PRAYER BASICS

 February 28, 2025

Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

This Gospel reading from Luke takes us back to the basics of prayer, offering us a model or method of prayer from Jesus Himself. Some of Jesus disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. Jesus instantly offers them the beautiful prayer which we, of course, call the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is so rich that it still forms the basis of our approach to God the Father this many years later. Yet, at the same time this prayer it is so simple, we teach it to our young children.

The Lord’s Prayer is truly a Christ followers’ prayer. In it, we call upon God in an intimate way, as Father. We ask that His will be done (not ours!) and that His kingdom come (not ours!). In other words, we remember that He is our Creator, everything is His, and our focus in life should be on His priorities, not our own. Then we ask Him to supply our needs (to give our daily bread), forgive our sins, and protect us from evil. That is, we proclaim that we trust completely in His provision for us and mercy towards us. We, too, commit to extending mercy ourselves (as we forgive those who sin against us).

As we pray the words of the prayer that Jesus gave to us, we recognize a basic truth about ourselves and God: God is our Father, and we are His beloved children. This is the foundation of a disciple’s way of life.

Our reading ends today with Jesus reminding us to ask God, seek God, knock on God’s door! God can hardly wait to lovingly bless us, His children with the Holy Spirit.

HOSPITALITY in an AGE of SUSPICION

 

February 27, 2025

Luke 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho 

and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost."

In our modern world, it is easy to view each other with suspicion or at least a certain guardedness. We are told at the airport to watch out for our luggage and report any suspicious activity. We install security systems in our homes and alarms in our cars. We scroll through our phones in waiting rooms rather than make eye contact and small talk with the people sitting near us.

Of course, it’s wise to be careful in our dealings with people. But Christ-like living calls us to a different outlook towards others. It calls us to approach people with an open heart, not through a lens of suspicion but quite the opposite, through the lens of loving hospitality.

Jesus models this transforming hospitality in His encounter with Zacchaeus, the tax collector, in today’s reading from Luke. The passage begins, “At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.” Our Lord had plans that day and a mission to fulfill. He did not intend to stop in Jericho. But as one writer puts it, “Zacchaeus was in Jericho and Zacchaeus needed Jesus.” So, our Lord, who is the embodiment of hospitality, graciously set aside His plans for the sake of the tax collector.

Jesus seeks him out of the crowd and insists on having dinner in his home. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” This was a gesture of intimacy and true fellowship in that day and culture. Of course, we read that this gesture was sneered at by the crowd who viewed the tax collector with great suspicion.

But Jesus saw something in Zacchaeus that the crowd didn’t, perhaps Jesus saw goodness within the man that others did not. Jesus open and welcoming attitude (His hospitality) resulted in Zaccheus being transformed. “Behold half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall repay it four times over.”

Let us as followers of Jesus resolve to practice this kind of radical hospitality towards people we encounter this week. Let us pray that God will open our minds and soften our hearts to those around us so that we are ready to set aside our own plans for their sake.

Brothers and sisters:
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

BECOMING FULLY AWAKE

 

February 26, 2025

 

Lk 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

 

Last Sunday in our Worship at Church we followed Jesus into the desert where He fasted and prayed. There he encountered a season of testing to abandon God’s plan which would include suffering, and instead take in the Devil’s invitation to take a short cut to accomplish God’s goal. Our Gospel reading today, leads us up a mountain to witness His Transfiguration.In these two events Jesus is preparing us to go with Him, as we do each year during the season called Lent, to another hilltop, called Golgotha, and there He will lay down His life for us, and then we will be led to an empty tomb where Jesus would triumph over sin and death once and for all.

The purpose of these two types of experiences, desert testing and Transfiguration mountain is summed up in the description of the disciples who were with Jesus at that mountain-top experience in today’s reading: “Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory….”

I do not know about you, but here is what I know about me, it is all too easy to get lulled into complacency in my daily routines, to “sleep or sleepwalk” through life. To not be “fully awake” to see God’s glory. Can you relate? Getting up and getting ourselves going out the door, and going to work or into a busy and full day, returning home for supper and dishes, maybe a meeting, or sports activities, and finally flopping on the couch to stream a few episodes of a sit-com or favorite drama until bedtime. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong in this routine, as Jesus followers we are called to more than a sleepy daily walk of the same old. I’d trade that same old for an experience of God’s glory, wouldn’t you.

These mountain-top moments of desert or transfiguration, bring us back to our senses, wake us from our slumber and fill us with gratitude to God. The outcome of which encourages us to give Jesus more of ourselves by the sharing of our time, talents, and treasure.

When we surrender ourselves to Jesus in this way, we allow Him to train us, disciple us to say “Yes” to His will and to offer our lives back to Him. It is in this gesture of obedience to God that we are “transfigured.” I believe, this is what it means to live fully awake; this is a way of life that is truly glorious.

NOT SINGLE, BUT MANY

 

February 25, 2025

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27

Brothers and sisters:

As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.

Today’s Reading, from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, tells us that we are each unique in the gifts and talents God has given to us, and therefore, we all have different tasks to fulfill as members of the Body of Christ.

We read that though we have different roles, every single individual is equally important and needed in the Body of Christ, “God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is there are many parts, yet one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:18)

What does this teach us as Christians? It shows us that we all have equal dignity and worth in God’s sight, and that if God sees us as equally precious, we should view each other in this same light. It teaches us to humbly recognize our own gifts as well as the giftedness of every member of our Church community.

One thing that always strikes me is that while God designed us to be dependent on Him, it seems He has also designed us to need each other! This is part of the beauty and richness of the Christian way of life. No one person can “do it all” in life, not in our family’s and certainly not in the community of faith. The good news for us is God does not ask us to do it all. God simply asks us to share the gifts and talents we do have in the present moment.

We, in sharing and blending our gifts together in community are following in the footsteps of Jesus. We are stepping into partnership with Jesus and each other to continue the mission He began with the words “the kingdom of God has come near you”. (Luke 10:9) In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus outlines in the synagogue what the mission is: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free….” (Luke 4:14-21) What an honourable purpose! Think of that, Jesus invites us modern-day disciples, to this same task.

What might it look like if we were to take this mission to heart? Perhaps we would start by an examination of how we can use our gifts and talents for this task to which we have been called, asking ourselves how we might “bring glad tidings to the poor,” “liberty to captives,” “sight to the blind” and “freedom to the oppressed” right now where God has placed us.

Does this call and challenge feel uncomfortable? Well maybe a little at first. But please remember the good news we mentioned already, you and I don’t have to do it all. We are invited to do our part by using our gifts and talents. And then we let our sisters and brothers in the Body of Christ do their part using their God given gifts and abilities, and we all, this beautiful Body of Christ, live out this Jesus way of life, knowing that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us all.

So, lets be generous with our gifts, with our life, and just watch what God will do! 

A MEASURED LIFE

 February 24, 2025

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

 

In today’s reading, from Luke 6, Jesus offers a very challenging, on the face of it impossible approach to daily life. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak do not withhold even your tunic.”

It makes you want to say, “Seriously, Jesus?” And He doesn’t stop there. Jesus adds, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.”

It seems so unfair! Doesn’t it. Unless, we look at this way of life from a stewardship point of view. Then, not only does it seem doable (though challenging), but it also actually makes good sense. A steward as the Bible portrays them, understands clearly that all they have and all that they are is a gift from God given to them from his abundant love. This changes things, don’t you think? This means “my” cloak, “my” tunic, “my” money, and time, all of it ultimately belongs to God. He has entrusted these things to each of us in love to use for His purposes and His glory.

Does this mean we are to be “doormats” to anyone who would take advantage of us? Well no. Jesus explains this in the next verse of this passage when He says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Jesus understands human nature well. He knows that we naturally desire only good and nothing bad for ourselves. And there is nothing wrong with loving oneself since God loves us and has made us in His own image and likeness. Jesus is simply asking that we also approach others, and the sharing of our gifts, with this same attitude. He is giving us a definition here of real love, a steward’s love!

Jesus says, “Love your enemies and do good to them and lend expecting nothing back.” That is true greatness in God’s view. When we love like that, He promises our “reward in heaven will be great.” What makes a stewardship way of life worth living is that this lifestyle is modeled after our good and generous God.

And if that is still not motivating enough to embrace this way of life, Jesus gives us one more bit of loving motivation. “Give and gifts will be given to you: a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Our wonderful God and Father simply will not be outdone in love.

So, be generous with your gifts, with your life, and just watch what God will do!

