tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309547060143109732024-03-19T07:00:32.365-04:00Standing on the MountainRev. Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09486601703397471758noreply@blogger.comBlogger4230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-16994946311672906802024-03-19T07:00:00.013-04:002024-03-19T07:00:00.138-04:00James 2:14-17<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-17&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 2:14-17 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-17&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div> If I have two hamburgers and only need one, what kind of person am I if we share a meal and I let you go hungry? The more time we spend in the Gospels, the more we see Jesus sending the church to share what blessings they have with one another. We are transformed as a community. The Holy Spirit works in us and between us, and when we entrust ourselves to God, we have to trust when God calls us to be part of a community and look for opportunities to share from places where we have enough. When we care for one another, we are called to open our hearts to their needs -- not just their spiritual needs, but their physical needs as well. We may not have the resources to help everyone... but we're called to care about their needs and pray and work for a world where all those needs are met.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-14426567005044768562024-03-18T06:00:00.012-04:002024-03-18T06:00:00.259-04:00Psalm 118:25-29<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+118%3A25-29&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 118:25-29 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+118%3A25-29&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Today is simply a reminder to rejoice in all that God has given us. Monday mornings can be hectic and busy and rushed, and we too easily forget that life itself is a gift from God, whose steadfast love overflows into every corner of our lives. May we drink deeply from the wellspring of joy, and have confidence that God is with us, no matter what today may hold. The Lord has made the light to shine upon us, and as a result, we are never alone and the darkness is kept at bay.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-30348511403405591322024-03-14T05:00:00.009-04:002024-03-14T05:00:00.360-04:00James 2:8-13<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A8-13&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 2:8-13 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A8-13&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><br /></div><div> Truly, it is harder to enter the kingdom of Heaven then for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle! Imagine keeping the entire law and then missing one tiny point -- it invalidates the rest of your efforts. Imagine driving from New York to Los Angeles and then driving 56 in a 55 mph speed limit near the destination, and realizing the entire trip was in vain. You'd go nuts with that kind of pressure!</div></div><div> Thanks be to God that Jesus wipes away our sin, that Jesus recognizes our weakness and take the punishment we rightly deserve. We have broken the law, but in Christ, we receive the glory that is due to him, and he receives the punishment that is due to us. What a priceless gift!</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-28822387648951117352024-03-13T06:30:00.020-04:002024-03-13T06:30:00.240-04:00James 2:1-7<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A1-7&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 2:1-7 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A1-7&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><br /></div></div><div> It's so hard to fight the innate tendency within us to gravitate towards the things of this world that are the most appealing. I followed a car in to work yesterday that was very high end, and I paid attention to it over all the other cars. I probably thought impure thoughts. I made distinctions. </div><div> The world wires us this way, and we often don't even think about it. We automatically show favoritism towards those who are dressed the best and appear the most successful. Others... we pay less attention to. </div><div> But the Gospel invites us to think about the world and our relationships differently. The Gospel invites us to join with God in understanding a different economy, one far truer than the economy of this world. In God's economy, riches are not material, but they are lavished from God in heaven, and they do not accumulate in those with the largest houses, but rather with the most room in their hearts. </div><div> May we lean towards that economy and let God transform us, showing us the innate value in every human heart, treating each and every soul with gentleness and humility.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-36430419437339448862024-03-11T21:48:00.004-04:002024-03-11T21:48:41.159-04:00James 1:22-27<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A22-27&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:22-27 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A22-27&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Mark Twain said that it wasn't the parts of the Bible that he didn't understand that worried him, it was the parts of the Bible he did understand that bothered him. At times, the language is so high and lofty that it's hard to grasp. At other times it is clear and direct. This is one of those times. We have a choice, James tells us -- we can opt to hear the Word, pray for it to transform us, and let it lead us into the world, or we can listen, think about how nice it is, and leave it at that. Either is a choice. One is faithful to the calling of Jesus Christ, which is meant to transform us and the community around us. To be idle... is a different choice, a worse choice, for it means that the Word hasn't changed us. To hear the Gospel is to be changed. And if we are not changed, we must continue to listen and pray for the Holy Spirit to illumine us, to lead us out, for the Word always changes, always transforms, always challenges and comforts and brings new life.