pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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What Is Right and True

Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Verse 1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?”

Photo credit: Darold Pinnock

This week’s Psalm begins with words of faith and trust in God. As you read these words, David’s faith oozes out, his trust shouts aloud. Moving into verse 4 we see the source of his faith and trust. Here David asks just one thing – to dwell in God’s presence all of his days. Even though an enemy may attack, even though an army may besiege him, David trusts that God will keep him safe and that God will “set me high upon a rock.”

In this life we will face enemies and attacks. Last night at youth group we talked about doing the right thing. It is a moment when we sometimes falter, fearing what may happen to us, worrying about what others may say or think about us. Fear of the potential trial or of the cost of doing what we know is right and just can paralyze us. In David’s words we are reminded today that God is with us and that God has been and always will be both our helper and our defender.

Today we remember and celebrate one who lived these words and truths out. Today we remember and celebrate a pastor who chose to stand for justice and equality. Fear could have easily won the day many times. The threats and violence would’ve silenced many people’s voices. Day by day, Martin Luther King, Jr., clung to his light and salvation, to his stronghold, to the one rock upon which he stood. As his fellow saints who walk the same path of faith, may we too choose love instead of hate, trust instead of fear, and hope instead of defeat. God is still at work for the good in all things. In faith and trust may we stand for what is right and just.

Prayer: Lord God, what examples of faith. From the one who sought you with all of his heart to the one who trusted you with his very life, may we be encouraged and inspired. As we seek to trust in you, O God, and as we strive to be love to and for all people, deepen our faith in you, our rock and our light. Amen.


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Do Not Wait Idly

Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

Verse 3: “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and God will dwell with them. They will be God’s people, and God will be with them and be their God.”

As we turn to the new year we receive this vision of a new heaven and earth. In John’s vision he sees “the new Jerusalem” coming down to earth. As 2023 begins there is a sense of possibility ahead. There is hope for our lives and for our faith. God’s promise is right here.

In his vision John hears these words: “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and God will dwell with them. They will be God’s people, and God will be with them and be their God.” It is a return to life as it was in the garden. God will walk and talk with us. God will be present so there will be no death, no pain, no tears. Life as we know it – “the old order of things” – it will be no more. Christ declares, “I am making all things new.” The one who is “the beginning and the end” will usher in an eternity of love and light, of grace and peace, of unity and joy. What a day it will be.

Hearing this promise, getting a sense of what this day will be like, it brings us joy and hope. We long for the day. And yet we do not wait idly. We do not just hang out and watch the world go by. No, the kingdom of God has already drawn near. And it remains near, as close as the Holy Spirit that dwells in our hearts. We are called to live with hope and joy, with light and love, with grace and peace. We are called to share these with a world in need. May it be so as we await the one who makes all things new.

Prayer: Lord God, as we wait, may we build. As we live as your witness in the world may we draw others in. As we live faithfully may others come to look to you, the only hope we have. Amen.


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Names

Reading: Matthew 1:21-25

Verses 21 and 23: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins… they will call him Immanuel.”

Continuing on in Joseph’s dream, we learn of the names that will be given to the one conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel first says that Mary will give birth and then tells Joseph, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This name will be his earthly name. Under this name, Jesus will minister to the people, saving many from their sins. At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus will give his life for the sin of the world, saving us all from our sins. Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Two verses later we learn of another name: “Immanuel.” This name means “God with us.” In the incarnation, Jesus was literally God living with the people. Setting aside the glory of heaven, God took on flesh and came as a helpless baby. In ministry, Jesus revealed what God’s love looks like when lived out here on earth. In this way Jesus brought heaven to earth, showing us what it looks like to live daily with God. Towards the end of his ministry Jesus promised his followers a gift. He told them that after he left he would send the Holy Spirit, his living presence, to dwell in their hearts – literally, “God with us.”

In this Advent season we rejoice in Jesus’ first coming and we look forward to the second Advent, when he comes again. We celebrate the coming of the Savior and we praise God for the gift of the Spirit within us. And may we, like Jesus, live in ways that encourage and invite others to experience God’s saving grace and holy presence in their lives. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, in this season of Advent, use me to share your love and presence with others. May my joy overflow and may your love be seen and felt in all I do and say. Amen.


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The Living Presence

Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

Verse 33: “This is the covenant I will make… I will put my law on their minds and write it on their hearts._

Photo credit: Marek Piwnicki

We return to Jeremiah 31 and again begin with “The time is coming…” God is speaking to the future of the chosen people. God is speaking of a time still many generations away – about 600 years away. When the time arrived, God “will make a new covenant.” This covenant will be ushered in with Jesus’ life and will be sealed by his death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ will be soon followed by the gift of the Holy Spirit – God’s method to “put my law on their minds and write it on their hearts.” The indwelling presence of the risen Christ will lead and guide, correct and refine, teach and inspire all who believe to live out God’s new covenant of love.

