pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Stand on the Word

Reading: Luke 3-4:13

Luke 4:13 – “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

Luke begins the story of John the Baptist’s ministry by listing the political and religious leaders at the time John began to call people to a baptism of repentance. The baptism showed they were changing hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. This fulfills the words of Isaiah 40.

John’s ministry is not without confrontation. In addition to being arrested by Herod, John harshly addresses the crowd, declaring that they must produce fruit that reflects their changed hearts and lives. (In Matthew’s gospel these words are addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees.) This fruit would be sharing one’s extra clothes and food with those in need. It would include being ethical and moral in how you do your job. John warns that being a child of Abraham won’t save them. The ax is already at the roots of that tree. This exchange makes me wonder, what hollow faith claims do we try to stand upon?

Because of John’s words, people begin to wonder if he is the Christ. He quickly dispels that, reminding them that he is preparing the way for the one who will baptize with “the Holy Spirit and fire.” John continues to proclaim the coming kingdom of God.

This is revealed as Jesus comes to be baptized. After praying, the Holy Spirit descends and God says, “You are my son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” Luke then gives Jesus’ genealogy, connecting Jesus back to Adam, the one who walked and talked with God. This is Luke’s way of showing that Jesus came to save all of humanity.

Our reading today closes with the temptation of Jesus. Led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, Jesus fasts and prays for forty days. Satan comes and tempts Jesus with food, power, and testing God. Each time Jesus stood upon the word of God. We closed with, “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.” Satan tests us in this way too, waiting until we are weak or tired or stressed or vulnerable… In those moments of temptation, may we too stand upon the word of God!

Prayer: Lord God, when we get too comfy, thinking church attendance and/or Bible study is sufficient, remind us that you expect us to produce fruit as a sign of a changed heart and life. Yet, may that church attendance and Bible study serve to protect us when Satan comes knocking. Amen.


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To the Test

Reading: Daniel 1-3

Daniel 2:47 – “No doubt about it: your God is God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries.”

Photo credit: Nadine Shaabana

As the book of Daniel begins, Babylon’s king attacks Jerusalem. Although the city does not fall, God hands over Judah’s king. In addition, they took into exile some men who were good-looking, skilled, intelligent, and capable. These men were to be trained as officials in Babylon’s government. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The last three will be known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel will also receive a Babylonian name, but he will be known as “Daniel” throughout the book.

The first test comes around food. In training they are to eat the king’s food and to drink his wine. This would defile them. Daniel works out a test period, eating and drinking only vegetables and water. In the end they are healthier. God also blessed them with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. When have you been in a position to eat or drink something that would “defile” you? What insights or strength do you gain from their example?

The second test comes around a dream. In a rage, the king declares that the sages must not only interpret his dream, but they must also tell him the dream. No one can do the impossible. All sages are to be executed, including the four. Daniel secures a brief respite and gathers his friends. They seek help from God. God responds to their trust and faith, allowing Daniel to tell and interpret the dream, doing the impossible. The king is very impressed, declaring, “No doubt about it: your God is God of gods, Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries.” When has your trust or faith in God helped another to see God’s power and might at work?

The third test comes around idolatry. King Nebuchadnezzar builds a 90 foot statue and orders everybody to worship it. He has forgotten what he just said about God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse – initially and then when before the king. They boldly declare their allegiance to God alone. Thrown into the fiery furnace, they not only survive but emerge totally unaffected by the flames. This time the king offers words of praise to God. God is working on his heart. How can you stand apart from or even against the things this world idolizes, leading others to praise God?

Prayer: Lord God, our faith is often put to the test. We must decide daily if we will choose to honor you, to trust you, to stand up to be counted as yours. Give us the strength to face these challenges that call us to risk for you. Help us to walk in your will and according to your ways, bringing you praise, honor, and glory. Amen.


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Questions

Readings: Exodus 15:22-27, Exodus 16, Exodus 17, Exodus 18

Exodus 16:8 – “Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us but against the LORD.”

