January 31

Matthew 21

 

Two weeks ago, we cleaned out the church attic and there was a huge box filled with old pictures and slides. As I perused these incredible pictures it was amazing to see the number of children who have been impacted by our church. Literally hundreds of children have attended our Sunday School, youth groups, VBS, camps, retreats and special events over the years.

 

Jesus acknowledged that children play a key role in his kingdom. When Jesus entered the Temple, they were the ones who led the worship by shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." This irritated the grumpy religious leaders who wanted to shut down the praise. But Jesus permitted it, even quoting Psalm 8 for evidence that children have a rightful place as worship leaders.

 

As we reflect on this truth it should cause us to thank all our children and youth workers for the incredible job they are doing on behalf of our children. For each of you who sacrifice week in and week out to teach our children, thank you. Those pictures I found also caused me to think through what the most effective way is to pass the baton of faith to the next generation.

 

Barna research conducted a survey last year examining what the most powerful influences in passing faith to the next generation are. Here are their numbers on the top influences for faith development in children.

 

Mom 68%

Dad 46%

Grandparents 37%

Non-relative 16%  

Friends 14%

Another relative 10%

Siblings 9%

 

What is clear from this survey is that the number one influencer for faith development is the family. While a person's experience with Christianity in the home growing up doesn't automatically translate into adult faith, it clearly gives the greatest opportunity. As we consider the future of Christianity it is clear that we must turn our hearts to our homes and become very intentional in passing the faith along to our families.

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, January 30

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt." 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. (Exodus 10:21-23)

Prior to the Exodus, God carried out 10 plagues against the Egyptians.  These plagues were far from random, but rather He intended them to bring glory to Himself and reveal to the Egyptians that He was indeed the Lord.

Indeed, the 10 plagues systematically point to the impotence of the Egyptian deities (and Pharaoh's magicians).  We received some foreshadowing of these developments when Aaron's staff (in the form of a snake) consumed the other staffs. In this ninth plague, God shows His supremacy over the sun god Re.

Just thinking of King Tut's famous golden mask highlights the importance of the sun to the Egyptians.  Given its geography and climate, the sun holds a crucial place in Egyptian thought.  The average high in Giza—site of the pyramids—is 96 F in July, compared to 85 F for Stamford.  In July, Cairo features sunny conditions for 87% of daylight hours, compared to 62% for Stamford.

Through these plagues and Moses's persistence, God demonstrates His supremacy over all powers—"divine" and human.  The Egyptians actually believed that the pharaoh mediated (like a priest in life) and crossed into deity at death.  The Encyclopedia Britannica tells us:  "The Egyptians believed their pharaoh to be the mediator between the gods and the world of men. After death the pharaoh became divine, identified with Osiris, the father of Horus and god of the dead, and passed on his sacred powers and position to the new pharaoh, his son."

Therefore, we see the 10-fold repudiation of all powers and authorities of Egypt.  The Israelites could see God's compassion in seeking to remove them from the Egyptian oppression.  Yet, they soon would devolve into complaining and idolatry.

For today, we will do well to remember God's compassion and supremacy.  How has He showed His power on your life?  How do you keep that remembrance fresh in your mind?

Lord God, Your power is infinite.  You reign supreme over all creation.  There is nothing outside of Your control.  Help us to see Your goodness, faithfulness, and power in our lives and our world today.  Give us wisdom to live in light of Your supremacy.  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.

Jan. 29

Psalm 24

For moment, let's look at this Psalm in the context it was written. It explains in the Jewish Study Bible that this Psalm was used on festivals when the Torah had been taken out of the Ark and was then returned to it. The Psalm is an imagery of God, (The Word, The Torah), entering the Temple (The Ark where the Torah is kept).  The gates "Lift up their heads" (v.7), is a metaphoric expression for joyously welcoming God, a victorious King returning home to his palace. Who can enter the gates? Only God alone. We have been given an invitation and a privilege to be able to enter the gates. The only way for us to enter the gate is through the atoning work that was done at the cross. That's why God sent Jesus. We too, get to joyously welcome God and praise Him as he is a victorious King. This Psalm celebrates God the Creator, God the victor and the awe and reverence we hold. One day we will see the full picture. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Lord of the universe.

