August 8, 2020

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. - Psalm 136:1

There are always an abundant many reasons to give thanks to God for the great things God has done in our lives.  Most of the time we can admit that we should “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for [us]” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  As we Endure in our love for God, I believe that we do try to give thanks for the circumstances of our lives, but I can admit, that’s not always easy.  Reality is, many of the things that we should give thanks for we often take for granted. 

In psalm 136, the psalmist takes a slightly different path from the normal metered proven lyrical psalms of the day.  The tone, here, falls in line with our contemporary music of saying the same thing over again and again, always coming back to the point.  That point is “his steadfast love endures forever.”  This line occurs 26 times in Psalm 136, and occurs after each line expressing gratitude for God and what God has done.

I wonder, are we as the people of God today, expressing that same understanding as we give thanks to God? Do we proclaim time after time that “His steadfast love endures forever?”  Are we finding that we are living, serving, and witnessing in all things to this enduring love? Especially as we remain separated from one another, and lack the encouragement we are accustomed to receiving.

As the days press on, I hope we all become a little more mindful of the blessings we have received, and the blessing that continue to come even in difficult days. I, also, hope we strive to live a life of praise for God’s enduring love.  My desire is that my faith and yours too, would grow in such a way that we would live a life of gratitude, every day, for that steadfast love of God that endures forever.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

On a personal note: today, we are especially grateful for the enduring love that comes in the form of our daughter, Summer, who is now 2 years old. Happy Birthday, and may God's blessings abound (for all of us!).

August 7, 2020

But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men. - Acts 5:29

What is it to have proven Christian endurance?

After the day of Pentecost, when the apostle’s received the Holy Spirit, their ministry grew enormously throughout Jerusalem and beyond.  It was at this point in history that Peter began to live up to the charge given to him by Christ; “and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matt 16:18).

Peter is quite a character, a fisherman by trade, was called away with his brother to follow the Messiah. Though he had no theological training besides living with Christ for three years, and learning from him. Peter endures with the Holy Spirit.  Peter is the one on whom Christ will build the church.  God’s use of Peter is remarkable because it really has very little to do with Peter, himself, aside from Peter’s willingness to endure for the sake of Christ.

Peter by himself was proven to be weak, and loud mouthed, and in constant need of approval from others.  However, when Peter gave himself over to the Lord, and received the blessing of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s character completely changed.  From that point forward we see Peter as a leader, as someone sold out for God, and not backing down from anyone as he proclaims the truth of God.  Peter is a prime example of how God will take us as we are, and produce much fruit if we are obedient to God and work with God’s blessing of the Holy Spirit.

God did not send the Holy Spirit just to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, in fact the sending of the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us has very little to do with us at all.  The purpose of receiving the Holy Spirit is so that we can get rid of our earthly desires.  We are not capable of living for God on our own, and God understands that, so as we give ourselves over to God, He gifts us with His precious Spirit. That Spirit allows us to have spiritual strength, wisdom, and understanding; it produces in us endurance to make it through difficult times, and goes beyond anything that can be taught. Mostly, though, the Sprit is for the purpose of glorifying God through the way we show love for one another.  Our humble response for this gift, is obedience.

We can endure all things, through Christ and the Holy Spirit that give us strength.

Grace & Peace,

Sam

August 6, 2020

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
- Micah 7:7

In the midst of learning to endure, in building the character of a Christian, confidence in what we believe is needed.  Confidence that God is who we believe God to be, confidence that salvation will come, confidence to continue to have hope even when we want to give up or give in.  Confidence is something, however, that is hard to build.

I sometimes feel,  we are constantly bombarded with ridicule. From social media, especially, however from others places as well.  It seems to be a point of enjoyment when people tell others that they are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, etc.  People, we often don’t even really know believe they have an opinion in what we say or stand for.  When a bombardment of degradation is combined with constant visions of everything wrong with our world, it becomes obvious why confidence and hope are hard to find. 

However, for people who call themselves Christians there is a different standard or pattern of thought that must be considered.  This is part of the character we should be building in ourselves because of Christ who saved us. First, we do not belong to this world; therefore the ideas and ridicule of this world do not apply to us.  I can’t tell you how life-giving that statement can be.  To help someone understand that though the words of others can be hurtful, they are not lasting, it is what God says about us that matters most, it is in the one whom we place our hope that will one day we will be in a place where there is no more hurt and pain, all because we believe God loves us.

Second, we serve a God of love, who does not ridicule or break down, but as we humble ourselves before him, we are exalted (James 4:10).  We should realize that the only opinion that really matters is the one that comes from above, and that of those who choose to uplift us, encourage us, and guide us to live with joy in this life.