Coming fresh off of the amazing rescue at the sea, today we become familiar with an oft-repeated pattern in the wilderness. The Hebrews are lacking in something so they argue/complain/grumble against Moses. Moses, often in frustration, turns to God and God provides food, water, protection… We often see a version of this played out in our lives, just without Moses as the middle man. We go straight to God with our grumbles, complaints, charges…

At Marah the water is bitter. God makes it sweet. Those hardships or challenges that become blessings? We experience these too, don’t we? Then, in the Sin Desert, hunger sets in. They long for the meat and bread of slavery. Ever look back in the good old days? God provides meat and bread. These come with instructions. These begin to establish the Sabbath. It was not possible in Egypt. As slaves of another they worked 7 days a week. We have a choice. Do we allow ourselves to be controlled by work…? Or do we honor God and ourselves in sabbath rest?

After preserving some manna for future generations, the Israelites travel on to Rephidim. No water. They accuse Moses (read: God) of bringing them out into the desert to die of thirst. Moses hits the rock at Horeb with his staff -> water comes out! Then Amalek comes to fight them. Joshua leads the troops into battle as Moses, Aaron, and Hur go up the mountain. The staff, now held aloft, continues to represent God’s presence. Aaron and Hur help Moses and God gives Israel victory. This leads into Jethro’s visit and suggestion. He sees Moses is too busy. He won’t last like this. Following his wise father-in-law’s advice, Moses appoints judges, sharing the load. God shared the load in battle. Moses shared the load with others. Which kind of sharing is harder for you? What did you learn today about sharing?

Prayer: Lord God, it is a little scary to see how little we’ve changed since Moses’ time. We get caught in nostalgia, we lose faith quickly, we question your love. Today I thank you so much for your enduring patience through the generations and for your great patience with me. Teach me to turn quicker to you and to hold onto your hand longer and more steadily. Amen.


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Heart Treasure

Reading: Luke 12:22-34

Verse 33: “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail.”

Yesterday we looked at Paul’s invitation to strain forward towards the prize that we will one day receive in heaven. Along this journey we can face many challenges. Sometimes we get stuck. This happens most often when the things of this world rise up, getting in the way of our faith. So today we turn to Luke 12 to hear Jesus’ words about an emotion that can be very hard to deal with or to push past: worry. We often get stuck when we become overly focused on our “stuff” – the things that make us feel safe and secure. Instead of looking heavenward, though, we choose to concern ourselves with the things of this world.

Jesus first addresses our basic needs: food, water, clothing. He begins with the ravens. Look how God feeds them! Jesus then points to the lilies – look at their splendor! With both examples, Jesus reminds us that we are far more valuable than birds or “the grass of the fields.” God knows we need these things and will meet our needs. Next, we are reminded to first seek the kingdom of God – the things not of this world. This is the greater need. Here too Jesus offers encouragement: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” This calls us to trust.

Jesus then addresses our actions step: “Sell all your possessions and give to the poor.” This action step sits at the core of who and what we trust. It calls us to trust at the deepest level. Like Abel, who gave to God from the firstborn lambs in Genesis 4, and like the widow who gave all she had to live on in Mark 13, can we also offer up our possessions to God, trusting that God will provide? Doing so we will “provide purses that will not wear out” for ourselves. Doing so, we will lead with the heart, the true source of our treasure – our faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we know that you love us beyond our understanding. We know that you care for us and for our well-being. We know the promises of presence and of resurrection life. Help us to loosen our grip on the things of this world, freeing us to better grasp the things of heaven. Amen.


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Three P’s

Reading: Exodus 16:6-15

Verses 6-7: “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.”

Continuing on in Exodus 16 we see 3 traits of God on display. Two are obvious and one is found “between the lines.” In verses 6-7 we read about one: God as provider. Because the people are hungry and are unable to provide for themselves, God brought quail at night and manna in the morning. God is our provider too. Sometimes food is what we need. Sometimes it is peace or joy or strength or the opening of a door or guidance for a next step.

The second trait is found in both the manna and in the cloud. God’s presence is found in the glory in the cloud and in the thin flakes that appear on the desert floor. In their doubt and in their want, God’s presence fills these voids. God is present to us too. Maybe it is in worship. Maybe it is on a walk. Maybe it is when you bow your head in prayer. Or maybe it’s in those moments of great need when you feel God’s arms and love surrounding you.

