pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: God


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Covenant

God is so faithful.  It is amazing that God could love humanity so much.  His mercies are offered to us over and over and over.  In spite of our propensity to sin, God continues to seek us out.

God is the husband and we, the church, are the bride.  He laid His claim upon the Israelites thousands of years ago and has been faithful ever since.  Christ extended this relationship when He welcomed all who believed into this covenant.  Christ spoke in terms of being the bridegroom and loving the church as a husband loves his wife.

The covenant we have with our heavenly father is much like the marriage covenant was in the times of Jeremiah.  Then it was a permanent and unchangeable covenant.  It was truly for life.  This is how God continues to see the covenant He has with His people.

Because of His great faithfulness and deep love for us, He continually calls us to this covenant that is bound up in relationship.  His forgiveness continues to wash us clean and allows us to enter into His presence over and over.

In this season of Lent, as Easter draws near, may we remember the sacrifice given by Jesus and the victory won over sin and death.  Out of gratitude may we look within and seek to be the follower He deserves – one full of love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion.  May we seek to live as the faithful and true bride of Christ.

Scripture reference: Jeremiah 31: 31-34


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Called to Light

In the Gospel of John he speaks frequently of the light and eternal life.  He speaks of Jesus being the light that shines in the darkness and how the lights shows things as they are.  We are intended to live in the light that is shed by Jesus, God’s Son.

John draws some contrasts for us: living and perishing, saved and condemned, doing right and doing evil.  Depending on the day and the moment, we all live somewhere along these continuums.  We all want to permanently be on the living/saved/doing right end of the line, but the reality is that we are imperfect and fail now and then.

The messages of the world and our own human tendencies pull us towards the perishing/condemned/doing evil end of the spectrum. It is a constant battle.  The Holy Spirit, through the power of Jesus, is always shining the light into our darkness.  The light dispels the dark and exposes us for what we are.

Broken yet redeemed.  Sinful yet forgiven.  Lost yet found.  Human yet loved by God Almighty.  We are each loved enough that God sent His only Son to die for each of us.  Jesus came, died, and was resurrected not to condemn but to save.  He came to bring eternal life.  He came to shine light into darkness.  We are called to live into these truths.  What is our response?

John 3: 14-21


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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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We Must Share

Sometimes we find ourself in a season where we feel distant from God.  Even though this is uncomfortable, we struggle to reconnect.  Even when we try, we feel empty.  Worship just doesn’t rouse anything in us and when we pray we feel alone.  It is a hard place to be.

We must remember that even in these times, God is near to us.  We too must remember that the Holy Spirit and a great cloud of witness – both our present faith community and those who have gone before – are praying for us.  We are always covered in prayer, so we are never truly alone.  God is always near.  Through faith we must also continue to pray, to seek Him, to worship.  And soon we will feel God’s presence all around us again.

Yet there are people who have never known God’s presence.  Life is lived without true meaning and without a higher purpose.  Think back to a time when you were in a ‘desert place’ and remember what that felt like.  Now imagine life being lived like that all the time.  This is why Christ commissioned us all to make disciples of all nations, to connect people to our God.

Many try to walk through grief, loss, loneliness, and such all alone.  As a child of God and as a follower of Jesus Christ, we know how great it is to walk in His love, mercy, and grace, to find strength in Him, to rest in His presence.  It is something we simply must share.

Scripture reference: Ephesians 2: 1-7


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Master Craftsman

“He sent forth His word and healed them.” – Psalm 107:20

Reading today’s scripture through Old Testament eyes, God chose to step in and act.  The people realized their sins and were feeling the consequences of them.  They cried out to God.  In His mercy He healed their hearts and returned them to the path that they were intended to walk as His people.  God strengthened them for the journey so they could be just in how they lived.

Read through New Testament eyes, the ‘word’ is Jesus.  Through His life and example we can see how we are called to live.  And just like the Israelites, we will falter.  This could be outright sin or it could be a failure to meet an opportunity that God places before us.

Thankfully God is a God of second chances.  And thirds, fourths…  The Israelites wandered frequently and so do we.  But no matter how many times we falter, God’s love for each of us is steadfast, eternal, and freely given.  For this generous gift we offer our thanks.

God is also a master craftsman, a skilled artisan.  As His love is poured into us, we in turn are led by the Holy Spirit to pour into others.  Again, at times we fail.  But here is what is so amazing about His love: He is seeking perfection in us so He keeps on working us and reshaping us.  In realizing we missed an opportunity, the seeds of how to not miss it next time are planted.  We can rest assured that God will give us more opportunities to share His love because as we do, we grow closer to being the believer He created us to be.  And for this gift, we offer our thanks.

Scripture reference: Psalm 107:20


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Steadfast and Constant

Hardships are a part of life.  At times we suffer because of choices we make but at other times our trials are simply part of life.  When we are in the midst of a struggle, it can feel like we are out in the wilderness or are lost at sea.  We feel alone and become tired and worn down.  And then, in the middle of the struggle, we cry out to God.

We recall that we are a child of God – like it were some long lost truth – and we begin to cling to Him.  We acknowledge our inability to calm the storm on our own and we begin to trust in God.  Maybe we had been praying all along, but when we cry out to God, when we offer total surrender, when we are turning fully to Him, then His presence is greatest.

When the storm ends, we want to kiss the ground. Once our feet return to solid ground and life becomes good again, we look back to God with a new sense of thanksgiving in our hearts.  In our inner being we know the struggle could not have been won on our own.  We realize God’s unlimited love for us as we come to know our dependence on Him was and is a really good thing.

We thank God for His constant and unfailing love and learn to turn quicker to Him when the next storm clouds gather on the horizon.  Thank God for His steadfast love and constant presence.

Scripture reference: Psalm 107: 17-22


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Making Change

Change can be hard.  Sometimes we are forced to make a change due to circumstances and often those circumstances are beyond our control.  Usually, though, change must be made in order to continue on.  And almost always, change is for the better, even when it is hard to go through or when it is painful.  Once in a while we don’t see the change is good until some time has passed.

As we sense change is needed a common reaction is to long for the ‘good old days.’  We pine for a time when all was well in our institution or relationship.  But that time has passed.  Yet some may still staunchly want to hold onto something that once was but is no longer.  In these cases, the dying process that has begun simply continues along.

In many churches we find ourselves here.  The place isn’t quite what it used to be.  There is much great ministry that still goes on, but it is not quite what it once was.  People remember when things seemed much ‘better’ but are resistant to seeking God’s new direction and guidance.  It is Biblically clear that God directs us to share the good news and to help people grow in their faith.  These things occur in and through the church.  Our churches need to be alive and energetic places of welcome and love.  Yes, they may look different than they did yesterday, but as long as Christ is the center, the unquestioned reason for a church’s existence, then all will be well if we trust God and His leading.  Change is scary.  Change is hard.  But sometimes it is also necessary.

Scripture reference: Numbers 21: 4-9


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Living and Vibrant

In our worlds I think we appreciate and prefer the routine.  We are creatures of habit.  A slight variation or small twist is okay now and then, but in general we like the predictable.  Life is more manageable when we know what to expect at work, at home, at church.  We have our role and we fill it.

In our faith I think we also prefer the known.  On Sunday morning we sing, pray, read a little scripture, hear the message.  And we pass the offering plate!  In our private faith lives we have our own routines – maybe time with God in the morning or maybe it is time before going to bed.  Even our prayer life is probably predictable to a large extent.

While we prefer the comfort and predictability found in the routine, it can become too comfortable.  We can show up, punch the clock, and go through the motions – at work, at home, at church.  And in each of these places, when we are too comfortable with the status quo, we can miss the opportunities that God places before us.

Sometimes God is disruptive – a major event or a person or situation we cannot avoid happens into our life.  But more often He is quiet – it is a person we could normally pass by or it is a line from a reading or the sermon that catches in our mind.  Instead of moving on and ignoring that tug or nudge, stop and engage that person.  Instead of just letting go of that line, wrestle with it.  Allow God to be a living, vibrant part of your life.  Allow this to become your new ‘normal.’  He is an amazing God who has amazing things for His children.  He will not disappoint.


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Words and Without

“Use your words.”  How many times have you said or heard this?  We tend to be very auditory in our learning and in our communication.  In our worship services we require words for everything we do.  Even in the silence of prayer run through our minds.

Must people of faith are people of the books.  The Jews and Christians each have their Bible and Muslims have the Qaran.  The words contained in the Bible are the teachings and stories that guide our life.  Before any were written down they passed on by word of mouth.

We can also worship and draw close to God without words.  Late at night we can sense God’s presence in the majesty of the stars.  On a walk in the woods we can find a bird’s song draws us to a time with God.  A piece of music can weave its way into our consciousness and can become a holy experience.  Something as simple as sitting and watching a campfire can lead us to a time with our savior.

God is all around us.  He is always seeking us, always waiting time with us.  At times we use words in a variety of ways to draw close to God.  Sometimes we do not use words but find ourselves close to God anyway.  Today, may we choose to draw near in a variety of ways.

Scripture reference: Psalm 19


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Idols

Is there a commandment we struggle with more than the commandment against idols? Today the idea of an idol has grown to represent a wide variety of things: money, possessions, job, position or status, physical beauty, authority, time…  Our own ‘idol’ can really be anything we place before or above God.

It is a fine line sometimes between providing for our families and accumulating wealth or between doing a good job at work and pouring oneself into the job in the pursuit of a promotion.  But when one is in a right relationship with God, then one knows in their hearts when they are nearing or have crossed that imaginary line.

The command against idols is the only command that also has a punishment attached.  Perhaps God knew people would wrestle with this one!  God warns that He will punish out to a person’s fourth generation if one bows down to idols.  However, God also promises that He will love your family for a thousand years if you love Him and follow His commands.  Quite a difference!  Must be important.

In this holy season of Lent, may we spend a little extra time looking at the idols we have in our lives.  May we seek God’s strength and presence so that our idols become less and He becomes more.

Scripture reference: Genesis 20: 4-6