pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Together in Faith

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 5:9-11

1st Thessalonians 5:11 – “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

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As we finish this week’s 1st Thessalonians 5 passage, verse 9 begins with a reminder about who and what God is. God is a God who saved the faithful and wants to save all people. God is not an angry God who wants to “pour out his anger.” As we read last week in the parable of the ten bridesmaids, God wants us all to one day be at the eternal wedding banquet. Sadly, some never get prepared to enter into glory. They refuse to accept the invitation.

Verse 10 reveals God’s love for us – for all of us. Christ died to save all people from this earthly life. Yes, he even died for those who might never accept the invitation. God in the flesh desired to see all people enter into God’s love. As those created in his image, we too should desire and should make efforts to see all people come to a saving relationship with Jesus.

Once saved, we have a desire to live with Jesus forever, as Paul reminds us at the end of verse 10. But this desire is not always easy to maintain. Doubt creeps in sometimes. Hardship, suffering, loss, and grief can challenge our faith. The world can push back against our beliefs and our ways of living them out. Sin and the brokenness of this world can weigh heavy upon our faith. In all of these moments and more, we need to heed Paul’s advice found in verse 11: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” We are better in community. We are stronger together. We can stand more firmly in our faith with one another’s encouragement and support. When one is weak, others are strong. Day by day, may we walk together in faith.

Prayer: Lord God, we know that when we are weak, you are strong. Yet sometimes we have trouble sensing your presence. In these situations, give us the courage to seek others, to find the needed support and encouragement. And when our faith is strong, Lord, give us eyes to see other’s needs. Lead us to come alongside them, lifting and encouraging their walk of faith. Amen.


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All So Wrong… How Deeply Loved

Reading: Matthew 16:21-23

Matthew 16:23 – “Get behind me, Satan… You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”

Photo credit: Shane

Of all the disciples, Peter seems to be the most “human.” Perhaps this is why it feels like we know him the best of all the disciples. He has his “gold star” moments and he also has moments when it seems like he barely understands who Jesus is. Perhaps we know him best because he is just like us. Last week we read his declaration of Jesus as the Christ. His shining moment led to Jesus stating that he will build his church upon Peter, the “rock.” This week, in the text, Jesus begins to explain the way that the church will be founded and established. He must suffer and die. Then he will rise on the third day.

Although it is certainly not the first time that Jesus has shared this news with the disciples, Peter acts like it is. Maybe he now hears this news through the lens of being #2 to Jesus. Peter’s world was much like our world today. Power was might. Success was measured in wealth, status, and/or possessions. There was a social hierarchy and society taught you to try and climb that ladder. In this moment, Peter seems caught up in all of this. We’ve been there too. We understand.

So Peter grabs ahold of Jesus and begins to scold him. Peter proclaims, “This won’t happen to you.” Not on my watch, Jesus. Reflecting the needed reality check, Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan… You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” The depth of love required to endure humiliation and torture, to die a very painful and public death – it is hard for us humans to understand at times. It’s no wonder Peter got it all so wrong here. We do too at times. That’s Jesus’ point, though. He came to save you and me. And Peter too. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, living daily in the world, it is easy to get caught up in the ways of the world. Draw us into daily time with you. Fill us with your ways and with your love. Then guide us to walk counter to the ways of the world, giving instead of taking, surrendering instead of ascending, lifting rather than pushing down. Lead us, O God, in your way of love. Amen.


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Shaping and Reshaping

Romans 12:2 – “Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”

Reading: Romans 12:1-2

As we begin in Romans 12, today we read what I would consider a “Top 10” verse for our time. Paul’s argument, however, begins back in chapter 11, where he writes of God’s great mercy. It is so great, he writes, that even Israel will be saved one day. At that point in time, the Jews felt like and were acting like the “enemies” of Jesus and his newly forming church. Even so, God’s mercy is great enough to one day draw Israel into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

With that in mind, Paul writes, “So… I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.” Paul encourages the believers in Rome to live like they have been saved. He is inviting them to serve God and others even if there is a personal cost. Paul deems this “appropriate priestly service” for the great love and mercy that they have received from God.

Next we turn to the key verse: “Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Another translation writes of not being so well-adjusted to the culture that we fit right in without even thinking about it. The patterns and ways of this world are tempting and powerful. They are portrayed as “success.” They promise us “happiness.” Greed, want, the desire for power, the need to satisfy self – these things are endless cycles that only draw us downward. There is no rest or peace or contentment. We only find these blessings when we confirm our hearts and minds to Christ. Jesus then renews and transforms our hearts and minds, shaping and reshaping us into someone who is “good and pleasing and mature.” This is where we want to be. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, the call of the world is constant – a neighbor’s new side by side, a friend’s new cell phone, a coworker’s stories of their amazing vacation… These things tug at us, pulling us towards the ways of the world. In our moments of temptation and trial, O God, draw us into your love and care. Remind us of the peace, contentment, and rest that we find in you alone. Hold us in that place, changing our focus, renewing our hearts and minds, drawing us deeper into our relationship with you. Amen.


