Tuesday, June 28, 2016

John 4:1-6

John 4:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV) 

 So the passage tells us that Jesus had to pass through Samaria, but at the time, most Jews would have avoided Samaria.  It's that part of town where you just don't want to drive, so you structure your route to go around it, even if the most direct route takes you through it.  Jesus, however, had to go there.
  Why?
  Jesus comes to the areas of our lives where there is need, where there is pain, even if they are so deeply hidden that we don't want to acknowledge them.  There are places in our hearts that we wall off, thinking they are too far gone even for Jesus.  We want to ignore the hurt that we have buried there.  Sometimes, people start to think that their entire life is such a mess that Jesus would want nothing to do with them, that he would make a point to avoid them, wandering around them to get to someone else.
  Jesus doesn't believe in lost causes.  Jesus doesn't believe there is anything or anyone too far gone, and he is willing to go to any length, travel any route, so that hurt and pain can be redeemed.  His death on the cross was an atonement for any and all who are willing to accept his grace and his Lordship, no matter what.  When Jesus comes to us in love, he comes to accept all of us, including our deepest sorrows and most tender parts.
  So don't pretend you have to put on a brave face before Jesus and act as though you have it all together.  Let us be honest and complete, acknowledging our sin and pain but receiving the grace that is greater and the love that is unconditional.  May we find healing and joy and hope and peace in the one that comes to save.

Monday, June 27, 2016

John 3:22-30

John 3:22-30
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 It would have been easy for John to get carried away with his fame.  Many were coming out to hear his preaching and to be baptized for him.  Little by little, there were surely temptations for him to soak it all up, to let his popularity become the center of his attention, which would certainly have led to disappointment when Jesus came along and stole the spotlight.
  Instead, John remained focused on his mission -- it wasn't to build up his own name or reputation, but rather it was to proclaim the greatness of Jesus Christ, to announce the coming Kingdom of God and the importance of repentance.  The centrality of God's offering of grace was the most important thing to John, and he lived this out, every day.
  It's hard to keep our vision focused on Christ in this noisy world, and there are so many small temptations for us to deviate our mission, to build up our own little kingdoms, day by day, until we realize that we've built a life that centers around glorifying the self.  This can feel good, and the world often won't encourage us to think of others, but God is calling us to put faithfulness first, to serve others with love and courage, and to humble ourselves so that our lives may contribute to an eternal kingdom, rather than a temporary one.
  John made Jesus more important each and every day.  I pray for the wisdom to do likewise.

Friday, June 24, 2016

John 3:9-21

John 3:9-21
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  You can almost hear Nicodemus' mind racing as he tries to grasp all of this.  "How can this be?" he asks, as everything he has come to know about faith is shifting over the years, from a set of rules that punish you if something goes wrong to a grace-based relationship that is based in forgiveness.
  We get so tied up in trying to know everything, trying to find certainty.  We worry that we're not getting it right, that something unexpected might happen, that we can't rely on ourselves.  What Christ is teaching us is that we won't get it right, and we haven't gotten it right, but that recognition is the perfect starting point for us -- because then we can acknowledge our failures and our need for a Savior, and give thanks that we worship a God kind enough to send his own Son to atone for our sins, that we may have life that would be impossible for us to otherwise obtain.
  Jesus focuses us on a grace-based relationship and the gift of eternal life that comes through him.  It turns our eyes from the self and roots us in the love of God, that we might stand forever grateful in adoration of our King.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

John 3:1-8

John 3:1-8
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Do you remember the moment when you decided to be born?  This isn't our decision -- it's not in our power.  Life is given to us, and we come into this world uncertain about all of it.  I love that wild-eyed look in newborns who are trying to take it all in, trying to figure out just what this world is all about.  I think some of their cries are because it's all so overwhelming, leaving behind the known world of the womb and entering loud, bright life.  They cling to their mothers for safety and assurance.
  When the Spirit gives us new life, it is God's doing, not something we earn or achieve.  God brings new birth to us, and we are trying to figure it all out, trying to understand how to live in the world now that we have new eyes.  We see things differently, and often we are overwhelmed by trying to see the world the way God does, trying to love when so much of the world is hard to understand, hard to love.  God calls us to live differently, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  It takes work, and often it's exhausting, and so we cry out, and God comes to us, comforting us, assuring us of his love and gracious provision, and then he sends us back out into the world, to love and serve.
  This isn't easy, but God promises it is worth it, for as we grow in stature we grow in wisdom and understanding, and we see that living as God intends for us to do brings contentment and peace, things the world is so often striving for.
  We come to God with questions, and while we never find all the answers, in Scripture we find the guidance we need to be encouraged, to feel loved, and to be sent.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

John 2:23-25

John 2:23-25
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 I'm sure you've seen the t-shirt that says 'I aspire to be the person my dog thinks I am.'  I love watching dogs get so excited when their owner gets home -- it's like Christmas happens every single day.  We tried to teach our dogs not to jump on the cars, but they were just too excited that we had come home.  They couldn't wait to get to us.  It's as though dogs are filled with the purest, most unconditional love, and they don't care where we've been, they're just glad we've come home.
  I think that sometimes we wonder if Jesus can really love us.  We think that because Jesus knows us so well, because he knows what people are like, because he understands the heart, that there is no way Jesus could love us as richly and purely as he says he will.  We think we're not worthy, and so we distance ourselves from God.
  Yes, Jesus knows us completely and intimately, but this doesn't make Jesus turn from us.  Jesus rushes to us, taking our mess as his own and redeeming us out of our sin.  He knows what I am like.  He knows what you are like.  And he loves us as his own, ascending the cross so that he may spend eternity with us, so that his peace may permeate our lives.  Don't turn from Christ out of fear that he may not accept you as you are -- turn to him in gratitude and amazement that he embraces us, coming to us in our situation and offering us grace and unconditional love.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

John 2:13-22

John 2:13-22
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  What do you love so much that you're willing to fight for it?  What truly drives you?  Desire for what would consume you if you couldn't have it?
  Here, we see Jesus consumed by desire to have the temple be a place where people come to worship God.  They moneychangers have so altered the atmosphere of the temple that they are distracting people from the single most important aspect of temple life.  Jesus breaks in, re-focusing our vision on the heart of the matter.
  God does this in our lives.  God disrupts our routines and reminds us of what truly matters.  God breaks in, opening our eyes to see how we have mindlessly drifted off course, living far from how he intends for us to live.  We don't get here in one leap, but small decisions push us off course, and eventually we are far from the abundant life God wishes for us.
  In Jesus Christ, we see God breaking in to disrupt and destroy the sin that surrounds us.  God steps in, and as a result our destiny is no longer defined by sin, but rather by grace.

Monday, June 20, 2016

John 2:1-12

John 2:1-12
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  If you are going to make a great dinner for an important guest, you're going to shop for the best ingredients at the nicest store, right?
  If you're going to craft the best furniture, you need the best wood and tools, right?
  If Jesus is going to present the best wine, he's going to need the perfect water, right?
  Here, Jesus takes the water that is in the jars where people were washing themselves and transforms it into the best wine served at the wedding.  Jesus doesn't require perfection to begin the process --it's his power and grace that transforms the ordinary, the common, into the extraordinary.  The bridegroom didn't realize the wine had come from the washing jars, and its origin didn't matter once Jesus was finished with it.  Only the final product was important.
  In our lives, we don't come to Jesus as perfect products, as the best ingredients, hoping Jesus can improve us.  We come to Jesus as broken sinners in need of a Savior, and Jesus doesn't look down on our humble origins.  Instead, Jesus loves us, and by his power and grace he transforms us from common sinners into something extraordinary, something worthy of being presented to God.  Our sinful past does not matter -- the final product, the perfection we receive in Christ, is all that matters.

Friday, June 17, 2016

John 1:29-34

John 1:29-34
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 John didn't seem to know exactly who the Son of God was until the time came.  Considering that all of John's life had served to prepare the way for Jesus, it's striking that he didn't know his cousin was the Son of God until then.  He had an incomplete picture of exactly who his cousin was until God revealed the truth to him.
  We often treat people like we know the whole picture, when in reality we don't fully understand them.  We make assumptions that we know enough to form a complete picture, and so we paint them into a box and aren't ready to change our minds.
  What Christ calls us to do is be humble in our relationships, always ready to serve the other, remembering that they are made in the image of God.  Depend on the Spirit to guide you, rather than assuming you know the way.  I don't understand the entirety of my role here on earth, and so we can depend on the Spirit to lead us, day by day, and guide us in our relationship with God and our relationship with others.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

John 1:19-28

John 1:19-28
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Who are you?
  If a group of leaders showed up at your door and asked you to identify yourself, what would you say?  How do you define yourself?
  John, for his monumental place in history, had a pretty humble view of himself -- his role was to help others see the importance of this place and time.  He lived for others, and he lived for the glory of Christ.
  When you think of everything in your life, what defines you?  What do you look to for affirmation?  What are the primary things of importance in your life, and what do you see as your role?
  These are deep questions, but they are critical, I believe, if we are to come to a complete understanding of ourselves.  We can define ourselves based on our relationship with God and our relationship to those around us, understanding our role in relation to those we serve and love.  In doing so, we recognize with humility how much of life is a gift and we feel indebted to God and obliged to love one another, serving them with all we are, for our God has generously and graciously served us, and we are to pass this blessing along.  We have a role to play, and to live a life for our own glory is to leave a much smaller mark than God has intended for us to make.  In dedicating ourselves to proclaiming the glory of God and serving those around us, we prepare ourselves to participate in an eternal kingdom that is focused on selfless love and service.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

John 1:14-18

John 1:14-18
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 In Jesus Christ, we see the fullness of God's love.  It's not some imitation or mere description of his love, but the fullness, the actuality of God's love incarnated in his Son.  Jesus came to shower this love upon us, to reveal to us the truth of God's love.
  Now, this truth isn't always easy.  True love doesn't simply give a pass when it sees the beloved in mortal danger.  In this fashion, Jesus is not afraid to confront sin where he sees it, in the hopes that the sinner might come to a new understanding and repent, thus finding their relationship with God repaired through grace.  It's not easy to hear the news that we are in the wrong, but we are better for it, for the long-term path is corrected, leading us into a deeper relationship with our Maker, which brings us closer to abundant life.
  We don't deserve this kindness or correction, but God's love is such that we are given it anyway.  When we find ourselves convicted by the words of Scripture or the kindness of a friend, may we consider this a gift of grace rather than being defensive.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

John 1:9-13

John 1:9-13
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Adoption is a pretty wild idea.  The child doesn't often have any say or control over the situation -- it's decided by the parents, who offer their love to a child they don't know, welcoming them into their family and forever changing their lives as they are interwoven into this new way of living.
  We, too, are adopted by God.  We who have been tainted by sin are adopted by God, who in the process of adopting us cleanses us from our sin.  God does this out of his generous love, and our futures are forever transformed by this gracious act of God's love.
  The light has come into the world to reveal this to us.  The incarnation is amazing -- God puts on human flesh and becomes fully man so that we might know God fully.  He is generous and loving and kind and patient, and we should be amazed that God chooses to lavish his love upon us.

Monday, June 13, 2016

John 1:1-8

John 1:1-8
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  Nothing that exists has come into existence without Jesus Christ -- and we know from Scripture that Jesus Christ is a God who pursues the lost, who seeks with patience and passion.  Jesus Christ doesn't give up on individuals or consider situations a lost cause.
  With that background, we see how the darkness will not prevail over the light.  The all-knowing & all-powerful God will not give up, even when death closes its icy grip around the Lord of Life -- this becomes an opportunity to see how life can prevail over death, how goodness will triumph over evil, how God wins in the end.  When hopelessness and despair seem to reign, God is still at work, still pursuing his path to victory, still working in the hearts and minds of his beloved creations to call us forward into a future of abundant life, urging us to turn from the things that enslave us and drive us to despair, to violence, to hatred.
  God doesn't give up, and the light will prevail no matter how pressing the darkness seems, and the disciples of the living God are called to emulate God, to be bearers of light into the world, so that all the world may know that evil and hatred are futile positions that will be destroyed in the final victory of Christ.  When we gather around the eternal throne, there will be no place for violence, and so we are called to live a life that points to grace and to peace, working to spread the Good News of the Kingdom and the message of life and hope that is in Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Friday, June 10, 2016

2 Peter 3:10-18

2 Peter 3:10-18
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

   How easily we forget that we will not live forever, that the earth will not last forever.  In our deeper moments, we wonder what we were created for, why we are alive, what the purpose of all of this is.
  There are many different answers to these questions.  All sorts of things are seeking to be the answer to these questions, and if we don't think wisely, we grasp for various things to occupy ourselves and time slips away.  Peter is warning us to pay attention.
  Scripture paints an answer to our biggest questions -- we are alive because God created us, and he has redeemed us, calling us by name to worship him in eternity.  The most abundant life we can choose is one that submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and in choosing this we receive more benefits than our minds can grasp.  By seeking a relationship with a loving God above all else, we discover the answers to our greatest questions and find unconditional love that surrounds us every moment of our lives.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

2 Peter 3:5-9

2 Peter 3:5-9
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

************

 We spend a lot of time trying to teach our kids to be patient.  For Caleb, this means that if he has finished his dinner first, every 30 seconds he looks at us and says, "I'm waiting patiently."  He doesn't quite get the full picture of what it means to wait.
  I'm not sure we fully grasp the meaning of God waiting to return and bring creation to its fulfillment.  Isn't it amazing that the God of the universe is waiting to return so as to allow the most possible time for people to turn to him?  Our God is so patient and loves each and every individual so deeply that he isn't satisfied with most -- he wants all the people to have the chance to freely proclaim him as Lord and Savior.  God could have returned at any moment, but every little delay, while perhaps confusing to us, creates a window in which individuals turn to him and accept the gift of life-altering salvation.
  God is patient and kind.  So as we wait, may we not spend our time idly staring out the window waiting on God, but rather get busy and join him in his mission of spreading the love of Christ around the world.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

2 Peter 3:1-4

2 Peter 3:1-4
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 It's hard to be patient and wait on God.  I was sitting in bed this morning thinking about all the things I had to do today, and every once in a while my mind would drift around to the urgency of keeping my heart and mind, every thought, captive to the Word of God, and then I'd drift off again into the urgency of the pressing items that seem so important.  Sometimes, it feels as if my own mind is making fun of me, taunting me with the challenges I have in keeping God at the forefront.
  And yet, as Peter tells us, we must never forget what we have been taught, what we have been commanded.  We are to love Christ above all else, to do some honest thinking about our own priorities and recognize where and how we are led astray.  God loves us enough to lay down his life, to offer his Son so that we may be redeemed.  May that thought and that love draw us deeper into ongoing communion with our Creator.

Monday, June 6, 2016

2 Peter 2:17-22

2 Peter 2:17-22
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  Let's imagine you have a friend who doesn't care for sports, but you convince them to come to a game with you to watch your favorite team.  After a while, they start to cheer for the same team, and pretty soon they are as wrapped up in it as you are.  You watch the games together, talk about them afterward, and you think they care as deeply as you do.
  Then it happens.  They slowly drift away, and pretty soon you hear them criticizing not only the team, but also you.  They make disparaging remarks and show open disdain for you and your team.  They mock you in all they do.
  It would hurt, right?  You'd feel betrayed, and you'd wish they had never come to the first game with you.  You blame yourself, but you also let that open wound fester, and you develop scorn for them.  It hurts more and more every day.
  So it goes with Peter and those who have abandoned the church.  They were a part of a movement, and then they left it behind, choosing the temporary glory of the world over the eternal weight of glory.  When faced with adversity, they opted to save their own skin rather than endure.
  If we view faith as a short-term exercise, we will also be tempted to bail when things get tough.  But if we remember the eternal time frame and all that is promised us by a God who always keeps his promises, we endure the short-term adversity together and put on the eternal glory that is promised to us.  It will not always be easy, but it's worth it.  Jesus promises us that.

Friday, June 3, 2016

2 Peter 2:10-16

2 Peter 2:10-16
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Do you wonder how Peter really felt about these people?
  Here's the problem that Peter and the church is facing.  Let's say I try to start a movement of people who think I'm the coolest thing since someone combined peanut butter with jelly.  Now, imagine that I'm expecting these people to go out and spread the message about how cool I am, and the success of this movement depends on these people really convincing others of the truth of this matter.
  Now, if one person agrees to this plan, but then runs around telling everyone that my feet smell and I'm kind of nerdy, the whole thing could come crashing down.  The general public might be suspicious if the converts aren't in agreement.
  So Peter is greatly concerned about people who say they are part of the early church but are really just in it for themselves.  The effects of their actions ripple far beyond themselves, because they bring suspicion on the whole movement of the early church.  People wonder if the church is really worth it.  People wonder why they should join at all if they see people who say they believe but don't live like it.
  Some people may never darken the door of the church, but they will meet you.  What will they learn about the faith?  What kind of message do we convey through our words and deeds?  Do we tell the story of grace and love?  Do we share the good news of a Savior who seeks to rescue us?
  May we tell and share the good news of the Gospel with integrity.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

2 Peter 2:4-9

2 Peter 2:4-9 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 In today's society, talking about sin is not exactly wildly popular.  I believe that sin is important, however.  When we talk about sin and take it seriously, we begin to understand how perfect God is -- God cannot tolerate sin, and it must ultimately be destroyed if we are to dwell fully with him for eternity.  God's perfection cannot be tainted by even the slightest sin, which is offensive to God.
  And so we see here how seriously God takes sin and those who choose to cling to it.  It makes it all the more amazing that God himself took on the full weight and punishment for human sin, destroying sin and freeing us from our bond to it.  While here we read descriptions of what happens to those who cling to sin, God offers us a path away from our sin, so that we may not suffer the same fate as our sin.  We are set free through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
  Ultimately, God is a rescuer.  He rescues us from sin, from death, into life.  May the magnitude of sin make us all the more amazed at the grace and love of God.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

2 Peter 2:1-3

2 Peter 2:1-3
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 I spend a lot of energy and frustration thinking about false prophets, particularly those who seem focused on enriching themselves at the expense of those who choose to follow them.  When an individual is beseeching others to raise money to repaint their private jet, I have great concerns about what is first and foremost in their lives, and whether or not they are leading others closer to Christ or simply gathering a host of people who think that the individual is great.
  It's hard to be selfless.  It's difficult to constantly put Christ first, and then others second, and only think of our own needs and wants, with which we are most familiar, third.  It goes against our natural instincts and everything society is telling us.
  So when you think of the voices you listen to, do they put Christ first?  Are you reading Scripture to ensure that what you hear is faithful to the Word of God?  Are you asking tough questions to challenge other interpretations?
  There are plenty of voices out there, many of which will lead us astray.  Let us choose carefully which teachers will help us grow in faith.