This new covenant is a radical shift in the relationship between God and humanity. The person of Jesus began the shift as God lived among us. Helping us to see and experience what God’s love looks and feels like when lived out, loving both God and neighbor with all that we are. The law was no longer words on paper. It was flesh and blood and sweat and tears and service and sacrifice. Jesus was up close and personal to all he met. But then the time came for God incarnate to change our relationship with sin and death. Through his sacrificial death Jesus defeated the power of sin, paying the price or atonement for our sin. Through his resurrection Jesus opened the way to eternal life. Both of these victories are ours through a personal relationship with Jesus.

Then God took it a step further. This wasn’t a surprise though. It is spoken of and promised in the Old Testament and Jesus himself spoke if it. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and began to dwell in the hearts of all believers. The living presence of the risen Christ took up residence, connecting us intimately to God. What a wonderful gift we have in and through a relationship with Jesus Christ! Thanks be to God for the new covenant!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the life-giving, faith-altering, relationship-building presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for making a way to personally know you and to walk daily in your intimate presence. What a gift! Amen.


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Here on Earth

Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

Verse 3: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and God will live with them.”

Photo credit: Thanti Nguyen

Revelation 21 comes near the end of John’s vision. Much unfolds up to this point – words are spoken to the 7 churches, there is trial and persecution, there is rapture and eternal punishment, there is a great era where Satan rules yet the name of Christ is still made known. As chapter 21 opens John sees a new heaven and new earth and a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. God becomes present once again, just as God has been originally with Adam and Eve. In verse 3 we read, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and God will live with them.” This is the traditional, future-focused, apocalyptic reading of the book of Revelation.

Much of scripture has layers or multiple meaning. Jesus’ use of parables is the best example of this. For example, the parable of the sower is not just about planting seeds in different soil types. The first readers of Revelation, for example, would have read is as a present day event, with Satan representing the Roman emperor. Passages such as our today can also be read as a present and ongoing reality, not just as a historical or future event.

When we choose to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life, we are made into new creations, indwelled with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives with us and in our hearts from that point forward, daily walking with us. Not that we don’t ever again experience pain or loss or other hard things, but God present with us will “wipe every tear” from our eyes. The power of death was swallowed up in Christ’s victory on the cross – “the old order of things has passed away.” Death is no longer the end. It is just a point of transition to something more, to something much better. And like the woman at the well, in this life we too experience the “living water.” As we thirst for more of Christ in our lives, he gives abundantly “drink without cost” from the water of new life. Yes, we can experience the kingdom of God here on earth. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, heaven and being in your eternal presence is something I look forward to, even long for. Yet in this time and place you dwell with me, love me, walk with me. Thank you for the gift of experiencing a taste of heaven here and now. Amen.


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Hear, Respond, Follow

Reading: John 10:25-30

Verse 27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Today in John 10, Jesus answers the question posed in the section we read yesterday. Is he the Christ, the Messiah? First, he says to the Jews, “I told you but you do not believe.” Is this the first step of faith – to hear and to believe? I do not think so. Jesus goes on to speak of miracles – they weren’t enough to draw the Jews into belief. Seeing a miracle isn’t the first step to belief either.

Jesus goes on to connect belief to being one of his sheep. So what are the steps to become a sheep or a part of the family of believers? First, we hear and are drawn to the shepherd’s voice. It is an invitation heard and received. Like the first disciples, we must hear and respond to the call of Christ: “Come, follow me.”

As we begin to follow, a relationship begins to form. We get to know Christ and Christ gets to know us. The relationship and commitment deepens as we learn and grow into Christ. This process is strengthened by the Holy Spirit, the living presence of Christ, leading and guiding our journey. At some point we profess trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and we invite him into our heart. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our heart as we make this lifelong decision. Doing so we receive the gift we read of in today’s passage: eternal life. We follow in this life to one day dwell in Christ’s eternal glory. Day by day we follow, growing closer and closer to what we will one day be in glory. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to follow well. Give me ears that always hear your voice. Give me a heart that ever senses the call to continue growing and becoming more and more who you created me to be in Christ. And as I follow, use me so my life draws others into the flock. Use me this day. Amen.


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God with Us

Reading: Psalm 23:4-6

Verse 6: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Today we turn our attention to the second half of Psalm 23. This portion speaks confidently of God’s presence with us. Verse 4 begins with familiar words: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” Many have been comforted by these words during a time of loss. Even though death’s shroud hangs over us, God is present. This phrase also has a second meaning. Both Isaiah and Luke use this phrase in connection with Christ coming into the world, bringing light into the darkness.

Continuing in verse 4 we are next reminded of God’s protection from the darkness without and within. Because God is ever with us, we need not fear any evil. The rod defends us from the evil present in the world and that applied to our lives by Satan. The staff guides us and draws us back in, steering us away from evil in our hearts and pulling us back in when we’ve gone astray.

In verse 5 God is a provider. Even though evil is in the world and even though we will encounter those opposed to faith, God still provides for us – food on the table, shelter in the storms, a strong defense in the battles. The provision of all these things and more is in abundance – our cup overflows with God’s love and care.

