pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: emulate


by Leave a comment

Together with One Voice

Reading: Romans 15:4-6

Romans 15:4 – “Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance.”

Photo credit: Fredrik Ohlander

As we enter Romans in chapter 15, Paul is in the process of elevating the community over the individual. For example, in chapter 12, Paul argues that individuals are given gifts by the Spirit for the benefit of the community (not for individual gain or glory.) In chapter 14 Paul emphasizes pleasing God and loving neighbors more than self. At the start of chapter 15 Paul encourages patience with those who are less mature in faith. As Christ did, Paul invites those who are able to build up their neighbors.

Today in verse 4 we read, “Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance.” Paul and his theology are deeply rooted in the Old Testament and in the Law in particular. But his understanding and application of the scriptures changed radically through his relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul saw and understood how Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. There is no better example of this than in the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew 5. Again and again Jesus unpacks the Law through his use of the sayings, “You have heard that it was said… But I say to you…” In each of these examples and in how he lived out his faith, Jesus was demonstrating what love of God and love of neighbor truly looked like. Paul looks at these examples and encourages the church to emulate Christ’s attitude in their lives.

The early church needed hope so that they could endure the trials and persecution of their day. We too need hope to faithfully love God and neighbor in the midst of a culture that elevates self above all else. Like the early church, may we find strength in the scriptures, in Christ, and in our community of faith, all to “glorify God… together with one voice.”

Prayer: Lord God, we pray for daily strength and encouragement, for hope and peace. Draw us deeper into your word, deeper in our relationship with Christ, and deeper into our communities of faith. In these things we find support, help, and the power to love you and to love neighbors as Christ first loved us. Lord, use our daily living to glorify your name and to build your church. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Worthy with Christ

Reading: Colossians 1:10-14

Colossians 1:10-12 – “We’re praying this so that… being strengthened through his glorious might… you endure everything and have patience, and by giving thanks with joy.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

We back up a bit in Colossians 1 today, looking at the prayer that leads into yesterday’s hymn of praise. The prayer begins with Paul asking God to help those in these churches to “live lives worthy of the Lord.” This is an expression that Paul and other New Testament writers used frequently. It was a call to live like and act like and speak like and treat others like Jesus did. While there was and is an understanding that one could never be exactly like Jesus because he was perfect, the charge was and is to get as close as possible. This idea reminds me of the 90’s, when many aspiring basketball players wanted to play and be like Michael Jordan. Athletes worked hard at emulating the six time NBA champ’s moves, style… Although no one is or was exactly like Christ (or MJ) many have and do walk faithfully in his footsteps, bearing fruit and growing in faith.

Daily faithful living creates a connection with Jesus that becoming sustaining, yielding what Paul prays for. Through the Spirit of Christ within us, we receive strength from Jesus. This strength empowers us to endure and to have patience. When our faith places us in a difficult spot or leads us into a hard situation, we do have to endure at times. In these times, this strength brings us a patience to endure, trusting as God leads and guided according to God’s plans and purposes. When we are faithful, striving to live a life worthy of Jesus’ example and teachings, then his strength helps us through. Often, from the other side of the trial or suffering or…, we can look back and see how God in Christ was at work in our lives. This usually leads to joyfully giving thanks to the one who is faithful and true. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, in our day we don’t face the same persecution and threats that Jesus’ first disciples faced. But our culture, with its focus on power over and on personal gain, creates at least as great of a challenge to faithful living. So Lord we ask for strength and endurance and patience. Help us to be faithful in this secular, selfish world. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Confessing Christ

Readings: Philippians 2:6-11 and Luke 23:39-43

Luke 23:42 – “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

In our Philippians passage Paul encourages us to adopt the attitude of Christ. This is what a disciple or follower of Jesus seeks to do. In this “Christ Hymn” we find three attitudes that we can emulate. These and other parts of the hymn point to a fourth attitude that we are called to practice. First, “he emptied himself.” Jesus was willing to become like us so that he could relate to us. Second, “he humbled himself” – becoming willing to fully associate with us. Third, Jesus was fully obedient to God. While we likely will not be pushed to the point of dying, we are to seek to obey God always. These three attitudes and the actions the hymns speaks of point to the fourth attitude: love. It was love that drove the other three, that arches over the emptying, the humility, the obedience.