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Thanksgiving and Praise

Reading: Psalm 105:1-6

Psalm 105:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!”

Photo credit: Pablo Heimplatz

Psalm 105 is a call to worship. Yes, it was a call to worship long ago for the Israelites. And it is a call to us today to worship God in the ways that we live out our faith in the Lord our God. The Psalm begins with this invitation: “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!” There are three parts to this invitation. First, give thanks. Whether through prayer, a journal, or both, daily thank God for your blessings, large and small. This practice of gratitude is good for our soul. Second, call on God’s name. This could be calling on God’s name in prayers and petitions. And it could be seeking God’s guidance and direction in our lives. And third, witness to your faith. Share the story of what God has done and is doing so that others might be drawn to our Lord and Savior.

These basic invitations are echoed in verses two and three: Sing, give praise, rejoice in the Lord! In verse four we’re invited to pursue or seek God’s presence and strength. While God is ever present and ever willing to be a part of our lives, God will not barge in or force the issue. God waits for us to “open the door,” and then God enters in. Invite God in!

Verses five and six invite us into acts of remembering. These are both personal and corporate. Remember God’s wonderful and marvelous works in your life and in the world around you. Remember through thanksgiving and praise. Recall God’s acts of justice – in your life and in our world. Offer thanks and sing! And remember who and whose you are: “children of Jacob… chosen.” For our place in the family of God, may we lift a celebratory and joyous word of prayer or a song of praise to the Lord our God!

Prayer: Lord God, we pause and offer our thanks for all you do in our lives to lead and guide us, to strengthen and encourage us, to forgive and redeem us, to restore and save us. You are an amazing, awesome, wonderful God! Thank you for choosing us and for being our God. Amen.


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Steady and Consistent

Reading: Psalm 86:1-10 and 16-17

Psalm 86:2 – “Guard my life because I am faithful. Save your servant who trusts in you – you! My God!”

Psalm 86 is attributed to David and is a “servant’s prayer for protection.” David mixes together a range of emotions and of faith. At times he affirms God’s certain response and at other times David reminds God (and himself?) that he is indeed faithful to God. Sometimes it feels like David is trying to motivate God to act on his behalf because is suffering and sometimes because David’s enemies need to be put to shame! When I am troubled and pray to God, my emotions and my faith can range far and wide too. Maybe you’ve experienced this as well.

Verse 2 is a great example of this range of faith and emotion. Here we read, “Guard my life because I am faithful. Save your servant who trusts in you – you! My God!” David petitions God’s guarding and saving while reminding God how faithful and trusting he is in God. I can slip into the same “How can you let this happen God – don’t you know how…?” prayer. In the end, these thoughts and prayers really come down to our questioning the status of our relationship with God. This questioning is most present when I’ve been neglecting my daily time with God.

In seasons of my life I’ve treated God like a vending machine. I’ve come to God when I need or want something, but when life is good or even just okay, I’ve let my relationship slide. I’ve come to realize that when I think I need to remind God how faithful and trusting I am, it’s really me that needs reminding that I haven’t been these things lately. This realization often draws me back to the God who has been present all along, just waiting for me to do the same. Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to walk a more steady and consistent faith. Even though the day always begins with you now, I can still drift away during the everyday of life. In moments when other things begin to creep in, lessening my connection to you, touch my heart and draw me close. Thank you, God, for your faithfulness. Amen.


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Entrusted to God

Reading: Psalm 31:1-5

Psalm 31:2 – “Listen closely to me! Deliver me quickly; be a rock that protects me; be a strong fortress that saves me!”

In Psalm 31 we can feel the writer’s need for God. We do not know what the psalmist needs rescue and refuge from. We don’t know if the situation is his or her making or if it is caused by another. And we do not know just how bad the situation is. Nonetheless, we can relate to the way that the psalmist feels. We’ve sought God’s refuge and rescue in many different ways. We turn to God in great distress and in minor disturbance.

When our trial has gone on or when it feels severe, we’ve uttered a prayer like this one: “Listen closely to me! Deliver me quickly; be a rock that protects me; be a strong fortress that saves me!” Coupled with verse 1, it is part proclamation of faith, part plea for help. These two are often connected in our conversations with God. There is also a felt urgency to these words. It fits well in our day where we want it yesterday. It aligns with the way we can pray expectantly of God.

Verses 3 and 4 follow the basic pattern of verses 1 and 2. The psalmist declares that God is his or her rock and fortress. He or she petitions for guidance. Then the author asks God to “get me out of this net that has been laid.” Rescue me, O God. Now! And then, in verse 5 we find a moment of surrender. Like Stephen in yesterday’s reading, the psalmist entrusts themselves to God, knowing that God has already saved them. The same can be true for you and for me. Through faith in Christ, our inheritance is sure. May this be our final thought in hard times and in good times. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you are faithful and true, steadfast and loving. You provide for all of our needs, keeping us safe from the worries of this world. When we cry out, your ear is open. You are our rock and redeemer. Thank you, O God. Amen.


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God Really Loves Us

Reading: Psalm 116:1-4

Psalm 116:2 – “I’ll call out to him as long as I live, because he listens closely to me.”

