August 31: Of Job-ian Harship and Our Response

Job 37:1-39:30

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

Psalm 44:9-26

Proverbs 22:13

My parents will tell you that when I was a kid, obedience was NOT my strength; in fact, if disobedience was an Olympic event, I would have been on the podium while everyone listened to the Philippine national anthem.  Bad enough I didn't follow, but often when I did obey, acquiescence was predicated on agreement and approval.  Needless to say, my approach was cause for much pain - theirs, mine, and others.  With the 20/20 hindsight of some 40+ years, the sad thing I find is this: they knew what they were talking about, they were right, I was in no position to evaluate neither their qualifications nor their opinion, and I would have been much better off had I trusted and obeyed them, agreement not required.

Job was trying to walk a fine line (anyone here have kids that HAVEN'T tried to do that?) - declare God's supremacy, while demanding an explanation.  God finally answers him, by reminding Job who He is, and what He has done.  He is awesome and omnipotent, His plans are right though we may not see the how or the why. 

We enjoy the benefit of 20/20 Biblical hindsight and foresight.  How then should we respond when faced with Job-ian hardship?  Perhaps first, a reminder: of who He is (Job 38 is a great start), of what He has done and what He has promised (2 Corinthians 4:14).  Then, however painful our circumstances, we  can take comfort in 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1.  We affirm that though "outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  And "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

It isn't easy to do this in the midst of the challenges we face.  Father, today, teach us to learn from Job and Paul, and take the first steps to build the habit thats will give us hope amidst our hardship.  

August 30

August 30, 2019

2 Corinthians 4

Football season is just about to begin, how appropriate that the apostle Paul would use a football term today.

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed." 2 Cor 4:8

This is Paul's description of a "scrambling quarterback." The best scrambler in the NFL today is Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. By "scrambling" I mean a quarterback who is surrounded by hostile foes, 300-pound linemen, who want to grind him into the turf. Yet a "scrambler" can find a way to escape and complete the pass. Though it appears there is no way for this escape, he miraculously breaks free and makes the play. "Scramblers" are game changers. As Christ followers that is an accurate nick name for us.

Paul uses three words to describe our Christian life in verses 8 and 9…. "hard pressed, crushed and persecuted." Notice immediately that that Paul is not suggesting his spiritual experience as a bed of roses. It is unfortunate that sometimes we portray the "blessed Christian life" as a life free from struggle and difficulty. We must stand firmly against this kind of deception. Let's get it straight. God never called us to a game of Duck-Duck-Goose. He called us to an NFL football game. And even though the enemy is blitzing, and we are surrounded by opponents, they can't tackle us.

God gives us the gift of "scrambling."

So, I want to encourage you today. Even though it appears that you are going to be tacked by a 300-pound problem, there is a narrow lane to make an escape and be victorious.

Don't lose heart!!!  Don't quit!!!

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, August 29

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17,18)


The passage from 2 Corinthians 3, particularly vv. 12 to 18, provide great encouragement to the Christ-follower. In them, Paul highlights the "fading glory" of the Old Covenant: that even Moses, the great communicator of that covenant, experienced this fading glory and veiled his face to hide that reality from his fellow Israelites. In contrast, anyone in Christ (under the New Covenant) experiences an "ever-increasing glory."

Why can Paul be so confident of this contrast in light of the change in covenants? Like us, he roots that confidence in the trustworthiness of God and His Word. The author of Hebrews describes this New Covenant as simply "better": "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises." (7:22; 8:6) The covenant improved because it is rooted in the completed work of Christ rather than the ongoing sacrificial system.

As Hebrews explains, if that first covenant were sufficient, God would not have needed to establish another covenant. Yet, every page of the Old Testament speaks of establishing a permanent covenant and restoring the promise of Creation. That restoration comes through adoption into sons and daughters of God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Given the sufficiency and completeness of Christ's sacrifice, we may confidence of our standing before God as His sons and daughters. Not only do we have this standing; rather, we "are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." We are not standing still; we are becoming more like Christ."

That transformative work comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, Whose Presence brings freedom. Freed from the bondage of slavery to sin, we are now open to becoming all that God has intended us to become in Christ. What a reality worthy of celebration!

Paul summarizes this passage to freedom and the unlocking of our potential in Christ beautifully in Ephesians 2:8-10: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Let us rejoice in being "God's handiwork" and giving this day to Him!

I highly commend a new movie released last week, "Overcomer." The movie underscores our tremendous identity as sons and daughters of God. As the main characters discover, knowing our identity unleashes us to bless others and experience great joy. Please find a trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGyieGVn4P4.


Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son so that we might be freed from the bondage of slavery to sin and released to freedom in Christ. Help us to rejoice in our standing as sons and daughters. Give us hopeful anticipation of our own transformation, and allow us to celebrate that transformation in others. We love You and honor You today. In Jesus's Name, amen.


________________________________________________________________________
596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection
Stamford, CT 06906-1423 | and the life. He who believes in me will
(C) 203.820.1741 | live, even though he dies; and whoever
(H) 203.355.9374 | lives and believes in me will never die.
(E) swe@edwa.info | Do you believe this?'" -- John 11:25,26

August 28

Job 28

The internet and the world around us have become a place where we can find just about everything.  Need a recipe? Ask Google.  Don't know how to fix something?  Watch a video. We were baking the other day and my son told Google to set a timer for 45 minutes. (I was thinking more like use the timer on the stove). Looking to find silver or gold, go to a mine as minerals come from the earth. It boggles my mind that almost everything we need is there to be found and is so easily accessible in one form or another. We seem to have a lot of resources to find knowledge and things of this world, but in our reading today, we learn there is something that Siri and Google can't answer. Even though God has blessed us with incredible sunrises, sunsets, snow capped mountains and other beauty, there is something that cannot be produced as a byproduct of this earth, something we, in our finite capacity cannot obtain on our own, and nothing on earth can compare to it.  It's God's Wisdom. According to King Solomon, wisdom can only be gained from God, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" Proverbs 2:6. We also learn in Proverbs 9:10 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Everything begins with God. I can't figure out why we try to convince ourselves we can figure this life out on our own or that we can act independently from God.  Daily, we need to be in a position (like on our knees) like today's Psalmist whose soul pants for for God. We were designed to ask for a fresh filling of God's Spirit on a daily (more like hourly), basis. Wisdom can only be found when we submit ourselves at the foot of the cross and allow God by the power of his spirit to fill us. Wisdom is found when we surrender completely to God, and even then we only get a piece of it.  I pray today as we all prepare to go into the world in some capacity that we ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit and that we allow ourselves to be guided by His wisdom.

Randi

Bible blog post Monday Aug 26th

"God's Gym"  (2 Corinthians 1:3-11)

When I go to the gym I see people who are there everyday for years.  They work hard, with sweat, groans, and persistence.  They know the benefits of being committed to working hard for their health.   Others seem to come and go.  Some people get busy and don't make the time to go any more and they usual feel the difference (the stresses) in their everyday comings and goings.  You have those who go and say it's just too hard and so they stop.  Some people have spurts where they go and then stop and then go and then stop never really producing result because they just aren't truly committed.  I've seen people who go and are discouraged because others around them seem to be so much more fit than they are.  They fail to realize that there was a time where these other people started in the same place but effort, time and commitment helped get them to where they are now.

I think our prayer lives can be similar to those in the gym.  Some people are 1 Thessalonians 5:17 people of prayer, they are committed and don't cease praying till there is an answer.  Life can get tough but they remain faithful knowing God is working in them.  Others are like Martha in Luke 10 and get so busy with the details of life that they don't stop and sit at the feet of Jesus to pray, to listen and be guided through life's busyness.  Then the stresses of life overwhelm.  You have others who are like Galatians 6:9 people of prayer, they become weary and faint and the committed effort of prayer is just too much for them so they give up.  Some are like the disciples in Matthew 26:41 in the Garden with Christ, they are awake and ready to pray and then asleep, wake ready to pray and then asleep.  They just aren't as committed as they should be even though Christ says "watch and pray" but he knows "the body is willing but the spirit is weak.  Then there are those like Moses at the burning bush who see the burdens of life and the task they are called to, (the commitment of prayer) as more than they can do.  They see their short comings, weakness, and lack of faith compared to others and are ready to give up on unceasing prayer before they start.  It's a burden that seems more than they can bear.

I love how in today's NT reading Paul declares the honest sufferings and struggles that we as humans have and will have but proclaims God's comfort, God's hope, God's deliverance, God's favor, God's strength and our need to depend on him.  All of this though requires we go to the gym of prayer.  Paul was under pressure far beyond his ability to endure (vs.8) but it was prayer that got him through.  I don't believe we are called to just pray for ourselves but for all those God puts in our paths.  Likewise others should be praying for us.  Why????? So that we can give thanks to God for who he is and for all his answers to "the prayers of many" (vs.11).  When we pray we see God work.  When we pray we are able to see the full Character of God revealed over time.  When we pray it is a chance to grow in our faith (to build our faith muscles), to become stronger in the face of adversity.  We get to experience God's love, favor, grace, and comfort and in turn we can share and encourage those in the gym of prayer to keep on going and to know they are not a lone in their journey.