The third trait is God’s patience. The testing and the grumbling are already frequent, just days into this journey. It’s like your child asking “Are we there yet?” before you’re out of the driveway. Moses even makes it clear that the Israelites are really grumbling “against God.” It doesn’t seem to bother God. At all. God knows the big picture, the master plan. And God knows us too. God created us. God is not done with the Israelites and God is not done with you or with me. Although we also grumble… and doubt and question and worry and… God is ever so patient. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Lord God, you are indeed provider, presence, and patience. We need each in large volume. You give and give and give out of your great love for us. May our response be to live there out with one another. Amen.


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Abundance

Reading: Matthew 14:13-21

Verse 17: “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.”

After learning of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdraws to a lonely place. That is the setting where a large crowd tracks him down. Jesus sees them and he has compassion on them, spending the day healing the sick. As the sun begins to set the disciples remind Jesus of the remote location and of the time of day. The disciples want Jesus to dismiss the crowd so that they can get food for themselves. It is nice to think of others. But in what must’ve been a surprise to the disciples, Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.” Huh? What?!

Would’ve this been your reaction too? I believe it would be because it is too often mine when Jesus tells me something similar. When the Spirit nudges me to bring someone food or when the whisper tells me to reach across a line or barrier or when the scriptures condemn me for my inaction or my stinginess, I try and ignore it or I make excuses, just like the disciples. They protest Jesus’ nudge, saying, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” What is that for a crowd of 5000+?

Luke the disciples, I often have a scarcity mentality. I think who I am or what I have is not enough. Our world is stuck in this mentality. That’s why we hoard and accumulate. In our passage we see, though, that it’s not really about the disciples. It’s about Jesus. And when I struggle to follow through or to respond, it’s not really about me. It’s about God. And God, our God, is a God of abundance. In the end this is what the disciples learn: they each had a basket full of bread. 5 loaves? Hah! Yes, God is more than enough. May we learn to trust more fully in this God too.

Prayer: Lord God, you are so abundant – in your love, in your grace, in your mercy, in your forgiveness, in your provision. Guide me to live more fully into your abundance, trusting you with all that I am and with all that I have. Amen.


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Emptied To Be Filled

Reading: Isaiah 58:6-12

Verse 6: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…?”

Photo credit: Daniel Hooper

Moving on from the ways that the Israelites “seem” to want to be close to and to know God, especially through fasting, God shifts gears, asking, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen…?” The answer to this question is wide and involved. The answers are a series of actions that reveal how we are to be salt and light in the world.

The expressions of light and love that God calls us to begin with fighting injustice and ending oppression. God next calls us to provide food and shelter and clothing to those in need. Lastly God calls (or maybe challenges) us to not turn away from our own “flesh and blood.” These actions align us with the will of God and they mirror the life and preaching of Jesus Christ. A fast or any other spiritual discipline that draws us closer to God should lead us to better reflect God out into the world. If it does not, then we are fooling ourselves and falling woefully short of who and what God created and wants us to be.

A true drawing close to God will naturally lead to an emptying of self. As we deepen our relationship with God it deepens our relationships with one another – friend and stranger alike. As we are emptied, God fills us with love and compassion and mercy and many other things that lead us into humble service. And as we fill ourselves with the will and way of God we experience God’s presence. From there may we choose to allow that presence to guide us out into the world, empowering others to experience the life-changing power of God. O Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, may my worship of you not stop simply between me and you. May my worship be revealed in all aspects of my life. As I seek to yield more and more to your will and way, guide me to reveal who and what you are to a world in need. Amen.


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The Bread of Life

Reading: John 6: 24-35

Verse 27: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life”.

Photo credit: Paz Arando

In our passage Jesus begins his words to the crowd pointing out the real reason that they have sought him out. They have come again for more food. In a time when most were subsistence farmers or basic laborers, where many experienced hunger and other affects of poverty regularly, it is natural to seek more food. In our time many people live with this same scarcity mentality, living day to day, just trying to get by. They too are attuned to opportunities to attain resources that aid in their survival.

