God4today: Brief devotions for busy people

2007-12-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its effectiveness. (1 Corinthians 1:17)

In the Corinthian culture, eloquent speakers enjoyed high status in the community - almost like sports heroes or movie stars today. Their message was less important than the way they presented it.

By contrast, the good news of Christ's sacrificial love was much greater than the one who delivered it. In fact, as Paul writes, a polished presentation of the gospel ran the risk of diminishing its power.

You don't have to be an effective communicator to share your faith. In fact, it can sometimes get in the way. The Christians who have most shaped my walk with Christ have not been preachers or professors, but simple believers who told me about Christ's love and what God had done in their lives - in their own words.

Marion Soards puts it this way -

"The cross is not a pretty sight, and sheer manipulative eloquence is not a medium that can bear the weight of the message of Christ's cross."

God's Initiative

2007-07-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

"… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13)

The key to faithful living is not doing great things for God, but letting God do great things through us. God is the one who knows what is needed and how we can best meet that need. We can do nothing of value without the power of God working through us.

When we turn our will over to God, God places in us the desire to do what is best, what is right. With our hearts and minds focused on God, God works through our lives to accomplish his will.

Henry Blackaby puts it this way -

"When you are God-centered, even the desires to do the things that please God come from God’s initiative in your life."

Perfect Peace

2007-07-19T08:02:00.000-05:00

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever. (Isaiah 26:3,4a)

Once, while serving on the Board of a Christian camp, I learned that we some organization had offered us a "peace pole" that had written on it "Peace on Earth" in many different languages. I recommended that we not accept it. If we wanted to put up a symbol of peace, we ought to put up a cross - because peace can only be found in Christ.

There is so much in the world that disturbs and disrupts peace. True peace can only be found when we walk with the Lord. Thomas Merton once wrote -

"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God."

Faithful Education

2007-07-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. (Proverbs 2:9-10)

Wisdom is a gift from God, given to those who devote themselves to Him. A faith-full education is not so much about information as it is about formation. We are formed in the ways of God, the truth that sets us free to do what is right, just, and fair. God's education teaches us not just how to do things, but how to do them in the best way.

As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we come to desire learning more about God and

God's ways.

John Ruskin wrote this about education --

"The true end of education is not only to make the young learned, but to make them love learning. Not only to make them industrious, but to make them love industry. Not only to make them virtuous, but to make them love virtue... Not only to make them just, but to make them hunger and thirst after justice."

Being Content

2007-07-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (1 Timothy 6:7-8)

The world teaches us to long for the things we don’t have and can’t get. It takes great wisdom and faithful discipline to step away from this craving and be happy with who we are and what we’ve been given.

The Greek philosopher Epictitus expresses it this way --

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

Ordered Chaos

2007-07-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

The world can be a troubling and chaotic place. Often, we internalize this chaos and become very anxious and unsettled. In the midst of the chaos, Christ promises us peace - a peace that passes all human understanding. In the midst of the chaos, we can see God’s hand at work.

Professor Elizabeth Achtemeier writes -

"God preserves His order despite our chaos."

God’s order helps us deal with the chaos within and around us. When we receive the peace of Christ, we can move forward in faith - even in the midst of a chaotic world.

Doing the Impossible

2007-07-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

God’s expectations of us are very high. In fact, on our own, they are unattainable. I know when I read the Bible I sometimes get discouraged that I’m not living up to God’s standards.

The key to faithful living is not focusing so much on our own efforts as on God’s work within us. It is also important to take things one step at a time, to do the little things rather than try to accomplish great things.

St. Francis has some good advice for living faithfully -

"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

Love to Worship

2007-07-12T07:56:00.000-05:00

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1)

True worship begins with an overwhelming sense of God’s love. When we recognize that God loves us so much that, through Christ, He would adopt us into His family - that is when we are inspired to love in return. It is out of this love that worship flows.

Henry Ward Beecher once wrote -

"I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love."

The Power of Scripture

2007-07-11T07:35:00.001-05:00

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is much more than an old book with good stories. It’s more than just a laundry list of do’s and don’ts. The Bible - the whole Bible - is given to us by God to be our guide for life and faith.

When we read the Bible with faithful hearts and minds, our lives are reshaped by the Holy Spirit. We become more like what God wants us to be. This means that before we read God’s Word, we should be ready to let go of the parts of our lives that are not pleasing to God.

Mark Twain, not known to be a devout Christian himself, nevertheless recognized the power of Scripture when he said -

"It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."

Gospel Power

2007-07-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

Stephen has preached a powerful sermon to a crowd gathered in Jerusalem. How do the people respond?

When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. (Acts 7:54)

The people become so incensed by his words that they stone him. Yet, his willingness to boldly proclaim the Gospel led to the expansive growth of the Church that continues on today.

When we speak the truth (even when it is in love), there will be people (sometimes many) who don't want to hear it. Some people just can't handle the truth. If we are honest with ourselves, there are times when we don't want to face the truth about something we've said or done.

But the truth, threatening as it can be, is something we desperately need to hear.

Oswald Chambers once wrote -

"The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it must reveal that I am unholy; but it also awakens an intense craving."

Complainers

2007-07-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’" He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:4-6)

"It is a general popular error to imagine that the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare." (Edmund Burke)

Losses and Gains

2007-07-08T07:05:00.000-05:00

Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33)

Jim Eliot was a missionary driven to take the Gospel to unreached peoples in a dangerous land. Many tried to discourage him, but he was undeterred. His life was meant to be given up for God. He wrote -

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Fragrant Forgiveness

2007-07-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Matthew 11:25)

When someone does something that causes us pain, it is natural to nurse a grudge against him (or her). But the lesson of the Gospel is that we are called to forgive just as God forgives us. In fact, verses like this one may lead us to think we can only receive as much forgiveness as we extend.

When forgiveness is genuine, it is a beautiful, spiritual thing. Mark Twain once said -

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it."

Perseverance

2007-07-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2)

"Storms make oaks take deeper root." (George Herbert)

Loving Creation

2007-07-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

God creates. We construct. The difference is God brings something to life out of nothing. We simply take something God has already made and shape it according to our desires.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about God before He created the heavens and the earth, but the story of creation and all that follows shows us that God’s primary motivation in creating is love. This love is far beyond what we might feel toward something we’ve constructed.

G.K. Chesterton once said -

"A thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed, but a thing created is loved before it exists."

Spiritual Preparation

2007-07-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16)

Esther has become aware that there is a plot to kill her people. She is faced with a crucial decision. Will she stay in hiding and try to preserve her own life? Will she go to the king and risk death to save her people?

We see here that Esther resolves to go to the king. But first, she asks for the spiritual support of her people (through fasting). Through this, Esther is able to summon up the courage to act and her people are rescued.

Fasting is not commonly practiced in the faith community today, but there are other spiritual practices that take its place. One of these, of course, is prayer. We need to draw on the spiritual resource of collective prayer before we rush into action. This will help us be more effective in our mission. Prayer helps us hone our activity down to what is most essential.

Abraham Lincoln once wrote -

"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe."

A Leap of Faith

2007-07-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

"Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:28-29)

You’ve got to admire Peter’s courage to step out on the water with only the assurance that the voice of the Lord had invited him. It would take a lot more for most of us to take such a risk.

To move forward in faith, though, we’ve got to step out of the boat. We’ve got to take that first step even without the guarantee that we won’t sink.

I like the way Ray Bradbury puts it -

"Sometimes you have to jump off cliffs and grow wings on the way down."

What Not to Say

2007-06-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

“There is… a time to keep silent and a time to speak.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1a, 7b)

"True eloquence consists of saying all that should be said, and that only." (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)

The Discipline of Happiness

2007-06-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Gratitude is not so much a feeling as it is a discipline. Gratitude flows from a life of obedience to God’s Word and God’s ways.

I once knew a woman named Olivia who was well into her 90s. She was widowed early in life and was left to raise her three children on her own. She had lived through many lean years and struggled greatly to make ends meet.

Through it all, without fail, she would start each morning with a hymn and end each day with a Scripture reading. She would follow this up with prayers of thanksgiving for all God’s blessings.

These disciplines gave Olivia the strength to face the challenges her life brought. They also helped her come to experience joy in the midst of hardship.

Someone once wrote -

"In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy."

Personal Love

2007-06-26T07:57:00.000-05:00

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

God’s love for us is intensely personal. And God wants us to share this love with others in a very personal way. Our job is not to love “the world”, but to love each individual within the world.

Mother Teresa put it this way -

“I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time."

The Whole Bible

2007-06-25T07:49:00.001-05:00

"[Paul's] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16)

These words provide a stark warning not to take any of Scripture lightly. There were many then (and are many now) trying to select passages they not only understood, but agreed with. Scripture is not meant to confirm our personal opinions, it is to challenge us to lead more holy and joyful lives.

It's true that many passages of Scripture are difficult to understand and apply to the world today. This does not mean we should dismiss them as irrelevant. One of the best things to do when we come across a difficult passage is compare it with clearer passages that address similar concerns. Reading the whole Bible gives us better glimpse of God's big picture for our lives.

God's Work

2007-06-24T07:51:00.000-05:00

O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. (1 Chronicles 29:18)

Sometimes we get caught up in how much we accomplish (or fail to accomplish). Our minds shift from what we are doing to the outcome we want to produce.

The truth is, however, apart from God we can do nothing. The best we can do is to let go of all false notions of what we can achieve and instead receive the Holy Spirit to be faithful each moment of the day.

As Oswald Chambers put it -

"The idea is not that we work for God, but that we are so loyal to Him that He can do His work through us.

Genuine Salvation

2007-06-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

…work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12B-13)

Salvation is the work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. On our part, we need to open our hearts and minds to let this power flow through us. We do this in various ways. No one salvation looks identical to another.

Sometimes we are tempted to convert people to be more like us instead of more faithful to Christ. C.S. Lewis noted this problem as he wrote -

"It is right and inevitable that we should be much concerned about the salvation of those we love. But we must be careful not to expect or demand that their salvation should conform to some ready-made pattern of our own."

Peaceful Presence

2007-06-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ (Luke 24:36)

Before the disciples could even agree what the stories of Christ’s resurrection meant, he appeared to them and set them straight. He gave them physical evidence and taught them from the Scriptures how the it was God’s plan that he be raised from the dead. He then them the job of becoming witnesses, of carrying the testimony of God’s great sacrificial love not just around the neighborhood, but to the world.

And even before he did all this, he gave them peace. Peace with Christ and peace with each other is absolutely necessary if we are going to accomplish anything for the kingdom of God.

Matthew Henry reflects on this verse –

“When at any time we are troubled, thoughts are apt to rise in our hearts that do us hurt. Sometimes the trouble is the effect of the thoughts that arise in our hearts; our griefs and fears take rise from those things that are the creatures of our own fancy. Sometimes the thoughts arising in the heart are the effect of the trouble, without are fightings and then within are fears.”

When Christ comes to us, he offers us the non-anxious presence that helps us be who God created us to be.

Daily Bread

2007-06-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

"Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)

"Bread is a necessity for us. We are beings who continually draw our energy from outside, for as we receive it we use it up in effort. There is a transcendent energy whose source is heaven, and this flows into us as soon as we wish for it. We should ask for this daily food." (Simone Weil)

God in Creation

2007-06-06T06:35:00.000-05:00

How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all;
The earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
Teeming with creatures beyond number -
Living things both large and small. (Psalm 104:24-25)

We are created in God’s image. Though we are tainted by sin, it is still possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to detect a glimpse of God in us. Said better, God has not fully abandoned His creatures. We can see the power of God when we look at each other.

Sir Francis Bacon once wrote -

"There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the volume of Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which express His power."

Christian Duty

2007-06-05T07:57:00.000-05:00

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13b-14)

God’s expectation of us is to do what is right, to keep his commandments with a profound fear, or respect for the LORD’s awesome power. God does not expect us to achieve a certain measure of success or fame. We are simply to focus on doing what God calls us to do.

John Quincy Adams once said -

"Duty is ours, results are God's"

We can focus on the challenges of the present, doing what we’re called to do, confident that God will take care of the future outcome.

Temptation

2007-06-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13)

Jesus teaches us to pray for protection from temptation and evil. It seems here that God actually can (and sometimes does) lead us into temptation. But this is only part of the picture. This does not convey our responsibility in the process.

Simone Weil, reflecting on this part of the Lord’s Prayer writes -

"The only temptation for man is to be abandoned to his own resources in the presence of evil."

God does not push us into temptation, but sometimes lets us go there to experience it for ourselves. Then, when we call on the name of the LORD, we are delivered from the consequences of our sin by the grace of Christ.

You might say God does not so much lead us into temptation, as through it.

Fear and Trembling

2007-06-03T07:52:00.001-05:00

"Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling." (Psalm 2:11)

Sometimes in an effort to make God more accessible to a broader audience, we can trivialize Him. God is not a warm fuzzy teddy bear. God is the Maker and Ruler of the Universe. He is not to be trifled with.

Psalm 2 warns the nations that, though they enslave and persecute God's people now, God's justice will one day prevail. God will raise up a King, God's Son, who will inherit the nations and possess the earth. God's Son will rule over all "with an iron scepter." Those who resist will be dashed to "pieces like pottery."

This may not seem like an attractive image of God, but it's real. As we share the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ, we do so with a sense of urgency, with fear and trembling, that one day God will return and set things straight. Those who oppose God's will and God's ways will be deposed. Yet, all who find refuge in the LORD will be blessed.

The Best Way to Live

2007-05-31T07:37:00.000-05:00

" Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2)

Often, it is easier to follow the advice of people who have their own interest in mind rather than do what we know to be right at the risk of alienating them. It can be much easier to take popular stands rather than stand against what we know to be wrong. It is much easier to criticize than to create. The world is filled with people who show ironic detachment rather than positive engagement.

But the easiest way is rarely the best way, the blessed way. God blesses those who are faithful to the guidelines of Scripture, who stand up for Christ, who work to build God's kingdom through acts of mercy, love, and kindness.

The key to doing these things is to spend much time not just reading the Bible, but meditating on it throughout the day and night. Read not just to discover what's in there, but to discover what in there will help you live out here.

Dream Come True

2007-05-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

To pray for God’s kingdom is to dream of a better world.

The world often teaches us to pursue our own dreams. But it isn’t our dreams we are meant to pursue. Or, said better, it is only when our dreams are consistent with God’s that we are to pursue them. Only then we will experience life to its fullest.

Brian McLaren writes -

"Perhaps all along my deepest joy has never been to have all my dreams come true, but rather to have God's one dream come true: that this world will become a place God is at home in, a place God takes pride and pleasure in, a place where God's dreams come true."

Something Old, Something New

2007-05-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:16-17)

One thing I’ve learned (and continue to learn) is that there is no one-size-fits-all ministry for different churches. Take, for instance, the ministry of music. In some churches, the blending of contemporary praise songs with traditional hymns is possible. Other churches required that a separate service be created. Still other churches do just fine with only traditional hymns.

The key is discovering what is both right and what is fitting in any given situation. At times, the best way to do things is the way they’ve always been done. Other times, the best way is a new way. Part of spiritual discernment is discovering what to do, in what way and at what time.

I like what a man named Dean Inge says -

“There are two kinds of fools: One says, ‘This is old therefore it is good.' The other one says, ''This is new therefore it is better.'”

True Joy

2007-05-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! “ (Philippians
4:4)

Sometimes it's very difficult to put on a happy face. The good news is God doesn't expect us to. To rejoice is not necessarily to cheer. It is something much deeper. As Colleen Townsend Evans puts it -

“Many of us tend to confuse joy with something much less than joy. We think of it in a very shallow way. We think of it as prosperous circumstances or happiness or pleasure or maybe even fun. These things can co-exist with joy but they are not joy. Joy is something that is so deep and so different it is like marrow in a Christian's bones, and it is something that the world cannot take away from us. It is untouched by the various trials that might come our way.”

Losing Faith

2007-05-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. (Philippians 1:27-28a)

Faith is not a private possession we can either obtain or dispose of according to our personal desires. Faith is a gift from God in Jesus Christ. The question is - what do we do with this gift?

The Scriptures tell us to stand firm in faith, to let the faith of Christ be the foundation of our lives. When we have genuine faith, we need not be worried about losing it.

As Georges Bernanos puts it -

"Faith is not a thing which one loses, we merely cease to shape our lives by it."

The Necessity of Prayer

2007-05-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said:
“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ” (Luke 18:1-4)

“If we don’t pray according to the needs of the heart, we repress our deepest longings. Our prayers may not be rational, and we may be aware of that, but if we repress our needs, then those unsaid prayers will fester.” (Madeline L’Engle from Two-Part Invention)

2007-05-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. (Psalm 25:6-7)

If you are like me, there are things in your life I would rather forget. But we can’t. Things we’ve done wrong or failed to do right can haunt the corners of our minds. They can grab us when we are least prepared, crippling us from moving forward in faith.

When we feel crippled in guilt and shame, we need to turn to prayer. Abraham Kuyper writes –

"Prayer is impossible without an act of the memory, by which we recall our sins and the mercies of God." (Abraham Kuyper)

The good news is we don’t have to be crippled by memories of things we regret. Like the Psalmists, as soon as our sins enter our minds, we can likewise recall the mercy and love of the Lord. In Jesus Christ, we don’t get our just desserts. Instead, we receive God’s loving mercy.

The Foundation of Humilty

2007-05-24T08:33:00.000-05:00

The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15:33)

God has no tolerance for those who attempt to take His place. When we try to play God, we are bound to lose. God won’t allow it, not just because He is a jealous God we need to be deathly afraid of, but also because God is a loving Father who knows we can’t handle it.

In the face of this, we need to be humbled. The best we can do is bow down to the only One who can and will lift us up.

I like what St. Augustine writes –

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”

Love,Love,Love

2007-05-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said] “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

When we have genuine love – unconditional (agape) love, with no strings attached – we naturally obey God. We do what God wants not because we have to, but because we want to.

I like what St. Augustine wrote about love –

"Love and do what you like."

When we have the love that comes from above, God’s desires become our desires.

Loving One

2007-05-21T08:31:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said,] “…even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30)

As a parent of four children, I sometimes worry that I might express love more for one than for the others – that I might play favorites. I pray I don’t do this, but this is a concern I have. It’s hard to love all your children and love each of them at the same time.

Not so with God. God’s love for His children is both universal and particular. St. Augustine put it this way –

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”

Moving Mountains

2007-05-19T08:03:00.000-05:00

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21)

There is great power in faith, but it’s not a power we can control. Taken out of context, it would seem this verse says we can cause anything to happen as long as we have a doubt-free faith.

But faith is more than personal desire. Faith is not ours to make with it what we want. Instead of pointing in the direction of personal wish-fulfillment, this verse indicates that when we have the faith of Christ, we can participate with him to accomplish God’s will, no matter how great the task.

The outcome of faith may not even be something we desire. A man named Mason Cooley put it this way -

"Faith no doubt moves mountains, but not necessarily to where we want them." (Mason Cooley)

Mindful Prayer

2007-05-18T08:02:00.000-05:00

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
You display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Psalm 77:12-15)

One thing I have found helpful in my prayer life is to read a passage of Scripture and reflect on it in a journal. Often, I will use the Psalms as my models for prayer, letting them shape the form and content of what I want to say to God.

I believe God appreciates it when we search for a better understanding of Him through prayer. This involves more than our feelings, but also our thoughts. Abraham Kuyper wrote –

"[Prayer is impossible] without an act of the mind, choosing the words to express our adoration of the divine virtues."

Meditate on how great God is. Consider God’s wonderful ways. In your prayers, think about things God has done and is doing in your life and give God the praise – not just with your heart, but with your mind.

The Word for Me

2007-05-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm
119:105)

One thing I try to do in Bible Studies I lead is to make it clear that we look to Scripture not just for information, but for formation. You can know the Bible better than anyone and still not be able to put it to good use in your life or in your faith.

Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said this --

“When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, 'It is talking to me, and about me.''”

The Guiding Word

2007-05-16T05:39:00.000-05:00

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The world often advices us to be guided by our feelings, to do what seems right in our own eyes, to make the logical decision when it comes to the paths we choose.

Ultimately, however, any guidance that comes from within us is flawed. We see only partial reality and any judgments we make based on our own limited perspectives are bound to fall short.

So where do we turn for guidance? The Word of the Lord. Martin Luther sums this up quite well -

"You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you."

True Happiness

2007-05-15T07:56:00.000-05:00

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a
distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. (Luke 15:13)

Among the founding principles of our nation is “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But we need to ask the questions, “What kind of life?”, “Liberty to do what? Happiness in what sense?

The younger (prodigal) son thinks life, liberty, and happiness can be found in “wild living,” so he rushes off with reckless abandon to pursue it. But he winds up destitute – physically and spiritually. His life was nothing more than spiritual death. His liberty became slavery to sin. The relative fun he may have had was not true happiness.

St. Augustine seemed to have in mind this dilemma when he wrote –

“Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.”

True happiness is found when our liberty is governed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when we receive new life in him.

A Child's Prayer

2007-05-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name… (Matthew 6:9)

Prayer is simple, as simple as a child making known what it wants to its parents. (Oswald Chambers)

Faithful Mothers

2007-05-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5)

Throughout the ages, mothers have played a crucial role in the spiritual development of their children. Paul here reminds Timothy that the faith now growing in him stems from the faith implanted in him through the nurture of his mother and her mother before her.

You can’t overestimate the role of mothers promoting positive spiritual values in society. A man named John Abbott once wrote -

"Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations, as all other causes combined."

Today and always celebrate the God’s gift of faithful mothers.

Life Forever

2007-05-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand
forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

This is good news. But it can be disturbing for people without faith. Many people in the world want to live forever. But this simply can’t happen. We aren’t built this way. Nothing in creation is. And who would want to live forever? Life is precious partly because it is so short. But for people of faith, life does go on forever, in Jesus Christ. It’s simply that life takes a different form. We live – not for ourselves – but in Christ. Christ is the Word of God that stands forever.

The end of life, sad as it can be for loved ones, can be an occasion for celebration. Tony Campolo illustrates this well when he writes -

“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this: When you die, will YOU be happy when everybody else is crying.”

Put Up With It

2007-05-10T09:49:00.000-05:00

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another,
forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive. (Colossians 3:13)

Sometimes – in a marriage, in families, in work relationships, and in the community, it’s hard to put up with people. Things they do irritate us until eventually we want to shout out - “Would you just STOP it!” As patient and forgiving as we try to be, we all have our limits.

Reflecting on this passage, Matthew Henry describes this dilemma well –

“Many can bear a short provocation who are weary of bearing when it grows long. But if God is long-suffering to us, under all our provocations of him, we should exercise long-suffering to others in like cases. We have all of us something that needs to be endured, and this is a good reason why we should bear with others in what is disagreeable to us.” (Matthew Henry)

In other words, put up with each other just as God puts up with you.

No Strings Attached

2007-05-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said], “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled,
the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot
repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
(Luke 14:14)

If you only show hospitality to those who have the means to return the favor, you’ve given to no one but yourself. True giving is sacrificial, with no strings attached.

This is a challenge for all Christians and for the faith community. Do we give sacrificially, or do we give in order to receive? The church struggles to carry out our mission in a climate of distrust, particularly when it comes to finances. On the one hand, some have a genuine desire to see that their gifts are used well for the glory of God. This holds the church accountable and is a healthy concern. On the other hand, some only give to the church when they can benefit from it or manage how it is spent. From a church perspective, we receive gifts of all kinds and pray that we can faithfully put them to use for the kingdom of God.

The Bible encourages us as we give to focus on God, not how our gift is received or whether it is returned. Give freely and cheerfully and you will be abundantly blessed – in this life and in the life to come.

Convicted

2007-05-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

Create in me a pure heart, O God. And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

King David is crying out to God for forgiveness after committing adultery with Bathesheba and having her husband Uriah essentially murdered. David wants to be made pure, to be given another chance.

In the same way, the followers of Jesus all gave in to sin when they betrayed, denied, and abandoned him on the cross. But, and this is an essential distinction, they did return to faith. In this way, they were unique, and their faith became contagious.

Billy Graham writes –

“The men who followed Jesus were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up.”

When Christ convicts our hearts of sin, when the Holy Spirit sets us on a good and level path, there is no stopping us. The world will never be the same.

A Joyful Spirit

2007-05-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the
bones. (Proverbs 15:30)

As I think of the Christians that have had a great impact on my life and faith, the one common thread that ties them together is this – joy. Joy expressed through smiles and laughter – never at anyone’s expense, but out of a sheer love of God and God’s Creation.

While we certainly will have down days, it is important for us as followers of Christ to share the good news of his love with a joyful Spirit.

St. Francis warns us –

“It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

Feel the joy of your salvation and share your joy with others.

Have Mercy

2007-05-03T07:12:00.000-05:00

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that
fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his
covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
(Psalm 103:17-18)

We sometimes think of the God portrayed in the Old Testament as full of vengeance and wrath. It’s true God punished those who were bent on self-destruction and destroying others. It’s true that God is angry when we fail to live up to standards that would give us a more abundant life. It’s true God occasionally turned His back to get His children to seek Him in the midst of their suffering.

But above, our God (the God of all Scripture) is full of mercy. If we are to follow God in the Spirit of Christ, we are to likewise show mercy.

St. John Chrysostom put it this way -

”Showing mercy is one way we imitate God and disappoint the devil.”

Walk in the Way of the Lord. Have mercy.

The Character of Prayer

2007-04-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26)

There have been many times in my prayer life when I have been unable to express myself in clear thoughts or words. I have been so troubled by something. My mind has become so overwhelmed by worldly things. Other times, I am so full of joy all I can do is smile or burst into song. It is at these times, that I most appreciate the promise of God’s Word, that the Holy Spirit prays through me. Abraham Kuyper writes –

"The form of prayer does not affect its character. It may be a mere groaning in thought, or a sigh in which the oppressed soul finds relief; it may consist of a single cry, a flow of words, or an elaborate invocation of the Eternal. It may even turn into speaking or singing. But so long as the soul, in the consciousness that God lives and hears its cry, addresses itself directly to Him as though it stood in His immediate presence, the character of prayer remains intact."

Coming to Life

2007-04-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him
to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.
Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought
tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”
Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and
the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. (1 Kings 17:17-22)

“Elijah says, ‘Give me the boy,’ but he doesn’t keep the problem to himself, because it would crush him and overpower him. Instead he prays. He turns to the one person who can help and prays that God will move in that situation. He prays, ‘Oh, Lord, let this boy’s life return to him.’

Now there had never been a resurrection in scripture up to this point. This is the first one. Elijah is praying, ‘Lord, I want you to do what I’ve never seen you do, what no one has ever seen you do. I want you to do the impossible.” (Clive Calver)

What impossible thing might we ask God to do in our lives today?

Real Resurrection

2007-04-27T07:01:00.000-05:00

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14)

There are those outside of (and even within) the Church who deny the resurrection on the basis of scientific or historic probability. There are others who believe alternatives to the resurrection (such as re-incarnation) based on philosophies foreign to our faith.

In the face of this, we need to stand firm in our faith that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened and that His resurrection makes our life purposeful – now and forever.

Presbyterian professor, Elizabeth Achtemeier, once wrote –

“Not to know and trust Christ risen from the dead means finally not to be human, for it means really that there is nothing and no one beyond this world to whom we owe our being. If God did not have the power to conquer the grave, then he had no power to create in the beginning, for surely a God defeated by death could not make the wonders we find in this universe, much less the amazing creatures we call human beings.”

Blessed to Bless

2007-04-26T06:50:00.000-05:00

[God said to Abraham], “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2)

God chose Abraham not to put others down, but to help lift them up. This is true for the spiritual descendants of Abraham as well. Nowhere do we see this more clearly than in Jesus Christ, who came not to condemn the world, but to save it.

In the Spirit of Christ, we too are chosen not to selfishly enjoy benefits, but to sacrificially serve others. John Calvin put it this way –

“All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors”

God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.

Killing with Kindness

2007-04-25T07:28:00.000-05:00

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22)

This Proverb may seem to contradict what Jesus teaches us about loving our enemies. It seems to suggest that our motivation for serving our enemies is to get back at them.

But when you think about it, this is not necessarily the case. You can love someone without liking them. Love can be expressed through service, meeting a need regardless of how you feel about the person.

Still, it can be fun to, as a friend of my father’s says, “Kill your enemies with kindness.” I like what Oscar Wilde once said –

"Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much.”

Genuine Courage

2007-04-24T06:55:00.000-05:00

[Jesus prayed], “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he knew what lie ahead. He knew about the betrayal, the abandonment, the mocking, the beating, the hanging and death on the cross. Naturally, he did not want to face it. Who would?

But Jesus knew that His purpose on earth was to sacrifice his life for us. He had the courage to let go of his human desires and accept the divine plan. G.K. Chesterton defines such courage in this way --

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.”

Spiritual Leadership

2007-04-23T06:53:00.000-05:00

Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? (Ecclesiastes 8:7)

It’s good to have goals to strive for – whether it be for our personal lives, our families, our career, our church, etc… Without clear goals, we are bound to flounder just doing “one thing after another.”

But there is a difference between having goals and trying to fix the future. In an effort to contain and control what happens in our lives, we often try to manage the change that comes rather than just going where God leads us.

Erwin McManus, a very vibrant Christian leader, writes this –

"Too many times as leaders we feel pressure to
tell people things we don't know. In other words, we make them up.
Spiritual leadership is not the ability to define everything the future
holds. It is the willingness to move forward when all we know is
God.”

Godly Grief

2007-04-22T07:12:00.000-05:00

Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. ( 2 Corinthians 7:10)

Grief (or regret) can be good. It can produce in us the desire to change, to turn away from paths of destruction. Regret can also be damaging, when it causes us to merely stew about things beyond our control and do nothing to change our behavior.

John Piper draws two distinctions between “godly” and “worldly” regret –

“Worldly regret is when you feel sorry for something you did because it starts to backfire on you and leads to humiliation or punishment. Godly regret grieves that God's name has come into disrepute. The focus of godly regret is God. Godly regret is owing to God's Word putting its finger on sin in our lives Worldly regret is owing not to God's Word but to the attitudes of men whose praise we don't want to lose.”

When you regret what you’ve done or failed to do, let God turn this regret into repentance that leads to Life in Christ.

Certain Faith

2007-04-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

Some people try to prove the existence of God based on science. Some try to prove the validity of the Resurrection of Christ based on history. As important as it is to present to the world a “reasonable faith”, there is no way we can offer proof that is beyond the shadow of a doubt. Doubt is part of our make-up as limited, flawed creatures.

But God helps us move beyond our doubts. Philosopher Blaise Pascal, who was anything but an orthodox Christian, nevertheless hit on a truth when he wrote –

“Faith is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a Gift from God.”

Walk in the Lord

2007-04-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk,” declares the LORD. (Zechariah 10:12)

Christians are called to “walk the talk” and “talk the walk”. We need to have integrity – a consistency of character – if we are to be faithful in representing Christ to the world.

Too often, I fall far short of this ideal. I rely so much on my own strength to accomplish things in pastoral ministry that I have little energy left to devote to being the spiritual head of my household. More than anything, I need the balance we gain when we walk steadily in the name of the Lord.

Nathaniel Hardy wrote –

"Spiritual rest maketh no man idle, spiritual walking maketh no man weary."

When we walk the Lord, we get the rest we need, and gain the strength to follow him wherever he leads us.

False Flattery vs. Genuine Praise

2007-04-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. (Psalm 78:35-37)

One time I was given an award for community service. At first, I felt both honored and humbled. But when I met with the team that selected me, I gained an increasing sense that they were falsely flattering me. I felt very uncomfortable. Later, I learned the presentation banquet was essentially a fund raiser for their ministry. They were hoping I would draw people not just to support me, but to further their cause.

When we give someone positive feedback, we need to examine our motivations. Are we flattery them for our own benefit, or are we praising God for what God is doing through their lives? A man named Wendell Phillips once said –

"Many know how to flatter, few know how to praise."

We need to let go of false flattery and develop the discipline of praise for God in the lives of God’s people.

True Contentment

2007-04-16T07:54:00.000-05:00

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12)

In my ministry, I have come to know many people who lived through the Great Depression. Some who lived with very little now cling to their possessions, afraid to wind up where they were before. Many others, however, have learned the lesson of “contentment”, trusting that God provides even in hard times – not just with daily bread, but with the bread of heaven – Jesus Christ.

Someone once said –

“Nothing will content him who is not content with a little.”

Contentment is a fruit of faith in Christ. When we know the Lord, we can be satisfied with what we have (or don’t have) in this world.

Practicing What We Preach

2007-04-15T07:31:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said,] “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ” (Matthew 15:7-11)

Integrity is an essential character trait of a true Christian. Our actions need to be in line with our speech and our speech needs to be in line with our faith in Christ. St. Francis put it this way –

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”

We can’t get very far trying to encourage someone to walk with Christ unless they can see that we are walking with him ourselves.

Addictive Sin

2007-04-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:19-25)

If you’ve ever been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, you’ve seen that before anyone speaks he (or she) will say, “My name is ___, and I am an alcoholic.” When I was leading 12-step Bible studies, I would sometimes open up with, “My name is Tony and I am a sinner.”

Poet W.H. Auden once wrote –-

“All sins tend to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is damnation.”

At its root, addiction is sin. And, sin is addictive. Addicts don’t have a choice to be a non-addict any more than we can choose to not be sinners. You can either be practicing or recovering. We can be practicing sinners – running away from God toward destruction. Or, we can be recovering sinners with help from the Spirit of Christ, who leads us to eternal life.

God of Technology

2007-04-13T06:47:00.000-05:00

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)

Many people today worship at the altar of technology, coming to believe that we can save ourselves if we just devote enough time, energy, and money into fixing problems. Curing cancer. Reversing the aging process. Eventually, even overcoming death.

As Christians, we believe God is in charge of all life – even technological “advances”. God has a purpose for us to discover what we discover, at the time and in the way we discover it. This is good news, because God knows much better than we do what is best.

At the same time, this is a hard truth to hold onto. It’s counter-cultural. As theologian Miroslav Volf puts it –

“It is increasingly difficult for Christians to [assert that] God governs history and that the salvation of the world can, let alone must, come from God. And the more God is pushed out of our world, the more difficult it will be to address this loving God in prayer and thanksgiving, and to stand before this holy God in awe and reverence.”

Don't Worry

2007-04-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

We live in an “age of anxiety”. People worry about everything. Children worry about pleasing their parents. Teenagers worry about fitting in, about making good grades or performing well in sports to get into a good college. College students worry about preparing for the future. Young adults worry about advancing in their career. Parents worry about giving their children all they need. Older adults worry about growing older and having enough to live on. It never ends.

In the face of this, as people of faith, we are called to replace fear about the future with faith in the present – God with us right now.

Martin Luther puts it very simply -- ”Pray, and let God worry.”

Musical Praise

2007-04-11T06:11:00.000-05:00

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
(Psalm 150:3-5)

There was a man in my first church who told me once – “The sermon is your part of the service. The music is mine.”

Music has a way of uniting us in worship like nothing else. When we join together in song, we can make a beautiful melody unto the Lord. Even if it sounds just like noise, through the Holy Spriit, it becomes a "joyful noise" that God takes pleasure in.

Igor Stravinski said, “Music praises God. Music is well or better able to praise him than the building of the church and all its decoration; it is the Church's greatest ornament.”

True Humility

2007-04-10T06:35:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said], “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

If you think highly of yourself, you’re will one day be put in your place. If, however, you are humble, you will be lifted up.

In this story (Luke 14:1-14), it seems Jesus is simply sharing a lesson in social etiquette. Jesus seems to accept the social ranking and games people play with honor and praise. It seems he merely advises us to play it more shrewdly. It seems Jesus is showing us how to win friends and influence people.

But as we read this, we are mindful of other teachings of Jesus. In Luke 13:30, Jesus tells us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Honor is not something to be sought. It is something given freely by others.

Humility is not an act, but as someone has written –

“[Humility is] a quality of life open to persons who know that their worth is not measured by recognition from their peers but by the certainty that God has accepted them.”

True humility is not a game to be played to get attention, but a way of life faithful to the Spirit of Christ.

Believing is Seeing

2007-04-09T06:36:00.000-05:00

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

"To have faith is to believe what you can't see and the reward of faith is to see what you believe.” (St. Augustine)

It took not just seeing, but touching the body of the Resurrected Christ to convince Thomas to believe Jesus had been risen from the grave. What does it take us? What motivates us to believe?

In one way or another, our faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, moving through Scripture, the fellowship of other Christians and worship within the faith community. We can’t often see it coming, but once it does – when the Spirit of Christ enters our heart, everything in life begins to take on more focus.

Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing. And the ultimate benefit to believing is to see the One who sees us most clearly and has given us the means to believe.

See what I mean? Can you believe it?

Look for the New Life

2007-04-08T06:19:00.000-05:00

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5)

"We look for the resurrection of the dead." (The Nicene Creed)

The resurrection of Christ was not seen by anyone. Someday, however, in God's own time, we will witness believers who have
gone before us rise from their lifeless graves to enjoy life with the Lord forever. What an awesome sight that will be!

As we wait and watch for this to happen, it is essential that we also look for the Lord “in the land of the living." Physical resurrection is yet to come; spiritual resurrection happens each day as the Holy Spirit enters the hearts of those who have died to the world and come alive in Christ.

Look for the resurrection - wherever it can be found.

Not Now

2007-04-07T05:59:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said,] “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

None of us know when Christ will return. All efforts to try to predict when it will be have failed. The Bible tells us He will come “as a thief in the night.” We know neither the day nor the hour.

In the face of this, we need to busy ourselves getting ready. We need to live out our faith each moment as if it were our last. Martin Luther reminds us of the urgency of this, when he writes:

“How soon not now becomes never.”

It’s not too late to live in faith. Not yet. But you never know when it will be.

The Son of God

2007-04-06T07:07:00.000-05:00

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. (Matthew 26:63-64a)

"Either Jesus was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But don't make up any patronizing nonsense about His being a just great human teacher." (C.S. Lewis)

A Good Servant

2007-04-05T07:17:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said] “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:26)

A good servant knows his Master so well he can anticipate his needs. He is right there when his Master wants something. In the same way, true disciples of Christ know him so well, that they do just what he wants even before he asks, and they are always be ready to respond when he speaks.

Jesus modeled this for us when he washed the feet of the disciples. Peter’s response was much like ours would be. God’s Messiah shouldn’t be washing feet – he should be marching into Jerusalem to claim victory, to free God’s people. He shouldn’t be on his knees with a towel around his waist. He should be sitting on a throne, with people kneeling at his feet.

Jesus told Peter, and tells us – if we don’t let him be your servant, we can have no part of him. This is who he is – God’s servant. And if we want to follow him, we have to do be a servants too.

Complete Abstinence

2007-04-04T07:08:00.000-05:00

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite, he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.” (Numbers 6:1-4)

Our Presbyterian tradition has generally accepted the Stoic ethic of “everything in moderation.” This is true for a variety of behaviors, including the use of alcohol. A Presbyterian can be a social drinker and still be true to his/her faith tradition.

But this doesn’t work for everybody. Some of us have such addictive personalities that we need to run from certain substances and particular behaviors like the plague. For us, the words of St. Augustine especially ring true --

“Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.”

Not only is complete abstinence easier, it is sometimes it is totally necessary.

{Dedicated to a friend who just celebrated his 18th year anniversary of being clean and sober.}

A Reasonable Faith

2007-04-03T06:57:00.000-05:00

[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Many people today claim that faith has little or nothing to do with reason. They believe scientific “facts” have taken the place of “superstitious” faith and that, as a result of this, we better understand the world we live in.

But the notion of faith is contrary to reason is just not true. Faith does not restrict reason. It goes beyond it. With faith, we catch a glimpse what can not be seen otherwise. As C.S. Lewis put it --

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Faith is not unreasonable. Faith not only builds on reason, but gives us a reason to reason. Otherwise, what reason do we have to think?

The Price of Healing

2007-04-02T06:44:00.000-05:00

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. (Luke 17:15)

The healing and wholeness Jesus offered people of his time (and us today) cost nothing but the willingness to be healed. We only need to admit that we are sick, that we are broken and come to him. The best way to pay for the healing touch of Christ is not with money, but with praise.

One of our Puritan ancestors – Thomas Watson – once wrote:

"Christ is the most cheap physician, he takes no fee. He desires us to bring nothing to him but broken hearts; and when he has cured us he desires us to bestow nothing on him but our love."

Finding Each Other

2007-04-01T07:29:00.000-05:00

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:33-34)

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat... We must find each other.” (Mother Teresa)

What Heaven Is Like

2007-03-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

There was a man at my last church who genuinely struggled to know what heaven would look like. He was a great outdoorsman and he worried that if heaven were nothing but streets lined in gold with pearly gates surrounding it, full of angels singing the same hymn constantly – he would be put off and bored to tears. This wasn’t his idea of eternal bliss.

What is heaven like? William Barclay sums it up this way --

“For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be for ever with Him.”

Close to Church, Far from God

2007-03-30T07:03:00.000-05:00

[Jesus said,] “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5)

Self-avowed Christians (particularly church members and leaders) need to exercise great care in how we live out our faith. Do we make a show of it or does it show itself in our words and actions? If we are motivated to demonstrate faith in order to gain personal benefits, we won’t enjoy eternal rewards.

Matthew Henry once wrote --

“It is common for those that are farthest from God, to boast themselves most of their being near to the Church.”

Good News and Bad News

2007-03-29T06:53:00.000-05:00

“The time has come,” [Jesus] said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

To repent is to completely turn around – to shift from going in one direction (toward worldly sin) to going in the opposite direction (toward God). It requires transformation of our whole selves - hearts, minds, and bodies. This can be very difficult and extremely painful, but to enter God’s presence, it is absolutely necessary.

To receive the good news of God’s saving love in Jesus Christ, we must face the bad news of our sin. We can only be forgiven if we first admit we are sinners. If we try to gloss over the challenge of the gospel, we aren’t really accepting the good news at all.

St. Augustine wrote --

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

Do you trust in Christ’s love or in yourself?

Resentment

2007-03-28T07:31:00.000-05:00

But he answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” (Luke 15:29)

The older brother in the story of the prodigal son burns with anger at his father and resentment toward his brother. He is so blinded by this, that he fails to see the blessings he had received working alongside his father day by day.

The problem with the older brother is that he is so driven by a false sense of what is fair. Our idea of justice is not necessarily God’s. God knows what is best for us and, as difficult as it can be, the best thing for us to do is to accept this, not resent it.

Evangelist Tony Campolo, reflecting on this passage, writes –

“Resentment is something that leaves you feeling right, when you are wrong.”

Compassion or Condemnation?

2007-03-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

When he sees his wayward son in the distance, the father has no idea why he’s coming home. Maybe he wants to show off his “big city” identity to his “country hick” dad. On the other hand, it could be that he wants more money. It would have been natural for the father to be skeptical – to wait and see what his son has to say and how he behaves.

But the father doesn’t do this. Instead, before his son even has the chance to speak, the father hikes up his robe, runs to him, and gives him a big hug and a kiss.

You might think this acceptance might “enable” the son to go on sinning, but I don’t think this is the case. Instead, it gives him the motivation to change – out of a desire to please his father.

Henry Ward Beecher once said --

“Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.”

When someone sins against you, do you show compassion or condemnation?

True Joy

2007-03-26T07:18:00.000-05:00

To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)

There is nothing we can do to achieve joy in this life. We can only receive it as a gift from our God and Savior. Joy is a rare and precious jewel that is not to be squandered on the ways of the world, but kept securely within the kingdom of heaven where we enjoy fellowship with God and God’s people.

The poet John Donne wrote –

“True joy is the nearest which we have of heaven, it is the treasure of the soul, and therefore should be kept in a safe place, and nothing in this world is safe to place it in.”

Do you have joy? If so, what are you doing with it?

God is God

2007-03-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

The God of the Universe is so utterly different from we are, we can not even fathom Him. Certainly, we are made in God’s image, but even saying this, we’re not sure what it means. The Bible reveals to God’s Word (through the power of the Holy Spirit), but only within the limits of human language and understanding. Jesus Christ shows us what God is truly like, but only in actions limited by human senses. We can only see “through a glass darkly” who God is.

The German theologian Karl Barth once wrote –

“The Gospel is not a religious message to inform mankind of their divinity or to tell them how they may become divine. The Gospel proclaims a God utterly distinct from men.”

God is God, and we are not.

Piety vs. Pettiness

2007-03-24T08:31:00.000-05:00

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their day. They were not that different from many of us as church leaders today. We struggle to uphold the standards of Scripture, all the while falling short in our own walk of faith. We put on piety in worship and replace it with pettiness as we leave.

Nothing damages the message of Christ’s love more than the lack of integrity in Christ’s messengers.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote –

“The only good argument against Christianity is Christians.”

True Freedom

2007-03-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Never are we less free than when we freely engage in sin. Sin enslaves us. We have less strength, less courage, less wisdom. Only when God claims us as His own are we truly set free to become who we were created to be. The process requires a surrendering to God’s will, not an exercise of personal freedom. Conversion is not our own doing, but the work of the Holy Spirit.

Evangelist Charles Haddon Spurgeon witnessed many conversions in his ministry. Reflecting on this, he wrote –

“Conversion is not, as some suppose, a violent opening of the heart by grace, in which will, reason and judgment are all ignored or crushed. The reason is not blinded, but enlightened; and the whole man is made to act with a glorious liberty which it never knew till it fell under the restraints of grace.”

