BACK IN HIS PROPER PLACE

 NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Luke 19:1-7

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”


You are most likely familiar with this story of Zacchaeus, who was a “wee little man." He was a “tax man”, working for the Roman government collecting taxes from his fellow Jews. He would not have been popular, he like others we encounter in the Gospels, was excluded because of the way he made his living.

But along comes Jesus and He sees Zacchaeus, and invites Himself to the tax collectors home. Now, it was a big thing that Jesus does here. In the culture of that day to go into someone’s home, was a very intimate step. It suggested deep fellowship and closeness; a welcoming and acceptance of that person. The outcome of this visit is that Salvation, it says, came to his house.

We notice that Jesus is criticized and judged by the religious people of this community for this very moving act of grace. Jesus explains His purpose again: He came to seek and save the lost. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham."

There is so much packed in this encounter but let me just point out that Zacchaeus was among the “wealthy” of the community, a son of Abraham who is restored to his proper place. Jesus meets and welcomes not only the poor to experience God’s love and care, but the rich as well.

And at some point, people stopped seeing him as a person loved by God, and instead put him in a category of the unseen, someone to avoid at all costs. They lost sight of their calling as God’s ambassadors of mercy, grace, and compassion.

This can happen subtly, I want to ask you this question, it is one I have wrestled with lots, “What group or people to you tend to avoid or overlook? We use categories, don’t we? You know categories like “those people”, or "Us versus Them", labels that construct barriers and keep us from people, who like us were created in God’s image. I wonder what might happen in our communities if more of us viewed the people around us the way Jesus would see them, the way Jesus saw Zacchaeus. 

THE DEEPEST DESIRE

 OCTOBER 31, 2022

Matthew 9:11-13

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus consistently modeled spending time with and developing relationships with those who were far from God; or at least those who were considered sinners by the religious elite.  In fact, Jesus was harshly criticized for such a focus.

Jesus responded to that criticism by sharing His purpose and challenging the critics to “go and learn" what Hosea 6:6 means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus, here in this passage reveals the very heart of God to those present.

God desires mercy, not sacrifice, is not just telling us that God wants us to love people more than he wants us to observe ritual holiness. It's telling us that his deepest desire, the thing that is most important to him in all the world, is that people come to him, experience his love, and find themselves embraced and welcomed home where they belong. It's not only a message to us, but also a message for us. God is a God of mercy. God doesn't want or look for perfection for us; rather, in my view, we see that God wants people to experience his forgiveness and to draw near him and his son Jesus. I believe that is good news for all of us, both for those of us who already know him and those who don't but will find their way to him one day. As Lamentations 3:22-23 teaches,

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Jesus came to bring healing to those who were sick in heart and spirit; those who were adrift because of the consequences of their choices. And to minister to people like that, He needed to be with them. Not in some condescending rescue mission, but in building a genuine and authentic relationship with them and showing His love and care for them.

In this week’s devotions we will explore the many ways that Jesus did that, in order that we may be prompted and provoked to do the same.

 

GLORIA

 OCTOBER 30, 2022

I thought to conclude our series of Devotions this week  on Reformation themes I would share a song that really wraps up things quite nicely.

May your Sunday be blessed as you worship God and God Alone. 

TO GOD and GOD ALONE

OCTOBER 29, 2022 

“Salvation is by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, according to Scripture Alone, for the glory of God Alone.”

Today, a special Saturday edition of our Devotions, let us reflect together on the theme of “Glory to God alone.” The truth that the Reformers were most concerned to promote and what can be seen as the central theme of Scripture is soli Deo gloria — to God alone be the glory.

Ephesians 1:17-21

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

1 Corinthians 10:31

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Earlier this week I read an article that was retelling the story of Olympic runner and Gold medalist Eric Liddell. His story you may remember was depicted in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. Eric Liddell ran with his head back, his mouth open, and a tranquil look on his face. He was one of the fastest men in the world, and one of the most famous at the time as well. After gaining Olympic glory as a gold medalist, he had everything the human heart could want: the chance to become wealthy, positions at schools like Oxford, fame, and influence that few others would ever attain. But the runner commemorated in the movie Chariots of Fire passed all this by and gave all this up. He had other things on his mind. Specifically, he had God’s glory in view.



