Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 18

Verse

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” - Acts 18:9-10

Meditation

Stress manifests itself in so many ways physically, mentally and emotionally. We react to stress in different ways. Some people binge eat or eat a particular food like chocolate, some people exercise, some people can take a break, some people don’t deal with it at all and some just ignore it and hope the stress goes away. We all need to hear the five words Paul heard that night, “For I am with you.” Hand your stress off to the One who says He is with you. Most likely our context is not the same as Paul. His stress was caused by speaking about Christ and people attacking him in various ways in response. It does not matter the cause of the weight of stress or burden you feel today. What does matter is that not only for Paul, but for us as well, God promises to be with us. Hear Him speaking right now as he calls your name and declares he is with you. His word to you is to keep on and do not be afraid. Know that today you do not have to be afraid because God is with you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, your presence makes all the difference in the world. Your assurance gives us hope that no matter what we face you will be there with us. Remove fear from our minds as we face the stress of the day. We claim your promise to be with us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, August 28, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 17

Verse

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. - Acts 17:22-23

Meditation

We live in a day and time when trust is hard to come by. In days gone by, there was trust in certain people because of the position they held. Their word was taken as truth because of the authority of the position. Not any more. Trust must be learned on every level. Paul knew that principle. When he went to a city to preach and teach about Jesus as the Messiah who came to save the world the first thing he did was establish a relationship and connection with the people. This started him on the road to earning trust among his listeners. We see this vividly as he stood in Athens at one of the most important places in the known world. He had something to proclaim and he wanted the hearers to really listen and respond. The message still needs to be proclaimed and followed and we are the Paul’s of the world now. In the verses which follow in this chapter he outlines a practical way of presenting a new concept which is still applicable today. If we can somehow embed this simple outline in our mind, when called upon in our life to make a case for Jesus, we will have something to fall back on. Without going into the details of each point, here is what Paul did in this moving speech to the Areopagus, the place of debate among the intellectually elite. He established a point of connection, he portrayed a presenting need, he showed they really had no choice in the matter, and gave them a point of action. The connection was their desire for and participation in worship. Their need was to know about their unknown god and the need to repent and turn to God in faith. They really had no choice because they are offspring of the chosen. And finally, their point of action was to believe. It’s a practical plan to follow when we are put in a position to give an explanation about Jesus and what He has done for us. We will be given those opportunities because we all have a story to tell about the goodness of God who is writing new pages to your story every day.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, when you place people in our path desperate for good news give us keen awareness of the moment and help us to seize the opportunity before us. Grant us boldness to stand before the people from all walks of life and share our story of transformation which will call people to believe. We cannot do it ourselves, only through your power, so we ask for your power in the moment. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Today’s Reading: Acts 15

Verse

Peter: 11 “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” . . . James: 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:11, 19

Meditation

Imagine a group of people making it difficult for other people to join the group and then making lots of rules and regulations for them once they join. Yeah, imagine that! Sounds pretty familiar. Unfortunately it was happening in the early days of the church. Unfortunately it still happens now. They gathered the leaders of the church to discuss the conflict and Peter’s words are profound, “just as they are.” They are profound because Jesus embraced you just as you were. And me. I’m grateful and I imagine you are too. The kingdom of grace says Jesus offers salvation to people just as they are. It’s hard for us because we would rather people change and conform and then come belong to our group. But that is not a kingdom principle. That’s placing the burden of change on the person and not on God’s transforming power. The kingdom principle says let grace save people from sin and darkness and let the ongoing mercy and grace and power of God transform them into the likeness of Christ. We don’t want to make it difficult for people to connect to Christ. Hopefully your story is not one of having difficulty experiencing God’s grace. Let’s be diligent to open the door wide so people can experience God’s grace without difficulty. Peter shouted it. James spoke it with great wisdom. We might be the problem if we are making it difficult for others to experience the saving and hope-giving grace of God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to be as accepting of people crying out for new life as you are. Give us a “just as they are” attitude. Forgive us for imposing rules when none were needed. We want to be conduits of grace and let you do the transformation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 14

Verse

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. - Acts 14:19-22

Meditation

Let’s don’t kid ourselves, we are going to endure hardships as disciples of Christ. It goes without saying that life in general will include physical and circumstantial challenges. The message for today is there will be relational hardships because of the spiritual stance being taken in alignment with Jesus Christ. We might never experience physical hardship as Paul did being stoned, but there will be verbal jabs and relational strain caused by standing firm in scriptural truth which is contrary to cultural popularity. I would contend it will be worth it. Joshua was reminded to be strong and courageous as he led the Israelites into the Promise Land because there were certain hardships to come. We have to be strong and courageous when facing the hardships for making the decision to follow Christ regardless of the cost. Jesus said we are to take up our cross and follow Him. That sounds like there will be hardship to me. There will be. We all need to be reminded that in spite of the hardships, true hope and joy is found in Christ and Christ alone. Paul was emphatic when he said we must go through these hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. In other words, there is no other pathway to the Kingdom but to pass through the difficulties we face in this life. Be strong and courageous. Don’t fall prey to cultural pressure and sacrifice scriptural truth and understanding. Notice Paul said go through which implies we will exit the hardship. But it’s the way to the kingdom.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give us strength and courage to endure the hardships on the way to the Kingdom. Help us discern when we are tempted to take the easy path. May Christ be our guard on every side when we face hardship. We desire to be faithful followers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 13

Verse

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. - Acts 13:42-44

Meditation

Paul and Barnabas had been sent off by a group of prophets and teachers in Antioch who had heard a word from the Holy Spirit to begin their tour going from city to city preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Upon hearing, people were drawn to the message they were sharing. Arriving in Pisidian Antioch, they went straight to synagogue and began their work. For 26 verses recorded in this chapter Paul preached one of the clearest messages of salvation found in Acts. When leaving, they were urged to come back on the next Sabbath. Don’t take that lightly because they would have been speaking to mainly Jews. Watch this. When they returned on the Sabbath, almost the entire city showed up to what, hear the word of the Lord. Clearly that is evidence of a powerful message delivered in a very matter of fact way. A message that was obviously life transforming to the ears of the hearer. It was not fancy, didn’t have three points and a poem, no graphics to highlight the message, no mass marketing to attract people, no email reminders, nothing but the plainspoken word of the Lord. I would imagine there was the spoken word of testimony about life change and hope that could not be contained and it impacted the entire city. And they showed up in droves to hear! The word of the Lord has not changed. Many have tried to water it down or change it to align with cultural trends or make them comfortable so that nothing has to change in their behavior. It has not changed. Like Jesus, the word of the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. We need to return to having the same passionate desire to hear the word of the Lord spoken plainly and to the point. When we do, our relationship with the Lord will become more intimate and our faith will move further along the path from infancy to maturity and become deeper and stronger. Urgency around passionately desiring the word of the Lord should be one of the more excellent things of our life, high on our priority list, not toward the bottom of our list crowded out by the things of the world. Worship, for one, would look much different if the whole city showed up to hear.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, grant us your grace as we live transformed lives and may urgently seeking to hear the word of the Lord be high on our priority list. Give us strength to make hard decisions about the important things in our life. Help us to understand we all need to be continually transformed and the only way for that to happen is to diligently pour into the word of the Lord. Forgive us for neglecting the word for the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 12

Verse

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. - Acts 12:11-12

Meditation

A second “now I know” moment. That is Peter’s life as embarks on this journey to spread the good news of Jesus Christ across the land. A moment delivered by an angel while Peter was in jail awaiting a public trial Herod had planned after the Passover. We all know how that would have probably ended and the truth is Peter needed rescuing and he was! Prison walls were no barrier and prison gates were opened by the Almighty. Peter came to himself once out of prison and he then realized he had been rescued. It is no coincidence that when he wanted to find a safe place of friends, he went to the house where many people had been praying for him, which is in agreement with a previous verse. While Peter was in prison the church kept on praying for him and the night before his trial, he was rescued. There might be someone reading this that is facing a trial and you need rescuing. You might be moments from dealing with the trial or right in the middle of the trial and I want to encourage you to keep on praying and not give up on God to rescue you. Find your people who will pray and walk alongside you as you face the trial and ask them to keep on praying. I believe you will have your “now I know” moment and be rescued by the one who breaks down prison walls and opens prison doors. It might not be as dramatic as Peter’s experience because God has many ways to rescue us from the darkest times of our life. You might feel the tap of an angel or a gentle nudge of your spirit. Regardless, God’s desire is for you to be rescued and for all of us to walk in freedom from anything which imprisons us. If we are honest, we all have issues of imprisonment in our life that we need rescuing from. Let’s claim our freedom today and we seek God’s rescuing power to be manifested in our life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we lay before you our trial today and pray that you will make a way for our prison walls to come tumbling down and the prison gates to be flung open wide. Make a way for the freedom you desire for us. We confess we cannot free ourselves, but totally depend on your will and your way. Rescue us today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 11

Verse

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” - Acts 11:18

Meditation

This one verse sums up one of the most important stories we will read in Acts. You are familiar with the story. It’s been preached in worship, taught in Sunday School, and acted out in Vacation Bible School. It’s the story of Peter and Cornelius which changed Peter’s perspective about the nature of the kingdom of God and who Jesus died for. It’s the story that opened Peter’s heart to understand what Jesus told Nicademus, “whosoever believes,” meant all people who believe, regardless of the tribe or tongue they belonged to. Three words changed the projection of the gospel into the world. “Now I know.” (Acts 1o:34) Unless you or any of your Christian friends came to Christ out of the Jewish faith, you and your friends are a beneficiary of this revelation in Peter’s understanding of who Jesus came to save from sin and offer abundant life. It opened the doorway for Peter to join Paul as the two most influential evangelists and church planters in the story told in Acts. The revelation didn’t come without objection. This verse comes at the end of Peter having to explain his actions to the believers who had indeed come out of the Jewish faith and were puzzled as to why this Gentile, Cornelius and his family, could follow Christ as well. After Peter’s explanation of events there were no further objections and the Judge ruled in favor of all people being offered new life. From our perspective today, that demands a hallelujah or an amen or something for it gave the people objective evidence of the gospel being spread to the entire world, not just the Israelite world. We live into that principle today in our communities. As Jesus sends us out to share good news, there are no limitations on who we might be led to. The Holy Spirit can lead us to anybody regardless of their background or circumstances. Anyone is welcome to join in the company of following Christ because “God granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” The whosoevers of the world.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, so many of us, most people we know, are eternally grateful for you opening the eyes and heart of Peter and Paul and we pause to give you thanks for the pathway which brought us to Jesus. Help us to live with a grateful heart and a passionate spirit because of the blessing you opened for all people. May we have a heart for those who need to know You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 8

Verse

29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. . . .34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. - Acts 8:29-31, 34-35

Meditation

We are a sent people. Who is we? Me and you, all of us. You might say you are spent but not sent. But we are. As the people of God who have chosen to follow Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are a sent people. We don’t know the back story, but Philip was sent and possibly never knew it was coming. The angel said to go south and he did not know why but soon found out. He encountered a stranger, an important man of Ethiopia, who needed to hear the good news about Jesus. He heard and his life was forever transformed. Out of Philip’s blind obedience after hearing the voice of God, he embraced the principle of being part of a sent people and an Ethiopian eunuch believed and was baptized. It is important that we, as the people of God, live fully into the idea of being sent into our communities and the world to be used by the Lord to explain the good news. The eunuch’s response to Philip’s question is a very real situation. People will not know, they simply cannot understand, the story of who Jesus is and what He does unless sent people explain it. That might sound incredibly daunting to many or most people, but let me remind you that in most cases you will not be called upon to explain the prophet Isaiah, you will be called upon to tell your story of the transforming love of Christ that has changed your life forever. There are plenty of biblical accounts of people believing in Christ because of the change they saw in people’s lives. That being said, knowledge of the truths Jesus taught is a good thing and will be helpful as you respond to God’s calling to go south, or north, to a place you never dreamed of to encounter people you might have never laid eyes on. The issue is to be obedient and be a sent person for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. Let’s go! Now is the time.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have filled us with the Spirit to go and tell a story of transformation and we pray that you will use us to help change people, our communities, and the world. We pray that we might be a part of a great movement of people excited about telling the good news about your Son, Jesus Christ. We boldly pray you will place us in the right place and the right moment to encounter our Ethiopian. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 7

Verse

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. - Acts 7:59-60, 8:1a

Meditation

Rarely is one story given a chapter and a half in scripture, especially in the New Testament. The story of Stephen does because it is that important. As chapter seven comes to a conclusion, Stephen has continued to recount Israel’s history to the Jewish leaders including the high priest. He concludes with Solomon building the Temple but then destroys their belief system by saying God does not live in houses built by men. What an insult. To add insult to injury, Stephen calls them stiff-necked and always resisting the Holy Spirit. Let the stoning begin. This encounter with Stephen ends at his death with words few people could utter. As he is breathing his last breath, he asks that the men stoning him be forgiven. Many scriptures are studied related to forgiveness but this one might be the most significant. Questions like how many times do we have to forgive, or do both sides have to forgive in order for there to be forgiveness, or does forgiveness have to be accepted are often asked when discussing this subject. Maybe a better question is can we forgive like Stephen? Completely committed to the kingdom and following Christ, Stephen loved his haters unconditionally until his final breath was taken. Don’t let Saul get lost in the trauma of the story. We are introduced to a significant player in the Christian movement. Saul was there and cheering on the proceedings. Don’t forget this moment with Saul. Stephen teaches us a lot about forgiveness and begs one question. Can we forgive like one who died for the sake of the kingdom?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we embrace the teaching of this story even as hard as it is. We confess this goes against all the natural feelings we have toward those who hurt us. Help us to overcome and be a people, a movement, with a forgiving spirit. Forgive us when we don’t forgive. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 6

Verse

2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” . . . 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. - Acts 6:2-4, 7

Meditation

When you get it right, it’s really right. Getting everybody in the right seat on the bus is not a new principle to the ministry of the church or in business operations or in anything a group of people undertakes. Having everybody in a place where their talents and gifts create excellent results is important in any area of life. Getting people in the right place doesn’t elevate or demean anybody, it just gets everybody in the right place. Everybody working within their calling and gifting. It’s necessary to get all the work done. It’s also amazing to see the results. We often focus most intently on verses two through four and rightly so. It is important to help all people understand the calling and sending nature of being a disciple. But verse seven should take our breath away. The first half not so much for we see it often repeated in these first chapters, both the word of God spreading and disciples increasing rapidly. However, the second half is worth paying particular attention to. Not just a few, but a large number of priests became followers. That’s a big but. When disciples get their energy and their purpose on the same page it facilitates a great move of God’s Spirit. Priests, yes those who had spent their entire life working to become who they are, becoming obedient to the teachings of Christ equates to a mighty move of God! And today we would say there is nothing like the effectiveness of the church when the church gets it right. We need to be about getting our energy and our purpose aligned. The purpose is clear. We are to be disciples and we are to be about adding disciples. Whatever it takes, whatever sacrifices, we are to be about being and adding disciples.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, be a God of alignment for us as the Body of Christ. Help us to set aside those things which matter, but are not most important. Help us prioritize adding disciples in our ministry in each and every church. Do not let us neglect any portion of ministry as we strive to fill each seat on the bus correctly. But, let us get everyone on the bus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, August 11, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 3

