Breathe

April 26, 2024

 This week’s verse is from Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 

One way of speaking God’s name is simply by breathing. YHVH are soft consonants in Hebrew; as if you were breathing in and out. In the Bible, the words for “breath,” “wind,” and “spirit” are the same: “ruach” in Hebrew, and “pneuma” in Greek can mean any of those three words, depending on context. So pay attention to your breathing. Slow down. Breathe deeply and deliberately. Inhale YH, exhale VH, taking in the breath of God and breathing out his Holy Spirit’s breath upon all you do, just as God’s Spirit moved upon the waters of Creation and brought forth life. Breath in God’s Spirit; exhale his life-giving breath on all you do today.

Holy

 April 25, 2024 

I’ve been writing a devotional for my grandkids. I’ve been focusing on a single verse for a week or more. At the beginning of March, I started with the 23rd Psalm; I figure that it might be good to look deeply into familiar Scriptures that we might know from memory, and if not, would be able to begin memorizing just through the repetition. After a week on verse 1, I decided to pick up where we left off, and figured it might be helpful for others, so here we are! This week’s verse is from Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 

You probably already have this one memorized.  We’re going to look at it perhaps a bit differently than you may have done before. We’ll begin with the first two words, which is actually only one in the original. In the older translations, when “LORD” is all in capital letters, it is God’s proper name, consisting of four Hebrew letters, YHYH or YHVH. The Hebrew alphabet has no vowels, so pronunciation was assumed. But because God’s name was considered holy and they didn’t want to violate the second Commandment, they wouldn’t pronounce it. When speaking, they substituted the word for “lord” in its place, and eventually no one remembered how it was actually pronounced. We add the vowels to come up with Yahweh or Jehovah, but no one really knows. We’ll see more on that tomorrow, but for today, remember God’s name is holy, and if we are called by his name, we should be holy, too.

Take Heart!

April 24, 2024

In John’s gospel, chapter one, we find seven different titles given to Jesus. Not including the Prologue of verses 1-18, where we learn Jesus is “the Word of God” (V. 1 & 14) and “the only begotten of the Father” (v. 18), they are as follows:

1. Lamb of God (v. 29)
2. Son of God (v. 34)
3. Rabbi (v. 38)
4. Messiah (v. 41)
5. Jesus of Nazareth (v. 45)
6. King of Israel (v. 49)
7. Son of Man (v. 51)

Sometimes people will admit Jesus actually lived, taught, and died, but are unwilling to admit he is more than another human who lived 2,000 years ago. He was that, but these titles point to something more. It cannot be said of anyone else that they are the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, or even the Son of Man, which is a divine Messianic title taken from Daniel 7:13-14. This last is particularly instructive:

”“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.“ —Daniel 7:13-14 

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or discouraged with life, are wondering “what it’s all coming to,” take some time to meditate on these words from John and Daniel. No matter how distressing things get in this world, the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is everlasting, shall not pass away, will never be destroyed. Take heart!  

A House

 April 23, 2024

In 2 Samuel 7, David looks around him and realizes that he is living in a royal palace, while the Lord has only a tent. He wants to build a temple fitting for the God he worshiped. When he tells his plan to the prophet Nathan, he learns that God doesn’t want him to do this, but because it was in his heart, God planned to give David something greater than a temple: ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you.’ (2 Samuel 7:11)

It’s impossible to out-give God! We may think we’re doing him a favor, but the return is always greater than we could possibly give. In David’s case, the temple he envisioned his son built, but it is long since gone, a victim of time. David’s house however, is still strong, and growing more so all the time.

I think it was William Carey who said, “Attempt great things for God; believe great things from God.” We play it safe too often, and miss out on the greater blessing God has for those who desire above all else, his glory.

Andrew

 April 22, 2024

It’s deceptively simple. No hard-sell tactics are involved, you don’t have to be smart or talented. All you need to do is follow and invite. 

”The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. —John 1:37, 40-42 

John doesn’t tell us much about Andrew. When we do hear of him, he is doing just one thing: bringing people to Jesus. In chapter 6, it’s a boy who has some fish and a five rolls. In chapter 12, it’s some foreigners who are looking for Jesus. Andrew doesn’t get the attention his loud-mouth brother Peter gets. He’s in the background. But he is always on the lookout for someone he can bring to Jesus. He isn’t flashy; he’s pretty quiet, apparently preferring backstage to the limelight. But the one thing he knows he does well. He connects people with Jesus, then lets Jesus do his thing. 

