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Divine Mercy

12 Apr
“Divine Mercy” by Kristin Ashman

Dear God, you know this, but I’m just learning it. Since the early 1900s, Catholics have had a specific celebration for your “Divine Mercy.” My wife has taught me a little about it recently, and I just read about it on Wikipedia. One line from the Wikipedia entry that I liked was, “The primary focus of the Divine Mercy devotion is the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one’s own heart towards those in need of it.”

My wife’s friend, Kristin Ashman, painted the image above. When I saw it I made it the wallpaper on my phone. Then my wife actually got me the print above as a gift. I am looking forward to hanging it on my office wall when I get to work in a bit.

But back to the concept of letting your love and mercy flow through me and to others. I have a pastor friend who describes this concept as having a leaky bucket. When we are full of you, water will leak out of our bucket and onto those with whom we come into contact. In a final act, your dead body released blood and water when pierced by a spear. This image represents that as the mercy flowing out of you through your sacrifice of death on a cross for me.

Father, help me to be leaky today. Help me to be so full of you, Jesus, and your Holy Spirit that you lap over the sides of my bucket and leak out any holes in it. When I think about the “P.S.P.S.” prayer I prayed yesterday, I ask that you be with me in my prayers for others, my service to others, my conversations and “persuasions” of others, and anything I do that costs me for the good of someone else or some cause. I want to be a conduit of your divine mercy–not only receiving it, but channeling it through my life to those around me. Help me to do that effectively for the sake of those around me and your glory.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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P.S.P.S. (Prayer, Service, Persuasion, Suffering)

11 Apr

Dear God, I was listening to an interview between Andy Stanley and John Dickson last summer and that the 40-minute mark Stanley asks Dickson about a quote in his book about how the early church strove to emulate Jesus. Dickson then said that Jesus used four tools and four tools only to influence his world–Prayer, Service, Persuasion, and Suffering–and that is all he left us as well. I didn’t want to lose that concept so I memorized the acronym P.S.P.S. Obviously, it has stuck with me.

So, it’s been about nine months since I first heard that interview. How am I doing?

  • Prayer: I think I am doing well with my quality time with you, but I don’t do nearly enough in intercessory prayer, either for individuals or societal/world issues that should have my prayer cover. I’m sorry for that. I need to come up with a better system for intercessory prayer. My wife is very good at that. I am not.
  • Service: I have actually worked different service things into my life. I could always do more, but I do have some things outside of my work, which is inherently service-oriented, that help me directly touch lives that might need my input.
  • Persuasion: This one is always tricky. I think my life directly influences a lot of people around me. And I think I am able to use that to get people to consider you more. But do I do enough?
  • Suffering: I really don’t have anything here. I mean, yes, I have some sorrows in my life. Some broken relationships. And at least one of them has at least some linkage to my faith. But for the most part, I don’t know what suffering is. Is this a problem? Is no suffering a sign that I’m not putting myself out there enough? Persuading enough? Serving enough? Praying enough?

One interesting thing I noticed as I did this list is that doing all of these things isn’t only good for the world around me, but it is good for me as well. If I pray more–good for me. If I serve more–good for me. If I persuade more–good for me. If I suffer more–good for me. All of these things, even suffering, will help refine me into being more and more Jesus-like.

Father, help me to be mindful of this today. Help me to love you well. Help me to find time to pray for others and your world. Help me to jump into service. Help me to be bold and loving in my persuasion. And help me to not resist or avoid suffering if it means doing something you called me to do.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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“Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman

10 Apr

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come

Longin’ just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You’re looking into my heart

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve?

Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart, yeah

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship
‘Cause it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
‘Cause it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus, yeah
All about You

I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song, more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song (than a song)

You’re looking into my heart
You’re looking into my heart
You’re looking into my heart
Into my heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song, yeah, yeah
I’ll bring You more than a song
I’ll bring You more than a song

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Matthew James Redman

Dear God, my thoughts are all over the place this morning. I sat down and wondered what I should pray about. Which scripture should I choose? What “great thoughts” can I think and pray through this morning? Then I had this song come into my head. You’re looking into my heart. I’ll bring you more than just my thoughts, ideas, and philosophies on life. I’m just coming to worship you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I have a couple of things on my calendar today that are very important to me. But my danger is to try to do this on my own. To rely on my own wisdom and intellect. To make it about me. Instead, my focus needs to be on tapping into your Holy Spirit every moment. To hear that whisper in my ear. What I should be doing. What I should say. What I should not do. What I should not say. To channel Jesus’s “Sermon on the Mount” in everything I think, say, and do. To submit to you. To worship you.

Even now, I can feel my blood pressure going down as I sit here and worship you in this way. I can feel my thoughts becoming more still. I can feel the Holy Spirit calming me. I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you. It’s all about you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s all about what Jesus taught me about worship (the Lord my God), love (my neighbor as myself), and then getting to know you better and better so that Jesus’s life seeps into me and becomes who I am more and more.

Father, it all starts with these moments. It all starts with me sitting here this morning and taking the time to get before you and pray to you. Thank you for bringing me to this place. Thank you for what you offer me. Help me to be exactly who you need me to be today in every situation I encounter.

I offer my life, my day, and this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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Hebrews 1:1-4

09 Apr

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

Hebrews 1:1-4

Dear God, I assume Bible Gateway chose Hebrews 1:3 as its verse today because of the total solar eclipse we experienced yesterday in this part of the world. The idea of you, Jesus, radiating the Father’s own glory. You expressed the very character of God. You sustain everything by the might power of the Triune God. You cleansed me of my sin. You are now seated with the Father. I presume the Holy Spirit is here with me. What an amazing, awesome thing.

Yesterday’s eclipse was interesting. I happen to live in an area where we experienced “totality” for over four minutes. It was “awesome.” My wife and I used that word several times. Friends texted me that word later. “Awesome.” And yet it was just a simple reality of the moon moving between us and the sun and blocking most of the light for a few minutes. How much more awesome are you, but I take you for granted? How much more is who you are and what you put into place (including moons that can, from time to time, move in front of the sun) than the simple physical functions of the things that move around me?

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I worship you this morning. I confess that I simply cannot get my head around who you are. You are too great for me to begin to appreciate and understand. You are too much for me to adequately come to and worship. You are too amazing. If I really understood who you were I probably wouldn’t even be able to sit up straight right now as I type this. I would probably be lying prostrate on the ground and barely looking up as I type this feeble prayer. But you take me and my inadequacies anyway. You love me. You comfort me. You heal me. You forgive me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 9, 2024 in Hebrews

 

Romans 5:6-11

08 Apr

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:6-11

Dear God, am I really a friend of yours? That’s an incredible thought. But let me start back at the beginning.

I wonder how much of the timing of Jesus being born when he was was because of who was alive at the time. From Mary and Joseph to Peter, John, and Paul. These were all unique people who did remarkable things. When Paul says, “…just the right time…” I can’t help but wonder also about the other players in the story and how unique they were too. Even the bad actors such as Herod and Pilate.

Then there is the idea that you chose to wound a part of yourself, permanently scarred, for my reconciliation with you. Frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever fully grasp it or appreciate it. How could I? You’re so unfathomable. How could I ever really understand what it cost you, and then appreciate it adequately.

Finally, a friend of yours. You are my friend. I mean, it’s an unequal friendship to be sure. You are my God. I worship you. But I don’t worship you out of fear. I worship you out of love. I worship you out of gratitude. You’ve done so much to make it possible for me to be here praying to you. How could I not offer you my adoration?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I worship you as my complete, Triune God. Thank you for what you have done for me and what you continue to do. You are my God. I am your servant. But I am also your friend. That is something that I can’t think of any other religion in the world can really claim. I’m probably wrong there, but the concept of you wounding and sacrificing a piece of yourself for us is certainly unique. Help me to live into that gift.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2024 in Romans

 

Galatians 2:11-21

07 Apr

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Galatians 2:11-21

Dear God, I have like three thoughts running through my head when it comes to this passage.

  • Peter could probably be a bit of a pain to people with his impetuousness, so it’s interesting to think of someone else who could probably bit much for other people being a bit much for Peter. I would imagine that Peter and Paul were difficult for each other, but they worked through it through your mercy and example.
  • Biblical characters were not always right. My wife and I were talking about this yesterday. I think there are times when they make mistakes that they aren’t necessarily called out for their mistakes. Some more obvious (to me) than others. For example, I think Paul was your ultimate replacement for Judas, but Peter was impetuous and cast lots for Matthias. Paul and Barnabas had a huge argument over John Mark, and I’m not sure which of them was right or wrong in that one, but it feels like Barnabas had a better spirit about it than Paul did. David said many things in Psalms that I don’t think Jesus would have supported.
  • Verse 20: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. If I could ever get this verse right and really live it then, well, I don’t know what would happen. There is a lot happening in this verse, and I think my personal life has only scratched the surface of it.

Father, help me to get a look at what it means truly not live, but let Jesus live in me. Help me to know what it looks like to “live n this earthly body by trusting Jesus.” Let everything I do today be informed by the example Jesus gave me. Jesus is the author and perfector of my faith. Thank you. I almost tried to type other words after thank you, but words fail. Thank you!

I pray to you this morning through Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2024 in Galatians

 

1 John 3:11-15

06 Apr

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

1 John 3:11-15

Dear God, John really got Jesus’s teaching all those years before. A week or two before the crucifixion, John is wanting to call down fire on the Samaritans for not allowing them to pass through on their way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-55). And this was after he had seen the Transfiguration! But he was still locked into worldly paradigms. Revenge. Anger. Indignation. Selfishness.

But that’s not what John is preaching here. No, he’s presenting both love and submission to hatred by others. That was the Jesus way.

I heard recently about a friend whose granddaughter is both going through a divorce and struggling with her faith. This is a friend who really loves you with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength so both things are hard on him. And he loves his granddaughter very much. How should he respond? I told him about how another friend was getting divorced and her parents judged her and blamed her while one of her brothers just told her, “Do whatever makes you happy. Life’s too short.” But then another brother both loved and supported her while simultaneously encouraging her to work on herself and make sure she was the best she could be spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. The whole situation left her not trusting her family except for the second brother. And thankfully you reunited her with her husband.

Father, I want to close this time praying for this young woman I don’t even know, as well as her husband. I pray for their faith as individuals. I pray that you will guide them directly into your true heart. I pray that you will raise up voices in their lives who will be from you. I pray that they will feel loved and accepted. Help their friends and family know how to respond to them. I pray that they will find comfort in the Holy Spirit. Please help them to see through the “fog of war” and simply love you will everything they have and love their neighbors as themselves. Heal their marriage. Bring them into oneness. Give them one heart, soul, mind, and body. Give them joy. And use this pain to refine something beautiful in them. Do not let it be wasted. The pain is too great for it to be wasted. Use it to refine them and all of the lives of family and friends who touch them. And of course, do all of this for your glory.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2024 in 1 John

 

“How Noah Started Drinking” by Sally Fisher

05 Apr 
"How Noah Started Drinking" by Sally Fisher

Throughout the building, the plan seemed perfect:
save the little family; save the helpless beasts.
Noah thought of everything: coils of rope, wine jars,
tubs of extra pitch. Work stayed right on schedule. 
Driving home the last roofing nails
he saw the first big drops slap the shingles.

A small fire inside, the smell of wet hides,
soon the deck tilted, soon the ark lifted
from the backyard dry dock. 
Then he heard the cries.

Drinking at the bow, Noah tried not to think of them.
At last he shouted up through the ***** downpour,
If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!
No answer.
Steady rain.

Noah's little son sat on the deck with the shivers,
refusing to look at his father, or the waters.
Plans cannot always be held to.
Noah started pulling in the swimmers.

Dear God, let me start by saying that I don’t embrace everything in this poem by Sally Fisher as truth, but I think the sentiment and the frustration Noah must have felt with your plan probably isn’t far off. You asked a lot of him and his family. I’ve often wondered if I had been there whether I wouldn’t just as soon have died in the flood as opposed to being one of the survivors.

I’m curious about her line, “If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!” I’ll confess I’ve felt that way before as I’ve worked my way through life and tried to wait on your timing or submit to your plan for me or the ones I love. I can think it when I think of war zones like Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. I can think it when I hear stories about the prevalence of human sex trafficking or trafficking of any kind. Of child abuse or sexual abuse. Domestic violence and emotional abuse. “If this is the solution, this is what was wrong!”

And then I think of you and how sad all of this must make you. How sad you must be to see your creation doing such heinous things to each other. And, yes, it could be said of the story of Noah that it is you doing the heinous thing, but were you or were you just trying to make the heinous things we do stop? And whether anyone reading this believes in the literal story of Noah or not, the principle is the same. We can just be awful to each other.

So your ultimate decision was to not destroy the earth again through flood, but to send a piece of you to us to teach us, empathize with our struggles, sacrifice for us, and then reveal your power. You taught to to pray, serve, persuade, and suffer through your own example.

Father, I can appreciate the trauma Noah and his family went through. It must have been very, very hard. It must have left a lasting impact on all of them. And there are things that have happened to me in this life that have left a lasting impact. Everyone I know has had those things. And this morning, I woke up thinking of one heartache in particular that I have that I would love to see you help resolve. So I ask your mercy. I ask your forgiveness for when I break your heart. I ask for your comfort and your strength. I ask that you teach me and love through me. Holy Spirit, move in me.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Matthew 5:33-37

04 Apr

33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Matthew 5:33-37

Dear God, I was listening to a podcast from The Bible Project yesterday on this passage. It was very good. Frankly, all of their podcasts I’ve heard are very good. They did a deep dive on Jewish culture at the time and the cultural context within which Jesus was giving these instructions.

At the end of the day, this is about my personal integrity. Do I need to manipulate someone into believing me in a certain situation by using special words, or do I have a reputation that lets people know they can trust me no matter what? If I tell my wife I am running an errand and will be back in two hours, do I have to swear to her that I am doing something innocent or can she just assume it because she has 35 years of history of me being trustworthy? Conversely, when she gets a text from another man about something, I don’t have to read it or go through her texts because she has proven to be completely trustworthy was well. There is a lot of peace in being able to trust someone.

I have to say, the person who has lied to me the most over the course of my life–well, they are in the top two anyway–will “swear” by something (especially one of their parent’s grave) a lot when they want to convince me to believe them. It actually is a pretty good tell that you are dealing with a person who does not mind playing with dishonesty and using it as it benefits them.

Father, as for me, help me to just sink into honesty and trustworthiness today, regardless of what it costs me. Help me to be shrewd when working with others and determining their trustworthiness. What I really want is to simply represent you well. Be glorified in me. Draw others to yourself through me. I pray that you will find joy in the life I live as I do my best to submit to you. And thank you for forgiving my sin. When I lie to myself and to you. When I am selfish and even when I am deceptive, which I can be. Thank you for the ability to be here this morning.

I offer all of me to you through Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2024 in Matthew

 

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Hebrews 12:1-2

03 Apr

12 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. 2 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.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Dear God, how do I strip off every weight that slows me down, especially the sin that so easily trips me up? How do I run with endurance the race you have set before me? I do it by keeping my eyes on Jesus. He initiates my faith. He perfects my faith. His life teaches me. And sometimes I am actually able to do this, and when I do it is amazing.

I went to a beautiful funeral yesterday. Such a good man. But someone told a story about this Godly man when he was a young husband and father. He and his wife got in an argument right before he was to fly to New York on business. He was still angry when he landed in New York and got in a taxi. The driver noticed he was upset (I would imagine this driver had seen a lot of upset people in his cab over the years) and mentioned it to him. He told the young husband/father that he looked upset and he had the answer for it. “Just say three times, ‘Jesus, come into my heart!'” After some cajoling, the husband/father said quietly, “Jesus, come into my heart.”

“Good! Say it again, but louder,” the driver instructed.

“Jesus, come into my heart,” the man said with more confidence and a little stronger.

“Okay, one more time, but this time like you really mean it.”

“Jesus, come into my heart!” the husband/father said and started laughing. Jesus was filling his heart in that moment.

I don’t know this man’s evolution as a discipling Christian. I don’t know where this story fits into his narrative, but it is an example of what the author of Hebrews is saying here: keeping your eyes on Jesus, the initiator and perfector of our faith.

Before I go, let me say one thing. This taxi driver. What a legacy he left just by this one simple act of faith. Like the widow Jesus pointed out who “gave more than all these” by putting in her two little coins because she did it out of faith. She never knew the impact she would have through her act of faithfulness that day. She never knew I would be using her as an illustration 2,000 years later. And this taxi driver has no idea what kind of dominoes he knocked over by his witness that day.

Jesus, come into my heart today!

Jesus, come into my heart today!

Jesus, come into my heart today!

I pray this through Jesus, and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2024 in Hebrews

 
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