Liddell knew that serving in God’s kingdom was of infinite worth, both to God and humankind. Liddell had a heart for the work of missions and the making of disciples among people who had never heard of Christ. So, in the midst of having “hero” status and the opportunity for greatness according to world standards. Eric Liddell made the most counter cultural step possible: he moved to China to be a missionary. He taught school, engaged his neighbors, and showed kindness to many around him. Why did he do it? The answer might seem complicated, but in truth, it is simple: he did it for the glory. But not his glory. The glory of God

Scripture reveals that the entirety of the Bible points to God’s glory alone, just as creation does, and our lives are intended to as well. 2 Corinthians 4:15 tells us that our salvation through grace produces glory to God. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that the grace of God strips us of our ability to boast in our own doing or works. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 tells us that no human shall boast in pride before the Lord, but we are to boast only in God. Ephesians 1:4-6 explains that the great purpose of our life is to bring glory, honor, and praise to the glorious grace of God. Romans 11:33-36 states that to Him alone belongs all glory. Isaiah 2:12-17 speaks of humankind being brought low, and God alone being exalted. Simply put, Glory to God alone means that everything is done for God’s magnificence and splendor.

As Jesus followers, we simply are not our own (Romans 14:8). This means that as believers, we can no longer categorize our life into boxes. We cannot have a ‘church’ box, ‘friend’ box, ‘family’ box, ‘free time’ box, and ‘work’ box. Rather, all our boxes get dumped into one large container labeled “Glory of God”. New life in Christ results in our entire life being fully devoted to God and His glory alone— in everything we do, think, feel, and believe.

I have read that the great musician and composer, Johanne Sebastian Bach, believed in and lived out the phrase soli Deo gloria. He was known to write SDG at the bottom of each finished piece of composition, making the statement of soli Deo gloria, Glory to God alone, widespread within the music circles of his day. Bach believed God’s Glory Alone to be central to his music, and even stated, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

Let it be a reality for each one of us, that whatever we do, we do it for the glory of God.

LET US PRAY

Glory to God the Father, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ and crowned him with glory and honor.

Glory to God the Son, who lives to plead our cause at the right hand of God and who will come again to make all things new.

Glory to God the Holy Spirit, who brings us the taste of the good Word of God and the power of the age to come. 

Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor, power and might be to our Lord for ever! Amen.

 

SUFFICIENT!

 OCTOBER 28, 2022

Romans 10:9-13

9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Acts 4:11-12

11Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Colossians 1:16-17

“All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

I Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus


According to the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1, Christ alone is sufficient, and as believers we grow as we take hold of this truth in our beliefs and actions (1:24–29). The apostle’s revelation about our Savior’s identity in Colossians 1:16–17 clearly reveals the all-sufficiency of Christ. Jesus, we read, is the self-existent, everlasting mediator of God’s creative acts described in Genesis 1–2. Or, as John 1:1–18 puts it, Jesus is the Word, the Logos who is God and is with God. In Him all things were made. Paul also teaches, Jesus the Son of God is the great Sustainer of all things. “In him all things hold together” (1:17): Christ, no other being or force, keeps the universe in order. Without Him, the cosmos would be chaos, and if He has the power to hold everything together, how could anyone believe that they need to turn anywhere else to find hope, help, renewal, or deliverance?

Christ is the ultimate Prophet who instructs us in the ways of God and heals our blindness and ignorance. Christ is the ultimate Priest who does not offer sacrifices through animals but through His own blood He redeemed us. He is also the great High Priest who intercedes for us in the heavenly courts. Christ is the ultimate King who rules over all things.

Though we live in a turbulent time, so did Luther, Calvin and other Reformers. It did not stop them from seeking Christ first and putting God at life’s center. Some of you will know the inscription on the seal from Calvin University, it is a quote from John Calvin which says “My heart to you I offer Lord, promptly and sincerely.” Now is our time. We have been placed where we are, in this our generation, purposefully, in our families, Churches, and workplaces etc., as I heard someone say recently, “to proverbially nail our own declaration of faith to the door of our hearts, homes, and in our communities.” Through Christ, alone, we come to God, by faith, forever restored. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift to us in Christ Jesus our Lord!!

