pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: gift


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Love Always Wins

Today we have a picture of Jesus that is not all warm and fuzzy.  In today’s passage He is giving it to the Pharisees.  I think in our minds we usually cheer Jesus on in this type of scenario.  It is almost like the new kid on the block stood u to the bully and all around cheer him on.  This direct and confrontational Jesus is alright until we realize that He is talking to us as well.

Hypocrite?  Me?  Hold on a minute Jesus!  Theft?  Murder?  Adultery?  Surely not.  Greed?  Envy?  Arrogance?  Well, I can explain.  Can’t I?  No, I really cannot.  Jesus is right.  At times what is within me is not so good.  Those unkind thoughts and words that sometimes come out of me are not so beautiful and loving.  Jesus is right.

One cannot explain sin away.  All one can do is to come before Jesus, to kneel down, and to offer up our confession and repentance.  The good news is that Jesus does not expect perfection.  He knows we will stumble and even fall at times.  It is not His desire for us but He did walk this earth.  Although Jesus was without sin, He certainly felt pain and sorrow and other human emotions.  Jesus saw firsthand the battle that rages in every human heart.

We are guilty as charged.  Sinners one and all.  But, thanks be to God, our story does not end here.  Confession and repentance leads to forgiveness and restoration.  Through grace we are made new again, pure and clean and worthy to call Jesus Christ our friend.  We are humbled by our failures.  But love alway wins.  The love of God made known through Jesus is an unending gift that is always given to al who draw near to Christ.  This love came to save one and all.  Praise God.

Scripture reference: Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, and 21-23


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A Greater Fullness

What would the ideal church look like?  Paul gives us a glimpse in Ephesians 4.  He begins with a list of roles that are necessary in all churches.  The roles include apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, and pastor.  In most of our churches we have the last two covered, but a mature church has all five.  Each performs a specific role that helps the church grow into a mature, Christian faith.

These five roles are gifts given by Christ to Christians.  They are given to be used for the building up of the body.  An apostle, for example, is one in your church who is ‘sent out’ to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the lost.  Others may be gifted as a pastor and they spend their time caring for or shepherding the flock.  All of these roles are important to have a church maturing within and also reaching out to bring new people to Christ.

A mature body is also a church who is sure in their faith.  They know their call in Christ and are not swayed by the culture or the ways of the world.  Each member is working together to help all grow in their faith.  In our churches we see this in education classes, in small groups, and from the pulpit.  All work together to help each other grow into the mature mind of Christ.

As a community of faith grows to be more and more like Christ, things like love, inclusiveness, and compassion begin to permeate.  Even hard things that need said are said in love.  As individuals within communities of faith, our question is this: what gift do we have to offer to help our communities to grow towards a greater fulness in Christ? Then, we must put it to use for the glory of God and for the building of His kingdom.

Scripture reference: Ephesians 4: 11-16


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Buffet Grace

Do you like buffet restaurants?  I do.  But there is a good and bad.  I really like the variety you find at a good buffet.  The inherent danger is eating way too much.  In both of these senses it is like a good church potluck!

God’s grace is like a buffet in a few ways.  The most obvious way is that His grace never runs out.  Christ’s sacrifice was not a one-time pass to the table of God’s grace – it is unlimited.  God’s grace is not limited in variety either.  Our sins are varied and of all types.  His grace covers them all.

The buffet and God’s grace differ as well.  No matter how many times you go back for more grace, you walk away feeling great.  You can never get enough.  Most important difference: His grace is free.  God’s grace is a gift freely given.  It has no cost and requires only that we accept it.

God’s grace and the buffet line are also alike in one last, very important way.  When you have had your fill of both, you walk away sensing that you must do something.  It is not required, but boy does exercise feel good!

We exercise our faith by doing good works.  Once we are filled with God, we are compelled to share Him with others.  It is our grateful response to His free gift. Today, drink deeply and exercise well!!

Scripture reference: Ephesians 2: 8-10


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He Calls

God promised to establish King David’s household forever.  That is a very long time.  Being as we are human, that promise can be misread and abused.  If seen from the “free pass” perspective, it can be disastrous.  Some of the kings that followed David were great examples of this.

God also wants to bless our households.  God invites us to live by the grace of His covenant.  This offer is nothing we can earn, but was bought for us by Jesus Christ.  His blood and body bought all freedom from sin and death.

Although we know this to be true, we often live otherwise.  We can allow guilt and shame to stand between God and ourselves.  We can get caught up in the battle of striving to make ourselves ‘acceptable’ to God.  We can choose to live as some of those kings that followed David chose to live.

But it is not about what ‘we’ can do but about what God offers.  God simply says, “Come.”  He calls us to lay aside all that binds and holds us back.  He calls us to walk in His love, to be in His presence, and to be made right by His grace.  Allow God to work in you, to pour out Hs grace and mercy in abundance on your house.

Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 7:8-11 and 16


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Gifts or Assets?

Each opportunity that God lays before us come with some degree of risk.  If the opportunity is to share our faith story, we risk rejection or maybe ridicule.  If the opportunity is to help someone in need, we risk being a frequent ask.  If it is trying a new ministry, we risk failure.

Each of these things calls for us to risk something.  Anytime we invest ourselves or our talents, there is a chance we will gie something away.  This is a good thing.  We are often not ‘losing’ something but are giving to another and it blesses us both.  But for many of us and many in the church, we are averse to risk.

God blesses us all abundantly.  In reality, all is His.  For some the blessing is financial, for others it is an abundance of time.  Each of us also have talents and skills that He has blessed us with.  Each of us have gifts to offer.  How we look at these gifts from God largely determines what we do with them.  Do we see the gifts as just that or do we see them as assets?

Assets are to be managed and kept safe.  Gifts are to be used and to be given away. For a moment think about God and manna, deliverance, land, provision.  Think about Jesus and healing, kindness, love.  Now, do you have gifts or assets?  May we give to others richly, blessing them as God has blessed us.

Scripture reference: Matthew 25: 14-30


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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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Share Abundantly

If you were asked to sum up God in one word, what would it be?  Got it yet?  I’d venture to say that most of us would say ‘love’ but some might also say hings like mercy, forgiveness, or maybe creator.  To me, love is God’s main and dominant characteristic.  Out of His love, many other things flow.

Once we find that love of God in our lives, we realize we have a great gift.  When we come to know just how much He loves us, we are both very grateful and deeply humbled.  It changes our whole world.  We are grateful and humbled because we come to also realize that we are imperfect and sinful, yet God still loves us.  It amazes me that a gift given so freely can be so valuable.  But it is.

Once we come to fully know the gift of the love of God, then we want to always have it.  As we continue on our journey of faith, love become how we see all of life, how we treat our neighbor, how we seek to serve those in need, and how we seek to share the good news so that others may know this gift of love.  The gift is so great that it makes us want to share it.  May we share abundantly today!

Scripture reference: Matthew 13: 44-52


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Love Always There

We are inseparable from God’s love.  His love is so high and wide and deep that we cannot begin to imagine the vastness of His love.  And God’s love will last forever.  Not a few years, a couple millenia, but forever.  His love will never fail.

Paul lists a wide range of extremes that cannot separate us from God’s love – angels or demons, life or death, present or future – to name a few.  He punctuates is by stating that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Pretty amazing love!

There will be times and circumstances in t his life when we do not sense God’s love or do not choose to walk in that love.  Yet it is still there.  There will be times when we are so crushed or hurting so bad that we cannot begin to feel His love.   Yet it is still there, right there, all around us.  When we open our hearts and minds and eyes to God’s love, His love comes flooding in.  It is not forced upon us, but is always just right there, always surrounding us.  Thanks be to God for His great love!!

Scripture reference: Romans 8: 38-39


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Faithful Pursuit

What is God’s call upon your life?  God has a plan for all of us.  The plan He has for each of us is a part of His overall plan to redeem mankind and the earth.

Each of us are gifted with skills and abilities to accomplish what God has called us to (or will call us to).  Some people know their gifts, know God’s intent for their lives, and are working the plan.  Others wonder what their gifts are and haven’t heard God’s call yet.  Others remain in between – some questioning the gifts and/or the call and others knowing gifts and call, yet hesitant to begin the work for a variety of reasons.

In His pursuit of us, God asks that we remain open to His guidance and direction.  If we are faithful, He will reveal the plan.  If you are getting along in years and wonder when the plan will finally be revealed – remember, God used some people that were ‘advanced in years’ to do His work.  (See childbirth at almost 100?!)  Keep faithful.  And if you are young and wondering ‘now?” remember, He used some teens in the Bible to accomplish His work too!  (David anyone?)  Be faithful!

If we look for opportunities to share our faith story, to serve others, to offer love where needed, then we will come to know both our gifts and God’s call upon our lives.  Faithfully pursue God and He will use you just as He has always intended to use you!

 

Scripture reference: Genesis 25: 19-34


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Receive the Blessing

When the 72 are sent out by Jesus, they take next to nothing with them.  They head out to share Jesus with others and are trusting that those they encounter will care for them.  If not, they will simply move on.

I wondered if I could d this – just head off and trust God to provide.  Could you?  To me it would be hard to rely on the welcome and care of total strangers for my basic needs.

And for some of us, it is hard to be the receivers.  We can give and provide for others and even for those in need.  But t be the one in need is doubly difficult in our independent, self-reliant society.  For some it is even hard to take in a compliment!

Yet our willingness to accept the gift or the hospitality allows someone else to offer the presence of Christ to us.  At times, we just need to receive it and spend a little time in the blessing.

Scripture reference: Matthew 10: 40-42