pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: receive


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Go in Faith and Trust

Reading: Genesis 12:1-9

Verse 4: “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.”

Photo credit: Markus Spiske

As we pick up the story of Abram it seems like we’ve found another person who hears from God and responds immediately. This is often the perceived narrative of the call stories in the Bible. It is the narrative for Matthew when we turn to his call story on Thursday. In reality, though, responding to a call of God is not so simple.

Abram was a descendant of Shem, one of Noah’s sons. For generations his family has worshipped God. As Shem’s clan grew in size, they spread to the south and east of Canaan. Abram’s father Terah decided to return to their ancestral homeland but only got as far as Haran. After Terah dies, God comes to Abram and says, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” God is asking Abram to leave all he knows. God offers Abram a wonderful blessing and Abram leaves, stepping into the unknown, fully trusting God as he goes.

Now, hypothetically, if God said to an atheist, ‘Pack up all your stuff. Load up the U-Haul and go to the place I will show you,’ how many would go? Let’s increase the odds. If God said the same thing to a nominal Christian, how many would go? Maybe 1 or 2 in a million? You see, that’s the thing about Abram. He was a devout follower of God. He knew exactly who was speaking to him. It is in faith that he receives the call and the blessing. It is in faith that he sets out. May it be so for you and for me when God calls.

Prayer: Lord God, the steady, daily, intimate walk of faith builds our relationship with you. It increases our willingness to follow your voice. Day by day, strengthen and encourage our walk, preparing us to respond in faith and trust when you call. Amen.


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Complete and Steadfast

Reading: John 14:15-17

Verse 16: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.”

Photo credit: Kyle Johnson

Turning to our gospel lesson for this week, Jesus offers the disciples some needed reassurance and a promise. Coming out of a difficult to understand conversation about Jesus being the only way to the Father, he offers the words that we read today. He begins with this: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” The most recent command is this: “Love one another. As I have loved you…” Living out their faith and into this relationship with God – both are first grounded in love. From a place of complete and steadfast love will come obedience. In human terms, we ground our wedding vows in this kind of love.

Jesus has been addressing the fact that soon he will die. The disciples will soon find themselves without the physical Christ. In today’s teaching Jesus offers these words: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.” Jesus himself will initiate this new relationship or connection with God. Through Jesus’ request God will send the spiritual Christ to be with the disciples. The Holy Spirit will be with them forever. There is both an assurance and a promise here. Yet, as in all relationships, we have a role to play. We must receive the Spirit into our lives. We must respond to the offer, to the invitation, to the “knock” on our hearts.

Jesus states that those who are of the world “neither sees him or knows him.” For those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and for those of us who do and yet choose to live in sin, the Holy Spirit is disconnected. When there is separation in our relationship with God, then we too are of the world. Even then God reaches out, calling us back into right relationship. Through God’s complete and steadfast love our brokenness is again transformed and we can walk and live once more as a child of God. Our God’s love redeems and restores us over and over, allowing the Holy Spirit to “live with you” and to “be in you.” Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, your love and presence are offered without limit, without condition. You are the perfect giver of these good and gracious gifts. Lead us to receive them, to be filled with them, and to be people who pour them out into one another’s lives. Amen.


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Peace Be with You

Reading: John 20:19-23

Verse 19: “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!'”

Even though Mary Magdalene has shared the good news of the resurrection and even though Peter and John have seen the empty tomb and even though Mary has seen the risen Christ, the disciples hide behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” They have not seen for themselves, so their fears and doubts still guide their thoughts and actions.

Jesus suddenly appears among the disciples and says, “Peace be with you!” This was a standard greeting in Jesus’ day. It is beginning with the familiar. Then Jesus shows them his hands and his side – the scars still fresh. The full realization of who this is brings great joy to the disciples, just as it had to Mary in her encounter with the risen Christ. Isn’t it funny how firsthand experience is so much more powerful?

