pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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What a Love!

Reading: Isaiah 43: 1-7

Verse 2: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine”.

All great things begin small. They begin as an idea or as a thought. They are brought to life or to reality. Sometimes the greatness is only revealed over time. Such is God’s love.

God’s love was first revealed in creation. God formed the light and waters and land… and plants and animals. Then God formed Adam and, shortly thereafter, Eve. God’s love was revealed more as He walked and talked with them in the Garden. God’s love, like many great things, was tested now and then. It grew to become a covenant love for a whole nation of people – Israel. In today’s passage we see God’s love in action, calling back the chosen people.

God’s great love is a love for all people. Later in the book of Isaiah, in chapter 49, we can read about the bigger yet love of God, as Isaiah prophesies about “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. The light is Jesus Christ. Jesus was the fuller revelation of God’s love. Jesus modeled a love that welcomed not only the Jews but the sinners, outcasts, lepers, broken… as well.

God’s love is a love that I don’t think we will ever fully understand until we stand in His presence in eternity. Over and over again, the more we study and especially the more we experience God’s love, the more we come to realize we thought it too small. God’s love exceeds our wildest imagination. I think of all the times I have sinned – of all the unkind thoughts and words, of my pride and ego, of my desire to be in control, of my lustfull nature – and have come to know that God’s love is always bigger than my failures. As we journey through this life, we come to know more and more the truth spoken in verse 1: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine”. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: God of grace and love, thank you. I stumble, but you do not let me fall. I fail and sin, but you never leave me there. I hurt our relationship, but your hand always reaches out to me. What a great love you have for a sinner like me. Thank you God. Amen.


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God Is Greater

Reading: Mark 9: 30-32

Verse 32: “They did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it”.

Jesus found some private time with His disciples. He wants to begin to prepare them for a radical change that is coming. Jesus tells them plainly that He will be betrayed and killed and then will rise. I imagine most of the disciples did not hear much after the word betrayed. It is one of those words that stop us in our tracks. It takes time, perhaps a lot of time in some cases, to get back in the conversation.

Some words do this to us. We hear just that one word for a period of time. There are some universal words that do this – cancer, stroke, dementia, and so on. Sometimes the words are more specific. If it is a conversation between spouses, words like infidelity and divorce halt the mind’s thoughts. In today’s passage, the disciples are Jesus’ most intimate and personal friends. They have spent 24-7 with Him for quite a while now. Betrayed. At that word, most probably recoiled and began to look first around the group and then within. Who? Who could do such a thing? Could I? The word stung.

What causes words such as these to have this halting effect? It is because they trigger fear. They cause doubt. They raise up the unknown and the uncertainties. Our mind can quickly create worst case scenarios or it can simply get stuck right there. What choice do we have? What alternative can we take?

We can choose to trust in God, to turn to Him in prayer, to seek His presence. God may not answer our prayers right away or even the way we want (eventually), but He will be immediately present. In that presence we find peace in the experience and hope for all possibilities. We are also reminded of the end of the story. For those in Christ, it is always a beautiful ending.

Our passage tells us, “They did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it”. Fear is powerful. But God is greater. Turn to God, place your trust in Him, abide in His love.

Dear God, help me to quickly turn to you when fear rises up. Make this my natural reaction. Always remind me of your eternal love and promises. In those days, draw me near to you, strengthen me for the trial, walk with me. Amen.


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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.