Verse

8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. - Acts 3:8-10

Meditation

Imagine this. For the first time ever this man jumped to his feet! We take things like that for granted. This man, born cripple, was taken most days to a temple gate to beg for money to survive. This day was no different except that Peter and John, being in the city, were going to the temple to pray because it was the time of prayer (not the focus of today’s devotion but a great teaching principle - a daily time of prayer). Imagine a crowd of people coming to the temple to pray and a cripple beggar finding his place at the gate. Chaos. Confusion maybe. A divine appointment unfolding. Yes. Peter and John didn’t have what he asked for, but they gave him what they had to offer and what he had never had before. Walking. Jumping. When the regular temple attenders turned to see all the commotion, they recognized him and they immediately knew something was different. What they saw was a move of God’s Spirit and they were filled with wonder and amazement. The transformation was worthy of wonder. Life transformations are worthy of praise and wonder and amazement and will cause people to turn and see what all the commotion is about. This man’s reaction may not be perfect for what God has done in your life, but people should notice the subtle or not so subtle reaction when you realize God has done what only God can do. Transformed lives mean others will notice you are not who you used to be. I hope they can.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise for transforming our lives into something beautiful that elicits wonder and amazement. Forgive us for hiding the wonder under a basket. Give us courage to live out the transformation in ways which catch the eye of the onlookers and will point them to a loving, forgiving, transforming God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Today’s Reading - Acts 1

Verse

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

Meditation

Jesus walked alongside them and when he broke bread they recognized him. They received the presence and power of the Holy Spirit when He came upon them. What a great way to end Luke and begin Acts. The clear message as we ended Luke and begin Acts is that the promised presence of God in us was a high priority in the mind of God because of its importance in our life. I believe we sometimes lose sight of the preciousness of God wanting to be with us. Not just in the Incarnation of Jesus which means God with us, but all the time, fully occupying all of who we are. We love to talk about the power of the Holy Spirit and rightly we should because it is the power of the Spirit that changes things. If we tried to list all the ways the presence of God in us makes a difference and list all the ways the power of God working through us makes a difference, I wonder what the lists would be like if compared. Our understanding of God’s love for us should never undervalue the presence of God in us. As we walk daily with Christ, never forget that Jesus walked with us in human form and now the Holy Spirit walks with us each and every moment of our existence. You’re invited to live in the power of that reality!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for joining with us every step along the way of living for you and a follower, a recipient of your love and grace, living with the presence of the Holy Spirit. May his power work in and through us and may we take comfort in his ever abiding presence in our heart and soul. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 24

Verse

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. - Luke 24:28-31

Meditation

In discussions about favorite verses or chapters in the Bible, rarely will Luke 24 make the list. However, it has become one of my favorites. First, we read the story of the resurrection and that should always excite us and instill great joy in our heart when we read of Jesus being raised from the dead. I have come to love and appreciate this chapter because of the story of Jesus joining disciples who were walking toward Emmaus and talking about all the events of the previous week. They were downcast, their hope had been lost, yet they had heard that Jesus might be alive. And Jesus joins them, quietly, without great fanfare, and walked alongside them and let them share their dashed hopes but the possibility the story had not ended. Then Jesus did what only Jesus can do. He continued to walk alongside them and spoke into these two as their shepherd and he amazed them to the point they didn’t want to leave his presence. Jesus continued to be with them and agreed to come to their house and they shared a meal together. The significance of sharing a meal together is deep but most of all it signified a welcomed guest who was being honored. They broke bread and immediately their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus who was sitting at the table with them. That is just like Jesus to care for us as our shepherd, walk alongside us, and at the perfect moment he “breaks bread” and our eyes are opened to his presence and we experience his love and grace. When Jesus says he will never leave us he means it. When Jesus says he will guide us in all truth he means it. And we have all experienced it if we will stop and think about it. What a precious understanding of who Jesus is and how he interacts with our life. He walks alongside us and we have Emmaus Road experiences. If we will sit at his table and honor his presence, we will experience life-changing moments in the presence of the Almighty.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we ask that you join us on our Emmaus Road and walk with us through this day. Reveal yourself to us as you break bread in our presence and help us to recognize who you are. We desire to sit at your table and allow you to be our shepherd. Love and nurture us into people of deeper faith and living in your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, August 7, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 23

Verse

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: This Is the King of the Jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” - Luke 23:36-39

Meditation

They didn’t know what they were asking. They kept throwing around this word save. Only moments earlier Jesus said they didn’t know what they were doing and asked the Father to forgive them. With the intent to insult they dared Jesus to save them. First the soldiers and then a criminal on the cross with Jesus. Save yourself. Save us. They didn’t know what they were asking as they were only concerned about the last breath to be drawn. Yes, the King of the Jews could have done this but his reign as king had meaning much deeper than their present life. He was concerned about their place for eternity’s sake. Not to say he was uninterested in the present reign of the kingdom, but this king came to save our souls and write our names in the lambs book of life. For Jesus knew if he didn’t draw his last breath eternity was an impossibility because his last breath led to resurrection. This king, the King of the Jews came to save a people from eternal damnation, forever separated from the King. Yes, he was the king and he did save himself and save us. For eternity’s sake. So many today are like the soldiers and the criminal and are short sighted. His kingdom will reign forever and people need to see beyond this present age. We need to help them.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, guide us to be your witnesses who have eternity in sight for those who are only wanting to be saved from physical death. Help us be people of faith who lead people to salvation from spiritual death. Let us live in such a way as to be examples of Christ followers who make a difference and become conduits to a relationship with your Son. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, August 4, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 22:1-38

Verse

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” - Luke 22:14-15

Meditation

They were all there, all reclining at the table. They were not being disrespectful, it was the customary position. Judas was there. Peter was there. They were all there. And Jesus looked at them all in the eyes and said he eagerly desired to be at the table with them. Note he just didn’t want to be there, he eagerly desired to be there. In other words, he came with great excitement and anticipation. Encounters with Jesus don’t always turn out the way we hope or expect. In the previous verses we read that Satan had entered Judas who then went to those who would arrest Jesus and planned it all out. Jesus would then tell those at the table that one of them would betray him. Judas was at the table and he did exactly what was planned and predicted. In the verses that follow we learn that Peter would deny even knowing who Jesus was to a woman in a courtyard most likely in front of a large crowd who heard the exchange. Peter was at the table and he did exactly what Jesus said he would do. We must speculate as to the outcome of Judas’ life before he died because we don’t know exactly. There would be good cause to believe he repented but we just don’t know. Peter is a different story. We know his story and his powerful transformation that led him to be the most prolific evangelist of the early church period. Regardless of the outcome, Jesus eagerly desired to be at the table with both of them and he desires to be at the table with us. It demonstrates how much he loves us even though he knows all things and it demonstrates the distance he will go to pursue us. Both are powerful statements Jesus makes at this most intimate moment with his disciples and a point of raw emotion as he is about to be taken away to his death. He eagerly desires to be present in our lives. Don’t miss the opportunity to sit at his table.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the invitation to sit at your table. Thank you for not judging us for what we have done or what you know we will do. Thank you for your forgiving, loving, pursuing spirit which supersedes our humanness. Help us to be faithful disciples who have been invited to sit at your table because you eagerly desire to sit with all of us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 21

Verse

3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has PUT IN MORE than all the others.” - Luke 21:3

Meditation

I’m asking for permission to deviate from the obvious context and meaning of this verse. Thank you for granting it. The woman was poor and did not have much to give. Her gifts were compared to the gifts of the wealthy. Yet, she put in more. In our participation in the kingdom of God, we can consider ourselves poor or wealthy as to what we have to offer. We consider ourselves one or the other based on the value we place on ourselves and our perception of our gifts we have to give. Yet Jesus valued hers greater. First of all we have to put in. So many people just want to take out and never contribute themselves to the kingdom. Participation is measured by how they are served. When we put in we approach the kingdom wanting to serve and not be served. Next is to never undervalue your gifts as insignificant to kingdom work. Jesus may be looking at your gift of service as more valuable than any other gift offered at the moment. Consider the many ways you can PUT IN to help the gospel be strengthened in your community and around the world. The common phrase about being better to give than receive applies to more than money. It applies to all that God has given you to use for the sake of his kingdom. Be a giver to the kingdom. PUT IN MORE.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, move in our spirit to a new place of putting more in that will be pleasing to you and greatly benefit your kingdom. Give us a giving spirit and remove the idea of only wanting to receive from the gifts of others. Move us to the place of full participation and do not let our assessment of value determine what we do. Let yours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 20

Verse

21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent. - Luke 20:21-26

Meditation

People devise great plans to try to persuade other people to believe something that is really not true or to present an image totally different from reality. This describes the textbook definition of a hypocrite. People like this aren’t generally liked. The spies came to Jesus with that in mind thinking they could hide from him their true intent. They didn’t know who they were dealing with. They knew about him, but didn’t know him. Jesus saw right through their plan just like he sees through our plans of trying to hide things from him. Jesus called them out and their plans were thwarted to the point of silence. The awareness of being caught often leads to silence because any answer is inappropriate or just wrong. Rest assured when we try to play hide and seek with Jesus, he sees through our deceitfulness and we will be left silent. This chapter ends with another story on the exact same topic and Jesus uses the teachers of the law as an example. Jesus must be very serious about this topic. Honesty and transparency is a better approach to our relationship with Christ. He would rather journey with us through difficult moments than silence us. He would rather speak the truth in love than speak the truth which silences. The great misconception is that we can in some way deceive Jesus. Nope. He sees right through our plan. And silences us in astonishment. Humble. Honest. Transparent. A much better plan to approach Jesus. He can then speak the truth in love.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come to you today in raw confession of who we are and what we need to become. Even though we sometimes want to trap you and avoid the truth, we come today seeking your truth for our life. We lay before you our true self. Forgive us for any attempt to present ourselves as different from who we are. Speak truth into us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 19

Verse

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” - Luke 19:5-7

Meditation

The story of Jesus’ earthly ministry is winding to an end as told by Luke. We read about his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but before that, two important stories, one about a man short in stature. A sinner as viewed by most people most likely known for stealing from people through his business. People muttered in disbelief that Jesus would eat with a sinner and slung arrows at Zacchaeus for being a despicable person. I believe Jesus heard the muttering and wanted to say, “You are right because that is who I am.” In essence, it was a great compliment to Jesus because, indeed, that is who he is and what he does. Each of us are beneficiaries of the fact that Jesus eats with sinners. We are who we are today because, on one powerful day, we sat at a banquet table with Him and he offered us the bread of life and said as the table was being cleaned, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Not because he had to eat with sinners, but because he wanted to. He had me and you in mind when the invitation list was made to include the short guy in the tree and ask him to host the banquet. I recently attended an event where I was blessed to sit at the host’s table. Welcome to Jesus’ table where you are sitting at the host’s table.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to be the guest at the house of a sinner like me. The doors of love and acceptance flung wide open when you sent your Son to seek and save the lost. There is nothing more for us to be more grateful for on this day we read this powerful story and realize how important it is. So thank you heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 17

Verse

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” - Luke 17:15-19

Meditation

It is a terrible feeling when we know the right thing to do in a situation but for whatever reason we just don’t do it. Ten men asked Jesus to heal them, He gave them instructions, and they were all cleansed of leprosy. An obvious next step would have been to go back and at a minimum thank Jesus for this miracle in their life. But only one returned to thank him and he was exuberantly praising God and fell at his feet to thank him. Jesus raises a puzzling question about the whereabouts of the other nine and made a disparaging remark about them in the process. When he referred to the one who came back as a Samaritan the implication was that even a foreigner knew to give thanks to Jesus for what he had done. By coming back the Samaritan got an additional blessing. He was healed spiritually as well as physically. He was physically cleansed when he came back into the presence of Jesus, he left well. The Samaritan got more. The word well means whole as Jesus often said and is translated that way. That’s the way grace works. The man could have never healed himself and most likely hadn’t done anything to earn being healed but he was. He received what he asked for and more. That’s the grace of Jesus. This story is a great reminder that when we ask Jesus believing he can do what we ask and we experience an answer based on faith, we should “go back” to Jesus and thank him for what he has done. We might even break out into praise in a loud voice and fall at his feet and thank him. We use the phrase “it is a good and rightful thing” in the Holy Communion liturgy. It applies to many areas in our life. When Jesus touches us, it is a good and rightful thing to give thanks and praise. There is no telling what Jesus might do for you if you are faithful to come back.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, for whatever you have done in our life and we have failed to give you thanks and praise, we confess those moments and repent. Our prayer is that we will learn the good and rightful thing and learn not to neglect doing it. We don’t want to miss your blessings and confess we are our own worst enemy. Give us a spirit of coming back. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, July 28, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 16

Verse

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” - Luke 16:14-15

Meditation

People relate to other people in many different ways because we know people for various reasons. Some people we will simply know their name and maybe a little about them and be able to recognize them on the street. Others we know intimately and know their life story. We know our immediate family to a much deeper level. The deepest, most intimate level of relationship is how God knows each person He has created. God knows our hearts. Our heart is the seat of every emotion we have meaning all the love, loyalty, honor, dislike, grudge, hurt, joy, and the list goes on and on. These emotions are birthed in our heart. Putting it simply and plainly, there is nothing about me and you that God doesn’t know. Like the Pharisees, we can do whatever we want to please others or justify our actions, but God knows our hearts. We can say whatever we choose to articulate in order to make our life appear to be whatever we want, but God knows our hearts. When someone is caught in an act of misbehavior, a statement often used involves being honest. The principle applies to each one of us in our relationship to God. Being honest with God in part means speaking and acting in a way consistent with what we truly believe in our heart. God knows our hearts. The positive side of being honest in our relationship with God is that He knows when we hurt or when we grieve or when we are broken or when we are stressed and we can lean into Him in those situations with full assurance He knows and understands. Because we join with Jesus in the fellowship of his suffering and the joy of his resurrection, God knows the full range of what is going on in our hearts. Don’t try to be somebody before God that you aren’t or try to hide things from Him. Be open at all times. Be honest. God knows your heart.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before you today with an open heart desiring to be as honest as we can. Forgive us when we try to deceive you when trying to please people and then justify our behavior. Lead us away from the temptations of life which causes conflicts in our relationship with you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 15