Randi 

Bible Blog Post January 28th

Exodus 5:22-7:24

Matthew 18:21-19:12

Psalm 23:1-6

Proverbs 5:22-23

 

Have you ever felt stuck? Questioned why God has you in a certain situation? Waiting on something you want so desperately? Moses was waiting on God to rescue the Israelites and did not understand why it was taking so long, but he remained faithful and obedient to God throughout the wait. God promised to rescue the Israelites, and He promises to rescue you and me.

 

God honors obedience. 

While we do not see it immediately, God honors Moses' obedience. Moses did not understand why God had him do what He did, but he followed God's directions. And ultimately, God honors Moses' obedience by allowing him to lead the people he was shepherding out of Egypt.

 

God is approachable.

We can go to God with anything. Moses constantly questioned God. I have found myself questioning why God has me wait for certain things, but have come to the realization that the waiting is where my faith gets refined, which is a gift.

 

God cares. 

In Exodus 3:7, The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. God saw, heard, and was concerned about His people in Egypt. He still sees, hears and cares for us. He cares about what we are going through and he cares about how we deal with suffering. Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope.

 

We are all waiting on something, and what is important as Christians is how we wait and who we become in the process. Will we become bitter, resentful, envious, stubborn, or will we become hopeful, joyful, humble, and cultivate a heart of worship? 

 

Today's reading includes Psalm 23:1-6, a great meditation passage for times of waiting. I encourage you to read it again. It reminds us that God sees, hears, and cares for us as a shepherd does for his sheep. He provides all that we could need. He leads us in the right way, even when it takes a while, even when the road is tough, even when we feel like we are in the darkest valley. His rod and staff provide both comfort and protection. How thankful we should be for his guidance, patience, and refinement in the times of waiting. We must remember to look to Him. How grateful we should be to have His goodness and mercy with us when we mess up. How joyful we should be in the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.

bible blog post Monday January 27th

Using Our "Can't Do Lists"  (Exodus 4:1-11)

What are your short comings?  What talents DON"T you have?  What skill are you lacking?  There may be an exception or two to my next statement but for the most part we all have a list tucked in the back of our minds of the things we can't do, the things we don't do well, and the short comings we have.  Some of our lists are longer than others.  We can often produce these lists for people at a moments notice when a conversation comes up about a need or area of life or service that could use some help in which we feel we are not qualified to be a part of.  Sometime the list is used simply when we really don't want to do things because it's outside our comfort zone or takes us away from other places or things that we enjoy more.

In Exodus 4:10, after God has revealed an opportunity for Moses to be of service, Moses breaks out his short list of his lacking abilities, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue."  God was calling Moses to be the voice for the Israelites in Egypt.  To speak on behalf of God in order to bring freedom to the captive.  Moses didn't use the word no as his responses, instead he chose to give his list of can't do's to reveal to God the error in his choosing Moses for the task.  Not only was Moses being called to a task he didn't feel equipped to do but he was also being called to go back to a place that he was afraid to go to, his history in Egypt wasn't so great.

When God opens up doors of opportunity we, like Moses, can break out our "Can't do lists".  Our fears, inabilities, lack of comfort and so on can cloud our minds and cause us to remind God, and others, of why we are not "good for the job".  But God's response to Moses is something each of us need to stamp on our "Can't Do Lists".  Exodus 4:11, "The LORD said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."  When opportunities present themselves to us we don't need to remind God or others of what we can't do we need to remind ourselves of what God can do if we trust him to work in us.  God always equips those he calls.

In Noah, God called a landlocked man with no ship building skills to build an ark to save mankind.  In Gideon, God called a cowardly farmer to be a mighty general who lead an army in victory and bring freedom to a people.  In David, God called a teenage shepherd boy to be a warrior and kill a giant that threatened the captivity of his people.  In Peter, God called a fisherman to be the rock on which the gospel message would spread and lives would be saved.  Today in Exodus we see how God called a man, Moses, with a speech impediment to be his voice and free the captives.  God calls people to join him and to have a part in the saving and leading of lives.  What an honor.

Serving, living life by God's leading, is not about us and our abilities as much as it is about our obedience and willing hearts to serve the Lord wherever and however he should call us.  Our "Can't Do Lists" only serve to qualify us for service to the Lord.  God has a habit of using what the world deems as under qualified to go out into the world and to be his voice, his hands, his feet, to be a light for him.  We don't need to posses the skills or the light we just need to be obedient and trust him as he will give us what we need.