The crowd has exerted effort to attain more food. They have crossed the lake in hopes of another meal. In his teaching Jesus invites them to more, not once but twice. In verse 27 Jesus says, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life”. Jesus invites the crowd past the physical food that doesn’t last and on to the eternal food that does not perish. He invites them to consider a relationship with the Son of Man, to believe in Jesus. The crowd speaks of the manna that God gave daily for years in the desert, trying to revert back to their need for food and to their scarcity mentality. Jesus again points them past the physical food that God gave their ancestors and on to the “true bread” that stands before them and offers “life to the world”. Jesus again invites them to come through him and to believe in him. He promises that those who do will never hunger or thirst again.

Physical thirst and hunger exist in all of our communities, no matter how small. As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to meet these needs. Yes, yes, yes! Today’s passage also invites us to go deeper, to also connect people to the bread of life. How will you begin to do both of these things in your community today?

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide me to meet needs both physical and spiritual. The needs are so great. Fill the fields with workers, Lord. Amen.


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God’s Abundance

Reading: John 6: 1-13

Verse 13: “So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten”.

Photo credit: Abram Mourad Blokpoel

As our story gets going Jesus poses a question to one of the disciples. He asks Philip but I bet he asked loud enough for all twelve disciples to hear the question. Philip responds that it would take a lot of money to feed the large crowd gathering to see Jesus. Most of the other disciples were probably thinking along these lines. Andrew offers up sort of a solution – a boy with five loaves and two fish. Even Andrew wonders aloud how far that would possibly go “among so many”.

When the Holy Spirit places us in a similar situation or prompts us to step out in faith, how do we respond? Do we see limitations or the scarcity of potential resources? Or do we see and step into the possibility of what God might do?

After having the crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children) sit down, Jesus gives thanks and begins passing out the loaves and fish. Was it 10,000 or 15,000 that ate their fill that day? Would there have been any limit? Not this day. When the meal is over, Jesus has the disciples gather what is left over. There are twelve baskets filled with leftovers – one for each disciple. I wonder if Jesus had them each carry their full basket around for a few days as a tangible reminder of God’s abundance.

This story reveals one of the truths of God’s kingdom: there is more than enough. There is more than enough love, grace, mercy, kindness, and even food. Do we trust God enough to generously share what we have, knowing that God can and will do amazing things?

Prayer: Lord, give me hands that offer instead of fingers that grasp. Grant me a heart that lives into your abundance, blessing others on the journey. Amen.


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Pleasing to God

Reading: Isaiah 58: 1-12

Verse 4: “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high”.

Photo credit: Jordan Wozniak

Today is Ash Wednesday. This is a great passage to consider as we prepare to journey into the season of Lent. The words of this Psalm are a wake up call to Israel and to all who approach their relationship with God superficially.

The ashes that we will place on our foreheads reminds us of our mortality. Ashes were used for this same purpose in the days of Isaiah. Remembering our mortality reminds us that we are finite, limited, imperfect. Today begins the season that culminates the Saturday before Easter Sunday. On Easter Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ triumph over the grave. In his resurrection we find our eternal hope. We are invited to walk through Lent as a season of preparation for that day. These forty days are a time of reflection, introspection, refining.

The people of Isaiah’s day were putting ashes on their foreheads, wearing sack cloth, bowing their heads to God. They were exhibiting all the outward signs of fasting. Today we can show up at church and have a cross drawn on our foreheads. We too can go through the motions. In our passage God’s people fasted, yes, but also continued to exploit the marginalized, to strike one another with “evil fists”, and to ignore the injustices and the oppression all around them. Verse four sums up God’s response: “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high”. We cannot come to church and go through the motions of worship or Bible study or youth group and then go out and live as the world lives.

In verses six and seven God shares the kind of fast that is pleasing to him. As fast pleasing to God changes our hearts and leads us to fight injustice, to set the oppressed free, to share food with the hungry, to give shelter to the wanderer, to clothe the naked. In Lent we are called to look within, to repent of our sins, our selfishness, our indulgences. Doing so we will come to have a heart focused on drawing God’s kingdom near.

Verse eight reveals what happens when God’s people turn towards him and become like him: “Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear”. May it be so.

Prayer: God of the brokenhearted, the oppressed, the downtrodden, the needy – lead me to the place of honest confession and sincere repentance. Make me aware of how I contribute to the pain and misery of the world and turn me from my harmful and hurtful ways. Kill in me all that keeps me from fully loving and serving you and all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.