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-41670400877670877512024-03-11T08:00:00.020-04:002024-03-11T08:00:00.151-04:00James 1:19-21<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A19-21&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:19-21 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A19-21&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><b><br /></b></div><div> It's fascinating to read verses like this in the midst of peak political silliness. Imagine a world where we default to listening before speaking, where we aren't so quick to be angry but rather practice stillness and patience first. Think of how our world might be different if run by the meek, guided by Scripture, which calls us to love and serve. Imagine leaders that fled from anything that hinted at impropriety. </div></div><div> But that's not the world we have, so we have to do our best to create it. May we seek to be examples in our community and in our congregations and in our neighborhoods. May we live by this, and perhaps in doing so, we can influence one another, and change the world, little by little. </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-3418935465886390752024-03-08T05:00:00.010-05:002024-03-08T05:00:00.133-05:00James 1:16-18<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A16-18&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:16-18 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A16-18&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> We have a responsibility towards others. We were designed that way -- not that we might shine for ourselves, but that God's light might shine through us into the world around us. We don't exist for ourselves, but we exist to love and to serve. Christ showed us this perfectly. It's hard to remember this in a world that will besiege you with messages to care only for yourself, but the Gospel is here to correct -- we live for others, as God loves us. </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-70225464900116787912024-03-07T07:30:00.012-05:002024-03-07T07:30:00.137-05:00James 1:9-15<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A9-15&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:9-15 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A9-15&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a></div><div><br /></div><div> Think of your priorities. Where does the crown of life fall? If it's first, then you'll steadfastly endure anything to obtain it. If anything else is above it, then that will wither and perish. Tim Keller talks about how we know what our true gods are when we consider what we think about when we have idle time. Do we focus on the crown of life, on obtaining the promises of God? Or do we think about lesser things? </div><div> The world will certainly tempt us away from God, luring us through our own desires, which give birth to sin, which leads us away from God. May we pray for the wisdom to pursue God's crown of life rather than our own desires!</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-23280476608112485262024-03-06T06:00:00.007-05:002024-03-06T06:00:00.129-05:00James 1:5-8<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A5-8&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:5-8 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A5-8&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><br /></div></div><div> When I think of all the things I could ask God for, I'll confess that wisdom probably doesn't rise to the top of the list, which probably means that I need wisdom more than anything else! I think of all the worldly treasures I could get... but they'd all fade away, right? Watching the news will tell me that all the worldly treasure can't keep me healthy or away from relationship loss or other monetary loss. Many celebrities and other rich and famous people don't seem very happy, despite having more money than they know what to do with. So wisdom would be good, even if my heart dances more merrily at the thought of other things God might grant me.</div><div> Of course, to come to God and ask for wisdom when you doubt that God can grant such wisdom is folly. Who else might you be asking for wisdom? Is God one of many? If we believe that God created the earth and is stronger than death... why are we wasting time asking anyone else for wisdom?</div><div> And if we don't believe that, then why ask God in the first place?</div><div> To truly believe that God is bigger than the universe and capable of anything and chooses to love us -- should not such a thought drive us to our knees in prayer and praise every day?</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-83223259203925501542024-03-05T08:00:00.014-05:002024-03-05T08:00:00.129-05:00James 1:2-4<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A2-4&version=ESV" target="_blank">James 1:2-4 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A2-4&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Do you ever wonder if James lost all his listeners in the second verse of his book? I wonder how many people got up and walked out upon hearing this verse read, knowing they could never relate to such an idea. Who counts it as joy when they meet a trial?</div><div> What a mindset that early church had. With everything that happened, they were trying to determine how it brought them closer to Christ. Their celebrations pointed ahead to the great celebration in heaven, and their trials helped them think about being purified for the kingdom. Every single thing -- none of it was lost if there was an opportunity to grow in discipleship through it. </div><div> I would love to have this kind of mindset -- to see everything through the filter of growing in discipleship, to waste nothing but always be waiting for the Spirit to lead me closer to Christ. May we find some semblance of this in our own lives, waiting and watching for God to work in the midst of it all!