A WAY OUT

MARCH 1, 2023

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.


Are you familiar with the following saying: “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”? This is a statement most of us have heard. Maybe we have said it at one time or another.

Can I ask when it was said to you, 

how did it feel to hear it?

Was it a comfort to hear?

Was it said in a loving way, or in a trivializing way?

What was the context and situation of your life when it was spoken?

Generally, these words are spoken in a supportive way, as an attempt to comfort someone who is facing challenges that are outside of their control. Maybe the person is grieving. Maybe the person is facing financial hardship, or struggling with mental illness, or a broken relationship. It is in these shattering places, that “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle” is offered. Now, maybe I am way off base here, but my experience has been that when someone is at the point of devastation, hopelessness or even despair, the words “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle” rarely work to comfort that person. I have said these words to people in the hard places in life, in reflection, I wonder if I spoke them because I was uncomfortable with another persons situation, and I just didn’t know what to say. I wonder if it would have been better for them is I had said nothing and just sat with them and listened.

A friend said to me, that this sentence sounds like a trite, churchy way of saying, “suck it up, buttercup, clearly this is something you can handle, so quit your belly-aching.” I don’t know if she is correct, but this certainly isn’t what we intend to say. Yet, this is the way that it is often received, so I believe that we should just reassess saying it! No one needs to hear, or is comforted by notion that God has given them the hardship they face, and that he did so because he knows they can handle it if they just try hard enough.

But this saying isn’t it in the Bible? This verse we are reading today is probably the closest thing to the well-known platitude but this verse does not say that God gives us anything. Look up top and read it again. The context of the verse is important, it uses the history of God’s people and the way they sinned against God to encourage Christians to avoid the same pitfalls of sin. This reading tells us of God’s FAITHFULNESS and calls us to humility. Look closer at these verses again; what do you see God doing? God isn’t giving challenges, or testing people at all, but instead God rescues us, saves us, show us a way out, and gives us endurance. You may not agree with me, but I believe this is much better news, than maybe we thought!

LET US PRAY

God,
You are always here for us, and the path you guide us in is the path of righteousness, peace, and life. Teach us the depth of your love and the discipline that goes with it. Teach us that redemption is always the point. In Jesus’ name, Amen

ON WATCH 24/7

 FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.


The Pastor begins with “God is good!” The people declare, “All the time!” Then the people call out, “All the time.” And the Pastor echoes, “God is good!”

Psalm 121 is a declaration of faith, a recitation of trust in God, no matter what. This is divine assurance, not some insignificant optimism. The question is real, “From where will my help come?” The ground under the nation may be shaking. The voices of violence, hostility, and cruelty threaten by day and by night. Are Community leaders sleeping? Is anyone keeping an eye on us, watching over us?

Psalm 121 served to remind God’s people that God’s support and care were constant and unfailing (Psalm 121:3-4). I want you to know, that the promises in Psalm 121 are as true for God’s children today as they were thousands of years ago. No matter what situation we face, we can rely on the God who created heaven and earth, to be our provision and protection. (Psalm 121:5-8).

We are on a journey, and Psalm 121 is a wonderful song for the journey. The Maker of heaven and earth watches over every aspect of your life. God is for you! You can trust him in all things. So, take comfort in this. Learn to trust God in all things and to look for the good in all the details of life. God cares for you. He will provide for you. He is there to help you. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Yes, God is good, all the time. All the time God is good!! As the apostle confirms, nothing “in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:31–39).

LET US PRAY

Jesus, be with me today, and with those I
love, and with all who need your care. May we remember that our help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. Help us to trust the one who neither slumbers nor sleeps for all things. Amen.

'I DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM"

 FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Luke 22:54-63

54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

63 The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him.

In the gospels Peter is known for being a courageous, at times stubborn and hard-nosed person. As one of the 12 disciples and a member of what many call Jesus’ inner circle, he seems to have been someone who was loyal and committed to Jesus too.

Remember, he was the disciple who got out of the boat to walk on water with Jesus. At that final Passover, he was the one ready to go to prison or even die with Jesus. At Jesus’ arrest, Peter even cut the ear off one of the soldiers. And he seems to be the only one who followed Jesus to his trial.

