Are Christians in America Persecuted?

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 - With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.  We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written very shortly after the first letter.  The reason for the letter was that the issues he wrote to them about in the first letter had actually gotten worse.  The persecution had intensified and they were more confused about Jesus’s return. So Paul writes this short letter in hopes of encouraging and comforting them. 

In the first part of the letter, the Apostle addresses their persecution.  He assures them that God has not forgotten them and God will hold those who persecute them accountable.  The Thessalonians will be found righteous in God’s sight for their faithfulness and their oppressors will be punished.  The Thessalonians had probably hoped that these things were true, but it was probably good to hear Paul confirm it.

However, Paul offers a prayer in this section that they will stay the course in the midst of persecution.  He prays that through this difficult time, they will be able to keep boldly doing the work to which they were called.  Persecution doesn’t let them off the hook and Paul prays they will be found “worthy of [God’s] calling.” 

There are Christians in America who complain that we are in a time of persecution in this country.  I want to go on the record as saying, “hogwash!”  There may be isolated examples here and there of Christians actually suffering for their faith here in the US, but it is not comparable to what the early churches in the Roman Empire suffered. Are we portrayed as idiots, simpletons, and/or zealots in movies and TV? Yes, sometimes.  Are our values always upheld by the laws of this country? No, not always. Is it easy to live out Jesus's teachings in our culture?  No, but it's not easy to do so anywhere.  However, there are many places in the world right now where letting it be known that you are Christian is a life-risking act.  Christians die every day for simply being Christians across the globe.  We should remember that and pray for those who face this danger daily. 

My other challenge to us today is to do the work God has called us to do.  If the persecuted church can be faithful under life-threatening conditions, how much more faithful should we be? 

 

Question:  What work has God led you to be involved in right now?  What is one step you could take today to move forward in faithfulness to that call?

 

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank you for bringing me to this moment in my life with all the blessings and privileges I have.  Show me how I may leverage those blessings and privileges for your glory.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the persecuted church in other countries across the world.

 

Song:  "No Turning Back" Christian Persecution Play by CORNERSTONE ASIAN CHURCH YOUTH]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICRAuOFzj2U

What Would YOU Say if Asked This Question?

Mark 10:46-52, CEB - Jesus and his followers came into Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, Timaeus’ son, was sitting beside the road.  When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!”  Many scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, show me mercy!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him forward.”

They called the blind man, “Be encouraged! Get up! He’s calling you.”

Throwing his coat to the side, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man said, “Teacher, I want to see.”

Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus on the way.

 

                Poor Bartimaeus crying out to Jesus as the entourage passed him on the road out of Jericho is perceived by most as an annoyance, the cry of a crazy fool who the people of Jericho had learned to ignore.  They try to silence Bart but this causes him to shout even louder.  He gains the attention of Jesus who doesn’t ignore him.  Jesus calls Bart to come to him.  Though this seems like an insignificant detail, what it signifies is that this is not only a healing story; it is a call story.  Mark confirms this when he reports that Bart “began to follow Jesus on the way.”  The first takeaway from this story is that God sees potential and value in people the rest of us often wish would be quiet and fade into the background.

                The question Jesus asks Bart is the same one that he has just asked the disciples in the preceding story – “what do you want Me to do for you?”  Mark puts these stories together to draw a distinct contrast between the vainglorious request of the “insider” disciples and the deeply personal and heartfelt request of the “outsider” Bartimaeus.   While the disciples ask for elevated status, Bart asks for the chance to see.  As we notice this contrast, we could consider the same question from Jesus, “what do you want me to do for you?”  How would you answer?  What is the deep desire of your heart?  This story invites us to consider what we would ask Jesus for more than anything else?  Further, the story invites us to examine the nature of that desire – does it represent a deep need or is the desire more shallow? 

                As we have heard Jesus say before in this gospel, He proclaims to Bartimaeus, “your faith has healed you.”  Jesus doesn’t do anything special like touch Bart’s eyes of say some special prayer.  He proclaims that Bart’s faith has enabled him to receive healing from God.  Returning to your answers from the last paragraph, do you have faith that God can provide the needed response to your deepest need?  Your faith IS the most important ingredient in the equation. 

                And finally, we return to the reality that this is a call story.  Bartimaeus is healed and immediately follows Jesus.  It may be assumed that Bart is present for the events that occur over the next week, the last week of Jesus’s life before being crucified.  Bart has a new life and mission upon being healed by Jesus.  This is signified by another easily overlooked detail in the story, something that happens even before Bart is healed.  When Jesus called for Bartimaeus, the text says, “throwing his coat aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.”  People who were disabled like Bartimaeus in Jesus’s day were often given “a beggar’s coat” that gave them permission to beg for their livelihood.  When Jesus calls for him, Bart throws his beggar’s coat aside.  He has faith that this call from Jesus means that his begging days are over.  He now has a new mission.  He is a new man. 

 

Question:  Of all the possible insights from this story, which one strikes a need in you in this moment?

