August 18, 2020

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

I wonder if you have seen this phrase before, “in a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

I have come across it a number of times, and I always take a moment to be thankful for those who are so kind to me, and then ask forgiveness for the times I could have been kinder to someone else.  I find this little saying to be a reminder that we have what it takes to offer kindness to others, but like in so many other places in life, there are days we fall short.

There are those days that we are so overwhelmed by doubt, stress, and the hardships of the world, that we take it out of someone else.  It might be someone close to us, a spouse or a child, whom we can later ask forgiveness, and apologize.  Sometimes, however, it’s someone we don’t even really know. It’s the clerk at the supermarket, or the waiter at a restaurant. We are having a bad day, and we take it out on them – the one just trying to do their job. It’s hard to go back and apologize when we may or may not ever see that person again. 

We aren’t perfect, but Paul reminds us that we are called to do what is right to bear the burdens of this world, and even bear the burdens of others in community.  It is for this reason we should not give up on doing what is right, or what is kind.  There are plenty of people in this world who won’t give a second thought about the harsh words or actions that they laid on another person; so we should be kind.

Kindness doesn’t have to be hard or a struggle, and doesn’t take much effort at all, it simply takes an awareness that we have the opportunity and the ability to make someone else’s day brighter. And in the process, we might find our cup a little fuller as well.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 17, 2020

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
- Romans 15:7

Could it really be that simple?  Can praise come to God simply by accepting one another? 

Yes, it can. This is the fulfillment of the law, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Thus, we must accept them in order to love them, treating one another with equality. The hard part is, getting past everything that keeps us from accepting one another.

We are human, and because we are fallible, we often, don’t like one another. Our dislike rises from conflicts of interests, hurts that have been caused, or even something from previous generations that we know nothing about other than “we don’t like those people.”  When we get down to the root of our dislike, we might realize that the reason we don’t get along with someone is because of our own selfishness. We might find in our thinking that it’s “not our fault things fell apart,” or “we didn’t do anything to them.”  These feelings are at their base, selfish.

To truly know the love of God, is to understand that God knows our selfish thoughts, our personal biases, and chooses to love us anyway; in hope that we would overcome ourselves and focus on others. God’s grace and mercy looks on us in all our selfish sin, and says, “You are forgiven, now go and sin no more.”  Unfortunately we have short memories, and we probably need to hear those words every day, and every day I confess, I will fail at the latter part, “go and sin no more.” 

No one is perfect, right?  Well, there is someone who is perfect, and we are called to be just like him – that is Christ.  We have been made in His image, we have been redeemed by His blood, and we are called to “Be holy, because I am holy.”  Therefore, we don’t have any excuses; we just simply fail day after day, after day. However, our failure does not need to keep us down, because as we turn to Christ, as we ask for forgiveness, it is offered again and again; making each day a new day, that the Lord has made, that we might rejoice and be glad.  

So if you have been forgiven, live and sin no more, accept that brother or sister whom you have been holding a grudge against and let the grace of our Lord fall upon that relationship as it is restored and renewed.  Let the forgiveness you offer one another bring a smile to God’s face as He looks on you with joy and blesses you with His presence and His love!

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 16, 2020

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The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.   There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous… I will not die, but will live and proclaim what the LORD has done. - Psalm 118:14-17

The Lord is risen! Christ has the victory!   the Lord has become our strength, our song, and our salvation.  We have become resurrection people, living in the grace mercy and good will of our Lord and Savior. We rejoice because of the great things God has done.  This is the hope that we have as resurrection people, people who belive in the one who rose from the dead to give us life.  We continue with the wonderful celebration of Easter each and every day, and especially on Sunday. Even when we aren’t in the ‘Easter season;’ being Easter people make every Sunday a ‘little Easter.’  The joy of a resurrection life is that each and every day we have a life that we can share with others, we have joy that overflows to the nations, and we have a love that needs to be expressed in everything that we do, to everyone we meet.  Because of this love, we do not and, will not die, but we will live for all eternity praising God for the great things He has done. 