Third, we are called to have endurance as we wait upon the Lord. We can boldly ask God to come, believing that he will and knowing that we are secure in His salvation, but our endurance comes with great patience. 

Micah, when facing the moral decline of Israel as a nation and as a people, spoke out in a lament. He was saddened by the lack of hope, faith, and love of his fellow Israelites.  Micha saw them in a very low place in faith, not following God and living in sin.  However, Micah endured, and waited patiently, for he knew that God the Savior would come.  Micah’s hope was never diminished.  I hope that as you may be facing a time in your own life when hope seems to be running thin, that you will seek the Lord, patiently.  Pray to God and know that He will come to you, have hope, God’s presence is near.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 5, 2020

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their Redeemer.– Psalm 78:35

One of the things I find most interesting in the old testament is the way they record the history of the people of God.  Israel, those who are descendants of Jacob, a people whom God chooses as his own, record all the times they fail to be who God has set them apart to be.

The reason this is so fascinating to me, is that most history books are written from the perspective of those who feel they have done what is right and necessary.  There is truth that history is recorded from the perspective of the ‘winners,’ however, those who have defeated a foe believe they have done so because of a higher powers will for them to win. As we look as Israel’s history, however, we see something different.

Even the shortened version of stories that we can read in psalm from, like the psalm for today, we find recorded is how Israel had not won, but lost.  Their reason for losing, is because they forgot who they were, more importantly, they forgot whose they were. The people of Israel, often, lose track of what it means to be the people of God, who have been set apart, and called to obey God’s law.  God is continuously compassionate to them, and helps them to atone for their sin.  However, they are often not without punishment. Even after they atone for their sins, they still rebel against God again.  It seems to be in their nature to want to stray from God.

I guess the same could be said of us, no matter how faithful God has been, we still have a desire to stray from God’s will, God’s law, and God’s love.  Yet, I believe there is always hope, because when things get bad, and we begin to stray, we remember that God is our rock, and our redeemer. 

In these, and every challenging time, I pray we would find a way to realize when we have strayed from God. I hope that we would realize that we are lost without God, but God is steadfast in love, and as we remember Him, our rock and redeemer, He will remember us, and be merciful.  May you know the mercy of God’s love today, and always.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 4, 2020

Restore us, O God; let you face shine, that we may be saved. – Psalm 80:3

“Restore us, O God” is a phrase repeated throughout this psalm of lament.  It is a lamenting prayer that in the church today echo.  We long for the days when we can gather again in the place where we once gathered as a church family. We look forward to seeing the faces of those whom we miss dearly. We long for the embrace of those whom we call friend, but even more sister and brother in Christ.

I share in this lament, today. We have missed 20 weeks of worship together due to the ongoing pandemic so far. I wish I could tell you when the next time we can potentially gather will be, but as of right now I cannot.  We are a church in exile.  Yet, we should understand that the church, the people of God, have been exiled before.  This may be a great time to remember that God’s people have faced challenges, have faced being away from one another, and have even faced disease, pandemic, plague before, but the church remained.

The fact that the church, as people who worship the God of Abraham and Isaac, who believe in the one who came from God, Jesus God’s only Son, have remained steadfast through all the ups and downs of the centuries should be proof enough of God’s everlasting salvation.  As we are prolonged in our time away from one another, God remains steadfast. God’s Holy Spirit rests with us, and gives us grace to make it through each day. We know God’s face will shine on us again, and we will be saved.  Knowing this, gives us a hope to continue enduring.

Endurance, however, is a different kind of struggle.  Endurance requires not giving up, when that is all we want to do. Take for example, someone who starts a new routine of exercise, or even a diet.  Anyone who starts something new, will have be able to push through the thoughts and feelings of not being able to do it, not being able to keep up, and not being able to succeed.  However, endurance produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, so says Paul (Romans 5:3-5).  What we find, is that during this prolonged exile our character, who we truly are, will show.  When we look into the mirror we will either see someone who’s character is producing hope that the world will get better, or we may see a character that needs more work.  Truthfully, many days we will see both.

I know this struggle, because I am in this struggle with you, desiring to see the world, and especially the church come together, but enduring to keep the hope that the church that gathers in the future will be as strong if not stronger than the one before this exile.

May we continue to persevere in our prayers for one another and the world, that God would restore us, again, and let His almighty face shine upon us, that we might be saved. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 3, 2020

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.  May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground - Psalm 143:10

God’s will is something that hard to nail down. It has been said of any number of things, that it must be God’s will, but I think it is import to understand that not everything we do, even the good stuff, is in the will of our Heavenly Father.  Sometimes, we simply do the things that we think we should, or we do the things even though we know we shouldn’t.  We live each day of life “trying to do what is right,” yet never succeeding.  Why is it that even when things are going well, we can still have feelings that something is missing, or something just isn’t right?

