pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: God


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Modeling Christ

Reading: Acts 10:34-38

Acts 10:34-35 – “God doesn’t show partiality… whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Today’s scripture from Acts 10 serves as a bridge between the first two of John Wesley’s three simple rules. Peter first acknowledges that “God doesn’t show partiality.” He has come to understand that God accepts the Gentile Christians as they are. Peter now sees that their attempts to make these believers Jews first (then Christians) was wrong and was doing harm to these brothers and sisters in Christ. We too can do harm when we seek to elevate what we think is right over what God is doing at the time. We too can put up barriers to people coming to Christ. We do this when we say or imply that they must look or act or dress or… like us to attend church or to be baptized or…

Peter then recognizes that the Gentile Christians are worshipping God and are living out the example of Jesus. Getting past himself, he has come to understand that they are totally acceptable to God. Indeed, “He is Lord of all!” Reflecting back on his three years with Jesus, Peter can see how Jesus himself engaged one and all. Jesus did not show partiality. Instead he demonstrated welcome, acceptance, and love to all people.

Our passage closes with this observation about Jesus: “He traveled around doing good and healing everyone.” Jesus sought to do good to all. He didn’t first check to see if they really believed in him or belonged to a church. Sometimes faith or belief even came after the good act or after the healing. May we always be generous with our acts of kindness and love. Modeling Christ to others, we draw them towards Jesus and his love.

Prayer: Lord God, open our hearts wide too. Lead and guide us to see all people as Jests saw them. Each person was worthy of his time, his attention, his efforts, his love. Help us to engage our world this way too. Amen.


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Complete and Generous

Reading: Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:48 – “Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also must you be complete.”

Photo credit: Freestocks

Today we focus on two of Jesus’ “But I say to you” statements. These two are the last of six such teachings, where Jesus unpacks and dives deep into how to truly live out these laws and commands. These six teachings flesh out Jesus’ statement about coming to fulfill the Law, not to do away with it.

Verses 38-42 unpack the “law of retaliation.” This “eye for an eye” law originally limited revenge or repayment for wrongs. Jesus begins by telling us not to oppose those who seek to hurt or take from us. In fact, Jesus says to go beyond what is expected or required. For example, if someone slaps your right cheek (an act of insult given with the back of the hand,) then offer your left cheek next (an act of love given with the palm.) Jesus says, in essence, love and serve and give when others would seek that eye.

Verses 43-48 five deep into the “law of love.” Jesus extends this law too: love not just neighbors, not just those like you, but love your enemies as well. That’d be that Roman soldier that required you to carry his gear for a mile (Roman law.) Jesus says, carry it two miles. In summation, Jesus says, “Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also must you be complete.” God loves us all completely, unconditionally, without limits or stipulations. Jesus’ command is for us to do the same. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, when much is asked of us, fill us with your love. When we are asked to live or serve those who are difficult or challenging, remind us that you love us even when we are at our worst. Help us, O God, to be generous and complete in our love. Amen.


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Rule and Cleanse

Reading: Psalm 18:7-8 and 12-13a

Psalm 19:13a – “Save your servant from willful sins.”

Psalm 19 celebrates who and what God is. The psalmist speaks of God’s order and power. The writer acknowledges, by contrast, our disorder and powerlessness. In verses 7-8 we focus in on the Law. God’s “rules” for living out our faith are “perfect… faithful… right… pure.” God’s Law reflects God’s character. If we follow God’s will for how we are to live and be in the world, then we are “revived… gladdened… made wise… given light.” This is all in alignment with this understanding amongst God’s people: live according to the Law, experience goodness and blessing. People of faith today hold to this basic understanding. And, for the most part, this extends to our relationship with civil law too. There are times, though, when our faith will call us to hold God’s Law above common law.

In verses 12-13 the psalmist acknowledges and addresses those times when we do break God’s Law. Because of our human nature, we will sin, hurting or harming ourselves and/or other(s). At times these are “accidental.” Some of the time we become aware of these sins. Someone will let us know or the Holy Spirit will bring conviction into our hearts. And sometimes we don’t know; we won’t ever know. In these cases the psalmist asks God to “clear” him of sins. General confession is good for us to practice periodically too.

Our reading today closes with this petition: “Save your servant from willful sins.” At times we will know what we’re about to do or say or think, we’ll know it is sinful, and we will proceed forward anyway. We’ll cross the line. We’ll cause harm. We’ll damage a relationship. The psalmist asks God to not allow these sins to “rule me.” May this be our prayer as well.

Prayer: Lord God, we admit that it is not always easy to be faithful. Our human nature comes out at times, eclipsing the divine within. But even then your Holy Spirit whispers and nudges, calling us to faithfulness, calling us to walk once again with you. Welcome our confession, O God, cleanse us through your grace. Bring healing and wholeness to our lives and to our relationships. Rule in our hearts. Amen.


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Commands

Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Exodus 20:3 – “You must have no other gods before me.”

Entering the history of Israel, they have been freed from slavery in Egypt for three months. In this time they have tested both God and Moses. They have witnessed amazing miracles as expressions of God’s love for them. The mass of humanity is now at Mount Sinai, where they prepare themselves to receive God’s covenant. On the mountain Moses receives these ten commands from God. Obedience to these commands should be Israel’s response to God’s saving grace.

The first four commands center on our relationship with God. It is from this relationship that all other relationships flow. We shall not have any other god and we shall not make or worship idols. We shall not misuse God’s name. And we shall keep the Sabbath holy. These commands shape our relationship with God and they remind us of God’s proper place in that relationship.

The next six commands come in pretty rapid succession. These commands define our relationships with one another. The first deals with our family, our primary relationship: honor father and mother. The next five expand the circle to the wider world: do not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. These seem simple and straightforward. Yet within each command is a degree of interpretation and application. Jesus will flesh out some of these commands in the New Testament.

These commands can be simplified. Jesus summed them up as love God, love neighbor. John Wesley used three simple rules to govern his life. As we can do with the 10 Commandments or with any rule, we can try to limit what it means to love or we can try to limit who our neighbor is. The simple answer is “all.” Love God with all that we are and with all that we do, say, think, and act. Love all people as Christ loved us. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, center us first in our relationship with you. May we love you in all possible ways, bringing you all the glory, honor, and praise. From there, Lord, move us on to generously and genuinely love all people. Open our hearts to the width and depth and breadth of your love for us, revealed in Jesus Christ. Then move us to pour that love out into the world. Amen.


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The Battle with Self

Reading: Galatians 5:13-21

Galatians 5:17 – “A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires.”

In Galatians 5:13 Paul reminds the believers that they have been “called to freedom.” Having committed themselves to Jesus Christ, they have died to their old self and have been made new in Christ. They were freed from their old ways and from the power of sin and death. Through grace they are forgiven and made right with God – again and again. Paul warns the believers against returning to their selfish ways. Grace was and is not given so that one can indulge and indulge. Instead Paul calls them away from selfishness and into service through love. This call will fulfill the command to love neighbor as self.

Paul then draws a sharp contrast between living in the way of the Lord and living in the ways of the world. These two ways stand in opposition to one another. He puts it this way in verse 17: “A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires.” We know from our own life experiences that this is a constant battle. Our inherent selfishness is always calling us to love self. The Spirit is always calling us to love God and other. The Spirit calls us away from doing “whatever you want to do.”

Paul gives us quite the list of things we do when motivated by selfish motives. This list of 16 behaviors reveal many issues in our world today. We see many of these selfish actions on display each day. And, if we’re being honest, there are several on Paul’s list that we struggle with daily. This is why surrender of self is so important. Guided by the Spirit, we will be called to  selflessness instead of selfishness. Living the way of Jesus, we will build the kingdom of God both in this time and place and in our hearts. Doing both, we await our eternal inheritance. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we ask for your Spirit presence in the battle between self and the call to love you and neighbor. On our own we struggle so. The impure thoughts, the unkind words, the selfish actions – they rise up so quickly. Counter this, O God, with the power of the Spirit. Moment by moment, call us to your will and ways. Amen.


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In the Name of…

Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Colossians 3:17 – “Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In chapter 3 of Colossians Paul is encouraging the church to clothe themselves with the attitudes and practices of Jesus Christ. Verse 12 reminds the church that they are “God’s choice, holy and loved.” This is quite the status to have! The apostle goes on, inviting the church to “put on” Christ’s attitudes: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These attitudes (and others Christ exemplified such as welcome, mercy, grace…) should be lived out in all of life, 24/7.

Paul then invites the church to be tolerant and forgiving. These are ‘response attitudes.’ When someone is different from you or sees things from another perspective or when someone hurts or harms you or someone you love, respond with tolerance and forgiveness. How countercultural this invitation is, especially in our world today! Our human instinct, our gut-level reaction is to ignore or ridicule or exclude those who are different, to get even with those who hurt us. These are selfish responses. Christ was not selfish.

As our human nature is to be selfish, Paul encourages the church to put love over all of these attitudes – see everything, speak every word, through the filter of love. From the framework of love, God’s peace will fill our hearts. Christ’s word and Spirit will dwell richly in us. And one last piece of encouragement: “Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is Paul’s early version of the modern slogan, WWJD? It is choosing to filter all that we say and do and even think through the example of Jesus, he who was love lived out. It is the place that we must begin if we are to do good and not harm in our world.

Prayer: Lord God, clothe us this day and every day in Christ. Clothes thusly, empower us to live our compassion, kindness… When life challenges us in our efforts to follow Jesus, when others seek to harm or negatively influence us, raise up the voice of the Holy Spirit. Call us back to the way of Jesus. Whisper tolerance, forgiveness, grace, acceptance, and understanding into our hearts. In all things, use us to reveal the love of Christ to the world. Amen.


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In Faith, Stand Sure

Reading: James 1:2-6

James 1:2 – “My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

James 1 picks up on the spirit and ideas we read about a couple days ago in Romans 5. In verse 2 James writes, “My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy.” This statement catches us a bit off guard. Tests… joy? We may not normally associate these two words. Like Paul, though, James looks at the end game. The testing we encounter provides us with an opportunity to practice endurance. James encourages us to let this endurance “complete its work.” If we do so, we emerge with a faith that is “fully mature, complete, lacking nothing.” This is the goal of our journey of faith.

This enduring is not always easy. In the depth of the dark valley we can be tempted to abandon our faith. In the heat of the trial, we can think it’d be easier to profess someone or something other than Jesus or faith. Timothy’s response to these realities? Ask for wisdom from God. Seek guidance and direction for how to endure. James reminds us that it is God’s nature to give. So ask!

Our passage closes with another word of encouragement: “Ask in faith, without doubt.” In faith and trust, believe that God is present and will walk with us through the valley and trials. Don’t be tossed and turned by the things of this world but stand sure in the Lord. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, as we’ve walked this walk of faith we have experienced the power found in your presence. We have stood firm and emerged from the testing stronger and more assured in our faith. Thank you for your constant presence and your faithful work in us. Amen.


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Conform to Christ

Reading: Romans 8:26-29

Romans 8:28 – “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Photo credit: Robert Linder

As our passage today begins, Paul speaks again of God’s presence in our lives. The Spirit – God’s constant, indwelling presence – helps us in our moments of weakness. In those times when our trial or hardship or suffering is so great that we cannot even form the words to pray, it is then that the Holy Spirit takes up our case. The Spirit “please” for us before God, lifting us up before God. We too can pray in this way. When we hear of the time of great suffering of a friend, we can lift their case before God.

Because God is three-in-one, the Spirit prays for us “consistent with God’s will.” In this way we and our need(s) are brought before God in the best possible way. There is no selfishness, no fear or worry or doubt, no greed or envy in the Holy Spirit’s prayers. This idea connects to verse 28, where we read, “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God is good and loving and kind and caring and compassionate and merciful and… God desires that our lives be filled with these things too. Yes, the world and this life will bring death and illness and sin and tragedy into our lives, but God works even these difficult and hard things towards good and into alignment with God’s plans for our lives.

The Spirit and God do all of this in order to “conform” us more and more into the image of Jesus. God conforms – and forms and reforms – us into the image of Christ so that we can be goodness, love, kindness, care, compassion, mercy… to one another. In this way we bring Christ to the world. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the example that Jesus set for us. He revealed what it means to be fully present to one another, to love without condition, to give selflessly to the other. That is not always easy for us. So thank you also for the Spirit, that constant presence that points us towards and forms us into Jesus’ witnesses. Lead us to be people of presence, people who pray, people who show up, people who give of ourselves. Amen.


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Pour It Back Out

Readings: Romans 5:1-5 and 12:18-21

Romans 5:3-4 – “Trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Paul begins chapter 5 by reminding the Roman church (and us) that they (we) are made righteous through Christ’s faithfulness. We are made right because of and through Christ’s work on the cross. We cannot do anything to restore ourselves to righteousness before God. But Jesus can and does. That brings us peace with God. And because we are forgiven through grace, we can and should be gracious to others. Through our own radical acts of love, others can experience and then claim the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

Paul then rejoices because we experience hardship, trials, suffering. What?! Paul is not celebrating that we experience these things. He is celebrating how God uses them in our lives. Trouble builds endurance which builds character which builds hope. As we endure faithfully, we model Jesus and through this process take on more of Christ’s character. As we are made more Christlike our hope in God deepens. In turn we receive more of God’s love, poured into our hearts.

Shifting to chapter 12, Paul focuses in on those times when evil is the cause of hardship… He encourages an attitude of peace even then. The apostle encourages us to allow God to be the one in the punishment business. Paul then asks us to do just the opposite: give your enemy, the one doing evil to you, give them what they need. Give them food or drink or burning coals. (This last one refers to actually giving them coals so that they can rekindle the fire, bringing them warmth.) By taking the love of God that is poured into our hearts and pouring it back out into our relationships with difficult others we will “defeat evil with good.” May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ – he who not only became the atoning sacrifice for us but also set before us the daily example of love. In the times when it is most difficult to muster up love, grace, mercy – in moments of hardship… – remind us of your great love for all of us. In gratitude and faithfulness lead us to pour these out, blessing others. Amen.


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Presence, Purpose, Plan

Reading: Psalm 139:13-16

Psalm 139:14 – “I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.”

Overall, Psalm 139 is a celebration of God’s presence in our lives. The psalmist celebrates this presence, this touch, that is there with us even before birth in verses 13-16. There is a recognition that God is with us before we make any conscious choice to walk with God. So great is God’s love and care for us!

In verse 13 the psalmist acknowledges that it was God who formed his “innermost parts,” who “knit him together” in the womb. There is a deep connection, an intimacy to these thoughts. In the Hebrew world, innermost parts would include the soul (or spirit.) God’s touch is not just upon the physical aspects of who we are.

We lean into this idea in the next verse. Here the psalmist writes, “I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.” Because he was uniquely and wonderfully made, there is a recognition that God has a purpose for him and, therefore, for each and every one of us. Made in the image of God, our purpose certainly includes caring for one another, for living one another just as God loves and cares for us. This plan and purpose is evident in verse 16 as well: “every day was written that was being formed for me.”

Whether our days are 10 or 10,000, whether our years are a handful or many score, God is ever present in meaningful and purposeful ways. Each and every day, good, bad, and in between, God walks with us, offering love and care. In this we rejoice, joining our thanksgiving with the psalmist’s!

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you today for creating us with your purpose and your plans in mind. We celebrate your presence in our lives. It is a presence that is constant, loving, and caring. Lord, help us to be this for others, being conduits of your presence, love, and care. Use us to bring you into the world and into the lives of those we meet. Amen.