I wonder how many of us really sit back and think about how many blessings we receive each day? Instead, we usually find the few things that we have to complain about and dwell on those.  I wonder what it would mean for us to be righteous, not self-righteous, but truly righteous in the sense of Christ and the resurrection. If we are resurrection people, who have been raised with Christ to new life, then we should take on the righteousness of Christ within us.

I find that this idea is mostly equal to what John Wesley called ‘sanctification.’  Also known as Christian perfection, sanctification is having an insight as to what “it” is that makes some people seem different. The kind of different that makes you wonder, what’s so great about their life?   It’s the realization that God has complete control, and deciding that we prefer it that way. We give over our will to the perfect will of God. It’s the knowledge that you have a love that will never grow cold, and it’s the affirmation of the joy of eternal life in the glorious kingdom of heaven.  The righteousness of Christ, is our very ability to praise God through all the rough and trying times in life, as much, or more than the good times.  This is why there are “shouts of joy in the tents of the righteous,” because the righteous are less concerned with the worries and complaints of this would, but driven by the glorious life that is to come in the complete presence of our Savior, our LORD and our God.

Praise be to God for his strength and song, sung in us. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 15, 2020

1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make melody.
    Awake, my soul!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn.
3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples,
    and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
    and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. – Psalm 108:1-4

Give thanks to God, for another week as come to a close, and we are again blessed to be God’s people.  God has seen us through the ups and the downs of this week. God continued to be steadfast in divine love, and God remains by our side.

The psalm of praise reminds our hearts of the steadfast love of God that is eternal and reaches higher, and further than we could ever imagine.  God’s grace is made manifest in the goodness of God to provide the rain and the sun, the love of those who surround us, and the prayers of those who continue to uplift us.  We are made better because God does not reject us, but is with us, ever present in our times of need, as we remember and give thanks.

Today, let us simply give thank, rejoice, sing, and praise God for God’s steadfast love for us. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 14, 2020

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
    so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
19 that he looked down from his holy height,
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free those who were doomed to die;
21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,
    and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. – Psalm 102:18-22

I have read many of the lamenting psalms during this time apart from one another.  There have been some days, more than others, that I truly felt the pain and anguish in the voice of the one lamenting to God. 

Today’s psalm is another lament, praying to God for help in a time of affliction. In the heart of the psalmist we find feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and anguish.  However, the psalmist has a hope of a king that is eternal that will one day offer help.  I am particularly drawn today to the section posted above.  The psalmist, in his own anguish, hopes for the future generations, that they would praise the Lord.

This is perhaps one of the greatest hopes that we can have. Even though the psalmists is feeling abandoned by God, even though the opening words of the psalm are a cry for help from God, whom they do not feel present in their lives at that moment, the plea is that future generations would praise the God who is eternal.

It is amazing to think of a faith that looks beyond ourselves, it is the faith that we profess as Christians today. That we would serve a God who binds us together as one, who holds us a sheep unto his fold, and who calls us to be equal heirs to the kingdom of his only son.  Yet, this God for many is distant, is absent, is not there in their greatest struggle.  However, for those who have faith, they know it is not God who has strayed, but themselves.  Even if God doesn’t answer their prayers, or give an answer that they desire, they will continue to praise God, for God’s ways are above our ways.  Even more, we seek that others who come after us would know that hope of God’s eternal love, to know the salvation that awaits those who trust in God’s grace, and believe in God’s mercy.

May we so order our lives that even if God doesn’t answer us, we would desire for the generations yet unborn to believe with greater faith, in the one who is, and was, and is to come.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 13, 2020

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered… - Psalm 105:4-5

I know I have often talked about the unique way in which Israel remembers God. How they remember not only the good that God has brought, but also the struggle.  They remind one another of the struggles they have had as a collective people, when they did not obey God’s law, and rebelled from God’s ways. In doing so, they are reminded that the greater times in when God is with them, and God is with them, when they remember God’s ways.

It is for this reason, that the psalmist finds it fit to remind the people of God’s faithfulness at all times, and call the congregation to seek God’s presence continually.  It would be a wonderful thing for us to remember God with us at all times, but often we lose sight of this, and if we think about the exile of the people of God, it is even harder to keep our thoughts on God when we are separated from our people, especially those who remind us of God’s mighty works.