God is calling each of us.  He is ready to equip are you ready to trust Him however he may choose?

January 25: Of Peter and Hopelessness

Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10

Matthew 16:13-17:9

Psalm 21:1-13

Proverbs 5:1-6

The lies that work the best are the ones that have a bit of truth to them, just enough so that you believe them.  The lie of unacceptability before God is compelling because we know God's perfect goodness cannot abide any sin - and we know our sinfulness to be true.  So Satan, in his push to keep us apart from God, takes the sin we inevitably, persistently commit, and exhausts its value by citing it as example of our unworthiness before God.  So why even try?  Why even aspire?  He whispers "it's hopeless".  And so often we believe, and give up.

This is why I love Peter so much; strong, coarse, arrogant Peter, who hides his cowardice behind bravado.  Peter's like one of those old 45s - he has two sides, and he's easily flipped.  Consider today's reading: first Peter says something that leads Jesus to conclude that Peter is blessed.  Not three verses later, Peter gets a bit big for his britches, chastises Jesus, and gets called "Satan".  You can almost hear the whispered insinuation: "Why try?  You're hopeless."

The truth is, on our own, salvation IS hopeless.  Whatever atonement we make, whatever great revelation we might have, inevitably we sin again.  And again.  Which is why the story of Peter is such an encouragement…the next story we read, he figures prominently yet again…when Jesus, in His mercy, chooses Peter to join Him, James and John to witness His glory.  And when Peter and the others were confronted with their unworthiness at the event, Jesus came, touched them and said "Don't be afraid".

If you are anything like me, you go through these periods of wonderful high, when you seem to be living right.  And then you fall back into the same sins you'd thought you'd broken.  And when you do, if you are like me, you sometimes wonder if it isn't all just futile, just hopeless. The crazy thing is, IT IS hopeless.  On our own, that is.  But we can take heart from Peter's story today - from the highs of Jesus calling him blessed, to the lows of Jesus calling him "Satan"…to being invited to come see Jesus in His glory.  Like Peter, we depend on Christ for our salvation; like Peter, when we feel hopeless, we can hear Jesus say "Don't be afraid." 

January 24

Psalm 20

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, 

   but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

Those nations will fall down and collapse,

    but we will rise up and stand firm. Psalm 20:7-8   (NLT)

In 1993 Grace Church sent a team of 32 people to Russia for a two-week missions trip. We were invited by the Russians because they wanted us to teach Christianity in their summer camps. Their concern was that with the failure of socialism the people would not have a moral foundation for their lives. What we discovered is that after 70 years of socialism the nation and the people's souls were bankrupt. I will never forget the first time we read the Bible to them. It was a room of 40 young people and they were making a lot of noise. But the moment we said we were going to read the Bible a reverent hush came over them. They gave us their undivided attention as we read the most dangerous book in the world to them. For the past 70 years the Bible had been outlawed as a treacherous book in Russia, for it taught that God, not man, was the ultimate reality in life.  

As we enter an election year, I am surprised that so many younger Americans are increasingly attracted to socialism. I think the reason this is occurring is that the church has largely avoided any discussion of politics with the rhetoric becoming so nasty these days. But I also believe most young people have not heard the stories of socialistic failures. No one has told them about the largest socialistic experiment with the Russian people. Given these realities, it is no wonder there has been a re-emergence of interest in socialism among the younger generation. 

Psalm 20 warns us of placing our faith in anything outside of God. All systems, including capitalism, will fail if we ignore God. But today we do not hear this message. We need to relearn the pitfalls of what Jacque Ellul called "the political illusion," the belief that all problems are political and therefore require a political solution. You can hear the "political illusion" in every campaign ad. Elect me and I will solve all your problems.

As Christ followers we are called to trust God first and not pin our hopes on a candidate. This year all of us need to be involved in the political process because elections have consequences. But the only "Messiah" we have is one who came 2,000 years ago. Put your ultimate trust in Him. 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, January 20

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand.  What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." ...

"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.  "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?  But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.  These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." (Matthew 15:10,11,16-20)

In today's passage, we find Jesus's disciples (and others) confused about what causes defilement.  Jewish tradition held that eating with unclean hands would lead to spiritual uncleanness.  Yet, Jesus turns this teaching on its head, explaining that what comes from our mouths (and ultimately the heart) reveals our uncleanness, not what goes into our mouths.