So who are you in the gym of prayer???  Be honest with yourself, ask the Lord to help you to see where your weaknesses may be and ask him to strengthen you or to send you someone who can help as you seek to make your prayer life more and more effective (James 5:16).

Let's all seek to be committed people of daily unceasing prayer no matter what life throws at us so that together we can rejoice, give thanks and offer comfort and support to all who are in need.

August 24: Of Job, Teresa, Dark Nights and Joy

Job 12:1-15:35

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Psalm 39:1-13

Proverbs 21:30-31

The book of Job is a tough one to read.  Having gone through it a few times, I admit I am still torn between "what the heck?!?", "please, God, not me", and "God knows what He is doing, even if I don't get it."

My biggest problem is my willingness to surrender to God's will is conditional on my agreement with His plans for me.  Surrender that depends on approval isn't really surrender, is it?  But that's me.  "I'm ok with what You want, God, so long as it takes me here…". Or "Let's do it Your way, God, so I can have this…". Or simply "Ok God.  I get it.  I understand."

We're in the middle of the book, and Job is still asserting his blamelessness, and he wants to plead His case to God and receive vindication.  One of his friends repeats their refrain - that Job is sinful, and must therefore have done something to deserve his lot.    The fact is, his friends were wrong, and Job's blamelessness was irrelevant.  

What is relevant?  Our circumstances.  Job's were excruciating; ours not as much, but they can be overwhelming.  They may not make sense, may seem unjust, may border on the unbearable.  But they are what they are, beyond our ability to control.  

What else?  Choice - of how to receive them, to deal with them.  We can choose to rail at the irrationality, or choose - as God called Job to - to trust that He is in control.  We can try to demand what we want, or we can focus on Him and His promises.

The latter is preferable, but extremely difficult.  I cannot claim the blamelessness of Job, but it still isn't easy to accept the difficult choices God may make for me.  And I am constantly in awe of those who are able to submit, and submit joyfully.  One such example - Mother Teresa, whom I had no idea suffered what she called the "dark night of the soul" - for fifty years.  From 1946 till her death in 1997, it is reported, she did not feel the presence of God.  How did she respond?  Four ways, according to Dr. Dianne Traflet of Seton Hall University:

1. She let her "yes" mean "yes".  She said yes to God when she chose to be a nun; through her darkness and pain, she constantly, persistently recommitted her "yes".
2. She got close to Christ, so she could radiate Him.  In her heart, she claimed the God she could not feel.  And so she remained close.  Imagination?  Unlikely, when one considers how many saw our Savior through and in her.  
3. Though the darkness, she clung to the tools God had given her.  Prayer, scripture, eucharist.  With and through these, she declared "I believe.  Help my unbelief."
4. She carried her cross joyfully.  Dr. Traflet described joy as God's presence in our lives.  Despite the darkness, perhaps because of her stubbornness at staying close to God, she was a person who, through her suffering, would smile.  As Dr. Traflet says, "What is that about?  It's God's presence."

Neither Job's nor Mother Teresa's suffering made sense.  But they both clung to God, submitted to His will; in Mother Teresa's case, even joyfully.   Father, we do not have that strength.  As Mother Teresa prayed, "I believe.  Help my unbelief" - so that when my circumstances do not make sense, I can face them with trust, with peace and with joy.

Thursday, August 22

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.... For God is not a God of disorder but of peace -- as in all the congregations of the Lord's people." (1 Corinthians 14:1,33)


1 Corinthians 12-14 represents some of the most complete teaching on the functioning of the Church and its ministry. Notably, Chapters 12 and 14 review the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their function within the Body of Christ and during the worship gathering. Sandwiched in between, we have the great Chapter 13 on the nature of love.

From the letter's context, we sense that the Corinthians struggled to combat the power of sin, particularly given the challenging moral background of that lascivious city. The Greeks even developed a verb -- "to corinthianize" -- to describe the corrupting effects of that cultural backdrop.

The sandwich of Chapter 13 also indicates that the Corinthians may have struggled to exercise their spiritual giftedness in a spirit of love. Spiritual power exercised outside of love can devolve into a vain attempt or self-aggrandizement. As one author points out, 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of love (only realizable by God's grace), but the opposite of love is really self-centeredness.

Turning to 1 Corinthians 14, the chapter discusses how the Corinthians could best direct their gatherings in order to allow the spiritual power to be properly channeled. Paul thus emphasizes "order" (Chapter 14) and "love" (Chapter 13). Both of these traits take humility -- a trusting in God's greater plan and purpose.

I pray that we might see Acts 3:19 fulfilled powerfully in our midst: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord... " We need to turn away from what doesn't matter so that we may embrace what does matter in light of eternity: God and His people. We need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit's power so that we may honor God and bless His people. "Do it again, Lord!"


Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son so that we might become adopted into Your family through His shed blood. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit so that we may become fruitful and able to honor You and bless Your people. Prepare us for another move of Your Holy Spirit. We confess that we have clung to much lesser things out of comfort and pride. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, and bring Your Spirit's power to bear in our midst. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.



________________________________________________________________________
596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection
Stamford, CT 06906-1423 | and the life. He who believes in me will
(C) 203.820.1741 | live, even though he dies; and whoever
(H) 203.355.9374 | lives and believes in me will never die.
(E) swe@edwa.info | Do you believe this?'" -- John 11:25,26

August 21

Job

As I was reading Job this morning, I was reminded of a conversation I had recently with my son who was asked the perplexing age old question by a friend of his: "If God exists why do bad things happen?"  In light of senseless shootings and other historical events that would appear to show that evil has the upper hand, we as Christ followers are often confronted with the question of where was this all-powerful, all loving God we follow in the midst of the catastrophe? While Job attempts to reconcile his suffering in light of his own finite knowledge, I think we do to. Our only response, is to point to the cross.  The bottom line is that we live outside of the Garden of the Eden. God doesn't make mistakes and bad choices, people do. We can't figure it out, all we can do is point to our hope in Jesus that rests in Biblical truth. I read a post the other day which made me smile, it read: "God, why are bringing me through these troubled waters?"  and God said "Because your enemies can't swim".  Like Job, we all face tough times. Jesus said we would. As Christ followers we need remember always look to the cross.

Randi

Are You An Ankle?  (1 Corinthians 12)

One doesn't think much about their ankles.  It's such a small part of the body.  I never gave much thought to my ankles until I started having pains in them that would come for brief periods of time and go away just as quickly as they had arrived.  My whole body became aware of my ankles and in turn became concerned and supportive.  My legs had to take slower and more gentle steps.  My feet felt an extra burden and would become sore if my body stood for too long letting my brain know it was time rest.  My brain was continual monitoring the situation and working to come up with ways to help.  My hands had to dial numbers to doctors.  My voice had to speak to those doctors.  My whole body had to go with my ankles to those doctors to try and determine what was going on.  My body didn't cease to work, it didn't shut down but each part had a little more work to do in order to keep my body moving and to try and help my ankles.  My ankles appreciate everything my body has done to help.  It's been a few years since I first became aware of my ankles through the pain and after many many tests and different doctor visit there are no answers as to what is wrong and that is ok.  My body has adjusted and knows when to push my ankles a little bit and when to back off and give them the rest they need.  Just because they are struggling I don't have any plans to get rid of my ankles.  My body still needs them.

1 Corinthians 12 tells us that we are all a part of a body, the body of Christ, the body of believers. Some people are like the brain directing wisdom and knowledge to the rest of the body.  Some people are like hands and the mouth, actively doing or saying things to help others as well as to help the body as they were created to do.  Still others are like legs, moving the body in the direction it is called to go in.  And some are like ankles, small compared to other parts and often times not thought about much yet the support they give the body is often overlooked and not realized until they struggle to do their role as they usually do.

This passage in Corinthians instructs us in what I think are two thoughts.  First,- Don't think more or less of yourself based on what role you think or others think you serve in the body of Christ, in the church.  EVERY part has a significance that when used with all the other parts allows the body to work as it was designed.  When ANY one part of the body is hurting the entire body is affected and that leads to instruction #2 - we need to support each other no matter what.  It is so easy to be going along and doing our thing at church or in the community and to look at others with a critical eye and feel as if they aren't pulling their weight or doing what they should be.  We often times choose to judge and criticize (and sometimes gossip to other parts of the body) rather then find out what might be the issue and seeking to help.  We could be expecting something that person wasn't equipped to do or that person could be struggling (like my ankles) and need the rest of the body to come along side it and support it not condemn it.  Then when that person is restored let us rejoice, be thankful and celebrate with them.

So I want to encourage you today.  God has made you a part of his body, his church.  Whatever role you find yourself in seek to do your very best.  Don't look at others and wish you were them (we all have our own pains and struggles).  Be content and be your best for the Lord.  If you feel down, struggling, or hurting share it with others in the body so that you can have the support you need as you work (and as Christ works in you) to get back to where you need to be.  I also encourage each of us to look at each other as one body who needs to support, help and encourage each other where we each are.  What a beautiful image the church is when we think of it as one body working together, supporting and encouraging each other.

If my ankles are grateful for the support of my body when they are struggling how much more a member of Christ's body when we come along side them?  Let's really live as the humble body of Christ!

August 17: Of Gettysburg, St Francis Church (Portland) and Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 21:17-18

Two things I was reading today - the latter part of a book about the Battle of Gettysburg, and a report about Father George Kuforiji of St Francis Church in Portland.  And I was struck by how, in both instances, there were people convinced they were doing the right thing, but in only one of those instances was doing the right thing manifest in humility, submission and obedience to authority, however difficult.  

Generals Hancock (Union) and Armistead (Confederacy) were friends.  Before the Civil War, Armistead lost both his daughter and his wife, and Hancock was there to help me through.  When hostilities broke out, they parted as friends to return to their respective homes in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, planning to reunite after the war.  They then went on to serve, and when ordered by their superiors to battle against each other, they did so, on the the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg, in a desperate Rebel attempt to break the Union line, an attack known as Pickett's Charge.  Obedience even at great cost.

Over a hundred fifty years later and three thousand miles away, a new Nigerian priest, Father George Kuforiji, was installed as monsignor of St Francis Church in Portland, Oregon.  The congregation of that parish had taken a secular bent, demanding (and getting) among other things various changes to the liturgy, such as a revision to the Apostle's Creed.  Father George began to reverse these changes, and his efforts were met with opposition, often vitriolic, by what I am sure were well intentioned people who were unwilling to obey.  

The book of Nehemiah, which we are well into today, is among many things a story of the revival of the faith of God's chosen people, and their relationship with Yahweh.  This revival did not come easily.  To start, there was the time and effort spent reading and teaching the Word; then there was the painful realization of the people's sinfulness and the righteousness of God's punishment.  Through that, though, for the many who had taken foreign wives, what was the most difficult part of the revival was yet to come.

   "On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud...it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God..." - Nehemiah 13:1

What then to do?  Obedience or rebellion?  To us today, thousands of years later, with the benefit of hindsight, the choice might seem clear.  But to the many who had taken foreign wives who had borne them children, the prospect of excluding the women they loved, the mothers of their children, it would not have been as clear, and it would only have been natural  for their minds to fly to various reasons why their wives were ok, their marriages were right, and surely this could not be what God wanted, or if it was, then He was wrong.  What did they do?

   "When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent." - Nehemiah 13:3.

I don't know if I would have been that obedient.  And I don't know if I would have been as diligent in my tithing, or if I would have been able to stop working on the Sabbath.  And I certainly don't know if I would have the zeal or the courage to impose God's law on a people that professed to follow Him, the way Nehemiah did on the Israelites.  I fear I would have been more likely to try and justify my sinful behavior.  All that I am not certain of, but I do know that God has given me free will, but while I am free to make my choices, I cannot dictate the consequences of my choices.  

Father, when faced with the difficult choice between our ingrained sinfulness and Your will, give us the heart, the desire, the strength and the commitment to choose Your way.

Thursday, August 15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019

 

"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

 

"Taste and see that the LORD is good;

    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his holy people,

    for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:8-10)

 

 

The tail end of 1 Corinthians 9 wraps up Paul's conversation on the strong and the weak, where he shares his perspective on living in light of the diversity of people's positions.  As highlighted in the passage quoted above, Paul adopted a flexibility in his missions endeavors, committing all "for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

 

While his commentary of adapting to individual cultural situations -- or perspectives on the law -- may seem more appropriate to the precise context of the New Testament, we face the same calculus in our day-to-day living too.  Will we choose to engage others where they are?  Or will we count the task as too much?

 

Given the Bible's clarion call to loving our neighbor as ourselves, it seems that Paul's missionary flexibility doesn't just apply to full-time Gospel ministers.  Rather, the attitudes he espouses seem relevant for our day-to-day living.  Love involves giving and reaching out rather than expecting to receive and for others to conform to our wishes.

 

Without God's help, the prospect of living flexibility may appear costly -- and potentially unworthy of the effort involved.  Still, as David highlights in Psalm 34, our committedness to God's purposes will overflow into blessings in our lives:  "The lions may grow weak and hungry,/ but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."  The "king" of the animals would seem to be in control of his destiny, but even they "may grow weak and hungry."  In contrast, when we seek God, we will "lack no good thing."  This snippet ties closely to Matthew 6:33, Jesus's teaching on seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness.

 

How could you incorporate this seeking attitude and direction into your life, particularly displayed in the way you flexibly love others?  Whom do you know who you could bless with your presence or encouragement today?  What has God placed on your heart for those individuals?

 

I believe that we will be excited and amazed by God's working through us, humble and small as we are.  Yet, when carrying His love, we can become powerful forces of blessing in the lives of others.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for showing us Paul's example of missionary flexibility and the testimony of many saints who have sought You wholeheartedly.  Help us to trust You enough to live completely for You in our day.  Help us to creatively encourage and bless our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  Give us the power through Your Holy Spirit to reach beyond our limited strength.  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection

Stamford, CT  06906-1423    |  and the life.  He who believes in me will

(C) 203.820.1741            |     live, even though he dies; and whoever

(H) 203.355.9374            |   lives and believes in me will never die.

