pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: thanks


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Witness and Example

In Revelation 7, John writes about the great crowd in white robes gathered around Jesus.  The multitude is too great to count.  They sing to jesus and acknowledge Him as the root of their salvation. Despite the massiveness of the crowd, the focus is on only one – the Lamb of God.

Today is All Saints Day and tomorrow in many of our churches we will remember the saints, those who have ‘gone before’.  Imagine the crowd in heaven!  Surely there is Mary, John the Baptist, David, Elijah, Moses, and so on.  And there are people like Calvin, Luther, dozens of popes, Martin Luther King Jr, and such.  And there are other faces there too – less famous for sure – but ones you certainly recognize.  Ones that are surely saints indeed!

This day, remember your loved ones and friends who have found their place of rest in that heavenly multitude.  Thank God for their witness in your life.  Thank God for the example they set and for the ways they have helped to mold you into the person you are today.  Thank God for their lives.

Scripture reference: Revelation 7: 9-17


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A Good for Thanks

I wonder what went through His followers that day as they watched Jesus die.  Were they simply full of despair and could not think of anything past His pain and the hurt of losing Jesus?  Were they full of doubt and questions about who He really was – if Jesus was God’s son how could He die this way?  Were some even mad at Jesus for not calling down an army of angels to establish His kingdom right then and there?

2000 years later we look back on the scene and we know the story, we know the outcome.  Our perspective is different.  Even though we know the outcome, it is still good to sit in the moment for a bit, to remember the day Jesus died.

What goes through our minds as we look back at the crucifixion with our 20/20 hindsight?  As we look back do we see the brutal beating He took as he bore the stripes of our transgressions?  Do we recognize the stripes that stand for you and for me?  They are there, on His body, because He died for all sin – past, present, and future.  Do we see His blood running down his head, hands, feet and side as they nailed Him to the cross and pierced His side?  That blood is the new covenant that washes away our sins.  Do we see Jesus’ human body breathe its last as it hangs broken and battered on the cross?  Do we see in it the body that is now the bread of life to us?  Today is a good day to remember and to offer our thanks to our King and to our Redeemer.


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Today Offer Thanks

The transfiguration story is pretty awesome.  The ‘inner three’ disciples – Peter, James, and John – are brought up the mountan by Jesus.  I bet they were excited for a little ‘alone time’ with Jesus.  They were probably running scenarios through their minds about what might happen as they quietly followed along behind a serious Jesus.  Don’t imagine there was a lot of trail chatter as they made their way up.  When they arrive at their destination, they witness an amazing transfiguration of Jesus.  His face becomes like the sun and his clothes become what they described as brilliantly white or dazzling.  As if this wasn’t enough to blow their minds, suddenly Moses and Elijah appear and start talking with Jesus, in his transfigured state!  Both men long gone from this earth, but there, sure as day!

If I were one of the three I think I would stammer and be afraid too.  It would be hard to take in and process all that has happened right before their eyes.  Part of me would wonder if this was all real.  But it would be so awesome to be there!!  Moses and Elijah just seem to know what to do and why they are they.  They walk up to Jesus just like he is an old friend, and start talking to him.  And, in reality, Moses and Elijah are old friends with Jesus!  Moses and Elijah know what to do and say – they were always faithful followers of what God led them to do.  At times we are like Peter, James, and John and at times we are like Moses and Elijah.  In our faith lives, sometimes we bumble around and other times we just seem to know what to do.

And at times we can also be the one on whom God is looking down upon, smiling as He says we too are His beloved.  A gleam in His eye as He says we too ar His child.  In the quiet moment, when we take the time and energy to focus in on God, we too can hear these words.  We can hear the words, take them in, feel their love, and say, “Thanks Dad, I love you too!”  May we each find that quiet place and enter into His presence this day, so that we can offer Him this thanks.