Repeating the familiar, Jesus again offers peace. Then the commission begins: “As the father has sent me, I am sending you.” The ministry is being passed on. For 3 years these disciples gained firsthand experience in what it meant to be sent by God. Jesus has lived it day in and day out. Now it was their turn to do as Jesus had done. To enable the disciples to do this huge task, Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” as he breathed it onto and into these men. This living, indwelling presence of the risen Christ would allow them to do as Jesus did, forgiving as lives were changed by the power of God. The disciples were to minister as Christ had ministered.

This gift of the Holy Spirit is something that all who surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior receive. The Holy Spirit empowers all believers to minister to others just as Christ did long ago. The Spirit empowers you. May the peace of Christ cover you as you seek to be Jesus’ hands and feet and heart in the world today.

Prayer: Lord God, your power is in us. It goes with us. It leads and guides and shows us the way. It gives us the words to speak. Use us today to minister in your name. Amen.


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A Community Effort

Reading: John 11:38-45

Verse 44: “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Photo credit: Wylly Suhendra

In the second half of our John 11 passage, Jesus moves into action. He says to no one in particular and therefore to everyone, “Take away the stone.” Practical Martha protests. Jesus draws her back to the spiritual: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” And after a prayer to God, Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave. The man dead four days walks out, still wrapped in his grave cloths.

This is one way that Jesus calls us back to life. But for almost everyone, he calls us back from spiritual or emotional death. We have fallen short and have sinned. We have separated ourselves from God and from one another. We come to a place of repentance and we are restored to a right relationship with God. But we still have our grave cloths wrapped around us. These take different forms: guilt, shame, remorse, regret. Often there are also real consequences that we must face. It is a very hard road to walk alone.

Jesus says, again, to no one in particular and therefore to everyone, Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” This last step of restoration is up to the community. It is something Lazarus cannot do on his own. It is something we cannot do on our own. To fully walk in the new life that Jesus offers, we need community. To restore our relationships, we need forgiveness and reconciliation. To begin to live again, we need welcome and engagement. Faith is a community effort. We are not always on the receiving end either. At times we will need to be the ones offering forgiveness… to others. May we be as willing to give as we are to receive.

Lord God, the community is such a beautiful thing. Walking together in faith is your plan and purpose for us all. Help me to be humble when I need forgiveness and restoration. Guide me to be generous when others need to receive. Bless your beloved community. Amen.


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Hear Our Cry, O God!

Reading: Psalm 130

Verses 1-2: “Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.”

Photo credit: Stormseeker

The psalmist cries out to God. From “the depths” the psalmist goes to God full of emotion and from a place of discontent. If you’ve walked with God for a while then you, like me, have found yourself in a place very similar to the place the psalmist finds himself or herself. Sometimes we place ourselves there. Our sins or other poor choices have led us to a place in our relationship with God and/or with others that is discomforting and charged with emotions. At other times we find ourselves needing to cry out to God because of something someone else has done or because life simply happens. From these depths we too cry out to God.

In the rest of verse 2 we read, “Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.” The psalmist is asking God to not just hear the words of his or her lips. He or she is asking God to really listen, to receive these words, to pay attention to this cry of the heart. This is an invitation to God to receive us into a deeper relationship, into a more personal connection. To cry out in such a way is an expression of trust and faith. One would not pour out one’s heart unless there was a foundational trust and faith in a response. We are invited to go to God in such a way.

What are the cries of your heart? Are you angry or hurt? Are you lost or filled with questions? Are you lonely or experiencing unwanted change? Are you drowning in grief or wrestling with a big decision? Are you in a tight place financially or are you bone tired? There is no place that we cannot cry out from. There is no cry that God will not hear. So in faith and in trust and with hope, may we cry out to God.

Prayer: Lord God, hear my cry from the depths of my heart to the depths of yours. Through your son, feel what I am feeling, know what pulls at my heart and soul. Attune your ear to my cry, O God. Amen.


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Connected through Christ

Reading: 1st Corinthians 2:11-18

Verse 2: “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

As Paul continues to speak about wisdom he differentiates between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. Paul focuses in on the source of our wisdom. Some have received “the spirit of the world” – they think, make decisions, and act according to the wisdom or ways of the world. Pride, greed, lust, power, control – these things drive their lives. In contrast, some have received “the Spirit who is from God.” Those who proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior receive the gift of the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Peace, joy, love, hope, service, humility – these things drive their lives.

Those with the spirit of the world cannot understand the things and ways of God. They are not of the Spirit of God so God’s ways seem foolish. They cannot understand the ways of God or the ways that followers of Christ live. Those with the Holy Spirit are connected to God. The indwelling presence of God brings understanding around the will and ways of God. These can discern all that God offers because of the Spirit’s presence. As Paul writes, “We have the mind of Christ.”

Because we are in fact human – flesh and blood – we also understand the ways of the world and are, at times, drawn towards the things that the world values. The fleshy part of us can want control or power or wealth… at times. It is precisely in these moments that we need support, encouragement, and strength to resist the temptation that is pulling at us. Here the Spirit, the mind of Christ, whispers into our hearts. Here the community of faith steps us and speaks truth into our lives. Connected through Christ we find the power and the ability to live faithfully day by day in this world. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gifts of Spirit and community. Alone I would be a slave to the world. With these gifts I stand a chance. Please continue to make self less so that you can be more. Amen.


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Receive and Practice Grace

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:1-9

Verse 4: “I always thank my God for you because of God’s grace given you in Christ Jesus.”

Photo credit: Fuu J

After the introduction and greeting Paul turns to thanksgiving. As we begin 2 days with this text, we begin today with verse 4. In this verse we read, “I always thank my God for you because of God’s grace given you in Christ Jesus.” Thanking God for the gifts that we have received and for the gifts that we see in others is a habit that Paul practiced regularly and that we should practice regularly. But let us not be thankful just for the gift. Let us also be thankful for the ways in which the gift is manifest in our lives and in the ways that the gift helps us to witness to Jesus Christ.

In that spirit let us consider the gift of grace a little deeper today. Grace is something that we receive from God that we are also to extend to others. God’s grace does not hold us accountable for our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings, our sins. God’s grace continues to love us as we work through these things. We are to look at and treat others this way. When a friend makes a mistake, for example, and our gut reaction is to cut ties, grace calls us to move past that and to continue being their friend. God’s grace offers us forgiveness without expecting us to do anything to earn it or to prove we’re worthy of it. Grace is not conditional. It has no strings attached. Because God offers grace this way, we cannot say to another, “I’ll forgive you if you ___.” We simply say, “I’ll forgive you.”

These are but two of the ways that we receive God’s grace and, in turn, extend grace to one another. Grace is just one way that we reflect Christ to the world. Today may we be grace-full.

Prayer: Lord God, your grace reveals your heart to me. It is powerful and transforming. As I grow in grace, use me to be grace in the world more and more, day by day. Amen.


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Go, Prepare the Way

Reading: Luke 1:76-79

Verse 76: “You will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.”

Photo credit: Dominik Lange

Continuing today in Zechariah’s Song, the praise shifts to the role his own son will play in God’s plan. John the Baptist will be called “a prophet of the Most High.” John’s ministry will be out in the wilderness, along the Jordan River. Preaching about the good news soon to come, he will “give his people a knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” John will call people to repent of their sins to prepare their hearts for the coming Messiah. A baptism of repentance will symbolize their readiness to walk with Christ. This gift of salvation is available “because of the tender mercies of our God.” It’s not just mercy, but tender mercy. I love the image that this line creates. Oh the depth of God’s love for you and me!