 

Prayer:  Jesus, thank you for the call that you have for each one of us.  Help us be clear about our deepest need right now.  Gove us the faith to trust you with that need and expect that you will provide in a way that strengthens our ability to follow you more nearly.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people you know with physical challenges today.

 

Song: El Shaddai – Amy Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qJMl95lb9k

Exposing What’s Truly Important to Us

Mark 5:1-20, CEB - Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out of the tombs. This man lived among the tombs, and no one was ever strong enough to restrain him, even with a chain. He had been secured many times with leg irons and chains, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. No one was tough enough to control him. Night and day in the tombs and the hills, he would howl and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from far away, he ran and knelt before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!”

He said this because Jesus had already commanded him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”

Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He responded, “Legion is my name, because we are many.” They pleaded with Jesus not to send them out of that region.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside.  “Send us into the pigs!” they begged. “Let us go into the pigs!”  Jesus gave them permission, so the unclean spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.

Those who tended the pigs ran away and told the story in the city and in the countryside. People came to see what had happened.  They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to be demon-possessed. They saw the very man who had been filled with many demons sitting there fully dressed and completely sane, and they were filled with awe.  Those who had actually seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man told the others about the pigs.   Then they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.

While he was climbing into the boat, the one who had been demon-possessed pleaded with Jesus to let him come along as one of his disciples.  But Jesus wouldn’t allow it. “Go home to your own people,” Jesus said, “and tell them what the Lord has done for you and how he has shown you mercy.”  The man went away and began to proclaim in the Ten Cities all that Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

 

Of the three gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) that include this story, Mark’s is the longest account.  This is curious, because Mark, who is usually known for his brevity (his gospel is the shortest) includes the most details.

There is a grab-bag of emotions present in this story told by Mark. First, Jesus and his disciples, fresh off the boat following the storm that Jesus calmed, are still tired.  They came over to the far shore to get from people.  They get out of the boat and find more people.  The tortured possessed man shows up and the spirits within him plead with Jesus to leave them alone, for Jesus had already begun to cast them out of the man.  The demons fear Jesus, because they know who He is and they fear He will harm them. 

Jesus asks for their name and they basically reply that they are many (legion, which means 1000).  Realizing Jesus is going to rid the tortured man of them, they ask to be cast into the heard of pigs.  Surprisingly, Jesus allows it and the pigs are promptly destroyed.  Implied here is that there are farmers who now have just lost part of their livelihood.  They are upset and eventually most of the people in the region are upset because it might be their livelihoods that Jesus starts messing with next.  But before they are upset, they are in awe that the demons obey Jesus. 

Then, of course, we have the man who was exorcised of the demons that had made him suffer for so long.  He is grateful beyond words and wants to devote his life to following Jesus.  But Jesus redirects him to tell his own people about what God has done for him.  The man spends the rest of his life doing just that.  So in this story, we have exhaustion, fear, extreme suffering, anger, awe, gratitude, calling, rejection, and other emotions all mixed in. 

It seems that the emotions in the various people correspond to what they care about the most. The people of the region are impressed with the authority Jesus has over demons, but they are more worried about how Jesus’s compassionate action (healing the man of demon-possession) will affect them financially.  The demoniac is nothing more than a nuisance to them.  The supernatural authority displayed to them was lost on them because what they cared about was their financial bottom line.

The fear that gripped Legion speaks to the fact they know their tyranny over their poor host is coming to an end. 

The gratitude and devotion of the man delivered from Legion stems from the suffering and self-harm has been cast out. 

Jesus still threatens institutions and communities that care more about their bottom line than the suffering of real human beings around them. 

Jesus is still a terror to demonic forces that terrorize human beings for whom He has compassion.

Jesus is still the deliverer of those tortured by the darkness in their souls.  He still calls people out of the darkest shadows and makes them a witness to what the Lord can do. 

 

Questions:  How does this story hit your emotions.  Does that suggest anything about your own priorities?

 

Prayer:  Lord, show us our true allegiances.  Help us to see those who are suffering in the shadows for who you care.  Make us witnesses to what You have done for us.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who struggle with mental illness.

 

Song:  Run, Devil, Run – David Crowder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US1-R-R9lYQ

Recovering "Disciple"

 

Mark 1:16-20 - As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

 

Why do Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John all immediately drop their whole lives to follow Jesus full-time with a simple, “come, follow me” from the Rabbi?  Lots of commentators confidently put forth many answers that make sense, but the reality is we can’t be sure.  Only the person that drops everything to follow Jesus could give a definitive reason or reasons for making such a life-changing move.  My guess is that if we were able to go back in time and interview these four men, we would get four different answers as to their particular reason(s).

 

We know from the letters of John that Andrew and probably Peter were followers of John the Baptist.  Obviously, John the Baptist was all about preparing his followers to follow the “one who would come after [him].”  When John identifies Jesus as that “One,” it makes a lot of sense that they would be an easier “yes” to Jesus’s invitation.  Though we are not given any such backstory for James and John, the specific language Mark uses to describe the encounter suggests Jesus already knew them before He calls them to be His disciples.  Mark is not describing some mystical encounter where Jesus asks total strangers to follow them and the strangers, as if put into some hypnotic trance, drop everything and follow Him for the next three years of their lives.  A prior relationship is assumed.