(E) swe@edwa.info           | Do you believe this?'"    -- John 11:25,26

 

August 14

Nehemiah, 1 Corinthians 9, 

In our reading today we learn about servant leadership. What is a servant leader?  The term itself when you first look at it sounds a little contradictory.  How can you lead and serve at the same time?  Jesus answers this in Matthew 20:25-28. When He washed the disciples feet, He said "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." The humility expressed by His act with a towel and a basin foreshadowed His ultimate act of humility and love on the cross.The concept of leadership isn't knew, Jesus just gave it new meaning. Contrary to worldly belief, leadership isn't about making our names know, it's about making God's name known. We see in our reading today that everything Paul did, he did to boast about the Lord, even in his suffering.  Nehemiah exemplifies servant leadership in his prayer life by fasting, weeping and mourning for days before God (1:4).  There are many servant leaders throughout the Bible and if we look around us, I'm sure we can identify some we have met through our lives as well.  We can recognize a servant leader by their integrity. As a servant leader, integrity is the foundation on which all other leadership qualities are built. Proverbs 21:3 is a reminder that Jesus calls us to walk in the ways of righteousness and justice. I think that means our actions should reflect our faith. A second quality of a servant leader is humility. "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."(Colossians 3:12) One of the most difficult things to admit to ourselves and others is that we don't know it all. Servant leaders also practice flexibility. They're willing to adapt to their situations and surroundings. They recognize that life can throw them into unexpected situations or challenges. (Phil. 4:12-13) Servant leaders steward the gift God has given them to bring Him glory. (1 Peter 4:10). I think it's important for us to realize that we are all God's masterpiece with unique qualities and gifts that He has given us to work in unity as the Body of Christ.  We are all called to be servant leaders. Reflecting as I write, I realize that I miss the mark on the daily, but thankfully God's mercy is new every day. Jesus is our model for servant leadership. I'm left thinking about what changes I can make in myself which will align my thinking with His.

Randi

August 10: Of Disobedience, Rights and Rationalization

Ezra 10:1-44
1 Corinthians 6:1-20
Psalm 31:9-18
Proverbs 21:3

   Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

- 1 Cor 6:9-10

   "I have the right to do anything", you say - but not everything is beneficial.  "I have the right to do anything" - but I will not be mastered by anything.

- 1 Cor 6:12

With free will, God gave us the right to make choices.  He did not, however, give us the ability to dictate consequences.  The list of sins in the first passage above is an abridged one, created in response to the challenges of the church in Corinth.  And yet, I look at that list and am rudely surprised at how it still applies to me.  I think how often I spoke ill of other people and justified it with the right to free speech.  I think about the times I exercised my right to the pursuit of happiness, by chasing money, justifying it saying it was for my family's benefit, even when it had became an addiction and well after it had clearly taken over God's rightful place in my life.  

Whatever rights I might have had, whatever justifications I might have invoked, my slander hurt people, my pursuit of wealth hurt the family for whom I was working so hard.  Slander mastered my tongue - it was so easy to speak ill of others; and greed mastered my time and my heart.  

Father it is pretty straightforward: I sin when I exercise the free will You gave me to break Your laws.  I look for ways to justify what I want, and delude myself into thinking my justifications actually matter.  All they do is make it easier to break Your laws again in the future, making my sinful desires my master.  Help me to realize that your laws are immutable, and You set them there out of Your perfect love for me.  Help me to end my rationalization.  Remind me of the psalmist's words: to do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Thursday, August 8

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019

"I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.  Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.  Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church."  (1 Corinthians 4:14-17)

The two letters to the Corinthians contain some "tough-love" passages from Paul.  Corinth had earned a reputation as a morally loose city that threaten to corrupt its visitors.  Would the fledgling Corinthian church be corrupted from within, becoming destroyed at its very foundation?

In this spirit of concern and love, Paul urges the Corinthians to follow his example—"to imitate me."  While the Scriptures instruct us, and we have treasures of books on Christian theology and godly living, the first-century Church relied more on eyewitness testimony of God's redeeming work in Christ.  Paul recognized that the testimony of a changed life, however, would provide indisputable evidence for the power of the Gospel.  The Gospel message could become translated into Gospel living—and become even more powerful.

Paul therefore sends Timothy to solidify his teaching, as Timothy lived the Gospel message.  Paul's confidence in Timothy commended him to the Corinthians and prepared him for effective teaching.  As Paul reiterated in 2 Timothy 2:2, this teaching would be practical and life-on-life:  "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."  Making disciples can them become a matter of multiplication.

As we head into the fall, whose lives will you seek to impact with your Gospel living?  Whose lives would you like to imitate?  How could you grow in the depth and strength of your Gospel living, to God's glory?

Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son as our example and teacher.  We also rejoice in having many friends whose lives that we would like to imitate, having seen the power of the Gospel lived out in them.  Help us to become more effective in our own testimony; transform our hearts and minds to conform more fully to Your will and character.  We love You and honor You today.  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen. 

Blog post August 7th, 2019

Blog post August 7th

Ezra 4:24-6:22

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

Psalm 29:1-11

Proverbs 20:26-27

Reading todays versus I got the sense of encouragement and serving others. God may send prophets to encourage and and strengthen his people. So when we are doing the work off God, others may try to confuse or bring us down but no matter who tries stop us God will accomplish his purpose. Just as we see God had watched over the Jewish elders her watches over us. 

As I keep having to go to the doctors I wonder what God's purpose is for all this and worrying bout the future, but I have to realize that I must concentrate on Gods purpose. We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We cant predict how God will get His purpose accomplished, but we can place our trust in Him. God may use my situation for His great use, just as he uses our weakness for his strength. 

As we are serving others, it may not always be easy to speak up about our faith to an unbelieving world, but we must. We must seek God first and people second and when we give into lean in to people reactions and criticisms we may become fearful. We wont be effective workers for Christ if we try to please everyone, so let us not be intimidated and let others know whom you serve by your actions and words. What actions could you take this week to strengthen your ties to fellow Christians in the church of Jesus Christ? Such as reaching out to your next door neighbor and ask how they are doing or invite a friend over for tea and coffee and ask how they are doing in life, by doing this we begin to serve others.

I pray  God's laws are guidelines and lights for our paths, instead of chains. May we understand how great Gods power is, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. When we feel weak and broken, remember that God can give us the strength too and that everything we do as we are building our life, real and lasting foundation,

Amen.

Instant Gratification

Ezra 1-2, I Corinthians 1:18-31, 2:1-5, Psalms 27:7-14 , Proverbs 20:22-23

I love reading those Buzzfeed posts that feature all the great things from the 90's this up coming generation will never experience. The list includes that phone signal with DSL, waiting to call someone after 9pm due to phone charges, waiting days for film to be developed (and finding out your finger was in half of the photos). The list goes on and I know the generation before me is shaking their head saying "you have no idea how good you had it 90's child. You should have seen my decade!"  It's all relative.  Divan and I roll our eyes at Everest's "need" for instant gratification: a picture is taken, "let me see it momma!" The phone or iPad is "buffering/thinking"...he shows it with a confused look on his face like "what's going on?" The struggle is real. With each passing day we are becoming a people that expects more and more instant gratification. So to read today's passages that are about waiting and waiting, it took me a while to dwell on that and what it means. 

To be honest, I don't have an answer or definition of "Waiting on the Lord."  The Jews had to wait for generations and generations until they were able to return to their homeland under the reign of King Cyrus. They then had to wait years and years for the Temple to be rebuilt. They waited on the Lord and His timing. This doesn't mean that it was always a quiet or patient act of waiting. Nonetheless, they waited. 

In Psalms, David writes, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14 NIV in the same verse he says wait. We want  things now. We want prayers answered, things to happen, or x,y, and z to occur in our time. It's not easy to wait, this is probably why David even said "be strong and take heart". Waiting on God sometimes entails extra will, emotions, mental processing, or emotional strength. We may need to wait on God for good health, job situations, a desired spouse, or loved one to return to Him. 

I know it's easier said than done, but that's almost the point. We can't do it by ourselves. We must be aligned with God in-order to have the desire or strength to wait. I'm praying tonight that we may wait on the Lord. Trust his timing and perfect wisdom in this messy world. 

August 3: Of Despair and Response

2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
Romans 16:10-27
Psalm 26:1-12
Proverbs 20:19

     Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book."  And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.  When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.

     - 3 Chronicles 3:18-19

I tried to do some research into the significance of tearing one's clothing during Biblical times, and what I found suggested it was an impulsive sign of extreme anger and despair.  One vented the grief and anguish for which there was no remedy on one's robes. I first thought it was something like punching the wall in anger...then I realized that what clothes cost at the time, in time, effort and money, made this more like burning down one's house today.

It is particularly sad to read about despair today, the day after another three murderers have taken the lives of (at current count) 32 people in three separate incidents, in California, Ohio and Texas.  There will be many mothers and fathers, spouses and children, siblings and friends, who will be in enough anguish to tear their robes.  There will be countless others tearing their robes in anguish at the lack of gun control that might have prevented this, or the prevalence of gun control that might have prevented armed civilians from taking action.  

What should our response be?  The example of Josiah, the king, is instructive.   He does five things:

1.  He acknowledges God.  He could have ignored the news about the book, but instead instructed that they "go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found."

2.  He confesses the people's sin. "Great is the Lord's anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book."

3.  He reverts back to God's Word.  "He went up to the temple of the Lord with...all the people from the least to the greatest.  He read in their hearing all the words of the Book fo the Covenant."

4.  He repents of his sin.  "The king...renewed the convenant...to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book."

5.  His actions demonstrated his metanoia - the change in his life's orientation.  "Josiah removed all the detestable idols...as long as he lived, [the Israelites] did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors."

Father, When bad things happen, it is instinctive for people to find someone to blame.  I do that all the time.  It doesn't really do me any good, doesn't help my situation, doesn't prevent the situation from recurring.  Teach me instead to respond like Josiah - to acknowledge You, confess and repent of my sin, seek Your word, and act accordingly.  

Blog post 2nd August

Blog post 2nd August

2Chronicles 32:1-33:13

Romans 15:23-16:7

Psalm 25:16-22

Proverbs 20:16-18

Do life's problems always seem to go from bad to worse? God is the only one who can reverse this down hill slope. An important step is to cry out and God will work in us and our situation. When forces of life are pressing in on you, know that we can still feel secure and protected. Your purpose and journey in life is with God. No matter how frightened or difficult our situations may be, we can can always turn  to God, and constantly be in prayer.

Prayer is a weapon that all believers should use when interceding for others. When we see people going through struggles, we may want to physically help them for example with finances, but prayer is a crucial way of being with them as well. We can privately minister to people like Priscilla and Aquila as they used hospitality, friendship as a way to minister to others. We can ask ourselves; do we regard our families and homes as gifts through which God can accomplish his work? How may God use you to serve others?

I The work of prayer is evident at Grace Church as there is always a willingness to pray for each other.

That when people are going through health, financial, spiritual problems there is always someone there to pray. So whatever you are going through, always ask for prayer, I myself have received this hospitality at Grace.

Amen

Thursday, August 1

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019


"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement for the Scriptures we might have hope.... May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.... May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:4-6,13)


Today's readings contained so many encouraging nuggets, ranging from Hezekiah's temple reforms to the encouragement of the Psalm and Proverbs. Each day, as we read through the Bible, I attempt to weave a theme through the four readings, though these themes sometimes break down into two or three subthemes. Today, however, the theme of personal commitment to loving and seeking God jumped out, along with the communal overflow of blessing that emerges from shared personal commitment.

In 2 Chronicles, we find a wide array of kings, some of whom seek God and others who appear morally directionless. At the high points of 2 Chronicles, we find a glimpse of the hopefulness that God intended for the people: that "you will be My people, and I will be your God." Yet, these high points represent just moments in a history riddled with disarray, largely due to leaders' lack of direction. Nonetheless, Hezekiah pulls the people together to celebrate and worship God, which led to the prosperity of Hezekiah's kingdom.

Looking at the Old Testament examples, we might grow discouraged that we lack national, state, or city leaders with that same commitment to seeking God. Yet, the Old Testament actually flips the script: the people of God don't need positional power; rather, they will find power in the hope of new life. The community of Christ-followers would actually gain strength from bottom-up commitment. Peter describes this shared leadership in 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." He writes these words to those who, in that contemporary society, had little political or social power. Yet, in Christ, they had everything required: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3,4)

How does that personal commitment lead to flourishing? We discover the fullness of life through knowing God through Jesus Christ. As Romans 15:4 explains, believers find hope through "endurance and the encouragement for the Scriptures." Endurance, perseverance, and standing firm: the New Testament always refers to these traits positively, but acknowledges that their source cannot come from within. Rather, endurance and perseverance come from experiencing God's presence through the Holy Spirit and following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:16-24; Hebrews 12:1-3).

As we each persevere, we then may find unity. While we may have connections with a smallish group based on shared affinities, the Church gains its unity from each believer's relationship with God, our Father and King. Under His mantle, we become a family, identified not by our affinities or backgrounds, but rather by our belonging to the family. That unity then becomes powerful and complete, strengthening us to stay faithful and glorify God together.

How could you grow in your personal commitment today? What are your hopes for greater unity among the family of Christ-followers? May He bring strength and unity under His authority, through the encouragement of the Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit.


Lord God, thank You for making it possible for us to follow You. Thank You for the encouragement of Your Word and the power to endure through the Holy Spirit. Strengthen us today to bring honor and glory to You, both individually and as Your family. Help us to subsume our rights under the greater good, so that all may be built up and become mature, reflecting Your Son's image. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.


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