pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: devout


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Life to the Full

Reading: John 10 and 11

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life – indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest.”

In today’s reading we really see the division created by Jesus’ words and ministry. It is first revealed in the healing of the blind man. The “light of the world” ends the man’s darkness, restoring his sight. There is division amongst those who now see him. Some say it is the blind man and others say it just looks like him. This question is answered as the man is brought to the Jewish leaders. Calling in his parents, they testify that he is their son who was born blind. They say they don’t know how he sees. Even though he has already told them, the leaders ask again. He asks them, “Do you want to be his disciples too?” They insult him. In response he reminds them that God doesn’t listen to sinners but to those who are devout and do God’s will. The man is expelled from the synagogue.

The story transitions next to spiritual blindness. Jesus centers this teaching on the shepherding metaphor. The shepherd enters through the gate, the sheep know his voice, he leads them out. Jesus declares, “I am the gate.” Others come to “steal, destroy, and kill.” The good shepherd, Jesus, “came so that they could have life – indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest.” Life to the fullest. What an image! What a reality for those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The metaphor continues with Jesus telling the Pharisees that he will “lay down his life for the sheep.” Unlike the hired hands now listening to the story, Jesus cares about the sheep – and about the sheep not if this pen too! More division reveals itself as they argue about Jesus having a demon. Others ask, how then could he heal this man?

As chapter 11 closes, Jesus tells the “Jewish opposition” that the signs he does should testify to his being one with the Father. He invites them to see this, to believe in him. But they are ready to stone him. As Jesus’ time has not yet come, he escapes, going out to Bethany to minister there.

Prayer: Lord God, reading these stories we so clearly see that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Yet when we step away, going out into that world, we can become blind to needs, to our own sin, to injustice. Lord, help us to live with eyes wide open, living and enjoying the fullness of life that you give to all who believe. Amen.


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From the Heart

Reading: Romans 4:13-17

Verse 16: “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham.”

Paul was born and raised a Jew. He grew up under the Law. As he matured he became a student of the Law, rising to the office of Pharisee. In that part of his life, as Saul, he was very zealous for the Law. Saul was a very devout and strict follower of every letter of every law. He understands being a rule follower. Maybe you are a ruler-follower. Most of the time, I am too.

But then Saul met one of the authors of the Law. In a life-transforming encounter, Saul met the resurrected Christ. In Christ Paul learned that, yes, the law is good – unless it trumps love or mercy or grace or forgiveness or… This was hard for Jews to understand. It was hard for most non-Jews to understand. For devout Jews, it was law, law, law. Healing on the Sabbath? No! Eating with sinners so that they could know grace? Absolutely not!

To show that the Law is not necessary for righteousness or salvation, Paul points back to one of the greats of the Jewish faith: to Abraham. As one of the most revered patriarchs, Abraham lived before the Law was given. His faith was based upon a trust in God. His righteousness was from his obedience to God’s voice. Paul is saying to the Jews and to us that following the Law is not the only way to God. The Law, in and of itself, is a good thing, yes. But simply following a set of rules is not a guarantee of salvation. Love and grace and mercy and forgiveness must first flow from the heart – from the heart of God and from our heart. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, even as we seek to understand and follow and apply the Law, help us more so to understand the life and example of Jesus. He demonstrated when love, mercy… needed to trump the Law. Help us to understand and practice this “law” of Christ. Amen.


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Go in Faith and Trust

Reading: Genesis 12:1-9

Verse 4: “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.”

Photo credit: Markus Spiske

As we pick up the story of Abram it seems like we’ve found another person who hears from God and responds immediately. This is often the perceived narrative of the call stories in the Bible. It is the narrative for Matthew when we turn to his call story on Thursday. In reality, though, responding to a call of God is not so simple.

Abram was a descendant of Shem, one of Noah’s sons. For generations his family has worshipped God. As Shem’s clan grew in size, they spread to the south and east of Canaan. Abram’s father Terah decided to return to their ancestral homeland but only got as far as Haran. After Terah dies, God comes to Abram and says, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” God is asking Abram to leave all he knows. God offers Abram a wonderful blessing and Abram leaves, stepping into the unknown, fully trusting God as he goes.