We don’t necessarily need big-name preachers or famous celebrities. Sometimes they do a better job drawing people to themselves than to Jesus. But they cannot save. We could use a few more people who quietly go about bringing people to Jesus and letting Jesus make the sale. If you could be an Andrew, you would be a great gift to the Church. I think Jesus wouldn’t mind, either.

Manifest

 April 21, 2024

1 John 3 has what to me is an interesting repetition of words that propel John’s narrative towards its conclusion. Most translations miss the point because they translate the same word using different English words. The old American Standard Version comes closest to the original words:

”Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.“

—1 John 3:2, 5, 8, 10 ASV

Today we would be more likely to translate the word “manifest” as “reveal.” Read it that way, and you’ll see that these verses are bookended with ourselves being revealed for what we truly are. No masks, no deception, no hidden secrets. If you’ve ever been the recipient of such duplicity, you will welcome these words.

But in between these two statements about our true selves being revealed, we read about how God intends to bring this about: Jesus was revealed to accomplish three things—make us like him, take away our sins, and destroy the works of the devil. Although John doesn’t explicitly say it here, these three goals are accomplished by the work of Christ upon the cross. Read them in reverse order, and you’ll see how it works: (1) On the cross, Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, conquering death by his death. (2) On the cross, Jesus took away our sins, and (3) Through the cross, we shall become like him in righteousness. When this happens, we shall be seen for what we really are in Christ, as distinct from the children of the devil who live unrighteously and don’t love others.

None of this is automatic, but it all happens by revelation. Apart from Christ, we don’t see life as it really is. In Christ, reality is revealed, sins are forgiven, the devil’s works are defeated, and we are being remade in the image of Christ himself. I don’t know about you, but that gives me something to chew on for awhile.

Dangeous Men

 April 19, 2024

2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11 are the roll call of what the Bible calls “David’s Mighty Men.” They were thirty of the best soldiers in the kingdom. As you read through this list, what stands out is how certain ones are singled out as having killed numerous enemy soldiers, especially when outnumbered. 

As I read through this list this morning, I began to wonder when we stopped admiring dangerous men. I suppose much of it stems from the teachings of Jesus; words of peace, patience, and the elevation of the virtue of suffering for Jesus’ sake. I think it’s one of the reasons we have a difficult time attracting men to the Gospel. When armies mustered behind the sign of the cross, men clamored to join up. 

I’m not advocating that we resort to violence and bloodshed in the name of Jesus. Lord knows, there’s plenty of death and destruction done in the name of religion. But neither do I believe that Christian life should be bland, weak, and colorless. One of the old baptism rites included words that “Christ bids us come and die,” which is true. We are to deny ourselves, pick up a cross, and follow Jesus. The cross in this instance, is not a piece of jewelry one wears about the neck. It is an instrument of torture and death. Only the brave need apply.

We need strong men willing to stand up against the tide of our culture. They will need to be brave because those who like David’s man Abishai, who “singlehandedly…fought three hundred men, and killed the lot,” men who the Enemy of our souls considers dangerous. Who knows what could happen in our society with such dangerous men who are sold out to Jesus?

Strength

 April 18, 2024

Where do you turn when everything turns against you? Life often does just that; a friend believes a lie about you and decides he doesn’t want to be your friend anymore, your company downsizes you out of a job, someone with connections got the promotion or scholarship you deserved, instead of going away, your health issues just keep getting worse, your significant other finds someone else.

There are countless ways we can get blindsided by life; the question is, where do we turn when it happens? Alcohol? Drugs? Mindless surfing the web? Promiscuity? A hobby, counselor or therapist? Maybe you just go to bed and sleep the days away.

David had thought his family and the families of the men with him were safe in Ziklag while the men were out raiding, but enemies from across the border sacked the village and carried away all the women and children. We pick up the story in I Samuel 30:6.

 “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

We aren’t told exactly how David strengthened himself in the Lord; only that he did so. I think it’s good that there are no details; how David did so is probably different than how you or I do so. The important thing is, when life takes a turn for the worse, that you turn to the Lord. In him, and only in him, is found the strength you need for the difficulty you face.