Perhaps, we need to understand better the will of God, and how it works in our lives.  The Father’s will is for us to live in obedience to Him, but when we don’t know what to do, we feel that we have to do something, so we continue on with our lives, and the first few things we do (especially when we’re doing them “for” God) feel really good.

We feel like we are making an impression on others, and in our hearts we think we are doing what is right, but soon, we keep doing those same things, and they don’t mean as much.  Why did the feelings of accomplishment and good stop?  The answer may be one of two things.  

First, the answer is that we never were doing the God’s will, but simply what we felt like we should do as a Christian person.  Our life is not bad, and does much for others because we think we should. This does not take away from the fact we have a relationship with God, but it does limit our relationship with God.  Even when we are doing what we think we should, we might be limiting God. We might be limiting what God could do through us. We put God in a box that only encompasses our comfort zone, and we never feel fulfillment because we are not allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to truly work through us. 

The second answer follows the first. God may have moved on and we have not. What I mean by this is what can be seen in many places within the Scriptures, and it has to do with the seasons of life.  We may have been called to work in a particular area or in a particular ministry for a season, when our season is over we need to be open to where God is calling us next. God may be calling us to new places in our faith, and if we keep doing the same things, expecting the same feeling they may not be there.
 

The greater problem we fall into is that being obedient to God’s will, calls us give up that free will we so often covet. Being free, we have to choose to listen and allow God to move us and direct us as necessary to accomplish His will on earth; thus we pray, “your (God’s) kingdom come, your (God’s) will be done…”  In a world in which we really have no control, we need to learn to relinquish control of our lives over to God. Then we can see where the Spirit may be leading.  May God help us re-learn how to pray, and may we seek God to teach us obedience that we may live in His most powerful will, and walk the road to a fulfilling life always in his presence.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 2, 2020

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I bless God every chance I get, my lungs expand with his praise.  I live and breathe God, if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy.  Join me in spreading the news, together let’s get the word out.  God met me more than halfway; he freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile.  Never hide your feelings from him.  When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot, God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.  Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is.  Blessed are you who run to him.  Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.  Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God.  Come, children, listen closely; I’ll give you a lesson in God worship.  Who out there has a lust for life? Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?  Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth.  Turn your back to sin; do something good.  Embrace peace – don’t let it get away!  God keeps an eye on his friends; his ears pick up every moan and groan.  God won’t put up with rebels; he’ll cull them from the pack.   Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.  If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.  Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.  He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.  The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good.  God pays for each slave’s freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. - Psalm 34

This morning, as we prepare our hearts for worship online again, let us meditate on a simple Psalm form Eugene Petersons, “The Message.”  This Psalm is a prayer for those who are in a time of need. Many of us are in such times, but our greatest need to contact from others.  Yet, even as we are yet again apart, God is with us. We can continue praising God all the time, whether we feel His presence or not, because He has assured us that He will never leave nor forsake us.  I know that times when boredom sets in, or stress, or anything in life that comes that makes life more difficult, we might become lethargic. We might not really strive to do much of anything but survive.  However, no matter where we are God is there, and no matter how we feel, God is there. We need to be like David in this Psalm and let “my lungs expand with his praise.” 

God has given us, each of us a desire to worship.  However, from the time of our birth there has been another force that has wanted to keep us distracted from worship at all costs.  The way this is done is through the distractions of life; and it’s true for all of us.  We often get so distracted by life that the one thing we were created to do (worship) is the one thing we often let suffer in our lives.  We want to see the goodness of God, yet we are not disciplined enough to follow the call to worship.  Let us join in seeking him with all that we have and let “worship open doors to all his goodness” for us, today, and always.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 1, 2020

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God. - 1 Corinthians 2:12

“No eye has seen, now ear has heard, and no heart can fully know.” These words come from Isaiah 52:15 and 64:4.  They were made popular in contemporary Christians song “Beautiful One” by Jeremy Camp. The simplicity of this short tag line is in its meaning; no matter how much knowledge, wisdom, or insight we may have, we have no clue what is going on in the mind and heart of our amazing God. 

In our minds and in our spirits are often the things of this world because we are of this world and our spirits are grounded in this world.  However, for those who accept the free gift offered by God; that is, the Spirit of the Lord, they can evaluate everything (1 Cor. 2:15), and can understand both the things of this would and the things of heaven.  Jesus even said, “I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing.  I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15). 