Now, hypothetically, if God said to an atheist, ‘Pack up all your stuff. Load up the U-Haul and go to the place I will show you,’ how many would go? Let’s increase the odds. If God said the same thing to a nominal Christian, how many would go? Maybe 1 or 2 in a million? You see, that’s the thing about Abram. He was a devout follower of God. He knew exactly who was speaking to him. It is in faith that he receives the call and the blessing. It is in faith that he sets out. May it be so for you and for me when God calls.

Prayer: Lord God, the steady, daily, intimate walk of faith builds our relationship with you. It increases our willingness to follow your voice. Day by day, strengthen and encourage our walk, preparing us to respond in faith and trust when you call. Amen.


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Righteous

Reading: 1st John 3: 4-7

Verse 5: “You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin”.

Photo credit: Emily Crawford

John begins our passage for today reminding us that sin breaks the law and that sin is lawlessness. For the Jews of Jesus’ day, a life of faith entailed following the Law. Breaking a law required confession and the offering of a sacrifice to God. The Jewish faith had become very legalistic at this point. Keeping the law had in many ways superceded the practice of living in a relationship with God.

Jesus came in the flesh not to abolish the law but to reveal God’s love in and through the law. Almost everything Jesus taught and lived out came from the Old Testament. The ways of God were lived out in Jesus’ life through the lens of God’s love. There was no legalism in the ways and teachings of Jesus. The acts of confession and repentance and forgiveness had become boxes that check, parts of the law to keep, motions to go through. This had already been evident by the time of the last prophets, 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Through Amos, God tells the people he won’t even look at their “offerings of well-fed animals” (5:22) any longer. God desires justice and righteousness instead, for peace to “roll down like a river”. This is the broken system that the sacrifice of Jesus replaced.

In our passage today we read, “You know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin”. Jesus came to be the sacrifice, to pay the price once for all, to open the curtain that separates. As Jesus gave up his life, the temple curtain separating the people from God’s presence was torn in two. Through Jesus, God became accessible, more present. God’s love had been fully revealed. No longer was it necessary to go to the priest with an animal to sacrifice. Jesus gave direct access to God’s mercy and grace and forgiveness – not through a burnt offering but through a humble and repentant heart.

With Jesus Christ in our heart we are no longer slaves to sin. In John’s words, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning”. The Holy Spirit works within us, helping us to walk a more holy and devout life. Sin is not absent from our lives; in and with the Holy Spirit we recognize it and repent. Through the power and presence of the Spirit, Jesus within us, may we ever seek to be righteous “as he is righteous”.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gifts of your love: Jesus Christ my example and the Holy Spirit my guide. Thank you for loving me beyond my sin and then back into right relationship with you. Amen.


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A Pure Heart

Reading: Psalm 51: 1-17

Verse 10: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”.

Photo credit: Adrien Olichon

In Psalm 51 the psalmist begins by asking for God’s mercy to wash away their sins. The psalmist admits that “my sin is ever before me”. The author recognizes that his sin is against God and God alone. God has a right to judge him. We can all relate to what the writer of this Psalm is expressing and feeling. We’ve all been there.

The commonly accepted context for this Psalm is the aftermath of David’s affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. There was certainly a need for God’s grace and forgiveness at this point in David’s life. Although most of our sins are not this egregious, all sin separates us from God and damages our relationship with God and others. God’s mercy and forgiveness are universal needs.

In verse seven David begins to ask for God’s help in restoring the relationship that David broke. He cannot do this on his own. Here he asks God to “cleanse me with hyssop” and then, in verse nine, to “blot out all my iniquity”. These ideas, these phrases, resonate with the sacrament of holy communion. Once forgiven, once cleansed, David can ask God to “create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”. In New Testament terms, the old is gone and the new has come. The old sinful self is washed away, replaced by a new self fully turned toward God. As a new creation in God, David desires to feel again the joy of salvation and to have a willing spirit within – one totally obedient to God.

This Psalm also resonates with our Ash Wednesday practices. Many Christians will seek to be restored and to dedicate themselves to a more holy and devout walk with the Lord as we begin our Lenten journey. The imposition of ashes reminds us of our finite nature and draws us to reflect upon our journey with Christ. It calls us to critically evaluate the condition of our souls. It draws us towards living with a more pure heart.

