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James 5:13-18

06 May

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

James 5:13-18

Dear God, for what shall I pray? That is my question this morning. Our nonprofit has a fundraising dinner tonight. It’s an important part of our fundraising for the year, but I have to tell you, while by head feels the pressure of bringing in as much money as possible, my spirit–your Spirit?–is telling me that it’s not about the money. It’s not about the strokes to my ego that will come with a financially successful evening. I am going to have about 290 people who need you. They need your love. They need your touch. They need your inspiration. They need to love you. They need to love their neighbors. They don’t realize it, but this evening isn’t about what they can do for us as potential donors. It’s about what we, as an organization, can do for them.

Perhaps we will inspire them to give. But maybe, just maybe, we will soften their hearts towards the hungry, the imprisoned, the lonely, and, yes, the unhealthy. Some say empathy is a sin, but I disagree. You have empathy with us through the life you lived on earth. We can’t say, “You don’t understand,” because you do understand.

So I am turning my eyes towards you for this evening. I am not praying for how much money we raise. I’m not even praying for our patients. Who I’m praying for are the people in the room. Prepare each heart, including mine, for what you might have for us tonight. Let your Holy Spirit flow through the room. Let it flow out of each believer there. Be glorified, oh Lord, be glorified! Whatever money may come is welcome and we will do our best to be good stewards of it for the sake of our patients. But I don’t want that to be the focus tonight. I want it to be about every soul we encounter tonight. I want it to be about every soul you love. Be glorified in our small town tonight, Father!

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2025 in James

 

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Judas and Barabbas Revisited

05 May

Judas and Barabbas

Matthew

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26:1-16

27 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”

“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”

5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

Matthew 27:1-5

15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Matthew 27:15-26

Mark

14 It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Mark 14:1-11

6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. 7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. 8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.

9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Mark 15:6-15

Luke

22 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. 2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.

Luke 22:1-6

13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

23 But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

Luke 23:13-25

John

12 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate[a] with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

John 12:1-8

2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

John 13:2

38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

40 But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

John 18:38-40

Dear God, I came across this prayer from December 2023 recently, and I wondered if it wouldn’t make a good Sunday school lesson. I’m teaching this Sunday and then I’m also starting a weekly Bible study next Monday the 14th so I want to dust this off and sit with it again for a bit.

The prayer I did back in December 2023 was long. Honestly, I’m surprised I spent that much time with it. I wonder how long it took me to put all of the scriptures together from all four gospels. Regardless, it’s interesting to think about and then compare the world then and the world now. Are we really that much different? Does the perceived weakness in Jesus then still frustrate us today. Is his way (read: your way) too soft? Don’t you realize the only way to get things done is to do this like Barabbas tried, but with your power?

I was talking with a guy on Friday, and he was rattling off presidents he thought were too week and wimpy. It was basically everyone since Reagan with the exception of the current president. H.W. and W. were to wimpy. I pushed back a little on W., saying I hadn’t heard that or thought that about him, but he was saying W. was too nice.

Oh, Father, help us. I get the feeling that’s what the church now thinks is true: nice gets you nowhere. Nice leaves you vulnerable. Nice is weak. Nice will lead to your destruction. We need tough. We need warriors. We need to fight. I said a couple of years ago that the logical fulfillment of Christian Nationalism is the Spanish Inquisition and, ultimately, the Crusades. As I look at what is happening now and how we are trying to nationalize Christianity and punish our allies for not being more like us I think it’s happening faster than I thought it would. And oh, how it will destroy trust in you. The first- and second-century churches were seen as loving and caring. That’s all they had to offer, and that’s still all we should have to offer because that’s who you are. You are loving and caring. Do you judge? Sure. Do you condemn? Yes. But that’s up to you to do. Our job is to love you with everything we have and love our neighbors as our selves. That includes our enemies. So help me to do that today. And help me to take that attitude into the world. I love you. I want to love like you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 5, 2025 in John, Luke, Mark, Matthew

 

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John 21:18-25

04 May

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

20 Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.

John 21:18-25

Dear God, I want to sit with John towards the end of his life for a moment. He could have sat down and told these stories for someone to write a long time ago. He could have done it immediately. But he didn’t. The end of John actually gives us, or at least I think it gives me, a little image of him sitting on the Island of Patmos deciding to get all of this down before he died (I know there are debates about when he wrote this, but I’m sitting with the “old John” as the author).

What’s always struck me about this book is that almost a third of it is spent on the Last Supper and that it ends so abruptly. Why not finish Jesus’s earthly life or end on a more grand scale. Matthew ends with the “Great Commission.” Mark and Luke end with a quick reference to the ascension (although Luke also starts Acts with a more detailed description of the ascension). But John just tells this story about Peter’s restoration and conversation with Jesus. It’s almost like the last thing he wanted to do was ensure everyone knew that Peter was the leader.

