Sunday, February 16, 2014
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Tag Archives: Christ
Daily Reminder of God’s Love for You
Saturday, February 15, 2014
“’But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,’ says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:8b, 10).
Daily Reminder of God’s Love for You
Friday, February 14, 2014
“Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.” (Psalms 36:5-6)
Daily Reminder of God’s Love for You
Thursday, February 13, 2014
“I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul.” (Psalms 31:7)
Daily Reminder of God’s Love For you
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Cry out, ‘Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank Your holy name and rejoice and praise You.’” (1 Chronicles 16:34-35)
Daily Reminder of God’s Love For You
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? With Your unfailing love You lead the people You have redeemed. In Your might, You guide them to Your sacred home.”(Exodus 15:11, 13)
THE WAY
Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Leviticus 19:11-18
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Many people don’t understand why anyone in the world would want to abstain from meats, butter, cheese, milk, ice cream, eggs and all of the things that come from those products. I often get many questions and, to be honest, some people balk at me as if I am a lunatic. While it is true that I may be a little nutty, as it turns out my being vegan has absolutely nothing to do with it! Just ask anyone of my friends and family members.
Of course, I can certainly understand why people are put off by the notion of being vegan. In our culture, it goes against everything we were taught about a well-rounded diet. We’ve been told that we need animal protein, that we need milk to make our bones strong, and who can ever imagine baking without butter and eggs? Seriously! The truth is that I, too, balked at vegans before becoming one. I swore that I was a carnivorous meat-eater through and through. I could eat a block of cheese in a single sitting! I loved cheese! And baked goods, cookies in particular, forget about it! I couldn’t get enough of them.
But in my quest to lose weight and regain my health, I discovered what life without them would be like. I discovered that I would have tons of energy, that I would get rid of all of the diseases plaguing me, and that I would actually LOVE food just as much…if not more so…than I did before! Anyone who knows me knows that I NEVER stop talking about food and I certainly never stop trying new recipes! Yet, the foods I eat are definitely different than the ones I used to consume, and as a result, I am a new and transformed person.
While I have been talking about my personal dietary lifestyle, I can truly tell you that the same principles apply to our spiritual lives. In our culture, we are told to seek fame, fortune, and bliss. We are taught to expect things automatically. We are told what is beautiful and what is ugly. We are told what is healthy and unhealthy; however, a majority of people in our world are plagued with spiritual dis-ease. Many are seeking answers in all of the wrong places and balk at people when they are told that there is a better way.
Yet, there IS a better way! There is a way that is healthy and wholesome! There is a way that leads to abundant life! There is a way that will transform you completely from the inside out! There is a way that will lift you out of dis-ease and into HOPE, HEALING and WHOLENESS. That way was embodied by Jesus the Christ. That way leads us into service of others. That way leads us to love our neighbors as ourselves. It leads us to seek justice and love mercy. It leads us to forsake everything, but the Gospel of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, as rubbish and worthless. Jesus embodied THE WAY and is calling you to join him in doing the same.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people.” – Michael W. Smith
PRAYER
Lord, transform me. Lead me on the way toward hope, healing and wholeness so that I may bear witness to it for the transformation of the world. Amen.
In This Storm
Read Mark 4:35-41
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“I lift up my eyes to the hills–from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
(Psalm 121:1-2).
As I am writing this devotion, I am listening to a song called “Praise You In This Storm” by the Grammy Award winning Christian rock band, Casting Crowns. The song was inspired by a little ten year old girl named Erin Browning who was a fan of the bands. In fact, there is even a home video of the Erin dancing to one of Casting Crowns’ songs posted on YouTube. Needless to say, the band came across the video and set out to meet this little fan of theirs. Right around the time that they met her, little Erin was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and deadly form of bone cancer.
During the several months following the diagnosis, the band kept in contact with the family. The lead singer/songwriter, Mark Hall, was inspired to write the song about her as her faith in God, despite her awful and horrifying circumstances, made him evaluate his own faith. He even shared with Erin that he was writing the song; however, she never lived to see it’s completion. Several months after her diagnosis, Erin took her last labored breath and passed away. Out of that little girl’s struggle came these words, written by Mark Hall: “I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands, for you are who you are no matter where I am. Every tear I’ve cried You hold in Your hand. You’ve never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.”