Therefore, through the Spirit of the Lord, we have been given the gift to know the things that God wishes us to know, and we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16).  The beautiful one has loved us and lavished us with the gift of wisdom to know and evaluate right from wrong, light from darkness, and good from bad.  We have been given every opportunity, through God’s gift to do that which is pleasing in his sight, yet I find myself a failure at times. 

I can read these words over and over, and think about what it is that I have done with the gifts that have been so freely given to me. If I dwell on it too hard, I know that I am worthy of none of them.  It is shameful to think how one-sided my relationship with God is at times, and it is shameful to know that the spiritual wisdom that has been poured out has been received without regard of thanksgiving. 

I rest assured in this, however, and I hope you will too. God still loves. God still forgives. God still accepts.  God does not turn us away, but is always there welcoming us into the arms of love. The gifts have been given in order that we may mature in our relationship with Christ, and that we might mature in our spiritual life, individually and collectively.  It is the times when we feel shameful about how we have used the blessings of God we realize how immature we still are (no matter how old we might be).  Sometimes we need to realize that we still are in need of spiritual milk, because we are not yet ready of the solid food that is to come (1 Cor 3:2). 

May God bless you richly as you reflect on how you have used the blessed gifts you have been given, and may you rest today, knowing you are loved and accepted by God, regardless.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 31, 2020

…and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.  My eyes will now be open and My ears attentive to prayer from this place. - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

 Today, let us simply be in prayer…

Lord, how we have forgotten to think of you in our times of blessing, or even when we are in a time of need.  People are losing their jobs, fear and worry are common place. Our nation seems to be falling apart.  We read your Holy Word, and the passage above says that if your people, called by Your name would humble themselves and pray, you would hear them.  Lord, we have forgotten what it means to be humble.  We are a prideful people; a disobedient people.  Just like the Israelites who swore they would keep your commands, we said we would follow you, but too often we have strayed from that path. We continue to stray, even when you have welcomed us back, we find new ways to leave you behind.  We often find ourselves worse off than when we first began.

Lord, forgive our arrogance, and help us to regain humility, that we might have the same attitude of Jesus Christ (Phil 2:5).  Lord, our hearts have been hardened, we pray that you would send your Holy Spirit, and ignite a flame in our hearts that would melt even the most solid of stone.  Lord, you can do all things, and we know that you are watching over us.  We pray that once again you will be the guide of our lives; teach us, Lord, your ways; and let us no longer follow our own desires.  Hear these words Lord, and lead us to be in your amazing presence now and always. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Sam

July 30, 2020

36 And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.” – Acts 16:36

So what is that hope that we wait for? 

(If you didn’t read yesterday’s message you may want to take a second and go back, as this follows from the same story).

We come back to that scene where Paul and Silas are in the jail because of an unjust society.  However, what happens in the night is surely a sign of the hope of God.  While Paul and Silas are singing hymns in the innermost cell of the prison, an earthquake comes and sets them free. The jailer rushes in when he realizes that the doors of the prison are now open, ready to fall on his own sword if they had escaped (his punishment would have been worse from his employers). However, what he finds is that everyone is still in their place. Though they were free they remained. The guard falls to his knees and asks Paul about how one can be saved. 

That very night, the one who had them in chains, turned, and now treated them as guests, bandaging and caring for wounds, inviting them into his home, sharing with them a family meal. This is the power of grace and hope.  It turns those who were once against us into friends.  It reminds us that though we may be on different sides at one moment, we are still one family.  This is the hope that I hope we can find as a society soon. That we are called to be one family in and through Christ, that God is the God of us all, and desires us all to find that which we can agree.

When sunrise comes the next day, we find that the city magistrates have heard of the unjust arrest and flogging and want Paul and his companion released. However, Paul pushes a little further brining to light his citizenship as a Roman. Roman citizens were to be treated with greater respect, receive just trials, and since Rome was the super-power of the day, no one wanted to disrespect Rome (especially if you had trade dealings with them). The magistrates come to the place where Paul and Silas are staying, and formally apologize to them.

In less than 24 hours, the entirety of this story flips. Paul and Silas who were beaten and imprisoned for unjust reasons, are released with an apology from the city officials. It may not cover all the actions taken against them, but despite their situation, the hope remined secure for these followers of Christ. They kept the hope of a better tomorrow, and so should we.  Always look for the hope of a better tomorrow.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 29, 2020

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities… - Acts 16:19

You remember that story of when Paul and Silas were in the prison, and began singing hymns of praise to God? They start singing, and everyone in the prison is listening to them, they bound in chains, but that doesn’t stop them from singing praises to their God.

Paul and Silas were simply continuing in their current situation to do that which they knew in their hearts to be right. But why were they in jail in the first place?  We know that many times the apostles were put in jail because of their opposition to the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, and some were in jail because they stood against oppression of the Romans.  However, in this instance, we find that the reason they are in jail was because of the owners of a slave girl.

As we read Chapter 16 of the book of Acts, we find that a young man named Timothy comes to the faith, and begins traveling with Paul. Paul moves on into Asia minor, to Philippi, and then to a smaller city called Thyatira. While they were in that city, a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, meaning she saw and understood truth, was following Paul around proclaiming that they were slaves or servants of the Most High God.  It seems that this would not have been anything to bother these apostles, that was there ministry, and that was their mission. 

However, they were also foreign travelers who wanted to be able to speak peacefully, and not cause any kind of ruckus. The preaching of Christ and the kingdom to come in those days, typically came of public places where all kinds of ideas and philosophies would be shared.  It was a safe place for persons to speak their peace, and as long as it remained peaceful no one bothered them.  This slave-girl was causing Paul and his companions to get a bunch of attention outside of the meeting place, and this made Paul nervous, and as scriptures puts it, “annoyed” with this girl.  Paul proceeds to cast out the spirit, which causes the slave girl’s owners to be upset because they seemingly had been making money off this girls gift. They have Paul and Silas flogged and arrested for causing a disturbance.

What is interesting about this story is that the reason for Paul and Silas to be in the prison is because someone outside the faith lost their means of wealth. A means which was based on cruel and unjust treatment of another human being – slavery.

While much could be said, and much has already been written on the injustice of slavery, I want to focus, here, on the response of the missionaries.

Paul and Silas, though they had done nothing wrong in the sight of God, though they remined righteous in their actions, were put in jail because of a human injustice, were beaten because of human insecurities, and were (like Christ) treated as the worst of criminals being put in the innermost cell, and fastened with chains in the stocks. Yet, they chose to continue praising God. They chose to continue singing, they chose to live into hope. This is the message we need to hear today.  That when the world seems out to get us, when the world is worried about itself, and its means, while the world is focused on things that are not eternal. We, those who follow Christ, should focus on what really matters.  We should continue to sing praises to God.  It isn’t always easy to do so, but God is righteous, God is just, God is eternal, and we who focus on the goodness of God remain focused on hope.  Let us continue in the hope that awaits us tomorrow.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 28, 2020

And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. – Acts 5:42

Following the same thought from yesterday, about learning new things each and every day, I’m drawn today to the story of the early church in the book of Acts.  Early in this book, the words seem to be a continuation of the gospel story. The physician, Luke, who wrote the gospel of the same name continues the story for a friend whom he is trying to convince of the truth of God found in the person of Jesus Christ.

The continuation of the story in the book of Acts tells of what happens after the resurrection, of the calling of the disciples to an apostolic mission. To go forth and share the good news in which they know that Jesus is raise from the dead and offers life abundant and eternal for those who believe.  Further we read early in the book of the coming of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence to lead and to guide, to offer comfort, counsel, and of course guidance to these new evangelists.  The story after the day of Pentecost is close in to Jerusalem.  There is much work to be done first in the city of God.

What amazes me about their story, is that the early church didn’t have buildings, or budgets. They didn’t have committee meetings (at least for a little while). When they did meet to discussed issues of the church for where they would go, to whom they would share the gospel, and what was acceptable behavior for a Christ follower.  But here’s the greatest part – in the verse above. Every day they met in the temple and at home, and never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus was Messiah. 

The very message that caused many of them to spend time in jail, yet they never stopped proclaiming.  It was a message that filled their souls to the fullest, it gave them life, purpose, and they lived into their calling to spread the gospel every, single, day.

These days we live in now, they still seem to run together, every day we await new news, different news, hopeful news. Each day I await word about whether or not we can reopen the church building.  However, I’m reminded that in our faith, though the building might remain closed to keep people safe, I still have a message to share.  We still have the love of God in our hearts, and it is bursting to share forth to others. We might not be able to meet physically, but that shouldn’t stop us from sharing the gospel when we can, how we can. Just because we are in the house, doesn’t mean we can make a call, send a note, or any number of things to encourage one another, to spur on one another to do good works, and to continuously proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 27, 2020

So I’ll keep reminding you about these things, although you already know them and stand secure in the truth you have.  - 2 Peter 1:12

There are times when I am studying the scriptures when I get to particular passages, and it kind of feel like I already know it, and there is no reason to look at it more in depth. This is especially true of those passages we base our life’s work upon, or passages that we have had memorized since childhood.  We might think we have already read these verse before, and how could something new come out of something so familiar? However, there is something to be said about repetition. 

