pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Thank You Jesus

Reading: Revelation 1: 4-8

Verses 5-6: “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood… to Him be the glory and power for ever and ever”!

Today’s passage is the greeting from the book of Revelation. While the book itself is complex and can be hard to understand, this is not the case with our passage today. It begins by extending grace and peace to the churches from Jesus – “Him who is, and who was, and is to come”. It reminds us that Jesus is present now in the Spirit, was both here at the beginning of time and as God incarnate, and is to come again in the glory of final victory one glorious day.

The passage also identifies Jesus as “the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”. As Jesus ministered on earth, He was faithful and obedient to God alone. He witnessed to what it looks like to truly love God and neighbor. After His crucifixion, Jesus was resurrected to eternal life, becoming the first born from the dead. The grave could not hold Him – sin and death we’re defeated. Jesus is the first of many. All who call on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will follow His path and will be born anew into eternal life. Jesus is also the ruler of the kings of the earth. No one has ruled or will ever rule on earth unless they are part of God’s plan. In the end, every knee will bow and confess Jesus is Lord.

Verses 5 and 6 read, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood… to Him be the glory and power for ever and ever”! In this week of thanks, it is good to remember that Jesus loved us enough to endure the physical pain and suffering of the cross and the huge emotional weight of bearing our sins. He did this so that His blood could wash away our sins, leaving us pure and holy in God’s sight. Yes, indeed, thank you Jesus. With all we do and say and think, may we echo the last line – to Him be glory and power forever. Amen.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus! Thank you for your love and for the cross. Without you I am wretched and sinful. With you I am saved and free. All glory to you forever and ever! Amen.


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Sing God’s Praises

Reading: Psalm 146

Verse 5: “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose help is in the Lord his God”.

The psalmist has chosen God. He will praise God and he will put his trust in God. In contrast to this, the psalmist addresses where many put their trust – in man. He writes, “Do not put your trust in mortal men, who cannot save”. They die and return to the earth; their plans end with them. We often extend this idea to the things of men. We place our trust in our possessions, in our wealth, in our titles, in ourselves. All of this is finite. None of this has the power to save. Only the Lord can save.

The psalmist goes on to write, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose help is in the Lord his God”. We can place our trust in God because God is the maker of all and because God “remains faithful forever”. This contrasts sharply with men and the things of man. God is also pure love and goodness. Because of who God is, because God is faithful to his children, the cause of the oppressed is upheld, food is given to the hungry, prisoners are set free, the blind receive sight, those who are down are lifted up, the alien is watched over, the orphan and the widow are sustained. God cares for and loves on the weak and powerless. God gives hope and strength to the least and the neediest. How does the God who dwells in heaven do all this? Through those who are faithful.

Remember where the Psalm began – with the rulers of the earth. Their plans cannot save, they fade. They are concerned with themselves and their things. Contrast this to the desires of God. The endless love of God is concerned with those who are in need. There is poverty and neglect in our cities. Many sit in prisons – some with bars and some without. Injustice and abuses of power splash across the headlines and our feeds. A stream of aliens, orphans, and widows nears the land of opportunity. As the people of God, how are we making God known in the midst of all this hurt and pain and sadness? How are we working alongside God to alleviate the affects of poverty and injustice and inequality and prejudice? When we enter into the places and into the lives of those affected by these things, we bring the hope and love of God with us. We are opening the door for them to know God, to know God’s endless love. One day they will also sing God’s praises. May the work of our hands and feet and the love in our hearts make it so.

Lord, make me an instrument of hope, love, and peace. Amen.


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This Anointed King

Reading: Psalm 45: 1-2 and 6-9

Verse 2: “You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever”.

Today’s Psalm has the description “a wedding song” in the heading. It is a celebration of a royal wedding. Although we only read a handful of the verses that comprise this Psalm, we do get the flavor of the occasion. There is a king and his royal bride, a palace, an anointing, music, and the guest list includes daughters of kings. The clothes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia and are woven with gold. We get quite a picture of what the events looks and feels like.