 

The other issue we must be aware of is what a momentous honor it was to be ask to become the disciples of a popular Rabbi.  The word that in English is translated “disciple” is “talmidum” and it has a much deeper meaning than someone who simply follows a teacher around for a specified amount of time.  When a Rabbi chooses a Talmidum, the Rabbi is choosing someone who he thinks can eventually take over his role.  What Jesus is saying to these four men, and the other eight that come after, is that they can become influential spiritual teachers themselves.  The faith and wisdom Jesus represents can be the faith and wisdom that the Talmidum will represent themselves.  It is an invitation to become a person of influence and impact beyond just themselves.

 

The invitation to become disciples of Jesus is still that huge.  It is the call to live for something bigger than yourself.  All of us may not become famous teachers, but the life you’ve been called to live is for the benefit of others and the growing influence of the Kingdom of God.  A disciple is more than an admirer or someone cherishes Jesus the same way you cherish your favorite actor or celebrity.  A disciple is someone who leaves important stuff behind to place their time, talent, and treasure in service to Jesus’s mission.  Jesus’s mission becomes the disciple’s mission. 

 

To be frank, Jesus doesn’t have an abundance of disciples (defined in this way) today.  Among the billions that would call themselves Christians, only the smallest fraction have really swapped their own aspirations for those of Jesus.  But Jesus’s call to all of us remains the same nonetheless. 

 

Question:  What have you left behind to follow Jesus?  What do need to leave behind?

 

Prayer:  Jesus, help us clearly understand Your specific call on my time, talent, and treasure.  Help me see steps I can take today to become more like You and more invested in Your mission.  

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for those who struggling with what to do with their lives right now.

 

Song:  For the Sake of the World – Bethel Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9oqi86yS3g

Esther – Part 1

Esther 4:1-17

 

A bit of background for the scripture above. This is a quick summary of Chapters 1-3. The King of Persia was having a wild drunken party. In the midst of the party he has the wonderful idea that he would like to show off his beautiful wife for all of his guests. It’s hard to believe, but the Queen refused to do it because the idea of parading before a room full of drunken men didn’t appeal to her. The King is embarrassed and has her removed as Queen and banished forever. A contest is held to find a new Queen. Esther, a Jew, is chosen. Esther was raised by her Uncle Mordecai, an official at the King’s Gate. You should also know that Mordecai also foiled a plot to assassinate the King.

Haman, the King’s second-in-command, doesn’t like Mordecai (or any other Jews for that matter) and convinces the King to commit genocide on all the Jews in the empire, including Mordecai. The plan worked like this. On the appointed day, all the King’s subjects throughout the Kingdom were to kill all Jews and take their property. Now you’re caught up.

Mordecai is inconsolable and begins a time of public mourning. Queen Esther is concerned about him and tries to see if there is anything she can do. Mordecai challenges her to petition the King to intervene on behalf of her people. She first refuses because she is sure she will be killed just for asking, but upon Mordecai’s second challenge (I hope you read it), she agrees to try to do something.

Just the decision to try is heroic. From the perspective of Esther, she most probably will fail and likely lose her life in the process. But she decides the cause is bigger than even her life and she asks Mordecai and the rest of her people to fast and pray for her. Because the cause is bigger than her, she knows she needs the help of God and other people. Heroic and wise Esther is. We’ll see just how wise she is tomorrow.

Is there a cause that seems too big for you but something you feel pulled to nonetheless? Perhaps “you have come to your… position for such a time as this?” If so, you will need God and people’s help to get it done.

 

Prayer: Most Holy One, I pray you would show me the task(s) you called me to do in such a time as this. Give me wisdom and power and the help of others to get it done. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus: Pray for the victims of yet another shooting in Chicago on July 4^th.

 

Song: Wayne Watson - For Such A Time As This

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXcJUIAJNW0

Elisha - Just Doing the Job

 

Read 2 Kings 4:8-37 – too long to print here

 

As was mentioned last time, Elisha had been groomed and mentored by Elijah for the work of the prophet. And Elijah’s investment paid off. Elisha, by all accounts exceeded the works of his mentor – longer service, twice as many miracles, and he helped and challenged more kings. The Old Testament spends more time telling the stories of Elisha than Elijah. Yet, in all that was told about Elisha, not once does it record him complaining or wanting to quit. Elijah tried to quit multiple times.

Still, Elijah is revered as the greater prophet. Most likely, more of you reading this know more about Elijah than Elisha. Jesus had problems with his disciples arguing about “who is the greatest? I don’t know why this is the case, but here’s my simple point this morning. It doesn’t matter. Who gets more credit? Who’s more famous? Who’s more “important?” God does not care.