Harvest

April 17, 2024

Tonight was our New Horizons concert. I’ve been in the band for a number of years, playing bassoon in the concert band and double bass in the jazz band. When our government shut everything down due to Covid, the band shut down with it. Eventually it started up again, but only for those who had received the full complement of vaccinations, which I had refused. So no band for me. By the time all the restrictions were lifted, my bassooning had taken a major hit; I hadn’t practiced for more than two years. I got it out last year, but had pretty well lost my chops, so I sold it.

Things have gotten quite busy in my life, so I wasn’t really upset to not play the bassoon in concert band, but I really missed jazz band. So I was eager to sign up for the semester. And tonight we played. It was some pretty challenging music, but I loved every minute of it. I had just sat down to listen to the concert band when I was greeted by three granddaughters and one who will be marrying into the family in due time. I was humbled that Alex drove all the way from Rochester to hear me play three songs, and that all of them—Abi, Eliza, Alex, and Jordyn—cared enough to come. They even bought me flowers. THAT’s never happened before!

Linda told me that the years of going to concerts, musicals, sports events is returning to bless me. It was never a sacrifice to support them, and now it is certainly humbling to have them return the gift of love. The Scripture is true: “Whatever you sow, that you shall also reap.” I am reaping a bountiful harvest! 

Restraint

April 16, 2024

In 1 Samuel 25 is a story with multiple layers to it. David and his 600 followers, discontents to the last man, are acting as a guerrilla paramilitary operation, offering protection to the locals…for a price. In this story, they are providing protection for a wealthy man named Nabal, who doesn’t appreciate what he considers to be extortion for their uninvited service. He refuses to provide anything for their efforts, prompting David to mount a retaliatory raid upon him and his possessions. 

Nabal’s wife, the beautiful Abigail, learns of David’s intentions, and intervenes, preventing by her bold and wise actions the carnage David had planned. David’s response:

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.“ —I Samuel 25:32-33 

I’ve often wondered at the mystery of God’s intervention in my life. I’ve watched too many times as people have destroyed in a moment of rage or passion what took years to build. Marriages destroyed, families torn apart, ministries gutted, businesses destroyed…all because someone chased after the latest shiny thing that caused their undoing.

I’m no smarter nor better than any of the people I know who have tossed away a lifetime of hard work in a fit of jealousy, envy, or lust, and known how close to the edge I’ve come at times through my own foolishness. Why God pulled me back and didn’t do the same for someone else is beyond my understanding, but I’m grateful that he has done so. 

Jesus often opened the eyes of the blind, which is a picture of his work in us. Sin blinds us to it’s consequences (we sin when we think we can get away with it), but those consequences are always there. I am so grateful that at those times when I was stumbling along in the dark, God opened my eyes just in time to keep me from taking that one step that would have spelled disaster. Why me and not others I don’t know, but I am so very grateful, as was David, for God’s restraining hand. 

Praise

4/15/24

Today’s Scripture reading came from the stories of Saul and David in 1 Samuel. Saul’s jealousy and insecurity have him coming completely unglued when it comes to David. David is on the run, an outlaw much like Robin Hood, chased and hounded from place to place. He has some narrow escapes, and it is in these circumstances that he pens Psalms 52, 57, and 142, where he cries out for help.

”Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness…But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.“ —Psalm 52:1, 3, 8-9 

”My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.“

—Psalm 57:7, 9 

”When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.” —Psalm 142:3-4, 7 

David’s words of praise weren’t uttered in beautiful palaces, temples with stained glass and exquisite architecture. They didn’t spring from places of security and peace, but came from times of anxiety and danger, of fear and worry. We often imagine that once things in our lives get straightened out, when we have more time or money or better health, then we’ll be able to praise the Lord, but not now; not in the middle of raising kids, taking tests, a failing economy and broken relationships. 

One of the messages of these psalms is that no matter what our circumstances, today—right now—is the time to worship and praise God. Anyone can do it when all is well. But you aren’t just anyone; you are a believer in Jesus, a follower of the Way, a child of God, and one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. If these words describe you, praise God even in the storm.

My Favorite

 April 14, 2024

I’m home from this season’s Footsteps Weekend, a spiritual retreat for youth by youth. I was there by invitation, serving as one of two Spiritual Directors. Most of the time, I sat and listened as different teenagers led the sessions, talking about various issues they face and how their relationship with Christ has made a difference. It was an amazing experience; one I hope to have again.