</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-36897927419149519612024-03-04T07:30:00.017-05:002024-03-04T07:30:00.133-05:00Psalm 57:1-3<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+19%3A15-19&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 57:1-3 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+19%3A15-19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><b><br /></b></div><div> The image of God as a mother hen is always comforting -- I love the thought of God spreading a wing over me in the midst of the storm, to be gathered up in the safety of the one who knows me and loves me completely. The God who created hears my cry, and God will deliver me from every enemy through his steadfast love. God is faithful, to and through the end. There is nothing else that can be counted on in this same way, and thanks be to God that such love chooses to be for us!</div></div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-50948255684390197222024-03-01T08:00:00.025-05:002024-03-01T08:00:00.126-05:00Jude 1:20-25<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A20-25&version=ESV" target="_blank">Jude 1:20-25 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A20-25&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a><div><br /></div></div><div> I believe this is my 17th year writing these devotionals, so I've probably written between four and five thousand, which is somewhat unbelievable, and as best I can tell, I don't think I've ever written one on Jude before. I'm likely missing a few Old Testament prophets as well, so I'll have to go back through and see what books there are remaining. Maybe I'll cover one of the genealogies :) </div><div> What stands out to me here is the call to have mercy on those who doubt. There's a call to responsibility towards one another that is sorely lacking in today's world. We are a community of people, each of us dealing with unique issues and challenges, each of us fearfully and wonderfully made. That's a hard thing to remember sometimes, especially since much of the media seems prepared to stoke division between groups. Fear sells better than unity, I suppose.</div><div> May we look at one another with mercy. That's how God looks at us -- God sees our failures, and yet God loves us with patience and grace, thankfully! May we try and love one another in that same way, and do our part to restore peace in this world.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-38417484438020419042024-02-29T07:00:00.013-05:002024-02-29T07:00:00.147-05:00Psalm 18:43-50<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A43-50&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:43-50 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A43-50&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><br /></div></div><div> Remember those cartoons where the baby bear rears up on its back legs and growls at an enemy, watching with glee as the enemy scampers away? The baby feels such pride, and then the camera zooms out to show the mama bear towering in the background, the real source of the enemy's fear. </div><div> That's how I feel when I read this Psalm. David is reigning in power, but only because of what the Lord has done. Nothing is because David is so great -- it's because God is so great, and David's power is rooted in that. Remove God, and David would fall.</div><div> It's a fine line to walk as we try and recall this. God sets us in places to fulfill our calling, gifting us with particular gifts and skills, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are called to obey and to serve. I think we should take pride in a job well done. But let us not forget the true source of our gifts, the true source of our life. It's not due to us that the world keeps spinning and that there's food on the table -- that's a gift from God, and may we join with David and sing our praises to God.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-70058543556231330002024-02-28T06:00:00.013-05:002024-02-28T06:00:00.135-05:00Psalm 18:36-42<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A36-42&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:36-42</a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A36-42&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> It's easy for me to forget that David was a military leader. He was a king who went out to war -- from the days of his youth protecting the sheep, to his battle with Goliath, to his military campaigns as king, he was surrounded by violence. Through it all, his heart was captured by God. He was imperfect and flawed, and yet he pursued God, even in the midst of his enemies, even in battle.</div><div> May we not separate our lives into the parts that belong to God and the other parts that we endure or deal with on our own. It all belongs to God. May our entire life be a dance with Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, as we try and figure out how to live as a people in love with God. It's so hard to do -- Monday happens and then suddenly it's Thursday afternoon and we're wondering where the week went and how are we running out of time... and yet God speaks to us in the midst of it, if we're willing to breathe, to slow, and to listen. It all belongs to God. May we find ways to listen to the beat of our hearts this day, and hear them crying out for the living water that only Jesus can provide.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-91404987816326668712024-02-27T05:30:00.008-05:002024-02-27T05:30:00.246-05:00Psalm 18:31-35<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A31-35&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:31-35 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A31-35&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Who else but God could make someone great through gentleness? God's way is truly not the way of this world -- as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, it is foolishness, and yet through it leads the way to life. </div><div> When I read about arms bending a bow of bronze, I take a little detour back to early Genesis. When Noah and family had come out of the ark, God made a covenant to never again destroy the earth through a flood, and set a bow in the heavens as a sign of the promise. That bow, of course, was pointed not towards earth as a threat but rather into the heavens as a sign. The bow would be pointed straight at the heart of Christ, for that would be the way forward through the world's wickedness. God set that bow in the heavens to show Noah and all the future generations where the punishment for sin would ultimately land. </div><div> So each time you see a rainbow in the sky, give thanks that God was willing to accept the punishment and make the promise that gives us a path forward.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-7667820897343796922024-02-26T05:30:00.013-05:002024-02-26T05:30:00.242-05:00Psalm 18:25-30<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A25-30&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:25-30 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A25-30&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Verse 29 has been one that's always stuck with me. There are so many things that I feel like I cannot do in life -- I run up against impossible obstacles, against immovable forces, and I feel defeated. Of course, the reason I feel defeated is that I'm focused on the battle I'm waging, one that's probably very small and not very important in the grand scheme of things.</div><div> When I focus on the things of God, however, opting to trust God and God's way, which are perfect, then I am immovable -- certainly not by my own strength, but due to the power of the Holy Spirit. Death cannot have me, for I belong, body and soul, to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. If death itself will fall at my feet, then what other refuge do I need?</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-60933425725885347572024-02-22T06:30:00.016-05:002024-02-22T06:30:00.134-05:00Psalm 18:20-24<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A20-24&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:20-24 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A20-24&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> We hold all of Scripture together, and when we interpret Scripture, we always look through the lens of the Gospel and let Scripture interpret itself. What we learn is that our righteousness is perfect because we receive Christ's righteousness -- this is imputed to us through Christ's atoning death on the cross. We are blameless because Christ is blameless, and he receives the punishment we deserve while we receive the reward that he deserves. </div><div> I think the best example of this in Scripture is in Zechariah 3, when the prophet has a vision of Joshua the high priest standing before God. Now, Joshua would've been more pure than anyone at the time, but he is seen standing in dirty rags, for that's what sin does to us. No matter how hard we try and present ourselves as clean, sin has stained us. Satan is ready to accuse Joshua, but before he can do so, the Lord declares Joshua clean and has his iniquity taken from him. Clean garments are given to Joshua, with a clean turban for his head, all because the Lord decrees it. </div><div> Like Joshua, we are dirty before God, but at a word of the Lord, we are made clean through the love and blood of Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-47287649454501398432024-02-21T04:30:00.011-05:002024-02-21T04:30:00.128-05:00Psalm 18:13-19<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A13-19&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:13-19 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A13-19&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Why does God save? Because God delights in you. Not because you've earned it or because you were good last Tuesday or because you traded in enough favors so that God would save you. God saves you because God delights in you. Such love is beyond what we can comprehend -- we're so transactional in our modern world -- but God loves you and delights in you, and so God uses God's power to save you. It's amazing power and might -- all of it brought forth so that you could be saved.</div><div> What a gift! How can your gratitude for God's great love and delight be shared today? How can you delight in someone else?</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-67512099656452662382024-02-20T04:00:00.014-05:002024-02-20T04:00:00.132-05:00Psalm 18:7-12<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A7-12&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:7-12 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A7-12&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> There's a story that I heard a preacher tell once about how they were taking a trip on the Queen Mary, a massive ocean liner, and an SOS cry went up from a small rowboat trying to cross the Atlantic. The code of the ocean is that the nearest ship responds to another ship in distress, and so this tiny rowboat with a single soul piloting it was met in their distress by the Queen Mary, which is 1,000 feet long and built for over 2,000 passengers. It was a study in contrast in terms of power, and I bet that rower felt like they were being transported onto something much more solid and stable in the midst of that rescue.</div><div> That's what I always think of when I read this passage. The picture that David paints is one of God's awesome and incredible power. God heard David's cry, and then God's might is unleashed as God comes to the rescue. The entire earth is rocked and devouring fire comes forth as God rides on the wings of the wind to rescue his beloved creation. </div><div> This is the God who comes to save you. We worship a God who is strong enough to save and cares enough to do so! </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-12620063549477089972024-02-19T05:00:00.012-05:002024-02-19T05:00:00.130-05:00Psalm 18:4-6<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A4-6&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:4-6 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A4-6&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><br /></div><div> Have you ever been so lost in the woods that no one can hear your cries for help? It's such a defeating feeling, to be that alone. It's scary and isolating. </div></div><div> But let's be honest -- we don't have to be deep in the woods for that to be true. We can feel that when we're surrounded by people. It's one of the paradoxes of our modern age -- we're more connected to people than ever, and yet we feel constantly alone. We feel isolated, and I don't even know that we know why. Maybe it's because so much of what is online feels fake and we're not making real connections any more. I wonder how many people have someone they can talk to about their deepest fears and insecurities. It all feels so vulnerable.