LET US PRAY

Lord, help me to trust You for all that I need, my daily needs and my spiritual needs. I want to rely on You and You alone, and not put my trust in my own frail and foolish abilities, for without You I can do nothing, but I can do all things through Christ Who gives me the strength. May nothing in heaven or earth or under the earth assume Your central position in my life, I pray.

Amen.

 

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN

 OCTOBER 27, 2022

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Timothy 1:9

9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time …”

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast

Yesterday we said that Faith was one side of a coin, and the other side of that coin was Grace. So lets reflect together on the flipside of that coin, the familiar word GRACE.

Grace is a gift most of us do not know how to receive. We have been so flooded with the societal systems of give-and-get and work-and-earn that grace is a concept that is hard for us to grasp. Yet it is grace alone that has the power to transform lives. Grace alone has the power to bring freedom. By grace alone we are set free.

Many of our most beloved Worship songs involve the word Grace: Amazing Grace, Grace Greater than All My Sin; Your Grace is Enough, This is Amazing Grace, and on and on. WHY? What is so compelling about Grace that we are driven to sing about it? Why do we ask God to tune our hearts to “sing His grace”? I believe it is because Grace meets a need that we cannot meet in any other way.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” What great comfort we hear in these words of Paul. And what amazing love our heavenly Father has for us, that he would give his all sufficient grace to us.

We need to always be mindful that we serve a God who turns our greatest weakness into our greatest strength. In his grace, all he asks of us is to have a heart open, willing, and receptive to him. Our God is one who comes to us, who steps toward us, and lays down his life that we might live through him.

Let us remember, that our God’s grace is entirely sufficient for us. In fact, it is only in living by his grace that we are made strong. Your heavenly Father says, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” In Christ we can boast in our need; for our need is our greatest asset. Christ demonstrated through his ministry that he works powerfully when people simply acknowledge their need of him. From the woman desperate to touch his garment, to Zacchaeus the tax collector, to the paralyzed man lowered through the ceiling, God works incredible miracles in the lives of those who come before him with all their brokenness and need. His power is made perfect in those who simply cry out to him in desperation. Grace ALONE. God’s unmerited favor to us through Jesus Christ.

Yes, “… it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

LET US PRAY

You know, Lord, how much I like to pay my own way. Help me remember and be continually amazed that salvation is a gift from you. I could never earn it. Amen.

 

GRACE WRAPPED IN FAITH

 OCTOBER 26, 2022

Romans 1:16-17

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Philippians 3:9

9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Ephesians 2:4-9

 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Faith Alone! 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ...”

The word faith can have several meanings. Sometimes it means simple concurrence to a fact or an idea as true. Sometimes it refers to a body of religious teaching, as in “The Faith”. In the Bible it can sometimes refer to a special amount of faith, as in “a faith that can move mountains” (1 Corinthians 13:2). But the most common use of faith refers to an absolute trust or reliance on something or someone.

For Jesus followers, that sense of trust or dependence points to the liberating faith in Jesus Christ. As Ephesians 2:8 points out, we are saved by grace (Alone) “through faith” (Alone) Martin Luther rediscovered that salvation is by grace and is received through faith. “Grace wrapped in faith is the gift of God.” (K. Selles)

Paul emphasizes in the text above that God finds us. Even the faith to accept Jesus comes through grace alone. Indeed, grace alone and faith alone are like two sides of the same coin.

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, for the gospel is for all people. He makes the point that the gospel came not only to the Jews, but also to the non-Jews. When God told Abraham one night to look up and number the stars, for that is the number of his offspring (Gen. 15:5), God revealed that He had a plan to provide salvation for all the nations of the earth. Paul can declare that in Christ Jesus, Abraham’s offspring, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) This truth gives hope to everyone created in the image of God, regardless of where they were born, who their parents are, how they have lived, or what they have done. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

LET US PRAY

In your grace and mercy, O God, you have provided us not only with a Savior but also with the faith to trust in him for our salvation and our lives. Thank you. Amen.

