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Ephesians 2:8-10

13 Aug

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Dear God, what does it mean to be saved? We use that word a lot: “Saved.” Growing up, it mainly meant saved from hell. “If you were to die tonight, do you know where you’ll go?” That was the selling point. That was the benefit transaction. I am rescued from hell. But from even the age of 17 or 18, I started to realize there was a different story to tell. It’s not about getting saved from hell. It’s about getting saved from myself. Getting saved from separation from you in the here and now. It’s about loving you and humbling myself enough to experience your love and comfort in this moment. It’s about getting myself transformed into who Jesus taught me to be through his life and his teaching.

Paul reinforces that perspective here. He isn’t talking about me getting saved from hell. He’s talking about becoming your masterpiece. It’s about us doing the good things you planned for us long ago in the now. Not later. Not after death. Now.

So my job is to continuously choose the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14). I didn’t choose the narrow gate once just so I can get my fire insurance. No, that’s not the gate Jesus called me to. Jesus called me to live up to the standards of the Sermon on the Mount through developing my relationship with you and being transformed into what Paul is talking about here to the Ephesians. It starts with loving you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then loving my neighbor as myself. Low and behold, if I do those things then I will be a peacemaker and merciful. I will be comforted when I mourn. I will be salt and light. Hate and lust will become more and more distasteful to me. I will give. I will pray. I will fast with a humble heart, not for show. My treasures on earth will be the things that are of you and not the things of this world. I will be curious and not judgmental. I will ask for better and better things, and you will delight in giving me the things that are good for me. I will judge people by their fruit and be shrewd around those I do not trust. I will build my life on you and get rid of as much sandy soil as possible. That is my job, even today.

Father, it starts with loving you, and I do love you. Thank you. Thank you for loving me and being who you are in your nature. Thank you that knowing you better means knowing how to love better. Help me to share that love with others. And help me to love others around me. My wife. My children. My family. My coworkers. Our volunteers and donors for where I work. Our nonprofits clients. My friends. My community. Let your love flow through me to all of these, for their good and for mine.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 13, 2024 in Ephesians

 

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

12 Aug

18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Dear God, we tend to think that sexual immorality wasn’t a thing until the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Before then, everyone waited until marriage, was faithful in marriage, and never had wandering eyes or lustful problems. But I suppose there is a reason prostitution is called the world’s oldest profession. There is this weird thing about our sex drive that really does create both beauty in our lives and huge problems if we let it.

I have no frame of reference for what prostitution was like two thousand years ago. Five thousand years ago. I think of the story in Genesis when Judah sleeps with his daughter-in-law (widow of his son), thinking she is a prostitute. He is okay to join himself with a prostitute, but when he finds out the daughter-in-law is pregnant he is ready to have her killed until he realizes she is the woman he slept with (Genesis 38:12-29). How did Paul feel about that story?

Father, there are all kinds of addictions that are an issue in our lives. Food is certainly an issue for me. I have an unhealthy relationship with it. Portion control. The types of food I eat. Whatever it might be, I have a terrible time controlling myself with it. But the struggle gives me sympathy for others. It gives me empathy as well. None of us are as strong as we think we are. I certainly am not. So help me today. Help me to be at peace in your presence. Help me to hear your still small voice and follow it. Help me to be pure of heart, mind, soul, and body. Help me to love richly. Help me to be the man you need me to be for my sake, the sake of my family, and for the sake of your kingdom in this world.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2024 in 1 Corinthians

 

1 Kings 19:1-4

11 Aug

19 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

1 Kings 19:1-4

Dear God, I come back to this story often because it is so relatable. This is Elijah we are talking about THE Elijah. He’s coming off of this amazing victory against the prophets of Baal and seeing your power on full display. He had this amazing experience with you. And yet here he is, praying for death. Literally, talking to you and asking you to take his life, “for [he] is no better than [his] ancestors who have already died.” Ironically, he’s one of only a couple of people who never died. Hmm. I don’t think I’ve put that together before.

This kind of reminds me of the passage I read from the Sermon on the Mount yesterday in Matthew 7 about you being a good father who gives us good gifts. If we ask for bread will you give us a stone? If we ask for death and you still have use of us will you give it to us?

In this case, you were not done with Elijah. In fact, you won’t be done with him until 2 Kings chapter 2. There is work to be done. No, Elijah.

Later, you will ask Elijah, “Why are you here?” He responds that he has been zealous for you, but the Israelites have rejected you and killed your prophets. Now they want him dead too. The real answer is, he’s scared. Verse 3 says it. After Jezebel sends a message to him that she will kill him, it says, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.”

