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2 Corinthians 5:14b-15

05 Apr

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Dear God, I’ve always struggled, ever since I was little, with my lack of ability to die to my old life. Not understanding how hard that can be when I was a child, I just thought that I hadn’t done it correctly the last time I tried to die to myself and accept you as my God and savior, so I would “walk the aisle” and do it again. I got saved a lot as a kid.

I guess there’s an addiction aspect to it. I live with an addiction to my human self. It’s a disease, I suppose. I want to be selfish. I want to see the world from my own point of view. I want to judge others to make me feel better about myself. I want to indulge my own desires. Maybe churches should redesign themselves to look more like 12-Step meetings: “Hi, my name is John and I’m a human.” “Hi, John.” My first step is to admit that my life has become unmanageable, I am powerless against my human flesh, and I need a higher power to restore me to sanity.

I was watching a show last night that had a character lose eight years of sobriety. They showed the shame and despair of that moment. He was devastated by his failure and the idea of starting over. He knew he needed his sobriety to live and it really embarrassed him to have to admit his failure to the ones he loves.

Father, help me to be the new creation you want me to be. Help me to admit I am STILL powerless and that I need you to either restore me to sanity or keep me sane at any given moment. Help me to share this message with others who need it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2019 in 1 Corinthians

 

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Ephesians 1:5-8

04 Apr

Ephesians 1:5-8
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Dear God, I intentionally prayed yesterday morning that you make me aware of the divine appointments you might have been setting up for me because I had a day ahead of me during which I was going to run into people from all socioeconomic areas. My first appointment of the day was with a scared person who is completely broke and about to have surgery. When I asked them if they had a church home, they said that they did in the past, but had felt judged and rejected by that church so they left. After talking about their issue, I was able to recommend some churches in town that might be good communities for them and then we had a chance to pray together. We were also able to pray about the surgery and I think they were able to leave my office feeling a little more at peace.

I won’t go through every other encounter throughout the day, but I was definitely more mindful of who you needed me to be in any given moment. I’m grateful for that. I don’t feel like I missed a lot of opportunities that you put in front of me. But one thing I probably need to be sure I remember as I have future opportunities is the message of this verse above. I carry Good News with me. You adopted us into your family. You purchased our freedom. You shower us with kindness, wisdom and understanding.

Father, give me wisdom in this day. Help me to be so in tune with you that I will know how to be your representative in any given situation. Let your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2019 in Ephesians

 

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Hebrews 12:1-2

03 Apr

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Dear God, “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” How hard is that? Well, it turns out that it’s actually pretty hard.

I woke up this morning, and part of my habit is to look at my phone, check the time, and then open up my USA Today app to see what’s happening. They have a “Five Things You Should Know Today” article that I like to read. Today, however, I decided that I would start by looking a the http://www.biblegateway.com verse of the day. It turned out to be Hebrews 12:2. Since I felt like the verse needed the context of verse 1, I decided to combine the for the purposes of this prayer.

When I read the verse, I thought, yes, I need to keep my eyes focusing on Jesus and part of that is getting myself to read scripture first thing instead of the “Five Things [I] Should Know Today.” Really, what’s more important anyway. Will knowing that news change my actions today? Can I do anything to affect change on what is happening around the country or the world? No, probably not. There is a small chance that I can respond to something by financially supporting a cause around the country, or see something happening somewhere else and get involved in that cause locally, but 95% of the time the information is not something that I NEED for my day.

Scripture, however, is another story. YOU are another story. You should be my first read. You should be my first thoughts. You should be my all in all. I should keep my eyes on Jesus/You/Holy Spirit—my God. You are what I NEED for the day. You are what I SHOULD KNOW. That is how my life will make a difference.

Father, help me to be mindful of this lesson and to live in its importance today and every day. Show me how to keep my eyes on Jesus throughout the day, all day long. Give me wisdom tonight, especially, as I advocate for a cause with some people I’ve never met, but for whom this could be a divine appointment.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2019 in Hebrews

 

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Matthew 20:17-19

02 Apr

Matthew 20:17-19 [NLT]
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man[a] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Dear God, the biggest thing I think of when it comes to passages like this is that, on the rare occasions when you give us insights into the future (and they are very rare), they are more about comforting and reassuring us than they are about letting us in on the secret. In this case, the disciples didn’t have to know this information in order for it to all happen. In fact, their response to this knowledge might have gotten in the way. But the reason you NEEDED them to know was that you knew that they would need to be able to remember back to these moments and realize that this was part of the plan all along. Twenty or 30 years down the road, as Matthew thought back on this and put pen to paper, he could be assured that this was all okay.

I can’t say that I’ve gotten a lot of words of prophecy from you. One of my many one-liners is that you keep me on a need-to-know basis and I very rarely need to know. But I can almost always look back on events in my life and see your providence, even when, at the time, I felt like all was lost. I have had some trials (no worse than anyone else’s to be sure), but I can almost always look back on them after a good amount of time and see what you were doing for me, for those I love, or within me to grow me into a place where you need me to be.

Father, thank you for your patience with me. There’s a Keith and Melody Green song called “Make My Life A Prayer To You.” In it, there’s a line that says, “I want to thank you now for being patient with me. It’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me. So I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say. Lord, you’re coming again. Coming to take me away.” So to finish this prayer with the chorus of that song, “Make my life a prayer to you. I want to do what you want me to . No empty words and no white lies. No token prayers. No compromise. I want to shine the light you gave through your son you sent to save us from our self and our despair. It comforts me to know you’re really there.”

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2019 in Hymns and Songs, Matthew

 

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Psalm 14

01 Apr

Psalm 14 [NLT]
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.

But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.

Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him.

The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord will protect his people.

Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Dear God, I wish there was a little key that would tell us what was going on in David’s life when he wrote this Psalm. Where was he in his ascendency to the throne? Was he being chased by Saul? Was he living in exile? Was he King, but it’s pre-Bathseba so things are good? Was it post-Bathsheba when things were bad?

Good poetry, I think, bring me into the author’s thoughts and emotions and connects to something similar that is within me. In this instance, I do get very frustrated with the evil I see around me. I get frustrated by the domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug use, sex trafficking, etc. How long, oh, Lord?

The end of this Psalm gives me a link to the hope that David felt. It is the same hope that I feel. You will restore your people. One day, your justice is coming. The question is, what will I be doing on that day? Will I be found faithful, working in your field, taking the talents you gave me and trying to return them to you with interest? Or will I be feeling sorry for myself, complaining about the evil, but doing nothing about it? Will I be about building my own cocoon that will protect me through my own efforts, or will I be out there, vulnerable, leaning on you?

Father, help me today. There are times when I pray great things in the morning, but then go right out and fail you. Help me to not fail you, but to be so in tune with you that I will see every moment through your eyes. Thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for what you have done. And that you for what you will do.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2019 in Psalms

 

“Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green

30 Mar

“Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green

Do you see?
Do you see?
All the people sinking down?
Don’t you care?
Don’t you care?
Are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done

“oh, bless me, lord!
Bless me, lord!”
You know, it’s all I ever hear!
No one aches,
No one hurts,
No one even sheds one tear
But, he cries,
He weeps,
He bleeds,
And he cares for your needs
And you just lay back,
And keep soaking it in

Oh, can’t you see such sin?!
’cause he brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
“god bless you!
Be at peace!”
And all heaven just weep,
’cause Jesus came to your door,
You left him out on the streets

Open up! open up!
And give yourself away
You see the need,
You hear the cries,
So how can you delay?!
God is calling,
And you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
But you keep holding it in

Oh, can’t you see such sin?!
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church just can’t fight,
’cause it’s asleep in the light!
How can you be so dead?!
When you’ve been so well famed
Jesus rose from the grave,
And you!
You can’t even get out of bed!

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead!
Come on, get out of your bed!
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
Don’t close your eyes,
Don’t pretend the job is done

Come away! come away!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess,
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away,
Come away with me my love!

Dear God, I have the honor and privilege of getting to preach tomorrow to a group of people who are very precious. So what is it that you need them to hear?

As I was working through the Presbyterian church’s prescribed liturgy for this Sunday, the Old Testament reading was out of Joshua 5, which I journaled about last Sunday to kick this week off. That’s kind of set the tone for the week. The Promised Land. They had arrived. The men got circumcised and they were expected to start supplying their own food from the land–you turned off the supply of manna. Now it was time to go and take the land.

When they first left Egypt, I would imagine that they didn’t necessarily think through what going back to the Promised Land about which Moses told them would cost them. They might have seen it as their reward for years of slavery. But that wasn’t it. This was just the next chapter for them as a people. It would be hard. They would have to devote themselves to you first. They would have to fight. They would have to struggle. That is how their people would survive and how you would eventually bless the world–through Israel as a nation. As much as their lives were not about “them” while they lived generation after generation in slavery in Egypt, their lives were still not about them. They were about you. They were about your plan.

As I sat down to pray to you this morning, I wanted to clear my head and get focused so I turned to the Christian music on my iPod. I wondered what I should listen to, and I heard a nudging for Keith Green. Eventually, I landed on this song. I think it’s perfect for what I’m talking about in the spirit of taking the Promised Land. “Asleep in the light.” Isn’t that what a lot of us are? Asleep in the light? Isn’t that what I am a lot of the time?

So what will I preach tomorrow? The message is going to be that it’s time to take the land. This particular church has been in limbo through various setbacks for too long. They are now muddled in fear and frustration. They are mired in lethargy. This might sound harsh, but it feels like it’s true. They are too concerned about what is happening within their doors and not concerned enough with what is happening in the neighborhood around them. The message will be, “God has supplied you with manna and he has given you talents, but now it is time to wean yourselves from the manna and start working for your community. It is time to start taking the land. And it starts with personal commitment (see the mass circumcision in Joshua 5:2-8). What will you do to bring commit yourselves to God and bring your talents to the table? What will you do to see that this church advances into the Promised Land and doesn’t flounder in the wilderness? When will you look around and see the world around you dying?

Father, help me to do this well.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2019 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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Luke 12:39-48

29 Mar

Luke 12:39-48
39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

Dear God, maybe I’ve noticed verse 41 before, but if I have I’ve forgotten it. Peter’s question is interesting, but Jesus’ answer is also interesting. Peter is trying to figure out how big this readiness responsibility is, and Jesus’ limits it in his reply more than I would have expected him to. I would have thought Jesus’ answer would be, “It’s for everyone.” But his reply basically refers to leadership being accountable.

Of course, we are all leaders in our own areas of life. We all have responsibilities when it comes to impacting those around us. Business managers have their employees. Pastors have their churches. Sunday school teachers have their classes. Parents have their children. There aren’t many of us who do not have some amount of responsibility for how we affect others’ lives. Whatever that area of responsibility is, that’s where our accountability to you lies.

As for me, you have given me several responsibilities. I am responsible for loving my wife and, even though my children are now grown, I still have a fathering responsibility with them. I am a manager at work, and I have a responsibility to lead our organization and manage the staff. I also have a responsibility to be accountable to the board of directors. Then there are societal responsibilities. You have put certain issues on my heart. You have touched me like you did Nehemiah and given me specific issues about which I feel like it is my responsibility to respond. And then there are the personal nudgings you give me when it comes to my writing and even public speaking. Am I living up to your expecations in those areas as well?

Father, help me to be found faithful. I hate to ask this, but please correct me where I am in error. I don’t know what you correction will look like, and I am loathe to ask for it, but the truth is that I just want you to be able to look back and know that I didn’t let you down. You have done so much for me, and, out of my love and appreciation for you, I want to make the most of what you’ve given me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2019 in Luke

 

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Luke 15:25-32

28 Mar

Luke 15:25-32 [NLT]
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Dear God, the older son won’t understand until he’s a father himself. Being the father of two children, I see this parable a little differently now. Granted, these aren’t real people, and Jesus is only giving us the details he wants us to know to make his point about God’s love for the most, but I still have to wonder what the relationship like between the boys? Did the older brother have bitterness towards his brother that had nothing to do with the father’s actions? He probably did.

I also wonder what the older son was seeing in his father while the younger son was still gone, and if his father’s obvious love for the younger son angered him. Did the older son see his father as naive? Weak? Foolish? Again, I’m looking at a literal family dynamic here and not at the relationship we have with you.

But now that I say that, do those of us who are Disciples and believers get angry with you over what you allow our sinful world to get away with? Do we hate our sinful brothers instead of waiting on the porch with you, watching for them to come home? Do we secretly resent your plan for the world and think you foolish?

Father, thank you for what you’ve taught me through being a father. Thank you for the pain and strain. Thank you for the redemption and growth. It’s been hard, it’s been great, it’s been fulfilling, and it’s ripped my heart out. I’ve needed all of those things to happen to shape me into who I am becoming through your guidance. Help me to continue on this journey as a father, as a brother, as a friend, and as a Disciple.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 28, 2019 in Luke

 

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Luke 15:11-24

27 Mar

Luke 15:11-24 [NLT]
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Dear God, I know this isn’t an actual story, but a parable so I should be careful of how much I read into people’s motives in it. However, this story is a representation of you and some of the children you love (possibly me, although I am more likely the older brother), so perhaps I should consider some aspects of this that I haven’t considered before.

The big one is, as a father of grown children, I now wonder more about this son. What drove him? What motivated him? I’ve always just seen him as greedy and selfish, but as a dad I try to consider what is driving the actions I see from my children. Do you consider the same thing when you see us wander (or run) away from you?

For example, in this case, when you see one of your children running after self-indulgence, do you consider their past when assessing your response? Do you look at trauma done to them? Do you consider addiction? Do you think about how they never learned to live their neighbor as themselves? I think the answer is obvious. Of course you do. I do it when I look at my kids, and you know all of us better than I know my own children, or even myself.

Father, in the end, the answer still comes back to the same place where this part of the parable ends. Each of us has to come to the end of ourselves. Some of us have lower boiling points than others. We get there quicker. But my prayer for my own children is that you would be with each of them on their journeys through life and please keep me from doing things that will hinder you from molding each of them into the people you know they can be. And do everything so that all of us might decrease and you increase.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2019 in Luke

 

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2 Corinthians 5:16-21

26 Mar

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 [NLT]

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Dear God, there is some work for us to do here. We have a task set out for us—to reconcile people to you through our knowledge of who Jesus is and what He did. We are Jesus’ ambassadors, and you use us to make your appeal to people. And what’s our message? That Jesus came to bring us freedom through the release of our sins by His own sacrifice.

There is a billboard out on the highway about five miles outside of my town. It’s says something like, “Jesus can free you from your sin.” I’ve had a negative initial reaction to it. Going back to my marketing training, I’ve wondered what I would say instead. For me, it all starts with the four questions a man taught me back in 1995. These are what I ask myself before I write a piece:

  • Who am I talking to?
  • What do they think?
  • What do I want them to think?
  • How do I get them to think that?

In the case of this billboard, part of my “what do they think?” answer is that I think the word sin has a lot of baggage and, for the purposes of this billboard, I probably would have avoided it. People are miserable in their sin. They hide it. The deny it. They hold onto it because it pretends to offer them what they think they want. What they don’t want is to be judged by me or preached at by a billboard.

So what would I put on that billboard? I heard a sermon on the gospel from Andy Stanley back in December, and this thesis was, “I understand not being able to bring yourself to believe in the Jesus of the Bible, but I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t WANT it to be true.” That’s probably where I would go with this billboard. As your ambassador, I think my message should be, “The Jesus of the Bible can set you free!”

Father, help me to live this message to those who come across my path today. There are times when I feel like I am a terrible ambassador for you. I let way too many opportunities pass me by. I’m sorry for that. Please give me your eyes to see, ears to hear, courage to act, and words to say.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2019 in 2 Corinthians

 

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