pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: kingdom


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Open Hearts

Reading: Matthew 10:5-23

Matthew 10:7 – “As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'”

Photo credit: Paz Arando

Having named and empowered the twelve, moving forward in chapter 10, Jesus gives the disciples instructions for when they go out into the world. The first is this: “As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'” We recall how Jesus did this in the ordinary, daily living of his life. In all that he said and did, Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God. His vocation was prophet, preacher, and healer. For some of us, ministry may be our vocation too. But for many it is not. Many are bankers or construction workers or nurses or stay-at-home parents or… Yet make no mistake, all who call on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to proclaim and to bring near to others the good news with our lives. While I do offer a message on Sundays and teach a small group here and there, much of the work of my witness to the world occurs outside of the physical church building.

As the passage continues to unfold, we note how Jesus tells us to go. Don’t take a bunch of stuff with you – all you need is in your heart. Don’t expect everyone to instantly commit their lives to Jesus Christ – maybe a few will but it is a process for most. Expect to be harassed and maybe even abused. The good news convicts sin. Change is hard. Move from place to place, person to person. Be present and meet needs – physical, emotional, spiritual… Trust that the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say in the moment. Trust that your compassion and love will touch many hearts, opening the door for Jesus to enter those hearts. As we work to bring near and to build the kingdom in our time and place, may the Lord bless the harvest!

Prayer: Lord God, open our hearts to your presence. Fill us with your Spirit and open our eyes to see those you place in our lives. Seeing, give us the words to say and show us the steps to take so that the list may be drawn to you. Use us today to bring the good news to the world. Amen.


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Go, Disciple, Baptize, Teach

Reading: Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to obey.”

Yesterday we pondered doubt. But what if the doubt wasn’t about God or Jesus? What if the doubt was about themselves, about their ability to carry on the work of Jesus? Perhaps the disciples sensed that this was the last time they’d see the risen Christ. Like Joshua staring down the fears of what lay ahead in the Promised Land, maybe all of these disciples of Jesus were questioning their place in the building of a kingdom here on earth. This is a doubt that we frequently feel and face too.

In verse 18 Jesus declares, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.” All things are under Jesus’ authority, power, and control. The fears of the authorities? The doubt within? The unsurety of what comes next? Surrender it all to Jesus’ authority. Trust it all to his power. And believe that his authority is your authority because he lives in you.

Next comes the Great Commission, the marching orders. Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to obey.” Go and disciple others, revealing Jesus’ light and love, using words when necessary (thanks St. Francis of Assisi.) As people come to know Jesus and to believe in him as Lord and Savior, baptize them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the entry point for the Spirit’s presence in the heart of a new believer. This presence brings with it Jesus’ authority. The last step is to teach them more and more about Jesus so that their obedience grows and grows. As we live out these steps, we too continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your constant presence and your unconditional love. Reassure us when we doubt ourselves, reminding us of your power and presence within us. By that same Holy Spirit within, lead us and guide us to disciple others, growing ourselves in the process. Empower us with the authority of Jesus, trusting that nothing in this world can ever defeat the power of your love. Amen.


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For the Common Good

Reading: 1st Corinthians 12:7-13

1st Corinthians 12:7 – “A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.”

Photo credit: Clay Banks

Continuing in 1st Corinthians 12 today we move to the gifts of the Spirit that we receive as followers of Jesus Christ. First, Paul is clear about who and why we receive gifts: “A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.” Each person is given a gift (or gifts.) Although some people will try and tell you otherwise, we all have a gift or gifts from the Holy Spirit. Along those lines, we should note that the list in today’s reading is a partial list. Paul is also clear about the purpose of our gifting: for the common good. Sadly, we can use our gift(s) for selfish gain. This is not the intent for the gifts of the Spirit.

In verses 8-10 Paul gives us a partial list of the gifts of the Spirit. Each of these gifts – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing… – are given to us and are manifested through the Spirit. We do not or cannot, for example, decide to be wise today. No, at times and in situations, the Spirit “activates” our gift of wisdom so that we can contribute to the common good and bring God the glory through the manifestation of wisdom.