Our reading for today ends with these words: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”. As we prepare to enter Lent may we find a new path to walk with Jesus, a path guided by just such a heart. With a pure heart we will be pleasing in his sight. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, bring me to that place of contrition, to the place of confession and repentance; show me the path to a closer walk, reveal the things I need to leave along the side of the path. Create in me a pure heart with a desire to be yours alone. Break my heart for what breaks yours, O God. Amen.


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The Presence of God

Reading: Mark 1: 4-8

Verse 4: “John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”.

As we delve into Mark’s gospel we get right into the years of Jesus’ ministry. The first gospel written jumps right in with John the Baptist. Quoting from the Old Testament, John’s authority is established. John is the prophet spoken of long ago and is the one sent to “prepare the way” for the Lord. John was very different in his approach. In verse four we read, “John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. He set up out in the wilderness, a place representing the condition of people’s souls at this point. He dressed and ate differently than any other religious leader. His open air, honest, straight forward style was different and was a foreshadowing of the ministry of Jesus.

Many people came out into the desert to hear John. His words brought a quick conviction and a renewed dedication. Many people stepped into the river to confess their sins and to commit to a more devout life. They did so because the presence of God was evident in John’s life. The Spirit if God upon John drew others to want to know God in a more personal, more intimate way. The presence of God could not be ignored.

Wouldn’t that be a great thing for others to say about you? To notice about you? I think so! As we each consider the living out of each day, may we seek to make God known through our words and actions and attitudes. May we be set apart from the world, pointing to the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: God of all, so fill me with your Holy Spirit that all will see you in me and in my life. May your presence abound in all I say and do and think, bringing you the glory and praise. Amen.


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Live in the Light

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 5: 1-11

Verse 8: “Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet”.

As the closing chapter to 1st Thessalonians begins, Paul reminds them who they are – and who they are not. Sadly, I still need this reminder too. After almost 35 years as a practicing Christian, at times I still struggle with the darkness. Paul begins by reminding the Thessalonians that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”. This thought echoes the conclusion of last week’s parable from Matthew 25: be prepared!

In the next few verses Paul contrasts living in the light and living in the dark. For Paul’s audience there was a clear understanding that light is good and dark is evil. Paul first reminds them that they are “sons of light”. Each believer is a child of God, a brother or sister in Christ. He admonishes them not to be like those who are “asleep” but instead to be “alert and self-controlled”. Paul also reminds them that bad things happen at night. This remains largely true today. I recently moved from a small town. In a conversation with a police officer I commented that the town seemed like a safe, nice place. He commented that I should ride along one night. Then I would see a whole other side of the community.

The call to live in the light is a call to devout and holy living. The light exposes all that is evil, sinful, ungodly. At times we are tempted towards the things of the flesh. This is part of being human. If we are striving to live in the light, however, then our faith, our connection to Christ, will help us to deny these temptations. But it is such a fine line that we usually walk. It is easy enough to step into the dark, to give in, to think, “Here, no one will see me”. Paul knows this is a reality, a choice each believer faces. So, in verse eight, he urges them and us to be “self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet”. Let faith and love guard your heart, invite hope to dwell in your mind. With Jesus Christ, faithfully live in the light, shining brightly for all the world to see!

Prayer: Lord God, I hear the call clearly to be a child of the light. It is such a clear call. When I have walked in the light, life has always been better. Yet the dark still calls. The things of this world are attractive and pleasurable. In this battle, I need you! May the Holy Spirit speak loudly and clearly, reminding me that you are my God, my hope, my salvation. May it ever be so! Amen.


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We All Sleep

Reading: Matthew 25: 1-13

Verse 5: “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep”.

Today’s and tomorrow’s passage takes place at a wedding. The Jewish wedding of Jesus’ day was different than the weddings we attend today. The ceremony itself would be at the bride’s home. The wedding banquet would be at the bridegroom’s home. In our passage we find the bridesmaids awaiting the groom and his side of the wedding party. They are waiting to parade him into the wedding space with some celebration and excitement. But the bridegroom is delayed, so they wait into the night. We are not sure why he is delayed. One suggestion I read is that the groom and bride’s father could not agree on the bride’s price – another custom that we do not practice in many parts of the world today.

In our passage we learn that some of the bridesmaids are wise and some are foolish. Some were prepared for a lengthy wait and some were not. For some, this was probably not their first wedding. Some brought extra oil in jars and some did not. This fact will have a dramatic affect on both the wise and foolish bridesmaids. The hour gets late. In verse five we read, “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep”. All ten fell asleep. None stayed awake the whole time. All ten fell asleep.