But something changed. As Peter was waiting for the outcome of Jesus’ trial, a slave girl saw him and said, “He was one of Jesus’ followers!” Peter responded, “I don’t even know him!” Someone else saw Peter and said, “You must be one of the disciples!” “No, I am not!” Peter insisted. An hour later, someone else said, “This man must be one of them. He’s a Galilean!” Again, Peter denied it. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

A fair conclusion is that Peter’s loyalty and commitment only went so far; that when he was truly cornered, Peter turned out to be all about Peter. Wait, before we cast some severe judgement in Peter’s direction, I’m not sure we are any different. In our most honest assessment, like Peter, don't our loyalties and commitments only go so far? When things get truly frightening, difficult, and painful, when we feel cornered, don’t most of us go into self-preservation mode, where survival becomes more important than anything or anyone else?

The end of Peter’s story is not his action of self-preservation. There is more to Peter’s story, and to our story as well. After his resurrection, Jesus personally approached Peter, forgave him, and restored him to community. Here is the amazing news, Jesus does that for us, too! You see, what our Bible tells us is that No matter how much we mess up, how much we demonstrate to be all about ourselves, Jesus is there for us: ready to forgive us and to bring us back to our proper place in his community, to his inner circle.

LET US PRAY

Heavenly Father, accept our honest confession of the wrongs we have chosen, the unfairness to which we have been party, and our denials of your grace and mercy. Would you turn us toward the love and forgiveness offered in your Son, and cleanse us by your mercy, forgive us, bring renewal through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

SUNDAY THOUGHTS

 FEBRUARY  26, 2023

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

According to the church calendar, Sundays are not actually part of the calculations of the 40 days of the Lenten season. Sunday remains as always, a reminder of Easter—a celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord—Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

So perhaps it is fitting on this day of Resurrection that we dwell for few moments on the Resurrection theme.

In this moment may we hear the good news that God loved the world, and that through faith in him we receive the gift of new life, that leads to everlasting life.

LET US PRAY

God of grace and glory, let our songs and imaginations raise to sing your praises for your love you have shown to all your creation in the gift of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

A QUESTION WORTH PONDERING

 FEBRUARY  24, 2023

Matthew 4:1–11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.



Jesus is ready to begin his mission and ministry. At his baptism he has just heard the benediction of the voice from heaven, “This is my beloved Son. In him I am well pleased!” With a lineage like that, as God’s beloved Son, what more does one need?

Reading our today’s Bible passage, it is little wonder, that almost in the next breath after the heavenly announcement, the devil appears to test Jesus, as if to say, “You’ve got it all. Go for it. Just trust yourself!” But “what if?” What if that trust is misplaced? As John the Baptist will later push Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). Our Matthew 4 reading above, emphasizes for us that with each challenge the Devil presents to the Beloved Son of God, Jesus refuses the bait and reaffirms and restates his trust in God and God’s word.

Jesus’ example is certainly a model for us to ponder in our day to day journey. Perhaps this is the question we all need to answer, 

“When all the “what if’s” come our way,

 in what or in whom will we place our trust?

Who will be our God?

Who will we trust to see us through this journey?

Who has loved us and blessed us and sent us on our way?

Who has pointed us toward the path
and posted the signs we need to find our way?

Will you choose this day to stay faithful to the One who is faithful to us?
Will you choose this day to place your whole trust in the One who is trustworthy?

  

 

LET US PRAY

God of promise, when temptations come to place our trust in ourselves or in the world around us, teach us to follow our Lord’s example and place our trust securely in God's word and the promises of God. Amen.

A CENTERED HEART

 FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Matthew 6:1–21

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Our gospel reading from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount with its focus on the practice of devotion, paying attention to matters of righteousness, the proper behaviour of giving, prayer, and fasting, seems to be the kind of teaching we might expect at the outset of the season of Lent.

Our reading’s concluding words, invites us to consider where our heart is truly centered. Where or what our treasures are. These words serve as a caution for us to be mindful that the Lenten journey is not simply an inward journey. I believe that this is emphasized in the words of our Lord’s Prayer which would encourage us to focus on the mercy of our Father in heaven, on God’s kingdom coming among us in the doing of God’s will, and on God’s gift of daily life-giving bread, all of which enable us to live in merciful relationships in our world.

LET US PRAY

Our Father in heaven, teach us to live as our Lord taught us to pray, with our heart centered on the treasure of your love and forgiveness that renew and sustain us for each day of our journey. Amen.

FROM DUST to FIRST-FRUITS

 FEBRUARY 22, 2023

GENESIS 3:19

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

I CORINTHIANS 15:20

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.


The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. We sit in this solemn feeling of our own mortality, imperfection, brokenness, and sin. Lent begins in humbleness. In the mindfulness of our own greatest need. It glosses over nothing, Ash Wednesday’s theme results in feeling the burden of a shattered world, overwhelmed by death. Many of us have experienced the weight of this, the Russian-Ukrainian invasion and war, a massive world wide refugee crisis, food and housing insecurity, gun violence, the drug epidemic taking too many young lives, and more recently the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. We do not have to look far for images of a shattered world do we?