Paul shifts gears in verses 12 and 13. This was to address a problem that we too can struggle with. As we can do with everything from sports to vocations to colleges to opinions, we can compare or elevate our own gift(s) of the Spirit. This human tendency was causing division in the church in Corinth. The ability to speak in tongues was the gift to have. Paul uses the human body as his analogy to break down this human tendency towards comparison. While many parts, they and we, Paul declares, are one body in Jesus Christ. We are all gifted and baptized by the one Spirit, unified by Christ’s Spirit, each uniquely gifted, all working together for the common good. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us as we serve you and one another, using our gifts of the Spirit as we are empowered, seeking to bring about the common good here on earth. Help us understand that what is “good” might require sacrifice. Help us to discern what is “good” according to your will and way, aligned with your plans and purposes. You alone, O God, are truly good. Use us to reveal and to be about the work of building your kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Be My Witness

Reading: Acts 1:6-14

Acts 1:8b – “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As we pick up today’s passage, the risen Jesus has been with the disciples for forty days. He has offered “many convincing proofs” that he has risen and is alive. Jesus has promised the coming “baptism” of the Holy Spirit. In response, the disciples ask Jesus if it us now time for him to “restore the kingdom of Israel.” Not exactly. Remember, nothing remotely like this has ever happened before. The disciples are learning on the fly. An ever patient Jesus replies, “Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The power is the Spirit of God within Jesus that gave him the words to say, that showed him the next steps to take, that guided all of his actions and decisions. That same power is about to fall upon these first disciples, empowering and equipping them in the same ways that the Spirit did with Jesus.

The Holy Spirit can work the same way in our lives. Once we surrender to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our hearts and lives, we too have this same power available to us. Jesus continues in verse 8, telling the disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Note the expanding circles. The community of believers, the earliest “church,” will begin in Jerusalem. It will be tested by fire but will grow through the disciples’ witness. The disciples will go out into wider Israel, entering even Samaria, to witness to the good news. Eventually the apostles – Paul, Timothy, Silas… – will carry the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the known world. At each place, the power found in the story of Jesus will change hearts and lives. As the two men in white robes indicated, this work will continue until Jesus returns. We await that day. While we wait, we do so with the same charge as those first disciples: be my witness. So may we do as the first disciples did, sharing our stories of faith, building the kingdom of God here on earth. Lord, may it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of your power and presence that lives in our hearts. Continue to use that presence to refine and shape us, to deepen our faith, and to guide our unfolding stories of faith. Use us as you used the first disciples, taking our stories of faith out into the world, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all that we meet. Enter their hearts too, O God, drawing them to you. Amen.


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An Example to Follow

Reading: 1st Peter 1:19-25

1st Peter 1:24 – “He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness.”

Peter begins our passage for today with a reality check. He is reminding his readers then and us today that to walk steadfastly in the faith can sometimes be difficult. When we stand for our faith and for what is right and just in God’s eyes, then we might suffer. This is so because almost always, in cases of unjust suffering, we are standing or speaking against someone or something that runs contrary to the will and way of God. Those creating or maintaining these injustices and evils are doing so for personal gain in this world. Now, choosing to stand or speak for what is just and right is not a one-off or a “thing” we do when it is convenient. It is who we are because it is who Jesus was. Of this Peter writes, “You were called to this kind of endurance, because Christ suffered on your behalf.” The cross was and is very much a statement against the ways of this world.

Peter then reminds us of Jesus’ example. He did not insult those who insulted him. He did not “threaten revenge.” Jesus trusted God’s will and way in all times and situations. In the end, this led Jesus to endure the greatest possible suffering: “He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness.” Taking on our sin, paying the atoning price with his life, Jesus made it possible for our sin to be healed. Though we stray, yes, we always have Jesus Christ, the “shepherd and guardian of your lives.” We have an example to follow. And when we fall short, we have one who redeems and saves us. Thanks be to God for the Savior of our lives and of our world.

Prayer: Lord God, to what do you call us today? Is it to the simple and humble walk of a servant of the king? Is it to a place of suffering alongside those dealing with injustice or oppression or violence or…? Lord, to the people and places that you call us today, may we live well the example set by Jesus, our shepherd and guardian. Living faithfully, use us to help build your kingdom of love here on earth. Amen.


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When Challenges Rise

Reading: Psalm 16

Psalm 16:3 – “Now as for the ‘holy ones’ in the land… let their suffering increase because they hurried after a different god.”

There are certainly times in our lives when we will pray as the psalmist prays: “Protect me, O God, because I take refuge in you.” This prayer may be uttered as a natural disaster unfolds. It may be lifted up during a “storm” in our lives – an unwanted diagnosis, an unexpected change, a battle with depression or addiction… And sometimes we lift just such a prayer as we see or experience man-made chaos, violence, injustice, oppression, war…

As I read verse 3 – “Now as for the ‘holy ones’ in the land… let their suffering increase because they hurried after a different god.” – I couldn’t but help think of those who declare war the work of God and those who would rather rage and point a finger than offer a hand of cooperation or a word of compromise, claiming some religious high ground. God is not a God of war nor one who operates on the high ground. God is a God of peace and wholeness, of community and lifting the downtrodden and lowly. Too often the “religious” are far away from the Jesus we know from the scriptures.

When the challenges rise, when the world chases after “different gods,” may we first turn to the words of the psalmist: “You, Lord, are my portion, my cup; you control my destiny.” God is in control. Our inheritance is secure. Confident in these truths, may we then open our hearts so that God can “teach me the way of life.” Empower and equipped by the will and way of God, may we then be about the work of bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. Through us, may peace and love and justice flow down like a mighty river.

Prayer: Lord God, much is broken in our world. Many people are hurting and suffering and feel alone. Draw us deeply into your love, O God, filling us up so that we can overflow that love out into the world. Through the power of your love, build the kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Power with Us

Reading: Acts 2:14 and 22-32

Acts 2:32 – “This Jesus God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact.”

As we begin the Easter season, we join Peter and the other disciples as they start to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. In the timeline of Acts, the first Pentecost has just occurred. The Holy Spirit has fallen and taken up a place in the hearts of all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Spirit fills Peter as he powerfully and convincingly speaks to the crowd. You and me – we have this save power in us.

Peter begins by reminding the crowd drawn by the Pentecost moment that God proved Jesus’ “credentials” through the miracles, wonders, and signs that Jesus offered. Even though credentialed, Peter next reminds the crowd how Jesus was killed. Quoting from Psalm 16, which we’ll read tomorrow, Peter speaks of the foretelling of the resurrection of Jesus. Using David’s words, Peter reminds his audience that the grave has never held power over Jesus. From this understanding, Peter declares,“This Jesus God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact.” At the end of Peter’s speech, about 3,000 people come to a saving faith in Jesus.

The power and presence of the Holy Spirit in Peter gave him the confidence, the courage, and the words to speak. The same Spirit was at work in the hearts of those hearing Peter’s words. When we tell our stories of faith, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will empower, equip, and guide our words. And we can trust that the Spirit will work in the hearts of those receiving our words of faith. God’s power is in us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, help us to trust as Peter did. When opportunities arise to witness to our faith, to tell our Jesus stories, fill us with your Holy Spirit’s power too. And, Lord, use our words to draw others to you, building the kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Not of This World

Reading: Matthew 21:1-11

Matthew 21:9 – “The crowds in front of him and behind him shouted… ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'”

Photo credit: Clay Banks

As Jesus nears Jerusalem, he gives two disciples “a task.” They do as he says – as hard as it might have been to believe – and return to Jesus with the donkey and colt. Perhaps these two disciples knew the words of Isaiah and Zechariah and understood that they were about to be fulfilled. The crowd certainly knew these prophesies and longed for their fulfillment. This is why they lined the road and placed clothes and palm branches on the road into the city, creating a makeshift “royal carpet.” This is why they shouted, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'” They believed that the Messiah would come to save them and to re-establish the kingdom of God. This stirred up the city as Jesus entered in.

As the week unfolds, though, it becomes clear that the kingdom of Jesus was not a kingdom of this world. The clearing of the temple was a vivid declaration of this fact. This work and all of Jesus’ work was about opening people’s lives to his kingdom of love. The teachings, the healings – all about bringing people into his kingdom. Even the cross was about opening the way for all people to enter into his kingdom of love. Through the transformation of lives – dying to the things of this world and living for the things of God – love begins to rule first in our hearts and then in our world. Through the power of love, peace and mercy and grace and forgiveness and justice and hope triumph over hate and violence and oppression and other injustices. Come, Lord Jesus, come into our hearts and into our world.

Prayer: Lord God, your radical way of love has begun to transform our hearts and lives. We are becoming who you created us to be. Please continue to work in and through us, transforming this world into your kingdom of love. Amen.


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Adopt the Attitude

Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5 – “Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus.”

Paul begins chapter 2 writing about choosing humility over selfishness. This brings unity and joy to the body of believers in Philippi and also to the world around them. The same is true today. Turning to verse 5, Paul connects this idea to the example set by Jesus Christ. Here we read, “Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus.” In other words: be like Jesus.

Using what is believed to be an early Christian hymn that predates the writing of Philippians, Paul lays out “the attitude of Christ.” Holding more power than anyone before or since, Jesus did not exploit it. Just the opposite: he emptied himself, “taking the form of a slave.” Jesus chose to be a servant to all, not a master over all. Each of us hold some degree of power, whether over many people or just a few. Do we do as Christ did, using our power not to exploit but to lift others up?

Jesus became humble without limits – except in his love. Jesus’ love knew no bounds. His humility led to an absolute obedience to God, driven by his love of God, which ended at the cross. Jesus never sought to glorify self or to draw any attention to self, practicing a piety that was not about self in any way. He sought to serve, to love, to teach and practice forgiveness. Through this example, God “highly honored” Jesus, giving him “the name above all names:” Lord.

Jesus was first in line in heaven, seated at God’s right hand. Coming to earth he stood at the end of the line, thinking of self last. Because of his humble obedience to God, Jesus became the first of many to enter the kingdom of God. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, others, others, others. Serve, serve, serve. Give, give, give. Lift up, lift up, lift up. Forgive, forgive, forgive. Surrender, surrender, surrender. Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love… Amen.


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Seeing into the Heart

Reading: 1st Samuel 16:1-13

1st Samuel 16:7b – “God doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

In our Old Testament reading we go with Samuel to Bethlehem. God is sending the prophet there to anoint Israel’s next king. Saul is still king, but God is no longer pleased with Saul. It’s dangerous to anoint the next king while the current king is ruling. God is with Samuel, though. Following God’s instructions, Samuel arrives at Jesse’s house. Jesse’s line will bring Israel its next king.

Eliab, the oldest son, stands front and center. Looking at him, Samuel thinks he’s the one. Eliab’s appearance and stature must’ve impressed Samuel. But God informs Samuel, “God doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.” Ah, the heart – that is what truly matters. Samuel gets it. It is Samuel that passes over the next six sons. None have the heart to be a great king. So he asks if there are any more sons. The one out tending the sheep is brought in – the youngest. God says, “That’s the one.” David is anointed as Israel’s next king. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him.

Considering the lesson in today’s passage, we must first ask ourselves: Who do we overlook? To get at the root of it, we must also ask: Who do we judge by appearance or reputation or position? From this place of reflection, we must next ask: To really accept and practice God’s invitation to see into the heart, what needs to change in us? And, lastly, again reflecting on our own heart, we must ask: Who is missing in our churches, on our leadership teams, at our fellowship tables that should be there for our communities of faith to truly reflected our neighborhoods and the kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord God, the Eliab’s of this world are easy to see – they usually make sure of it. The David’s are harder to see. The right heart, the one humbly doing what needs done – they are the ones we often have to look for. So, Lord, open our eyes and guide our hearts to see these servants. Then, Lord, remove our preconceived notions and ideas. Send us out into the fields and streets and marketplaces, seeking to include all people in our communities of faith and in your beloved kingdom. Amen.