 

 

FROM HAMMERS to HONEY

 OCTOBER 25, 2022

2 Timothy 3:15-17

“. . . from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”



Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”           Jeremiah 23:29

Sola Scriptura is the Latin translation for Scripture Alone. This phrase means that God’s Word is sufficient and has the highest authority for all of life. This does not mean that the Bible is clear on every issue or question we have. However, Sola Scriptura means that the Bible is the reliable Word of God, and takes supreme authority over our lives in every area it speaks to. We read in 2 Peter 1:19, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

When it comes to the spiritual life, Sola Scriptura means that the Bible gets the final word. As Christians, we believe that all answers to our questions and all wisdom for life should first and principally be found in the Word. The Bible teaches that “… the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

The Bible gives a wide range of pictures of itself—various images to describe what God’s Word is and does.

God’s Word is a seed that he plants.

Scripture is rain that soaks in and nourishes,

something sweet and delightful to eat, and

something that gives light and understanding.

The Bible is a sword that penetrates and makes sharp distinctions.

God’s Word is also a fire and a hammer to deal with what is cold and hard.

I believe there are times when we need a soft rain. There are also times we need a hammer to break apart our cold and hardened spirits. There are times as Psalm 8 reminds us, that God’s words “are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.”

The word of God is inspired, true, sufficient and has final authority over a Jesus follower. As we follow Jesus, we do not place our traditions, culture, feelings, wants and opinions over the word of God. When we hold the bible, we affirm that it is the very Word of God and we take joy in reading, meditating and studying it to know God and to also learn what it looks like to live as a member of the Kingdom of God.

It is important for us, to learn from the period of the Reformation, and to follow their lead to go back to the Scriptures to learn wisdom and understanding about the issues of life. Scripture teaches us to know God and it also helps us to know ourselves. Scripture reveals the truth about who we are, whose we are, and what we need for life. Scripture guides us to live a life that pleases and honors God.

All of life and wisdom and love are found in God’s Word, everything from hammers to honey.

LET US PRAY

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me. Thank you for the hammer and the seed and the rain you send in your Word. Help me to keep listening, so I may enjoy the full life you offer. Amen.

 

REFORMATION?

 OCTOBER 24, 2022

Our Devotions this week will focus on the key teachings and encouragement that come to us out the historical period know as the Reformation. I suppose I should tell you that a question prompted my preparing this series of devotionals. The question was REFORMATION? Why should I care? Why should we care? Why should many Christians pause in late October every year to recall, reflect and remember the events and teaching of the Reformation? My prayer is that by weeks end we will be able to answer these questions and be able to acknowledge why this act of remembering is a worthwhile exercise.


Today I want us to reflect on the value and importance of God’s Word. The teaching that came out of the period of the Reformation was captured in this phrase “By Scripture Alone.”

I was reading the other day about the praise that was being heaped on Martin Luther, a key leader during this period, for his work and the outcome of that work which resulted in a significant change in the life of the Church and indeed, Christian History. Luther’s response to the praise really struck me. Luther said, “I did nothing. The WORD did it!” Any achievement toward renewal and change was the result of the response to God’s word. There is perhaps a lesson in that for us in the Contemporary Church that what ought to drive our vision and mission and even structure is the study of God’s Word. Let the word do it. Luther in another place said that “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.” I pray that we all experience God’s Word in this way, we will all be better for it, as will the world around us.

TAKE AWAY

Read the following verses and take note of what “scripture is saying about scripture.” Write down key words or phrases or even questions that may come up for you.

2 Timothy 3:15-17

“… from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

 

AMBASSADORS ALL OF US

 OCTOBER 21, 2022

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.


We end the week of reflections with these words above from 2 Corinthians 5. What a beautiful, comforting and magnificent message we find in this text.

We have been reconciled to God through Christ and God, in His grace, longs to use us as His ambassadors of reconciliation. This is a special text for our congregation. We call ourselves, AMBASSADOR Community Church, and the term Ambassador is not referring to the Bridge that we cross to visit our American family and friends. It is not to some how communicate our geographical location of Windsor On. Rather, the name Ambassador points us to the last line of our reading today. 

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

We involve ourselves in ways that bring the message of reconciliation to our circle of influence.

As I was writing this devotion, I felt like the Spirit was asking me this question? I will also ask you to think about the question with me.

“Are you committed to this ministry of reconciliation to which you are called?”

We have been given a great gift – a gift too great not to share. A gift our culture needs to witness and hear.


TAKE AWAY

In what ways may God be longing to use you for this ministry of reconciliation?

