Psalm 1:3: "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper."
I love the image the psalm writer gives in this verse, "like trees planted by streams of water." What a powerful and peaceful image of God's provision and sustenance! And what is the psalm writer describing? "those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night" (Psalm 1.1-2). The writer is describing the life of those who choose the Lord's way instead of the way of wickedness, sin, and those who mock God. This Scripture is a promise, and assurance that if we follow God's chosen way of life for us, then we can trust that everything will work out, that God will provide for us, even that we will prosper.
As I encounter this Scripture today, I am left with this challenge and assurance: am I yielding my life to God's chosen path for me today? This means surrendering my life to God's will and way. If so, then I am promised that God will provide everything I need. And so are you!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
prayers for leaders
" I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1Timothy 2.1-2)
This is certainly a tumultuous time politically in the United States. I am not sure I recall a time in my life when a congressperson yelled out, "liar," in the middle of a presidential address. Perhaps it was deserved, perhaps not. There are certainly a lot of strong feelings and opinions on both sides of the political aisle these days, not to mention those who feel that they have no one speaking for them in government. I am not writing to side with either the democrats or republicans or the independents.
I am writing because I feel Christ calling me once again to this great verse from 1Timothy. In it, the Apostle Paul (leader in the early church), is calling all followers of Jesus to pray for all leaders in all governments. It is worth noting that, at the time Paul wrote this, there were no kings who were followers of Jesus. Isn't it interesting that Paul calls for prayers for governmental leaders who are not even Christian?
So, I remind you today to pray for our elected leaders. Whether we voted for them or not, they are in positions of incredible influence from the office of president to the local school board representative. Would you join me today in praying for them (whether they be democrat, republican, or non-partisan)? Let's pray that God's will be done in and through them and in our country!
This is certainly a tumultuous time politically in the United States. I am not sure I recall a time in my life when a congressperson yelled out, "liar," in the middle of a presidential address. Perhaps it was deserved, perhaps not. There are certainly a lot of strong feelings and opinions on both sides of the political aisle these days, not to mention those who feel that they have no one speaking for them in government. I am not writing to side with either the democrats or republicans or the independents.
I am writing because I feel Christ calling me once again to this great verse from 1Timothy. In it, the Apostle Paul (leader in the early church), is calling all followers of Jesus to pray for all leaders in all governments. It is worth noting that, at the time Paul wrote this, there were no kings who were followers of Jesus. Isn't it interesting that Paul calls for prayers for governmental leaders who are not even Christian?
So, I remind you today to pray for our elected leaders. Whether we voted for them or not, they are in positions of incredible influence from the office of president to the local school board representative. Would you join me today in praying for them (whether they be democrat, republican, or non-partisan)? Let's pray that God's will be done in and through them and in our country!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sweet law?
Psalm 19.9b-10: "The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb."
We don't usually think of laws as sweet. Sometimes, we may even be tempted to think that some laws are just plain ridiculous. Take for instance the law that prevented a Tulare, California eight year old from operating a lemonade stand. That's right. An eight year old was forced to shut down her neighborhood lemonade stand due to a city ordinance. Then there's the law in Alabama that outlaws opening an umbrella on the street because it may spook horses. (I wonder how many people still ride their horses into town in Alabama!)
God's laws are different. They are not meant to curtail our fun. They are not outdated ordinances from a far gone era. God's laws are sweet, even sweeter than "fresh honey dripping from the comb." How so? Because they are the boundary lines that hedge off dangerous lifestyles that lead to suffering and death. They are the "guard rails" that protect us from a fall down a steep cliff of sin. They are sweet because they show us the way of life that leads to real life, abundant and pure.
Think about God's law today, not as a hindrance to your life, but as an entrance into life:
1. Have no other gods before the One True God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2. Don't make idols (of money, possessions, etc.)
3. Don't take the Lord's name in vain (either by cussing with God's name or by using God to justify something that is not of God)
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Worship and be with other Christians on Sundays. Take a break from work and rest.)
5. Honor your father and mother (and your fathers and mothers in the faith)
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery (sex is for marriage only)
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (make sure what you say about others is completely true)
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (be content with what blessings God has given you)
Remember that these are God's protective rails to keep you from falling off the steep cliff of sin. And they are sweet!
We don't usually think of laws as sweet. Sometimes, we may even be tempted to think that some laws are just plain ridiculous. Take for instance the law that prevented a Tulare, California eight year old from operating a lemonade stand. That's right. An eight year old was forced to shut down her neighborhood lemonade stand due to a city ordinance. Then there's the law in Alabama that outlaws opening an umbrella on the street because it may spook horses. (I wonder how many people still ride their horses into town in Alabama!)
God's laws are different. They are not meant to curtail our fun. They are not outdated ordinances from a far gone era. God's laws are sweet, even sweeter than "fresh honey dripping from the comb." How so? Because they are the boundary lines that hedge off dangerous lifestyles that lead to suffering and death. They are the "guard rails" that protect us from a fall down a steep cliff of sin. They are sweet because they show us the way of life that leads to real life, abundant and pure.
Think about God's law today, not as a hindrance to your life, but as an entrance into life:
1. Have no other gods before the One True God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
2. Don't make idols (of money, possessions, etc.)
3. Don't take the Lord's name in vain (either by cussing with God's name or by using God to justify something that is not of God)
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Worship and be with other Christians on Sundays. Take a break from work and rest.)
5. Honor your father and mother (and your fathers and mothers in the faith)
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery (sex is for marriage only)
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (make sure what you say about others is completely true)
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (be content with what blessings God has given you)
Remember that these are God's protective rails to keep you from falling off the steep cliff of sin. And they are sweet!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Persistence
Mark 7:27-28: "(Jesus) said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
In this Scripture, we meet a woman who we are told is a Gentile (a non-Jew) of Syrian-Phoenician descent. Jesus has left the territory of the Jews, God's chosen people, and entered a territory with other kinds of people. He enters a house, perhaps to rest from his journey, but instead gets approached by a woman whose daughter is plagued by an evil spirit. She requests that Jesus heal/exorcise the demon from her daughter. Jesus gives a curious response, calling the woman's people dogs. This is a challenging statement for us to deal with because we usually see Jesus being inclusive of all kinds of people, even those who are outcast by others. Why would Jesus use such a derogatory name for this woman's ethnic group?
Most scholars think that Jesus is pointing out the order of his ministry: to Jews first, then to non-Jews. In many places we learn that the good news has to go out to the Jews (God's chosen people) before it can go out to the rest of the world. This makes sense if you consider the special covenants God had with them, covenants promising to deliver them, to save them, to give them an eternal inheritance.
What is most interesting in this Scripture, though, is the woman's response to Jesus: "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." She is not disagreeing with the order of Jesus' mission (first to the Jews, then to others). She doesn't even take offense to being called "a dog." Instead, she is persisting in her request that Jesus give some kind of spiritual help to her daughter. You can see her persevering love, the love of a good parent. What good parent would not go any distance, persevere any amount of time, provide any kind of help they could for their hurting child? What a model of parenthood this woman is! Even when it seemed she was turned down by Jesus, she persisted out of pure love for her daughter! And the rest of the story? "Then (Jesus) said to her, "For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone." The purpose of this story is to show the result of persistent prayer.
So, parents, persist in your prayers to Jesus for your children! They are powerful indeed! If you have no biological children, pray for the children and youth of the Church and our society today! Those prayers are powerful too!
In this Scripture, we meet a woman who we are told is a Gentile (a non-Jew) of Syrian-Phoenician descent. Jesus has left the territory of the Jews, God's chosen people, and entered a territory with other kinds of people. He enters a house, perhaps to rest from his journey, but instead gets approached by a woman whose daughter is plagued by an evil spirit. She requests that Jesus heal/exorcise the demon from her daughter. Jesus gives a curious response, calling the woman's people dogs. This is a challenging statement for us to deal with because we usually see Jesus being inclusive of all kinds of people, even those who are outcast by others. Why would Jesus use such a derogatory name for this woman's ethnic group?
Most scholars think that Jesus is pointing out the order of his ministry: to Jews first, then to non-Jews. In many places we learn that the good news has to go out to the Jews (God's chosen people) before it can go out to the rest of the world. This makes sense if you consider the special covenants God had with them, covenants promising to deliver them, to save them, to give them an eternal inheritance.
What is most interesting in this Scripture, though, is the woman's response to Jesus: "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." She is not disagreeing with the order of Jesus' mission (first to the Jews, then to others). She doesn't even take offense to being called "a dog." Instead, she is persisting in her request that Jesus give some kind of spiritual help to her daughter. You can see her persevering love, the love of a good parent. What good parent would not go any distance, persevere any amount of time, provide any kind of help they could for their hurting child? What a model of parenthood this woman is! Even when it seemed she was turned down by Jesus, she persisted out of pure love for her daughter! And the rest of the story? "Then (Jesus) said to her, "For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone." The purpose of this story is to show the result of persistent prayer.
So, parents, persist in your prayers to Jesus for your children! They are powerful indeed! If you have no biological children, pray for the children and youth of the Church and our society today! Those prayers are powerful too!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Surrounded
"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore." (Psalm 125.1-2)
Mount Zion is the hill in Jerusalem on which the Temple of Almighty God was built. It was a holy place. Jerusalem is located amidst a region of mountains. It is surrounded by a mountainous region.
Recently, I was watching a documentary about the mountains of North Carolina. A senior resident of the region (who had lived there her whole life) said, "When we grew up, we were told that the mountains are our friends; they are here to protect us. I suppose that even now, when I can look around and see the mountain range, I feel safe and secure."
What a great image of God's protection of us! For surely, God surrounds us. As another psalm declares,
"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you."
There is nowhere we can go in all the Universe, no dark place, no desperate night, no dark valley, where God is absent. God is always there, encircling us with love and grace, like the mountains around Jerusalem.
May that assurance give you peace this day!
Mount Zion is the hill in Jerusalem on which the Temple of Almighty God was built. It was a holy place. Jerusalem is located amidst a region of mountains. It is surrounded by a mountainous region.
Recently, I was watching a documentary about the mountains of North Carolina. A senior resident of the region (who had lived there her whole life) said, "When we grew up, we were told that the mountains are our friends; they are here to protect us. I suppose that even now, when I can look around and see the mountain range, I feel safe and secure."
What a great image of God's protection of us! For surely, God surrounds us. As another psalm declares,
"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you."
There is nowhere we can go in all the Universe, no dark place, no desperate night, no dark valley, where God is absent. God is always there, encircling us with love and grace, like the mountains around Jerusalem.
May that assurance give you peace this day!
Friday, August 28, 2009
The God we believe in
The following was a devotion that Amy Coles, our District Superintendent shared with us today:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:17-19)
As a part of the New District Superintendent and Director of Connectional Ministries Orientation
that I’ve been attending this week, we used the following Affirmation of Faith:
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of the magistrates
nor in the god of the generals or of patriotic oratory.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of
gloomy hymns and vacuous sermons
nor in the god of courtrooms or
of preambles and epilogues to eloquent speeches.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of good fortune of the rich
nor in the god of fear of the wealthy
nor in the god of happiness of those who rob the people.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made
in the image and likeness of the powerful
nor in the god invented as a sedative
for the misery and suffering of the poor.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD who
sleeps within church walls
or lies hidden in church safes.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made out of lies
as fragile as clay pots
nor in the god of the established order
which rests on disorder
and acquiesces in it.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
put human beings before law
and love in place of old traditions.
He had no stone on which to lay his head
and mixed with the poor.
He appeared before judges
who tried to find him guilty.
He was seen with the police as a prisoner.
He entered the governor’s palace to be flogged.
His tunic was woven entirely of blood.
He had escorts to clear his way before him to Calvary,
where he died, between thieves,
on the cross.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
is no other than
the son of Mary,
Jesus of Nazareth.
Every day he dies crucified by our selfish acts.
Every day he rises from death by the power of love.
[Fred Betto (Brazil) in Em Tue Gracia (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2006), 131-133]
To complete the affirmation, we were invited to complete this affirmation of our faith:
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN calls us to …
What would you say? Some of my thoughts included,
See and treat all people as beloved children of God;
Work for justice and peace for all;
Be in ministry WITH the least, the last, the lost;
Share the Good News in words and actions every moment of ever day;
Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, and Transform the World.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:17-19)
As a part of the New District Superintendent and Director of Connectional Ministries Orientation
that I’ve been attending this week, we used the following Affirmation of Faith:
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of the magistrates
nor in the god of the generals or of patriotic oratory.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of
gloomy hymns and vacuous sermons
nor in the god of courtrooms or
of preambles and epilogues to eloquent speeches.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD of good fortune of the rich
nor in the god of fear of the wealthy
nor in the god of happiness of those who rob the people.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made
in the image and likeness of the powerful
nor in the god invented as a sedative
for the misery and suffering of the poor.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD who
sleeps within church walls
or lies hidden in church safes.
I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD made out of lies
as fragile as clay pots
nor in the god of the established order
which rests on disorder
and acquiesces in it.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
put human beings before law
and love in place of old traditions.
He had no stone on which to lay his head
and mixed with the poor.
He appeared before judges
who tried to find him guilty.
He was seen with the police as a prisoner.
He entered the governor’s palace to be flogged.
His tunic was woven entirely of blood.
He had escorts to clear his way before him to Calvary,
where he died, between thieves,
on the cross.
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN
is no other than
the son of Mary,
Jesus of Nazareth.
Every day he dies crucified by our selfish acts.
Every day he rises from death by the power of love.
[Fred Betto (Brazil) in Em Tue Gracia (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2006), 131-133]
To complete the affirmation, we were invited to complete this affirmation of our faith:
THE GOD I BELIEVE IN calls us to …
What would you say? Some of my thoughts included,
See and treat all people as beloved children of God;
Work for justice and peace for all;
Be in ministry WITH the least, the last, the lost;
Share the Good News in words and actions every moment of ever day;
Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, and Transform the World.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
rules
"So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?' " (Mark 7.5)
It seems that the human tendency is always to push religion to a simplistic list of rules when what God offers us is not rules but relationship. In Ancient Israel, many (including some of the kings) thought that as long as they offered the prescribed sacrifices and observed the prescribed religious holidays, then they were in compliance with God. The problem is that God didn't just want their outward formal observances, God wanted their heart.
So, when Jesus came, he challenged the "traditions of the elders," those man-made rules and regulations that so many had substituted for a real living relationship with God. In this verse, the Pharisees (religious leaders in Jesus' day) were upset because Jesus' disciples did not follow the ritualistic hand washing that they taught everyone to observe. (Sanitation was not the issue here.)
The issue was that the Pharisees claimed that if you didn't meticulously follow the 613 laws of Judaism, plus countless more rules and regulations invented by human tradition, then you were a terrible sinner and could expect judgment from God. They had taken God's laws (which were meant to protect us from harm) and woven them together with their own human traditions. In some cases, they even regarded the human traditions they taught to be more important than God's laws. (see Mark 7.9-13)
Periodically, throughout our history, we've needed people to come along and call us away from counterfeit religion where rules and regulations are taught as the way to righteousness back to what religion is supposed to be about: A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE WHO CREATED US. That's what Martin Luther and John Wesley's ministries were all about.
Remember today that your life with God is more about relationship than rules. Be leery of rules and regulations that are not found in the Word of God, the Bible. Yes, God has given us laws to protect us from things that would harm us in this world. Those laws are there for our good. (see Exodus 20.1-17). The laws are boundary markers, just like a fence around a steep cliff. What's in between those boundaries, though, is the opportunity to know Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, personally. That's what Jesus desires for you this day, not just adherence to a set of cold, impersonal rules.
It seems that the human tendency is always to push religion to a simplistic list of rules when what God offers us is not rules but relationship. In Ancient Israel, many (including some of the kings) thought that as long as they offered the prescribed sacrifices and observed the prescribed religious holidays, then they were in compliance with God. The problem is that God didn't just want their outward formal observances, God wanted their heart.
So, when Jesus came, he challenged the "traditions of the elders," those man-made rules and regulations that so many had substituted for a real living relationship with God. In this verse, the Pharisees (religious leaders in Jesus' day) were upset because Jesus' disciples did not follow the ritualistic hand washing that they taught everyone to observe. (Sanitation was not the issue here.)
The issue was that the Pharisees claimed that if you didn't meticulously follow the 613 laws of Judaism, plus countless more rules and regulations invented by human tradition, then you were a terrible sinner and could expect judgment from God. They had taken God's laws (which were meant to protect us from harm) and woven them together with their own human traditions. In some cases, they even regarded the human traditions they taught to be more important than God's laws. (see Mark 7.9-13)
Periodically, throughout our history, we've needed people to come along and call us away from counterfeit religion where rules and regulations are taught as the way to righteousness back to what religion is supposed to be about: A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE WHO CREATED US. That's what Martin Luther and John Wesley's ministries were all about.
Remember today that your life with God is more about relationship than rules. Be leery of rules and regulations that are not found in the Word of God, the Bible. Yes, God has given us laws to protect us from things that would harm us in this world. Those laws are there for our good. (see Exodus 20.1-17). The laws are boundary markers, just like a fence around a steep cliff. What's in between those boundaries, though, is the opportunity to know Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, personally. That's what Jesus desires for you this day, not just adherence to a set of cold, impersonal rules.
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