It is evident, that through we are not exiled like those in Israel have been, we are a church in exile.  We have not been able to gather, and the longer we are apart, the harder it becomes for some to remember God’s presence with them. I find this psalm comforting in its telling of the story of the Exodus out of Egypt.  The psalmist reminds us that God is faithful to God’s promises, yet it also calls us to remember his judgements.  We are called to remember a time when God’s people were not able to gather, and began to lose hope in who they were as God’s people. Yet, there is always a remnant. There are always the few, who will remember God, and remain faithful. It is from these few that God does mighty and wonderful works. 

I hope and pray that, we in our prayers seek God, continually; that we would remain part of the faithful remnant until these days of exile are over, and that God would again gather his people and lead them to the promised land.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

Outdoor Service Announcement

Exciting News!

We all know that life has been disrupted in many ways these last several months. Among several others things we have been anxious to gather again as the body of Christ, the people of faith, and now we have been given approval to start.

This of course comes with great caution as we continue to want to show love from a safe distance to our neighbors and friends. 

The latest news from the Conference office is that churches are now allowed to hold in-person worship, but it must be an outdoor service. We are not yet in the place where the conference feels comfortable opening our doors and gathering inside our buildings. In addition we still must keep each family unit socially distanced at 6 feet apart, and masks when that distance cannot be kept, per the CDC guidelines.

Therefore, on Sunday’s beginning August 16, will be offering worship “Under the Oak Tree.”

Our Under the Oak Tree service will begin at 10 a.m.

We invite you to bring a lawn chair, blanket, quilt, whatever might allow you to sit comfortably under the shade of the mighty oak.  This will be a shortened service of Music, Scripture and Sermon – but it will be good for those who desire to gather together.

As a note, if you still feel uncomfortable gathering, or the idea of an outdoor service does not appeal to you, you may still worship with us online (which will be posted at the usual 9 o’clock hour).

I hope you will come join us Under the Oak Tree as we gather to worship our God.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 12, 2020

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit – Ecclesiastes 7:8

The book of wisdom known as “Ecclesiastes” takes on many of the aspects of life that we consider common to the human experience.  The book looks at what it is to have wealth, love, knowledge, wisdom, yet finds that they all fall short.  The book can sometimes be seen as a discouragement to people who place all of their hope and thoughts into the things above, however, if we follow through, what we find is that the most important thing is to have a reverent fear, and deep love, in God.

Only God can right what is wrong, make straight what is crooked, and give life that is abundant and eternal.  So, as we look at what it is be patient, as we have all been trying so hard to learn, we come to this verse that starts with what I could jokingly consider the understatement of the year with respects to this on-going pandemic: “better is the end of a thing than it’s beginning.”

As we consider how abruptly life stopped in early March, and how much fear and concern was shared by all, we hoped for an abrupt end, and for life to resume.  I remember being hopeful for the church to gather and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord at Easter. However, as spring gave way to summer, and now we are on the cusp of a fall semester beginning, we still are left wondering when the end shall come.  All this has made the virtue of patience a common point of learning for many of us.

Many years ago, during a small group discussion on Ecclesiastes, we took a long hard look at what it means to be patient.  One of the great ideas that came out of that discussion was this;  No one should ever pray for patience.  The rational is that when we pray and ask God for virtues to build our character, God doesn’t just grant them. God does, however, gives us many opportunities in which to grow into the qualities or virtues.  Therefore, when we pray for patience, we don’t get patience, but opportunities to be patient.  As we learn patience, we find that we have more and more of it… or sometimes we are made very aware of how we have not yet learned that lesson.

Regardless, the greater hope is to remember that God is with us, and with our spirits, and therefore we can find the strength to continue this learning opportunity as we wait with patience, anticipation, and hope that life will seem normal once more.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 11, 2020

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer – Romans 12:12

As we enter into another week, waiting, watching, wondering, and hoping for what the future holds; I am reminded of what normal looks like. In places outside of Knox County, schools are starting back, and friends are posting pictures of their child’s first day of whatever grade.  Of course there is the disclaimer of reality in that many of them are starting school virtually.  However, what I find hopeful about these pictures is that they show a perseverance in the way life should be, that time marches on, and though things are not the normal we want, life continues.