</div><div> In Psalm 18, David is in a pretty bad place. There's cords of death and torrents of destruction, which is heavy. David is in despair.</div><div> And in the midst of this, God hears David's cry. Our prayers reach God's temple. Thanks be to God for that! God cares enough to listen, and as the Psalm continues, we see that not only does God hear, but also, God responds!</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-10085594885338381482024-02-16T04:30:00.020-05:002024-02-16T04:30:00.137-05:00Psalm 18:1-3<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A1-3&version=ESV" target="_blank">Psalm 18:1-3 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18%3A1-3&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> This is one of my favorite Psalms, because there's such a strong sense of mutual love throughout it. David loves God, because God is David's only sure thing, the very foundation of his life, that cannot be shaken, and God's love for David comes through, because God will save David from David's foes. </div><div> How many hours of prayer did David invest to come to this point? It's a lifetime -- similar to Stephen, this is from the deep well of the heart, overflowing in times of danger and threat. </div><div> I pray for the wisdom and patience to lean into God like this, to allow the Holy Spirit to shape my heart in such a way that I can pray like this, that I can live like this. </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-24383725599148212592024-02-15T05:30:00.021-05:002024-02-15T05:30:00.133-05:00Acts 7:54-60<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A54-60&version=ESV" target="_blank">Acts 7:54-60 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A54-60&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> <div><b><br /></b></div><div> When the world is pressing in on you, where do you fix your eyes? </div></div><div> If you're like me, the focus of your vision moves closer -- I tend to look at what I fear, focusing on it, losing larger perspective. Stephen, in his final moments, refused to look at those who were threatening him, and fixed his eyes on heaven.</div><div> And in the midst of that awful moment, with his enemies gaining victory over him through their hate... Stephen prayer for forgiveness for them.</div><div> What an example for us all -- to pray that in that moment doesn't come naturally. No, forgiveness has to have so filled your heart that it overflows at such a moment. This is the work of years of conditioning to be grateful, to be wired to forgive. Stephen draws on this in his last moments. </div><div> May we focus on the forgiveness of Christ to such an extent that without thinking, in our best and worst moments, default to forgive, as Christ forgives us.</div><div> </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-36661774514550276342024-02-14T04:30:00.011-05:002024-02-14T04:30:00.142-05:001 John 3:23-24<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A23-24&version=ESV" target="_blank">1 John 3:23-24 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A23-24&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>English Standard Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> This Valentine's Day, we begin a Lenten journey. I don't think there's a holiday more appropriate -- today, we celebrate God's great love for us, a love that led to the cross, a love that was willing to sacrifice all. So much of love is about sacrificing for the other -- God shows us that perfectly, and invites us to live into that. </div><div> May we love one another, and in so doing, proclaim the greatest love the world has ever seen.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-22663099717338661362024-02-13T05:00:00.020-05:002024-02-13T05:00:00.146-05:00Acts 7:51-53<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A51-53&version=ESV" target="_blank">Acts 7:51-53 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A51-53&version=ESV" target="_blank"><i>New International Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Stephen doesn't hold back. He told the people what he thought, that's for sure. </div><div> Sometimes, we need to hear harsh words. Sometimes, we need to say them. There's a time and a place. </div><div> I'll simply say this -- Stephen had no fear of death. I think that's the amazing thing about all of this -- he's so certain of the resurrection in Jesus Christ that those who hold the power of life and death over him do not threaten him at all. It's inspiring -- to know that death is coming and to say what you mean to say regardless.</div><div> May we grow such confidence in God's power over life and death. May we trust God so completely that we, too, are unafraid of what the world may threaten us with. </div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-430954706014310973.post-39790948520123805052024-02-12T05:00:00.024-05:002024-02-12T05:00:00.345-05:00Acts 7:44-50<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A44-50&version=NIV" target="_blank">Acts 7:44-50 </a><div><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7%3A44-50&version=NIV" target="_blank"><i>New International Version</i></a> </div><div><br /></div><div> Stephen continues to proclaim the Gospel, and he's connecting everything that's happening in his times to ancient Jewish history. Stephen is telling the leaders that this isn't something brand new that is happening -- it's rooted in history. Everything has been leading up to this. </div><div> We give things more credibility when they have history. Tradition helps us see something as having lasting power -- it's more secure. When we can look backward and examine the reliability of something based on what was expected, we're more willing to trust. Stephen is trying to help the leaders see, but their eyes are closed, because all they see is a threat. </div><div> May we open our Old Testaments, and may that help us see Jesus as the continuation of what God has been doing for centuries. May we also read the words of Jesus and be willing to let go of our preconceived notions, open to being challenged and willing to hear how God might be calling us to change our minds.</div>Rev Keith Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07481249347636960916noreply@blogger.com0