JANUARY 10, 2019

1. You stumble through your days
   Got your head hung low
   Your skies' a shade of grey
   Like a zombie in a maze
   You're asleep inside
   But you can shake away
   
   'Cause you're just a dead man walking
   Thinking that's your only option
   But you can flip the switch and brighten up your darkest day
   Sun is up and the color's blinding
   Take the world and redefine it
   Leave behind your narrow mind
   You'll never be the same...

GENESIS 25-26

 23From there he went up to Beersheba. 24That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

25Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

26Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”

28They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”

30Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.(26:23-30)

MATTHEW 9:1-17

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^a For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

JOURNAL 

God's intervention in the life of the ordinary fills the pages of the Bible. The obedience of Isaac paid great dividends in the future interaction with Abimelek. Jesus goes and eats with sinners and tax collectors and calls Matthew as a disciple. Again this refutes the idea that blessings only come to those who are righteous or wealthy or hold high positions. 

The reality is the spirit of God is available to all. That spirit will guide man to ways which honor God and propel the kingdom. No matter where a man is in life, no matter what he has done or not done...God's grace and power and love is available to him. This is the good news...

I really think this is why the Greatest Showman was so inspiring...it has nothing to do with P.T. Barnum. It wasn't his actual life that was so important but rather the spirit of it,  which was about waking up to your own dreams. It was about celebrating individuality and our own unique life. That's God's gift to us, our own unique life. When that reality is truly embraced it can set our hearts on fire to be a part of bringing the kingdom of God to earth as God's beloved children. 

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^f And by him we cry, “Abba,^g Father.” 

ROMANS 8:14-15

JANUARY 9, 2019

1. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 
   ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

GENESIS 23-24

11Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. 3I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”

5The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”

6“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. 7“The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^a I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.(24:1-9)

MATTHEW 8

5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

JOURNAL 

God is intimately involved in our lives. He exists in our thoughts, in our world and is fully engaged in our relationships and interactions. From Abraham's servant to Jesus' interaction with the Centurion. God is is involved, God is alive and present. 

It is in this that I can take confidence that I too have relationship with God. He is in my thoughts, he is in my interactions, he is in my world, every moment of every day. Seeking him for direction and then dedicating my life in service to him is the greatest and best thing I can ever do with my life. 

Selfishly it is the best and smartest thing I can ever do. It gives me a purpose and engages me and connects me into the cosmic, epic story. 

7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

JOSHUA 1:7-9

JANUARY 8, 2019

1. “A great man is always willing to be little.” 
   ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

GENESIS 20-22

1Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”(22:1-2)

MATTHEW 7

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

JOURNAL 

I have to wonder if God tested Abraham here because of the way he had handled Sara and their relationship. He always passed her off as his sister for fear of his own life. He risked hurting others to save his own skin. Here now is the one thing in his life that he wants and loves more than anything and God asks him to destroy it. Abraham was in danger of making Isaac his God.  God pushed Abraham and he proved faithful and obedient. Because of this his faith was never questioned and Isaac was spared. 

I think this goes right along with Jesus' story of the man who built his house on the wrong foundation. When the tests came...it crashed. It again goes back to the same question...Who is your God and do you obey him?

For far too long I lived life from a position of entitlement. I felt I was owed more than what I had. I was often dismissive of blessings and God's grace. One thing I am learning is that all is a gift. If just the breath in my lungs is a gift then that means that all things even the hard ones are to be seen through the eyes of joy and gratitude. This is the foundation of the cross.  This is the life Jesus lived...grateful regardless of the circumstances, obedient even in the midst of ridicule and suffering. No circumstance or person or situation was beneath him...even though he was God incarnate. He made the most of every moment...through obedience and love.

58Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58

JANUARY 7, 2019

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
   What a glory He sheds on our way!
   While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
   And with all who will trust and obey.
   • Refrain:
     Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
     To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
   But His smile quickly drives it away;
   Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
   Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
   But our toil He doth richly repay;
   Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
   But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
   Until all on the altar we lay;
   For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
   Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
   Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
   What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
   Never fear, only trust and obey.
6. ~ John H. Sammis

GENESIS 18-19

26But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.(19:26)

MATTHEW 6

 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

JOURNAL 

These chapters are so rich with wisdom, instruction and the spirit of God. Often I struggle to pull out verses but here there is a deluge of scripture that many many sermons could be written on. To find a central theme...to me it again all boils down to the question "who is your God, and how do you serve him?"

For Lot's wife...her lifestyle, her home, her hopes and dreams were her God. She couldn't bear to leave them. Jesus warns about popularity and pleasing others as well as the lure of wealth, and finally the worry over tomorrow. Here again the question can be asked...who or what is your God and how do you serve him? For throughout all of scripture God promises that he loves us and our efforts and devotion will not be in vain. So to worry over tomorrow is to really fail to trust God and to question the outcome of serving him. 

The lyrics of this old hymn that came to mind..."trust and obey, for their is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey". It really is all about those two words...trust and obey.

23Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

JOHN 14:23-24

JANUARY 6, 2019

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.” 
― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

GENESIS 15-17

1After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield,^a

your very great reward.^b ”(15:1)

MATTHEW 5:27-48

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.

JOURNAL 

In both of these passages the emphasis is on man's relationship with God and the fruit of that relationship. In Genesis God states that he is the reward and then in Matthew the command is to do something completely illogical...love your enemies. 

So why would God make such commands. I think it all goes back to the essence of God actually being Man's God. This dedication would require that Man not be controlled or moved by anything other than God. That God himself is the reward and the goal...not riches or fame or long life...just God and God alone.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2