In terms of our faith, we all fall asleep. Even the most devout Christian has moments or even seasons when they walk in the ways of the world, when they allow anger or pride or some other non-Christian emotion to control their words or actions. Whether just a few minutes or a couple of hourss or a few days or many years, we can all allow or push or choose to lay aside our faith for a time. Sometimes it is almost innocent, like the ten bridesmaids who literally fell asleep. Sometimes it is more planned, more fully considered, more thought through. Sin can be like that.

Then came the call that awakened all ten. Five trimmed their lamps, righted the ship, got back on the narrow path. Five could not. Yes, we’ve all been there – in both scenarios. The Holy Spirit whispers to us, gently nudges us, reminding us of our faith, that treasure in a jar of clay. We return to our walk of faith. But we’ve all also ignored the Holy Spirit conviction and kept on living in sin. We had slept too long and there was no oil to refill our lamps at that point. Today’s story begs two questions for me today. First, when temptation comes, is their sufficient faith to turn sin away? Second, when temptation leads to sin and faith slumbers, will there be enough oil to relight my walk of faith?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder and for the call to introspection today. Daily discipline is essential to continue on the walk of faith. Keep me diligent. Also needed is a humble spirit and a willing heart. Only then will I hear well the Holy Spirit. Strengthen my faith day by day, Lord, filling my jar with faith each day. Amen.


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Search Me, Know Me

Reading: Psalm 139: 11-12 and 23-24

Verses 23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting”.

As we wrap up Psalm 139 today we begin with a reminder that we cannot hide from God. In the opening ten verses we were reminded that God is everywhere and is at all times present. Today the psalmist reminds us that not even darkness can hide us. To God, the night shines like the day. God’s vision is 20/20 all the time.

It is in the dark that we get astray from God’s word and God’s ways. In our human minds we think that we can find cover in the dark and there can pretend that God does not know or see that we are sinning. We are only fooling ourselves when we think and act this way. With God, “darkness is as light to you”. Nothing is hidden from God.

In verses 23 and 24 the psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting”. This is really personal. To invite someone to search your heart and mind, to test and know your innermost thoughts, fears, sins… To extend this invitation is to acknowledge our desire for deeper relationship, for greeter honesty. It is a necessary step if this is what we want with God. It is necessary for us, not for God – God already knows us completely. But when we take the actual step to invite God into ourselves in this way, we are admitting our need to be closer to God. It draws us into introspection and reflection, to confession and repentance, to a more devout life. This first step is what moves us closer to the “way everlasting”. To go deeper on our journey, may we all invite God to search and know us, to guide and lead us. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, it’s a bit scary to invite you in, to be that honest with myself. To invite you in like this is to open myself more to your will and your way, to your direction in my life. In this act of dying to self, draw me deeper into love with you. Amen.


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Search Me, Know Me

Reading: Psalm 139: 11-12 and 23-24

Verses 23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting”.

As we wrap up Psalm 139 today we begin with a reminder that we cannot hide from God. In the opening ten verses we were reminded that God is everywhere and is at all times present. Today the psalmist reminds us that not even darkness can hide us. To God, the night shines like the day. God’s vision is 20/20 all the time.

It is in the dark that we get astray from God’s word and God’s ways. In our human minds we think that we can find cover in the dark and there can pretend that God does not know or see that we are sinning. We are only fooling ourselves when we think and act this way. With God, “darkness is as light to you”. Nothing is hidden from God.

In verses 23 and 24 the psalmist writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting”. This is really personal. To invite someone to search your heart and mind, to test and know your innermost thoughts, fears, sins… To extend this invitation is to acknowledge our desire for deeper relationship, for greeter honesty. It is a necessary step if this is what we want with God. It is necessary for us, not for God – God already knows us completely. But when we take the actual step to invite God into ourselves in this way, we are admitting our need to be closer to God. It draws us into introspection and reflection, to confession and repentance, to a more devout life. This first step is what moves us closer to the “way everlasting”. To go deeper on our journey, may we all invite God to search and know us, to guide and lead us. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, it’s a bit scary to invite you in, to be that honest with myself. To invite you in like this is to open myself more to your will and your way, to your direction in my life. In this act of dying to self, draw me deeper into love with you. Amen.