In verse 76 Zechariah defines John’s primary task: “You will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.” No one meets Jesus without someone telling them about Jesus. No one experiences “the rising sun from heaven” coming into their lives to “shine on those living in darkness” without someone going on to prepare their heart to receive Jesus. John called others and prepared them both through his words and his example. He was faithful in his living and was engaging and encouraging with his words.

Just before his final departure to return to heaven, Jesus gave all who follow him this task: “Go and make disciples of all nations… baptizing them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Just as John did, we are to do to. Living faithfully as a follower of Jesus Christ, may we draw others to the Son, bringing his light and love into the darkness. In Christ’s light and love, may they too experience the tender mercies of God.

Prayer: Lord God, guide me to live a simple, faithful life, one that reflects your light and love out into the world’s darkness. As others are drawn to the light, grant me the words and actions to prepare the way for them to receive your son as Lord and Savior. All for your glory, O God! Amen.


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From This Place

Reading: Psalm 119:137-144

Verse 142: “Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

This week’s Psalm reading is a small piece of Psalm 119, the longest of all the Psalms. This Psalm is an acrostic – each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet is the anchor to each stanza. Today’s letter is “tsadhe.” The letter forms the shape of a fish hook and is a combination of 3 other letters in the alphabet. Translated it means “righteous person.” That is the focus of today’s passage.

The psalmist begins by first acknowledging God’s righteousness. Both God and God’s laws are “trustworthy” and are “thoroughly tested.” The psalmist loves both God and the law. But not everyone does. In verses 139, 141, and 143 we see that some “ignore your words,” others treat the psalmist as “lowly and despised,” and still others bring “trouble and distress” upon the author. Not everyone is eager to receive God’s word. Sharing it, at times, brings persecution and hardship to our lives. Yet God remains righteous and faithful. Our call continues to be to share the good news with others.

Because of the psalmist’s long walk with God, he or she knows that God is always faithful and righteous. We too must walk with God, slowly and steadily and consistently, to come to this same place of faith and love. The way and will of God must grow to become who we are in body, mind, soul, and strength. There we too will declare, “Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.” It is from this place that we too will seek to teach others of God’s love, faithfulness, and righteousness. May it become so for you and for me as we continue to walk daily with the Lord our God.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the journey so far. I beg that you continue to lead and guide my life and my ways, becoming daily more of who and what I am. As you fill my all, may it overflow into others’ lives. Amen.


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The Baton of Faith

Reading: 2nd Kings 2:7-15

Verse 13: “He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.”

Continuing to walk with Elijah and Elisha, we come to the Jordan River. 50 prophets stand at a distance as we hear Elijah and Elisha’s final conversation. Elijah parts the Jordan with his cloak and the two cross over on dry land, just as Joshua and the Israelites had done many years before. Elijah, the mentor, asks, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Seemingly without hesitation, Elisha requests “a double portion of your spirit” from Elijah. Likely smiling inside, Elijah gives him the conditions of receiving this request.

As they continue to walk and talk Elijah is taken up into heaven. Elisha cries out in sorrow and tears his clothes as an expression of grief. Then we read, “He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.” This is a passing of the baton. Testing out how it feels in his own hand, Elisha inquires of God’s presence and touches the water with the cloak. Once again it parts. Clearly Elijah’s spirit is upon Elisha.

How have people in your life passed along the baton of faith? In my life I had parents who served the church. Their willingness to volunteer instilled that same spirit in me. Older pastors and congregation members that I’ve worked under and with have modeled leadership and faith, teaching me about maturity in these areas. In turn God has blessed me with opportunities to pour into youth and elders alike, building up their faith as we’ve walked and talked together.

I’m grateful for the ways that I have and will continue to both give and receive in the family of God. Join me today as we pause and give thanks for the people and the ways that God has and will work in our lives, both passing and receiving the baton of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, I am so thankful for the great cloud of witness in which I walk day by day, for so much freely and generously given and received. Continue to surround me with a great big community of faith. Amen.