But the Good News is that LENT doesn’t remain there. As we shall see in the days ahead there is an inescapable movement toward the source of life. Lent prepares our hearts to remember again the wonder of Easter’s resurrection and new life.

And so, over the next forty days we journey toward that bright dawning of our hope, our forgiveness, our restoration, redemption, and renewal, the glorious reversal of sin and death bursting into this world and into our own lives in the glory of the
resurrection; the resurrection of Jesus. In his own resurrection, is the "flowering promise" of our own
bodily resurrections and the hope of eternal life, the hope toward which we, along with all creation, so deeply desire.

Yes, Lent begins in the “disturbing shadow of our mortality,” but do not miss that the season climaxes in the glorious hope of our eternal life in Jesus.

While our culture seldom acknowledges the significance and inescapability of our mortality, scripture encourages us to soberly consider those very things, for the purpose that instead of recklessly chasing after less important things we might instead live our lives investing our days in what is eternal, in love and service to others, and in the advancing of the kingdom of God through good stewardship of the moments, relationships, talents and resources entrusted to us.

LET US PRAY

Now may the Lord and Father of us all, who leads us from death to life, be at work in and through and around you in this time of prayerful consideration and reflection during the season of Lent. Amen.

MMMMM .... Sweet Words

 FEBRUARY 21, 2023

PSALM 119:103

“How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

When I came to Windsor, On in 1996, I became a participant in a local tradition celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This tradition was inherited from the time of the middle ages through Polish immigration. On the Tuesday before Lent, the people of Poland used up food so that it would not be spoiled or wasted during the fasting season called Lent. Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich treats, called Pączki (punch-key).

The first year that I participated, I heard that a local bakery, Blak’s it was, would have 35,000 of these oversized donuts filled with fruit, or custard and when they were gone that was it until next year. Well, all the hype over these Pączki meant that I just had to get some to share with my family. I rose early on that Tuesday because I did not want to miss out of this experience. Some of you are laughing at me I suppose, because you know, what I didn’t know, that these treats are rather plentiful in our area. Well, it was worth it, that is all I will say. Paczki are filled with sweetness that we enjoyed.

Thinking about Pączki today made me think about these Bible words from Psalm 119:103:

“How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

I also thought of Jeremiah 15:16,

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”

And the account in Ezekiel 3:1-3 “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”

Finally, the testimony of Psalm 104:34, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD

In our Bible verse today God’s words, are called sweet to the taste, “sweeter than honey in my mouth”, says the Poet. Honey is of course a natural sweetener. God’s words, we are being told bring a sweetness to the life we live. As Jesus followers our lives should crave the sweetness of God’s words, just as our tongues crave sweet desserts, or more fitting today I suppose is the craving for Pączki.

Almost everyone knows the meaning of sweet. It means a pleasant taste like sugar or honey, which is opposed to that which is bitter. 

How can words be delicious? What does it mean that God’s law is sweet?  We know that Scripture contains the true words of God, given to us so that we can know what God loves and values and wants for his people. It also helps us know how to live in the world so wonderfully created. The Bible isn’t just a collection of random stories or a list of harsh rules. It’s an instruction manual for our lives. It’s a love letter from God to His people. When we read the Bible, we want it to be like enjoying our favorite dessert, can't wait to taste and experience the sweetness. We can think about what God's words mean and how they can help us or make our lives better. When we think of it that way, it truly is sweeter than honey!

So read it, embrace it, enjoy it, think about it, and love the Word of God! It lasts forever, helps us in every way. Charles Spurgeon wrote “All the sweetness you can get from earthly joy will be exceeded by the sweetness of an applied promise from the Word of God.”

If you sit down to a Pączki today and take that bite and taste that sweet filling, pause and remember the sweetness of God’s word and the promises God makes to you today, and everyday. Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good, crave God’s spiritual food!

LET US PRAY

God,
Thank you for your Word
Thank you that when we read the Bible we can know your heart
Help us meditate on the sweetness of your words
And savor it like tasty treasure!
Thank you for your love
In Jesus name, Amen!

TEACH ME YOUR HOLY WAYS, O LORD

 FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Psalm 119:33-40

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
36 Turn my heart to your decrees
and not to selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
be gracious to me according to your word.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
which is for those who fear you.
39 Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
for your ordinances are good.
40 See, I have longed for your precepts;
in your righteousness be gracious to me.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes… Psalm 119:33

Have you ever read Psalm 119 in one sitting? If you have you would have noticed the poet’s deep longing, the cry from his heart.