It makes me think of the stories that involve just Peter and John. The two that come to mind immediately where it’s just the two of them without James is when they run to the tomb, John gets there first, but Peter goes in first. Then there’s the story in Acts of the time they are walking about the fountain, the beggar cries out to them, and Peter answers, “Silver and gold have I none…” The common denominator in these stories is that Peter is the leader. Peter is the one willing to go into the tomb. Peter is the one who speaks to the beggar. Even during the Transfiguration, Peter is the one who is foolish and tries to say something in the midst of the amazing situation. And John loved him.

I think John loved a lot of people. I think he loved Nicodemus since the first story of Nicodemus is gentle,, and every reference to Nicodemus after that is flattering towards him. I think, to a certain extent, he loved Pilate. In my opinion, he paints the most gentle image of Pilate of any of the gospels. And he loved Peter. He knew the story of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus was out there. He wanted to make sure the restoration picture was out there too. He’s the only one who tells it.

Father, as I search for a takeaway for myself today, I think what I see is the need to love really love people. John is generous in how he portrays others to us. Help me to be that generous as I portray people I know to others. Help me to build up. And that includes people I don’t like or people who are against me. Help me to be generous of spirit to them. Help me to be kind to them. Help me to love them. Help me to give them the benefit of the doubt. Help me to be curious and not judgmental. Help me to not be jealous, but instead to delight in their good.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2025 in John

 

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Romans 12:14

03 May

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 

Romans 12:14

Dear God, I heard something interesting on the Slow Theology podcast yesterday. Well, I listened to a couple of podcasts, but I think it was this one. It might have been the Esau McCauley podcast. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They were talking about social media and some of the dehumanization we’ve done on social media to each other. One of the speakers suggested that it be a rule that if you say anything negative about someone on social media that you make a commitment to pray earnestly for that person for one year. Now, this was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it was serious too. We need to see others as your dearly loved children. We need to see them with your eyes.

So what does that mean for me? I need to think about blessing some people more. I need to pray for them. It doesn’t mean I need to be buddies with them, but I do need to care for them and care about them. I need to be curious and not judgmental. I am sure someone who persecutes me wakes up in the morning thinking they are right and doing the right thing. Very few people wake up with evil intentions. So why are the doing what they are doing? There are politicians in our country and the world who frustrate me. Do I pray for them or do I curse them? Do I care about them and bless them, or do I ridicule and hate them? Is there a limit at which I can not care about them? Does that level exist.

Father, help the people who are running through my head right now. And help me. The more I pray for their deficiencies, the more I can see my own. The more I start to feel self-righteous, the more I feel your Holy Spirit’s conviction. So I pray that you heal them. I pray that they might be forces of your good in this world at whatever level of society they operate. I pray that you might use them for your will to come and be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give them their daily bread. Forgive them as they forgive others. Lead them not into temptation. Deliver them from evil. And I pray the same for me. Give me my daily bread today. Bring your will into the earth through my small life. Forgive me as I forgive others. Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the kingdom, power, and glory are yours forever.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2025 in Romans

 

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1 John 5:13-15

02 May

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

1 John 5:13-15

Dear God, the key phrase here is “according to His will.” According to your will. That’s the trick. There are times when it just feels like my will is so much better. Don’t you see, what I want is good (for me) and therefore must be good for you and everyone else.

There is a great sorrow I carry every day. And most days, I can sit and pray–and really believe–not my will, but your will be done. Maybe this sorrow will lead to something great one day that I cannot see. Maybe this sorrow is bringing about some result that I am blind to. So I can be at peace in this sorrow, with you holding me.

But there are other days where I go to you and I simply, selfishly say, “This isn’t fair! I don’t deserve this. I did the best I could. Why do I have this pain?” All about me.

Father, the first thing I need to do when praying according to your will is to take any gains for me out of the equation because as soon as I have even the slightest ounce of selfishness the prayer is tarnished. Like yeast in the bread. The yeast of the Pharisees. So help all of my prayers to be about you, about others, and about your kingdom coming and your will being done, regardless of what it might cost me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2025 in 1 John

 

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Hebrews 10:32-34

01 May

32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

Hebrews 10:32-34

Dear God, I think I’ve prayed about this in this setting before, but I’m starting to lay out the sermon I’ll do on May 25 at a local church, and while I don’t know that I will use this passage, it has something that I’m noodling with in my head. The idea that we aren’t doing this for personal gain now or fire insurance later. It’s not about loving you so I don’t go to hell. I don’t wake up in the morning looking behind me and seeing you chasing me with the threat of hell. I’m here right now just to love you and experience the fruits of the Spirit being in communion with you grows in me. I guess in a way I’m being selfish, but it’s like I’m selfish in my love for my wife and the attention I pay to her. I do it because it brings me joy as well.

So what are the “better things waiting for [me] that will last forever”? Some would say that those words represent “heaven.” And to some extent, I suppose they are right, but they would be looking at it too narrowly. If all I had waiting for me was not burning but walking the streets of gold every day then that would be pretty shallow. No, I believe you have a richness for me both in the life I live now and the life that is to come. Worshipping you. Being in your realm. Having your characteristics grow in me. Feeling more love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control each day as I get to know you better. Having those fruits perfected in me on the other side of this world. Those are the “better things waiting for [me] that will last forever.

Father, I just want to simply stop this morning, worship you, bow down before you, and say that you’re my God. You’re altogether lovely, worthy, and wonderful to me. I’m here for whatever you have for me today. Help me to be the man you need me to be and face it in your humility and love.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 1, 2025 in Hebrews

 

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Ephesians 4:11-16

30 Apr

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:11-16

Dear God, I was talking with a friend just yesterday about this last part that talks about us being different parts of the body. He suggested that I get involved with him on a project he’s doing, and I had to tell him that it didn’t fit my gifting. To his credit, he understood and didn’t push. I really appreciated that.

But going back to verses 14 and 15, oh, how this is a fear for me. There is a lot of talk the last few years about Christians “deconstructing” their faith. It is mainly talked about as something to fear and be rejected. I think the theory goes that we have been handed down these teachings for generations (although some are newer than a lot of people think) so we need to just rely on them, believe them, and then move on to something else. And there is something to be said for that. Leaning into the teachings of those who came before me and who have more experience than I have can be important.

However, sometimes people are wrong. Sometimes teaching is wrong. Was Jesus born in a barn/stable? People have always taught me that he was, but I can’t find that in the Bible anywhere. People have taught me that Jeremiah 29:11 is for me specifically: 11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.‘” But is it? Is that what God was telling me through Jeremiah, the weeping prophet? As you and I continue on this discipleship journey day by day, I am trying to see through the fog and into your nature. I try to get a regular dose of teaching from people I trust, and I am grateful that I don’t always agree with them because it allows me to challenge my thoughts and then filter them to see if I should change my mind.

Father, at the end of the day, I will go to my grave with errant theology. I heard on a podcast yesterday that great theologians centuries ago used to make their last writing a set of retractions of things they had said earlier. They used St. Augustine and his writing called Retractations as an example. So who am I to think I’m not a fool who is wrong about a lot of things? So I come into this day being grateful for you. Grateful for my wife. Thank you. Grateful for my children. Thank you. Grateful for our health. Thank you. Grateful for the food I will eat. Thank you. Grateful for my home. Thank you. Grateful for my job. Thank you. Grateful for my friends. Thank you. The list goes on and on. I also come into this day really loving you. I love you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I am grateful for your love in return. Thank you. And now I take this love and share it with others. Thank you for that opportunity. Please keep me from teaching anything that would lead one person away from you.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2025 in Ephesians

 

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Job 19:1-6

29 Apr

19 Then Job spoke again:

2 “How long will you torture me?
    How long will you try to crush me with your words?
3 You have already insulted me ten times.
    You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.
4 Even if I have sinned,
    that is my concern, not yours.
5 You think you’re better than I am,
    using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.
6 But it is God who has wronged me,
    capturing me in his net.

Job 19:1-6

Dear God, it can be hard to be a friend and know when to speak and when to remain silent. When to give a solution, when to give an admonition, or when to say, “That sucks,” and just give the other person a hug.

In this situation, Job was wrong, but he was also right. He was wrong that you had wronged him. But he was right in that he hadn’t done anything to incur your wrath so his friends were wrong to keep accusing him of such. Everyone was looking for someone else to blame when there was simply no one to blame. Job’s friends blamed him. He blamed you. None of them were right.

If I had been Job’s friend, what should I have done to help him? If I have a friend now, what is my role in their life. Where do I draw the line between helping them find a solution, perhaps pointing out an area where they are possibly at fault, and then just holding them and telling them, “That sucks”?

I heard a story recently about a father whose daughter intentionally threw a youth league game in a tournament so they wouldn’t have to go into overtime because she was too nervous about overtime. The father then sent out an email to the coach and possibly others saying his daughter was so anxious over two girls on the team who are not as good as she thinks they should be that she intentionally threw the game. In my mind, the father was so horrified he looked for someone else to blame so he put his daughter’s anxiety on these two young girls who are likely not part of the problem at all. But his blinders caused him to lose perspective.