But let ‘s be honest. It matters to us. Humans like “pecking orders” just as much as chickens. We want to know where we stand. But along comes Elisha and simply just does what he’s called to do and lets the cards fall where they may. I’m not naïve enough to think that he never played the comparison game. Nevertheless, Elisha just kept doing his job without complaining.

I need to hear that and I bet others need to hear that. As nice as it is to get credit and be affirmed, what I(and you) need to remember is that the work is often it’s own reward. In addition, God is pleased when we do what He has led us to do. We serve at the pleasure of our God. Keep on keeping on!

 

Prayer: Lord, make us clear about the things we can do today that matter, whether we get credit or affirmation or not. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus: Pray for unity to grow around what we can do as a country to solve the problems we are facing right now

 

Song: Alicia Keys - Good Job

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ighFo0i0nrA

What Do WE Get Out of It?!

 

What Do WE Get Out of It?!

 January 26, 2022

Matthew 19:27-30, The Message - Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?”

Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

 

                I have obviously never met Peter, the disciple of Jesus, but I love him.  He often says what I think I might want to say in the same situation.  The only difference is that I generally only think the Peter says without ever getting the words out of my mouth.  Peter evidently doesn’t have the filter that I do and I honestly love him for it. 

                Take the exchange above between Jesus and Peter.  Jesus has just told the rich young man that, if he wants to receive the kingdom, he needs to give up his wealth.  Peter hears this tough teaching and realizes that he and his compatriots have actually done what Jesus asked.  They weren’t rich (except possibly Matthew), but they left what livelihoods they had.  Most of them had families at home while they wandered around Israel with Jesus.  So Peter, realizing this, blurts out, “What do we get out of it?”

                Had I been there, I would have thought what Peter said, but never said it.  But I’m glad Peter did, because it provides Jesus a great moment to affirm and reassure his most committed disciples.  It also allows us that same affirmation and assurance.  Whatever we have given up to follow Jesus has been noticed.  “Yes, you have followed me,” Jesus says.  Jesus sees the sacrifices, whatever they may be for each of us.  Further, He promises that whatever you and I have left behind, it pales in comparison to what you will receive.

                In a lot of ways, I already see this in my life.  I have, on occasion, thought about how my life might have been different had I chosen a different vocation.  Most of the time, it’s seems impossible to imagine.  I might have made more money, but I’m not sure.  I’m not sure how my family would be different, but I am sure the difference would be night and day.  My guess is that we would have settled in one place and stayed there instead of living in a dozen different places over the years.  Yes, things would have been vastly different even though I struggle to imagine the details.  In the times I have indulged these musings, I always end up with the same conclusion.  I may have given up some possibilities to answer God’s call, but when I think of all that I’ve gained, it hardly seems like a sacrifice. I don’t regret the decision one bit.

                I am aware that my experience is not universal.  I have had colleagues over the years that have deeply regretted following the path that has me so grateful.  I’m also aware that my sacrifices seem so insignificant to those of the disciples for which Peter speaks up.  I am aware that, right now, there are Christians who are being tortured and killed because they decided to follow Jesus.  Jesus has already kept this promise to me, but He will make good on the promise for everyone who follows Him.  The decision to follow Jesus is always the best investment anyone can ever make.  As we watch Peter grow into his calling through the rest of the Gospels and other New Testament books, we see Him live into Jesus’s promise.  A mere fisherman becomes the central leader in a movement that numbers in the billions today.  The Catholic church reveres him as the first Pope. 

                The stories for the rest of the disciples that day vary greatly, but history has shown that Jesus kept the promise to them as well – some of them while they still walked the earth and all after they were martyred.  The bedrock takeaway from this story is that the life Jesus invites us to is one that does require us to say goodbyes to things that, in many cases, seem very difficult to give up.  However, the promise is that, compared to what we will receive in this life and the next, the sacrifice is minimal.  I need to remind myself of that from time to time.  Maybe I’m not the only one.

 

Questions:  What has it cost you to follow Jesus?  What would have been the cost if you had not chosen that path?

 

Prayer: God of provision, your call to follow and serve you requires us to leave things behind.  Help us realize and trust that it is the best decision we can ever make.  Help us catch a glimpse of the great things ahead of those of us willing to trust you.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the thousands of persecuted Christians across the Globe.

 

Song:  Lord, You Give the Great Commission – arr. Foster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZU1jpAu79Y

Grown-up Christmas List - December 21, 2021

Grown-up Christmas List - December 21, 2021

 

Luke 4:18-19 - “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 

As one that is always looking for the scriptural truth in unexpected places, I also have an affinity for many “secular” Christmas songs.  Today is one of those.  David Foster, the prolific songwriter wrote today’s “Grown-up Christmas List” Linda Thompson-Jenner and released it on his 1990 Christmas Album “River of Love.”  Amy Grant covered it on her second Christmas Album, “Home for Christmas” in 1992.  She composed and added a verse to the song and it was her version that became wildly popular.  Kelly Clarkson and a score of other artists have kept new versions coming ever since.