GIVING PEACE A CHANCE

February 21, 2025

ISAIAH 2:3-5


“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

The above Isaiah passage calls us to learn the “ways of the Lord”. The way of peace. My how we need to learn the Lord's ways today in our world. Some days as I read the news feeds, I am overwhelmed with nations who seem to believe that training for war is the best way to deal with conflict and differences. Centuries upon centuries have shown us that violence only leads to more violence. 

How we need to follow this above Bible passage in our day. Read it again, 

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 

to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”

We acknowledge from todays scripture, and many others, that God promises to do justice and to set things right among the nations, which implies eliminating the causes of war — causes like aggression, oppression, greed, imperialism, the drive to dominate. As a result, nations will feel secure enough to turn their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. In other words, the nations will turn costly weapons designed to kill into agricultural implements that increase food production and enhance human well-being. Imagine!

I long for world like that, don’t you?

As a follower of Jesus Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, to pray for peace in our hearts, to pray for a world in which “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

So, let us join together in praying for peace in our communities, towns and cities, country, and world and let us pray that God’s Kingdom will come and God’s will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. 


LET US PRAY

You alone, O God of Creation, who in the beginning brought order out of chaos, light into darkness – you alone can help us in these days of tensions, threats, crisis, conflict, war and rumors of war.

Come to the aid of nations and leaders who need your guidance. Come to the aid of those standing in harm’s way.
Come to the aid of all who need your assuring and loving presence.

Strengthen us in faith and calm the fears within us that are many. Help us to trust in you for our lives and our future.

Forgive us for our sins, especially for our failings as peacemakers. Forgive us for the divisions among us. Renew our spirits and increase our resolve to pray fervently for peace.

Protect us from any evil that surrounds us. Lift the hearts of the sorrowful. Bring healing to the sick and the wounded. Comfort the dying and the bereaved with your love.

Above all, give us assurance that as Lord of all, you are in control. Give us hope and give us peace on earth, lasting peace.

God of peace, God of love, fill our hearts and our minds with the peace and love that only you can give. We, your people, eagerly cry to you, O Lord. You are our answer. You are our hope. Come to our aid. In Jesus’ name.

Amen

A REFRESHED HEART? YES PLEASE

 

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Psalm 139:23-24

23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!


Psalm 147:3

3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.


Psalm 23:3

3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake


Jeremiah 32:17

17‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.





The term ‘refresh’ assumes that a person was ‘fresh’ at some point. Refresh is a verb that means to restore something that has been lost or diminished. In this case, freshness. So, the first question we must ask is, does your spirit need to be refreshed?

I will take the risk of believing that for many, perhaps most, alright, probably all of us, we thirst for a refreshment of our spirit. So let us seek with faith and joy the refreshment that God so clearly desires for us.

Our verses above remind us of God’s “refreshing role”, “he restores our soul”, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”, He leads us “in the way everlasting”, and his ability to do this rests in who God is, the Creator for whom “nothing is too hard.”

If you are like me, you are likely in need of being refreshed. Life can be tough can't it? It's cares, stress, responsibilities, can drain us. I hear from many folk these days, that their spiritual supplies have been drained. There are many causes for this drained experience.

Grief, loss, fear and anxiety, busy lifestyle, family struggles, societal tensions, world unrest .... need I go on? While we might justify our depleted spirits, God's word reminds us that is not the way we are meant to live. 

So lets pray together today, as fellow believers for God’s promise of refreshing to fall on all of us. Let Jeremiah's words sink deep into our spirits today "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."


A PRAYER OF REFRESHMENT

God,

I want to step into all that You have for me with boldness and confidence. But if I’m being honest, I’m uncertain of what the future will hold—and that can feel unsettling.

Search me, God, and refresh my heart.

Right now, please help me to surrender my expectations, and transform my mind as I draw near to You.

Search me, God, and align my heart with Yours.

As I pursue the plans You have for me, let me remember what You’ve already helped me overcome. You have already made a way for me to know You. You have already made a way for me to experience eternal life with You. Nothing is too hard for You!

Search me, God, and heal my heart.

Whatever the future holds, I know You hold me. Nothing is impossible for You.

Restore me, God, and make me new.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

THE PRESSURES OFF: SURRENDER

February 19, 2025



Psalms 131:1-3

1My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. 3Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.