Turning to our Luke 23 passage we see these four attitudes lived out. The religious leaders, the soldiers, the crowd – they all mocked and taunted Jesus. He hung on the cross, nearly spent, perhaps one foot already in heaven. It would’ve been easy to just shut out all the noise, to close the eyes, to slip quickly back into heaven. “Easy” is too often our path. But here in this moment Jesus encounters a seeker. This second criminal defends Jesus. So Jesus connects to this man, emptying himself a bit further. Jesus humbled himself even more, meeting this criminal where he was at. Jesus remained obedient to God’s big command. In love Jesus responded to the criminal’s request, telling him that today he’d see Jesus in paradise. The man’s tongue confessed that Jesus was Lord, to the glory of the Father. May it be so with our whole lives this day and every day.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us today to hold fast to the attitude of Christ. Grant us the courage and the will to elevate the other over self and to strive to live out your love in all we do, say, and think. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Radically Different Love

Reading: John 13:31-35

Verse 35: “By this all will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

As Jesus begins what amounts to his closing words or final instructions to the disciples, he starts with the most important point: love one another. All that Jesus said and did was rooted in love. This was the one emotion that arched over all of his ministry. For those that walked with Jesus and for those who seek to walk in his footsteps, love remains the central facet of discipleship.

As the disciples began to process “as I have loved you,” it might have meant something slightly different to each disciple. In a similar way, as ones who read the gospels, a teaching or an action of Jesus may stand out as the example of loving others. Or maybe a few form our basic picture of what loving as Jesus loved looks like. And the longer we walk with Jesus, the more we study and emulate his life, the more complete our picture and practice of his love becomes.

This love that includes widows and orphans and other outcasts, this love that includes those who harm and wrong us, this love that includes those hard to love – this love is the mark of a follower of Christ. Jesus’ love is radically different than the world’s limited, conditional, me-centric love. So when we truly love one another as Jesus loved us, the world will notice. May it be so for you and for me today. May we love extraordinarily well today.

Prayer: Lord God, use me today to offer radical love to others. May I love as you loved – unconditionally and completely, without limit or barrier. Use me today to reflect your love to a world in need. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Abundant

Reading: Exodus 16: 9-15

Verse 12: “…Then you will know that I am the Lord your God”.

As our passage opens, Aaron calls the community of faith together, acknowledging that God has heard their grumbling. As they gather to come before the Lord, God’s glory is revealed in the cloud. In verse eleven we again hear God acknowledge to Moses that he has heard their grumbling. In response, Moses passes along that the people will have meat in the evening and bread in the morning. The announcement closes with the pronouncement: “…Then you will know that I am the Lord your God”.

In the provision, the Israelites certainly know that it was God who provided. In the evening, the quail come and cover the camp. Cover the camp – there is an overabundance implied here. The same is true with the manna. A covering of dew surrounds the camp. It was not here and there – it surrounded the camp. After the dew is gone, God’s care is again made evident as bread appears and covers the desert floor. Again, a feeling of overabundance. Each and every person is able to gather as much as they need.

Is there something to be learned about God because the quail and manna come in such abundance? Can we learn something about God and our relationship with God through this passage? I tend to think that God sounds annoyed by the grumbling. That is because I know I would feel annoyed. In the same way, at first I see the overabundance as God saying, “Do you have enough? How about now? Now?” as the quail and manna almost pile up. But these thoughts do no align well with my overall understanding of God. God hears the grumbling through the unconditional love that defines all God does and says and is. The abundance is a reflection of that endless, unconditional love. That is the lens through which God sees their relationship too. Yes, the people grumble; they complain. Maybe even a few whine. I’m guilty of all three at times. When I digress into these attitudes and when my prayers reflect this, it is because I lack trust, because I think God is taking too long to answer, … We grumble… not because we think God unloving or uncaring. We grumble because we are not loving God enough, not trusting enough, not secure enough…

God loves us. In abundance. God will care for us. In abundance. May our growing faith step more fully into God’s abundant love and care.

Prayer: Loving God, in my heart I know you love me fully, dearly, completely, abundantly. It is a love I can only begin to fathom, a love I can just scratch the surface of emulating. In your abundant love, guide me to love you and others better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today… Amen.


by 1 Comment

Faithful

Reading: 2nd Kings 2: 1-7

Verse Four: “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho”… “I will not leave you”.

Elijah is known as the greatest Old Testament prophet according to most Biblical scholars. His tenure as prophet is full of great stories that demonstrate his obedience and faithfulness to God. Elisha is his prophet-in-training. Elisha will succeed Elijah as the next “prophet of God” in Israel. As we begin 2nd Kings 2, we hear that the time is now: “when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven…”. Elijah will not die a normal death. Instead he will be taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire. For his part, Elisha has been a few servant to Elijah and loves him dearly. He wants to be with him right to the end.

What unfolds over the course of our passage is sort of like a game of cat and mouse. Elijah says, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho”. Over and over Elisha’s response is, “I will not leave you”. Elijah wants to leave Elisha behind, maybe to spare him actually seeing Elijah go. Elisha keeps repeating his line, showing the deep dedication he has to Elijah. “Just one more moment..” is what Elisha is saying. At each juncture the prophets of that place remind Elisha that God is going to take Elijah today. And each time his response is the same: “Yes, I know. But do not speak of it”. Elisha is saying, I know already! You don’t need to remind me of it!

Elisha is as dedicated and faithful as Elijah. He will not leave the one he loves and serves. We have to admire Elisha’s level of commitment. It is one we would do well to emulate. As we reflect on this today, we first must ask ourselves: how could my life better reflect my love and dedication and commitment to Jesus? Secondly, we must ask: how could I be as faithful and dedicated to Jesus?


by 1 Comment

Journey

Reading: Philippians 2: 1-5

Verse Two: Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

If you think back to when you were young, perhaps you can think of someone you wanted to be like.  Maybe it was one if your parents or maybe it was a grandparent.  Maybe it was an older brother or sister.  Maybe it was an older student on the team or in the choir or band.  Whatever the case, you looked up to that person for the qualities you admired in them.  They were qualities you wanted to have or practice as well.  As we mature in life, we often have mentors who help us along at work or in our faith or in our marriages…  They are usually more experienced and are “successful” and are willing to pour into us to make us ‘better’.

In today’s passage, Paul wants us to recall how Jesus brings us encouragement, comfort, compassion, love, tenderness, and fellowship.  He then says, “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose”.  Paul is asking us to look to the ultimate role model and to emulate Jesus.  Do to others what Jesus does for us.  Jesus set aside selfish ambition and conceit.  Paul says for us to do the same.  Jesus chose humility – looking at others needs before His own.  Paul says for us to do the same.  Delve into the Word, understand what Jesus is really all about.  Get to know Him so well that you can emulate Him well.  But do not do this for just a day or even a week.  Keep reading, keep deepening your connection.  This is a lifetime project.

If we make Jesus Christ our role model, we still need mentors.  The journey of faith is not easy and it does take some experience.  It is far better to have wise counsel than it is to stumble along on our own.  Each Christian should seek out a wiser, more mature Christian as a mentor.  To be able to tap into and to learn from one who has walked where we want to walk is essential to our journey of faith.  May we each reflect on our journey to date and seek God’s direction on how and with whom to continue our path to being one in mind and spirit with Christ.


by Leave a comment

Follow

Reading: Matthew 11: 16-19

Verse 19: The Son of Man came eating and drinking… a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were sent by God – one to proclaim the coming of the good news and the other to bring the good news.  Both men showed signs of God’s presence within them and were feared by the religious authorities for their connection to God.  As Jesus speaks today, He questions the current people’s ability to recognize what or who is before them.  In the end He says, “wisdom is proved right by her actions”.  Today we would maybe say “the proof is in the pudding”.  The question for us as followers of Jesus is: do we walk the walk?

In Jesus’ time, the tradition of becoming a Rabbi was a long and arduous process.  All young boys aspired to be a Rabbi.  The Rabbi was well respected and looked up to.  All young boys would study the Torah, memorizing each word of what we know as Genesis through Deuteronomy (180 pages in my Bible).  Those who showed exceptional promise would go on the further study.  Those who excelled here would ask to follow a Rabbi.  From this group a Rabbi would select three to five to follow him.  This small group would literally follow the Rabbi everywhere and would emulate all he did.  It was quite an involved process to get to train so that one day you might become the new Rabbi.  As others surpassed you, at whatever step, you would return home, most likely taking up the family business.

This was how one would become a religious authority.  It was how it was done.  John and Jesus simply responded to the call of God and went into ministry.  The authority that both men carried did gain respect from some, but not from all.  As our verses say, many called John ‘crazy’ or demon-possessed.  Jesus was looked down upon for the company He kept.  Verse 19 reads, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking… a friend of tax collectors and sinners”.  In the end both men served the God they loved.  Each man filled the exact role that God had planned for each.  John pointed to Jesus as the one to follow.  Jesus gave us the example to follow.  As we live out this day, may we clearly follow Jesus, looking to be His witness and His hands and feet in our world.


by Leave a comment

Let Us Rejoice

Reading: Psalm 118: 1-2 & 19-29

The Psalm opens with a timeless line: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever”.  These three truths form some of the bedrock of our faith.  If one took the time, we could each list the many ways that we have personally experienced each of these truths in our lives.  As we grow in our faith, we come to appreciate each of these truths more and more.

The relationship we have with God is the overarching relationship in our life.  He actively seeks to guide and protect us, to bless us, and to bring us joy.  God desires to answer our prayers, to bring us success, and to receive our praise.  He is our strength in times of doubt, our courage in times of fear, our comforter in times of suffering, and our light in times of darkness.  Our relationship with God is the relationship which we should model all of our other relationships after.

For our part, we offer God our thanksgiving and praise for all He brings to the relationship.  Our grateful response is to seek to bring others into this relationship as well.  Jesus commanded all of His followers to go forth to make new disciples.  Jesus set the example for what our relationships with God and fellow man should look like and then said to go and do likewise, to love others as He first loved us.  We do this by being love, goodness, strength, courage, comfort, and light to those in our lives.

The psalmist also wrote, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”.  As we seek to emulate Christ and to bring Him to the corners of our world, we too will be blessed.  As we share the light and love of Christ with others, we too will be blessed.  Verse 24 reads, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”.  Each day is a day the Lord has made.  May we go out daily into our world rejoicing in all He has done for us, drawing others into our joy and praise, into His love and hope.


by 1 Comment

Expressions of His Love

The journey of faith is a journey to grow more and more like Christ.  It is a journey that seeks to emulate the One who was without sin.  Our pursuit of being made into the image of Christ is an endless pursuit.

Paul reminds us today that we are to act toward one another as Christ acted toward us.  We are to treat one another in love.  We are to offer of ourselves.  We are to forgive freely.

Paul offer us a list of ‘don’ts’ followed by a ‘why’.  Don’t speak lies – speak truth to strengthen the body of Christ.  Don’t sin in anger – keep Satan at bay.  Don’t steal – work so that you have something to offer those in need.  Don’t talk coarsely – speak good things to build one another up.  Each ‘why’ is how we can become more like Christ.

Ultimately though, we will say unkind things, we will allow sin into out lives, we will take from others.  Out of His great love for us through, Jesus has paid the price for our sins.  Through His death and resurrection Jesus offers us forgiveness.  This wonderful grace of God makes us new every moment.  This deep love that God has for us is what draws us to faith.

As we continue to grow in Christ, our faith becomes more and more evident in how we talk, in our actions, and in how we live our lives.  All of these things are expressions of Christ’s love alive in us.  Today, may we grow to be more and more like Christ through how we love those we meet.

Scripture reference: Ephesians 5: 25-32