Even when we think we know exactly what a verse in Scripture says, new situations and different life circumstances might give us an opportunity to see the same words in a different way.  I believe that it is for this reason that the disciples, and especially Peter when about speaking the same things again and again and again… to different churches, to different peoples,  he wanted to make sure that those he left behind would continue to grow in understanding and love. When he was gone, Peter wanted to make sure that people would not forget the intent of his ministry - to share the love of Christ.  He did not want people to simply forget the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of them, instead he wanted that power to grow, and become stronger, that the disciples that would follow would do even greater things than he through the power of Christ.

That being said, perhaps the best encouragement that we can have in studying scripture is to come across a new lesson in an already familiar passage.  It is an encouragement to read the same passage, or the same saying, and do so with new eyes and a renewed heart for deeper understanding. So, whether you have read something for the second time of one hundred and second time, you can know that God is still speaking His wisdom to you through the ages, from the Scripture.  God continues to shine new light into our lives.  He has not brought us yet to completion, but in His presence, He is pouring out wisdom, knowledge and love, that we might go into this would to share what we continue to learn with all whom will listen. In this way the message of Christ continues to spread, everlasting.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 26, 2020

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9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:9-10

What could you accomplish if someone loved you with out condition? 

My hope is that someone in your life has shown you such love, perhaps a parent, a spouse, a friend.  Knowing that love has helped you do more than you could ever imagine.  However, there are people in this world, and I have known a few who haven’t known such love.  They have known the love of another person, but it has always been with a condition, that usually worked in the other persons favor.

Perhaps it was the parent who wanted their child to be successful, but when that child made a choice to do something else, the parent was unsupportive of such choice.  Perhaps it was a business partner who worked hard with you to build up a business, but decided they wanted to go a different direction, or where unsupportive when you needed to go a different direction. There are thousands of scenarios we could come up with were the love and respect were mutual until one decision changed everything. 

This is not so with the love of God. God’s love that is poured out on the cross of Jesus is truly unconditional. God’s love is meant for us to understand as seeing, knowing, and feeling the pain of our deepest regrets and mistakes, and choosing to sit with us, and help us up.  God doesn’t look at choice we made 15 years ago, or a few seconds ago, and decide, no more chances.  God gives us life and breath, and every moment of the day pours out blessing and love. God lifts us when we are down, and comforts us in our weakness.

God’s love in unconditional and genuine, and the call of the Christian is to learn how to utilize that love in the way we love others.  As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, just as God’s love has been genuine to us, we should let our love be genuine towards God and others. To love one another, and have a mutual affection that goes out of our way to offer forgiveness, to offer counsel, to offer comfort, and grace, and mercy even to those whose choices we don’t agree with. 

In doing so, we truly become the body of Christ, sharing the love of God, unconditionally, with the world.  May we love someone more deeply today, and always. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 25, 2020

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:8

Plans and purposes. They seems to go hand-in-hand. Each plan that is put in place has a purpose, and there is usually a purpose behind each plan.  However, not all plans live up to their purpose, and we all know that plans change.

One of the often quoted Scriptures to reassure us of plans, is form Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  While reassuring most of the time, this year has been very troubling. In this year of 2020, that we will one day look back in hindsight, and say it was as perfectly clear.  We have found this is the year of cancellations, the year of changed plans, the year of deciding what’s the best plan, and here in the middle of it, I admit I just sit confused.

This past week as school systems released plans of children to return to learning, decisions had to be made about between plans that will allow in-person, or choices to make arrangements for students to learn at home. However, within these plans there is the possibility that all students will need to learn at home.  We have made plans for church to reopen, but that plan changed as well, we don’t yet know when it will change back.

We plan and prepare, not knowing what each day will bring, however our purpose is still secure.

When we read the praise of Psalm 138 we find that when we give over our plans to God, our purpose in life is to simply live and praise in His presence. We do walk though trouble, but our purpose to live in the steadfast love of God has not gone away. If this, I find that maybe the translators should have seen more “purpose” than “plan” in the book of Jeremiah.  For during that troubling time, Jeremiah’s time, the people of God fell to the attacks of Babylon, and where exiled from their homeland, enslaved to another.  However, God continued to work his purposes through those who remained faithful.   

In the same way, we may live in a time of ever-changing, ever-cancelling plans, but if we live into God’s purpose, we will prosper, and we will be assured of a future full of blessings and hope.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 24, 2020

Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. - Psalm 51:12

I love the concept of joy. For the longest time in life I was enthusiastic about talking with others about the joy that they had in life. I think of joy as so much more than a feeling; it is a state of being.  Joy is what helps us find the silver lining in every cloudy day, and gives our spirit’s the motivation to continue on, even when we are being pulled down every step of the way. 

