NOVEMBER 30, 2023

 Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints

on the sand of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solenm main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again...” 

― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

EZEKIEL 43-44

23They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(44:23) 

2 PETER 2

17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

JOURNAL 

When life is really lived well...it is lived in consciousness of others. To live without regard for the influence one may have on another human being is to live carelessly. God makes it very clear that once he inhabits our hearts and souls then we represent him to the world. This is definitely a sobering reality. 
This is a reality that often juxtaposed to the train wrecks played out by public figures becomes all the more sobering. A life lived for what it can attain, rather than for what it can give is a life of darkness. In fact I had a realization...in the end it's not how much you were loved but rather how much you love. The loved part is what we get from accepting God's love for us...it is the ultimate and everything really pales in comparison. 

Coming off a great week with family is just a reminder that we have the capacity to bring the magical love of God to each moment of the life we are blessed to live. Make no mistake...it is magical and we really should strive to remember and live it as such. I realize more and more that these magical moments are all around us...we just must believe in them and remember that God is far greater than our most imaginative dream. In fact he is the author, he gives us those thoughts and hopes and ideas that have the capacity to change hearts, heal hurts, right wrongs and effectively change the world. But we must BELIEVE and we must act in love always!

"Because you have so little faith," He answered. "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

MATTHEW 17:20

NOVEMBER 29, 2023

  “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

EZEKIEL 41-42

1Then the man brought me to the main hall and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits^a on each side.^b2The entrance was ten cubits^c wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits^d wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.^e(41:1-2) 

2 PETER 1

3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

JOURNAL 

I guess in many ways I grew up with a somewhat delusional belief in God. I think part of it is just in our nature to hope and dream for the day when all things will be made right. That's not a bad thing...but yet it can make the world we live in pretty confusing...especially when also believing in a God that is fully and completely righteous. 

Yet scripture confirms that we are only promised Heaven in Heaven or hell in hell. Those are the only definits. What happens here on earth is a grab bag of good and bad experiences...some will have more good than bad while others get more bad than good. The rhyme or reason is never a guarantee. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good. There is even scripture that confirms that some people will enjoy long life and success and wealth while on earth...even though they are selfish, greedy and full of hate. There is also scripture that confirms that those that follow God will experience, suffering, rebuke, rejection and horrible death. 

For example...Jesus, the disciples, Paul...all experienced extreme suffering. They hoped in something far beyond them, far beyond their own lives and even beyond the lives of their wives, children, friends etc. They hoped and lived for a future kingdom where love and joy would rule. Where happiness would never be measured by how much money or toys you had but rather because you were free to love and serve others. 

When I read the letters of Paul and Peter and the words of Jesus I find that they are calling believers to a life of joy regardless of circumstance. They are calling for us to live beyond what happens to us. To serve, sacrifice, love and forgive no matter the situation but especially...in the midst of persecution, suffering and death. There is evil in the world...we are promised that it will exist until the earth is completely restored, we can find it everywhere, but we also are promised that God is everywhere and he will never leave us.

I love the book EPIC by John Eldredge. The beginning of the book talks about how each of us are part of God's EPIC story that he has been telling from the beginning of time. Each of us have an important role to play in that story or else we wouldn't be here. It's easy to forget that sometimes and get distracted in ways that take the focus off the big picture and our role in the story. It's easy to think about frustrations and things that make me uncomfortable rather than that I am part of God's story with subplots and adventure and battle and that I get to play a vital role. 

This letter from Peter was written shortly before his martyrdom. Thankfully we have this word. This is what gives meaning and purpose when the world doesn't make sense and when it doesn't reflect the goodness, peace and love of God's heart. This verse from John says it best. 

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

JOHN 14:27

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

  “We will not be measured by the world’s standards anymore. We will be measured by the plumb line of God’s Word. We will be people who live out our Christianity by walking faithfully in obedience to God. We will love mercy and justice. We will love others the way God loves us— unconditionally, relentlessly, and with grace.”

― Teresa Schultz

EZEKIEL 40

1In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there. 2In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”(40:1-4) 

1 PETER 5

1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

JOURNAL 

Here in 1 Peter, Peter is writing to those who have been displaced and who are struggling. Here he writes as a witness to all that Christ suffered. He writes as one who devoted his life and spent it intimately with Christ. These final words of the letter are sobering and a reminder that we are here for a purpose. We are here to serve, we are here to be examples and to encourage. We are here to be humble and submit. We are here to take action...he promises that no matter the outcome in this world he will restore us.

This past week has been really good with family...just being together, it's why Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. These times are so important and necessary. They are necessary because they remind me of the importance of relationships over stuff and things. They also serve to remind how different our lives are in comparison to these early Christians who were dying and being martyred for the faith. These early believers could only dream of the life we enjoy. It is really humbling to consider the difference. Yet although the circumstances are different the message is still the same. Be humble, resist evil and cling to God and our family of believers. 

17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

ACTS 9:17-19

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

  “True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.” 

― Mortimer J. Adler

EZEKIEL 38-39

 28Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(39:28-29) 

1 PETER 4

19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

JOURNAL 

I cannot run from scripture...well I can but I can't. This is hard stuff...the whole concept of joy in suffering is one that's really hard for me to wrap my head around. It's hard because suffering is what I fear and what I would like to avoid. Who in their right mind desires or longs to suffer???

Yet avoidance of necessary suffering is probably what has brought me the most pain and heartache in my life. When I really think about it, most of my failings are a result of suffering avoidance. The times I've lied or misled or manipulated seem to coincide with some level of avoiding truth, hard times, guilt and fear. I've wanted a way around the hard aspects of life and therefore sought a shortcut to peace and joy. 

According to scripture the only shortcut to peace and joy is through surrender and obedience to God. Which requires me to acknowledge sin, seek God and surrender to all his hard truths. It requires a surrender of all those parts of me that are defensive and driven to protect myself.  It requires that I identify and am honest about my own desires. So hard...actually it's impossible to do perfectly. It's why I am always in the middle of confession and surrender. It's why I can never be arrogant or judgmental, to do so would be to ignore my sin and my failings. 

Yet this is precisely when I can fully fall into the loving arms of a perfect father. One that doesn't require perfection but rather just honesty and surrender. As a result he promises that I will be filled with perfect love, greater and deeper than I can imagine. This is true peace, this is true joy. 

16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

EPHESIANS 3:16-19

NOVEMBER 26, 2023

 “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” 

― G.K. Chesterton

EZEKIEL 36-37

33“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.” 36Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’(36:33-36) 

1 PETER 3

8Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,

“Whoever would love life

and see good days

must keep their tongue from evil

and their lips from deceitful speech.

11They must turn from evil and do good;

they must seek peace and pursue it.

12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”^a

JOURNAL 

Reading these verses in Peter...the one that truly pulls the rug out from under me is to "repay evil with blessing". Really? To bless those who do evil? Really? The more I think on this the more troubling it is. It seems completely impractical and illogical. How is that going to do any good for anyone. It seems weak and doesn't hold the one committing evil accountable for their actions. It even seems to give permission to continue the evil. 

This is hard because when I  am honest with myself...I don't wish for blessing on those who have harmed me or "wronged" me. I wish for blessings for me and those I love and I wish harm on those that are a threat or those I deem to be evil or wrong. I think this is normal and this is how most people operate. 

But then I look to the New Testament all that changes...Jesus' sermon on the mount gives a completely different take on how we are to behave and how we are to love. It turns my natural desires and conventional wisdom on its head. It demands that we "love our enemies". Oh how far away from this is my heart...yet I know that although God forgives my sin and anger and secret thoughts...he demands that I turn from them and follow him down a different path.

Turning from this way of thinking requires not only forgiveness of my enemies but also forgiveness of myself.  In many ways that is tougher than forgiving my enemies. For some reason even though I know God has forgiven me, it feels almost wrong to let myself off the hook for my sins. The reality is though that until I can do this I can't really forgive others. 

Today is another day to rejoice in all that God has given. Most importantly it is to rejoice in his forgiveness and love. For no matter the physical blessings or lack of them, his love and forgiveness can never be taken away...and therefore are meant to be shared and given to a world desperate for them. 

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighborⁱ and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

MATTHEW 5:43-48

NOVEMBER 25, 2023

 “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” 

― Theodore Roosevelt

EZEKIEL 34-35

 30Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 31You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ” (34:30-31) 

1 PETER 2

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

JOURNAL 

There are days when things seem so clear. There are days and moments when everything seems to go right and just be easy. I love those days and those moments...but that's just part of the story. To live in this world also means struggle, heartache and really tough moments. Growing up in the church while wonderful in many ways...it also was a source of confusion. The problem was that I didn't see people openly struggle. It was mostly all smiles, sunshine and rainbows. The subtle and often overt message was...struggle was a result of sin and if you were struggling then something was wrong and you weren't "right with God".  As I got older and the trials of life became bigger I often doubted and wondered why I was always struggling in my relationship with God. My life wasn't always sunshine and rainbows and I felt that there must be something wrong with me or that my experience of God and my life must be flawed. 

Ultimately I realized that behind those smiles was struggle, heartache and real pain. It caused me to really question everything. I felt deceived...duped and the thought crept in that maybe this whole Christianity thing was all just a big hoax. It was during this time that I first began to really read the Bible...I wanted to know the truth, I wanted to get to the bottom of all my questions.

What I found were real people...struggling, sinning and failing.  I read about murderers and adulterers. I read about liars and thieves. I read about those that were immensely rich and those that were destitute. They all struggled, they all hurt and none of them ever really escaped this world unscathed. Heartache, struggle and pain were the commonalities among them all. 

I wasn't alone! I wasn't crazy! Then what really stuck out was that there was something that was different for those with whom God had become their God. Although they struggled they had a hope that sustained them in ways that was inspiring. They experienced joy in the midst of heartache, they gave though they had little to give, they loved those that hated them and forgave without demanding retribution. 

A while back I had a conversation with someone on why I follow God. As I dug into this question honestly, I realized that my faith is because of the authentic mess of the lives of those in the Bible. It is because of their contradictions and struggles that I am able to identify and have hope. It is because their lives are laid open and I am able to really see the mess that allows me to really believe in the joy. It is because I am able to see the struggle that allows me to have faith in their redemption. These stories have become a source of hope, an outpost, an authentic portal to the hope and redemption of God.

As I come back around to these verses...I can better understand Peter's letter. He has struggled, he has failed, he has betrayed...he has been there and experienced it and come out the other side. He is not writing this from a pompous position of ease and comfort, he is writing this as one who is struggling and will continue to struggle. It is here that I find true comfort, that I find hope and that I also can experience the warmth and joy of my savior.  

I believe this is the true purpose of our time here on earth. To have our lives become outposts of the kingdom of God. Flawed and broken, yet still a light on a hill...shining through the storms, darkness and heartache. 

14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." 

MATTHEW 5:14-15

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

    “To savor the simple privilege that every day I have a sunrise to bathe in, a storehouse of opportunities to romp through, the thick wrap of relationships to keep me warm, a God who meticulously tends to every detail round about me, and it all costs me not a dime. What madness would keep me from being eternally thankful for all that?” 

― Craig D. Lounsbrough

EZEKIEL 32-33

31So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. 32Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice. (33:31-32) 

1 PETER 1

22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.^b 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

 25but the word of the Lord endures forever.”^c

And this is the word that was preached to you.

JOURNAL 

Reading this morning I was struck by the depth of scripture. Far too often I fail to be in awe of it's depth and power. Honestly I have this block that at times scripture feels like a killjoy that exists to shame me for my sin. But that's the farthest from it's purpose and power. When I really read with an open mind and heart I am amazed at the peace and joy that it conveys to my soul. Yes it is tough at times but the reality is that it is God's word and it communicates his love. 

I can see a pattern because that's often the way I have viewed the church. But as I have learned, the church is not a building or a place but rather it is an action and spirit that works in and among us. God's church can be found anywhere, for God is everywhere. So his church is found when we pause and celebrate and are thankful for all that he has provided. It is found when we enjoy the blessing of each other and find ways to serve and love others. It is found when we put down our agendas, fears and hurts and trust God's direction. 

Thank you Father for another day. A day filled with so many blessings. A day full of opportunity to be a vessel of your love! 

1Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

3For the Lord is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

4In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

6Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

7for he is our God

and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care.

PSALM 95:1-7