What circle of influence has He given you?

At work?

School?

With friends?

With a team?

Other?

 

 

BEING CONTAGIOUS

 OCTOBER 20, 2022

Mark 1:17

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Jesus’ invitation to fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew shows that, not only did Jesus seek them out, but He would also send them out to seek others. This week we have been looking at those that God seeks out and finding our story and experience of grace in the story of Adam and Eve, and the image of sheep and the Good Shepherd who gives his all to clear the way for us to return to our Loving God and our proper place at home in intimacy with our creator.

Experiencing this amazing grace, this life changing love, can be contagious. We want others to learn and discover this good news. The word contagious makes us think of spreading a virus, and the potential of making others ill. What if we were to think of being contagious in another way, what if we were talk about Contagious Christianity. Spreading the good news of God’s love in “word and deed.” Sharing our own story of grace, spreading a story that has the potential of making others well.

Jesus’ calling is never one dimensional. He seeks and heals, restores us that we may, in turn, use our influence, and be used by Him to seek and give hope to someone else. The way we often say it in our Jesus community is that we are “Saved to Serve.” It’s as simple as sharing with others what we have experienced in Christ. Sharing our story of “once I was lost, but now I am found.”

TAKE AWAY

Perhaps a good exercise for us would be to think over our story and experience of grace. Reflecting on the highpoints and the low points, these form our story of God's grace and love in our lives. Maybe today as you reflect on that you might want to write down what comes to mind, or put in your notes app on your phone, and use these as part of the story you share at the Holy Spirits prompting.

I WILL FIND YOU

 OCTOBER 19, 2022

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Let start today by considering our own tendencies to wander from God. Think about a moment when “prone to wander” played out in your life and think about how the knowledge and pursuit of God’s love and grace drew you back more closely to him. Take a moment right now and give thanks for God’s provision and care of you his precious child. (PAUSE)

John 10 reminds us that Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, laid down His life for you and me. He pursues us when we are lost and have relapsed into our wandering ways.

What is the characteristic of a shepherd? The answer to this is revealed in scripture, think about how King David portrays God as the shepherd in Psalm 23. There the shepherding God, provided nourishment and rest. He guided them, leading the way. He was intimately involved with the flock and concerned for the safety of everyone. He was willing to sacrifice his own comfort, even his own life, for the sake of his sheep. The focus of a good shepherd was on his flock and their provision, guidance, and safety.

Jesus shares this metaphor of a shepherd to help us understand both our own situation, and our value to God. We need a shepherd, and Jesus is willing not only to lead us, but also to lay down His life for us, the ultimate sacrifice to bring us back into the safety of God’s flock.

Ezekiel 34 tells us God's promise,

"I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. . . I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, ... I will shepherd the flock with justice."

LET US PRAY

Be our shepherd, O Lord,
and bless us with all good things
that we may be refreshed
with your overflowing cup
and dwell in your house forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ludolph of Saxony, d. 1378

 (a German  theologian of the fourteenth century.His principal work, first printed in the 1470s, was the Vita Christi (Life of Christ) and has had an influence on the value of Christian Meditation)

 

I "GO a’ WANDERING”

 OCTOBER 18, 2022

Isaiah 53:6 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Yesterday we looked at Adam and Eve and their hiding from God because of disobedience. Yet the Creator, out of love seeks them and calls out to them. Our God is a God who seeks and pursues us out of love, we said.

In our verse today from that beautiful passage in Isaiah 53, we see a comparison made between sheep and humans. Those who tend sheep say that they will wonder off out of fear, lack of attention, something catches their eye and they want to inspect it, need more personal space, or they are not walking straight. So, Isaiah 53 says “we all” have gone astray and turned to our own way.

Perhaps, you have sung these words at church, “Prone to wander Lord I feel It, prone to leave the God I love.” Sounds like the description of the sheep above doesn’t it? Elsewhere in the song we sing and acknowledge that without God’s grace wanderers we will always be. Do these words sound familiar? “Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.”

The Good News of the Bible is that while we “go a’ wandering” God has provided a way for our return to the flock, to where we belong. The suffering Servant described in Isaiah 53 is descriptive of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is on him that “the Lord has laid the iniquity of us all" and provided for our reconciliation with him.