 

                The song is written to Santa Claus, but I prefer to see it as a prayer to God.  The heart of the song is the actual grown-up Christmas list:

                No more lives torn apart

That wars would never start

And time would heal all hearts

And everyone would have a friend

And right would always win

And love would never end…

To me, the list seems uniquely akin to Jesus’s statement of the purpose of His coming in Luke 4 above.  It’s instructive to remember that Jesus is literally reading Isaiah 61 when utters these words in a synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown.  He rolls up the scroll and then states, “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  The message given to Isaiah hundreds of years earlier is now becoming reality as Jesus begins to fulfill His mission.  If you read the rest of Luke’s gospel, you can see that Jesus goes about helping the poor experience good news that they’ve waited for all their lives.  He sees the afflicted and oppressed free.  He gives sight to the blind, heals the sick and proclaims the favor of God to people who never expected such a blessing. 

 

                To put it another way, he goes about fulfilling the aforementioned grown-up Christmas list.  Beyond that, he creates a community that he charges with continuing that work with the anointing of God’s spirit and the backing of God’s power.  You and I are charged with binding up the wounds of those whose lives have been torn apart.  We are called to be the peacemakers that keep conflicts from escalating into wars.  We are called to aid in God’s healing processes for those who have wounded by disease, violence, and cruelty.  We are the friends to the friendless.  We are champions of what’s right when all those around us seem swept away by what’s wrong.  All of that is summarized by the last item on the list – we are the people who NEVER STOP LOVING! 

                It can tempting to give on this list at times.  It seems like a silly pipedream most of the time.  But so did the idea that God would become a helpless baby.  Christmas reminds us that we are the community of the impossible.  We are those who claim that Jesus is Emmanuel – that in our striving for God’s kingdom, God is WITH US!

 

Question:  What is one tangible thing you can do today to keep yourself committed to loving the world even when it might seem like a drop in the bucket?

 

Prayer:  God, you are the fulfillment of the most grown-up of Christmas lists;  we believe that.  Help us in our unbelief.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for those whose lives have been torn apart this year.

 

Song:  Grown Up Christmas List – Amy Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc

O Little Town of Bethlehem - December 14, 2021

 

O Little Town of Bethlehem - December 14, 2021

 

Micah 5:2 - But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,  Here

    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past,

    will come from you on my behalf.

 

Phillips Brooks was the Episcopal Pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Boston when he wrote the now famous Carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”  A few years before he actually composed the tune, he had visited the Holy Land and had taken a side trip by camel to Bethlehem.  He actually found himself in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and was inspired.  He wrote a poem that would eventually become the lyrics to the beloved hymn.  He writes:

“I remember especially on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the ‘wonderful night’ of the Savior’s birth.”

He was not a music composer, so he had asked others to help him set his poem to music so that he would have a song to teach the children about the nativity.  The night before Christmas Eve, he still did not have a tune.  While laying in his bed, a tune kept going through his head and that tune became the tune for “O Little Town…” He called it a “gift from heaven.”

What strikes me about Brooks life is that we now know him as simply the author of a popular Christmas Carol.  However, in his day, Brooks was known as one of the most widely respected intellectuals alive.  He delivered one of the most eloquent eulogies of President Abraham Lincoln ever given. Her’s an excerpt from that speech that seems as timely now as it did in the days following Lincoln’s assassination:

“While one man counts another man his born inferior for the color of his skin, while both in North and South prejudices and practices, which the law cannot touch, but which God hates, keep alive in our people’s hearts the spirit of the old iniquity, [slavery] is not dead. The new American nature must supplant the old. We must grow like our President, in his truth, his independence, his religion, and his wide humanity. Then the character by which he died shall be in us, and by it we shall live. Then peace shall come that knows no war, and law that knows no treason; and full of his spirit a grateful land shall gather round his grave, and in the daily psalm of prosperous and righteous living, thank God forever for his life and death.”

Brooks was a prolific author. He was not only an eloquent preacher, but a teacher of other preachers.  He was a Harvard graduate with honorary degrees from Columbia and Oxford.  He oversaw the construction of Holy Trinity Church in Boston, which upon opening, was considered one of the most stunning sanctuaries in America.  He eventually became the Bishop of Massachusetts and is still remembered in Episcopal Churches every year on December 23^rd. 

Late in life, he mentored a young Helen Keller. They visited each other often and wrote back and forth until he died. Keller would write the following about his death:

“I have lost my loving friend, Bishop Brooks. Oh, it is very hard to bear this great sorrow; hard to believe that I shall never more hold his gentle hand while he tells me about love and God and goodness! Oh, his beautiful words! they come back to me with sweet, new meanings. He once said to me, ‘Helen, dear child,’ that is what he always called me, ‘we must trust our Heavenly Father always and look beyond our present pain and disappointment with a hopeful smile.’ And in the midst of my sorrow I seem to hear his glad voice say, ‘Helen, you shall see me again in that beautiful world we used to talk about in my study. Let not your heart be troubled.’ Then Heaven seems very near since a tender, loving friend awaits us there.”