Deep down we all knew that life would continue on, those in the working world have been back to a ‘normal’ for many months now, and some things seem to have never closed or changed at all.  Routines continue, they have simply been tweaked to work within a new reality.  I know that we continue to pray for the virus to be stifled, for a working vaccine to be produced, and for life to resume as it did before this pandemic.  Yet, at the same time, I think we might hope for something different, and dare I say it, better.

I am beginning to pray and dream for what it will be like when the congregation gathers. I am hopeful that we might be more grateful for opportunities to be together. I am hopeful that we will have a greater since of importance to being together, and I am hopeful that some patterns of deep conversations, and time well-spent with loved ones would continue. 

I know we are not out of the difficult times yet, and it will take time and patients to navigate back to what is hoped for.  There may still be setbacks, we may have to wait even longer before that first gathering, however, as Paul reminds us we need to be “patient in suffering,” knowing that our time exiled from one another has been difficult, and remains as such.  But if we look at the ‘bookend’ statements to that call to patients, what we see is opportunity to rejoice in hope, and persevere in prayer.  These surrounding phrases give us understanding that even in the most difficult of times, we often need to renew our focus on the positive, and from there, know that we can and will make it through, perhaps stronger in our faith because of the difficulty.

My hope for today, is that no matter what new news may come, we would rejoice and persevere for God is our hope, and in him we rejoice. Therefore, to God we pray for guidance, an extra outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit, and the love to bind us together until we are able to gather in-person again.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 10, 2020

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen - Hebrews 11:1

So we have a proverbial cup in front of us, the cup is filled/emptied to the half way point.  I know you have already decided how you feel today based on the optimism/pessimism of your cup being empty/full.  However, in much of life we are not at the half-way point, but we are at some other point in the cup all together. For those whom life is at a seeming standstill, we are just happy there is a cup.  At this point, who really knows. With people who are constantly on the go, the point is almost moot, because they have been running on the drops at the bottom for quite some time now.  So, where do we turn when our cup (if still present) is completely empty?

Faith:  Faith is the answer to the question, when all else fails and we are running on the fumes, beyond empty, we need to have faith.  Our faith, is best understood in what the writer of Hebrews gives as the definition of faith.  “Faith is the reality of what is hoped for…”

At first glance, this statement almost seems oxymoronic; how can something that is a hope be a reality?  The proof is in the promises that we have from God.  “Come to me… and I will give you rest” (Matt  11:28); “The Lord will wipe away the tears from every face…” (Isaiah 25:8); “The Lord gives his people strength” (Psalm 29:11).  And we are only getting started with these few verses. There is a vast library to understand the complete promise of God. 

When we increase our faith, through study if these promises, or through prayer, or through enduring hope; we find there is so much more of a hope for this life and for the one still to come, than we first imagined.  Though we cannot see it now, we can still know that God is bringing about His Kingdom and it is rising with us, as we have faith to believe.  It helps us to look inside our hearts and answer; How is God real to you?  What promises do you stand upon?  Where do you see the proof, the reality of hope? 

I hope It is found in the faith you have in your relationship with Jesus, the Son of Man, and with His Holy Spirit. When we find our faith in him strengthened in Him who has been sent from an Almighty God; then we find our cup runneth over.  We might even find that our cup no longer matters because we are filled to overflowing in His matchless, steadfast love, and we may just choose to stay there and rest for a little while.

May God fill you up, lift you up, and may your faith be filled with hope, today and always.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 9, 2020

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Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us,           Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth.              Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth revere him.

We ‘gather’ again for worship, while remaining distant from one another.  We come together in the sanctuary of our hearts and minds as we join them in praise to God.  We come, knowing that we are still in exile, that each day is difficult, that we long to truly be gathered as God’s people in one place.  However, we remember that God is faithful. God continues to pour blessing upon blessing for his people. We, God’s people, are grateful for God’s faithfulness.

I hope you will join me in singing praise to God today, from wherever we are, distant from one another. I know that God is still in control, that God is binding us together in love, and I hope that we would allow our hearts to give praise that we can continue to worship together through the technology of our day.  Praise be to God for his continued blessings. Amen!

Grace & Peace,
Sam

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