You have done so much for me. You have done so much in my life. And yet there are times when I just want to curl up and hide in bed. There are times when my faith is so small and the mountain looks so big. Sometimes my faith just fails. I guess it is nice to know that even Elijah felt the same thing. Moses did. David did. Peter did. Paul did. We all do. Sometimes I just need to regroup, sit before you, and let your Holy Spirit minister to me. Sometimes I need to clear the sand away from my foundation and make sure all of the piers for the foundation are set into the rock.

Father, prepare my heart this morning. I’m supposed to be teaching a Sunday school class. I’ve done my preparation. I’ve spent time with you. I’m excited about the topic. But, frankly, I feel inadequate. I don’t feel up to it. And I’m afraid, just like Elijah. Not for my life, but that I won’t look good. That they won’t be impressed with me as a teacher. Yes, that is where my ego truly is this morning. So help me to die to that, turn loose of how this day will reflect on me, and care about representing the words you might have to say to this group of people. Oh, Lord, be glorified through me. Help me to decrease as you increase. “I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody about somebody who saved my soul.” (Casting Crowns).

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 11, 2024 in 1 Kings

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

10 Aug

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

Dear God, it is interesting that I came across this passage this morning. I was struggling to figure out which passage from the Bible to pray over this morning. I went to Bible Gateway first, but their Verse of the Day didn’t resonate. Then I decided to do the Catholic Daily Bible Reading and this was the New Testament reading for the day. It fits because I am about to spend this Saturday with the board of directors of our nonprofit doing some strategic planning. These are always difficult experiences because, if done right, we will struggle to discern where you want us to go from here.

There are usually a couple of ways to go on a day like this. We can either look at spreading our net as widely as we can to touch as many lives as we can (a mile wide and an inch deep) or we can focus on how we will go deeper and make a real change in the lives we already have coming to us (I suppose that would be an inch wide and a mile deep). Sometimes there can be both at the same time, but usually we need to focus on one over the other. Usually, for the sake of numbers, we will go for broader and broader. But as I think about it, it seems that Jesus wanted to go deeper and deeper. He didn’t travel everywhere while he was on earth. He stayed in a pretty controlled geographic area and invested in a few people deeply. Later, they were the ones who spread out and then invested deeply where you put them. I’ve never thought about this before, but it seems to be the pattern you follow. So as I think about planting seed and investing in others I am thinking about how do we really make lasting and deep change in patients’ lives? In the lives in our community and the surrounding communities that we touch?

Father, my head hasn’t really been in the game when it comes to this board retreat. I’ve been distracted by other things. But here I am now. We start in two and a half hours. Get my head in the game. Be with me. Be with us. Prepare all of our hearts as we come together to worship you, figure out how to serve you, and do something that will bring your kingdom and your will into the lives of our patients, volunteers, staff, and board. Something that will bring you into our community. In our hearts, minds, bodies, lives, and work, Lord, be glorified.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2024 in 2 Corinthians

 

Luke 12:4-5

09 Aug

4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

Luke 12:4-5

Dear God, I am always puzzled when Christians complain about persecution–especially American Christians who truly have no idea what real persecution is. Jesus never once says we will be saved from persecution. In fact, all of his closest disciples except Judas (suicide) and John were martyred for their faith, and even John was persecuted and exiled. I think I’ve read that even Matthias, Peter’s replacement for Judas, was eventually martyred. So why do we think we should be any different?

The question is, how should I meet this persecution? I think it’s with love. Always with love. And that has been hard for me at times. Not that I’ve been persecuted for my faith. I haven’t. I live in an area that culturally rewards faith. But when I’ve been wronged or attacked for a controversial position I hold or from conflicts I’ve had with others based on my own principles versus their principles, I haven’t always responded with love. I’ve been judgmental, not curious. I’ve been disparaging of them. I’m sorry. Give me awareness when I’m doing this and fill me with compassion for them.

But back to Christian persecution, in my area I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t Christians who are doing their own share of persecuting others. Canceling people. Protesting. Shaming. I even go back to the opening ceremony of the Olympics and the representation of the Feast of Dionysus and/or The Last Supper they displayed. If it was, indeed, The Last Summer, what would the world have thought if the church had said, “While it possibly might have been intended to offend or mock, it is just another reminder to us of our Lord’s last meal with his disciples, how he prayed for all of us to be one as he and the Father are one, and then gave everything for us the next day. I hope that anyone involved with that knows how much God loves them and did everything for them.”