2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9But 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.



MATTHEW 10:39

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”




We often resist this idea of surrender don’t’ we? Surrender in our culture means defeat, giving up, losing. However, the Bible's call to surrender to God brings victory and success.


When we cease pursuing our own self interests and the following of cultural (worldly) norms, we are promised eternal treasures that will never be taken away from us. God’s plans for us are infinitely better than anything we could plan and make happen on our own. Surrender to God's purposes is truly life changing.


Surrendering our lives completely to God releases us from the pressures imposed on us by the world. When the pressures off, and we see that our life is meant for more, than the endless pursuit of "treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal", which are all so temporary, that is how Jesus described it. Then the beautiful outcome of surrender to God is that we will experience the full meaning of Jesus words, "whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Life has meaning, purpose, and liberty.


When we let God be God, and surrender to the fullness of God's plan and promises for us in Jesus, we experience that God's "grace is sufficient for you (Us), that God's power is made perfect in weakness", and with God's sufficient grace and power we live our lives in freedom, and we "hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."

What I am reminded of in today's scriptures is that we have the opportunity every day to lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus in response to his great love and the "this is sure to be" promise of abundant life. May our lives be completely wrapped up in the goodness, grace and power of our loving Savior.

A PRAYER OF SURRENDER

God,

You give me the strength I need to overcome the obstacles I face. You take away my arrogant thoughts and You focus my eyes away from the things I cannot control. You alone have the power to turn my weaknesses into windows through which Your glory can shine through.

You hold my future, and You invite me to take part in the plans You have for Your Kingdom. So help me to lay down my uncertainties for the future and my unmet expectations from the past.

When I feel weak, help me to remember that You are strong. When I feel discouraged, remind me of the confident hope I have in You. Please calm and quiet my soul.

Today and every day, give me the confident assurance I need to lay aside anything that might hinder me, so that I can walk in a manner worthy of my calling. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.


Up for a challenge?

Re-read this prayer and then make a list of the areas in your life that you need to surrender. 

Then Picture putting those things in a box and then visualize handing that box to Jesus. Use this exercise to make space in your heart for the plans that God wants to reveal to you.

BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS

 

February 18, 2025

Joshua 1:9

9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”


Psalm 23:4

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.



2 Corinthians 10:5

5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,



Isaiah 55:8-9

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.





At first glance, Joshua 1 may appear to be commands to summon the strength of a Superhuman and the courage of a lion. But digging into the original Hebrew meanings of “strong” and “courageous” reveals an important truth.

The Hebrew word for “strong” means to “fasten upon.”
Joshua had to cling to God, because the strength and endurance he needed for his life and calling could only come from the Creator.

The Hebrew word for courageous means “to be alert.”
Joshua had to be vigilant because, like we all know, distractions are everywhere and can lead us off course in our walk with God.

Here in Joshua 1, God reveals to us that to live in His promises, we need to cling to Him and be Alert for the many distractions that come our way.





A PRAYER FOR COURAGE


God,

You are my protector—in You I have all I need. But when trials come my way it’s easy to forget that You are still in control. Sometimes when I look at the world around me, I grow discouraged, and my thoughts start to spiral. I need You to make me strong and courageous.

So as I step into the plans You have for me, please give me the courage I need to trust in You. Remind me that You are with me, and that You will continue to instruct and guide me.

Show me that You are near.

Encourage me when I feel worn out, and renew my strength when I’m overwhelmed. Give me rest when I need it, and remind me of Your promises. Help me to take every thought captive as I give You my concerns.

Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and Your ways are better than mine. You give hope to the hopeless, and strength to the weak. You alone can renew my mind and remind me of my purpose.

Counsel me as I reflect on Your Word, and help me to apply Your truths to my life. Give me the courage I need to do what is right, and help me to pursue You above all else—always.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

TRUST ME: I KNOW THE PLANS

 

February 17, 2025

Proverbs 3:5-6

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.




The God who created you has called you by name! And no matter your situation, God is constantly inviting you to take part in the plans He has for you.

This should be exciting, but when life gets overwhelming and problems keep mounting, it’s easy to start doubting if we can be the people God created us to be. When this happens, one of the best things we can do is intentionally slow down and seek God’s heart.