Through this statement, Jesus confirms the holistic testimony of Scripture:  our heart guides our actions and words and reveals our true self.  In Proverbs 27:19, we read:  "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."   Nonetheless, in its natural state and apart from God's gracious intervention, the heart lies corrupted and in rebellion against God.  From Jeremiah 17:9, we understand that the "heart is deceitful above all else."  Romans 3:9-20 lays out the case that "no one is righteous."  Paul explains that we rightly deserve wrath in our natural state:  "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5)

These realities provide some clues on why we might be tempted to divert our attention from our own hearts and instead harp on others' external shortcomings.  It appears that we have a hard-wired desire to find ground of moral (or other) superiority, and sitting in judgment over others offers us a quick trip to the "moral high ground."

Yet, judgmentalism causes us to avoid our responsibility in everything:  to repent and surrender our heart to God's care.  Instead of worrying about others' sin, we find freedom, joy, and life by humbly admitting that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior.  From that vantage point of surrender and humility, we recognize that any good coming from us originates ultimately from God's creative work and blessing.  God looks to transform our hearts of stone and, under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, to make them into hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36).  We then become truly alive!  Our rightful expression is gratefulness.

How is your heart today?  How could you surrender more fully to God in humility?  How would you like to be transformed in 2020?  Where could you become more fully alive?

Lord God, thank You for creating us as you have and preparing a means for us to connect with You.  We submit our hearts to You, acknowledging that we have sinned against You.  We need a transformation to become fully alive and to take up the callings You have for us.  Please bring that transformation into greater fruition this year.  We love You, our great God and King!  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.

January 22

Matthew 14 - Jesus Walks on Water

For a moment, please think back to the movie The Shack.  Remember the scene where Mack is in the boat and it starts to fall apart and Jesus tells him to take His hand?   Mack was drowning in the storm in and around him. The only way to steady himself and his surroundings was by taking Jesus by His outstretched hand. Also, think about the scene where Mack and Jesus were walking on the water together. At the end of the movie, when Mack was home with his family, he was sitting by water and put his foot in it, only to watch it go through the water perhaps wondering how likely the possibility would be he would be able to walk on water again. I'm a visual learner. These scenes in the movie just confirmed what we all already know. We can't get through life without Jesus. Storms will happen, life hits hard, but Jesus's hand is always extended ready to pull us out of our darkest moments. Notice, Jesus wasn't unnerved by the storm in our reading today and as hard as it is, perhaps He doesn't want us to be either. Peter, although his faith wavered, became one of Jesus's strongest witnesses, so did Mack, so can we. Take courage, don't be afraid. Our hope is that Jesus is our anchor in any storm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TzB4FaPODc

Randi

Bible Blog Post 1/21/2020

Genesis 42:18-43:34

Matthew 13:47-14:12

Psalm 18:16-36

Proverbs 4:7-10

We all have the power of choice within us to honor God and stay in good faith.  There are times when we are mistreated by others, or endure unfavorable circumstances, but through these experiences God is working.  He does not want us to experience hardship out of malice, but certain lessons and transformations require these times of adversity; whether they are shaping you, someone else, or even the people who you will one day encounter, He is continuously at work, looking at the blueprint of his plan with full confidence from an aerial view.  He is not a God of "I told you so", but rather, a God of "You have learned, now let me continue to guide you."

In Genesis, you can witness the power of guilt, and how even good things can be viewed with skepticism when you have guilt weighing you down from sins of the past.  This inner turmoil can continuously eat away at you and contort your way of thinking, but it can also be released into the hands of God by simply asking for forgiveness and asking for him to lead the way.  He's our father, he wants us to succeed and cleanse our hearts of remorse and guilt. He does not want us to lead lives inhibited by these things; he wants us to emit and accept love into our lives and the lives of those around us.  However, when we pray for change, it may not be the way that we envisioned, for God's plan is far greater than anything we could ever conceptualize; while our visions of what we see for ourselves and our future are limited, he often has something much greater in store for us, though the path may not be as clear cut as we would like.  