It is significant to me that early in life, Brooks thought that, “my life should never amount to much.”  His enduring claim to fame would be a song about Bethlehem, but the ripples of his life and work are still being felt today.  It seems that his humility mirrored that of the “small village among all the people of Judah,” but like Bethlehem, his impact cannot be overlooked.  May the same be said of us all.

 

Question:  What is the work before you that no one else can do? 

 

Prayer:  God, you chose to enter the world in the most humble of ways and ask us to be like you.  Help us humbly do the work you called us to do in this moment.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who do jobs every day for which no one will ever thank them.

 

Song:  Frank Sinatra - O Little Town of Bethlehem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byLdVhWQi2w

Matthew 11:16-19 - Seeing the World As We Are

 

Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric October 15, 2021

Seeing the World as We Are

 

Matthew 11:16-19, The Voice - What is this generation like? You are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out, “When we played the flute, you did not dance; and when we sang a dirge, you did not mourn.”  What I mean is this: When John came, he dressed in the clothes of a prophet, and he did not eat and drink like others but lived on honey and wild locusts. And people wondered if he was crazy, if he had been possessed by a demon.  Then the Son of Man appeared—He didn’t fast, as John had, but ate with sinners and drank wine. And the people said, “This man is a glutton! He’s a drunk! And He hangs around with tax collectors and sinners, to boot.” Well, Wisdom will be vindicated by her actions—not by your opinions.

 

In the passage for today, Jesus is lamenting the resistance to God’s kingdom that he mentioned in his defense of John that we read yesterday.  John was labeled demon-possessed because he didn’t do what the people expected.  Jesus Himself was labeled a glutton and a drunk for eating and drinking with the wrong sorts of people.  This may sound like nothing more than Jesus venting about the hard time he and John have had as they have pursued their mission, but I invite us to see the deeper principle that he is describing because it is still being played out two thousand years later as God’s kingdom continues to unfold. 

                People naturally struggle with being called to a new way of living.  John called people to repent because the Kingdom of God was coming.  Some people did, but most continued as if nothing had happened.  Jesus announces that the Kingdom has arrived and the people repeatedly ran Him out of town.  As we’ll see in tomorrow’s passage, he performed miraculous works in multiple towns with barely any response.  Ultimately, we know that Jesus and His Kingdom were rejected forcefully when He was nailed to a cross.  When you call people to change the way they are living, even when embracing that change can help them, they often respond drastically to keep doing what they have been doing.

                I point this out as if it is only others that act this way; it is not.  I act this way too.  I often react badly when others, however lovingly, tried to point out an error in my thinking and/or doing.  When God first called me to be a pastor, I pursued at least three other vocations before I became open to what God was offering.  Almost always, when I am confronted with a truth that requires me to change my thinking or behavior, my first instinct is to fight it or go in the other direction.   Over the years, I’ve gotten better at recognizing when this instinctive reaction has been triggered and I sometimes am able to override it with some clear thinking and engaged faith.  But that first instinct to resist has never gone away in me.  And in my decades of observation of others, I know I’m not the only one with this issue.

                The Kingdom of God is still unfolding; the revolution that John announced and Jesus catalyzed is still calling us to live differently than we are now.  We’ll talk more about this tomorrow, but for today consider this question.

 

Question:  What is something you know God wants you to do differently but, as of this moment, the resistance instinct in you has won out?

 

Prayer:  Have mercy on us, Savior.  Help us confront the resistance to Your kingdom that persists in our spirit so that we may embrace the life that truly is life.  Amen

 

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time confessing your own personal struggles with doing what you know is right to God today.

 

Song:  Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivWY9wn5ps&t=23s

Matthew 11:1-6 - Seeing the Forest for the Trees: John the Baptist Edition

 

Daily Devo W/ Pastor Eric October 13, 2021

Seeing the Forest for the Trees - John the Baptist Edition

 

Matthew 11:1-5, NLT - When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”  And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.

 

Poor John is beginning to have his doubts.  The bold wilderness preacher has been keeping tabs on what Jesus is doing. He hears about the miracles, but he was expecting judgement. Remember back in chapter 3, just before Jesus’s baptism, John proclaims, “Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees.” (3:10)  What John is hearing about is not judgement.  Healing, resurrections, and the Word being preached are all well and good, but the Messiah is also supposed to bring judgement.  Are you the one to bring it or are we waiting for someone else?

Jesus’s message to John doesn’t seem to address the question because He simply tells John what John already knows – the miracles.  But Jesus is quoting prophecy in Isaiah:

“Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, lame men and women will leap like deer”  (Isaiah 35:5-6)

“He sent me to preach good news to the poor” (Isaiah 61:2)

John does already know these prophecies too, but we all need to reminded of things we already know when our heart seems to be set on something else.  John has been fighting with the authorities since he began his ministry and needs to know that those with whom he has been fighting are going to “get theirs.”  The reality is that the inbreaking of a new Kingdom does bring judgement on the old, but it does so by ushering in such good news that people begin to embrace the new with their whole hearts, dropping the old in the process.  Jesus’s message to John (and the crowd gathered) is that what John is hoping for is indeed happening, but maybe not in the way John imagined.   