I must say, I’ve never felt completely comfortable working with teenagers. I’m not particularly garrulous; I’m about as big a contrast between Steve Martin’s “Wild and Crazy Guy” as you can get. So for most of the weekend, I observed as the kids interacted with each other, engaging when I could, but letting the youth leaders do their work without interference. 

All of this is prelude to what to me is the most amazing and touching experience of the weekend. Every time I walked past one particular young lady, she smiled and said, “You’re my favorite!” I have no idea how this came about. If she were one of my granddaughters, I wouldn’t be surprised, but she’s not. I’ve not had any more contact with her than with any of the others, yet she was relentless; a smile and “You are my favorite.” 

If such a word of affirmation can touch an old man’s heart, can you imagine what your word of affirmation could mean to someone who is rarely blessed with kindness and mercy? The one in need might not be your favorite, but she is God’s. The clerk at the supermarket, the waitress at the restaurant, the annoying kid who gets under your skin, the student or co-worker who is always baiting you; I’ll bet hearing words like this could turn a bad day into a good day, and might even give you the opportunity to speak the name of Jesus. 

“You are my favorite.” I didn’t ask “Favorite what?” I was too busy basking in the warmth of the moment. Give that moment to someone this week. It might change both of your lives.

Footsteps

 April 12, 2024

I’m at Footsteps Weekend, a spiritual retreat for teenagers designed to bring them closer to Jesus. These times are always challenging, and this weekend is no different, with some unique difficulties we’ve not had to navigate before. Pray for the leadership team, that we will be unobstructed avenues of God’s love and grace, and for the participants, that they will be able to open up and receive all God has for them in Jesus.

Abhorrent

 April 11, 2024

Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas were quite different than their father. All three were priests, but where Eli was faithful, his sons were profane and perverse. They stole the offerings of the people, slept with young woman who came to worship, and generally despised the counsel of God. God’s judgment on them was clear: ”Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.“ (I Samuel 2:17)

The problem wasn’t just that they were doing such things, but that because of their behavior others rejected the offering of the Lord. Today, we would say that people saw their behavior and wanted nothing to do with God. It is a sad testament for that to be said of any of God’s people, but I’ve felt the weight of this judgment even heavier for having been a pastor for over 50 years. 

I remember once when I officiated at a funeral of a man who was a good, faithful worker, a back-slapping kind of friend. It was a different story at home. He was alcoholic and abusive. I dealt with the situation as compassionately as I could, but later received some pretty vitriolic letters from co-workers who thought I had besmirched his reputation. When I asked his widow if I had said anything offensive to her, she affirmed that I had not, that my words were comforting to her. Turned out the letters came from his drinking buddies.

Even so, I don’t want to be the reason someone rejects Christ. I’m OK If they reject him because of who he is, but not if they reject him because of who I am. The Bible says Jesus is a stumbling stone to unbelievers. That’s fine. But not if I am the stumbling stone.

Word

 April 10, 2024

“The word of the Lord came to Samuel” (1 Samuel 3:21). “The word of Samuel came to Israel” (1 Samuel 4:1). These verses follow one right after the other. That’s the way it should be. If God speaks a word to me, his intent is that I speak that word to others. Peter tells us that there is no private interpretation of the Word of God. It is given to be shared, and in a way that can be verified. 

Years ago, a woman came to my wife, telling her that God told her that Linda had a word for her. Linda’s response was, “I wish he had told me, too.” Too often, God’s word gets twisted by people with hidden agendas. God doesn’t intend for us to hide his revelation and hoard it for ourselves. When we speak it out, we open ourselves to correction, which is a good thing. Never assume you have the final word. God reserves that for himself. But when he gives us a word, he expects we share it with others.

God Sees

 April 9, 2024

When the John the Baptist was asked if he were the prophet Elijah who had been foretold would precede the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1), he denied it (John 1:21), but in Matthew 11:14, Jesus said of him, “If you are ready to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

At first glance, this seems like a contradiction, but I don’t think that’s the case. Sunday night in our discipleship group, our leader encouraged us to ask God how he sees us. Everyone else had words of grace, forgiveness, encouragement. When it was my turn, I said, “I’m not hearing anything.” I modified that comment, “If anything, all I hear are words like, “Well, you messed that up again,” or “I’d think you know better by now.” Not particularly kind to the ego.

Yesterday I got to thinking about that question again, but this time the answer came back a bit differently. “Yes, you messed that up, but you didn’t quit. You got right back up after you fell down.” I could envision God picking me up, dusting me off, and saying, “Let’s give it another try.”

I suspect that’s what’s happening in these Scriptures. John’s evaluation of himself was far less than Jesus’ evaluation of him. John saw himself merely as a voice crying out in the wilderness. Jesus saw him as a modern-day Elijah. It’s a lesson we don’t want to miss. Our self-evaluation is often considerably more critical and judgmental than God’s evaluation of us. One of the hardest lessons in life is to learn to see ourselves as God sees us: forgiven, holy, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, full of wisdom and power.

It’s a good question to ask God: “How do you see me?” Be sure to lay aside your own opinion and listen carefully to God’s words of grace and encouragement. Even if there is major work to be done; sins to confess, forgiveness to seek, wisdom to be found, God sees you far differently than you see yourself. 

Precision

April 8, 2024

It was overcast here in Sinclairville at the time of the eclipse. The sky went dark, but the corona couldn’t be seen. Fortunately, I wasn’t in Sinclairville; I was in Erie visiting my college roommate who is celebrating his 75th birthday today. He claims the universe blew out its candle just for him. 

To me, the interesting thing about all this is the precision of it all. My roommate Don learned more than two years ago that the eclipse would occur on his birthday and would be a full eclipse in his hometown of Erie, PA. So he traveled all the way from England where he has made his home for the past forty years, just to be able to see the eclipse and celebrate his birthday in a very unusual way. 

Two years ago! And because Creation is so precise, those who study such phenomena can make such predictions can do so even further from the event. The reason we can do this is because as the Bible says, our God is a God of order. Things don’t happen by chance; those who claim that life is a series of chance events that produced proteins, bacteria, and eventually multi-celled life are doing so in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This may have been believable once upon a time, but what we now know about the intricacy of even the lowest forms of life prove the lie that has been foisted upon us for years by those who cannot or will not embrace even the possibility that life has a design, and if so, must have a designer. Such admission would be tantamount to conceding that there is a God, if the Bible is to be believed, before whom we must someday stand.

Today I witnessed an extraordinary event; one which I will not likely see again. It testified to me of the glory of God, as the psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)

 

Eclipse

 April 7, 2024

Tomorrow is Eclipse Day, and we are right in the middle of its path. Our county government has expended much time and energy (and probably money) promoting this as a tourist bonanza for the area. We are just hoping our normal overcast skies don’t foil the entire enterprise. However it plays out, it’s been interesting to me to read the prognostications and pronouncements of certain Christians regarding the eclipse as a sign from God of apocalyptic proportions.

While Jesus did tell us that in the last days there would be signs in the skies (“the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” —Matthew 24:29 ), he also told us not to consult them as if they had power to shape our lives. Some of the commentary I’ve read from Christian sources comes awfully close to an occultic interpretation of the heavens. God alone knows our future, and has not relinquished it to any of his Creation.

So enjoy the hoopla, get out your special glasses and revel in the wonder of one of the more unusual works of God. And don’t forget to give him thanks and praise for it all. Myself, I’ll be witnessing it in the company of one of my college roommates whose 75th birthday is tomorrow. He’s sporting a sweatshirt declaring the eclipse as his birthday present from the universe. Lucky guy! Happy birthday, Don!

Commit

 April 6, 2024

Psalm 37:3-5

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; 

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 

Delight yourself also in the Lord, 

And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord, 

Trust also in Him, 

And He shall bring it to pass.”

“Trust, Dwell, Feed, Delight.” Four commands in two verses. They build on one another, each command taking us deeper into our relationship with God. Now we come to the climax of it all: “Commit.” Sooner or later in our journey with God, we end up here. It’s show time, and we must decide whether or not we’re going to commit. Trusting God, living in the land of his promises, feeding on his blessings—we love it so far, but when it comes to commitment, we balk. 

But commitment is the heart of it all. It’s what God is after; not fans, not admirers, not even believers. He is looking for people willing to commit everything into his hands, no matter what. Our taking that final step is how God brings to pass all the good he has planned for us. So…commit. Your way. To him.