Father, I’ve been too close to things and lost perspective before. I am sure there are things going on in my life that I can’t see as well. I am a fool, and I need to be careful in my own life to prayerfully consider situations before I speak. Before I act. To take a beat. Whenever I speak or act impulsively, I am almost always wrong. And I almost always cause more damage than I resolve. So continue to teach me. Forgive me for my foolishness. And I do want to say thank you for everything. For the food I am about to eat today. For the home I live in. For my health. For my wife’s health. For my wife and who she is. For our friends. Thank you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 29, 2025 in Job

 

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Philippians 2:1-11

28 Apr

2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:1-11

Dear God, Paul was using Jesus as the ultimate example of humility, but the point of this passage is for us to be humble. Humble with others. Humble with you. Loving. Serving. Sacrificing. Yielding. Comforting. Caring. Fellowshipping. And yes, Jesus was all of these things. He was the ultimate at all of these things. So where am I on the scale of zero to Jesus?

I can look at each of these characteristics and see how I am lacking in each one. I’m humble to some extent, but not very humble. I am loving to some extent, but there’s a lot of room for growth there. I could go all of the way through this. An honest assessment of myself tells me I have all of these characteristics to some extent, but I am probably an mile wide and an inch deep. Maybe two inches deep. I guess one of the things times like this with you does is it helps me to dredge out my mile-wide pool so that you can make me just a little deeper.

Father, help me to see myself through your eyes today. Open my eyes to my arrogance and sense of self preservation. Help me to see when I pull my love from others. Help me to see when selfishness is taking over and I am failing to serve or sacrifice. Help me to recognize my stubbornness and I am refusing to yield. Help me to recognize my lethargy in comforting and caring for others. Help me to not avoid relationship with others, but to reach out to them in fellowship. Give me a little more Jesus today. Holy Spirit, teach me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2025 in Philippians

 

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John 20:19-29

27 Apr

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

John 20:19-29

Dear God, this is the gospel reading for many churches today so I thought I would spend some time with it. I guess I noticed a couple of things as I read this:

  • It was eight days after your first visit, and the disciples were still behind a locked door hiding. What was their plan? What were they thinking? Why were they still there? What were their conversations with each other like? Where did they think Jesus was for those eight days? It’s easy to read over those eight days quickly, but it was eight days. As it turned out, they wouldn’t really get out of the locked room until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Jesus breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit hadn’t quite come yet.
  • This isn’t exactly a hot take, but Thomas was disillusioned and hopeless. He was hanging with these guys because he had so much invested with them and he was part of their tribe. If he was suffering, at least he knew they were suffering too. To paraphrase Ted Lasso, there is something worse than being sad, and that is to be alone and be sad. At least he wasn’t alone. But he was still hopeless and directionless.
  • You came and loved him. You showed him. You gave him his belief and hope back. In fact, you took that pain and made it count for your glory. He recognized you as his God immediately. And you had grace for him. You understood his disillusionment. You understood why he needed to touch and see. You gave him space for that.

There are times when I see people who have walked away from faith, church, or whatever, and a lot of it is over pain I know they’ve experienced. I have to think that there is something in your nature that recognizes that in them and makes an allowance for it. Kind of like me. I’m sure there are parts of my theology that are based on what I’ve been taught over the years, or what my own pain and trauma has steered me towards or whatever that are wrong. But I think you make allowances for that. I think you are nudging me and guiding me.

I was listening to a podcast this morning, and the two people are both pro-life and have been involved in the pro-life movement at various levels over the years. But they are now coming to the conclusion that you don’t stop abortion by bullying women into not getting an abortion. You love them into it. You do it from the bottom up, not the top down. They feel like your Holy Spirit has moved their hearts on that issue. I hope you will move my heart through these times we spend together as well.

Father, I don’t want to be paralyzed by fear like the disciples seemingly were, even after they saw you. I also don’t want to get out ahead of you. They could have jumped out and started going before the Holy Spirit came. Maybe that’s what they were waiting on. My point is, I don’t want to get ahead of you, but I also don’t want to be paralyzed into inaction. I also want your mercy and I want to give that same mercy to others. I know I’ve been disillusioned about you in the past, and it might happen again. But the illusion is mine, what I wanted to create in my own mind or what has been taught to me. You aren’t responsible for the illusion. What your Holy Spirit is doing for me is helping me see through the illusion and into your true nature. So keep me on the right path. Keep me moving closer to the inside of you and not diverting by my own foolishness or prejudices.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2025 in John

 

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