Matthew 13:58 "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."  We must actively seek, honor and give thanks to God. Not only is it our duty to be faithful and accept the Lord into our lives, but we must join together as a community of people who embody His love and His word.  This made me think of when Pastor Chris talked about community on Sunday, and how there will inevitably be periods of discomfort as the [human] stones grind and come together, piece by piece, creating a human temple, a "community of faith"; but through that discomfort something truly beautiful is created, within us and around us.

Psalms 18:16 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters."  Just as he reaches down to us, we must also reach out for Him like an infant reaching out to its father. God knows that we will make mistakes and dishonor him throughout our lifetimes, whether it is intentional or not, but just as he stands true to His word that we will not be judged by the laws of the land, He also stands true in His everlasting love and hope for us.  He's a God of our people, He's a God of our land, He's the true essence of love; He is in each and every one of us - humans, animals, and nature alike - and His light will always prevail.

Heavenly father,  I pray to you and ask for your continued guidance through life, your mercy when we fall, and your love and hope in us as we pray for change and betterment in our lives.

Amen

bible blog post Monday January 20th

"Got Wisdom?"  (Proverbs 4:5-6)

I love the truths found in the words of Proverbs 4:5-6, "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her and she will watch over you."

Years ago I recognized that I lacked wisdom, biblical wisdom particularly.  I longed to have a greater understanding of God's words.  That is when I came across a life altering verse in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it WILL BE given to you."  I read this verse with eager excitement as it was a promise that I could take hold of.  I lacked wisdom and because of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross I could stand before the throne of grace faultless in the eyes of God and I could ask for his generous wisdom to be given to me.  That is exactly what I did and that is exactly what I continue to do.  Guess what?  God has been faithful to keep his promise.  I am no theologian or biblical scholar but I am a child of God who continues to be awed by the things the Lord reveals in his word to me.  The wisdom the Lord is eager and ready to impart on those who seek to "get it", as Proverbs 4 encourages, is abundant, rich, and fulfilling.  It guides, encourages, convicts, imparts love, reveals grace, and on and on I could go.

Proverbs 4 implores you and I to "Get Wisdom" and James 1 tells how and promises us that it will be given, we simply need to ask with open and ready hearts.  I encourage each of us to listen to the promptings of Proverbs 4 and go to the throne of grace, present yourselves as worthy because of the blood of Christ, and ask for God to give you generously of his wisdom because his words says he will. 

You do have a part two in this "Getting Wisdom" and that is spending time reading God's word, studying it, ask question about what you have read, talk to others about it, stay connected to this blog, go to church...in other words find ways for God to show you things in his word that will be new/revealing and give him opportunity to impart the wisdom you have asked for. 

God gives us promises for us to lean on and to seek out.  Don't hesitate, take a moment seek, ask, and get some wisdom for yourself.

January 18: Of Choices

Genesis 37:1-38:30

Matthew 12:22-45

Psalm 16:1-11

Proverbs 3:27-32

The funny thing about choices, they aren't all good versus bad.  Some are choices between two goods - those are great, but for some reason still cause people great stress.  Kid got into two wonderful colleges…oh no, which one to choose?  Two offers of employment?  Parent takes you to the toy store to pick out your birthday present?  Tough, right?

Then there is the other side - the choice between two evils.  Surgery or chemo?  Pay rent or buy enough food?  I still remember the old movie, Sophie's Choice.  Those who saw it will know the two terrible alternatives she had to choose from; those who didn't will be horrified should they choose to look it up.

This is why we have such great reason to be grateful to God.  He makes it easy for us.  In today's psalm, it is pretty clear we aren't choosing between two goods or two evils where God is one of the choices - we are choosing between good and bad, and common sense would suggest the choice was obvious.  Consider: "…apart from You I have no good thing…those who run after other gods will suffer more and more…You make my lot secure…I have a delightful inheritance."

Here's the funny thing, though - as good as we know we have it with God, you ever notice how hard it is to consistently do the right thing, make the right choice?  Thankfully we have the psalmist's further reassurance - the Lord "counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me".  What we have to do is "keep [our] eyes always on the Lord" so that we "will not be shaken", so that our hearts are glad and our tongues rejoice, our bodies rest secure.  

Father, thank You for making the choice between You and everything else so easy, so simple.  Even so, give us the guidance we need to make the right choices each day.  Counsel us so we will not be shaken.

