pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


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In Christ’s Way

God calls us to a life of holiness.  In living a life of holiness we are called to live with God’s love being our guiding light.  Although we are imperfect in our human form, we are called to emulate our perfect God.

In daily living we are called to build others up, to pray for all we encounter, to do good and to do no harm, to serve and to give to others.  Elements such as pride, greed, envy, and such are not welcome in our hearts.  Our covenant with God calls us to holiness.  And through this covenant we find God’s power being present to help us accomplish this calling.

Paul looked at holiness as a holistic or complete package.  It involves our body, mind, and soul living a life worthy of Jesus Christ. Our journey of faith should lead us closer and closer and closer to Christ.

God knows we are imperfect creatures.  As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, we are also reminded that Jesus walked this earth too.  Although He was without sin, He felt all of the emotions and things we deal with and struggle with.  Jesus is on our side.  He intercedes for us.  God calls us to perfection, seeking to make saints out of our imperfection.  The road is narrow but His love never fails and His hand is always upon us, guiding and leading us to walk in Christ’s way.

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24


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The Gift of Faith

In Psalm 126 the people have returned from exile. For this they praise God joyfully.  But a hard reality also faces them.  No one was there the year before to plant crops and to store up grain.  In the midst of a joyous return they face a food crisis.

The people of Israel have just experienced the miracle of being freed from slavery.  They have seen God’s great power at work in their lives.  So they turn their prayers to the need at hand. They pray for food and a good harvest and are confident that their God will respond with a good harvest.  They have faith in His future blessings.

In our world today, many also have a hunger – a spiritual hunger.  During the time of Advent. as we draw nearer to Christmas, people are more aware of Christ and faith.  We have the food that the lost need.  We can offer them the great news of Jesus Christ – a morsel that always satisfies.  We are called to share what we have.  When we give away our faith, strangely enough it grows in us too.  Bless another today with the gift of faith.

Scripture reference: Psalm 126


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Joy and Hope

Mark 13 has some apocalyptic writing.  In verses 24-37 Jesus is speaking of the time when He will return in glory.  This type of writing is fascinating to me.  Personally I do not read too much into it.  Some people do and sadly their focus often becomes the doom and gloom aspects and they see only the doubt, fear, and despair.  I prefer just the facts.

First fact – Jesus is returning.  Yeah!  Second fact – there will be signs in the natural world that the time is at hand.  These things will scare some people but others will gaze heavenward with joyous expectation.  Third fact – no one knows the time for Jesus’ return except God the Father.  This fact is the most imminent and the one with the most application for our daily lives.

Because the hour is unknown we are called as Christians to b alert and ready at all times.  We are to live daily with faith, love, and hope always on our hearts, souls, and minds.  These things should flow through and be visible in our daily decisions, choices, and actions.  We are called to love our God and neighbor like they really are the most important things in our lives.  When we live each day for God, we do not live in despair and fear but in joy and hope.  There’s no place I’d rather be!

Scripture reference: Mark 13: 24-37


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Fellow Travelers

Often times when we go on a journey, we like to have company go along with us.  This is especially true if it is a long journey.  We have someone to talk to, someone there in case we have trouble, and someone to keep us focused on the journey.

Our journey of faith is long and should be one of continual growth and development as we move along our “path.”  It is a journey meant to be made in the company of other Christians, but how often we try to go it alone.  We don’t usually mind sharing the good things in life or even coming together at a funeral in or common time of grief, but sharing our inner demons and struggles is much harder.  Yet it is in the honesty and accountability that we find strength and power.

Jesus himself turned to others in times of trial and struggle.  The Holy Spirit walked with Him in the desert and often He turned to the disciples for prayer and support.  If Jesus needed others to be with Him, how much more so do we.  May we find and be for others fellow travelers along the road of faith.

Scripture reference: Judges 4: 1-9


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Ours to Invest

In the Parable of the Talents, the three servants had a choice in what to do with what they were given.  Two chose to risk a little and work the gift and it grew.  One chose to bury the gift in the ground.  The two were rewarded for their efforts and the one was scolded and tossed aside.

Each of us are also given much.  We may not have huge sums of money to invest, but we all have gifts and skills that God blessed us  with AND we all have time.  The question we face is this: how will we invest what God has given us?  God has given us what has been called “divine capital” to invest, but we get to choose how or even if we are going to invest it.

Are your gifts invested or are they buried?  Are you active in pursuing God and your faith or are you just warming a pew every once in a while?  God’s call to us is to be invested in our faith, in the lives of others, and in the building of the kingdom.  And the best news is that God is right here, ready to assist us as we invest.  Just like in the parable, God wants to see us use what we have so that it will grow.  Happy spending!!

Scripture reference: Matthew 25: 14-30


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Be Filled

In today’s parable from Matthew, ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom to come to the wedding banquet.  Sad thing is five of them do not have enough oil.  Five do.  When news of the bridegroom’s approach reaches them, the five need more oil.  While they are away getting oil, the bridegroom arrives.  Then banquet begins and when the five arrive late, they are not allowed in because the bridegroom does not know them now.

The lesson is to be prepared. The hour of return is unknown to us too.  Metaphorically, Jesus is the bridegroom, we are the virgins, and the banquet is the celebration of the return of Christ.  The oil represents the Holy Spirit and our faith is the lamp.  In our walk of faith we must keep our lamps burning, shining forth with the light of Christ.  To do so we must seek the Holy Spirit, that symbolic oil for our lamps.

Each day when we pray for guidance, direction, and God’s presence, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Each time we we read and meditate on His Word, we are filled.  Each time we gather and worship, we are filled.  Each time we stop and care for one in need, we are filled.  God loves to pour His Holy Spirit into us because then our light shines bright.  Be filled today and every day!!

Scripture reference: Matthew 25: 1-13


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Resting Fully

Those who knew Jesus expected him to return very soon after the resurrection.  But Jesus never gave a date or a time – that was (and is) God’s will.  Yet the early believers expected Jesus to return any day.  Part this was probably a longing to see their good friend again.

As people in the early church began to die, some worry arose over the fact that Jesus had not returned.  They didn’t know their loved one’s fates.  But Paul assured them and assures us that final victory over death has been won by Jesus Christ’s resurrection.  Paul assured us that those who have died will rise and return in glory when He returns.  Those alive at the time of His return will then join the great cloud of witness.

As a human we grieve the physical loss.  But as a Christian we rejoice in knowing they have attained their place in heaven’s glory.  We also live each day without fear of death because we too know that our eternity is secure, resting fully with Christ!

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18


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Teach Them Well

Our faith has a long history to it.  Our common faith journey begins with the creation story and runs right to today.  It contains stories of Moses and Noah, of David and Solomon, of Mary and Esther, of Elijah and John the Baptist, of Daniel and Hezekiah, and of course, of Jesus and the disciples.

Our own faith story begins years ago as well.  It includes all of those family experiences with faith plus all that we each have experienced in our own lives.  All of this is simply an extension of that story that began only with God, before a word was spoken.

In Psalm 78 we are charged with the task of teaching all of these stories to our children so that they too can now them and make them a part of their own faith story.  And not only that, but also so that they too may teach the stories to their children.  These roots of our faith, these stories of who we are, for the foundation of who we are a Christian.  A solid foundation is important.  May we all teach our children well, so that they may be strengthened in the faith and encouraged in the way that leads to life eternal.

Scripture reference: Psalm 78: 5-7


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What Greater Gift?

The stories of the Bible are our stories of faith.    In them we come to understand past relationships with God, to see His mighty actions in the world, and to see what it looks like to walk the faith in the flesh, as Jesus did.  As we come to love God, we feel the need to pass on the story of faith to our children and other family, to our friends and coworkers, and to the stranger we meet on the street.

The faith experiences we each go through personally and those read and hear about are also a part of the faith story we each have.  God continues to be active in our world.  The personal side of our faith is the part others can most often see and also the part they can initially best relate to as well.  When we share our faith from the heart, we can deeply touch another’s life because here they can see the power of Christ in action in the real world.

We should be drawn to share what we love, desiring for all to come to know God and His amazing love.  Whether through Biblical stories or through the stories of our life, we are called to make disciples of all people.  What greater gift could we offer our neighbors that we are supped to love?

Scripture reference: Psalm 78: 1-4


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Saints and Future Saints

In Joshua 24, Joshua gathers the people together.  Many of us gathered together yesterday.  The purposes were the same – to recall our faith, to renew our souls, to challenge us to choose who we will serve, and to decide how we will live our lives.

Joshua begins by drawing the people back to their roots, to the father of Israel, to Abraham.  Joshua wanted them to see their common connection and to see how their faith had been developed and nurtured by many people.  In lots of churches yesterday we were also drawn back – to the saints who have gone before.  By remembering them, we too are reconnecting to our faith, to God, to our roots, and to each other.

All of us are who we are because of the people who molded and shaped us.  Maybe it was your parents or grandparents or a pastor or a friend who planted and nurtured those seeds of faith in you.  More likely it was a combination of people.  Give thanks for them.  But also emulate them because we all have a role to play for the next generation of faithful followers.  Consider your role today and begin to seek ways to live into your role.

Scripture reference: Joshua 24: 1-3a