I love the concept of joy, and the psalmist teaches us this understanding of often needing to be restored to the “joy of Your salvation.” 

This restoration is for us to be restored to the very point in which we were ensured of the salvation offered by God, and for us, in Christ. We come back to that moment when we were ensured of the eternal promise of heaven, and all the joy that flows from that place.

Then, there is the second part of this verse - “give me a willing spirit.”  Joy becomes the easy part, it is the gift part. After we are reminded of the joy, comes my part; being willing to give, serve, or live into a calling that is greater than me.

In this teaching, it is easy to receive blessing and find joy.  If we open our hearts and minds to understand we would see that every moment of every day is a blessing because we still have life, and breath, and people who love and care about us.  However, sometimes we just aren’t as willing to want to do anything.  Especially in times such as these, when we don’t feel as though there is anything to do.

Though we have joy, we meander around, and get by doing as little as possible, and give only when it is expected of us.  But what if we were to pray this prayer every day? What if we were to ask God to give us a “willing spirit?”  For God to enliven our spirits to be willing to live each moment as a blessing. It might mean we starting doing things we don’t, necessarily, want to do, but we know we have been called to do. In doing so, we may receive even more joy.  Because what we truly find, is that joy is part of the spirit of God that is enlivening everything we do, if we would be aware of the blessing in it.

May God grant you a willing spirit to serve and to give as He is calling you to bless others as you have been blessed with joy.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 23, 2020

Compassion and forgiveness belong to the LORD our God, though we have rebelled against Him. - Daniel 9:9

Have you ever found yourself in a debate with yourself?  Usually this is an internal dialog about something you are thinking about doing; and I know it seems odd to talk about the things that go on inside the mind, but if you think about, we do this quite often.  There is something that comes up, some decision that needs to be made, some opportunity on which we should act, and we have to make a choice.  Usually these are simple things, in which we might debate and then go with something that sounds fund, or in our current climate safe.  However, there are occasionally times when we need to debate whether a decision falls within our character as a Christian.

These types of situations are not often, nor are they the norm, however, we do make them. We choose to live into the character of the Christian every day, or to not.  When I find myself in such conundrums, often it is when my rebellious side seems to pipe up.  Not that I have some crazy rebellious streak, or have a desire to do things that are seemingly crazy. I do, however, have a desire to go against the grain sometimes; to do something that might make people think: “that’s odd.”  The truth is that many of us feel the same way, sometimes. We don’t want to always take the easy path, or the path everyone expects us to take.  So we often debate with ourselves because sometime we want to be the rebel.  Of course, it is in our nature to rebel against what is right.  At least that is the case until we embrace God, until we embrace the one who is compassion and forgiveness. We tend to rebel against God, until we find our home is God’s presence.

After we embrace Christ love in our lives, we think (and we should think this way) that we can now, with Christ’s help make right decisions.  We can claim the identity that we have in Christ.  However, as in my life, I have striven to embrace more of who Christ wants me to be, when I come to those times where I debate the choice I want to make on a situation, I’m going more against the grain of society than I am God’s will.  I don’t know why that is, but I find that being the rebel means doing something that God has asked, it means doing something that will make people think I’m odd or crazy, or different in some way.  That is because to the world outside the church, doing what God has called us to do seems a little odd.  

We, as people called by God, called out of sin and death and into compassion and forgiveness should be a little rebellious. However, our rebellion is to deny the world, and choose a better way.  We need to embrace the opportunity to do something different, as long as it shows the love of God, in us, and towards others.  By doing so, many may see our good and joyful works and praise our Father in heaven.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 22, 2020

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him. - Colossians 1:13-14

The greatest news for the imperfect person (yours truly included) is that all faults have been forgiven. This is the very nature of the power of Christ, to forgive sins, it’s the beginning of our faith, the forgiveness of sins, it is the freedom to know peace found in the forgiveness of sin.  What a release of burden it is to know that everything that we have done wrong in our lives, every mistake, every short-coming, it has all be forgiven and wiped away.  Yes, even that time that you don’t want to talk about.  That is the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus, that through him, we have been accepted and secured to be a part of His Kingdom.  Why would we not want to share such news?

Like other things that we have and others don’t, we sometimes have a hard time with sharing. It seems to be a human trait not to share. I’ve watched it happen with children in my own family, and even though we teach about sharing, they still have trouble. So, like anything else with salvation, we accept that the burden has been lifted off of us, but we aren’t as willing to lead another to help lift their burden.  We need to remember that this is our task as members of Christ body, the church.