January 17

Psalm 15

As Christians we enjoy talking about the grace, mercy and the provision of God, especially how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to bring the divine nature into our hearts. Right now we are the children of God, holy and blameless. 

But we are not as eager to talk about our own responsibility to walk in holiness before our God. Last Sunday in our study of 1 Peter we saw the call to be holy, "Be holy, because I am holy." Our holiness is both a grace gift from God and a daily pursuit that involves our wills.

David clearly articulates the second half of the equation in this Psalm. If we want to see God and be able to dwell in his presence, we must make deliberate choices of holiness daily.   

I count six areas for us to work on….

1. To walk each step today with integrity and honesty.  Ask Carlos Beltran about this one. 

2. To speak the truth from a loving heart.

3. To avoid gossip.  

4. To live for an audience of one.  

5. To keep our promises even when it hurts.

6. To be radically generous with our money.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, promises, "The pure in heart will see God."  Psalm 15, Matthew 5 and 1 Peter 1 all talk about our responsibility to pursue holiness in our daily lives. Just to be clear, we are not pursuing holiness to earn salvation; we are pursuing it because of salvation. And the person who does these things will never be shaken. That is an awesome promise.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, January 16

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

[Jesus speaking] "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

In a world overwhelmed with loneliness, grief, hurt, anger, and every other burden under the sun, Jesus invites us simply to come.  He draws us to Himself, promising to bring "rest for your souls."  Coming under His authority — His yoke — brings freedom and rest for the soul.

In our minds, we may prioritize other goals for finding rest.  We might believe that rest will emerge from having certain things or being free of certain responsibilities.  For Jesus, rest flows from centering our lives on His purposes and becoming His disciple.

The "yoke" He mentions, it calls to mind the physical element that allows animals to work together without hurting themselves.  Yokes allow harmony in the force provided by oxen and prevent accidents.  Similarly, for rabbis, the yoke referred to a mode of discipleship, essentially saying:  "Let's pursue a godly life together.  I will share what I've learned so that you may experience fullness and flourishing too."

In addition to serving as our King and Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ calls us as our Rabbi.  He wishes to impart truth so that we may imitate Him.  His yoke (teaching) is not burdensome"; rather, it brings wholeness and flourishing.  How could you welcome His yoke more fully into your life?

Lord Jesus, we welcome Your invitation to come unto You.  Thank You for Your promise to bring rest and freedom.  Teach us from Your Word and make us into the men and women You would like us to be.  Help us to surrender all to You.  We love You and thank You for leading us.  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.

Blog post

Blog Post 14^th January 2020

Genesis 30: 1-31:16

Matthew 10: 1-23

Psalm 12: 1-8

Proverbs 3:13-15

There are amazing truths to learn from in today's reading, In Proverbs 3:13-15 "Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." Are you investing in things eternal – or things material? Where are your true wages coming from in your life? Wisdom or money? Are you Happy? An all too common feeling of looking around and seeing that one's world has deteriorated into a sorry state. David is feeling alone in his commitment to God. We may start to compare our lives to others. Fear and depression may start to settle in.

Matthew 10:16 stands out "Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as snakes and harmless as doves". This is great advice for us as Jesus is still sending out followers. We as followers do need to be wary and harmless at the same time. We cannot walk this path alone but we can through the blessing of the holy spirit.

Jesus did not only call the twelve. He gave them the power to do what He had called them to do. God will equip you in whatever he has called you to do. The equipping may not be evident before the ministry begins, but it will be evident along the way. Like Jacob we may act on our own power, when we should be relying solely on God and embrace, that God has complete control. "Let Go and Let God" is a quote we often hear but it is one we can use in our day to day lives. Let's let go of what we are hanging on so tightly too and Let God be in control. There may be areas I your life that need letting go.  I am back in South Africa and its good being back home but while being home for a while I have been stressed and full of worry of what is going on with my surroundings as it is no longer the safe place I grew up in, I am constantly looking over my shoulder. Today while reading the versus I realized that I must let go and Let God take control of my life, God will use me for his will.  I pray that we may let Go of anything that may me keeping us back or pulling us down and Let God. Let God take control of your life or whatever situation you are in,

Amen

"Everlasting God" I felt goes well with today's blog post.

https://youtu.be/yubLGTOcm8c

bible blog post Monday January 12th

"WANTED: Construction Workers. No experience necessary. FAITH a MUST!!!" (Psalm 11:3, Matthew 9:18-38, with an emphasis on vs.38)

We live in a world where the foundation of biblical truth, the Gospel, is considered outdated, unnecessary, and even without merit.  So, I was particularly struck by Psalm 11:3 today, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous DO?"  In our world the foundations of God's word are under attack in an attempt to destroy it.  What can we do to uphold it and show it's relevance in a world that considers it irrelevant?

I believe the answer is found in Matthew 9.  Christ lived, he walked this earth as a man during a time when the truths of God's word had been severally muddled and overshadowed by rituals, earthly morals that suited man, and a disregard for true spiritual holiness.  The foundations of God's truth had been compromised, and compromise can lead to destruction.  But during his life, Christ, encountered many different people and he looked beyond their shortcomings, weaknesses, and flaws and saw their hearts and showed them grace, the heart of the gospel.  In Matthew 9 he encounters the dead, the diseased and the physically limited and he healed each of them because of....FAITH IN ACTION!

What can the righteous, those who love the lord, DO when the foundation of truth is being destroyed? First, have faith.  Faith can cause those who are blind to the truth to see.  Those who are ailing from sin can be healed.  Even those who seem dead spiritually can be brought to life.  It is Christ who will work in us, administer grace through us, when we choose to have faith in Him!  The definition of faith is, complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  When we have faith in God we are putting our complete trust and confidence in him.  We are saying that he is enough.  We are saying that he can handle it.  We are saying that we will let him work through us in whatever way he sees fit in order to bring healing to the needy.  It is Christ who can mend the cracks if we choose to first trust him before telling others they need to.

After all of these examples of faith in action and healing by grace, Christ then bring it all together and tells his disciples in Matthew 9:37-38, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the LORD of the harvest, therefore to send out WORKERS into HIS harvest field."  We may look at the world today and not see a thriving healthy harvest field.  We may look at the world and it may seem dead, diseased, and lacking (like the people in Matthew 9) but that is not what God sees.  No, he is looking and he sees a ripe and ready harvest field and he desires us to GO in as workers, IN FAITH as the faithful, and to be a light of grace for him to use to help restore the foundations of truth in the lives of those he has been preparing.  The people in Matthew 9 who were healed all displayed faith in ACTION.  When we trust we take steps of FAITH, we act, we move, we GO forward in the confidence of the one who commissioned us in Matthew 9.  First we have faith, second we move to action (go) in that faith, third we continue to trust that God will work and we continue to go until he calls us home.  For now we are called to the same harvest field that Christ himself walked amongst.  Salvation is of the lord and it is given by grace through FAITH (Eph 2:8-9).  What an honor we are called to go and be a part of.

How do we go and live out our faith?  We need to believe the truths of the gospel for our lives and then trust the Lord completely by loving all people in our harvest field paths, living in joy despite our circumstances, being peace makers in a world so divided, bearing with others who might grate on our last nerve, showing kindness to both the deserving as well as undeserving, being people of honor with a goodness that stems from the truth of God's word, displaying gentleness towards others especially those full of wrath, and not giving into our desires to be right or for our wants to be greater than someone else's needs (Gal 5:22-23).  In faith we need to go into the harvest field and reflect the character of Christ in our lives so that when people see us living out the truths and foundations of the Gospel then healing can take places in their lives.  Why should they think the foundations of the Gospel will have any sturdiness for their lives if we are living as if it doesn't in our own?

What a challenge, what a blessing we are called to be a part of.  Are you willing to be a WORKER in GOD'S harvest field?  Pray for strengthened faith, the ability to trust the Lord with complete confidence, and courage to go and live our lives with the faith we profess.  Let the holy spirit fill us with faith daily so that we each can go out and live as an instrument of grace and bring the healing that our world, God's harvest field, needs.

Further reading on the topic if you desire: James 2:14-26

January 11: Of Storms, Drowning Pigs and Choices

Genesis 24:52-26:16

Matthew 8:18-34

Psalm 10:1-15

Proverbs 3:7-8

"Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

     Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?"

Which of use who seeks the Lord HASN'T uttered this prayer?  Which of us hasn't been so beset by problem and trouble and hopelessness and despair that we haven't cried these words out to God?  Which of us hasn't wondered if He'd forgotten about us, or worse - if He'd ever cared for us at all?

The psalm was written centuries ago; it could have been written today.  Leaving aside anything specific we might be going through ourselves - problems with health, with marriages and children and parents and siblings, problems with money (or lack thereof) - it is so easy to look at how the arguably the most abundantly blessed nation in the history of man and see how so many have not only rejected God's authority, they reject the idea of His very existence.  Why does God permit all this?  

Sometimes it is possible to understand why.  He slept in the boat to give his disciples the opportunity to witness proof of His authority.  He caused the pigs to drown themselves to save the demon possessed men, and again bear witness to His authority. The thing is, as the disciples struggled with the storm, and as the owners saw their pigs drown, none of them had any way of knowing God's purpose.  At the moment of greatest trial, though, they had a choice.  

The owners of the pigs and their neighbors - they chose fear, and pleaded with God to leave.  The disciples went in the opposite direction - they cried out to God for salvation.  We don't know if those townspeople ever learned what they had chased away that day; we do know how abundantly God used, and blessed, all but one of the disciples in the boat. 

Father when difficult times come and we know enough to recognize they could only have come to pass because You permitted them, give us further wisdom to respond to them not by rejecting You for Your difficult choices for us, but by crying out to You for the strength and salvation we need to see us through.  

January 10

Matthew 8

No one knows the name of this centurion. But there was something about his faith that caught Jesus' attention. The words "I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith" set him apart as a Hall of Fame believer.

There is always a tension when it comes to prayer. It is Jesus himself who gives us the opposite sides of this polarity. On the one hand, he says, "ask and it will be given to you."  A day earlier Jesus told us to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So which one is it?

The answer is both. Our limited human wisdom gladly submits to the wisdom of God. Who would want to have their will done above God's? But on the other hand, Jesus tells us to come boldly in our prayers. Jesus told us all things are possible for he who believes, and he who asks.

This centurion is a man who has a bucket-size faith. If we bring a thimble-size request before God, he'll fill it. If we bring a bucket-size request before God, he'll fill it. If we ask for thimble full of peace, love, security, and protection, that is what Jesus will fill up. But what if instead of a thimble we brought a bucket? What if we had a daring faith that asked God to do great things?

What's the size of your faith today, a thimble or a bucket?  

Just remember this as you contemplate the size of your faith. The only prayer that God cannot answer is the prayer never asked.  So, get out your bucket and start asking God for great things. May we all increase the size of our faith this year. It's bucket time.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, January 9

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

 

⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:9-14)

 

¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ²³ But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:16-25)

 

 

 

In today’s reading, we discover the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah:  bringing a son in their old age.  Yet, despite this blessing, God makes an unprecedented (and unrepeated) request:  to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah.  How might Abraham have responded to this request?  With a broken heart?

 

The Scripture explains that, in this moment of testing, Abraham trusted in God’s provision.  He believe that God would provide a ram, and indeed He did.  Through the experience, Abraham comes to know God more intimately.  He would become God’s friend (James 2:23) and the father of the faithful.  In Romans 4, Paul points out that God credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness.  We emulate Abraham in trusting God for redemption, having heard and read of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What may we take away from Abraham’s life?  Abraham’s willingness to surrender to God’s plan -- even without visual evidence of the promise -- makes him a great example for us.  He took God at His word and willingly laid down even his promised son.

 

The picture of God’s laying down His Son follows directly from Abraham and Isaac.  Just like our father Abraham and our Father God, we are called to lay down what we find most valuable.  It doesn’t mean that we lose it, but rather that we will loosen our grip.  In this process, what we surrender loses its grip on us; it can no longer entrap us or become an idol.  We become free because we can no longer be kept from exalting God in our lives.  To the world, surrender looks like slavery, but, in God’s economy, surrender leads to freedom and wholeness.  We become fully alive to God and moldable to His will.

 

What could you surrender, even today?

 

 

Lord God, thank You for the testimony of Abraham’s faith.  Help us to follow in his footsteps and willingly surrender everything.  Give us the courage to abandon what holds us now.  Bring us into freedom and wholeness as Your sons and daughters.  Thank You for Your willingness to sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ so that we might have redemption in His blood.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

 

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