Now that’s our good, good Father. As yesterday, so today we see that God is love and calls out to those in hiding, calls out and searches for the fearful, the distracted, those wandering on the crooked path and makes a clear path of a safe return home to the fold through Jesus. That is a story worth sharing don't you think?

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:

prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

Amen

COME OUT OF HIDING

 OCTOBER 17, 2022

Genesis 3:8-10 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.


Have you ever felt like Adam and Eve did in this circumstance? They knew they had done the very thing God had commanded them NOT to do. And they, filled with shame and feeling exposed, hid from God.

Rather than going TO GOD, they went FROM GOD.

I believe it is easy for us to get in the mindset that we need to hide our sin from God. But these verses gives us insight into God’s heart on the matter of our "falling short," of when our choices do not line up with God's intent for us.

We see that God sought out Adam and Eve. He knew precisely what they had done and the shame they were feeling because of it. Yet in His love, God continued to pursue them by calling out to them "Where are you?"

God does the same for each of us.

I find this truth both beautiful and comforting. Our God is a God who seeks and pursues us out of love.

Once we are able to receive and experience that incredible grace from God, we have an amazing story to tell to others who may be in hiding from God. Fellow journeyers who need to know how much God loves them and that He pursues them with His grace and love.

Give this song a listen and let its message grab you.

TAKE AWAY

Consider your experience of God’s love and grace for you. 

Do you need to come out of hiding and be reconciled to Him?

Who do you know that needs to know of this grace-filled love of God?

 

REMEMBER

 OCTOBER 14, 2022

Deuteronomy 24:17–22

17 “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. 20 When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.

21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.
___________

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there.  Deuteronomy 24:18.

I find it amazing how a random sound, sight or smell can transport me back to a past event or person. Our brains are wired to remember. In our brain, the hippocampus helps with memories of experiences and knowing people’s faces. The cerebellum makes sure we can recall how to do things, like driving a car or playing the piano. The prefrontal cortex is active in remembering little details and solving complex problems. God, our designer, created us to recall and remember. Yet, if you are like me, we forget!

It can be annoying when we forget our car keys, passwords, or pin codes. How about when we cannot remember whether we closed and locked the door or switched off the oven, before you left for an evening. The reality of forgetting has resulted with us coming up with ways to remember. We scribble a message on the white board in our kitchen, or stick a note on the fridge, maybe you write on your hands, create a phone reminder, set an alarm or ask a family member for help to remember. Why? Because it’s important to remember.

It’s important to remember where you work and live, how to get places and how to get back. Remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and special moments to be celebrated.

An important act of Remembering is that we are created in God’s image, along with every other human on earth, reminds us that every person we encounter in our day is inherently valuable, special, loved, forgiven and important.

Remembering that Christ, fully human and fully God, bore our sin, suffered, died and rose to eternal life brings daily and eternal hope through his gift of grace. How do we respond? What are we called to do? I hear Micah the prophet say, Our response is to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. By grace, we are set free. Set Free to remember. Set Free to serve.

LET US PRAY

Lord of all ages, Lord of my heart, thank you for loving me fully today. Help me to remember that I am set free to love and serve you and others. Give me the heart to notice and value others. Amen.

 

STAND OUT

 OCTOBER 13, 2022

Philippians 2:12–16

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world, 16 holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

__________________________

… children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.                                                                     Philippians 2:15-16

I like that phrase, “you shine like stars in the universe’. I recall laying on the beach around midnight in Grand Bend with my daughter and looking up, and seeing infinite stars marking the night sky. Generally, only clouds can prevent you from seeing the stars at night there. They stand out.

The Apostle Paul contrasts followers of Jesus with what is around them, what he calls, a warped and crooked generation. The Bible teaches that followers of Jesus have the mindset of Jesus himself. Philippians 2:5 says, ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus’. Paul is saying that the followers of Jesus therefore stand out in the culture around them.

Notice verse 13 and this is important, ‘For it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose’. If followers of Jesus are going to shine like the stars, then it will be because of the light of God reflecting in us, and from us. If it is God who works in us, then that’s a work he continually does. God is still doing it. He fills us with his love so that as we stand out, what really stands out is that God’s love flows from us into the world around us. So, if our shining comes from God, if the light we display is his light, we can and are making a difference. We Stand Out!!

LET US PRAY

Loving God, work in me through your Spirit so that I can reflect your light and shine like stars and STAND OUT in the world around me. Amen.

 

 

RELEASING UNCERTAINTIES

 OCTOBER 12, 2022

Psalm 111

1 
Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111:2

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.


I am sure you will agree with me that we live with a great measure of uncertainty. Whether we are looking at Geo-political issues in our world, cost of living, housing costs or grocery prices, we do not know what lies ahead of us in the future, we don’t know about the length of our existence here on Earth. But we do have the certainty of God’s grace right now.

No matter what the future holds, we rest confidently that God will lead us into the future, God will remain at our side as we experience it, and God will remind us over and over again that nothing can separate us from his love, mercy and grace.

That is what psalmist said: the Lord is gracious and compassionate; he remembers his covenant; the works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are steadfast forever and ever; holy and awesome is his name.

So even though we have a certain level of uncertainty about life:

We can experience each day as a new opportunity to delight in what God has given us.

We can make plans and decisions for the future. We can look forward to many different experiences, good and bad, knowing that God will be present with us and continue to teach us to trust in him.

We can recommit ourselves to action. And we can pledge our support to the work of God’s Kingdom eagerly and joyfully.

When our lives are is God’s hands and beneath us are the “everlasting arms of a strong God” who rules and reigns over all things, we can live every day in the comfort of God’s presence and care and guidance.

I wonder what the outcome for us might be if we focused on God’s commitment to us, on God’s promises to us. If we were to concentrate on his character, on who God has revealed himself to be, to focus on the certainties we have in our creator and spend less time considering the uncertainties. I going to give that a try, will you join me?

LET US PRAY

Lord God, thank you that in and through your Son Jesus Christ, we have hope and confidence about your presence, power and promises in our lives. Renew us each day in our faith in you and keep us active and joyful in our service so that we can share our joy in our relationship with you with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

 OCTOBER 11, 2022

This has become one of my most meaningful Thanksgiving Prayers based on Psalm 100.
I hope you find these good words helpful in expressing your thankfulness as we end our series on Thanks.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

For all the times we laughed till our
sides ached;
for all the times we were troubled,
and friends we didn't even know
we had sprang up from nowhere
and ministered to us;
for all the times we could have chosen
evil over good, but didn't;
for all the times we could have been
hurt, but weren't;
O Lord, we thank you.

Know that the Lord is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

For the sheer wonder of our creation,
preservation, and redemption;
for the privilege of prayer, the gift of
the Spirit, and the gifts of the
Spirit;
for the everlasting arms beneath us,
the watchful eye above us,
the friends around us,
and the trust within us;
O Lord, we thank you.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! For the Lord is good.

For seedtime and harvest and food
enough;
for every good night's sleep and
every good day's work,
every good friend and every grand
sunset;
for warm memories of the past, and
the promise of an eternal
tomorrow;
for eyes to see beauty,
ears to hear a bird's songs,
hands to hold someone else's hands,
and for someone else's hands to hold;
O Lord, we thank you.

His steadfast love endures for ever and his faithfulness to all generations.

For all persons whose love for us is
unconditional,
and in whose presence we can drop
all pretense, be ourselves, and
know that we shall be accepted;
for the one who calls us long distance,
and the one who calls us darling,
and the one who calls us Dad or
Mom,
and for the one who shall one day
call us into eternity;
O Lord, we thank you.

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his bounty unto me?
I will offer unto him the sacrifice of
thanksgiving. Amen.

 

THE DISCIPLINE of GRATITUDE

 OCTOBER 10, 2022

I pray that you have or had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with many blessings.

GENESIS 1:12c

And God saw that it was good.

MARK 6:37-44

37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”

“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”

38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”

They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.

41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.



Gratitude is a spiritual practice of seeing and celebrating the good in the world around us. This is not an easy task. The culture around us shoves us toward a focus on what is wrong or bad and needs to be fixed now, or what crisis needs to be prevented, or the newest gadget or invention to make our life better. Culture creates, it seems to me, a dissatisfaction about life that makes it difficult to practice the spiritual discipline of Gratitude.

I find, maybe you notice this too, that learning to notice the good things around us takes practice, we have to work at it. Here is some “Good News” for us to remember that every time you “flex your gratitude muscle you get stronger, more grateful.” It feels good to be grateful. When we are grateful/thankful people our connection with God who is the source of all goodness becomes closer and more intimate.

Today in our Gospel reading I want you to notice that this story is saying that we do not need to look for big miraculous things to be grateful for. There is an old song that used to be sung titled, “Little is Much When God Is in It.” In Mark 6 today Jesus is revealing that gratitude can begin with something very small. Yes, “Little is Much When God Is in It.” Look at the Gospel again, it is a day when it seemed like Jesus and his followers wouldn’t have enough to eat, Jesus looked up to heaven and thanked God, now notice this, thanked God for the food they had (Mark 6:37-44). When Jesus did this, (Gave Thanks) the little they had multiplied from 5 loaves and a couple fish to abundantly feeding 5,000 plus men, women and children.

I wonder if the Gospel take away today is to encourage us to pause and begin our gratitude practice by simply noticing what is good in the world around you. Perhaps we need to be reminded of what God saw when he looked at the world he created, Genesis 1:12c says “God saw that it was good.”

TAKE AWAY


What is good in the world around you right now? Example: If the chair you’re sitting on is comfortable, thank God for that.


During your day, make it a point to notice one thing that’s good.


Before you go to bed tonight, think back on your day. What was good today that you can thank God for? Making a list of these might be good practice.

LET US PRAY

God, thank you for the good you put in our lives everyday. Reveal your goodness to me that I may learn the spiritual practice of Gratitude. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

WE THANK and PRAISE YOU GOD

 OCTOBER 8, 2022

Gracious God,
you supply us with blessings beyond our deserving.

We thank you for your creation
and every sign of your presence within it,
for your everlasting grace and forgiveness,
for the risen Lord, who has gone before us
and calls us to follow him.
We thank and praise you, O Lord our God.

For our homes and our loved ones,
for work to do, and strength to do it,
for moments of gladness that sparkle our day,
we thank and praise you, O Lord our God.

For our faith and all that sustains it,
for all whose lives and examples have persuaded us that the journey is worth the taking, for your caring discipline that keeps our faith pure, we thank and praise you, O Lord our God.

For the depths of the sea where our falseness lies buried, for the guiding comfort of your Holy Spirit, for the powerful promise of life everlasting, we thank and praise you, O Lord our God,

Amen

BIG HEARTED

 OCTOBER 7, 2022

Psalms 9:1

I will praise you, LORD, 

with all my heart;

I will tell of all the marvelous things 

you have done.


If your doctor told you today that you had an enlarged heart, this would not be good news. Cardiomegaly is the medical term, this can lead to a significant list of problems. When it comes to your physical heart, you do not want it to be any larger than it is at present.

However, when it comes to our spiritual heart, our inner being, our soul, enlargement is a good thing. In the Westminster Catechism there is a wonderful phrase used under the question "How are we to pray?" "We are to pray, it says with “thankful, and enlarged hearts.” I like that wording, it speaks to the benefits of Thankfulness and Gratitude.

Gratitude enlarges our hearts, making us more open, more thoughtful, more loving. Our bible passage for today asks us to consider how important Thank You is. “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." The point being made is that thanksgiving and an enlarged heart go hand in hand.

When we consider all that God has done,

when we acknowledge him with gratitude,

not only does God receive the honor he is due,  our hearts become unified and enlarged too.

Think for a moment of the people you know that you would describe as "big-hearted, people", who love well, who enjoy life, who share themselves freely, who live with this openness for whatever God has for them. My experience has been, perhaps yours too, these “big hearted people” are grateful people, they are people who are aware of how richly they have been blessed, and they speak and live gratefully.

I want to be one of those people. I expect we all  do. Well, a good starting point if you want an enlarged heart, is by thanking God for all of his marvelous works! Let’s do that today and everyday.

TAKE AWAY

What are you thankful for right now?

Who is/are the “big hearted person(s)” in your life? Thank them, thank God for them.

LET US PRAY

God, I want to have an enlarged spiritual heart, a heart full of love, a heart brimming with joy, a heart open to even more of what you would pour into me. So, as I ask you to expand my heart, I ask you to stir up gratitude in me. Amen.