Winning Approval

2007-03-22T07:38:00.000-05:00

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” (Bill Cosby)

Doing Prayer

2007-03-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)

Prayer should not so much take us away from the world, but give us a fresh perspective on it in order to more faithfully live in it. Authentic prayer propels a believer into action. Whether we be praying for ourselves or others, honest and sincere prayer draws on faith in Christ and bears fruit in faithful living. Prayer is the first step toward a life well lived with God and God’s creation.

Our Puritan ancestor, John Owen, wrote --

"He who prays as he ought will endeavour to live as he prays."

When you pray, don't just ask God what you want Him to do. Ask God to give you the wisdom to know what you need to do and the courage to do it.

Whatever the Weather

2007-03-20T07:25:00.000-05:00

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Last Friday night, we were suddenly hit by a snow storm, followed by hard rain. The ice became several inches thick. It was very difficult to get around. We could barely open our doors. It was a great demonstration of God's power to slow us down as well as witness His hand in the allowing us to see the beauty of the earth.

On Saturday and Sunday, the sun came out and with a lot of plowing and sanding, the church lot was cleared and we were able to gather to praise the One who is the King of creation and Lord of all nature. Many more than I expected came out on a cold (and potentially slippery) day. It was a blessing to be in the sanctuary of God's house hearing His Word, singing praise to Him, calling on Him in prayer.

John Calvin wrote --

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” (John Calvin)

Whatever the weather, give praise to God.

Intellectual Arrogance

2007-03-19T07:27:00.000-05:00

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” (1 Corinthians 3:19-20)

In college, I was enamored with various philosophies. My friends and I would stay up half the night discussing and debating the merits of this thinker or that. We thought we were so smart.

Now that I’m older, I realize how little I knew (and know). As I prayerfully read Scripture and carefully listen to people, I am consistently humbled. I regret my past (and sometimes present) intellectual arrogance.

The words of John Calvin put me in my place –

"There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence.”

Sometimes we can be too smart for our own good (and the good of others).

True Change

2007-03-18T07:26:00.000-05:00

"If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever." (Jeremiah 7:5-7)

It’s easy to find things in the world that need to be changed. Violence. The gap between rich and poor. Immigration conflict. Sexual abuse. It’s easy to discuss the problems of the world and divide up into political camps confident you have the solution.

It’s much easier to look at the “big picture” than deal with the small problems closer to home. Leo Tolstoy once said --

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Spiritual conversion – the only change that can really make a difference is much more personal than political. It starts not when we figure out how the world needs to change, but when we start changing to be more like Christ.

Help Yourself

2007-03-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our
troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Our God is a God of compassion. When we show compassion for each other, we join God at work in the world. We also share what God has shared with us and, in this way, we experience again the joy of God’s care for us.

A man named Thomas Browne once wrote –

“By compassion we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.”

The best way to help yourself is to help someone else.

Truth & Truthiness

2007-03-16T07:28:00.000-05:00

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14.16-17)

The world tries to tell us there is no truth, only personal opinions. Truth has been replaced by “truth-i-ness”. If it seems true to you or to me, then it must be. Truth is only approximate truth, “inclusive” of a wide range of perspectives.

In the face of this, the exclusive truth of God’s Word seems downright intolerant, even volatile. But those of us who have been transformed by the faith of Christ see things differently.

Thomas Ledyard Cuyler wrote –

“Conversion by the Holy Spirit is a spiritual illumination of the soul. God's grace lights up the dark heart. And when a man has once been kindled at the cross of Christ, he is bound to shine.”

In a confused world, we are to shine in the Spirit of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Far Country

2007-03-15T07:10:00.000-05:00

After he drove the man out, he placed him on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)

I can see in the strip malls and the phone calls
The flaming swords of Eden
In the fast cash and the news flash
And the horn blast of war
In the sin-fraught cities of the dying and the dead
Like steel-wrought graveyards where the wicked never rest
To the high and lonely mountain in the groaning wilderness
We ache for what is lost…

(Andrew Petersen from “The Far Country”)
http://www.loveandthunder.com/

Pillows & Dunghills

2007-03-14T07:55:00.000-05:00

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:7-10)

I’ve known many people who struggle through such a depth of suffering you wonder how they hold onto their faith. I’ve also known many who seem to live in the lap of luxury who give up on God.

Faith in God does not depend on the situation we find ourselves in. Throughout the Bible, God lifts up the humble and lowly and casts down the high and mighty.

One of our Puritan ancestors, Thomas Watson observed -

"How soon are we broken on the soft pillow of ease! Adam in paradise was overcome, when Job on the dunghill was a conqueror."

Are you broken on a pillow of ease or conquering on a dunghill?

When God Steps Away

2007-03-13T07:16:00.000-05:00

"Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?" (Job 13:24)

Job was a righteous man but, for reasons known alone to God, God allowed him to be tested. For a time, God let Satan test Job’s faith by bringing on him terrible afflictions.

Sometimes God leaves us alone to struggle with inexplicable suffering. This is part of the faith journey of all who follow the One who cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Puritan preacher William Gurnall summed up our dilemma of faith when he said –

"The Christian must trust in a withdrawing God."

It’s easy to believe in God when He is right there with us, but what about when He chooses to step back and let us work things out for ourselves?

Unlimited Calling

2007-03-12T07:50:00.000-05:00

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:17-18)

God desires that everyone be saved. But not everyone is. Not everyone receives the faith of Christ. We can’t know why this is. We can only appreciate the gift of faith we receive out of Christ’s saving love.

Our faith ancestor, John Calvin, has been over the years critically evaluated for the doctrine of “predestination”. This doctrine has been understood and explained in various ways. Simply put, Calvin ( and many others in the Reformed tradition) sees in Scripture evidence that God is charge of salvation, that saving faith is a gift from God. There is nothing we can say or do to get into heaven. We all deserve to be eternally punished for our sin, but God shows mercy on those whom God has chosen to show mercy.

While salvation is limited to those with faith in Christ, God calls out to everyone. We can’t blame God for not accepting everyone into heaven. Calvin put it this way –

“No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief” (John Calvin)

As you consider the gift of salvation, are you grateful to God or are you resentful that not everyone receives it?

Leaving God Behind

2007-03-11T07:55:00.000-05:00

[The LORD says] “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13)

How genuine is your faith? I’ve wondered this about myself many times. When I began to worship God on a regular basis, I often questioned my motives. There were times that my worship seemed to have little impact on my life. I would speak the words, sing the songs, says the prayers – all the while feeling empty inside.

When we experience this emptiness in worship, it is natural for us to question God’s presence in our lives. The Psalmists do this quite often, wondering where and why God was hiding from them. But there is another way to look at these. Maybe we are hiding from God.

The Christian mystic, Meister Eckart wrote this --

“God is at home; it is we who have gone for a walk.”

Have you gone for a walk and left God behind?