Below is a Prayer that I invite you to pray slowly as you come before God today, perhaps use this prayer all week. If a particular line stands out to you, pause and reflect on the words, and ask God what he might be wanting you to notice. 


A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE


God,

You know my heart. You understand my deepest wants and needs, and You know my every intention. You know me better than I know myself. There is nowhere I could run to escape Your presence, and nothing I could hide from You!

You alone are worthy of my praise.

I don’t always know what to ask for when I pray. My soul is weary, and I am tired. I often worry about making the right decision—but I want to live a life that honors You.

Even though I may feel like I can’t move forward or see what’s ahead—You see me. And You know me. So please guide me. Show me the paths that lead to abundant life and draw me near when I am tempted to stray from You.

I will always place my hope in You because You know all things, and You hold my life in Your hands. You are my strength in times of need, and You are my salvation.

So hold me close, Lord, and teach me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling You have given me. Direct my steps as You guard my life, because I want to glorify You.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.




Spend a few minutes this week in silent reflection. Ask God to show you how He is guiding you into a new season, and what areas of your life you need to continue to trust Him with.

HOW to CONTEND FOR the FAITH

 

February 14, 2025

Jude 1:20-25

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Jude is a brief letter, but it packs some powerful teaching in a few verses. Yesterday we left off with the suggestion that Jude's hope was that this community of Jesus would recognize in these "scoffers" a situation that needed to dealt with. Using the Old Testament, and leaders of the New Testament, Jude showed that the situation of discrediting the Gospel of Jesus was not really unexpected. There had been warnings about such a reality.

So, how should a situation like this be dealt with? Jude comes back to the theme of  "contending for the faith." What do the followers of Jesus do? How do Jesus people handle such unsettling situations of community life? Excommunication? Give the "scoffers" the boot for not towing the community line? Thats what we see in political parties, and other organizations in our society. 

Jude's message was that God’s grace through Jesus demands a whole-life response not just intellectual assent. Notice that the letter does not criticize or focus on the "scoffers" theology but rather on their immoral way of life. Here Jude is applying what Jesus told his disciples: “If you really love me, you’ll obey my teachings” (John 14:15). And for the followers of Jesus in every age, how we live is the most reliable indicator of what we actually believe.

Notice what Jude says is we "contend for the faith" with MERCY!!  Now thats a shocker isn't it? No shunning, no ignoring, no kicking people out of the community. MERCY.  Read the verses again "22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives."  

Nortice, Jude is not afraid to take strong action against behaviors that dishonor Jesus. His mercy is not soft or weak, look at what his images indicate, fire, fear, and defiled bodies. Jude’s mercy is severe. But it is mercy nonetheless, for its hope is not merely to punish, or get some measure of revenge on the "scoffers" but to save them.

When someone is spiritually disoriented, condemnation only makes them feel more hopeless. Jude 1:22 tells us to be merciful to those who doubt. Compassion is what rescues and shows direction.

When someone’s faith is wavering, the best thing we can do is show mercy and point them to Jesus. In Christ’s eyes, no person is beyond hope. The community of Jesus treats each person with respect and tries to dis­cern what kind of discipline or direction might lead them back into the fold.We all know what it’s like to doubt. The One who rescued each of us can rescue others too, yes even "scoffers."

That is grace.

SCOFFERS

 

February 13, 2025

Jude 1:14-19

14 Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

16 These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.



The low battery chirp on smoke alarms, while annoying at times, (mine usually start their chirp in the middle of the night), is an important feature and a constant reminder that we are placing ourselves and our families in danger if we don’t take action. Ever think that would be great if we had a similar built in alert that would go off when we meet people who will cause us harm?

Our reading today says that Christian leaders who came before Jude warned that dishonest people would cause destruction among the community of Jesus. Jude reiterates their warnings, saying, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit” (Jude 1:18-19).

Jude warns us about these people so we won’t be fooled by smooth-talking and settle for anything less than the message of the Gospel. The Gospel, is perhaps best described for us in the famous John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." God through Jesus wants a relationship with each of us, and no matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus came to the world for you and me. Jesus didn’t come to start another religion, or to point out our faults, or to belittle us. Jesus came to rescue us, and that’s good news!

So how will we know a “scoffer” when we meet one? Jude gives us a few signs:

1. They do not have the Holy Spirit in them.
2. They teach based on natural instincts, not the Bible.
3. Their goal is to divide people, not unite people.


Jude is saying that “scoffers” follow selfish un-Christlike desires. Peter, John, and Paul all alerted in their writings that corrupt teachers would arise and distort the good news, denying Jesus by their actions (1 John 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 2 Pet. 2:1-3). The Apostle Paul, described these ungodly ones as those who are “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4). What these Christian leaders were saying was just echoing  Jesus’ earlier warning of the same thing (see: Matt. 7:15-19).

Remember, this isn’t what Jude had wanted to write to this community of believers, recall that he opens the letter with these words, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people."

You see, anytime a warning appears over and over in the Bible, we should understand such repetition as God trying to get our attention. These warnings can be compared to the chirping of a smoke alarm, serving as reminders and guidance to alert us from potential risks and to take action. With all these examples, Jude is hopeful that this church wouldn’t need any more convincing that these teachers have to be resisted and dealt with.

 

TAKE A PICTURE

 

February 12, 2025

Jesus’ half brother, Jude, wrote this letter to confront lies about the faith. The struggle to know what’s true about Jesus is as real today as it was in 65 AD. Yesterday we saw that Jude began this letter reminding us of the importance of “contending” for truth. Standing up for Jesus and the Gospel, pushing back and defended the integrity of the message that they had believed.

The reason for the letter is that Jude had become aware of a crisis that was facing this early Christian community, that of “false teachers” and teaching. This brief background helps us to understand a little better todays reading from Jude.



Jude 1:5-7

5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. 6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. 7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.


We take and post pictures, collect souvenirs, and establish traditions to remind ourselves of special relationships and events in our lives. Nostalgic cravings aren’t new. We have a shelf full of Photo Albums at our home and from time to time we grab one, look through it a recall people and experiences, and have a few laughs at our fashion trends from years ago.

Just like thumbing through old photos, looking back at our walk with Jesus can help us see His faithfulness and provision in ways we perhaps didn’t recognize in the day-to-day.

In Jude 1:5-7, Jude recalls several examples of God faithfulness in rescuing his people and the consequences of resisting God’s purposes. Now I know today’s reading is not as easy to read and think about as say, John 3:16’s God’s amazing love for the world, however, I believe it is important to understand that in each of the examples that Jude recalls from the pages of the Old Testament story, while God’s justice is carried out, Jude looked back and recalled all God had done, he found the courage to face the future.

Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel built monuments and established traditions to help them remember God’s power and faithfulness (see Joshua 4:20-24 12 Stones at Gilgal, Exodus 12 Passover). 

We, too, can keep a record of God’s work in our lives. My Mom kept a notebook by her chair of pages and pages of prayers she had brought before God, and when answers to those prayers came, she went back and put a check mark by each one. It was for her a record of God’s work and faithfulness in her life and in the lives of others.

Keeping a journal of what we are learning in our Bible Reading, memorizing meaningful verses, and sharing our story of God’s faithful watch and care, are some ways to draw strength for the future from what God’s done in the past.

I think, we get so caught up with what’s happening today, we can lose sight of how far we’ve come in our walk with God, and the many places and situations where God’s faithful love is evident. Collecting snapshots of God’s faithfulness along the way, when troubles and doubts threaten to overwhelm us, we can look back on those moments and step confidently and courageously into the future.

What’s one way you can collect evidence of God’s faithfulness each day?

ARE YOU A CONTENDER?

 

February 11, 2025

Jesus’ half brother, Jude, wrote this letter to confront lies about the faith. The struggle to know what’s true about Jesus is as real today as it was in 65 AD. Jude reminds us of the importance of “contending” for truth.

Jude 1:1-4

1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

2 May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.

3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

What gets you fired up? Maybe it’s politics, a sports team, or time with family. Wouldn’t you agree that when we love and value something or someone, we passionately defend it and them? For Jude, the thing that fired him up, the thing he passionately defended was Jesus’ reputation and message.

Jude says, when people teach things about Jesus that aren’t true, we should "contend for the faith” that was entrusted to us (Jude 1:3). To contend means to affirm, maintain, argue, even insist. The Message Bible paraphrases verse 3 this way: "I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish…”

Our salvation is a gift, and Jude encourages us to resist distortions of Gospel truth with courage and patience. The reason for this resistance and push back is so that others can hear the same message and receive the same gift of grace that Jesus offered to all. This isn’t about being right and winning a debate, no, Jude has “others” in sight.

Jude will remind us that in order to recognize falsehood and contend for truth we need time with Jesus, speaking to Him in prayer and learning about Him in the Bible. The assumption Jude makes, is that we will never passionately defend someone we don’t know. And we can never distinguish lies from truth without time in God’s Word.

Jesus’ reputation and teaching are worth defending. The Gospel’s “good news” is something worth contending and fighting for. Just think about where you were before you said yes to Jesus and how your life has changed. The transformation through Jesus that you have experienced yourself, and witnessed in others. Can anything else matter more? So, what Jude is saying to us is “Stand up, Stand up, for Jesus!”

BEING YOURSELF

 

February 10, 2025

PSALM 139:13



“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

I want to start off today with something I often say when officiating a wedding. Standing in front of me are a Bride and Groom, who have said that the person standing beside them is the choice of their heart to spend their life together. They are, in the words of scripture the “two becoming one.” Beautiful isn’t it? 

Yet, I also add this to what I say:

Real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance of being deeply in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own. But real love is not total absorption in each other; it is looking outward in the same direction --together. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.

It is something like this that happens when we Open our hearts to God, there is a beauty, a oneness, a unity that results, but this does not mean that who you are, your uniqueness as a person somehow disappears.

You see, God will never ask you to be anyone other than who you are. He’s not asking you to be just like other believers. He’s not asking you to copy those around you that seem to be well-liked or accepted. In other words, God doesn’t spend time trying to cover up who we are. Rather, God devotes himself to uncovering who we truly are—who he made us to be.

Psalm 119:13 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” God formed you wonderfully and uniquely. He gave you a personality, gifts and abilities, and a calling all your own.

God looks past all the exteriors we create to try and fit in. He sees through all our efforts to cover up what makes us unique and different. He sees us for who we really are women and men fully loved and accepted by our Creator.

Craig Dennison writes the following:


“Discovering your identity begins with a journey with God to your heart. If you’re wondering who you truly are, you need not look past yourself, but rather, with the Holy Spirit, take an honest look at yourself. Don’t shy away from your insecurities. Don’t shy away from that which makes you different. Allow God to reveal how he sees you. Allow him to reveal to you the true desires of your heart. And allow him to lay a secure foundation for you built on his unconditional love that you might live vulnerably and honestly.”

Today, allow God to reveal how he sees you. Ask him how he has formed you and made you unique. And allow him to empower you to be yourself today.

THE PRESSURE IS OFF

 

February 7, 2025

Hebrews 11:27 

"By faith he [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."

Psalm 56:11

" in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"

I wonder how many of us would describe ourselves as a people pleaser? Do you find yourself considering what others might think when making your decisions?

Certainly, our culture today has made us more sensitive to how others perceive us. It seems we live under the critical eye of others, this causes many people to live their life with a measure of fear that our choices or decisions may not be acceptable to others.  That is a lot of pressure to live under.  Living in the space of trying to please others, leads to a miserable and unproductive life.

I believe that Moses’ life exemplifies the kind of freedom and authenticity that can come from focusing on God’s perspective. Dispite objections and hard situations, Moses we are told, "persevered because he saw him who is invisible". Moses’ faith in God enabled him to keep focused and accomplish what God called him to do. Notice our verse above tells us that Moses could stand with God and his people, without fear of even the most powerful earthly ruler at the time.

As the Psalmist says, “in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” May that be true of all of us God followers as well. With our focus on our Creator God and his purposes and calling for us in Jesus Christ, the pressures off!!

THE TREASURES THAT AWAIT

 

February 6, 2025



Matthew 6:24 

"24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Hebrews 11:24-26 

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

As we continue to look at the life of Moses and how God used a seemingly ordinary man to undertake extraordinary feats, we’re reminded today of his intentional choice to be faithful to God, despite the challenges he faced.

Moses had a choice to make. In our modern world a life filled with riches, power and pleasures at any time would be the "right" choice to make. The Biblical story tells us repeatedly that there is something of a far greater reward than temporary and momentary treasures of this world. We see that Moses was devoted to God, even though he faced incredible outside pressures from day to day. His resolve to be faithful did not put him on "easy street", no, being devoted to God had some tough costs for him, however, Moses had made his choice and pre-decided that no matter what comes his way he would always yield to God’s will and purpose. 

Faithfulness to God is not accidental. We don’t just fall into it, you must, like Moses, at some point say "I have decided" to follow God no matter the cost. Moses is characterized throughout the Bible as one who was faithful and obedient to God's direction. We are told that he "spoke to God face to face as with a friend." In our verses above about Moses, we read he, "regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward." Moses knew there was a greater reward awaiting him.

In Christianity, we can expect several future rewards, often referred to as crowns in the Bible. 

Here are a few of them:

Crown of Life: James tells us that this crown of life is for all those who love God (James 1:12)

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

Crown of Righteousness: In 2 Timothy 4:8 we are told that "there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”


Crown of Glory: “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
(1 Peter 5:4)

Crown of Rejoicing: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19) The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).


Imperishable Crown: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is disciplined in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

Thanks be to God!!

RUN, RUN, ... YOU CAN DO IT

February 5, 2025

Hebrews 12:1-3 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

As followers of Jesus, we have each been given "the race marked out for us" to run. There are times in our lives when the race becomes exhausting, and we don’t think we have what it takes to continue, the tank is empty, and living in faithfulness, staying on course, can seem to great. We simply want to give up, or at least that is what the enemy of our souls plants in our thought life. 

But the writer of Hebrews, is writing to people who were in the struggle big time, suffering harsh consequences for  "running the race marked out for them," as followers of Jesus. The author of Hebrews draws these fearful and discouraged people's attention to the faithful witnesses who have gone before them, and who are now cheering them on. 

That is a wonderful image for us too, dont you think. We are on the track, and in the stands, cheering us on are not just some ordinary spectators, but people who have run the race before us, and they know the battle and the struggle to be faithful. From their stories and witness we are encouraged to throw off the hindrances of sin, doubt and earthly entanglements; we are told in our reading today that our success depends upon our ability to fix our eyes on Jesus. He’s at the finish line. And focusing our gaze upon Him gives us clear direction for our life course.

So, as we run, let us glance every once in a while into the stands and see our cheering section, you will recognize some faces, Moses? sure, but also of family, Moms and Dads, siblings, Grandparents, faithful fellow worshippers, earthly companions who witnessed into our lives God's faithfulness and who kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, "who fought the good fight, and finished the race." (2 Timothy 4:7)

Moses had plenty of distractions, discouragements, and deterrents along the way. But he was in continual relationship and conversation with God, taking one step, one day at a time. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26)

What distractions keep you from focusing your eyes on Jesus and running with perseverance the race marked out for you?

Do not dispair!

"since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders".... And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, ... For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Amen!!

FROM WHO ME? ..... to HERE I AM!!

 

February 4, 2025

Exodus 3:1-11

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Moses was an Israelite who, by  God’s purpose and plan, was spared the consequences of other Jewish baby boys, raised in the Egyptian Pharoah’s household, he escaped an edict that saw all other Jewish baby boys executed in that day. Moses as an adult, perhaps you recall this, fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian who he observed beating a fellow Hebrew. 

Moses is now living as an ordinary shepherd, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. There is nothing more ordinary than shepherding sheep. That is why in the Christmas story that these "ordinary" people, called shepherds were among the first to hear the Good News of Jesus birth was such a shocker. 

It was in this ordinary everydayness of Moses’ life that God appeared to him in flames of fire from within a burning bush. Notice, that God had a most extraordinary assignment for Moses: deliver the oppressed people of Israel from slavery in Egypt.

God may not be asking you to deliver an entire nation from centuries of oppression, but Moses’ story shows how God can take an ordinary person, from an ordinary existence, and accomplish His great purpose in and through them.

What might God desire to do in and through you? 

You may relate to Moses’ response to God, “Who am I?” That is, why in the world would you choose me for this task? This seems to be the human response to God's call, certainly Biblically at least. Here is what we do learn in the Bible is that God will use who He will use. And despite Moses’ fierce objections, God did just that.

I would like to invite us all to think about this question today:

Have you sensed any nudges from God to act upon something and you’ve disregarded it for the same kinds of objections Moses gave God?

I pray for all of us, that we might be encouraged by Moses’ story to respond with "Here I am God."