Many writers describe Psalm 119 as a devotional on the word of God. Bible scholars suggest that it was most likely composed originally in writing (rather than orally) and this writing was intended to be read instead of sung or recited. Most of its text is addressed to God, blending prayers with the declaration of a passionate devotion to God’s law, that is, to God’s word. The author humbly and honestly admits the rebellious ways of his heart and life, the pain and fruit of the Lord’s discipline through affliction, and his suffering from those who are hostile toward him. Underscored in the Psalm are God’s instructions for life, and God’s gracious promises.

Hearing the deep longing and desire of the psalmist’s heart in today’s reading, can you make them your own requests of the Lord? One of the amazing blessings we receive from our God that fills us with gratitude is that God’s Holy Spirit lives in us, teaching us, giving us insight into God’s word, deepening our understanding, changing our hearts, renewing our minds, and transforming us into women and men who are holy and acceptable to our creator.

Psalm 119 records for us the psalmist longing for a deeper work of God in him that would enable him to walk in the ways of the Lord, to take God at his word into daily life. He was hungry for a growing relationship with the God, recognising that only God could turn his eyes away from worthless things, and turn his heart toward the worship of the true and living God.

Likewise, let us be intentional in relying on the Holy Spirit to bring God’s word alive in us and through us.

LET US PRAY

Lord, we ask for insight into, and understanding of, your word and ways every day. Amen

 

LOVE YOURSELF

 FEBRUARY 17, 2023

GALATIANS 5:14

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Today, I invite you to look with me at the importance of love, that is directed toward ourselves. Above we read that the apostle Paul said that, the entire law is summed up in a single command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Could it be that the love that we direct toward ourselves, the quality of that love, the generosity of that love, has a great deal to do with how well we love our neighbors, with how we love others. I had a colleague who argued, that if you can't love yourself well, you cannot love others well. He wholeheartedly believed, that inability to love ourselves had a huge impact on how we could respond to loving God “With our heart, soul and strength.”

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' there is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

Loving your neighbor as yourself is found eight times in the Bible. Not once. Not twice. Eight times. Loving your neighbor as yourself is so important to God that He not only repeats Himself, He makes it a command.  Jesus put together the command to love your neighbor as yourself with loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I believe most of us understand it's right to love our neighbor, that Jesus challenges us to do so in the gospel teaching. Yet, for many we miss that it's also God's intention and desire, for us to love ourselves well. We need to understand this correctly. We should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3). But we must remember God placed a high value on us, we bear the image of the creator, and God stepped toward us in giving Jesus to restore us and to give us a life that is blessed and full. So, when we view ourselves as hopeless failures. When we hate on ourselves, or when we put ourselves down or speak critically of ourselves and our worth, I believe this must grieve our creator. Believe me I have grieved my creator often with an unhealthy defeating thought life.

Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship (literally God's work of art). For us to be critical of God's work of art is not respectful of God. When we realize we are valuable and precious -- not because of what we do, but because of our identity in Jesus, then we can love our neighbor as we should, not because of what they do, but because God also loves them. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love acts like. It is patient, kind, and accepting.

How should we love our self? We should be kind and respectful, just as we should be with others. We should forgive and forget the past rather than beating ourselves over the head with our failures and mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Why let them be a weight holding us back from making progress toward the abundant life God has for us? We are taught in the bible the importance of forgiveness; forgiveness we extend to others, too often we overlook forgiving ourselves. Self-care is a biblical principle that is God-honoring.

I believe we all know that loving your neighbor as yourself isn’t always easy. Loving ourselves isn’t always easy. The Bible tells us “this is love. Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice…” (1 John 4:10). We are the object of this love. God loves us/YOU. We are not just loved in a general kind of way, but deeply loved and unconditionally loved. We grasp this truth when we understand that God loved us first. He’s the source of our love. God the Father is the source of all love. Before we can give this love, we need to experience it for ourselves. “You can’t give what you don’t have.”

I need to say that learning to love yourself is not an easy task to take on, but it is a vital one. It is something you will have to practice your whole life, but it will get easier the more and more you work towards loving yourself.

Sometimes we need help getting to a point of self love, and maybe the reasons are deep rooted in the past and need to be worked through. Reaching out to a counselor might be a good idea. We did not learn these thoughts and patterns overnight.

Working through the issues that have caused you to not love yourself will not be easy work, but it will be worth it. Imagine living a life with the scope of what God wants for you and not in the shadows of self hatred. Learning to love yourself matters because you matter. We all matter to God.

LET US PRAY

Dear God, thank You that You love us even when it’s hard for us to love ourselves. Help us receive Your love in a way that makes us become so incredibly generous in our souls to give love away. Thank You for always meeting us where we are, not where we wish we were. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”

Song of Solomon 4:7

LOVE IS A VERB

 FEBRUARY 16, 2023

1 John 3:16-18

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

Love is a verb. Love as a verb points to action. Love as a verb is revealed and made authentic in actions and in deeds. Love as a verb is alive and active.

Love as an action is demonstrated in the self-giving love of Jesus Christ (v. 13). We know the height of love in the sacrificial love of Jesus through his death for us. This view is reflected in the Gospel of John: “No one has greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Both of these texts speak about self-giving, mutual Christian love as being modeled for us by Christ’s death. The bible tells us that this form of love is not out of our reach even though many of us think it is. The Bible repeatedly invites us, and challenges to a life of love in which we imitate Christ in his sacrificial love, even to the point of sacrifice and suffering and yes, even death for one another.

As Christ’s love is revealed in action, so our love is to be made genuine in our acts of compassion. Our love is not demonstrated simply in word, it is easy to verbally say “I love you with all my heart”, but putting those words into action authenticates the truth spoken. Christian Love in action, is observed in our deeds toward those who are most vulnerable and in need. Those who “have the world’s goods” are to act generously towards Christian brothers and sisters who don’t. This active love, exemplified in Christ, extends beyond our own community to our neighbor (Matthew 22:39) and finally, to our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Now that’s a love that the culture around us will take notice of. Love as a verb becomes our silent witness to Christ’s love in us and the Spirit’s work through us.

TAKE AWAY

Sit in silence for a few moments and meditate on the phrase Love in action.

What is this text calling me to do in showing compassion for others in the world?

How I can embody the truth of this text in family life, vocation, leisure and relationships?


LET US PRAY

Holy God, in whom I live and move and have my being, you are the fountain of all goodness and grace. I confess that I have not always lived in the character of Christ. Too often I have confessed my love with lips and mind but have not expressed it with hands and feet. I have not always loved my brother or sister in Christ nor my neighbor as myself. Forgive me and mold my life into the likeness of Christ. Instill in me the practices and habits that will empower me to be holy as you are holy. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen.

TRUE QUIET

 FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”


The above Bible reading has so many beautiful truths in it. On Monday we looked at how God longs to lavish His love upon us and draw us close to His heart. Today we are looking at some other truths which represent His heart too, from the scripture above. I want us to look at the phrase “He will quiet you with His love.”

These words speak to me in a life that can be noisy. Cruel circumstances can make the heart feel messy and loud. Rest can be elusive when you are hurting. Stress can be deafening. A demanding schedule can make a life disordered. Confusion can fade the peace of the quiet. Yes, life can be noisy; and no one is immune.

I wonder if life has become noisy for you lately, perhaps these words will help guide you to the True Quiet we all need.

We underestimate God’s love; maybe not all of the time, but some of the time. If we are not careful, we put God’s love in a box we carry around that can distort the truth of God’s love for us. I know from experience that sometimes the pressures of living cause me to underestimate God’s love. When this happens, the heart can become restless and chaotic; life can become noisy.

It is in these moments that I am grateful for the guidance of God’s word that helps me see beyond my feelings and a thought life that seems prone to wonder from the God I know. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God’s love is without measure. God’s love is high, wide, long, and deep (Ephesians 3:17-19).

God’s love is larger than what we can possibly conceive; yet, as I read recently, “is perfectly able to fill the tiniest corners of our heart.” Think about his love, God’s faithful love, the one who looks after the expanse of the heavens and the smallest of sparrows, are the same faithful hands that take care of you and me!

The prophet Zephaniah was led to write the words, “he will quiet you with his love” to a people under threat. To a people in captivity. To a people, dearly loved, but deeply hurting. In the prophet’s words are a message of hope. Hope for the homeless; hope for the desperate; hope for the faithless; and hope for the broken. “God’s love is for the weary within the dreary of life.” God’s love is for the faithful and obedient. His love exists for all of us.

In the chaos of your day, quiet your heart. Listen to the song of love that God sings for his children. Listen to the words meant just for you. God’s love quiets your life.

If you stop and listen, you will hear Him “rejoice over you with singing.” Today, rest in the knowledge that He loves you and truly desires the best for you!

PRAY WITH ME

LORD, quiet my heart, with your love,
Pull me close; hold me tight.
Wipe every tear; hush every anxious word,
Comfort me; calm my breathing.
Whisper my name.
Trace my smile; delight in me.
Examine the things I bring before you; search me.
Clean my thoughts; make my heart sparkle.
Show me love that only the eyes of my heart can see.
Slow my day; lead me to be still before you,
Sing over me.
God as only you can, quiet my heart, with your love. Amen.

(This prayer is Taken from Jo Crosby's "Heart Love")

TRUE LOVE

 FEBRUARY 14, 2023

I John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

John 13:34

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Ephesians 5:2 (The Message)

“Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”


Valentines Day...the day of love!

Many believe it’s a day exclusively for couples, but that just is not true. Ok, I’ll admit Valentines Day has been marketed that way, as a day for couples, but in my spirit, I feel that there is more to love than simply romantic love. Valentines Day is a day of LOVE and can be celebrated between couples, families, church families, and friends. It’s a day to celebrate anyone you love, and who loves you.

The Bible tells us that we were lovingly created to be loved. Our idea of love is learned from the knowledge and experience of being loved by our Creator. I John 4:19 reminds us of this, “We love because God first loved us.”

The story of God and humanity is the “one fairy-tale that is actually true,” as C.S. Lewis once famously told J.R.R. Tolkien. "It’s the love story beneath all love stories."

What does the love story beneath all love stories tell us? Well, it tells us that we are uniquely loved by God. Think of the words in Psalm 139,

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

The way to summarize this is that each of us are here because God wanted us to be here. You are who you are because of God’s love. The work of God in putting your life together, God calls “Wonderful”. Psalm 139 calls our creation a work of God.

I want to also say this, that God loves us closely. “He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart, says Isaiah 40:11. That is a beautiful image of being held closely by our God, unconditionally. God, the bible tells us would go to what ever lengths were necessary to demonstrate love to us, even in giving his Son Jesus over to death on a cross.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

We read from Ephesians the invitation to

“Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

I find, perhaps you do as well, that Jesus model of love inspires us in following the best way to live, “the most excellent way” as 1 Corinthians 12:31 calls it. The most excellent way of love is described for us in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

So today on this Valentines Day let us not limit our actions of love to our “sweethearts” but take a moment and think about the people around you that you want to love like Jesus, how might you reach out in love to them today?

PRAY WITH ME

God, I thank you that I know love because you loved us first. I want to love like Jesus. I want to love without being cautious or in order to get something. Help me give myself to others. Fill me with Your Spirit every moment of every day to love like that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

LAVISHED

 FEBRUARY 13, 2023

1 John 3:1

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”


Whether you know it or fully understand it, the truth is that God, the Creator of the universe, unconditionally loves you and me. Every day God lavishes his extravagant love upon us. God desires that each of us would be able to comprehend the enormity and vastness of his love towards us. That we would know the breadth and length, the height and depth, and the great magnitude of his amazing love towards us is the core foundation of our faith. To experience the love of a perfect Father who promises, as the amplified Bible puts it, that he “will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5

I want you to know that these words are not empty promises. They are the truth. They’re an expression of a Father God who loves and wants the best for his human creation. His love is the essence of His heart towards us; He longs that we may know and experience it in our lives. Listen to the prayer in Ephesians 3 about this,

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

PRAY WITH ME

God,

I thank you that, daily, you lavish your love upon me and love me unconditionally. I am eternally grateful. Thank you for the truth of your word that you will never leave me or desert me. You promise that you will never let me down or relax your hold on me. May I rest in the knowledge that you are the perfect Father who has my best interests at heart. Help me to know and understand the great magnitude of your love. Thank you that I can rest assured that you are my Father and my future is safe in your hands.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD

 FEBRUARY 10, 2023

PSALM 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.



Many of the songs found in the Bible, declare their thesis in the first verse and then simply amplify it in the remainder of the song. This is true of Psalm 23, the beloved Shepherd's Psalm. The key thought is this: Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing! NOTHING!! No uncertainty will frighten, terrify, alarm, or panic me.

Here is the way the theme of Psalm 23 is played out in the balance of David's famous song:

I shall not lack rest or provision—why? 

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
I shall not lack peace—why? 

He leads me beside quiet waters.
I shall not lack restoration or encouragement when I faint, fail, or fall—why? 

He restores my soul.
I shall not lack guidance or fellowship—why? 

He guides me in the paths of righteousness.
I shall not lack courage when my way is dark—why? 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.
I shall not lack companionship—why? 

You are with me.
I shall not lack constant comfort—why? 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
I shall not lack protection or honor—why? 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
I shall not lack power—why? 

You have anointed my head with oil.
I shall not lack abundance—why? 

My cup overflows.
I shall not lack God's perpetual presence—why? 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
I shall not lack security—why? 

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Now go back and read the above more slowly and after each statement pause and thank God for all he does to provide for us each day.

Let the Lord be your shepherd today. Listen to our Shepherd’s voice and live in God’s Care and Love. “Encourage yourself in the Lord your God” through Psalm 23 promises.

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 7:12

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR!

 FEBRUARY 9, 2023

John 1:46b

Philip answered, "Come and see".

And then there were four! Doubled in a day. Note Philip’s invitation: come and see. That is a way to simplify things. No pressure on Nathanael. Simply a description of Jesus, then a gentle invite to come and see for himself.

What we witness in this account is that Philip has already caught on to Jesus' approach. Simple invitation. That has been my experience of God, God doesn't step toward me with heavy handed tactics, shaking an accusing finger at me. I have found that God uses the method of a simple invitation to get my attention. Come and see! Come and hear! Come and touch!

All the wonderful spiritual encounters I have had with God seem to come down to these simple invitations.

Come and see! The heavens and earth tell the glory of God. Is God not present in the sunrise, the sunset, the amazing views of nature and creation wherever you may be in the world? Open your eyes. View the intricacies of a spider’s web, think about the creative potential of a seed, the power of an ocean wave, the beauty of a walk through Jackson Park in summer, a fall visit to Ojibway, the generosity of a friend.

God at work. God inviting.

Come and hear! The wind swirling in the trees.  Reminding us of the Holy Spirit, blowing here and there with reckless abandon (see John 3:8). Hear the morning bird song in spring; the music that speaks to your spirit with emotion; the giggle of a little baby; the laugh of children playing, the voice of comfort.

God at work. God inviting.

Come and touch … taste … and smell! The hug of a loved one; the soft fur of a beloved pet. The nutritious meal provided by loving hands; the freshness of a ripe fruit and veggies; the sweet pick-me-up of a morning coffee (or tea, or smoothie). The fresh baked loaf of bread; the fragrance of a rose in bloom.

God at work. God inviting.

We see that Jesus began sharing love with simple invitations. God continues that in the world in which we live by the Holy Spirit. In everyday miracles. In everyday presence. In everyday love. Come and see. Come and hear. Come and touch.

LET US PRAY

Lord Jesus, we thank you for your presence in so many ways. Open our senses so we may respond to your invitation, and see, hear and taste love in all its ways. Amen.

INTERESTING QUESTION! INTERESTING ANSWER!

 FEBRUARY 8, 2023

John 1:38a

When Jesus turned and saw them following him, he asked them: What are you looking for? 

Read the full story in John 1:35–42



Interesting question! Interesting answer!

The two followers of John the Baptist knew that Jesus was worth getting to know, that in him was life. John the Baptist had given that hint earlier in John 1:19–34. “John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” So, when John pointed out Jesus, they naturally went after him. But Jesus asked: “What are you looking for?” I believe most of us have asked ourselves that question. This question and longing and human struggle is at the core of many of us. That might explain why Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life became such a best seller. This longing might also point the reason the band U2 had a hit with a song that carried the title I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

These followers of John answered Jesus’ question with a question. However, their question avoided answering Jesus’ question, rather they asked, “where are you staying?” I want you to notice that Jesus isn’t thrown off by their response. He simply responded with “Come”, I will show you.” The more I read the gospels the more it is impressed on me that Jesus just met people where they were in life, engaged in conversation with them. Acceptance is important in life.

Look at the outcome, Andrew, one of the two followers, gains life. He says to his brother, Simon (Peter): we have found the Messiah, the Christ. Then, there were two disciples!

I wonder if there is an important message in this for us as we encounter people. What I notice in this account is that Jesus does not try to change Andrew, or push him to answer the question he averted. Jesus engaged Andrew by meeting him where he was. What a beautiful result, Andrew finds the Christ.

What are you looking for? Perhaps you know the answer, or perhaps like many, you are uncertain. Jesus simply invites you and me to spend time with him; to rest in his presence; to become overwhelmed with love and astounded by grace and overcome by his presence. It is this place of openness that Jesus can reveal himself, where we can discover who Jesus is and experience life in him. Try it you just might find what you are looking for.

LET US PRAY

Jesus, often we keep looking when the answer is right in front of us. Help us to pause in your presence, enjoy your company and then live with our eyes open. Amen.

LIVING OFF GENEROUS ABUNDANCE

FEBRUARY  7, 2023

JOHN 1:16-18

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Verse 16 above reads: “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given”. I rather like the way The Message Bible puts verses 16 and 17:

We all live off his generous abundance,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding,
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

I had a individual from our community drop in recently and in our conversation I found that he believed that Christians should only read the New Testament and in particular those parts attributed to the Apostle Paul. In his view, he treated the Old Testament period and stories as though they were the "bad old days" which Jesus came to earth to fix. Yet, God’s grace has been there from the start, well even before creation. My opinion is that without the knowledge of the Old Testament we cannot fully appreciate the message of the New Testament, especially Paul’s writings.

In afterthought of this conversation I wonder if what our neighbor was getting at is that in the New Testament and the Gospel’s presentation of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection we witness all the grace, all the hope, all the light stacked up together, to which the Old Testament pointed. As our verse today says it, we experience God’s grace as “gift after gift after gift”, and we find that God has been and continues to be present in every moment of the Bible’s story.

As Jesus followers, God’s Spirit enables us to reflect Jesus Christ, God’s life, and light, in our unique ways. John, pointed not to himself, but to Jesus the Messiah, as the “light of all humankind”. I pray our lives and our words may always point to God’s ultimate gift of life and light, Jesus.

LET US PRAY

Jesus, our life, and light, we cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us. We do indeed “live off your generous abundance, gift after gift after gift. And yet today we ask for something more: for the grace to reflect your life and light in our daily lives. Thank you that you hear us and that you desire the very best for us. Amen.

 

THIS WAY

 FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Isaiah 30:18–26

18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

19 O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. 20 Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any longer, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like impure things; you will say to them, “Away with you!”

23 He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures, 24 and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat silage that has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25 On every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water—on a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

Isaiah 30:21

Whether you turn to the right or the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’.

This passage and its message has sustained me in many situations of uncertainty in my life. What leaps off the page for me, is the certainty that we have a God who promises and genuinely leads us.

Take careful note of the description of God’s character in our reading. Gracious and compassionate, he rises up, blesses us, answers us and provides for us. He binds up our wounds; he heals us. Read that last sentence again. Powerful and comforting, right?

Consider the image in verse 21. How reassuring it is that whether we turn to the right or the left, we will hear a voice behind us saying, "This is the way; walk in it"! We have our God on our side, leading us. That is very good news.

There is one final point I would like us to consider today and it is whose voice are we listening to? Let us acknowledge that there are many voices calling out to us, we live a noisy culture. It can be confusing. Our passage today suggests that we need have ears for only one voice, the voice of our faithful and loving God. Did you notice that hearing the voice of God behind us leads us to saying to the other voices, the ones that are just noise, the ones that try to distract us, “Away with you!”

In the confusion of our living, in our noisy generation, let us listen intently for God to call out to us, “This is the way; walk in it”. Put God’s leading first, and not the voices on the right and the left.

LET US PRAY

Lord, I pray you will silence the voices on the left and the right, the tossing about and influences that are not of you. Renew a right spirit within me and speak to me with a clear voice: ‘This is the way; walk in it’. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

A GOOD INVESTMENT

 FEBRUARY 3, 2023

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.

How would you like a one-hundredfold return on your investment? Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?

This is exactly what Jesus promises in this verse above for our spiritual investment and growth.

This verse comes at the end of the account of the rich young man who comes to Jesus wanting eternal life. You may recall that the young man leaves the conversation with Jesus in sadness because Jesus calls him to sell his many possessions and give the money to the poor. As it turns out the point Jesus was driving home was that this man’s wealth was his god, and while he endeavoured to keep the other commandments, Jesus’ focus was on the first commandment of having “no other god’s” before the Covenant God. This was the young man’s undoing. The disciples’ are amazed and the discussion about the how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven ensues, and Jesus teaches that only with God are impossible things possible.

Peter asks what they will have or get for following him. He promises his disciples that following him is the wisest possible investment. It results in a pay-off one can hardly imagine. It’s almost as if Jesus knows we are wired to want to know when we invest in something, what is in it for us. What is the payoff? So, I wonder if the issue is not if you invest with the hope of a future return, but it’s what, or better whom, you invest in for a return that truly lasts.

Following Jesus does require some sacrifices. Jesus wants to encourage you and me in this, that it’s all worth it. It’s more than worth it. It’s a wise investment that is full of blessings and the inheritance promised to us of eternal life.

LET US PRAY

God, thank you that all things are possible with you. Lead me by your Spirit to leave behind what I need to follow Jesus and invest wisely for the life in the kingdom of heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Peter 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.