pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: peace


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Live Deeply

This season of Advent brings many things to mind – snow for a white Christmas, the star shining bright in the sky, the rough manger in the stable, the smell of animals and hay, the dream of peace and goodwill for all.  It is also a time of memories, built over a lifetime.

The season is a season full of love, joy, hope, and peace – all given and found in Jesus.  God’s steadfast love was poured out for us in the life and teachings of Christ.  The how-to guide Jesus Christ gave us brings these feelings of love, joy, hope, and peace to all the world.

God’s faithfulness that has always been demonstrated remains for us as well.  His faithfulness to Israel through all of her ups and downs is the same faithfulness that helps us through all of our trials as well.  It is through our knowledge of and experiences with God that we know He is faithful.  Because of this we know His promises will endure as well.  In this season of Advent, may we live deeply in love, joy, hope, and peace of Jesus Christ, living as shining children of the light.

Scripture reference: Psalm 85: 8-13


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Do we wait well?

Waiting can be hard.  Christmas is a season that builds anticipation well.  Once the tree goes up in our homes, we know the day is near.  If you use an Advent calendar, you really count down the days.  For some, simply looking at the presents under the tree is almost more than they can take – they want to peek!  No matter when we start our count – November 7, December 1… – we start out knowing that December 25 is a fixed date.  For the secular world, it is all over on December 25.

In Advent the focus is on the same date, but for Christians the purpose is different. We await the gift of Christ.  We celebrate Jesus’ birth not in and of itself, but for His whole life’s impact upon us.  It is in His death and resurrection that we gain victory over our own death and we find the strength to fight against the temptations and sins we face daily.

In Advent, our question is: do we wait well? As we ready ourselves for celebrating Christ’s birth, we also have an eye on His actual return.  That date is unknown.  Yet it is surely coming, one day closed today than it was yesterday.  As we wait, do we share our joy with others?  Do we share our hope?  Do we share our peace?  Do we share our love?  Waiting well involves all of these, plus sharing the greatest gft ever given, the reason for all of these other things we share: Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

Scripture reference: 2 Peter 3: 8-15a


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Celebrate and Share

John the Baptist seemed to be focused in on one thing: repent of your sins.  Many people came to John to confess their sins and to be baptized with water.  But John also had a much bigger picture in mind.  His mission had much more to do with the “why” of people needing to repent.  John knew Jesus was about to change the world forever and he knew people’s hearts had to be right to accept Christ.

It is fitting to find this scripture and its message at the start of Advent.  In Advent we look forward with anticipation as we say, “Jesus is coming!”  The same feeling to need to be prepared for celebrating Christ’s birth is a part of our waiting.  We need to be at our ‘best’ to welcome into the world this newborn King.  He needs to find us ready.

So John’s message to repent calls out to us too.  In this challenging time of year where the world says to buy more, be busier, live it up, celebrate the presents – John says to slow down, focus in on Christ, repent of sin, prepare for the coming gift of Christ.  This gift comes bearing hope, peace, joy, and love.  He comes bringing justice, forgiveness, and inclusion.  May we be in Advent a vessel that is clean and full of all that Christ has to offer.  May we celebrate the gifts of Christ and share them with a world so in need.

Scripture reference: Mark 1: 1-8


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Share the Gifts

Grace and peace to you!  Paul’s standard salutation speaks of two of the most important attributes of being in the family of God.

From the Christian perspective, grace means “unmerited favor.”  It is the forgiveness of sins that we cannot earn.  It is the free gift of Jesus Christ to all who call on His name.  It is the power to save us and to bring us back before God, cleansed and made new.

Grace also meant an “arresting vision of beauty” to the Greeks.  And isn’t Christ on the cross just that?  In some ways arresting to visualize His broken and bloodied body hanging there yet also amazingly beautiful to realize what He did for you  and me.

Peace is also a gift from God.  That sense of wholeness in life and that all is right in His kingdom enriches our lives here.  This gift also removes competition from our equations and allows us to respond to others with love.  We spread peace with love.

Peace and grace to you!  These gifts are always offered to bless our lives and the lives of those we encounter.  God is faithful.  Our reality is that He brings us an unending supply of grace and peace.  And our reality is that the more we share these gifts with others, the more comes back to us as well.  Grace and peace to you!

Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9


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Change

Change is hard and forced change is even harder.  In times of change we feel uncertain and emotions can rule the day.  Sometimes we wish we could just go back to the way thing were or we wish we could just disappear.  When it gets bad and we realize that we cannot handle it anymore on our own, we turn to God.

Change feels threatening and makes our world feel unstable.  We like routine and to feel secure.  All of us like someone by our side in times of stress and God fits the bill perfectly.  He wants to bring us peace, comfort, strength, presence.

In the midst of change we often seek someone else to blame.  (It is like this when we sin too!)  When our situation doesn’t improve, we can really blame God and others.  It is hard to point the finger in the mirror.  Yet when we can manage to step away for a moment and to draw a breath in, then we can begin to trust into our God who so desires to be in relationship, who so desires to pour love and guidance into our lives.  Change can be big and scary, but God is bigger and stronger.

Scripture reference: Isaiah 64: 1-9


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Witness to Our Eternity

God is everlasting.  He always was and always will be.  He was before He created the earth.  God will continue to be long after ‘earth’ is gone and the new heaven is here.  God is the one that binds us together – from Adam and Eve on forward.

While on earth, God is our peace and comfort. our strength and shield, our home.  In Him we live and breathe and have our being.  All of this will continue when our earthly body breathes its last.  God is before, now, and after.

As we live daily, we hold onto this promise.  It makes each day easier to get through and provides our ultimate hope – resurrection from the dead.  Until that day, God is steadfast to us.  His mercies are new every morning and His love never fails.  Surely as that day is coming for all of us, we are to live reflecting the fact that we do not fear death.  We live reflecting the hope and love we find in Christ.  But not all are destined for heaven.  It is our call to be a living witness to our eternity, allowing all the opportunity to come to know Him.  By word, action, and deed, we are to share Christ with all we meet.

Scripture reference: Psalm 90: 1-6 and 13-17


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Sides of Anger

Can anger ever be a good thing?  Or is anger always bad?  I think back to a stage in my son’s life when the littlest thing made him very angry, and I see a side of anger that is bad.  Yet I think about a friend so angry over the injustice he saw that he started an organization that offered care and services to a segment of our population in great need.

And is a natural emotion.  At times God was so angry that He wanted to wipe humanity off the face of the earth.  King David was once so angry at a man in a story who stole an animal from a very poor man when he himself had plenty.  David was so angry that wanted to go and exact revenge for the poor man.  (But it turns out David was the offender!)  Righteous anger can be a good thing.

Personal anger is usually another story.  We are called to control our emotions.  We must be wary because the tongue is a mighty weapon and a small spark can cause a huge fire.  On a personal level, we must seek to offer love over hate, peace over war.  We must seek first His kingdom.

Scripture reference: Psalm 149: 5-9


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Created and Called

As a church or community of faith, what does it means when Paul calls us to “aim for perfection”?  Does that means that the worship and message on Sunday will be flawless?  Does that mean that the church will be beautifully decorated and that the coffee and cookies will be fantastic?  Or does it mean that the church will be a loving and welcoming place that feels like home?  Or is all this and more?  The target is indeed high but we are created in His image.

Paul also calls us to be of one mind and to live in peace.  All families disagree at times and have fights at others, right?  While true, it is not what we are aiming for.  It sounds like quite a challenge!  Yet each body of faith must be of one mind in terms of their purpose for being and in their mission in the world.  On a basic level, each and every Christian is called to ‘make disciples of all nations’.  Each and every church also has its own unique purpose and mission in the community in which it exists.  While each body of faith’s ‘work’ may look different from church to church – here the purpose and mission are also basically the same – to be Jesus’ hands and feet.

“To live in peace with one another”.  Begin with respect and an open mind and loving heart tuned to other’s needs above your own.  Our former and current ‘saints’ have much wisdom, experience, and insights to offer.  Seek them out, include them in the church.  Our ‘new’ friends to the faith are in need of love and encouragement.  Draw them in and give them all you have to offer.

Paul concludes 2 Corinthians 13 by reminding us that the God of love and peace will be with us.  This is a great comfort and reassurance because we all could use a little more love and peace.  We are created in His image and called to be like Him.


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Time to Walk

“And God saw that it was good”.  This phrase occurs in Genesis after He creates plants and trees and after He creates the stars, sun, and moon.  (It also occurs after He creates the birds, animals, and humans).  God created all for our pleasure, for our enjoyment.

At times my simpler side draws me to a time of camping or to a walk in the quiet of the early morning.  I find an undeniable presence of God when outside.  When I take in the song of the bird or the gentle rolls of the stream or the light breeze rustling the trees, God is definitely there.

Quiet time in God’s creation offers us much.  He created it for us!  Nature has a way of calming and renewing our spirits.  Plugging into creation rekindles our connection to God.

It can also be a place of sorting through this or that situation or of seeking guidance and discernment.  When we still ourselves we become more open to the Holy Spirit’s voice.

And lastly, nature is a place of peace.  Whether we find healing from a sorrow or relief from the constant buzz of technology, God’s creation calls us to Him and beckons us to find peace in His arms.

Isn’t it time for a walk?


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Strong Arms

Psalm 31:2 reads: “Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”  What words of trust in God – these statements represent sure things.  We know He will come to us.  We know He is our rock.  We know He will save us.  In times of crisis, pain, and despair, we turn to our God.  His strong arms will embrace us.

In Him we find strength every morning.  In Him we find His arm around us helping us in every step we take.  In Him we find comfort and peace as the sorrow and pain begin to well up again.

Verse 3 goes on, “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.”  Not if, not when.  God IS our rock and fortress.  In our times of struggle, may we lean into those strong arms.