These lyrics make no claim that storms will cease to be in our lives; however, they do proclaim how our faith in God can certainly carry us through those storms. Each of us goes through storms in our lives, the question is how we will weather the storms. Will the storms cause us to fear, to be embattled, to grow bitter, to remain confused, to hide and/or to hate, or will we grow stronger in our faith and trust that God will see us through the storm…one way or the other? Do we believe we are left to face these storms all alone, or do we have faith in the God who calms the stormy seas with the simple command, “Peace, be still!”
No matter what the storm is, no matter what is troubling the waters you find yourself in, know that God is with you. Know that God is carrying you and will carry you through this. Know that God’s presence is not only in theory or in spirit, but in reality through other people. They could be your family, they could be your friends, they could be a stranger displaying and act of random kindness; regardless, God has blessed us with God’s presence in Spirit, in Truth and through the lives others.
Know that you are not alone. Know that you are loved. Know that God is with you and that God will get you through the storms in your lives. Be thankful for the ones that God put in your life who are supportive of you. Be confident in God’s everlasting presence and find it in yourself to praise God in this storm, for this storm, too, shall pass.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“As the thunder rolls, [hear God’s] whisper through the rain, ‘I’m with you.’” – Mark Hall
PRAYER
Lord, though storms of life can be harrowing give me the strength to trust in you and to praise you despite them. Amen.
Keep CHRIST in Christmas
Read Matthew 10:37-40
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Speaking of Christmas, have you ever seen the bumper sticker or the little magnet that reads, “Keep CHRIST in Christmas.” That is a phrase that gets passed around quite a bit during this season. But what does keeping CHRIST in Christmas mean? Does it mean keeping the not-so-Christian tradition of Christmas trees and yule logs? Does it mean keeping the tradition of Santa Claus, Elves and his nine (counting Rudolph) reindeer? Does it mean, racing out to the store to funnel our money into big business in order to acquire an excess amount of gifts and Christmas-time deals? Most Christians would probably say no to all of these things.
So let me narrow the question even more. Does keeping CHRIST in Christmas mean watching movies about the Nativity story? Does it mean going to church once out of the year on Christmas Eve? Does it mean singing carols about the Jesus’ birth? Does it mean Christmas pageants and concerts? Does keeping CHRIST in Christmas mean spending time with family and giving gifts to our already abundantly blessed children?
The truth is that I do AGREE that we should be keeping CHRIST in Christmas; however, to do that we have to be open to the change that God wants to spark in us. If we are to truly anticipate the coming of Christ, and if we are to truly welcome Christ into our lives, we must first realize that ADVENT and CHRISTMAS are not a once-a-year type event; rather, every day we live is an opportunity to experience ADVENT.
Christ would much rather us keep him in our lives than in a holiday set aside for observance once a year! But in order to do that we must live into the life that Christ led. We must be willing to give everything up, to pick up our crosses and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24; Luke 14:27-35). We must be willing to serve the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the disabled, the outcasts, the marginalized and all of those who our society looks down upon (Matthew 25:31-46). In fact, we are to become, according to Jesus, the SERVANTS of ALL (Mark 9:35)!
So, according to the standards set by Jesus himself, how do we keep CHRIST in Christmas? Clearly, buying presents, singing carols, drinking wassail, roasting chestnuts, buying presents and erecting Christmas trees is not what Jesus had in mind. While those things are nice, the reality is they are not at the heart of who CHRIST is or what CHRIST has called us toward. According to the standards set by Jesus, we keep CHRIST in CHRISTMAS by following in his footsteps…not once a year…but every day of our lives for the rest of our lives, until we go on to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen!
So, starting this Christmas season, and everyday from this point forward, begin to work toward keeping CHRIST in Christmas. Don’t just say the words, as if they are just another meaningless cliché; rather, live into those words by being all that GOD is calling you to be. Love God, by loving your neighbors. Invest yourself in the lives of others. Be present for those in need. Bring God’s gift of hope, healing and wholeness to this broken world and desperate world. Then, and only then, will you be truly keeping CHRIST in Christmas!
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens
Lord, guide me toward keeping YOU, not only in Christmas, but in my heart. Transform me into your vessel of hope, healing and wholeness. Amen.
Name It, Claim It, Live It!
Read Matthew 2; Luke 2
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.” (John 10:22-23)
But with that said one of my favorite times of year happens to lead up to and directly follow the Winter Solstice. Of course I am referring to the season Advent and Christmas. