Tuesday, April 30, 2019

1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's hard to say more than what the author says here.  The fullness of God is the fullness of love.  We search high and low for proof of the existence of God, and we find it everywhere, in every loving act.  In the sweet embrace of a small child, we find the love of God.  In the selfless service of the church, we find the love of God.  In the caring devotion of a couple married for fifty years, in the tender outreach of one friend to another, in the sacrifice of one person for another, we find the love of God.
  In this world, Jesus tells us, there will be troubles.   In the hate-filled diatribes of those who attack synagogues and mosques and churches, we stare into the blackest part of human brokenness and sin and, if you're like me, you despair.  You wonder what has become of us, of what will become of us, of what road humanity is heading down as we seem to be divided by words of hatred that easily lead to acts of hatred.  We are divided by so many things, and we dehumanize one another, and we find things we hate, and we weep at the acts that such hatred leads to.
  In these times, when we despair at the large acts of hatred that cover the headlines and the tiny acts that cut us deeply, look for love.  Look for opportunities to hold closely those you already love, and look for ways to love those around you -- your friends and neighbors and coworkers.  Look for ways, loved ones, to love the stranger in your midst -- the alien and the homeless, the hungry and the lonely.  Find small ways to love them, for in loving them, you show them the beauty of the Kingdom of God, and when someone has had a small taste of selfless love, they're likely to want more.  When we are invited to participate in the Kingdom of God, to taste and see how good God is, we then want to love others, to show them the same grace and experience the spreading joy that is love.
  God is love, and we see the love of God demonstrated supremely in the face of the world's hatred as Christ hung upon the cross.  Love conquers fear, conquers death, as light conquers darkness, and love will set us free.  Find someone different than you and pray for the wisdom and courage to show them love, that Christ may bind us together and join us in one heavenly choir that will gather around the throne, multitudes from every race and every nation, and sing as one body for ever and ever.

Monday, April 29, 2019

1 John 4:1-6

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

  The issue of authenticity is huge in our culture. It’s one thing to go on eBay and buy a fake handbag that’s made in China – it’ll give the impression of a brand name, but it likely won’t last as long. You can save real money buying imitation sunglasses and other products, but the name brands hate it because the imitators cheapen the reputation of the name brand.
  In Christianity, the reputation of the church is damaged by those who go out into the world and proclaim the name of Christ but don’t live with love in their actions and grace in their words. People lump us all together and assume the church isn’t for them, and they never get a taste of the actual mercy of God, because they’ve been turned off by the imitators.
  So every evening, take a deep breath and think about whether your words and deeds have matched your faith. Thank God for grace and strength where they did, and give thanks for mercy where they did not. Every morning, pray for the courage and wisdom to align your life with the peace and selflessness of Christ, and may we point to the genuineness of Christ in everything.

Friday, April 26, 2019

1 John 3:19-24

1 John 3:19-24 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Our hearts aren't always the most reliable sources of information.  They can lead us astray -- we can drift from appetite to appetite, thinking we know just what we want but finding that nothing satisfies the deepest desires of our hearts.  Our hearts can also feed us false information about ourselves -- they tell us lies and we start to believe that we aren't good enough or that no one could love us.
  God whispers to us, inviting us into a deeper Truth, where we are beloved and treasured and redeemed because God loves us.  God is greater than our heart, and sends the Spirit to teach us how to abide in God.  The Spirit calls us into deep communion with God, reminding us that we are enough because God is enough.  You are beloved, you are treasured, and you are redeemed through the love of Christ.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

1 John 3:11-18

1 John 3:11-18 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Spending time around small children has changed the way I think.  They know, intellectually, what they should do in any given situation.  When they make poor choices, as they are prone to do at times, it's not because they have thought through a process and come to the logical conclusion that a temper tantrum is the most logical choice.  It's not a measured outcome that throwing oneself on the floor and screaming is the most likely way to achieve their ultimate goals -- it just happens.  They always regret it later -- but in the moment, they're overcome with emotion and desire.  I don't like, don't tolerate it, but I still love them, even in their worst moments, because I know who they are.
  In God's eyes, I'm not so different.  In my worst moments, I react out of fear or impatience or selfishness.  I don't always think everything through -- sometimes I act impulsively.  But God still loves me.  God knew every choice I would make, even my worst ones, and loves me anyway.  God shows us love by dying on the cross for us, defeating sin and death so that we might know the fullness of God's love.
  The author is encouraging the listeners to make the same loving and selfless choices.  If people reject the love of God and cling to death and brokenness, that's a tragedy.  If we see the love of God in Jesus Christ and opt for life, striving to love others, then we revel in the light and love of God.  We're not perfect -- but we're loved, and that gives us the courage each day to rise from the sins of our past and stretch towards the abundant life that lays itself down for others, that empties itself of treasure only to find that God, in God's infinite goodness, fills us once more.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

1 John 3:4-10

1 John 3:4-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When I was a kid, I'd spend my Saturdays in the driveway listening to the Reds games on the radio, pretending to be Eric Davis or Chris Sabo.  I loved the Reds, imagining myself playing third base for the Reds when I grew up.  But if we're being honest, I can't say that I practiced like I wanted to make that dream a reality -- while I enjoyed playing baseball, I never dedicated myself to it with bottomless dedication.  I didn't wake early to practice, and I didn't stay up late practicing, and as a result, I'm not a major league baseball player. 
  When we think about our Christian lives, we all want to be better Christians.  We want to be more faithful, and we want to have better disciplines.  However, if we're not careful, we don't invest the time and energy into practicing our faith daily, and we miss out on much of what God wants for our lives.  It's amazing how easy it is to let little things become big things and to promise ourselves we'll do better tomorrow.
  There is certainly grace for where we fail.  We aren't called to be perfect, and faith is a work that God is doing in us.  Our entrance into eternal life does not depend on us figuring out how to be perfect Christians.  But that doesn't mean we shouldn't push forward, practicing our faith daily, drawing closer to God so that the world might see God at work in and through us, even our weaknesses, as God displays his power through our weakness.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

1 John 3:1-3

1 John 3:1-3 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Ever tried explaining planting seeds to small children?  It's harder than I might have thought, because it's all about the future -- you can't do it based on the reality that you're actually just putting a tiny seed into the ground and then covering it with dirt.  That doesn't make one think of plants at all.  And it's hard to explain how a tiny seed turns into a giant plant, when all that really gets added is water.  How do we make sense of that?  Yet it happens all the time -- we plant seeds with great faith that we take for granted, and those seeds turn into sunflowers and beans and all sorts of things..
  We have great faith in God to transform us as well.  We don't understand all the details, and it's still unclear to me exactly how God is going to transform us.  1 John states that what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that we will be transformed when God appears.  Our faith draws us forward and allows us to believe in what we cannot see.
  So this spring, as you note the new life appearing everywhere, remember that God will do the same with us, through God's amazing love that is given to us.  As you note this, try and work threads of the Gospel into your conversations, and see what the Holy Spirit can do with our efforts to compare the renewal of the world to the renewing of the soul.

Monday, April 22, 2019

Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1-12 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Easter was yesterday, a glorious day when hope rises in the morning out of the dark and desperate tomb.  The women show up to embalm a body, and instead they find themselves proclaiming the marvelous truth that Jesus had risen from the dead.
  We heard those words proclaimed in joyous fashion yesterday, but they fade by today, as the burdens and demands of daily life take hold of our pressured minds.  We get caught up in all that the world asks of us, and the hope of the resurrection and the certainty of life beyond the shadow of death retreat from the front of our minds.  Just as the women needed an angelic reminder of what Christ had promised, we, too, need a reminder of Christ's assurance and of the power of the Good News of the Gospel for us.  When the women returned from the tomb and told the disciples, the disciples didn't believe, but Peter went and searched for himself to discover the truth of their claim.
  The women needed a reminder from an angel, and Peter needed to find out for himself.  The path of a faithful life is never straight and never flawless, but it is covered by grace and supported by community -- we are here for one another, helping see how God is at work.  The disciples didn't see it correctly all the time, just as I often wake in the morning and my priorities are all in the wrong order.
  Christ has risen from the grave, and today is a new day -- the mercies of the Lord are new every morning.  I lean into mercy and look to the faith community to help guide and correct me along the way.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

1 John 2:26-29

1 John 2:26-29
English Standard Version (ESV)

  A good way to picture what it means to abide in Christ is "receiving and trusting all that God is for us in Jesus Christ."  It's passive and active -- first of all, we receive what God gives us, and then we trust in that, and that trust spills over into the rest of our lives. 
  Not long ago, we went for a hike in a state park, and there was a small lake with an earthen dam at one end of the parking lot.  At the end of the dam, there was a small spillway that fed a stream we hiked along.  It was beautiful and peaceful.
  I think of our lives as the pond -- God fills us with grace, and we all let that build up.  We receive it, grateful for what God has done, and at a certain point we grow to understand that grace isn't just for us to keep -- it's meant to go forth.  And so we find a way for that grace that we have received to go out into the world, to spill over out of our hearts and minds.  We trust that God will provide plenty for us, and so in trust we open ourselves up to the world and shower love upon others.
  The hard thing about truly selfless love is that we can't control it once we send it out into the world.  We risk being hurt, being vulnerable, or coming into relationship with those who are different than us.  It can challenge us -- but we are always continually being filled with grace, and we have to trust in the God who leads us out into the world.  God never promised that it would be easy --but to abide in God means to trust and follow.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

1 John 2:18-25

1 John 2:18-25 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 What's great about a good movie is that you know generally how it will end, but not specifically, and those movies always have drama along the journey -- evil faces off against good, and at times it feels like evil might triumph, but good finds a way to press forward, to hope in the face of despair, and good eventually triumphs.  It's the story of Star Wars, the story of The Lord of the Rings, and all of our great stories -- they have flawed heroes and dark times, but good triumphs in the end.
  These stories captivate us because they are our story.  They speak to the truest story that is told in the depths of our souls, the story of God's triumph over evil, the victory of hope over despair, the dancing in the times of weeping.  Easter week is a time to remember how dark some of the days were, but ultimately a joyous celebration of God's power over darkness.
  So let this story abide in you -- as the truth burrows its way into us, we are drawn closer to God, and we come closer to realizing the promise that we are given in God -- eternal life!

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15-17 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Like so many, I watched with a broken heart as fire devastated Notre Dame cathedral.  It's possibly the most beautiful building I've ever been inside, and it was inside that place where I felt most deeply the call and presence of God.  I remember walking inside that building and being stunned by the ability of a place to transform the mind into the presence of the Holy.  I sat quietly in a pew in the back, trying desperately to soak in the sensation of the transcendent.  That place pointed me towards God, and while I cannot say that it's been a straight line between the experience I had that day and where I am today, I can say that my time in Notre Dame influenced my life and drew me closer to God. 
  The truly beautiful things and places in the world have that ability to direct our hearts and minds towards God.  They do not exist as an end to themselves -- they are conduits that guide the soul to contemplate something greater.  They funnel our minds towards the Creator, and they help create a sense of awe within us -- we are reminded of how great God is and how small we are, and that helps us grasp the significance of what Christ does on the cross, because no matter how small we may be, God still reaches down in love to us. 
  Here in John's letter, he is warning us against the things that don't direct our attention to God -- these are the things that are ends in themselves, that devour our hearts and give us nothing in return.  This is the power of addiction, and it is terrifying to watch the way it can destroy a life -- be it drugs or alcohol or pornography or food or any other force. 
  This is the beauty of Notre Dame cathedral -- while it is beautiful and captivating, what it stands for is more powerful.  It directs the eye to heaven, and to be in awe of it is to recognize the power of the divine.  My ultimate prayer for my life is that I somehow join in this effort -- that people see me not as someone interesting in who I am, but rather in my ability to point to my Creator, the One who crafted me and redeemed me and (somehow) loves me still, in spite of my flaws.
  May we all mourn for the loss of Notre Dame, and as the French rebuild that magnificent place, may our lives join in the effort to point to the glory of God.

Monday, April 15, 2019

John Donne Poem

Something a little different this morning -- I came across this John Donne poem over the weekend and thought it was a good start to Holy Week -- it reminds us that our sin, although still often nipping at our heels, is not free to determine our fate, for a greater force has stepped in and redeemed us from sin.

A Hymn to God the Father 
  BY JOHN DONNE

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
 Which was my sin, though it were done before?
 Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
 And do run still, though still I do deplore?
 When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
 For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
 Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
 Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
 A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score?
 When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
  For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
 My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
 But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
 Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
 And, having done that, thou hast done;
 I fear no more.

Friday, April 12, 2019

1 John 2:7-14

1 John 2:7-14 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 We all need glimpses of hope -- to lose hope is to struggle with the darkness.  This is why depression is such a cruel and debilitation disease.  It eats away at hope, and it prevents people from seeing and grasping the hope that does exist in the world.  To emerge from the darkness requires long and faithful friendship that continues to point to the light.
  The letter here is reminding us that the darkness is passing away.  It's not gone -- the shadows still linger and stab at us from the darkness.  But the true light is already shining -- it has burst forth from the empty tomb and shines forth in the world.  We know the truth, and when we choose to follow Christ, to take up the great adventure and seek to be faithful at all times, loving our enemies and dying to the self, we live in this same light.  When we do the opposite, we retreat back into the darkness, and find ourselves blinded by the darkness -- sin and hate are vicious cycles that cover our eyes and keep us from seeing the blinding beauty of the light.  It's like walking into a cave and continuing to stare into the darkness, enticed by what might lie in the murky depths, rather than realizing that the true adventure, true goodness, lies outside, and what is required is turning from the darkness and recognizing the glory of the light.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

John 11:25-26

John 11:25-26 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I was at this visitation last night and kept pondering that the last part of this verse is, in some ways, the only question that really matters.  Life is short -- too short, too precious, and moving quickly.  We fill our years with memories, through hobbies and family and jobs and play.  We find meaning, and we find beauty, and often we lose sight of both for a while, but we find our way back to the mountaintop after spending time in the valleys.
  At the end of it all, though, the question that sits before us is:  Do we believe that Jesus is who he says he is?
  We all answer this question in one way or another.  Some answer in a definitive no, while others opt for no simply by choosing other things along the way.  I have chosen yes, for a number of reasons, but primarily because I believe that the preponderance of evidence points to the basic facts of the Gospel being historically true.  I believe that Jesus Christ was a real person who lived, was put to death by the Romans, and then was raised from the dead, just as he predicted.  For thousands of years, the world has sought to disprove this story, but it still stands true today, and if Jesus Christ was able to predict his own resurrection, then that has implications on my life.  If He was right about that, then he is right about everything else, and I should align myself with his values and principals if I am to take that seriously.
  If I believe that the Gospel story is true, and that I am offered resurrection from the grave because of the sacrifice that he offered, then I should spend some serious time reflecting on what my remaining years on this earth should look like, right?  Shouldn't you do the same?  If we believe that it is true, it shouldn't be possible to be indifferent to the commands and teachings of Jesus, right?  If we believe that he has power over life and death, we should take his words seriously, and we should study them daily, right?  His words, if we believe they are true, should be the single most important thing in our lives, as they are the only words with power over life and death, and ultimately, that's what matters, right? 

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

1 John 2:1-6

1 John 2:1-6 
English Standard Version (ESV)


  To me, this is great parenting.  "Don't break the rules, but if you do, God still loves you." 

  The church has invested a lot of time in telling people what is wrong and who is wrong.  People get the idea that the moment they mess up, the church writes them off for good.  Sometimes, the churches that are the loudest are the ones shouting at the most people.
  The churches that need to be sure they are heard are the ones proclaiming that God's love doesn't vanish the moment someone makes a mistake.  God's love is perfect, and God sent Jesus into the world to make a path forward through sin and into grace.  God knows we are going to sin.  God knows I've certainly had my fair share, and probably a few other people's fair share as well.  But I fall into grace, under grace, and am surrounded by grace, just as you are -- we are not encouraged to sin, but when we do, know that God is patient and kind. 
  So let us always strive for perfection, but not to the point of anxiety, but out of gratitude for what God has done.  Let our lives match what we believe.  You never know the impact you might have on someone...

  Today is the visitation for Tim Dressman.  He was my high school soccer coach, and he made a world of difference in my life.  It's hard to put into words, but the first few years of high school weren't an easy time for me.  Coach Dressman invested in me, and I'm a better person for it -- I have a world of gratitude for the gift of love he gave to me.  The time and care he poured into the team changed my life. 

  So who knows what difference and impact you might make on the life of another.  Just as a tiny course change now alters the path of a ship over miles, tiny nudges of grace and love can alter the life of another in ways we truly underestimate.

 

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

1 John 1:5-10

1 John 1:5-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Let's say that you and I are going out to dinner at the best restaurant in town, and I'm paying.  I tell you where to meet me, but you haven't been there before.  You do know how to get to another restaurant, however, so you go there instead, because it's easier and more comfortable to you.  So you eat dinner, and the food is ok, but we'd agree that you missed out on great food, free food, and the pleasure of my company, right?
  That's sort of what we do when we ignore our sins.  God has offered us forgiveness, and God has paid the price for our sins.  God offers us the peace and joy of forgiveness, but it's important that we acknowledge our sins and confess that God, and God alone, can pay the price for our sin.  We can't do this on our own.  No matter how hard we try, only Christ can offer the atoning sacrifice that will rid us of the stain of sin.  Now, we are promised that God will be faithful and forgive our sins.  We just have to be willing to endure the discomfort of confession to find the peace of forgiveness. 

Monday, April 8, 2019

1 John 1:1-4

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

  As a parent, I'm learning a lot of things I never expected to need to learn.  After I took the training wheels off my daughter's bike, I stood in the middle of the road with her and realized I hadn't the faintest idea how to teach someone to ride a bike.  Similarly, I wonder every evening if it's possible to teach someone how to like vegetables.  How do you make vegetables appetizing to small children?  Making airplane noises isn't nearly as effective when they're 7.  I took for granted that my parents knew everything when I was a child -- but they had to learn it, just like I do now, and I benefit because they have passed down countless lessons to me, just as I'm passing them down to my children.
  The Christian faith is like that.  We stand at the long end of a chain, with the truth of the Gospel having been passed down from one generation to the next.  We benefit from the faithfulness of those who have come before us.  The early church risked their lives to meet in secret, passing the truth from one to another, inviting others in, hoping the church visitors weren't really Roman spies.  Many of them were killed for sharing their faith, but it was so important to pass it along, it was worth their lives, because they were building something eternal.
  It's easy to receive something.  All we do is open our ears and our hearts and let someone else share with us.  The trick is to make sure that it doesn't end with us.  We have a responsibility to honor those from the countless generations who invested their time and energy in passing the truth along -- we join their work, looking for someone else to share this wondrous truth with.  What we have seen, what we have heard -- we are called to share this with the world, and in so doing we invite others and join with God in expanding God's Kingdom.
  Who are you inviting?  With whom are you sharing?  For whom are you praying?

Friday, April 5, 2019

Philippians 4:14-23

Philippians 4:14-23 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Having kids, it's always interesting what happens when something breaks, especially when it's obvious that one of the kids is very definitely guilty.  The other often subtly (or not very subtly) moves away from the mess, distancing themselves from the mess and any association with it, while the guilty child often does whatever they can to implicate anything and everything to spread the guilt around.  No one wants to share trouble.
 
  If you've been through challenging times, you know there are often two groups of people -- those who reach out to you afterwards and see how you're doing, and those who are with you in the thick of it, helping you endure every step of the way.  That second group of people, the ones who aren't afraid of whatever mess we have in our lives, the ones who are willing to step into our lives and share our trouble -- those people stand out in our minds.  We appreciate them, and we don't forget that sacrifice.

  The church should be a place where trouble is shared.  That's exactly what Jesus does -- he steps into the world, takes on humanity and shares our trouble, taking on our sin so that we might be healed.  Our mission is the same -- to go into the world and share the troubles of others, so that no one feels alone or forsaken, lost in a turbulent sea.  We point to the light, to the beacon of hope in the darkness of night.  We trust in the God who has riches of glory, and we spread that wealth, so that the church is seen both as a place of encouragement and a place where troubles can be shared, not hidden.  No one should have to hide their pain in the church, and the church can come alongside those who are hurting and listen together as God pronounces hope over the hurt. 
 

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Philippians 4:10-13

Philippians 4:10-13 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I doubt that I'm the only one who lives on an emotional rollercoaster.  One minute, my kids are happily playing together in the basement and the sun is shining and all is right with the world.  Within minutes, one kid is screaming while another cries while the hot water heater breaks and three things blow up at work while it starts to snow.  The stress seesaw is exhausting as we try and manage through the winds that buffet us each and every day, and we worry about the future, about our security, about our loved ones and the political scene and our health and a million other things.
  In Philippians, Paul manages to paint a beautiful picture of what a mature faith in Christ offers us.  As mentioned yesterday, Paul describes a peace that passes understanding.  Here, there is confidence in Christ to enable us to meet every challenge.  Paul describes a level-mindedness that is enviable -- in verse 12, he's telling us that he has learned how to face the emotional highs and lows with the same mindset.  Rather than vacillate between distress and joy, he resides in joy, because of his long-term vision.
  Philippians 4:13 is surely near the top of the list of Bible verses most likely to be tattooed on the human body or printed on a t-shirt.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Most importantly, it reminds me that my insecurities and weaknesses are not meant to halt my life in faith, but that the God who loves me also provides strength for me to endure, to persevere, and that God is faithful in the midst of life to bring us through everything. 
  This Bible verse doesn't present a timeline and guarantee us immediate victory over our foes -- a short Bible study of Biblical heroes will uncover plenty of despair -- and we should remember that Paul likely wrote this from prison in Rome, a prison he may well not have left with his head still on his shoulders.  So let's not limit this verse to helping us face the challenges of today.  We can do all things through Christ.  This is a big picture verse, reminding us of our strength and our salvation, that at the end of it all, when we look back at all that our life has proclaimed, we'll see and understand that it was Christ who brought us through, and it is Christ who will carry us home.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Philippians 4:8-9

Philippians 4:8-9 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When we're trying to size up a loan for a nursing home, we use the phrase "garbage in, garbage out."  Meaning that if we have bad data, our loan sizing is unlikely to be accurate.  The same is true of your health -- if you eat terrible food and take bad supplements, your body is going to reflect those choices. 
  What we often don't think about is that our minds work the same way -- if you consume garbage, your mind is going to have a hard time thinking righteous and holy thoughts.  If you spend all day focused on violence or consumerism, you're likely to think a lot about violence or consumerism.  In the same way, if you feed your mind with good things, you'll likely think good thoughts.  If you surround yourself with people who speak encouragement and hope, your mind is likely to be filled with encouragement and hope.  If you keep Scripture in the front of your mind, your thoughts are more likely to drift to God and to look for how God is on the move in the world.
  There are a million apps and methods and strategies to have small pieces of Scripture be present throughout your day.  Find one that works.  Pay attention to what you watch on television, to what you read -- what you think on will shape how you think and speak and live.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Philippians 4:1-7

Philippians 4:1-7 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Yesterday was April Fools' Day, which meant that we were teased with the idea of the McPickle and other various stunts companies pulled off. In the Jones household, it was celebrated by our children constantly telling my wife that there were spiders around.  She was not amused. 
  The greatest joke of all, however, is the one where the Roman empire killed the Savior of the world, rolled a stone in front of the tomb and thought they were finished with that.  Little did they know, they had tried to kill the One who crafted the mountains from nothing and could vanquish death with a word.  Revelation describes it this way in Chapter 19: His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. 
  The Romans thought they could kill him with their cross, and death thought it could hold him with its tomb.  They were fools to believe such a thing, and Christ triumphed over their power.
  So, too, shall you -- death is but a defeated veil through which you ride, triumphant.  I don't know what keeps you up at night, what you fear and what brings you worry, what makes you break out in a cold sweat.  But I know that Christ has conquered, and that God holds you in the palm of his hand, the same scarred hand that let a nail hold it to a cross out of love.  That hand holds you, and it shall never let you go, no matter what forces rage against you.
  So close your eyes for a moment and breathe in the peace of God.  It passes understanding because it is always just before us, leading us forward, deeper into communion, deeper into life itself, teaching us about God's love and about ourselves.  You are a treasured child of God, and nothing can separate you from the love of God. 

Monday, April 1, 2019

Philippians 3:17-21

Philippians 3:17-21 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There is no shortage of potential targets to model your life after.  I went to the grocery store last night, and the magazine rack in the check-out line offers plentiful options.  Talk shows on television have ideas of their own, and if you're still searching, there's always social media...
  Following a Jewish carpenter who's primary recommendation was to die to the self isn't going to be popular in an age of decadence.  When Paul's talking about people who make their god their belly, there are a few ways to interpret that.  Paul's likely talking about the Jewish leaders who are so focused on the dietary laws that they've forgotten about the God to whom they're supposed to point.  In today's era, we could think about people who love indulgence so much that they don't have any depth to their lives -- glamorous lifestyles built without foundations will often end poorly. 
  Paul's reminding us that our true citizenship is not in this world.  We're never going to feel fully comfortable here.  Those feelings you get that things aren't quite right -- that's your soul that is built for heaven and notices the way sin pulls on our hearts here on earth.  We sinfully long for things we shouldn't, and we put off the things we should do.
  The Good News?  Through Jesus Christ, we have been transformed.  Our lowly bodies have every reason to hope, and that hope will guide our lives the more time we spend modeling our lives after people who seek true discipleship for the sake of Christ alone.  Be careful in your role models -- seek those who do not seek the limelight.  Listen to those who aren't shouting.  Sit with those who serve others.  In doing so, we'll learn how to empty ourselves and let the Spirit remind us of the joy and peace of our true home.