understandings. Use these primary matters to create more unity in the family of God. Help us to understand that secondary and tertiary matters do not have to divide us. Lead us to make better choices, to model Jesus’ love better. Gather your church to be the witness that you desire us to be. Amen.


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The Source of Life

Reading: Romans 11:17-23

Romans 11:18 – “If you do brag, be careful: it’s not you that sustains the root, but it’s the root that sustains you.”

Photo credit: Emma Gossett

Paul is writing to Gentile Christians. There was a great struggle in the early church around their place in the family of God. It was believed that the Messiah would first come to all Israel. Once the Jews accepted the Messiah, then the outside world would stream to Israel, coming to faith in the Christ. When most Jews rejected Jesus, alive and then resurrected, the church began to spread into the Gentile world.

In today’s text the branches broken off represent the Jews who rejected Jesus, choosing to not connect to the “root.” The branches grafted in are the Gentile Christians. Paul warns the believers in Rome not to brag about this role reversal. It can be tempting to feel superior or even to act arrogantly when you have supplanted the ones who were chosen first by God. This can happen when the outsiders become the insiders.

Paul seeks to counter this human tendency, writing, “If you do brag, be careful: it’s not you that sustains the root, but it’s the root that sustains you.” This reality check reminds the early church that Christ remains the source of life, his Spirit giving them the power to remain faithful. Paul warns that they too can be cut off if they get this relationship backwards. All of this remains true for us today. Therefore, through the kindness of God, may we daily walk humbly with Jesus, our source of life.

Prayer: Lord God, when we are tempted to feel special or to brag about our place in the family of God, remind us that faith is a gift. When we are tempted to judge those who have not yet chosen Jesus as Lord, remind us that we were once there too. With gratitude and joy, lead us to live faithfully and to witness generously, drawing others to the source of life. Amen.