Today and tomorrow we turn to Psalm 116. In the opening verse, the psalmist declares love for God. This love is founded on God listening to prayer requests. The psalmist then declares, “I’ll call out to him as long as I live, because he listens closely to me.” Walking in faith, we too can feel this way. As the days go by and we study our Bibles and spend time in prayer, we feel like God is close and that God is listening to our prayers. Our relationship with God feels solid. Our human relationships develop this way too. Time and effort invested in these relationships builds depth, trust, and, yes, love.

Turning to verse 3, we see that the psalmist came to a difficult time in life. Death felt close at hand. Trouble and grief rose up. We have had these moments. Either we were ill or someone we loved was ill. In these times, prayer is our natural go-to. As we cry out to God, we pray as the psalmist did: “Lord, please save me!” (Or my Mom or…) In our walks of faith, we trust God to answer. At times, God answers as we hoped. And faith grows, our relationship deepens, our love of God increases.

But some of the time, our prayers are not answered as we had prayed. The illness or whatever persists. Death wins. The unwanted change happens. We question and we doubt. We maybe even reconsider our relationship with God. Over time, though, we come to see or understand God’s answer. Our relationship grows as love and trust deepen. We realize, yes, God is faithful and good. We come to know, yes, God really loves us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you are always present, always faithful. You are steadfast and true. Even when we are not all these things, still you are. Still you are. Thank you, Lord. Strengthen and encourage us for the daily walk of faith. We love you, Lord. 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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Faithful Love

Reading: Psalm 31:9-16

Psalm 31:10 – “My life is consumed with sadness… Strength fails me because of my suffering.”

Our journey to Palm Sunday begins with David and Psalm 31. These words form a prayer song that seeks refuge in God. I can imagine Jesus praying these words as he lived out his final days here on earth. Verses 1-8 express a hope and a trust in God during a time of testing and trial caused by David’s “enemy.” Turning to verse 9, we see the outcome of this time of difficulty. David has cried so many tears, his vision fails. His body and spirit are right there too. As we recall long seasons of grief and testing, we can relate to how David feels.

David expresses this in verse 10, saying, “My life is consumed with sadness… Strength fails me because of my suffering.” Grief and suffering can be consuming. Like in Ezekiel’s valley, David feels like “dry bones.” The situation is so bad, even his friends avoid him. They “run away” when they see him in the streets. We don’t know why but we can speculate based upon our own experiences. In times of deep grief, people are avoided. Maybe we have felt that and likely we’ve avoided others. Sometimes we’ve been wearied. Sometimes the words to say seem elusive. This makes us or the other feel like David felt: “forgotten… dead… completely out of mind.”

There is a shift that occurs in verse 14. In the middle of this difficult reality, when enemies attack and friends scatter, David turns to the one who is present even then. He declares his trust in God. David gives his future into God’s hands. He asks that God would “Shine your face upon your servant.” In God’s presence David offers a request: “Save me by your faithful love.” It is a love that never fails. Our ever-present God is always with us. In times of trial and suffering, may we turn to the Lord our God, the one whose face always shines, whose love always surrounds us.

Prayer: Lord God, when we feel surrounded by grief and trial, abandoned by friends, remind us of your loving presence. When we are wearied by our sadness or by the suffering of another, give us strength to engage and courage to trust. Turn our hearts and minds to you, surround us with your faithful love, shine your face upon us. Amen.


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The Power of Love

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:18-25

1st Corinthians 1:23 – “We preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”

In this week’s Epistle reading, Paul addresses most people’s struggle with the cross of Jesus Christ. On the logical level, many people then and today struggle with the idea that a man would willingly die for others. On the religious level, many struggle with what happened next – that Jesus rose from the grave, thus ending sin and death’s hold on humanity. To many yet today the cross is scandal at best, foolishness at its worst.

Paul addresses three “crowds” in his writing. The first two are the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would rise up over the Romans, taking back control of Israel. To willingly submit to a horrific death – a scandal. The Gentiles – all non-Jews – were non-religious and therefore sought to use wisdom and logic to understand and make sense of the world around them. The giving and sharing of wisdom would end with death on the cross – foolishness.

These two basic “crowds” exist yet today. There are many who seek to make Jesus into their own image, seeking to control their version of Jesus for their own gain – politically, economically, socially. And there are those who will try and argue away who and what Jesus was and is. Atheists and others will try to “disprove” Jesus, elevating their own wisdom above all else.

Paul also writes of a third “crowd.” This crowd exists today as well. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and give their lives to follow him see and understand the cross differently. They see the power and wisdom of the cross and of faithful living today as rooted in love. Love led Jesus to the cross to save us and love leads us out into the world so that others may be saved. Led in love, may we go forth, sharing God’s love with all people.

Prayer: Lord God, use us today to change the world. Just as love broke down the power of sin and death, send us out in love to break down the power of injustice, oppression, power over, greed, lust, prejudice… – the evils of our day. Love can defeat them all. So pour us out in love today, O God. Amen.