pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: God


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Good Habits and Techniques

When things aren’t going well it is our natural tendency to want to change things.  While this is a good idea for a baseball player whose swing has developed a hitch, it is not a good idea in our faith life.  Mired in a hitting slump, the ball player and his coaches try to figure out what has changes so that they can fix it.  This is a mechanical or physical process that can be studied, analyzed, and corrected.

Like a batter practicing good habits and techniques, or faith life ‘works’ best when we are practicing good habits and techniques in our daily study and prayer life.   In the times that we stay in tune with God, we find pleasure and contentment in His world.  The sunset or sunrise contains a beauty we see as His.  Our interactions with other people is filled with the love of Christ.  Life is good.

But sometimes life brings us a curve ball.  In these cases we must work at not developing a hitch in our spiritual life.  When life brings us the difficult, we must remain faithful and try.  We must resist the temptation to turn to something or someone other than God.  God’s love is eternal and true.  As we remain true in our walk with Him, He will always see us through.

Scripture reference: Exodus 17: 1-7


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He Is Faithful

As the wandered in the wilderness without water, the Israelites began to grumble against God and against Moses.  without this basic necessity for life, they were getting testy.  God heard their cry and responded through Moses, bringing forth water from a rock.

How often do we too feel abandoned or question God’s presence?  How common is it to question whether or not He cares when we are walking through a difficult situation in life?  Sometimes in the depths of the valley it is hard to see God’s light and to remain faithful to Him.  Through it all, though, He is faithful to us.  Through it all, He is always right there.

When we look back on our trials, we can usually see how God was there and how He helped or guided us.  As we reflect on and are thankful for His help, we are strengthened in our faith.  Then He is closer when we walk through the next valley or trial, for we know Him more.  God uses our experiences to draw us closer to himself.  We must remain faithful, for He is always faithful.

Scripture reference: Exodus 17: 1-7


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Are You Willing?

History can teach us much.  As a nation we can look back and study our past as a way of improving our future.  We can also use our history and its lessons to bring healing to people today.  When we see and understand our mistakes, then we can begin to seek forgiveness and to mend relationships.

Within the history of our faith we can find the same things – lessons to learn and guidance for how to heal our world.  There is much brokenness in our world.  But God’s love is vastly greater than the brokenness.  God’s love is an endless reservoir.

As the church we are called to tap into God’s love and to being it to the world.  It can be done through acts of compassion like feeding the hungry.  It can be done through acts of mercy like praying with one in need.  It can be done through acts of presence, simply being there with one in grief and pain.  It can be done through acts of giving, allowing God’s blessings to flow through you to someone around the world to meet another’s basic needs.

We can address some needs and issues as a body of Christ, working together to improve life and to share Christ.  But is still takes individuals with willing hands and feet to actually bring healing, hope, and the message of Christ to those nearest to us, to those in our immediate community.  Are you willing?

Scripture reference: Psalm 105: 1-6 and 37-45


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Two Sides of Faith

Faith is at once both personal and corporate.  Most of the time we live out our faith in isolation but we gather periodically with other believers.  Each day we seek to connect with God through prayer, reading His word, and in reflection upon His word.  This connection and relationship shows as we live out our life on a daily basis.  At times we also gather with other believers – perhaps on a Sunday morning for worship, maybe at another time in a small group or class.  These gatherings encourage, equip, strengthen, and support us in our relationship with God.

Much is the same in our two faith lives.  Daily we come before God, laying our sins before Him, seeking to be cleansed.  Daily we offer our thanks and petitions, seeking His presence in our life.  Daily we read His word, seeking to find how He speaks to us that day in the words we read.  As we gather together, these practices are done again, but this time as a fellowship of believers.  Although on one level, the acts are the same, there is meaning and value and much is gained from our time together.  In the songs, the message, the communal prayers, we are united as one.

Both aspects of our faith are essential.  One fuels and builds the other up.  They work together to help us on our Christian journey.  As we seek to grow in our faith, may each day bring us blessings through our connection with God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 105: 1-6 and 37-45


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Story of Faith

As Christians, we are a people connected to each other and to God.  Our common connection point is His son, Jesus Christ.  As our overall faith and individual denominations have developed, others have become a part of the story too.  People like Paul and Augustine are common to us all.  We also have unique people in some of our stories – Martin Luther for some, Calvin for some, Wesley for some.  Each helps us to define our faith and to understand Jesus’ message and how it affects our personal lives.

Within our own stories we also have people who were or are significant.  Maybe it was a grandparent or a parent or a particular pastor.  Maybe it was a friend or a mentor.  These important people have helped us grow in our faith and also connect us back to the root.

It all connects back to Jesus, for His story is the story we must all share with others.  Our own faith story is woven in with His story, and that is what makes our story wonderful and amazing.  It is the call of every Christian to connect others to Christ, to make Him a part of their story too.  We must share our story  of faith with others to draw them near to Christ, to help them feel His love too.  Your story is great and awesome.  Share your story every day with anyone willing to listen!

Scripture reference: Philippians 1: 27-30


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An Amazing Love

All along our journey of faith there will be times when we are separated from God, adrift in our faith.  The circumstances of life will draw us away, both in the good and in the bad times.  Sometimes when life is really going well we can start to take the credit or we can get comfortable with our faith and suddenly God has a back seat.  We can feel that we don’t seem to ‘need’ God at times.  Other times, after being in a long struggle, we can come to a point where we question God’s presence or we may wonder of our prayers are being heard.

As the food that they had brought with them from Egypt began to run out, the Israelites began to grumble against Moses and Aaron and, ultimately, against God.  They could still remember the pots full of food from their days as slaves in Egypt and they longed to be filled again.  Our loving God heard them and sent manna and quail, but with some instructions.  If they took more than they needed, then it would be rotten.  God wanted to meet their need, not to spoil them.  Once they saw God’s provision, their faith in Him was restored.  But eventually they will fall away again.  And again.  And again.  And again.

We are just like the Israelites.  As my friend Kent likes to say, “One more time around the mountain!”  Yet the amazing thing is our God.  He never  leaves us.  No matter how many times we have to circle back around, He is always right there.  It is only us that chooses a time of separation.  And over and over and over and over again, when we seek Him, God is right there.  His great love for us is amazing.  It is a love that never ends, that never fails.  It is an amazing love!!  Praise be to God!!

Scripture reference: Exodus 16: 4-15


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To Judge or Not to Judge?

Paul cautions us not to judge others but to accept where they are in their faith journey.  When we do not judge we are more open to two important things.  First, we can more fully love then and, consequently, hold nothing back.  Second, we are open to both learning from them and to sharing what we know of faith to help them learn and grow as well.  Too often when we judge another we put up barriers in our heart and mind.

Yet in our human nature we seem to judge, to rank, to compare all too easily.  Although society is a place where tolerance increasingly reign, as a culture we still place a premium on our ‘position’ in life, on how much stuff or money we have, and so on.  This makes Paul’s caution all the harder to adhere to.  But with faith and trust in God we can work towards this ideal.

Judging is personally essential as long as it remains something we do for ourselves and not to ourselves.  We must judge the decisions and choices we face and make.  We must judge if we are growing in the faith and take steps to do so if we are not growing.  With others, love must reign, not judgement.  For love is the most excellent way!

Scripture reference: Romans 14: 1-12


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A Day to Pray

In one of my devotional readings today author Catherine Cavanagh tells of an experience she had in Bethlehem. She was in Israel and it happened tobe during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.  As she and her companions were sitting at a table by the main square, the nearby mosque announced the call to prayer.  She observed many Muslims headed to the mosque.  But soon it was full so they began to fill the public square in front of her and her companions.  Each unrolled their prayer mat and dropped to their knees and began praying, totally oblivious and unconcerned with anything or anyone except their time of prayer.  She was awed by this simple example of their dedication to their faith.  I too am moved when I picture the scene in my mind. As I think about this scene that unfolded before her, it also makes me wonder.  If we were to show up on a Sunday morning and our churches were all full to the brim, would we drop to our knees on the sidewalk and pray?

Outside of the church and our own private homes, Christians generally do not pray in public.  You do see it some.  A family may pray before a meal when they are out at a restaurant or a group of football players will huddle up and pray when another player has been significantly injured.  You may see a group out in a public space that prayers before they begin their Bible study.  And I don’t think people mind.  Yet we feel hesitant to pray in public at times.  We too need to be bold for our faith and to offer up a prayer when the situation calls for it or when we feel led by the Spirit to pray for someone or a situation.

So when you are out and about today, bow your head and offer up a prayer when you feel God calling you to do so.  And please remember this day to include those who were and are affected by the tragedies of 9/11.  Maybe that is just what you choose to pray about periodically throughout your day today.  Welcome and encourage the conversations that may come from others seeing you in prayer.  A chance to share our faith is always a good thing!!

Scripture reference: Romans 14: 1-12


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Sing a Song!

As the sea closed in and the waters settles back down, the Israelites sang a song of thanks to God.  As a community, they worshipped God.  Song has a way of uniting us too. At a gathering, there are certain songs we all know and these songs draw us together.

Song also carries along our history or common story.  Songs are sung over and over as a way to remember.  Songs can also bring us back to another time or place – this song reminds you of your wedding or that song reminds you of Christmas or Easter.  Music is a reminder of who we are and brings us back into community.

Songs are also connectors.  Songs connect us to God as we lift our praises to Him.  One can just get lost in a song and find oneself in God’s presence.  Song also connects us to the people we are physically present with in worship.  It binds us young and old, rich and poor, into a people gathered as one.  When we worship and sing together, God is present.

Scripture reference: Exodus 15: 1-11b and 20-21


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Trust in God

As life became very difficult in Egypt, the Israelites could have chosen to rebel and fight.  They were numerous and probably coud have rebelled.  But instead they chose to turn to God and to trust Him.  Once they fully relied on God in their situation, amazing things happened.

In our lives, difficult people and situations will come.  Often our first instinct is to fight or to react.  In almost all cases this is not our best option.  Our best option is the same as the Israelites’ best option – God. To take a step back from the situation or person, to spend time in prayer, to turn it over to God – these are our best options.  As we faithfully trust God, we too will see some amazing things happen.

I see some parallels between Israel’s plight in Egypt and the persecution faced today by Christians around the world.  When I think of our brothers and sisters in Christ that face torture, death, and chaos on an almost daily basis, I am both very grateful for our freedoms here and also moved to prayer on their behalf.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to suffer for my faith in such a way.  May we hold our fellow Christians in prayer each day, that they may continue to be strong in the faith and to trust fully in the Lord.

Scripture reference: Exodus 14: 19-31