Father, I’m going to go back to Paul’s words in Acts 20:24: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” That’s it and that’s all. My life is worth nothing to me. Help me to finish this race well regardless of the consequences for myself.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2024 in Colossians

 

Colossians 2:20-23

08 Aug

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Colossians 2:20-23

Dear God, how have I missed this passage? I mean, I know I’ve read it. I know I’ve journaled on it. But I was at a worship service last night led by a group of young adults in their late teens and early twenties, and I read this while they were referencing a passage earlier in this chapter. It really struck me. Paul was quite provocative in what he taught!

Speaking of the worship service, what a delight! It was so refreshing to see a group of young people who are young and even somewhat immature in their faith (That’s not a criticism of their faith. In many ways, I’m still immature in my faith too. I’m sure you really shake your head at me sometimes.) just standing up there, loving you, and encouraging others to join them in loving you and getting to know you. I prayed for them while they were up there. I prayed for their lives. And I pray that again this morning. Protect their faith. Nurture it. It is burning hot right now, and I know that when things burn hot they can also burn out. I don’t want that for them. Protect them as you form them. Nurture them. Love them. Raise up people in their lives who will be your words, your comfort, and your peace. They reminded me so much of myself at that age except all of them were musically talented and I was not. I was there because I knew one of the young men from when he was a little boy. I know that his faith developed in a real and earnest way. It wasn’t a faith his parents forced on him, although his parents are Godly people. No, it is his faith that came about apart from them and it is wonderful to see. Oh, how I pictured you smiling down on them last night. What a delight! I think I said that already, but it’s still true. In fact, I’ll say it again. What a delight!

But back to this passage. The deception Paul reveals in verse 23 seems like something that is worth really simmering on: “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” Then he goes on at the beginning of chapter three to basically say that we need to identify the “evil desires” and determine to eliminate them from our lives, even though that process in itself might be imperfect. That what Jesus was for. But piety for piety’s sake will accomplish nothing.

Father, I want to continue to stew on this passage. Especially verse 23: “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” I want to major in the majors today, Father. I want to do things that are truly about conquering my evil desires. To paraphrase Paul in Colossians 3:5, I want to put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within me. I want to have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. I don’t want to be greedy or an idolater. I don’t want to worship things of this world including political power, money, influence, safety or adulation of others. I just want to be part of your plan. I want to worship you. I want to love you and know you. I want to be formed by you and brought to peace through being as close to you as possible. And I want to love everyone around me as best as I can including my wife, my children, my extended family, my coworkers, my friends, and then everyone else I encounter. Show me how to love. And one quick prayer for the special person we encountered yesterday at our clinic. Be with them in this moment right now. Free them, in Jesus, from their demons. Bring them to a safe place in you. Help them to be healed. Heal them. Supernaturally. Through the earthly tools we helped them get to. Keep them safe. Bring them peace. Bring their family peace.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 8, 2024 in Colossians

 

Matthew 7:24-29

07 Aug

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Matthew 7:24-29

Dear God, so if I listen to your teaching and follow it then I will have a house that doesn’t have storms? No, that’s not what you said. You said that I will have storms, but the house will stand. My life will stand. I wonder how this might change how I pray for others who are going through storms. Should I focus more on their relationship with you and how they follow what Jesus taught in this sermon? I know a couple who is going through a difficult health situation for the wife. I’ve been praying for her. I’ve been praying for his strength as her caregiver. I’ve been praying for their peace. Should I also be focusing more on how this will drive them closer to you and following your teachings.

My wife and I have had some storms over the last 15 years. I’ve mentioned the constant sorrow in our lives. I think I can say that I am closer (although not as close as I want to be) to following your teaching now than I was 15 years ago. My foundation is closer to the bedrock. A lot of the sand has washed away. Maybe one of the things that the storms do is wash away the sand to reveal the rock. If there’s no rock there then the whole house comes tumbling down. But if there is rock beneath the sand then the act of the sand being washed away will be painful, but, like the chaff being burned out of my life or the dross being removed from my soul, it will leave something more pure and closer to you.

And then there is the life that is built completely on sand. The life that does not truly worship you or love its neighbors. The life that calls your Lord, but you do not know them. That life can look very messy–especially when the rains fall. I’ve seen a lot of those lives.

Father, help me to have a vision for how to continuously knock the sand away from my foundation. Help me have a life that is built completely on your rock. Help me to know how to love you, love my wife, love my children, love my family, love my friends, and love others. Help me to know how to represent you to the world. Help me to know exactly what you want me to do when you want me to do it. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. And keep me mindful of what Jesus taught me. Let it ring in my ears. Continuously. Do it for your glory. Do it for your kingdom’s sake. Do it so that you might be able to use me in any way you see fit regardless of the storms life might bring.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 7, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Matthew 7:21-23

06 Aug

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Matthew 7:21-23

Dear God, again, I want to take a moment to consider the audience to which Jesus was speaking. He wasn’t speaking to me, although these words apply to me as well. He was coming to the end of his sermon. He was talking to a group of people who…well, I don’t know exactly how they felt, but it seems that they felt inferior to the Pharisees and other Temple leaders. And there were probably Pharisees and other Temple leaders in the crowd. Was the first group encouraged by the thought that they could have access to relationship with you? Were the Pharisees offended by the thought that their work my be for nothing?

As for me, what does it look like for me to do your will? Apparently miracles and casting out demons isn’t enough to make the cut. No, I think following your will starts with the great two commandments: Loving you with everything I have and loving others as myself. Worship and compassion. Repentance and perseverance. You see the state of my heart when I’m here. You know my motives. You know if I’m trying to impress others with miracles or simply praying for them because I care. You know if I’m trying to impress others with my performance or simply doing the best job I can so that you might be glorified. And I’ll confess that sometimes I cross that line into self-aggrandizement. Sometimes I want others to be impressed with me. I’m sorry for that.

Father, a simple little worship song comes to mind as I close this prayer: “Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord, let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be, ‘Make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today.'”

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 6, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Matthew 7:15-20

05 Aug

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Matthew 7:15-20

Dear God, it’s interesting that these are Jesus’s words in the middle of this sermon on how to act. He’s telling everyone what to do and how to do it in order to live an effective life, a peaceful life in your presence. But he takes a moment to tell them to stop and look at the people around them in their lives. Don’t convince yourself someone is good even though they are doing bad things. On the one hand, this advice seem obvious. But maybe there are times when I want to believe someone who is powerful is good so I overlook their faults so I can take advantage of them. I know it can happen in politics, but it can also happen within my immediate sphere of my world.

Then that leads me to my own heart and the fruit that I produce. How am I doing? Am I the kind of person people can trust to produce good fruit regardless of the situation? What am I doing to attach my branch to your vine so that my fruit my continue to grow in an unending supply? Am I loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, good, kind, gentle, faithful, and able to control myself? Or am I sexually immoral, impure and lustful? Am I idolatrous, hateful, argumentative, jealous, selfishly ambitious, rageful, divisive?

Father, grow good fruit in me. I have a heaviness in my heart this morning. It’s about work and some relationships among staff. I pray your Spirit over us all. I pray that this weekend might have brought some healing and joy. I pray that you will make the pain of the weekend count for everyone involved. Please be glorified in all of this. Glorify yourself through my life and through the lives of all who call you our God. Help me to do what you need me to do. Not do what you need me to not do. Bring healing and make us all stronger in you and in our faith in you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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Matthew 7:13-14

04 Aug

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

Dear God, I wanted to see what the commentary I normally use (The Communicator’s Commentary) had to say about this passage. For Matthew, the author, Myron Augsburger, made this statement that I liked: “Conversion to Christ is a change of direction from our way to His way, but following conversion or change of direction we still need to decide at which level we will live our lives [emphasis mine]. We will live either at a level of magnanimity or at a level of mediocrity.”

How many of us settle for mediocrity? How often do I settle for mediocrity? Over the years, how many times have I settled? I suppose the good news is that, for some reason, I always get pulled back to the narrow path. Maybe it’s conscience. Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe it’s hunger for you. Even now, as I sit here at 4:21 in the afternoon writing this prayer to you, I have chosen a pretty mediocre path for the most of this day. I’m quarantining since my wife has COVID, caring for her and being available to her, but I haven’t taken any person time with you until now. Any dedicated contemplative time until now. I’ve watched some Olympics. I’ve read some in the book I’m reading. I took the dog for a long walk. But other than that I haven’t done much.

Not that every day has to be everything. And I suppose I cannot always be operating at 100% effectiveness. There is a call for Sabbath, after all. But I could have been here earlier with you today. I could have worshipped you more.

Father, maybe I’m sad about some situations in my life. I know of some people who are experiencing strife with others. That breaks my heart. Please let there be peace there and let the pain they are experiencing count. Whether it’s marriages, friendships, or family relationships, please bring peace and growth through the pain. For those who are sick, including my wife, please bring healing. I’m also thinking of a couple of friends who are experiencing illness. One who is at the end of his long life as well. Bring the healing you have for all of them. Oh, Lord, bring your healing in me as well. Heal my soul. Forgive me of my sin. Heal my heart and the scars that have formed. Comfort me. Guide me. And help me to stay on this narrow path.

I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 4, 2024 in Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

 

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