Verse 6 brings it home. Here we read: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Knowing God as comforter and light, as protector and provider, as Lord of our life – all this leads us to walk daily in God’s goodness and love. Doing so we can assuredly “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder today of all the ways that you are with me. For all of this and so much more, I rejoice and praise your holy name! Amen.


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Dwelling Richly, Intimately

Reading: Psalm 27:1-6

Verse 4: “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”

Photo credit: Matt Botsford

In this week’s Psalm David rejoices over God’s presence in his life and he expresses the desire to always be ‘at home’ in the Lord. With God, David finds light to guide him and salvation for his soul. With God David finds protection and shelter from his enemies. David’s end result in our verses for today is to “sing and make music to the Lord” – to worship God for all that God does for and is to David.

When David says, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” he is expressing a deep desire to connect to God both physically and spiritually. The tabernacle (and later the temple) was literally seen as God’s dwelling place. Just as we go to our churches to connect to God, David desires to spend time in ‘God’s house.’ But one cannot realistically spend all of one’s time in the tabernacle or at church. Life and faith also happen outside the physical building.

When we are ‘at home’ with God, whether in our churches or in our homes or out in the mountains or walking the streets, that time with God fills us spiritually. When we “gaze upon” God’s beauty and when we “sacrifice with shouts of joy” we are living out our faith. Sometimes when we do these things we aren’t in church but are out in the world, engaging others and meeting needs. We are extending the light and salvation, the protection and shelter to others. We are sharing the love of God with a world in need. Doing so, “all the days of my life,” we are dwelling richly and intimately with God, “making music to the Lord.” Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you fill me up. Pour me out as well. Your light dwells in my heart. Shine it out into the world. You are my salvation and my hope. Reflect your love into the lives of others so that they too may know your saving grace and your eternal presence. Amen.


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Reflect the Reign

Reading: Psalm 132: 10-18

Verse 13: “The Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling.”

Today we turn to the second half of Psalm 132. The main theme continues to be relationship. This section of the Psalm begins with the Davidic covenant – God’s promise to David that his descendant would be on the throne forever and ever. This promise would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In verse thirteen we read, “The Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling.”

Many years after these words were written God incarnate came to Israel and dwelled among the people. Jesus came and revealed what God’s love looks like when lived out to the full. Jesus took God’s love out into the world. On the back roads, by the seashore, in the temple and synagogues, by wells, in homes and on hillsides – here Jesus met folks where and how they were. Whenever and wherever, he ministered to all he met. Jesus prayed, fasted, worshipped God. He also walked into valleys and dark places, sharing the hope and healing found in relationship with God. Here Jesus experienced the pain and suffering of the world. Here Jesus brought love, peace, comfort, and strength.

Today is “Reign of Christ” Sunday in many of our churches. As we end the Christian year and move towards Advent next Sunday, may we remember Jesus’ example of love and may we strive to live and love with Jesus Christ reigning on the throne of our hearts. In the interactions we have with friends and family and with the stranger and the outcast, may all we say and do reflect the reign of Jesus Christ in our lives.

Prayer: Lord God, may your reign in my life be more than words on a page. In my actions may others see your love being lived out. In my words may others hear your love being made known and shared. Fill me with your love and pour me out into the world. Amen.


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The Living God

Reading: Psalm 84: 1-4

Verse 2: “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God”.

Photo credit: Pablo Heimplatz

Psalm 84 is an expression of our longing to be with God, to live in connection with our God. In the opening verse the psalmist declares who “lovely” is God’s dwelling place. At the time of the Psalm it was understood that God dwelled in the tabernacle and then the temple, as evidenced in yesterday’s reading from 1 Kings 8. This thought held true until the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the gifting of the Holy Spirit – God’s indwelling presence in all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the living God came to dwell in each of us. From that perspective verse one takes on a whole new meaning and almost becomes a charge to us. Paul echoes this idea in 1 Corinthians 6, where he reminds us that our bodies are the temple of God and calls us to live accordingly.

Since the beginning of time humanity has longed to be with God. Created in God’s image we were made to live in a relationship with God. This longing has been corrupted by evil – some long to be a god themselves and others seek to have power and dominion over others. These pursuits are all empty and done in vain. In the end the soul is still left lacking and wanting. Some continue to pursue the things of this world and others come to live into verse two: “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God”. True peace, contentment, joy, satisfaction – these are found only through a personal relationship with the Lord. Only there do we find out true home, like the sparrow and swallow in our Psalm: near to the Lord Almighty.

Our passage closes with these words: “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you”. With the Spirit of the living God dwelling in our hearts, may all we say and do and think bring praise and glory to the Lord our God. May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, how lovely is your dwelling place! How lovely is the heart of one fully in love with you. The yearning, the longing – fill me with your presence today. As I cry out for you, may you be found in me. Bless me with your abiding presence today, O God. Amen.