                We all need that reminder sometimes.  We all get discouraged and long for vindication from time to time.  In those times, it can be easy to begin to fixate on our enemies being exposed for what they are.  But Jesus’s words here remind us that our focus should not be primarily on our enemies, but on what God is doing.  Good things are happening, but we will overlook them if all we are thinking about is what is not happening.  It was a good Word for John and it is a good Word for us as well.

 

Question:  Is it possible that you are missing something important that is happening right now because you are focused on something that is not happening?

 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, help us not to confuse our expectations with Your Will.  Gently remind us today of the goodness in our lives to which we should be paying attention.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people in prison today

 

Song:  Accentuate the Positive – Dr. John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTMWNWrE3Uc

Matthew 10:40-42 - What is a "Prophet's Reward?"

Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric October 12, 2021

What is the Prophet’s Reward?

 

Matthew 10:40-42, NIV - Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

 

                There’s a lot to unpack in these three verses, so let’s dive right in.  First, remember that this passage is part of Jesus’s instruction to the twelve as He sends them out on their first mission. Jesus has just told them pretty forcefully that they will encounter stiff resistance as they seek to represent Him to others.  But He ends these instructions with a positive; there will be people who will welcome them and welcome the message of Jesus.  And Jesus is trying to communicate what a beautiful thing that is.  He explains that welcoming the apostles is the same as welcoming Jesus and welcoming Jesus is welcoming God.  People who receive the messenger and the message receive God into their lives and that will become the greatest source of greatest blessing.  

                Jesus teaches that “whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”   It begs the question, “what is a prophet’s reward?”  The short answer is that it’s hard to pin down exactly what the prophet’s reward is.  Jesus doesn’t expound here or anywhere else that we know of.  However, there are some important things to notice about what Jesus does say.  Some scholars believe Jesus is alluding here to a story in 2 Kings 4 where the prophet Elisha encounters a Shunammite woman who shows him great hospitality.  The woman is childless and her hospitality to the prophet is rewarded with a her giving birth to a son.  The son dies suddenly at a young age, but is brought back to life by Elisha after the boy’s mother goes to get the prophet.  Two amazing miracles are experienced by this Shunammite because of her hospitality to God’s messenger.        

                Does this mean that whoever exhibits such hospitality will personally experience miracles.  From my experience, the answer is “not always.”  However, what I can say from experience is that, to the extent that you are open and welcoming of God into your life, you will be able to see God so miraculous things.  Every prophet in the Old Testament had a front row seat to see God’s activity – serving people on behalf of God puts one in proximity to God serving people through the one who serves.  In my two-plus decades of serving God’s people, I have seen dozens of miraculous things happen that I can only describe as God’s activity.  It is truly humbling when it happens and the blessing that I have experienced for just being present and open when it happens defies words. Being open to God and God’s message is a way of opening yourself to the wonders that God does among us. 

                I encourage you to notice one other thing about Jesus’s words about the “reward.”  The prophet, the one who receives the prophet, the righteous person, the one who receives the righteous person, the disciple (“these little ones”), and the one who so much as gives that disciple a cup of cold water ALL receive a blessing/reward for their openness.  I don’t think it’s as necessary to pin down exactly what that blessing/reward is as it is to recognize Who is offering it.  Whether you are a prophet, a righteous person, disciple, or just someone who is hospitable to a disciple, you will be rewarded/blessed for your openness to God and God’s message. 

 

Question:  Miraculous things happen all around us all the time.  Are we open enough to God’s message and activity to see them?

 

Prayer:  Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.  Open my ears that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear. Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.  Open my heart and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share. Amen. (prayer from the lyrics to “Open My Eyes That I May See)

 

 

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time reflecting on and thanking God for the miraculous things you have been  blessed to experience over your lifetime.

 

Song:  Open My Eyes – Jesse Manibusan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI3tQLnD8yM  

Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric October 12, 2021

What is the Prophet’s Reward?

 

Matthew 10:40-42, NIV - Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

 

                There’s a lot to unpack in these three verses, so let’s dive right in.  First, remember that this passage is part of Jesus’s instruction to the twelve as He sends them out on their first mission. Jesus has just told them pretty forcefully that they will encounter stiff resistance as they seek to represent Him to others.  But He ends these instructions with a positive; there will be people who will welcome them and welcome the message of Jesus.  And Jesus is trying to communicate what a beautiful thing that is.  He explains that welcoming the apostles is the same as welcoming Jesus and welcoming Jesus is welcoming God.  People who receive the messenger and the message receive God into their lives and that will become the greatest source of greatest blessing.  