Verse

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Luke 15:8-10

Meditation

Today we read three parables about being found. This is possibly a very meaningful chapter in the Bible to you. Three parables about people like you and me discovering Christ. I frequently write about how important we are to God our Father but it bears repeating often to remind us of how special we are in the sight of God. I want you to pause and think about your “found” story. I want you to think about it because your story could be one of the parables of Luke 15. Pause. You may not think your story is significant enough to be included but let me assure you it is. When one discovers Christ there is rejoicing in heaven and the rejoicing is all the same. I think it is safe to say there is no rejoice meter among the angels depending on the nature of a person’s “found” story. There is just rejoicing. As we run to the Father he is running to us and he runs with the same desire for each and every person. Remember, he loves you that much to leave the ninety-nine, to look under the couch, or to run to our filthiness. The truth for each of us is when sin has been repented of, there is new life in Christ, there is significance in the story, and there is rejoicing among the angels in heaven. As you pause to consider your story, know how much you are loved and whether you realize it or not, God went to great lengths to find you and the promise of His word is that nothing can separate us from his love for us. We have reason to rejoice because no matter how we see ourselves, we are loved enough for the Father to run after us. Live knowing you were found because you are loved beyond human understanding.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name for finding us, for passing every obstacle we might have laid in your path and wrapping your loving arms of embrace around us. You found us and we rejoice and give thanks. Let us live our story fully so we might be used by you for others to realize your pursuit of them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 14

Verse

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” - Luke 14:12-14

Meditation

Jesus got questioned about everything especially when he was having dinner with a Pharisee and especially concerning what was right or wrong to do on the Sabbath. But this time he asked the question and left them in silence. He healed a man and the Pharisees nor the guests had anything to say. Jesus then shifted the discussion to what we do and why we do it. It struck at the heart of the guests around the table and most likely we can identify as well. The invitation list to a dinner is important to all of us. We want to get it right and not miss anyone. We want to include the people that need to be there and fit the context of the dinner. There is nothing wrong with that but Jesus uses this example to lift up at least two principles. Be very careful not to let personal benefit be the sole motivation for how we relate to people. Yes, it is perfectly fine to leverage relationships in healthy ways especially for the sake of the kingdom of God, but from the outset to seek to gain benefit from a relationship goes against the teaching of this story. The other principle involves a general need in life to help lift people from their present context or state of mind to a better place. Jesus noticed the guest list at the dinner was people who could return the favor and jockeyed for the position of honor at the table. He responded with the command to invite people who have no chance of ever issuing the same invitation in return. When relating to people who cannot respond in the same way, we are honoring those who rarely get honored and lifting them to a better understanding of who they are. What we do and why we do it is important. Don’t forget those who have nothing to give in return and might need a lift in life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to shift our thinking when needed to reach beyond our normal behavior to humbly serve those who have little to offer and those who need a hand up, not a hand out. Open our heart and eyes to see and be sensitive to those who have great need and we often overlook. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 13

Verse

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. - Luke 13:22-24

Meditation

Warning labels adorn almost every food or product you pick up. Commercials for food, medicine, and cars contain disclaimers or warnings. Purchase an extension cord and it has four or five. Those tags have been on mattresses for years warning us not to remove them. Very few of these labels do we pay close attention to unless we are particularly interested in maybe a food allergy or the like. Warning labels are generally ignored. Unfortunately, we treat scripture the same way. The Bible contains many warnings about a wide variety of subjects from sin to salvation. They are hard to take. We don’t want to pay attention. We skip over or we just want to tear them off and throw them away. Especially when it comes to salvation, we don’t want to recognize the warnings. Jesus is giving us a warning signal here and we need to pay attention. As the answer to a direct question about salvation, his reply includes the concept of a narrow door and some not able to enter. The pathway to salvation is not difficult but it is narrow. Living out salvation in surrender and obedience is often very difficult but there is clarity about the availability of the narrow door. The door is available to every person who chooses to enter it. We should first be very attentive to our own relationship with Christ and be very sure the door we entered was narrow and not wide and popular in our culture. Then we should be attentive to our role of disciples producing disciples who produce disciples. Our relationship with Christ should be lived out in obedience to his word and in an attractive manner always pointing people to the narrow door. This is one warning we should heed.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that we have clarity of heart and mind to see the narrow door and know we have walked through it with boldness and understanding. We pray we might live in obedience and surrender to your will. We pray for those choosing today between a narrow door of truth and a wide door of deception. Use us in their life and help them choose wisely. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 12

Verse

29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek first his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. - Luke 12:29-31

Meditation

Surrounded by admonitions about worry and accumulating abundance is the most important admonition of all, seek first his kingdom. The italicized word “first” is my addition to remind us of Jesus’ words in Matthew. It is so natural to worry and even more natural to strive for security for yourself and your family. Overcoming these tendencies is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. I worry, you worry, we all worry. We worry for the right reasons and we worry for the wrong reasons. A brief explanation about the biblical use of the words worry and anxiety might be helpful. When used in scripture, they are referring to an emotion not just in a moment but over a long period of time which leads to a debilitating emotion both naturally and spiritually. The grammatical tense of the words in the original language teach us this. For instance, we should in healthy ways worry, be concerned, about the well-being of our children. It becomes unhealthy when the worry over a long period turns into preventing them from maturing into adults. Additionally, worry and anxiety can turn into a desire for security and abundance which quickly turns into greed. Jesus knew these were real temptations and he simply says after repeated illustrations about provision, seek his kingdom. It seems like a simple answer but it is so true and pretty much is a linear equation. The more we become kingdom minded the more we will trust in a holy God and the more we will experience His provision and therefore the less we will worry and the less we will stockpile for ourselves. Yes, seek his kingdom.

Prayer

Heavenly Father we put our trust in you for all things and especially those things we tend to worry about and when we wonder if we will have enough or if everything will be ok. Help us to place all things in your hands and seek your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 10

Verse

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:41-42

Meditation

There are times when we look around, pause, evaluate, and find ourselves needing so many things in order to be satisfied. Martha had invited a house guest and probably told her sister Mary that Jesus was on his way. Martha envisioned many things needing to be done like dusting the furniture, making sure the pillows were straight on the couch, washing the dishes, preparing a meal and cleaning the bathrooms. Mary envisioned one thing being needful. Sitting at the feet of Jesus. We would all welcome situations where only one thing was needed to navigate to the next situation, especially in the hectic nature of our lives. Mary found herself in that place and was not going to let anything get in her way of the one thing she needed. Not even her sister’s persistence that she should help prepare for this very special house guest would stop her from sitting and listening. That’s what she needed and most likely we all could benefit from learning from Mary and find time to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him speak into our heart. Time when we can set aside all things that need to be done to do the one thing that needs to be done. Multitasking is a common buzzword these days. So is time management. Applying those two concepts spiritually will teach us to manage our time wisely in order to include time avoiding multitasking by sitting at the feet of Jesus alone. Sitting and listening should be our singular focus. While there, Jesus just might tell you exactly what you need to hear today.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we invite an opportunity to sit at your feet today. If given that opportunity, give us wise discernment to know it and simply sit and listen. Don’t let anything distract us from our alone time with you. Help us see the importance of what you will say to us. For the moment, let us be Mary. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 9

Verse

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. - Luke 9:23-24

Meditation

There are a few personality and character traits of Peter that none of us really want to embrace. His abrasiveness and arrogance are not things to brag about. One thing we all want to embody about Peter is his confession or proclamation of who Jesus is in answer to a very direct question from Jesus himself. We want to be able to answer in the exact same way! Immediately following Peter’s answer Jesus makes a statement about himself then carefully portrays the extreme sacrifice of actually answering the question the way Peter did and the way we want to. I must point out that answering the question is one thing, following Christ is another question and answer altogether. Knowing who is Christ is of no value, knowing who He is and following him is of eternal value. You know the principle of sacrifice and you’ve heard it taught and preached multiple times. Following Christ is about humbly denying ourselves and being kingdom minded for the sake of those who don’t know Him and are seeking answers to life’s tough questions. We deny ourselves in order to help answer the same question we have and proclaim that He is Christ, the Son of the living God. Interestingly, this chapter ends with opposition from the people of Samaria and Jesus giving three practical metaphors of the cost of following him which appear harsh and unrealistic. They illustrate the previous point of denying our life in order to save our life. Jesus never portrayed following Him to be easy but He was abundantly clear it is well worth the eternal value of following Him!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we need strength of faith and practice to follow you. We probably don’t know how to adequately pray for what we need to deny ourselves in the manner we need to. We simply ask not knowing what we are asking for knowing you went to the cross for us. Help us when we are weak and give us boldness to champion the kingdom and live as faithful followers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 8

Verse

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” - Luke 8:45-46

Meditation

For many reasons you are not interested in, I am using a devotion I wrote last year which I believe has a timeless message. The red letters are important. The words right out of the mouth of Jesus. There are numerous principles in the parable of the sower. There are numerous principles in the story of Jesus calming the storm. There are numerous principles in the story I’ve pulled two verses from and most likely you can name it. Yes, it’s the story of a woman pushing through another large crowd of people who surrounded Jesus and all she wanted to do was touch his garment. I love all these stories and there are several others rich and deep in meaning Luke includes in this chapter. For a moment let’s focus on one. A woman on the outside looking in is a position we can identify with. She was on the outside because religion and culture both wanted nothing to do with her. It was not sin or obnoxious behavior, it was a disease she had no control over. She was on the outside looking in with no hope to change her position. We’ve been there. There was no hope until she became aware of the One who gives hope when all hope is lost. We can assume she had heard enough or seen enough of the work of Jesus she was willing to risk all manner of shame and ridicule and pushed through the crowd. She had come to the conclusion this person named Jesus was for real and the words he spoke were true. She made it! She touched Jesus! She was instantly healed and Jesus knew it! A few verses further it was words written in red that proclaimed her faith had healed her. She might not have known she had faith like that but Jesus spoke life over her and declared it was faith that manifested the power of Jesus to heal her body of a twelve year problem. She had hope again of living with purpose. We cannot physically touch Jesus but we can touch Jesus and we all need faith that moves us to often reach for Jesus just to touch him. Finding our way to a position where Jesus frequently knows power has left him on our behalf is not a bad position, it is the best position. Jesus wants us to exercise our faith much more than we want to exercise it. Risk shame and ridicule and let your faith push you through the crowd to allow Jesus to exercise his power on your behalf.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you love us so much that you want to release your power into our life in ways we cannot imagine. Let us understand your love and power more clearly so that our love for you, ourselves, and others grows in every way. When we have lost hope, give us faith to approach the hope giver. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 7

Verse

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. . . . 14 Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. . . . 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” - Luke 7:9-10, 14-15, 48-50

Meditation

Last night during Vacation Bible School I was reminded of my college degrees in chemistry and math. However, reading, teaching and preaching the stories of scripture has been a large slice of my life for the last 39 years. An unlikely story given my background. Chemistry and math are exact sciences with very predictable outcomes. The scriptures are full of the unpredictable, the opposite of predictable outcomes. Three stories in Luke 7, given their background, a centurion’s servant healed, a widow’s son raised to life, and a woman forgiven of a life of sin in a Pharisee’s house, illustrate the unpredictable outcomes when Jesus is involved. The verses above are the outcomes of the three stories, the most unlikely outcomes imaginable given the circumstances. A centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant should not happen! A widow, destined to poverty and begging, seeing her son raised from dead should not happen! A woman whose lifestyle would have made her an outcast walking into a Pharisee’s house and receiving forgiveness should not happen! As unlikely as my story is related to my career path, my spiritual story, and yours, is just as unlikely. The power and presence of Christ in our life reverses the unlikely and unpredictable into a story that only Jesus can write. It is not very predictable that we receive what we don’t deserve and can’t earn and all the debt of our sin has been paid for. And that is just the beginning of our story. Before the last chapter is written, there will be many chapters written just as unlikely where we see the evidence of the hand of God writing our story. Let God write the story of the unlikely becoming reality. The centurion, the widow and the sinful women are certainly glad God is writing the story.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, continue to write our story with your hand of grace and mercy which writes a story we can’t see. We, like the centurion, are unworthy of being included in the story but you declare us worthy. Increase our faith to believe and receive the powerful story you have in mind for all your children. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 17, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 6

Verse

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. - Luke 6:43-45

Meditation

Children are excellent at saying whatever is on their mind. We don’t think much of it because it comes from the mouth of babes. Well, until they say it sitting at the front of the church during the children’s moment. It quickly turns from cute to embarrassing. It is different with youth and adults. What we say can be demoralizing or hurtful or just wrong. Or, it can build someone up and bring some joy and goodness to their life. The right words can be encouraging and helpful. We have a choice. Jesus reminds us to fill our hearts with good fruit which yields good things. He makes it rather easy to understand. We are only going to produce good fruit or bad fruit. Growth is necessary but at the end of the day, it’s either going to be good or bad. Practically thinking, if you have a fruit tree, among every 50 pieces of fruit there will be a few that are bad for some reason. What do you do? They are picked and thrown away. Throughout scripture either directly or indirectly, there is a principle we can all recite. People will know us by our fruit. Jesus tells us that from the fruit we bear the storehouse of our heart will be filled and out of that storehouse will come the words from our mouth. Let’s work on words that build up, words that are helpful, encouraging, bring joy to the souls of the hearer, and are simply good. Let’s work on bearing good fruit, pruning out the bad fruit and producing a bountiful yield for the sake of the kingdom.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, fertilize and water the soil of our life with your goodness so that we might produce the good fruit you desire in us. Weed out of our life that which destroys and ruins the crop. May our words be words of truth spoken with your goodness undergirding all we say. Thank you for being a good God who desires that goodness be evident in our life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 5

Verse

3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” . . . 10 . . . Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” - Luke 5:3-4, 10

Meditation

Jesus knew how to love on people. He was by a lake teaching to a large crowd of people and he saw two boats and the fishermen washing their nets. He knew they needed loving on because they had fished all night and caught nothing. It was their means of income and they had nothing. He sat down in one of the boats and continued teaching and when finished, turned to one of them and said let’s go to the deep water and put down your nets and you will catch fish. Simon was exasperated, maybe offended, but obeyed. The catch of fish was too large for one boat. Jesus loved on these fishermen, then called them to follow, and they left everything and followed him. We’ve read this story or Matthew’s account and we are astonished at their obedience just as the fishermen were astonished at the amount of fish they caught that night. Obedience is clearly important as we follow Christ and live in the ways of God. Obedience requires listening and discerning the message that is being spoken into our heart. But there is more to this story. There is a lesson about the depth of faith needed to see the fruit of obedience. It is illustrated by the depth of water the nets were cast into. I don’t know if Jesus’ command to put down the nets into deep water simply meant leave the shore of shallow water and go to deeper water or they had not been to the deep water during the night or some other reason related to fishing in deep water. But what I do know is that being obedient to God requires faith that takes us to places we have not been, or we perceive to be dangerous, or we perceive to be beyond our capability or level of comfort. That’s ok. To go to those places means we must depend on God to accomplish what we discern he is asking us to do out of an act of obedience. There is also a lesson in this story about being a fisher of people, being a conduit in which people see the goodness of God and the light found in Christ. We must love on people before we invite people to follow Christ. I know this is not true in every instance, but in our culture of mistrust and skepticism, I believe it to be vitally important if we are going to be a part of the work of God’s kingdom. Obedience requires deep faith which gives us discernment about great love which produces kingdom growth.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, as you daily call us to your work, give us a spirit of obedience and desire to be obedient to your will. Deepen our faith when needed to follow the call of obedience. Open our eyes of discernment to know the best pathway for the sake of your kingdom. May our obedient spirit, our deepening faith and our love for people always bear fruit for your sake, not ours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, July 14, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 4

Verse

17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:17-21

Meditation

The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry began in a desert of temptation and proceeded to the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. It was a place he frequented often. It was on this day Jesus declared his functional purpose and the next three years would be the fulfillment of that purpose on his way to the final act of his story. As he proclaimed his purpose those gathered were fixated on him. Hearing again the words proclaimed that would set us free in many different ways is a helpful exercise. So today, do we need to hear the good news? Are we prisoners or oppressed? Are we in need of favor? Are our eyes fastened on Him or are we seeking answers in all the wrong places? Those hearing this incredible good news spoke well of him until he identified himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy. And almost instantly they turned and rejected the good news, the freedom, maybe even the favor. Before Jesus could clear his throat they were plotting to kill him. The good news is often not the news we want to hear. The freedom is not what we anticipate. The favor is pictured different in our mind and we reject the gift. I invite you to release fear and deny rejection and have arms wide open to the places of transformation in your life that you place before the holiness of God. Trust that the purposes of Jesus are the best purposes and in some mysterious way his purposes for you will be manifested in your life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we enter this day with an openness to experience a fresh wind of your Spirit. We confess that too often we resent and reject when we should receive. Forgive us for quickly wanting to turn a deaf ear to your word and go our own way. We declare fulfillment of your word and truth in our life during the days ahead. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 3

Verse

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” - Luke 3:21-22

Meditation

After the resurrection, Jesus told his chosen disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and they would receive power. We are then told all people will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when we are redeemed by the blood of Christ through salvation. Luke’s first words about Jesus since age twelve tells us the Holy Spirit descended upon him as he prayed and in the context of being baptized. He prayed and the heavens were opened and the Spirit came. I believe the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus as he began his public ministry and the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and being promised to come upon every believer has a direct connection. The power of the Holy Spirit is the common denominator between the ministry of Jesus and our ministry now in the kingdom of God. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that God works in our life to bring salvation, healing, blessing and favor. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that God accomplishes great things for the sake of His kingdom through our life, work and ministry. We have limited capacity to honor God with our life apart from the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Two additional golden nuggets not to miss in these two short verses. The heavens were opened while Jesus was praying. The heavens are opened when we pray. Yes, we can pray with such power the heavens will be opened. You might not have ever thought of it in that way, but when the windows of heaven are opened through prayer our prayers are answered. And finally, remember your salvation story and at some point God spoke these words into your heart and mind, “You are my son, my daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Nothing has changed. God loves you as a son or daughter. Now open up the windows of heaven and live today and all your days with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, fall afresh upon each of us today with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Give us fervency of prayer that indeed the heavens will open. May we see evidence of the Spirit working in our life and through our life for the kingdom. May we be renewed in that precious moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit came upon us like a dove descending from heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 2

Verse

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him....28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him....36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher....37...She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Meditation

We’ve read or heard the first twenty verses of Luke 2 hundreds of times. The last fifty-two not so much. The first twenty verses have clear importance as they announce the birth of the Savior of the world who died for our sins so that we might have life and life more abundantly. The last verses have rich and important stories involving Jesus being presented at the Temple and twelve years later teaching at the Temple. We meet Simeon, a righteous and devout man, and Anna, a prophetess. Just eight days after the birth of Jesus these two spoke words of confirmation and affirmation into the anxious hearts of Joseph and Mary. Simeon and Anna were not just any two people who walked up to the Temple that day. They had credibility, Simeon being righteous and devout and Anna, get this, never, it says never, left the Temple and she worshiped day and night. She was righteous and devout. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was upon them. What they spoke was important to the hearers and to us, but they were invaluable words of truth to Joseph and Mary. Whenever you take a big step of faith, like giving birth to the Savior, words of confirmation that you heard from God correctly and words of affirmation that you are doing the right thing, are indeed more precious than silver, more costly than gold and more beautiful than diamonds. These words from two people full of the Spirit had to build confidence in the life of two people who were probably still wondering if all this was true and still feeling anxious moments. Joseph and Mary carried on with assurance. When walking by faith, when words of confirmation and affirmation come, they build confidence which gives assurance. God is good to do that for us. And, as a follower of Christ, you might have been the recipient of those words, Joseph and Mary, or be in a position to offer those words, Simeon and Anna, to someone else. Don’t miss the opportunity to receive or give.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of Simeon and Anna. Raise up more people like them who are so full of your Spirit that they can offer just the right words of assurance into people who are going way deep into the waters of faith. Give us ears to hear when they are being spoken to us. Give us the perfect words when we have an opportunity to speak into someone’s life. We yield our life to be on either side of the equation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 1:39-80

Verse

60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. - Luke 1:60-65

Meditation

When Zechariah was told by Gabriel his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son, he asked a very human question because of his human condition. He asked Gabriel how in the world that could happen because of their advancement in age. In other words, he was saying we are long past the child bearing age. We would have asked the same question. And the strangest thing happened. Zechariah was silenced in voice from that point forward until the baby was born. Why? Because he didn’t believe Gabriel’s words. Well, neither would we. It appears harsh and beyond reason. Zechariah appears innocent not knowing all the miracles about to unfold. We are left asking why. When we walk with the Lord and listen and desire to be obedient, events will follow that make no sense and even seem to be punitive in nature and we will never understand the why. Maybe the why for Zechariah is seen when he wrote the name his child would be called, John. He made a declaration which went against all norms of the day because there was no lineage for this name. His declaration fulfilled Elizabeth’s prior statement about his name. His mouth was opened and he began praising God. All the neighbors stood in awe and the entire region as well. That might be the why. The impact of the miracle of John’s birth was exponentially increased because of something none of us understand fully. It was in effect a miracle on top of a miracle on top of a miracle. Elizabeth conceives. His name is a name it should never be. Zechariah speaks. And all the people knew it was the hand of God that moved in their life. And the witness echoed throughout the entire region and people stood in awe. When we don’t know, simply don’t know, God knows, even when we appear perfectly innocent. Be patient. Your witness will bear fruit.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, keep us walking in obedience even when we ask the wrong questions or the right question at the wrong time. We don’t know the answers but we do know You, who has all the answers and will lead us to the right places to impact the kingdom in the greatest way. We trust you with all our heart. We want to live in that trust. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, July 10, 2023

Today’s Reading - Luke 1:1-38

Verse

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” - Luke 1:34-35

Meditation

Luke begins with an explanation of why it is written, under what authority it is written, and announces the soon coming birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. Whether it’s writing this book of the four Gospels, or giving birth to John or Jesus, we join with Mary and ask the question, “How can this be?” In fact, most days we walk through life and think at one point or another, “How can this be?” And certainly, as we think of the enormity of tasks and navigating life ahead of us, the question comes to mind. As we begin a midsummer Monday morning, let us be reminded that no matter what lies ahead of us, the angel spoke these words into the heart and mind of Mary in response to her question, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Reading the birth narrative of Jesus in July might seem a little odd, but it is never odd to be reminded of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Doing life in general and for the sake of God’s kingdom gets busy for each of us because of a wide range of reasons. Doing life gets challenging for each of us because of a wide range of reasons. Most are good reasons and we embrace the busyness and the challenge. There are some reasons which simply cause us to think that what we can see in our sights is way beyond our ability and our perceived capacity to accomplish or handle. And then there are some reasons which are so difficult to navigate we cannot see even a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel and just want to stop and cry or give up. Wherever you fit into the scheme of busyness and challenge in life or doing work for the sake of the kingdom, I encourage you to remind yourself of the words the angel spoke into Mary. Because they are true. We know they are, we just need to be reminded occasionally about the abiding presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Lean into Him when there is nothing else to lean into.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, for whatever lies ahead of us today, we pray for a spirit of humility to allow the Holy Spirit to go before us and lead us through this day. We pray for a supernatural work of the Spirit in all that we encounter. May time and thoughts be arranged to glorify you and your kingdom. Do not let us walk in our own strength. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 26

Verse

20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts. - Proverbs 26:20-22

Meditation

Very few things incite and fuel deep anger and fury like finding out gossip is being told about us, our family, or a close friend. There is something very cruel about telling something that is not true which harms the character of another person. Most of us have experienced telling a true story with the right motives but getting the facts incorrect and then having to undo the harm that may have occurred. Most often we can avoid all these situations if we don’t tell the story until we are certain of the facts or determine if it’s absolutely necessary. Don’t gossip. Consider if a story is helpful in bringing resolution or health to a situation before you tell it. Be the one who does not add fuel to an already raging fire. Be the one who doesn’t offer tempting morsels to a palate. I believe Christ-like character is often silence in many situations where more harm than good can be done. As we often say “take the high road” and seek to be a reconciler and not an inciter. Somewhere in this conversation is where compassion and mercy and grace come in. And good common sense. Christ would be pleased if we exhibited all of these.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, silence us when we need to be silenced. Give us discernment to know when harm is being done. Forgive us for being the one who adds fuel to the fires of the heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 30, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 24

Verse

3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. 5 The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength. 6 Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers. 7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths. 8 Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer. - Proverbs 24:3-8

Meditation

A mistake is made if wisdom and knowledge or understanding are seen as the same principle. Wisdom and knowledge are two different principles. We read scripture and so very quickly in our minds the two are interchanged and we will miss the true meaning of many proverbs if we fall into that mindset. One way to understand the difference is to define knowledge as learning and knowing information and wisdom as learning and knowing information and having discernment in applying the information to many situations. It is not that clear cut because indeed wisdom involves knowledge and vice-versa. There are many knowledgeable people who lack wisdom but there are very few wise people who lack knowledge. Then, add the spiritual dimension to the equation and the plot thickens and wisdom takes on an even higher stature. As followers of Christ we are seeking godly wisdom which comes through the Spirit working in and through our heart, soul and mind. Our thoughts and actions then model the character of God. We desperately need people in our society with high moral character. Apply verse five to this line of thought beginning with the last phrase first. People operating within knowledge muster what, their own strength. The wise prevail through what, great power. Wisdom allows us to correctly navigate through the most difficult situations and seize the full extent of healthy situations. Godly wisdom is the power within us to operate beyond ourselves to the astonishment of the observer. I have learned a very clear understanding of this truth in recent months. There is a huge difference in a person being smart and clever and one being wise and discerning. Our society is enamored by people who are smart and clever but needs people who are wise and discerning. Throughout this wisdom literature there is clear demarcation between the wise and the fool. Godly wisdom comes to us when knowledge, discernment and the power of the Holy Spirit intersect.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, implant in us godly wisdom. Let us seek sound knowledge, discernment of application, and the power of the Holy Spirit working in harmony in our hearts and minds. We confess trying to be operational within our own strength and not relying on wisdom from the heavenly realms. Forgive us we pray. Give us a desire to live as wise people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 23

Verse

15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; 16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. 18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. - Proverbs 23:15-18

Meditation

Matters of the heart are always important, both physical and spiritual. We’ve learned that recently as we have studied the story of David. Most people do not intentionally neglect the matters of the physical heart. They will at least find out what the problem is and do one of two things. They will follow the advice of the physician with the expectation the issue will be resolved or ignore it to some degree and take their chances. We really don’t have a choice when it comes to the spiritual matters of the heart. We should both discover any issues with our heart and heed the instruction from the Great Physician. We are encouraged to seek a wise heart, not envy the heart of a sinner, and be zealous for the fear of the Lord. The prognosis is great and there will be a positive result. Hope is bound to the condition of our heart. In many different ways almost every day we are reminded to check our heart. Some of the reminders have spiritual context, some do not. It might be a good day to have a spiritual checkup of your heart. No appointment necessary. Just some alone time with God. Seek wisdom, experience joy. Avoid the heart of a sinner, instead, be passionate for God’s heart. King David teaches us the importance of staying focused on the heart of God. The results are good when the advice is followed. Gladness, rejoicing and a future hope awaits.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, open our eyes to the inventory of our heart. May we be keenly aware of what occupies and controls our heart. May it be wise and life giving. May we have a heart that is in awe of you. Remove what harms and destroys us so only goodness resides in its depths. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 22

Verse

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, 23 for the Lord will take up their case and will exact life for life. - Proverbs 22:22-23

Meditation

Impact operates by the ripple effect. Thoughts, words and actions impact many more than originally intended. Our intentions might be pure, but amazement comes when we discover how far the impact reached. This can be both positive and negative. Our text is clearly a negative example and issues a clear warning. Let’s dig deeper. I don’t believe a person sincerely following Christ is going to intentionally exploit the poor or crush the needy, in court or out of court. I do believe we unintentionally make decisions which are to our benefit but are detrimental to others and we don’t realize it. These situations arise because we don’t slow down and ask the question about the negative impact on people. I mentioned this briefly yesterday about making a right decision but creating injustice for someone else. Let’s be aware of the potential negative effect of people on decisions we make which appear on the surface as right and good. Not in our text but worth mentioning is the positive effect of the ripple effect. A simple illustration is a kind word spoken to someone in an unexpected context. It might make their day! And because you made their day it will inspire them to do it for someone else and we never know how far it might go. Another one is the idea of paying it forward. Being the recipient of the person in front of you in the fast food drive thru can be a blessing. Imagine the blessing if that act was paid forward to a person who was counting change to pay for their order or wondered if their debit card would be accepted. Most importantly, a word of hope that is only found in Christ to someone desperately seeking could change not one life but dozens. We never know. Be mindful of the ripple effect, both negatively and positively.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may the Holy Spirit quicken our hearts and minds to make us keenly aware of the impact of every thought and deed which comes from our life. Do not let us harm others in decisions which benefit us. Let us act rightly and justly. Let us lean into the power of the gospel and its effect on many, many lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 21

Verse

3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. - Proverbs 21:3

Meditation

As I read scripture, I want more explanation more often than not. The Proverbs are a classic example, especially in chapters like 21 where each verse seems to jump from subject to subject to subject. I want the writer to have paused and helped me understand because I need some further explanation when I read that something, anything, is more acceptable than sacrifice. In my mind sacrifice takes us to a whole new level of faith. We can do what is right and just but when compared to sacrifice it seems the lesser act of obedience. God sacrificed his Son has great meaning to us and I think that frames our understanding of the depth of sacrifice. How can doing what is right and just be more acceptable? Instead of the writer pausing and explaining further to make it easier for me, truth comes when we pause and dig deeper to understand. Sacrifice was common practice for not only the Israelites, but for every religion as well. It was done for right reasons and many more wrong reasons. In the sight of God, much of the sacrifice common to that day was very unacceptable. The combination of doing right and just was not as common and it takes looking at the context of the law to make sense of this statement. Only by Godly direction could one do what is right and just. People could do one of the other, but they couldn’t do both without the hand of the Lord upon them. We have to be careful not to separate out our behavior apart from all the expectations of behavior. Doing what is right requires it to be just as well. Doing what is just requires it to be right as well. Kindness is not right if it is to the detriment of other people. We cannot help one person and that act causes harm to another person. It might be the right thing but it isn’t the just thing. Our behavior in Christ requires us to be mindful of all the directives of truth which guide our behavior.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that doing what is right and just this day will include the obedience and sacrifice you seek from us. Let us not sacrifice to look more righteous than others, but let us do what is right and just and sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 26, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 20

Verse

12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both. - Proverbs 20:12

Meditation

What is available and what we think is available are two different things all together. That holds true in many areas of life, especially in resources. From simple to complex. You might think you have enough food for a special occasion, but then realize before everyone is served there was a miscalculation along the way. We often think we have the ability or resources to complete a task but realize we overestimated time or talent or materials. We read scripture passages that reference “eyes to see and ears to hear” and for some reason we dismiss it as not applicable to our life. That becomes problematic when the phrase is associated with a stern warning, meaning we better have eyes to see and ears to hear or there will be grave consequences to follow. The other problem I believe this assumption creates is that if God has made them both, then we are recipients of both. We have at our disposal the resources to see and hear in the spiritual realm. Do not take that lightly. Don’t dismiss a resource you have because you find yourself in a difficult situation or the discernment opens the door for an unwanted outcome. Transformation into the likeness of Christ requires eyes to see and ears to hear in order that we clearly understand the truth of God and not set it aside as unimportant. The thoughts and ways of the Lord are greater than ours. We need help to see and hear. God has given us the ability. It can require lots of effort and great patience, but has great reward in the end. Let’s use what God has created.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, open our eyes and ears to see and hear all the depth of meaning of everything you pour into our life. Don’t let us pass by one teaching moment. Help us see through the surface to get to the heart of what matters to you. We pray for transforming power to be manifested in our lives through open eyes and open ears. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

July 2 Fourth of July Worship

Sunday, July 2, is going to be a great day of patriotic singing and preaching as we celebrate our freedom in America and our freedom in Christ.

We will have one worship service at 10:00 am. You will experience Dr. John Stallsmith amplifying the patriotic hymns like none other. We will conclude the current sermon series on David as well.

Additionally, we are having a Church-wide Fellowship Brunch at Five Loaves at the conclusion of the service. A very short and easy walk to great food and fellowship. The cost is $10 per person or $20 per family.

Please respond to this email if you are joining us for the brunch. I only need to know how many. Or you can make your reservation during worship tomorrow. We have to have a minimum of 50 people to eat so please join us!

I hope you will join us for this great day of worship and fellowship.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 18

Verse

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. - Proverbs 18:10

Meditation

There are literally dozens and dozens of proper names for God in the Bible and hundreds of descriptive references to God’s name as well. If you think of the Trinitarian names God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, and then every proper name associated with them along with descriptive references, you begin to see the length and breadth of His name. You probably have a favorite. Savior. Shepherd. Healer. Take a moment and think about your favorite name or reference. It is probably your favorite because when you needed Him the most he manifested himself to you in that way. Biblical names were powerful and represented character. The Israelites often needed protection as they were attacked from not one but almost every other existing nation. We are reminded the Lord is, even in his name, is a source of protection for each of us. I don’t know about you but I will pray for a hedge of protection when I perceive my situation to be fertile ground for Satan to do everything possible to seek, kill and destroy. I want the Lord as my strong tower to be encamped around me. The word strong in this passage implies fortified. The Lord is not only strong in the sense of who he is, but in the mystery of what he does, he is a fortified tower that goes before us. It is that name we call on when we need protection and safety from what tries to tear us down. Run to the strong tower and know with confidence you are protected.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we run to you for protection from every side and from every scheme of the devil. Let evil be knocked aside at every attempt to attack us. Let us experience a safe place in you in whatever we face today. We want to find our place in the strong tower of your arms. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 16

Verse

3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. 9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. -

Proverbs 16:3, 9

Meditation

We plan, we commit, and the Lord orders our steps. These are two similar proverbs so I have put them together because they make up a good way forward in life. The first of the two verses is a general principle. Simply put, have a life principle to commit everything to the Lord and he will guide your life. I believe the second is a result of the first and is a promise we can hold on to if we commit what we do to the Lord, he establishes steps as we plan. The process then looks like this. We yield our life to the Lord, we do our part and plan, and then we obey God’s plans and the details He lays before us. Following the Lord requires us to plan with wisdom then have an attitude of surrender and obedience. All of that has to work together. If we fail to be attentive to any of the three, we will surely take missteps. Most of us will do our part of planning and setting forth the course of action. The question is have we sought godly wisdom in the planning process. We can surrender without then being obedient and we render our surrender ineffective. We can obey without surrendering and we are left with some doubt as to who we are being obedient to. It is easy to make mistakes when it comes to obedience. Following our own thoughts seems much easier than what is often the harder way of the Lord. Following temptations from who knows where is often disastrous as well. We need to be mindful to commit our ways unto the Lord and then obedient to follow the instruction from Him. We need God to establish plans and steps.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give us courage to surrender all our thoughts and plans into the heavenly realms. May they be pleasing to you. Give us courage to obey your ways even when the way seems hard and not how we envisioned the outcome. Give us clarity of planning, committing and obeying. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 15

Verse

16 Better is having a little with the fear of the Lord, than having great wealth with turmoil. 17 Better is a meal with vegetables where there is love, than a fatted calf with hatred. - Proverbs 15:16-17

Meditation

Less is more. We’ve heard that short phrase often but it is hard to reconcile in the minds of most of us who live in a country of plenty and a culture which screams often, more is more. We encounter the truth of these verses more often than we are willing to admit when experience bears out its truth. Great wealth and the best of the best is championed and when attained, there is a lack of the very things being sought after. This is not a recent development, it has been true since the beginning of time. The biblical account, especially the Old Testament, yields story after story of people seeking contentment or happiness in wealth or possessions only to find out life is more miserable than ever before. When monetary wealth and possessions blind us to fearing the Lord and loving as Christ loved, then we have missed the mark. Evil is not found in being financially wealthy or in obtaining possessions which bring great pleasure, but when either of these causes us to become weaker in our relationship with the Lord, not fearing Him, or failing to live out the commandment to love, then we find ourselves in a detrimental position. Do not compromise your position before the Lord in order to gain the possessions of the world. Less is more at that point.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to see what will distract us from being fully engaged with You on a spiritual level. If things get in our way, then help us to understand less is more, that doing with little will allow our relationship with you to flourish. We want to always stand in awe of you and love according to your word. Be our guide in all things. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 14

Verse

12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. - Proverbs 14:12

Meditation

This Spring the small groups I lead studied the book of Ruth which follows the book of Judges which ends with, “In those days Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their eyes.” Israel’s history can best be described as utter chaos during this period when there was no king. During this period the nation was without an earthly king, but what resulted was behavior which made it obvious the people lost sight of their spiritual King! I was reminded of this period of history and the eye-opening verse describing it as I read chapter 14 this morning. We live in a period of time when so many things look right through the eyes of humanity, but are just wrong. There is no other way to describe it and it’s not hard to understand. Simply stated, human beings have an inadequate filter to determine right from wrong. In theological language, it’s referred to as the fallen nature of humanity. In order to distinguish right from wrong, we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit yet we are determined to make decisions on our own because they appear to be right, feel good, or it’s popular in the moment. Solomon is pretty clear, when we make decisions based on what appears to be right without filtering it through the Holy Spirit and the word of truth found in God’s Word, then we are on a pathway to spiritual death. The encouragement and influence of culture is to think and act through the lens of humanity and ignore the lens of God’s Spirit. It will appear to be right, and can feel right for a period of time, and actually be right to some extent, but be warned, it will eventually lead to death. If something is not in alignment with scriptural truth, there is a better way to follow which leads to life and not death.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, shut out eyes to the things which appear to be right which are truly wrong. Help us to see only through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in our life. Steer us away from those things which lead to death and toward the life-giving ways of your word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 13

Verse

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. -

Proverbs 13:12

Meditation

If you are following along in the Devotion Guide, today’s reading was Proverbs 613. I couldn’t find it so I’m going to defer to chapter 13. Yesterday, we focused mainly on the hope found in the promise of eternal life in the presence of God. Today I want to focus on hope found in the present as a Christ-follower. There would be many difficult days if our only hope lies in the eternal. Influencing someone to a better way of life through a relationship with Jesus Christ would be next to impossible if our only hope is found in the eternal. The beauty of our relationship with Christ is the assurance of his activity in our life now through the work and power of the Holy Spirit. The knowledge that Jesus Christ makes a difference in our life at this very moment is powerful and gives us present hope as it tracks alongside our understanding of hope in spending eternity in the presence of God. Knowing Christ is present and active in our life, transforming us into his likeness is life-giving. Knowing Christ gives strength when we experience life crashing down in front of us or heartbrokenness overwhelming us is life-giving. Comfort when we hurt or mourn, direction when we don’t know the way, and unexplainable peace and joy are a few more ways hope comes not as deferred, but fulfilled in the here and now. Experiencing the power and presence of Christ gives hope which sustains us when our tank draws close to empty. From the tree of life comes a measure of hope to keep us going. Spiritual hope is both a present reality and a future blessing.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, for every time we have felt hopeless and we’ve regained hope through your presence and power we give thanks and acknowledge your goodness. When we least expect it you are there to give hope. May we abide constantly in your hope as we look forward with hopeful anticipation of an eternity spent with you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 16, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 12

Verse

28 In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. - Proverbs 12:28

Meditation

After spending two days behind schedule because I forgot we read two chapters on Tuesday, I’ll catch up today. There are many proverbs in this chapter about truth telling and hard work as well as the use of words that sound very harsh, words that make us cringe a little if heard today. And the chapter ends with a proverb which sounds like it should be found in the New Testament. Eternal life is not foreign to the old covenant, but is much more prominent in the new. After giving us a dozen or more bits of wisdom about righteousness in the previous chapter, we get this summation statement to end this one. The way of righteousness is our way of life, not just now, but it leads to ultimate immortality. Not immortality of our present existence, but immortality in the sense of spending an eternity in the heavenly realms. Living in a right relationship with God is indeed what gives life and life more abundantly. The extension of abundant life now is eternal life with God. Let the hope of right living be an encouragement today. Let the hope of eternity be an encouragement today. Live righteously so as not to diminish that hope. Live in the journey, live along the path that is immortality.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of eternal life that is our sure foundation. Thank you for the pathway of righteousness which is blessing and favor and abundant living now and eternal life to come. May we live in the encouragement and joy of that blessing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 10

Verse

9 The man (person) of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. - Proverbs 10:9

Meditation

We begin reading a bulk of the wisdom of Solomon himself. He writes totally different than the other writer(s) of the first nine chapters. We would say at first glance that Solomon has attention and focus issues. Thirty-two verses in chapter ten and thirty-two subjects. Many are related and some are very similar, but all convey a different message. That’s Solomon! I trust God and His wisdom that he directed the writing and the inclusion in the canon of scripture to be exactly what was intended. And Solomon will hit home with every proverb. It will be hard to disagree with any of them. The issue of integrity being one of them because we desperately need men and women of integrity, I mean desperately need in our day and time, to step to the forefront and be the influencers in our communities. Integrity is having the quality of honesty and strong moral principles and it doesn’t change with your circumstances or the context you find yourself in. A person of integrity will be the same person at church on Sunday that is leading a company on Monday through Friday. A person who lacks integrity will try to impress people with their godliness on Sunday and treat people with godless character at the office on Monday through Friday. You get my point. People of integrity will be the same person with the same integrity wherever they are. It never changes. We probably all agree that dealing with people who lack integrity is very frustrating and our tendency is to want to fix the person. I’m learning to let the course of events unfold. The person who lacks integrity, who takes crooked paths, will eventually be found out. Don’t be that person. It’s not biblical. Integrity is biblical.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, raise up men and women, students, children, who are persons of integrity and will live that in every circumstance of their life. Change us all to be those people whose integrity is never questioned. Help us to be honest people of high and strong moral character. Forgive us for changing like the direction of the wind. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 9

Verse

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. - Proverbs 9:10-12

Meditation

Twice as much. Double the amount. There are twice as many verses in this chapter about the value of following the Lord verses chasing the ways of the world. It is a natural part of our makeup to want wisdom and knowledge. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize there is a direct connection between wisdom and knowledge becoming extremely beneficial in our life and being grounded in spiritual principles. Living in awe of God and having an intimate relationship with Him will get you on the correct path to wisdom and understanding. When these two are reduced to making straight A’s or having keen intuition apart from a relationship with the Lord, we find ourselves in a difficult position. What has happened is wisdom is reduced to something we can do on our own. Wisdom, and the understanding related to it, come only from God. There may be some appearance in one’s life of being wise and understanding situations or human behavior, but in reality if it is not grounded in the word of God it will eventually disappear or be proven wrong. Many people make what appear to be wise statements but close examination would reveal it to be just good ole common sense. Wisdom goes much deeper than that. Wisdom comes when we live in holy awe of a holy God and spending time learning more and more about Him and His ways. When we do that, wisdom will be imparted into our life and we might not even know it. Go all in with God and you will quietly be one of the wisest people on the planet. With wisdom comes humility. Only you and the Lord need to know how wise you are. Your thoughts and actions will speak volumes.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for insight into living in holy awe of you and a yearning to know more about you and your ways. Forgive us for believing we can attain all things through our human mind. Some things only come from you. Help us to be wise and to live wisely through your presence and power. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 8

Verse

4 “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. 5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. 6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. 7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. 8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.” - Proverbs 8:4-8

Meditation

From the first moment of creation God has sought after the heart of humanity. We are reminded of this expression of God’s grace today. He calls out, he meets us in the places we travel, he is more interested in calling out and seeking us than we ever are to listen and find him. Throughout this entire chapter we are given reason after reason to avail ourselves to hear the word from the Lord. Oh we can seek him, and should, but think of the beauty of knowing that God is not just waiting to hear from us, He is intentionally calling out and seeking to gain the affection of our heart. It is a mistake to get locked into thinking we will only experience the movement of God in our life as a result of our crying out to him or knocking on his door. God operates that way but is not the only way. For all the time we are asking, seeking and knocking, know that God is crying out to our ears infinitely more. That’s the grace of God at work when we don’t know it. We learn in this chapter today a long list of reasons to want and need to hear the voice of God calling out to us. Reread just the verses above. Put a circle in your mind around all the reasons we should listen when God calls. What He says is trustworthy, right, true, just, detest wickedness and are not crooked or perverse. The prophet Isaiah spoke no truer words when he said God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways greater than our ways. Spend some time today honestly and intentionally identifying the ways God is calling out to you. And listen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pause in the hustle and bustle of our day to stop and wonder, to listen, to hear from you. Give us the pause we need today. Stop us when you are calling our name. May the affection of our heart toward you grow stronger as a result of listening and hearing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 7

Verse

1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” 5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. - Proverbs 7:1-5

Meditation

It is critically important that each of us is rock solid, 100% certain about the principles that are guiding our life. Whatever those principles are we have to keep them, guard them, protect them and permanently secure them. As one who seeks to follow after the image of Christ, our principles are the principles of scripture, the commands and teachings of God’s Word. These first four verses are written to protect a young man against the temptation of adultery but they apply to any temptation of any sin we will face. Temptation of sin works pretty much universally regardless of the nature of a particular sin. It is seductive, persuasive and deceiving. Temptation will often come to a place of vulnerability in our life, pull at our deepest emotional strings with an airtight argument and promise us results which are simply not true. We can be hit square in the face and fall prey to sin before we even know what hit us. The language of the proverbs makes what is being taught very understandable. Everybody understands how fond of and protective of those things we call the apple of our eye. We don’t want to lose it at any cost. Keep the word of the Lord, guard the word of the Lord, protect the word of the Lord, put it in every place possible so that the word of the Lord guides you in every moment of your life. It will keep you from falling prey to the temptation of sin, which the writer says in the last verse of this chapter, is the highway to the grave and leads to the chambers of death. You don’t want that. And neither do I.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, tie up your word in our heart and give us the tools to guard and protect it and live by it. We need your help to keep us from sin, that which we recognize and that which we never saw coming. We walk in your word and your word alone as our guiding principles. Write them on the tablet of our heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, June 10, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 6

Verse

16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 ➀ haughty eyes, ➁ a lying tongue, ➂ hands that shed innocent blood, 18 ➃ a heart that devises wicked schemes, ➄ feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 ➅ a false witness who pours out lies and ➆ a person who stirs up conflict in the community. - Proverbs 6:16-19

Meditation

When the scripture says the Lord hates something and the meaning is clear, we have no option other than paying close attention. Go ahead and scratch these seven off the list of acceptable behavior. No questions asked. You cannot justify them with circumstances. You cannot excuse the behavior. Just go ahead and understand these seven things are wrong and are not looked upon favorably in the sight of God. In fact, the strongest language in scripture regarding how God looks upon something is used in these verses. This does not mean that in our human frailty we will not fall prey to this behavior, but if so then go ahead and admit your guilt, know that at a minimum you have hurt yourself and in some cases others are involved. Thank goodness the Lord loves some things, like mercy and grace. Thank goodness we don’t get what we deserve and in exchange God replaces this hurtful behavior with healthy behavior. The double whammy of mercy and grace is a beautiful thing. Notice the seven things listed are things that bring great pleasure in a corrupt culture or in the mind of a person more influenced by wrong than by right. Every person has at some point been part of the pleasure related to one of those listed. Transformation to the likeness of Christ will eliminate these seven things from your heart. It might be instantaneous for some, for others it might be a difficult process. But what the Lord loves always has greater power than what he hates and detests. Go back and read them again. You cannot play with fire without getting burned. Read verses 27 and 28 of this chapter. It’s time to scratch these seven off your behavioral list.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we declare over our life the elimination of behavior which you hate. Through your power may we be delivered from the destruction and consequences of our hurtful behavior. Help us to focus on the things which you love and live in the behavior which brings health and life to us and others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 5

Verse

21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. 22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. 23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly. - Proverbs 5:21-23

Meditation

It is quite unnerving when we find out someone knows something about us or something we have done and we are thinking all along very few people, if anyone, knows. We wonder how they found out. We wonder what they think. So on and so forth. Be reminded this morning that the Lord sees very clearly all our ways and everything we do he examines. He just doesn’t see, he examines. We know this. Right? People admit it all the time yet we behave as if we can sneak something by God. This chapter is specifically talking about adultery in the sense of a husband and wife relationship. No one would argue the destructive nature of this behavior. For a moment let’s look beyond the specific nature of adultery and consider the general principle. You might want to think of behavior in general. Synonyms of adultery include unfaithfulness and disloyalty which expands the application of this chapter to those who may not identify with this chapter and then just write it off as something that does not apply. An argument can be made that in any relationship if there is unfaithfulness or disloyalty the consequences mentioned here may apply to us. Lack of discipline in the area of faithfulness leads to spiritual decay and destruction. Maybe death. Think of all the levels of faithfulness that apply to your life. This is the destructive nature of adultery in a general sense which covers many areas. As we read Proverbs, think beyond the specifics of the illustration to think in general terms of application. Today, faithfulness is the topic, not just when talking about adultery, but every aspect of life where faithfulness applies. Be faithful, or expect fracture to appear in the relationship.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, keep us faithful in our relationship with you, our loving Father, and in all the other relationships in our life. Make us aware when we are walking down an evil path which leads to destruction. Forgive us for our folly. May we be more disciplined in our faithfulness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 4

Verse

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. - Proverbs 4:18-19

Meditation

A quick view these days of all roads leading to the beaches of Alabama and Florida will send a clear message it’s vacation season and the beaches are probably full. Most people love to admire the beauty of sunsets, and there are a few, me included, who really enjoy watching the sun rise from a balcony or beach view. The sun rising on a clear day has its own beauty and points to things being good and right if you know what I mean. The rising sun speaks of new beginnings and a sense of hopefulness. You get that feeling just seeing its beauty. It activates your sixth sense of intuition and discernment and sense the day is going to be perfect. The opposite effect happens when you awaken to clouds, darkness and rain. There is no biblical language around this next thought but I believe it to be a biblical principle. The Holy Spirit residing in us is our “spiritual sixth sense” and will help us activate a spirit-guided intuition to know if something is right and good or will lead us to darkness and wickedness. We have to pay attention when we get that feeling that something is not right or that something is incredibly beautiful and right. We need spirit-led intuition to discern between the Spirit’s leading and the deception of evil. The Holy Spirit is our hedge of protection against the deception and influence of evil in our thoughts and actions. When we seek the Spirit’s guidance, our sixth sense will lead us correctly and the path of righteousness will look like that rising sun from your favorite beach or mountain vista. Pick your spot. See the rising sun. See the path of righteousness.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we see you and sense your Spirit in the rising sun and seek the path of righteousness for our life. Guard us from darkness when it attacks us. Give us a keen awareness of our spiritual sixth sense which will lead and guide us. Be our hedge of protection at all times. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 3

Verse

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:3-6

Meditation

The most familiar proverbs are found in chapter three, our focus today, or in chapter 31, the proverbs related to a godly woman. In fact, you have probably memorized verses five and six at some point in your life. They are worth memorizing. The preceding two verses are valuable for practical living and we shouldn’t pass those by. There is great wisdom in letting love and forgiveness go before you in all things. We are given two metaphors to show how important these two spiritual fruits are and would have been clearly understood by the original readers. The first is to bind them around your neck which seems ridiculous until you think of the importance in their culture of being yoked, connected physically and spiritually, to someone like a priest. Being yoked was a sign of unbreakable connection. Oxen were yoked to the farmer through the harness of the plow. The other is writing them on the tablet of your heart, This would make it part of the essence of their being. It is highly significant. The result? Winning favor and having a good name in the sight of God and man. Pretty important I would say. There is so much to say about verses five and six but I want to focus on one word, acknowledge. The basic tenet of faith is to trust in the Lord and not our own minds. But there is more to faith and following Christ than just acknowledging God which can sidetrack us if we use the first definition of acknowledge that comes to mind. It can be dangerous as well. To acknowledge something means by definition you affirm its existence. Knowing God exists is of no value unless we choose to submit to him and be obedient to his ways. The root word for acknowledge is the same word which can be translated submit and that is actually a better translation. Don’t get sidetracked because you memorized this verse with acknowledge in verse six or that’s the way you have read it all your life. Do more than acknowledge. Submit to him and obey his ways. Submission and obedience lead to the benefit of this piece of wisdom, our paths being made straight. A familiar verse becomes powerful when rightly understood. And truth be told, spiritually speaking we all want to walk on straight paths.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, yoke us with your love and forgiveness and help us to gain favor in your eyes. Gaining favor and a good name in the eyes of man is a bonus, we want that first in your eyes. Help us to understand greater submission and obedience as it relates to our life. We want to be known without question as a follower of Christ and if we need to submit more to your ways let it be so. Forgive us for resisting at times the pathway to growing our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 2

Verse

5 . . . then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. - Proverbs 2:5

Meditation

Most everyone is interested in the benefits of participation, whether it be an exercise, taking vitamins or attending a class. If a physician prescribes a pill or procedure, it is natural to ask about the benefits. Little time is wasted in helping us understand the benefits of wisdom of which this entire book was written. One of the first things that is made clear is that the benefits of wisdom are conditional. A misunderstanding about scripture is that all the promises and benefits are unconditional. Simply not true. God’s love is unconditional. Very few other things are. Wisdom comes because of the conditions outlined in the first few verses and then verse five sums up the collective benefit of wisdom. There are three conditions which all begin with the word “if.” If we do something, a benefit will follow. What must we do? Accept. Call. Determination. Accepting the word of the Lord is followed by obedience to apply them to our life. Calling or crying out indicated initiative on our part to seek wisdom from the heart of God. Looking and searching means we will have passion or determination to continually seek until we find. If you look at the teachings of Jesus he echoed all three of these conditions and necessary to follow him. The benefits are summed up in verse five. Two key words are given, understand and find, which point to two more key words, fear and knowledge. If we meet the conditions, then we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. It is worth pointing out the two names used in reference to our Father in heaven. The first is Yahweh, the proper name for God, the most holy name the people of Israel feared because it represented a level of holiness no one understood. The second is Elohim, the most common name for God and represents all that God is, every characteristic of God wrapped up in one name. We need to understand the reverent awe of Yahweh and find all the character of Elohim. The benefit of these proverbs of wisdom is having our eyes and hearts opened to everything that God is, both spiritually and intellectually. We will best follow Christ with a clear understanding of both.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we bow humbly before you to accept your words, to cry out for your insights and to passionately seek out the treasure you have laid before us. Let us not falsely think that our understanding will come without conditions. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive all you have for us as your children. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Today’s Reading - Proverbs 1

Verse

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.- Proverbs 1:1-6

Meditation

We might as well start with the reasons why the Proverbs were written if we are going to spend a month reading them. Solomon was wise enough (no pun intended) to give us this information. Depending on how they are counted, there are eight reasons. A case could be made for several more but I think things are coupled together for a reason. I want to list them for ease of reading. As you read, think about the importance of the reason to a life of faith, then go back and read a few verses and see for yourself which one of the reasons apply. I will use verse seven as an example. Also, while reading the Proverbs you will read the word “fool” many times. Please understand it does not include the disrespectful undertones as it does today, but refers to a person who is morally bankrupt.

1. For gaining wisdom and instruction

2. For understanding words of insight

3. For receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair

4. Giving prudence to those who are simple

5. Knowledge and discretion to the young

6. Let the wise listen and add to their learning

7. Let the discerning get guidance

8. Understanding the proverbs, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

Verse seven teaches us how to attain wisdom and exposes those who despise wisdom and instruction. The parables will fall into one of these eight categories and be helpful for faithful living. First, fear or be in awe and respect of the Lord. It’s the key to all learning and growing to become more like Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, open our hearts and minds to absorb all that is to be learned in the next days of reading the Proverbs. May we find something useful and instructional each and every day. We seek your wisdom to be imparted in us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, June 3, 2023

Today’s Reading - 2 Timothy 4

Verse

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Meditation

King Charles III was crowned the King of the United Kingdom in a coronation ceremony on May 6, 2023, eight months after the passing of his mother, Elizabeth II. It was very ornate to say the least and I’m sure quite expensive. (pictured) His crown, although of great significance to many, will pale in comparison to the one those who have followed Christ and longed for his appearing will receive along with Paul. King Charles had waited almost 74 years to receive his crown and it was a huge ordeal, viewed around the world. Paul had ascended to one of the highest ranks among the Jewish pharisees, then, after his stunning conversion had poured out his life for the sake of the Gospel. He received a crown viewed by the entirety of the heavenly realm just like we will. YouTube will make much of the crowning of King Charles III. Our Father in heaven will make so much more of us when He places a crown of righteousness upon our head. There will be rejoicing and celebration as our Father welcomes us into the heavenly realm with a crown. We don’t really comprehend royal lineage and living that lifestyle. We can comprehend the reality of being a part of heaven’s royal family because it is promised and we should all be longing for the experience of that day whenever it comes each and every moment of our life. It will be a day like none other when we experience that moment when the King of all Kings places upon us a crown of righteousness as the reward of a life well done following Christ all the days of our life. We are royalty and will one day receive a crown!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we have a longing in our heart for the day we will receive our crown of righteousness when you receive us at your right hand. We thank you for preparing a crown for each of us even when we don’t deserve it or can not earn it. You think that much of us and for that we are grateful. Lead us into a humble life of royalty in these present days. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, June 2, 2023

Today’s Reading - 2 Timothy 3

Verse

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Meditation

There will be last days. Paul gives us some of the characteristics of people’s behavior in the last days. He calls them terrible. I have no way of knowing if we are in the last days. Nobody does. I do know that many of the things Paul describes are characteristic of the days we are living in now. He calls them terrible and in a very straightforward way says have nothing to do with these people exhibiting wrongful behavior. What he means by that is don’t emulate their behavior. Another side of last days which I consider terrible as well is knowing there are people who are not spiritually ready for the last days. That makes for the worst kind of last days. We don’t know the time this present age will come to a close so we really have no choice but to be ready now if we are concerned at all about eternal life. We should also have some sense of urgency for family and friends who are apart from God. Dealing with ungodly behavior is one thing, being separated from God eternally is quite another thing. I’m not taking any chances. I’m going to be as ready as possible if we are indeed embarking on or participating in the last days. I’m seeking God’s power to guide me in the truth of walking as a Christ-follower every moment of my life. I trust you are as well.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I declare Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I ask you to empower me to walk in that truth. Forgive me for the things which break covenant with you. Lead me in the way of righteousness because I desire to live with you throughout eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Today’s Reading - 2 Timothy 2

Verse

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2:15

Meditation

Just getting by is becoming a normative way of doing things. It is sad but necessary because of a wide variety of factors including legitimate ones like apparent worker shortages and supply chain issues. It becomes frustrating when you discover there is a simple lack of having pride in performance or just an unwillingness to work hard which reduces the quality of the product. Some things we can’t control, some things we can. We can control our spiritual journey and Paul’s word to young Timothy and to us is “Do your best.” It shouldn’t be shocking or anything new because for most of us our parents tried to instill that value in us. We are taught in scripture repeatedly the principle of spiritual maturity, holiness, excellence in faith, bearing the image of Christ, and serving the kingdom in all godliness. Spiritually speaking, the scriptures do not teach us a value of just getting by in our faith, but establishing the value of spiritual excellence in matters of faith and practice. And it makes sense. We should never want to experience shame or be accused of poor work and it couldn’t be more true than when considering our witness and our proclamation of truth. “Do your best” is not a call to works righteousness, it is a reminder that we honor God the best when we give our best. Your spiritual demeanor will attract more people to Christ when a foundational spiritual principle is excellence in all things. We do our best when we include bible study and prayer as a regular part of each and every day and worship is normative. Neglecting the basics is a willingness to just get by. Be excellent, do your best.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we confess that too many days we just want to get by and we neglect the very things you want most out of your children. Forgive us, we pray. Order our days and our time so there is never a desire to get by until the next day. Help us to understand that giving attention to our relationship with you and being excellent in all spiritual matters will be reflected in every part of our life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Today’s Reading - 2 Timothy 1

Verse

5 I am 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. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but gave us a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Meditation

The roll call of names of the people who have poured into our spiritual life should be powerfully significant to each of us. You are where you are today in relationship to Jesus Christ because of people who spiritually invested in you. Those people should never be taken for granted. Think about your list. For Timothy, it was his grandmother and mother who poured into him and it resulted in sincere faith. Out of the faith which has been nurtured in us, we are able to begin fanning the flame of the Holy Spirit within us to experience the fullness of God which includes living in divine power, the extravagant love of the Father, and righteous thinking led by the Spirit. Hear me. With the gift of salvation comes the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and with the gift of the Holy Spirit comes power, love and right-thinking, or self-discipline. We have that gift and we need to claim it and exercise it! We do not have to live in weakness, emotional indifference, or recklessness. Paul goes on to say in the next few verses that because of our faith undergirded by the gift of the Spirit, we can unashamedly testify to the goodness of God and live by the power of God through his grace to accomplish his purposes in his kingdom. We want to be that person of faith! Don’t be the person who lives a timid spiritual life. Be the person who lives boldly in the world with God-given, Spirit-infused, power, love and self-discipline.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we ask you to empower us as you fan into a roaring flame the gift of the Spirit you have given us. Do not let us settle for timid living, but let us live in all the power you have for us. Through your power let us love and think beyond our understanding. Help us to be your faithful followers unashamed to testify about your goodness and grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Today’s Reading - 1 Timothy 6

Verse

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - 1 Timothy 6:11-12

Meditation

We can more easily identify with Timothy than Paul because he doesn’t have the extraordinary calling and story as Paul does. Just a believer seeking to do his part in the kingdom who gave considerable time to working with Paul. He receives this charge from his father in the faith as this letter closes. We might want to receive the same charge today. Flee. Pursue. Fight. Take hold. Those five words are memorable and give us a plan for the day. Flee that which is spiritually destructive. Pursue the things which build spiritual health. Fight through the temptations and circumstances which are difficult. Take hold of salvation in Jesus Christ and the hope found in that relationship. Every day will be different with new challenges and new victories to celebrate. We should live in the boundaries of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness while intentionally fleeing that which destroys. In pursuing these, we are able to successfully fight the good fight of faith and hold on. Some days holding on is all we can do. Other days we passionately pursue a greater depth of relationship with Jesus Christ and living righteously. Whatever your day holds, flee, pursue, fight, and take hold.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, guide our path as we flee from thoughts and actions which erode and weaken our relationship with you. Help us pursue the things of holiness and righteousness. Guide our life so faith, love, gentleness and endurance are characteristic of our behavior. Lead us to a deeper love relationship with you today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Today’s Reading - 1 Timothy 4

Verse

9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. - 1 Timothy 4:9-11

Meditation

There are people in our life who are family but they are not actually family. You know what I am talking about and you probably have a person or two in mind. I believe Timothy was one of those persons in Paul’s life. He took him under his wing, counted him as family and laid out specific instructions with heightened importance in places. This is the fourth trustworthy saying he has instructed Timothy with. There is a high probability the message is worth paying attention to. Here it is. It’s trustworthy and deserves our full acceptance. Our hope is in the living God who is the Savior of all people. Earlier Paul had said some were abandoning their faith because they followed deceptive spirits, demons and hypocritical liars and their false teaching. In other words, they had abandoned their faith because they believed there was more than one living God and more than one Savior of all people. When Paul wrote this he followed the pattern of Jesus’ words from John’s Gospel when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Using the word “the” makes it singular. If Jesus or Paul had replaced “the” with “a”, then it would simply mean one among many. Word usage is important. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only way of life and the only source of hope we have in this world where the temptations are plentiful to abandon our faith in Him to seek the greener pastures of false teaching. Paul’s word to his young friend Timothy was to command and teach this truth that our only source of hope is found in the living presence of Jesus Christ in our life. Do not let the voices of deception lead you away from the only hope we have, Jesus Christ. You would fight for your family member’s faith just like Paul did. Fight for your faith especially.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, guard our hearts and minds from the deceptions of false teachings which tempt us to find satisfaction and hope in other places. May our understanding be very clear that hope in this tumultuous world we live in comes only from your Son who died on a cross on our behalf. He made a way for salvation and he is our only hope. In Jesus’ precious and hope-filled name we pray. Amen.

Friday, May 26, 2023

Today’s Reading - 1 Timothy 3

Verse

1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, . . . 8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. - 1 Timothy 3:1-2a, 8-9

Meditation

It has been generally accepted throughout the history of the church that those called or appointed to leadership in the church are called to a live “above reproach” as Paul wrote. Various churches and church groups have interpreted the application of these verses in different ways to include a wide range of people from lay leaders in a local church to the highest ranking person in a denomination. As a person called to pastoral ministry, I believe it is true for me and I’ve tried to live “above reproach” as inherent to my calling. Have I gotten it right? Not at all. I have colleagues who will disagree with me in principle and I’m perfectly fine with that. I want to pose a question this morning. Is there really any difference in the expectation of every follower of Christ to live “above reproach” regardless of whether any leadership position is held or not held? I don’t really believe there is. We are all instructed to live a life of holiness, being set apart from the norm of societal living, to live in a way worthy of respect, holding on to the deep truths of faith. We love to invoke the exception clause because sometimes the accountability is tough. Is it necessary for leaders to be especially mindful of spiritually living to a higher standard? Absolutely. Without leaders a society crumbles in chaos. Leaders take us where we need to be. If we have no one to follow then we will go nowhere. Yes I believe wholeheartedly in the principle Paul is teaching today but I am aware that in practical reality we signed up to live holy lives, “above reproach”, when we accepted the grace of Christ unto salvation. Something to think about as you head into the weekend. Have a great weekend and honor the King in every way!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we ask that you lead us in the way of holiness and right living set apart from the godless standards of the world. May our lives be a clear example of living as you would have us live. Help us to take the call to holiness seriously and not think it doesn’t apply to our life. Forgive us for watering down holy living. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Today’s Reading - 1 Timothy 2

Verse

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Meditation

If are honest with ourselves we will admit there are some people who are harder to pray for than others. To pray for our family and friends and their situations comes very naturally to us. To pray for an annoying colleague, a competitor in the business world, a bitter sports rival, or for mayors, governors and presidents can be much more difficult. Those in authority in any capacity often pose a challenge. Paul instructs us to pray for all people without offering any conditions not to pray for them. He does give us a reason to pray for all people that shifts our focus somewhat. We could all list plenty of reasons why it’s hard to pray for people, some very real, but we are given two reasons why we should. We pray for all people because it helps us to live peacefully which promotes godliness and holiness in our life. We will mature in Christ with less conflict and more efficiently if we are living in peace with one another and our spirit is quiet. We also pray for all people because it is God’s desire that all people be saved and understand truth. Each of us has the responsibility to participate in sharing the good news of the kingdom of God and begins when we live in such a way that door are open and pathways are provided to have honest conversations with people. Praying for a difficult person is our responsibility, not that we know the outcome, but that somehow God uses our prayer to open eyes and hearts to the gospel of salvation. We will never know if our prayer opens the door for someone else to have influence in someone’s life who is struggling with issues of faith. For instance, we can pray for people in authority to know Christ and his truth and if they experience Christ then they will make decisions in alignment with the truth learned. Pray for all people, not for your benefit, but for the benefit of the Kingdom, that all people might come to know Christ and the power of his truth.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give us a spirit of prayer and intercession for others so that we will overcome the barriers of praying for all people. We confess it is a difficult challenge to pray for some people but we want to pray with a kingdom mindset. Help us to pray correctly and according to your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Today’s Reading - 1 Timothy 1

Verse

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. - 1 Timothy 1:15-17

Meditation

It is doubtful that anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ would argue with Paul about his saying and the comment which followed being trustworthy and deserving full acceptance. In fact, with hearts filled with joy and immense gratitude we should fully embrace every word of it with not an ounce of doubt or regret. Yes, I am grateful Jesus came to save sinners of which I am one and yes, I needed to be shown a great amount and mercy so that I might believe in him and receive eternal life. Just typing those confessional words are therapeutic and they remind me of the fact we sing often, “I once was lost but now I am found.” So I am grateful beyond adequate words that I live on this side of the mercy and patience shown to me and that I have been rescued from the debt of my sin. It is a reason to rejoice on a Wednesday morning. Believe and receive is such a powerful concept of the Christian faith, especially when it applies to salvation and eternal life! Trustworthy and fully accepted are stamped on my heart. Those two verses are so, so good but I don’t want to lose sight of Paul’s benedictory declaration of verse seventeen. Let those four descriptions of the King resonate over your heart and soul this morning. Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God. Let their meaning of our great God sink into the depths of your soul. Live your redeemed life bringing honor and glory to the King for ever and ever. If you do, people will see a heart of gratitude because you believed and received salvation and eternal life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pause to give you thanks as Paul reminds us of the reason you sent your only son to become a man, to save sinners like each of us. Thank you for being loving and patient with your children. As we think of your goodness, our prayer is that our life might display honor and glory to you for ever and ever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Today’s Reading - Colossians 4

Verse

5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:5-6

Meditation

I have come to the conclusion that Paul was dealing with some difficult situations in Colosse and some people who would only hear what they wanted to hear. The result was that Paul had to get tough on some folks. Yesterday we talked about admonishing people and today the concept of saltiness in light of grace. It’s almost as if Paul has been pushed to his theological limit. Full of grace and seasoned with salt has always been an intriguing statement. When trying to speak the truth it becomes a challenge when truth is spoken in grace and at the same time it contains some saltiness. It’s a challenge because Paul’s teaching is about knowing what people need to hear versus what they want to hear. It is much easier to speak into someone’s life what they have predetermined is best for them and what will make them feel good. We are called to have conversations that give life and many times the salt does not feel good. We all have scratched ourselves while sweating and we know the pain of salt in a wound. The tension of balancing grace with salt is never easy. Paul says be wise and make the most of every opportunity. The tension of balancing wisdom and seizing the moment is never easy. Never leave out the truth in your conversations when it comes to sharing the good news. Find a way to include grace so that you can take advantage of the opportunity before you. Sometimes it will feel good and sometimes it will not, but truth is necessary when investing in a life changing conversation.

Prayer

Heavenly Father fill us with truth to share and the wisdom to share it undergirded with grace yet containing the necessary salt. Do not let us in any way compromise the truth which is clear in your word. Give us wisdom to know every opportunity you place before us. Put truth on our lips. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 22, 2023

Today’s Reading - Colossians 3

Verse

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:15-17

Meditation

As the people of God learning and growing together, we are to do both. Both those words that are bold and highlighted. In this chapter Paul is writing to help the readers be fruitful and thrive in their relationship with Christ. He uses the framework of taking off the old and putting on the new giving us a long list of emotions and behaviors to take off and another long list to put on. Then he encourages us to do this life of Christ together and help one another. Then there is verse 16 which we read and don’t pause at all because it is part of this section we want to embrace without question. But two words. They cause us to pause. Or should. While we are doing life together seeking to become mature in Christ we are all about confidently teaching one another but I’m doubtful admonishing one another ever makes the agenda of the group and rarely even a one on one conversation. I get it. Nobody wants to admonish. It’s not pleasant. I don’t want to do that and neither do you. Paul includes it as part of this great chapter on holy living and how to be fruitful in maturity as if it were a natural part of the process. We don’t want to do it but it is a necessary part of maturity. It must be done full of grace but the truth must be told. As one who stands before a group of people weekly to teach into their lives I’m very aware of the difficulty of admonishing people with grace. But we must because much of what is being taught about spirituality in our culture today would translate the first part of verse 16 something like this: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach the popular trends with one another with all wisdom through . . .” Teach and admonish means the word of Christ stands as truth and we don’t have permission to compromise the word in order to be popular. We all agree we are not perfect people. We all need correction in our life. To deal with the imperfection requires teaching and admonishing. The very principle of the Body of Christ means we are learning and growing together, teaching and admonishing. It sounds harsh and uncomfortable but when done in the correct spirit is necessary.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give each of us a spirit of grace and compassion as we deal with this difficult topic in our life. Regardless of which end of admonition we find ourselves, may it be done and received with grace. May our only desire be to encourage one another to live in the likeness of Christ more and more every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, May 20, 2023

I am the first to admit it is egotistical and arrogant to suggest something I write is important and worth reading, but this is. It will take about two minutes of your time.

Today’s Reading - Colossians 2

Verse

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental principles of this world rather than on Christ. - Colossians 2:6-8

Meditation

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck. This is 99.9% true for ducks, but is misapplied in so many instances and becomes a deceptive manipulation of truth leading to a bad outcome. It is never more true than when trying to make a spiritual application based on the values of humanity and worldly culture. And it is never more true in our cultural and societal thinking today. Paul gives a stern warning about letting what is hollow and deceptive guide your life. The reason is simple. Follow carefully the logical train of thought. That which depends on human tradition and elemental principles of this world is the definition of what is hollow and deceptive and anything that is deceptive is not of God. If something is deceptive in the spiritual realm, then it is not of God and is leading you away from God. If it is leading you away from God it is evil by nature. Remember, deception is the chief weapon of the enemy. The purpose of a hollow or deceptive philosophy is to please people and not God. If it pleases people, it can look like biblical truth, walk like biblical truth, sound like biblical truth, but it is of the world and not of God. The heart of the biblical truth is to live as a fragrant offering to God. Paul tells us how to do this in verse six. Continue to live in Christ, becoming mature in Christ, strengthening our faith in Christ, and overflow with thankfulness. Look like Christ, walk like Christ and speak like Christ, then you will be a reflection of Christ and his glory and you will please God and not fall prey to the deceptions of the world.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give us spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear through the deceptions and hollow philosophies of this world that only lead us away from Christ and his blood shed on the cross. Break our hearts when we realize we are following the wrong things. Get us back on track so we become the image of Christ in the world and not an image of the world. Forgive us for trying to please people and not you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, May 19, 2023

Today’s Reading - Colossians 1

Verse

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. - Colossians 1:17-20

Meditation

Of all the words attempting to depict someone or something as being at a place where there is nothing higher, greater or better, supreme captures it the best. Paul strategically uses the word to convey a clear message. He declared Christ is supreme and then went on to say God was pleased. A group of twelve people might debate over a supreme pizza being the best, but God intended for there to be no debate over the role of Christ in the world. He showed his supremacy not by outdoing all rivals but by dying on a cross so we might be reconciled to God. The language Paul uses humbles me this morning. To read that God chose his son to be all he was, go back even further than verse sixteen and read all the description, to have supremacy over all things and the church and then shed his blood on the cross for my sins brings tears to my eyes. We can think and talk about the gift of God through his son in so many ways, but knowing the heart of God was pleased with who Christ was, what He represented and what He did on the cross just for me and you is a bit overwhelming to my soul. Those who are supreme accomplish what they were created to do. To borrow some of the language from the liturgy of Holy Communion, it is a right and good and joyful thing, always and everywhere, to give thanks to God. This morning or whenever you read this devotion join with me in giving thanks with great joy that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and will reign supreme over all the earth reconciling the world to Himself and his Father in heaven.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we joyfully give thanks that it pleased you to send your Son to have all the fullness of you dwell in him so that he might bring peace to our hearts. It is out of our joyful heart that we simply pray our life might reflect the gratitude we have for what you have done for us through your Son. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Today’s Reading - Philippians 4

Verse

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. . . . 13 I can do all things through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:4, 6, 13

Meditation

As we have read Philippians this week, I noticed once again how worn the pages of this book are in my Bible. One of the obvious reasons is this book contains a lot of preaching material. It also contains many of our favorite verses we cling to often. In this book are verses which apply to so many principles of faith. For many reasons we gravitate to maybe Paul’s most intimate letter. However, there are three verses found in the fourth chapter that although they are dearly beloved, and referred to often, make us think, “Really?” Rejoice always? Don’t be anxious about anything? I can do all things? I know them, I believe them, I know they are true, but I often shake my head. I hope there is at least one person reading this who is with me so I’m not deemed the faithless one of the bunch. Fortunately, as I was reading this morning, the Lord reminded me of something I know, but apparently needed to see and understand it clearly today. Three phrases. In the Lord. To God. Through him. These three phrases direct our focus to understand the possibility of these verses. Instead of focusing on the situations, the focus is on the Lord and we can indeed understand what it means to rejoice always, be free of anxiety, and do all things. It is hard to rejoice in times of death, but we rejoice in the Lord of the resurrection! We are not to rejoice in every situation, we are to rejoice in the God of the situation because of his help and goodness. We will be anxious but He will give us calm when we ask to walk through the difficult situations. We cannot do everything but He gives us strength in every situation. Paul is reminding us to focus on Him and not the situation and He will be the reason we rejoice, are calm, and have strength in every situation and in all things.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder to me this morning that you are the God of every situation we face and when our focus is on you we experience your help and strength. May our faith mature to the point where rejoicing, calm, and strength is part of our default behavior. Let us see beyond the moment to see your goodness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Today’s Reading - Philippians 3

Verse

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:12-14

Meditation

When shooting a bow and arrow or a gun or throwing a ball or competing in some type of an event, there is always a target. Or at least I hope so! Please, no random arrows or bullets. Or baseballs for that matter. Some targets are easier to hit than others because of so many variables. Pausing to think about the target of your spiritual life might be something you’ve never done or you might have perfect clarity. Regardless, the target or the goal is important and if we lose sight of it then we become like a stray bullet or a ball thrown to nowhere. There are many ways to describe the goal which is the subject of our reading today. One of the ways I like to describe the goal is the fullness of God. Paul uses that phrase more than once and for me it encapsulates all I want for my life. I like that phrase because it can be a never ending topic of discussion. I tend to drill down on specific words, maybe to a fault, but when Paul describes arriving at the goal, he framed the goal in terms of why Jesus took told of him using the word me. That’s very specific and I want to think it’s true for all of us. Therefore I want all that God has specifically for me, his fullness for me. In order to experience his fullness, I cannot operate in my own intellect and cleverness, my flesh, I must lean into spiritual wisdom and discernment, the Spirit operating within my spirit. The fruits of righteousness come from the Spirit not from us. When the Spirit of God leads us, we will experience the fullness of God, walk in the likeness of Christ and point our life heavenward. That’s a target worth shooting life’s arrow toward. When the Spirit is directing our arrow, one day the arrow will plant in the bullseye of the target.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we yield our life to the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us so we might receive your fullness and walk in your image. Give us wisdom and discernment to know we are being submissive and obedient to the Spirit’s leading. Guard us from anything that would deflect our path toward the prize. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Today’s Reading - Philippians 2

Verse

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. - Philippians 2:1-2

Meditation

There are many things that will bring joy to our heart. Pure joy came to Paul’s heart when he knew the people he was writing to were like-minded over alignment with Christ. Paul gives us plenty of options to join with others of faith and become like-minded. Paul wasn’t suggesting every clause had to apply, just one would do. Choose one from among many and obviously he didn’t list every benefit of being in alignment with Christ but he gave some pretty good ones. Let’s look at the list. He says if a person is encouraged at all from being one with Christ, if they have found any comfort from his love, if there is any commonality in the work of the Spirit, if they have felt any tenderness or compassion, then one should take a step forward and join others in the same love, spirit, and mind. It doesn’t have to be all of them, just one. If there is just one among those options or the dozens of others you can think of, then you can elevate joy in others by becoming like-minded, loving like Christ loved, being of one spirit, and having the same kingdom mind. Those don’t require total agreement in all things, but total desire to see the kingdom advance. When you know you are working in unison with others for the kingdom’s sake, you will have joy and create joy. Things on the fringes will seem to disappear. You will have discernment in more areas. Will there be some rough road? Absolutely. Ministry and messy situations and sin cause problems. But if we are like-minded and working for the kingdom, we will discover joy from every direction. Your relationship with Christ has made a difference in your life I’m sure. You qualify.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for pouring into our lives encouragement, love, your Spirit, and tenderness and compassion only you can give. Help up grasp those and join with others to be joyful and create joy in others. Like Paul, we want our joy to be made complete when those we care about the most are like-minded in the things that matter. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Today’s Reading - Philippians 1

Verse

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:3-6

Meditation

As we begin reading Philippians this week, my hope is that by reading this book we can live into one of its main themes, joy, in an elevated way during this time when so many things are stealing our joy. I often tell people not to let the things which you cannot control steal your joy. You get to choose what affects your thankfulness and joy. We begin with Paul’s thankful and joyful heart being expressed to the people in this church. If I had to speculate I would say the Church at Philippi was Paul’s crown jewel of churches. He doesn’t begin any other of his letters with such glowing remarks. And in doing so he sets the tone for the remainder of the letter. It’s the framework from which he will write. It’s not superficial. It’s sincere. He doesn’t say it to be saying it. There is reason and purpose. The people he is writing to are living out the gospel and have been faithful since day one. They are carrying on the work that we should all be carrying on. Then Paul affirms that God will continue leading and empowering them until the work is completed. Evidence of faith not only is personally beneficial but brings joys to other Christ followers who are partners with you, known or unknown. As fellow labors of the faith we should rejoice with those who are being faithful in our calling. Paul encourages with the statement of confidence. Let’s be encouraged that our work for the sake of the gospel will be completed. It will create a joyful and thankful heart. Live like Christ. That is your work. Tell your story. That is your work. And all Christ followers will be joyful alongside you. There is so much great material in this chapter. For our prayer today, receive Paul’s prayer in verses nine through eleven.

Prayer

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, May 12, 2023

Today’s Reading - Ephesians 5

Verse

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:16-17

Meditation

In these days of online shopping, you can watch items on Amazon or Ebay or a host of other sites and when you think the item is the cheapest you can then purchase the item. We all have the experience of seeing something we really wanted, or thought we needed, available at a great price, didn’t buy it at that moment, and then decided to go back and get it later only to return and find it’s gone, no more are in stock, and the sale ends that day. In those instances, we are reminded that on occasion opportunity only knocks once. Paul is telling us the same holds true in the spiritual realm. Not to say that opportunities related to God’s promises and provision only come once, but he is saying to “seize the moment” and make wise decisions related to our spiritual life and ministry opportunities that come before us. Why? Opportunities multiply in value when we make the most of them, not just muddle our way through them, and allow us to deal with evil days in wise ways. Multiplying the benefit and avoiding evil should always be high on our priority list. Earlier in this chapter Paul said to be imitators of Christ who seized every opportunity he was given to make a difference. This principle does require us to pay attention to what God places in our life. Be attentive. Take initiative. Seize the moment.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, raise our level of awareness to the gifts of your grace. May the attention to the detail of our spiritual life lead to fruitfulness and help us avoid the evil of this day. As we recognize the opportunities you place before us, give us strength and knowledge to walk faithfully in the path of wisdom. Turn us away from evil in every moment. We give you thanks and praise for this day and its blessings. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Today’s Reading - Ephesians 4

Verse

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. - Ephesians 4:14-16

Meditation

In a recent conversation I had in the self-checkout area of a store, the person I was talking to, who I did not know, made a commonly thought and spoken comment, “I wish I was 16 again.” Then she said, “No, not that young, maybe 30 or 40.” We use it and fill in whatever age fits the context of the conversation. There are many legitimate reasons we might make a similar comment, from current health concerns or the remembrance of a fruitful season of life. No time in our spiritual journey should we want to go back in time because that would signal regression and it would be a painful walk back. Scripture as a whole portrays the spiritual journey as one of growth and that principle is made perfectly clear today. There are several reasons why we should strive to become mature people of faith. The first is that in our spiritual maturity we will experience the fullness of Christ, every aspect of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When something is available and it is a free gift of grace, we should desire to have it. The second is that in our spiritual maturity we will best be able to deal with the evil which invariably will attack our life. You have often heard the more intimate we become with God the more evil will attack us or the greater significance we are making for the Kingdom of God the more evil will attack us. It’s true. The principle can be stated in many ways, but it is true. Mature faith better equips us to deal with what spiritually attacks us. Finally, spiritually mature people create the Body of Christ in its healthiest form. We learn to come under the authority of Christ to join together with other believers to grow the Kingdom of God into a healthy organism. When the Kingdom of God is healthy, the Lamb’s Book of Life is growing and the names written in the book are moving closer and closer in relationship to our heavenly Father. The kingdom principle of spiritual growth is forward in movement and not looking back except to learn from the journey to help us become more mature.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, be ever-present in our life today as we seek to grow and mature through the wonderful gift of grace offered to us. Help us to discover just one more nugget of truth which will help us become more intimate with you and fight the schemes of evil we will encounter. May our walk with you today help your kingdom be at its best. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Today’s Reading - Ephesians 2

Verse

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:4-9

Meditation

We simply should not in any shape, form or fashion even begin to minimalize the significance of these verses. With every breath we should make much of them. Let’s start at the end, verse nine. When God orchestrated the plan of salvation, His wisdom showed out and was on prominent display. God, the creator of all things, took salvation out of our hands because we would have surely messed it up. We would have designed salvation as a function of works because that is our human nature. We as human beings are wired for control. He took it out of our hands so that we couldn’t boast about our accomplishment. When we are brought to life from death we need to clearly understand it is only because of His great love for His children. God knew if given half an opportunity we would take the credit but only God can receive credit for such a gift of grace. Only God can reverse death into life. He took away all possibility we could describe the transformation as something we worked hard to achieve. Watch the grace unfold. Not only is it a gift that is only from God, He did it so He could pour out his incomparable great riches through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Our part is to believe, have faith in the One who is above all things and loves us so much that he saves us from the pit of death and destruction. Continue to receive the gift of His love moment by moment as you grow intimate with Him who loves you beyond all measure.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, release us fully from any thought of works righteousness. You’ve called us to good works as a result of the work in us. Let us first know the power of your love which is continually poured out into our life and let us live in that love knowing it comes with great power. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday, May 8, 2023

Verse

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. - Ephesians 1:7-8

Meditation

If you have been reading these devotions for very long or heard me preach for some amount of time, you have heard me write or say this is one of my favorite verses. Not a doubt in my mind. In fact, I was so sure I’ve used these verses in a devotion previously I went back and found one. This is it. I can’t say it much better. I trust its message thrills your soul like it does mine. Verse seven is the game changer, the difference maker in our life. We have been redeemed not because we could do it but because God did something for us that we couldn’t do for ourselves. By his grace, through his blood, our sins are forgiven, and we are saved. Life’s game changer. However, it gets better in verse eight. Note Paul’s choice of words and the power of the image. God lavished us with his grace, not just in any old way but with wisdom and understanding! In precisely the perfect way, he poured out his grace into our lives in great abundance, giving us more and more and more, way more than was needed if you will let me quantify grace for a moment. He loves us so much that he just kept on pouring grace into our lives. He made us like a king or a queen and gave us all he had and more. Wow! What a great God! I’m not sure what kind of week you had last week but mine was busy, good and stressful all at the same time. Yours may have been difficult for a lot of reasons or similar to mine. In either case, on this day I invite you to once again embrace the magnitude of God’s love that has been lavished upon you.

Prayer

Loving and gracious God, thank you for treating me like royalty and pouring your grace into my life in ways greater than I can fathom and even begin to understand. In many ways our lives were like train wrecks until you redeemed us by your overabundance of grace. Thank you for taking away my sin as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for allowing me to live again, in righteousness with you. What a joy! Thank you, Father. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Friday, May 5, 2023

Today’s Reading - Galatians 5

Verse

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. - Galatians 5:16-17

Meditation

We’ve all met people, been associated with people, even been friends with people, who always seem to be negative or take a contrary position. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, they always seem to believe differently or not like what is being discussed. Some people embrace it as a gift, the gift of negativity. I can assure you it is not a gift nor a fruit. The phrase “negative Nellie” is used or people are labeled contrarians. Paul was dealing with people just like this when he wrote this about how we live. People were choosing to live contrary to the Spirit. You can almost read into his words something like “why in the world would you be doing that?” The answer was clear. They were choosing their old way of life instead of the new way of life offered in Jesus Christ. They were choosing to live in the bondage of slavery which he went to great lengths to speak against. Our reading began today with the affirmation that Christ set us free from slavery of sin and death so that we could live in the freedom of the Spirit. However, or maybe many, were choosing to live according to their sinful desires, the flesh. Paul instructed the Galatian church and instructed us that we cannot do just whatever we want. We are to live by the spirit. And when we do, we will begin to see the fruit born by the Spirit in our life being manifested which is mentioned a little later in the chapter. If the Spirit resides within us, it should be our natural tendency to gravitate toward the way of the Spirit. Don’t be negative toward the Spirit. Don’t be a contrarian about the Spirit. Live in sync with the Spirit and fruit for the sake of the Kingdom.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, may we always live according to your Spirit and resist the ways of our flesh. We never want to live contrary to you. We never even want this accusation made about us. Give us clarity around the things of the Spirit and the things of the flesh so we are not confused. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Today’s Reading - Galatians 4

Verse

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woma

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