pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: support


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Teach and Share. Repeat.

Reading: 2Timothy 3:14 to 4:5

Timothy has been richly blessed in his life.  His family has encouraged and taught him on his early faith journey.  They planted and nurtured the seeds of faith that God watered and made grow.  Paul steps into Timothy’s life to continue to teach and correct and encourage him as he grows in his faith.  Timothy is now at a point where he is ready to preach the Word, to use his faith to help others on their journey of faith.  Timothy’s faith has grown to the point that he feels God’s call upon his life.

We too have walked (or are walking) a similar path.  Our faith is meant to be lived out in community.  It began that we with Jesus and a small group of followers.  Jesus taught them the faith so that they too could one day share the good news with others.  After they had been with Jesus for a sufficient time, He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.  The disciples went out and shared their growing faith with others.  Their own faith grew and they returned to Jesus to learn some more.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples continued to learn and grow from each other and by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We, as current disciples, are called to the same life.  Be in the community, be in small groups to encourage, support, and learn together.  Go out into the world to teach and Share our faith.  Return for more encouraging, supporting, and learning.  Head back out into the world to teach and Share.  Repeat often.  May we learn to follow Jesus’ example, modeled by Paul as well.


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Shaped to Share

Reading: John 12: 1-8

Mary and Martha’s brief season of pain ended when Jesus resurrected their brother.  In today’s story, they are hosting a meal to honor Jesus.  They had been followers since ling before the miracle that brought Lazarus back to life, but experiencing such a thing in person will forever change you.  Now they gather to offer back what they can.

Each sister has been blessed with certain gifts.  Martha’s gift is to cook and serve.  She seems to have become comfortable with this.  Mary’s gift is a little harder to define but perhaps we could define her gift as insight or discernment.  Like in the earlier story in the Bible, Mary chooses to simply be in Jesus’ presence.  But this time the Spirit moves inside of her and leads her to anoint Jesus’ feet with some very expensive perfume.  In a way it is acknowledgement that death will come to Jesus as she begins to prepare Him for burial.

Like Mary and Martha we are each gifted in unique ways to serve Jesus as well.  And like them, we too have impactful and life-changing experiences that shape us.  These events can often eventually become a start to our own personal areas of ministry as we are now intensely more aware of and sensitive to this experience.  Through this we are able to coach or mentor or walk alongside someone else experiencing something similar to what we experienced.  For example, a couple who unexpectedly lost a child may later be able to reach out to another couple now going through that same trial.

Mary was preparing others close to Jesus to begin to consider what His death would mean.  This came from her experience with losing Lazarus.  We too are shaped by our experiences so that we can share them with others.  In those trials we found that God remained close, carried us when needed, and guided us through the trial.  At times, we too will be lead or nudged by the Spirit to take action.  May we first be aware of the opportunities we have to walk alongside others, to offer them our love and support, and to draw them closer to God in their time of trial.


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Gather Together

In Hebrews we are reminded to gather together for spurring one another on to love and good deeds.  When we gather the author also implores us to encourage one another.  There must have been a division or some friction that was causing some to stay away from the church’s gatherings.  At times we still see this issue today.

A few recent trends in society have led some to this isolated approach as well.  The prevalence of a me-first, consumer mentality is a primary factor.  If it does not make us totally happy and meet our every need and demand, well it is not for us then – we’ll just stay home.  A second trend that leads some to not gather as the body is the general anti-institutional vibe – anti-government, anti-establishment, and even anti-church. A third change is the depth or level of our friendships.  People have tons of friends on Facebook but almost no one to sit down and have a real, heart-felt conversation with.  We would rather e-mail, text, or personal message because a call demands one-on-one time right then.  In the old days we would always pick up the phone when it rang.  Now we look to see who it is first.

It is nice to read a warm, fuzzy story on social media, but it is a whole different experience to hear a person’s powerful testimony or story as we gather together as the body of Christ.  In the same way it is powerful and moving to lift our voices together in prayer or word or song.  You can read the words at home or listen to the song on the radio or device, but it is not the same as when together.  One can text or message a friend a smiley if we know they are down or struggling, but it is so much more meaningful to put our arm around them and to pray over them.

Jesus saved us to be in fellowship together loving, encouraging, supporting, praying for one another.  We do all of this best when gathered together – whether on Sunday morning, in a small group, or just one on one.  By our prayers, presence, witness, words, and service, may we gather together each day.

Scripture reference: Hebrews 10: 23-25


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Bountifully Give

Jesus’ words about leaving home, family, friends, and job to follow Him seem to be difficult words.  To me it is an extension of the choice many make to die to self as they choose to put on Christ and become a new creation in Him.  Often this means we set aside some things and some people in our lives that keep us from fully pursuing a life lived in Christ.  A speaker I heard yesterday said we cannot be 99% in for Jesus – it needs to be 100%.  Until it is 100% we are holding something back.  As it says in Luke 9, we cannot put our hand to the plow and look back.  This sacrifice can be hard but we are promised great reward when we receive eternal life.

In a culture where rugged individualism is valued, we cannot allow that to isolate us or any new believers.  Christianity is not meant to be lived alone but in a community.  One’s new family and friends are the church – a group of loving and caring people who want to come along side the new believer and each other to encourage, strengthen, and support one another.  How we love and care for one another should reflect the love and care Jesus gave to the disciples.

Being such a community can be difficult in a society that so values wealth, power, and position.  These are not the things of God’s kingdom.  The economy in God’s kingdom is based on love, mercy, and forgiveness.  All of these are not things we accumulate to hoard and hold onto.  These are gifts from God that we experience so that we can give them away.  This day may we be filled with these things of God so that we may bountifully give them away.  May His light and love reign today!!

Scripture reference: Mark 10: 28-31


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Faithful Followers

During my quiet time in the morning I can focus pretty well on God.  As I read, pray, ponder, and write faith is at the center.  But as the rest of the day unfolds, I can lose that focus on God for periods.  He pops back in here and there, but I should seek His presence and direction on a more regular basis.

It is easy to plunge into the day, seeking to check things of my “to do” list instead of seeking Him.  It is easy to get caught up in a “what if” moments instead of getting lost in Him.  It is easy to wallow in indecision instead of bathing in His guidance and direction.  Each of these is a choice.

So how do we choose wisely and in a way that honors God and develops our relationship with Him?  Paul offers us some suggestions in 1st Thessalonians.  First, prepare ourselves for the day by putting on faith and love as our breastplate and the hope of salvation as our helmet.  Arm ourselves with God as w begin to face the day.  Come back regularly as we feel a chink developing in our armor.  Second, encourage and build each other up.  Knowing we have support and having the right outlook goes a long way towards helping us walk the path that God intends for us.  This day, through His strength and through the support and with the prayers of our Christians brothers and sisters, may we be the faithful followers we are called to be.

Scripture reference: 1 Thessalonians 5: 6-11