Depending on who and when this Psalm was read or recited, one might have envisioned David’s royal wedding or perhaps Solomon’s or some other king of Israel. Maybe one’s mind even slips to a more recent royal wedding with all of its pomp and circumstance.

The Psalm can also be read another way. Like the author of Hebrews, we can read this Psalm and envision Jesus as the king. In Hebrews 1, this Psalm is used to point to Jesus. It is one of about 8 Old Testament passages that the author uses to connect the words that “God spoke to our forefathers” to the “words spoken to us by His Son” in the last days. This connection plays well with our modern understandings of the New Testament being the fuller revelation of the Old Testament and of Jesus as the fuller revelation of God.

When read from the perspective of Christ as the King, verse 2 has a whole new meaning. Hear Christ in this verse: “You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever”. Yes, Jesus is the most excellent example – He who was without sin. And, oh how Jesus’ lips were anointed will grace. The words of healing and forgiveness that Jesus spoke and continues to speak to us today flow with grace. And, yes, Jesus is the one blessed forever. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus is forever King.

Lord God, may this anointed King, this King with grace anointed on His lips, may King Jesus reign in our hearts each and every day. Amen.


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Permanent Home

Reading: 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a

Verse Two: “Here I am living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent”.

We like security and routine. We prefer to have a home to go to at night, to have food in the fridge, to know what we are doing tomorrow. Even when we go on vacation we plan out where we will stay and what we will do.

King David has established his kingdom and has conquered all of his enemies around him. He gets a moment to breathe as he relaxed in his palace. Soon his attention turns to God. David thinks and then says to God, “Here I am living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent”. David is trying to look out for God. This God who has blessed his life and his reign deserves better than a tent for a dwelling place.

This is a kind thought and a nice gesture, but God is not quite ready to settle down. God sends the prophet Nathan back to David with some good words but a “not now” on the home idea. Maybe God is still unsure about this whole king thing. Remember, David is only the second king. The first king, Saul, did not work out so good. And before that, we recall that God did not want to give the Israelites an earthly king because that was rejecting God as their king.

Yet in God’s response to David’s thought on building a home for God, God tells David that his line will be established forever. God will “make your name great” and “establish his kingdom forever”. Yes, Solomon will build the temple. Yes, Jesus does come from David’s line and His kingdom rules forever. But it is definitely not smooth sailing in between these two heirs of David. A permanent home in Jerusalem was just not to be.

With Jesus, God did finally find a permanent home. The promise to David did come true. Once we choose a personal relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He does come and sit on the throne of our heart. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and this presence dwells in our hearts. This is where God has always felt at home – in the hearts of His people. With God in our hearts, we too find a home. With God in our hearts, we become part of His family. In this home and within this family we find the peace and security and love that lasts forever. Thanks be to God. Amen.


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The Rock, My Savior

Reading: Psalm 89: 20-37

Verse 28: “I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail”.

Today’s Psalm speaks to us on many levels. The first level is David’s time as king. The psalmist reviews how David was anointed and how God has brought down David’s enemies. It speaks of how David was faithful to “God, the rock my Savior”. The Psalm reiterates God’s covenant with David, saying, “his throne (will) endure before me like the sun”.

Out of David’s line will come Jesus. His earthly parent hails from Bethlehem, the city of David. There is lineage that passes through David and down to Jesus. In Jesus, David’s line is truly established forever. Through this lens we read these words in the Psalm with a different angle. Verse 26, for example, is read and understood a bit differently: “You are my Father”. This reading speaks of Jesus’ connection to God.

Starting in verse 30 there is a recognition that all who come after David will not be as faithful. Plus an honest reading of David’s life and even his reign as king includes sins of adultery and murder and deceit. Yet even knowing all of this, God again promises that he will not take His love or covenant from David and his line. This is also where we enter into the Psalm and it speaks into our lives on a personal level. As sons and daughters of the line of David, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we too ‘fit’ into this Psalm.

The promise holds for us too. When we forsake God’s ways and when we fail to keep God’s commands, which we surely do, God “will not take my love” from us. Once we profess faith in Jesus and lay claim to our inheritance with Him, we become part of the promise and covenant. God will not “violate my covenant” and will establish us too, as Jesus provides an eternal place for each who know Him as “the rock my Savior”.

Verse 28 reads, “I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail”. Thanks be to God.


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Our God

Reading: Psalm 48

Verse Fourteen: “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end”.

For many years the Jewish people found joy in the city of David. It was the place that God called home. It was the place of safety and refuge in times if war. Situated high upon the hill it offered both a commanding view and a strategic military advantage. In fact, we read that for enemy kings, just seeing Jerusalem brought terror and trembling.

As a people, the Israelites saw all of this as God’s handiwork and of His presence with the chosen people. Because it is the city of God, they feel like Jerusalem will the there, as it is, “secure forever”. The city is also the home of the temple – God’s home. In the temple the people can meditate on God’s unfailing love and can be in God’s presence. For many people of faith today, this is how we feel about and in our places of worship. The sanctuary is not just another room in a building we call a church or synagogue or mosque. It is the space where we sense God’s presence with us.

The psalmist closes with two encouragements. First, to “walk about Zion”. For the reader, this was Jerusalem. For us, where is our Zion? Where is that place that you feel most connected to God? Spend some time there today or this week. Sit or stand or walk about in that space, feeling and being in God’s presence. The second encouragement is to tell the next generation. We learn best by doing. Bring a child or a friend to your Zion. Allow them to experience what you experience there. When we take the time to enter into God’s holiness, into God’s presence, we begin to know and feel as the psalmist did when he wrote, “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end”. May this be our God too.


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Overcome

Reading: 1st John 5: 1-6

Verse Five: “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God”.

In our passage today we see how our connection to Jesus is born of our love for God and vice versa. The more our love of God grows, the more we follow the ways of Jesus, revealing a growing love of God. The more we follow the ways of Jesus, the deeper our connection to God becomes as our love of God also grows. These interconnected relationships strengthen and encourage one another and they grow alongside one another.

One cannot separate God from Jesus. John writes, “everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God”. This is what leads us to love both God and Jesus. It also leads us to love one another. When we love God, we love Jesus. It is through this love that we carry out His commands. Primary among those is the command to love one another. In doing so we are modeling what Jesus first modeled. It is part of that cyclical relationship.

John also writes of this love overcoming the world. It overcomes the world because the love of God is greater than, stronger than, more powerful than, more steadfast than the powers of the world. Our fleshy desires are only temporary and can therefore only be satisfied temporarily. As soon as the buzz or euphoria or excitement or newness wears off, we feel pulled to that fleshy desire again, starting over from square one again. More of this cycle never truly satisfies.

Having a relationship with Jesus Christ brings a peace and joy and contentment and happiness that is forever. It is not built on anything temporal, so it does not fade or rust. The love of God and Jesus simply grows and deepens. When we cast our lot with Jesus, we begin the journey of overcoming the sins and desires of this world. They become less and less as Jesus becomes more and more. John closes by reminding us of our helper in this battle. He reminds us that the Holy Spirit testifies to the truth. Ever leading and guiding us along our walk with Jesus, the Holy Spirit blesses us by keeping us connected to God and to His Son. Thanks be to God for our belief in Jesus the Christ, He who overcame the world.


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Forever Grateful

Readings: Psalm 23 and John 10:27

Psalm 23:4 – “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”.

The understanding of God and Jesus as shepherd and us as the sheep is a common reference in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, respectively. Sheep and shepherds were very common in these times, so they were a good concept to use as an illustration. Today we may still think of sheep as dumb and prone to wander, and this remains true. But, if we are honest, these two traits describe us pretty well at times too.

Admittedly, at times I can say and do some ‘dumb’ things. I think many more than I do or say; fortunately my filter works fairly well. These occurrences seem to be less common as I mature. The same can be said of my wandering. In my youth and college days I wandered far at times. Thirty plus years later and I am better but still deviate from the righteous walk of faith now and then. As I have matured in my faith, my walk is closer aligned to God’s will and purposes for my life and to the example that Jesus set. Upon reflection, perhaps you too can see this pattern in your life.

Verse four of the 23rd Psalm reads, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”. This speaks of the protective role of the shepherd and the corresponding lack of fear in the sheep. The rod was used to ward off would-be attackers. Today, we call on the name of Jesus and use the Word of God to ward off Satan. The staff had a curved hook on the end that would be used to pull the sheep back into the fold, where it was safe. Today, the voice of the Holy Spirit is our hook – calling us back into the fold, back into relationship with Jesus.

John 10:27 reads, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me”. When Jesus said this, a shepherd with twenty sheep could step into a pen with hundreds of sheep and he could call out his twenty. The other sheep would even move away from the voice of a stranger. This analogy is still true today. When we are in tune with the voice of Jesus, we follow His voice and shy away from all others. Others would include the voices of self, the world, and Satan.

I am forever grateful that Jesus knows me and that I know His voice. I am forever grateful for the Good Shepherd’s love and care and protection. May I ever dwell in His fold. May it be for you too!


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Praise and Exalt

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

Verse 27: “The Lord is God, and He has made His light shine upon us”.

The section of Psalm 118 that we read today is full of joy over being connected to God. Verse one is used in a popular praise and worship song. I can’t but help singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, His love endures forever”. In our church and in many others we will sing this song on Sunday morning. The song and this Psalm are just part of the excitement of Palm Sunday.

The Psalm was a well-known Psalm so Jesus would have been familiar with it. These words probably encouraged Him as He turned and made His way to Jerusalem one last time. He knew well what lay ahead so the reminders that God is good and that His love endures forever would have brought Jesus comfort and strength. In recalling verse 22, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone”, Jesus would have found affirmation in the mission that lie ahead.

As we read this Psalm ourselves, we can also find encouragement and strength. On our paths through life we too encounter times of trial and testing. To remember “I will give thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation” places us firmly in God’s family both now and into eternity. In seeing the bigger picture, we are better able to walk through the trials. To remember “The Lord is God, and He has made His light shine upon us”, reminds us of God’s ever-present light that guides and blesses us, especially in those trials.

Almost at the end of the Psalm we read these wonderful words of thanksgiving and praise: “You are my God, and I will give you thanks; You are my God, and I will exalt you”. Yes, indeed, you are our God. For that we lift our thanksgiving and praise today! Your love endures forever, always a sign of your goodness. Thanks be to God! Amen.


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Forever Love

Reading: Hebrews 1: 1-12

Verse Eleven: “You remain the same, your years will never end”.

Our passage from Hebrews speaks of the eternal and Christ’s place upon the throne.  Both are timeless.  In the passage there is the intertwining of the past and the future as well.  Over all of this and over all of creation, Jesus reigns.  Verse eight says, “Your throne… will last for ever and ever”.  He was there at the creation of all things and He will be there into forever.

Creation and all that is created, however, is limited.  There is a time span to all crated things – the sun, moon and stars, the mountains and oceans, you and me.  We are reminded of this in verse eleven: “They will perish”.  This idea of our finite nature seems appropriate as we come to the end of a year today.  Tomorrow will be the start of 2018.  There is some excitement in seeing a new year and there is some value in taking stock of our past year, but in reality Monday will be much like today in many aspects.  It is much like the difference I felt when I was 48 years and 364 days and how I felt when I was 49 years old.  In many ways, life simply goes on.  So too does God.

God was there in the beginning and will be there today and tomorrow.  In fact, He will be there forever.  And He will remain faithful and true and loving each and every day.  Verse twelve sums it up nicely: “You remain the same, your years will never end”.  God’s love for you and me will remain the same today, tomorrow, and into forever.  So as we begin a new year, let us rejoice in our God who remains the same always – loving us dearly, calling us His children, saving us by His mercy and grace.  Thank you God!