SEARCHLIGHT

  FEBRUARY 1, 2023 Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Joseph’s story is an extended example of the truth Paul later expresses in Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” . Despite everything that had happened in the long story of Joseph’s life, he was able to say that God had sent him ahead into Egypt, to save life, not to destroy it (Genesis 45:5,7). It was not the jealousy and betrayal of his brothers that had carried him there, but the hand of God. We can’t always see this truth, at the time of difficult situations. Most often, perhaps always, we see it only in retrospect. Looking back we see the hand of providence and we are comforted by the fact that there is no truer reality than this: God’s plans will be accomplished.  Joseph’s story is the great example for us. Jesus’ story is the guar

 JANUARY 31, 2023 Psalm 27:4 One thing I asked of the Lord; this I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. If you could ask God for only one thing, what would it be?  (Pause give some thought to that question) Here in Psalm 27, we see David’s “One Thing.” I saw list of people responding to my opening question on a recent post and generally the responses were on everyday things, like prosperity, health, family needs, and possessions. Now these are natural requests for humankind. They are not wrong; they certainly are deep longings in us. David’s “one thing” though stands in distinction to these. David says, One thing I asked of the Lord; this I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Why is this David’s request? Well, the outcome is certainly important to life. Wouldn’t you agree?

 JANUARY 30, 2023 Isaiah 51:16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand – I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people’   Here we are reminded of the remarkable splendor  of God and that we are his people! In Isaiah 51:9–16 we read of the actions of God, that reveals his “mighty arm” at work. Read the full passage and have a look at these awesome actions. I find it helpful at times to reflect on my relationship with God in a broader context by thinking and remembering God’s mighty acts: imagine the power to make the sea a pathway rather than a barrier. I wonder if we pause sufficiently to consider the power of our Creator God, and the access we have to this power as his worshipper. I ask that question because here in our passage we are reminded that even though God’s people were rescued, they still forgot and turned away from God later. These mighty acts of God are remembered … and the

 JANUARY 27, 2023 Psalm 40 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 4 Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. 5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. 6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” 9 I

 JANUARY 26, 2023 Matthew 3:13-17 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” One of the beautiful realities in Christianity is the diversity we find in various traditions. For example, lets take Epiphany for a moment, in many traditions it is a day or a Sunday, while other traditions mark Epiphany with several weeks of focus. In the Eastern Churches, the Orthodox church, Epiphany actually receives more attention in worship and practices then Christmas

 JANUARY 20, 2023 Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 44:3 I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants and my blessing on your offspring. John 4:10,14 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water. . . those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” I am going to invite you to use your imagination to picture in your minds eye a painting I want to describe to you. The artist created a painting that was inspired by our reading above, called “Living Water”. He painted a barren desert floor, so dry and cracked from the sun that parts of the hard ground started to lift off around the edges. Can you picture it?

 JANUARY 19, 2023 Isaiah 43:1b Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and lecturer during the time of the German Nazi regime, was thrown into prison and would later be executed for his involvement in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. While behind bars, Bonhoeffer wrote a poem to express his inner turmoil called ‘Who am I?’. In it, he said that, on the one hand, he appeared at peace and strong, knowing he was in God’s hands and that, ultimately, nothing could harm him. On the other hand, behind bars, he felt unsettled and caged, hungering for freedom, safety, and his loved ones. Does this experience sound familiar to you? You rest assured in the hands of God, yet you also can’t help but feel restless because of something big going on in your life. In the messy in between time we wrestle with our faith, that turmoil is part of, as the scriptures say,  being refined in the fire . Bonhoeffer’s poem concludes w

 JANUARY 18, 2023 Isaiah 42:16b I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. How much do you like change? I suppose I could guess what your answer is. It depends on what the change concerns, you might think. The truth is that we are creatures of habit and the thought of change unnerves us. The unfamiliar causes us a measure of fear and anxiousness. If you are anything like me, you likely find comfort in being able to predict things and find familiarity in how things are. The Gospels tells us that Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, led people to the kingdom of God along unfamiliar paths like servanthood, humility, and inclusion, Jesus turned darkness into light. What this means for us is that when we live our lives in the presence of Jesus, we can be confident in the midst of the changes we face in life. I will admit it, Unfamiliar paths can be uncomfortable, but in the discomfort and fear of

  JANUARY 17, 2023 Isaiah 53:3 ... a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. Jeremiah 31:25 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” Jesus experienced a full range of human emotion during his earthly ministry. He felt joy. He felt disappointment . He felt the sting of betrayal. He felt sorrow. And He felt anger. Perhaps you recall that he made a whip and drove the moneychangers out of the temple in Jerusalem. They had made the house of God a den of robbers, Jesus said. God’s house was no longer a place of prayer for all nations. Jesus was angry at such practices. And He also was angry after Lazarus died. John’s gospel tells us, “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled” (11:33 NLT).  Was Jesus angry with Mary or her sister, Martha? No. Was He angry with the people who were with Mary and Martha? No. Jesus was angry with death itself. He was angry that th

JANUARY 16, 2023  Today our friends in the US celebrate a holiday that is called Martin Luther King Jr. day. The legacy of Dr. King has had an impact in North America and around the world, even in our own City of Windsor, On. One of Dr. Kings, many visits to Windsor took place in 1963 on March 14, where he delivered a speech at the Cleary Auditorium which is now part of St. Clair College. Dr King it is said he was "enamored with Windsor’s relative racial harmony, the peaceful approach of its civil rights workers."   Proverbs 14:31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship. Proverbs 19:17 When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back. ​ At the foundation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign was his desire to break chains of economic injustice that bound millions of people to a life of poverty. King appealed to the hearts of his listeners with

  JANUARY 13, 2023 Matthew 2:16 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious Proverbs 29:25 25 Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place. 1 John 4:18 . . . perfect love drives out fear What's wrong with the world? Have you ever asked that? Have you heard someone ask that kind of question? As I was writing yesterday's devotional it occurred to me that what we were reading was a comparison of two kings, two kingdoms, two opposite world views. On the one side we have a kingdom of fear and on the other a kingdom of Peace. Now perhaps I am being a too simplistic here, yet I’ll risk it to point out that I see something in this story of Matthew 2:13-18 that just might give an answer to our opening question: What’s wrong with the world? Do you recall the question that resulted in Herod being in a panic? The Magi asked, “Where is the child who has been born ki

 JANUARY 12, 2023 Matthew 2:11-18 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordanc

 JANUARY 11, 2023 LUKE 2:40b - 52 ... the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been

 JANUARY 10, 2023 ISAIAH 60:1-2 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Psalms 18:28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. As mentioned previously in our devotions Epiphany refers to a revelation and realization that Christ is the Son of God. The Messiah promised through the prophetic words of the Old Testament. God’s anointed One will show up and “the People walking in Darkness will see a great light.” (Isaiah 9) The arrival of this one will result in the hopeful song and message that says “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Jesus is that light. The light that we spoke of yesterday to which we are drawn toward. Isaiah 60 concludes with these words, "The sun shall no longer be your light by da

 JANUARY 9, 2023 JOHN 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. The season of Epiphany reminds us that the light has come. Epiphany means revelation, revealing, appearance, or manifestation of Jesus to the world. The sudden invasio

 JANUARY 6, 2023 The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning "manifestation or appearance." The “Epiphany season,” begins with the journey and visit of the Magi (Wisemen) and then reflections focusing the Baptism of Jesus, the water into wine story, and on the teaching and healing ministry of Christ. All of these accounts shine a revealing "light" on who Jesus is. Numbers 8:1-3 The LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell Aaron that when he sets up the seven lamps in the lampstand, he is to place them so their light shines forward.” 3So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. One of the notable realities about the Bible’s message is that it has a future focus. The scripture story, and the history and events it describes are going somewhere, they are moving God’s story of revelation forward. Many times, in the words and teachings of Scripture we discover God’s promises for tomorrow. Repeatedly Go

 JANUARY 5, 2023 1 Corinthians 1:20 All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. He has anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Amen! 2 Peter 1:4 [God] "has given us his very great and precious promises" There is no greater source of hope than God’s faithful declaration to be close to each and everyone of us. Over and over our God declares “I will be with you.” That is our Creator's promise. Today I want to remind you of an important truth which is: “God is Closer than you Think!” As children of the true and living God, our confidence is founded on God’s promise to be near, close, with us, for us, among us. This "presence" reality should be at the core of our hope. This is indeed one of those "great and precious promises" that are "Yes ... through Chris

 JANUARY 4, 2022 JOHN 1:1-3 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. Genesis 1 emphasizes that God spoke our world into existence. Over and over we read "God said... and there was …” (See Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29). John begins his gospel by introducing us to that creative Word of God, who is Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem, the word that was made flesh. (John 1:1-3, 14-18) Jesus is God at work. The relationship of God as Father, Son, and Spirit stands out as a relationship that demonstrates the life-giving power that created and shaped all that is by God's powerful Word. Even now, in this moment, as you read this devotion, it is the Son who holds the world together as God's powerful Word. (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3) Jesus, as the Word of God, reminds us that God has made the impact of spoken