Thomas a Kempis writes: Remember we are all members of Christ, reborn in baptism through the grace of the Holy Spirit, redeemed by the passion of Christ, bathed in the blood of Christ, fed with the body of Christ, educated in the words of Christ, confirmed in the miracles of Christ, motivated by the examples of Christ…One God has created us all, fed us and set our course, called us to one and the same beatitude; and he renews that call daily.  How? By exhortations from without, through contrition from within.  The same God has promised to see us through to the eternal reward ceremonies, with standing ovation from all the heavenly citizens.  If therefore we’ve been unanimously called by God, redeemed for one price, drunk from one Spirit, then let’s love and help each other.

After all, what we say to one another can both lift up and destroy.  We have the power to help others with their burdens if we simply share with them the greatest news we have ever heard.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 21, 2020

I died to the Law through the Law, so that I could live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I don’t ignore the grace of God, because if we become righteous through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.  - Galatians 2:19-21

Have you ever caught yourself saying all the right things, but not really living them?  It is easy for us to do, because most of us grew up hearing: “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Because of this, we have found that it is pretty easy to ignore the things that we don’t think apply to us, and go on living our lives.  We know all the rules, we know all the right things to say, and we know how we are supposed to love God and our neighbor. However, living that out isn’t always easy, nor is it our main focus. We think these are great theories for life, but practicing them is out of touch with reality.

As Paul is writing this letter to the gentile Galatians he talks to them about a fellow Jew named Cephas.  Cephas has been sent out to spread the gospel message to the gentiles as a companion of Paul’s.  Unfortunately, Cephas fell into what so many of us do when we get around people who don’t follow all the same rules and laws we do.  Cephas began to act and live like they lived.  He began to break his Jewish law, but continued to tell the gentiles to live like the Jews.  Paul takes this opportunity to teach a little lesson.  That lesson is - we should be bound to the Law, but the Law never could save a life; therefore, if we die to the Law, that is if we die to the idea of doing right for the sake of being right, then, we can have life and live forever through Christ. 

Paul’s message is that we should not ignore the grace that God gives to save us from the way we live.  It is only by God’s grace and the righteousness of Christ that we are saved. The salvation God gives through Christ brings us back on point with eternal life, remembering that Christ died for sinners, those who had not lived by the law, in order that they might find something greater in idea of loving one another as Christ has first loved them. 

This is done through the cross, not that we would sin more, but that we would strive to live better, and know that grace can cover even our mistakes while trying.  God’s grace will cover it all as we seek to live in that perfection of the Law, which is seen in the love poured out on the cross.  That’s not something we should ignore, but something that we should understand that as Christ forgives me (which is often) I, too, should offer forgiveness, and lean in when I’m called to love my neighbor; because it is our actions that speak greater than our words, or as that one song says: “they will know we are Christians by our love.”

Grace & Peace,
Sam

July 20, 2020

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - 2 Corinthians 7:1

There is a saying, that we use as part of our United Methodist Culture. We may not utilize it all of the time, but I’m sure you will remember this as you read. The leader says: “God is Good…” and the congregation will respond: “All the time.” Following, the reverse will be said, as if to remind ourselves of this infinite truth of God – “God is good all the time; all the time, God is good.”

It’s easy for us to say things like this when we believe that is true, when the oil of joy (Psalm 45) is being poured over us.  When all is right in the world; however, there are other times, we say this as if we really need that reassurance. When darkness is covering us. When grief overwhelms us. When we are battling the forces and principalities of this world. When nothing seems to go as it should. When we are down and out, and ready to give up.  These are the times, all the more, we need the reminder that God is good all the time…

Shauna Niequist (Daughter of Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek)  has a great little book entitled Present Over Perfect.  While this book is more a series of essays, one particular essay has captured my heart over and over again. The essay is entitled, “Oil and Vinegar.”  In this essay, Niequist remarks that our life, and especially our prayer life is like a bottle of oil and vinegar sitting on a table at a restaurant.  The two are separated, the vinegar has risen to the top, and the rich oil has settled and is waiting at the bottom.  In order to get to the riches of the oil, you have to first pour out the vinegar. 

In our prayers before God, we desire the riches of the oil, but so much of our life is filled with vinegar.  We need to be reminded, that if we are to achieve the perfect holiness (the oil), purifying ourselves of everything that contaminates the body and spirit (the vinegar), we have to pour out the vinegar first, we have to give to God everything, and I mean everything. We give to God our grief, our fear, our worry, all that is not good in us. We do so, that we can then salivate, and enjoy the riches of the oil that God gives as we live in His Holy presence, because all the time; God is good.

The goodness of God is sometimes mixed in with the vinegar of life, but that richness is what makes life enjoyable. May the richness of God’s love, mercy, and grace meet you today and always. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam