pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: warmth


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Pour It Back Out

Readings: Romans 5:1-5 and 12:18-21

Romans 5:3-4 – “Trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Paul begins chapter 5 by reminding the Roman church (and us) that they (we) are made righteous through Christ’s faithfulness. We are made right because of and through Christ’s work on the cross. We cannot do anything to restore ourselves to righteousness before God. But Jesus can and does. That brings us peace with God. And because we are forgiven through grace, we can and should be gracious to others. Through our own radical acts of love, others can experience and then claim the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

Paul then rejoices because we experience hardship, trials, suffering. What?! Paul is not celebrating that we experience these things. He is celebrating how God uses them in our lives. Trouble builds endurance which builds character which builds hope. As we endure faithfully, we model Jesus and through this process take on more of Christ’s character. As we are made more Christlike our hope in God deepens. In turn we receive more of God’s love, poured into our hearts.

Shifting to chapter 12, Paul focuses in on those times when evil is the cause of hardship… He encourages an attitude of peace even then. The apostle encourages us to allow God to be the one in the punishment business. Paul then asks us to do just the opposite: give your enemy, the one doing evil to you, give them what they need. Give them food or drink or burning coals. (This last one refers to actually giving them coals so that they can rekindle the fire, bringing them warmth.) By taking the love of God that is poured into our hearts and pouring it back out into our relationships with difficult others we will “defeat evil with good.” May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ – he who not only became the atoning sacrifice for us but also set before us the daily example of love. In the times when it is most difficult to muster up love, grace, mercy – in moments of hardship… – remind us of your great love for all of us. In gratitude and faithfulness lead us to pour these out, blessing others. Amen.


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Present in All of Creation

Reading: Psalm 19:1-6

Verse 1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Psalm 19 speaks of two sides of God. They are different aspects of God in some ways yet work in unison to draw us deeper into our relationship with God. Today’s portion points us to the created world, where God’s power, might, and design are revealed. Tomorrow we turn to the second portion of Psalm 19. Here David rejoices in God’s word. Although very different from nature, the word also reveals God’s power, might, and design.

The opening verse sets the stage for today’s passage: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” To step outside right now, to gaze up at the stars dotting the sky – it moves me to awe and wonder. The stars that God knows by name paint a picture of beauty and grandeur. Soon enough the sun will rise and the “champion” will move across the sky, bringing light and warmth and life to all. Clouds will form and float across the sky, sometimes bringing rain to water the earth, sometimes being part of the water cycle in other ways. Plants, animals, and the earth receive the water and are blessed. All of this displays God’s power and might and it reveals God’s attention to the finest detail. Our response should be to worship God the creator.

At times we can lose this perspective. Driving east last summer, headed to camp, the sun was really hot pouring in through the windshield. I grumbled about it. Then I spent a week at camp, surrounded by God’s amazing creation, blessed by the sun and the water. In this place set apart, God was present. Today I am reminded that God is present in all of creation – in the hot sun and in the waves that break in the beach and in all things in between. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, I praise you for the created world and for the many ways in which you are revealed in it. Your infinite design awes me. Your creative power draws me to worship you. Thank you for this world and all that is in it. Amen.


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Serve

Reading: Matthew 25: 31-44

Verse 40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me”.

At first, today’s passage is challenging because we can all think of times when we we both the sheep and the goats.  There are times in our lives when we have taken the time for one who was hungry or thirsty or have visited with a stranger or one who was sick.  There have also been times when we have passed by or ignored or chosen not to help, not to stop, not to care fore one in need when we could have.  But I do not think today’s passage is about making us feel guilty that we did not serve one in need or proud that we did.  It is about helping us to understand that Jesus is present in all of us.  It is about being open to the times when the Holy spirit nudges us to be of help and also about how we grow in our faith when we step outside of our comfort zones.

What is it about our times with the hungry, thirsty, sick, imprisoned and strangers that allow us to experience Jesus more?  In those times when we step outside the normal, outside our comfort zones, we are more willing to see or experience Jesus in a new way.  Sometimes it is in the experience of serving another, sometimes it is in seeing Jesus in them, and sometimes it is about feeling personally connected to Jesus ourselves.  It is much like going on a mission trip or going to camp or a revival meeting – we are then mentally predisposed to experience Jesus in a new and powerful way, so we are more likely to do so.

More often than  not, when we feel nudged or even led to engage or serve another, we should if at all possible.  Simply because we might meet or experience Jesus more is reason enough.  May we heed the warmth we feel in out hearts, allowing ourselves and others to know Jesus and His love today.