                Jesus teaches that “whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”   It begs the question, “what is a prophet’s reward?”  The short answer is that it’s hard to pin down exactly what the prophet’s reward is.  Jesus doesn’t expound here or anywhere else that we know of.  However, there are some important things to notice about what Jesus does say.  Some scholars believe Jesus is alluding here to a story in 2 Kings 4 where the prophet Elisha encounters a Shunammite woman who shows him great hospitality.  The woman is childless and her hospitality to the prophet is rewarded with a her giving birth to a son.  The son dies suddenly at a young age, but is brought back to life by Elisha after the boy’s mother goes to get the prophet.  Two amazing miracles are experienced by this Shunammite because of her hospitality to God’s messenger.        

                Does this mean that whoever exhibits such hospitality will personally experience miracles.  From my experience, the answer is “not always.”  However, what I can say from experience is that, to the extent that you are open and welcoming of God into your life, you will be able to see God so miraculous things.  Every prophet in the Old Testament had a front row seat to see God’s activity – serving people on behalf of God puts one in proximity to God serving people through the one who serves.  In my two-plus decades of serving God’s people, I have seen dozens of miraculous things happen that I can only describe as God’s activity.  It is truly humbling when it happens and the blessing that I have experienced for just being present and open when it happens defies words. Being open to God and God’s message is a way of opening yourself to the wonders that God does among us. 

                I encourage you to notice one other thing about Jesus’s words about the “reward.”  The prophet, the one who receives the prophet, the righteous person, the one who receives the righteous person, the disciple (“these little ones”), and the one who so much as gives that disciple a cup of cold water ALL receive a blessing/reward for their openness.  I don’t think it’s as necessary to pin down exactly what that blessing/reward is as it is to recognize Who is offering it.  Whether you are a prophet, a righteous person, disciple, or just someone who is hospitable to a disciple, you will be rewarded/blessed for your openness to God and God’s message. 

 

Question:  Miraculous things happen all around us all the time.  Are we open enough to God’s message and activity to see them?

 

Prayer:  Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.  Open my ears that I may hear

voices of truth thou sendest clear. Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.  Open my heart and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share. Amen. (prayer from the lyrics to “Open My Eyes That I May See)

 

 

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time reflecting on and thanking God for the miraculous things you have been  blessed to experience over your lifetime.

 

Song:  Open My Eyes – Jesse Manibusan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI3tQLnD8yM  

Matthew 10:16 - It's Not Easy Being Sheep

It’s Not Easy Being Sheep

 

Matthew 10:16, NIV -  “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Mattthew 10:16, The Message - “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

 

The summer after my first year of college, I got a job on the landscaping crew at a local country club golf course.  All during high school, I had my own landscaping business, so this job was really my first experience of being on a crew whom I didn’t know beforehand.  It was a eye-opening experience.  The guys on this crew were a rough bunch.  There was rarely a day when there wasn’t some sort of altercation between my co-workers.  One day, one of them even took a swing at our boss.  I knew from talking with my crewmates that most of them went drinking most nights and the stories they’d have the next day were usually quite colorful.  I’ll leave it at that.  I didn’t think I had led a sheltered life until that summer. 

Those guys found out that I was a “church boy” (their term) and that led to some serious ridicule.  It was really my first time feeling like a sheep among wolves.  I knew the poking was aimed at getting a rise out of me and hopefully provoking a fight.  Wanting to avoid that, I would mostly just take their jabs and try to change the subject.  Over time though, their behavior started to change towards me.  Instead of barbs, they would look for an opportunity to ask me questions when others were not around.  They would ask me about my church or about what I thought about certain issues.  In the two months I was there I felt like they had begun to see me as one of the crew.  And I like to think I planted some seeds. 

But all of that could have gone another way.  There was one time when their ridicule had almost had me ready to fight. Truth be told, there probably would have been a fight had the boss not shown up.  I also felt quite tempted to begin to talk the way they did and to come up with some colorful stories of my own.  When you’re among wolves, the temptation is to act like a wolf.  I will confess that during high school, I had indeed made that choice several times.  But when I think of those times now, I shudder.  Why?  Because I know that I am one of the sheep. 

It can be hard to be a sheep, especially when you’re among wolves.  It requires you to be on your toes and think carefully about every move.  Wolves are generally really easily provoked, especially on social media.  But if you are a follower of the Great Shepherd Jesus, then by definition, you also are a sheep.  Furthermore, we are sheep sent to be among wolves in the hopes that those wolves will one day become sheep. 

 

Question:  What “wolves” do you find yourself among these days?  Take a moment to name them for yourself.  Then pray for them.  Then pray for yourself that you will not adopt wolflike ways.  Be a sheep but be smart about it.

 

Prayer:  God, show us the wolves you’ve sent us to be among and give us your love for them so that we might be part of their sheep transformation.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the “wolves” in your life.  If you don’t have any wolves, pray for God to send you out among them.

 

Songs:  I Just Want to Be a Sheep – Another song that will stay in your head all day. . .you’re welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8GLj2Z7M6o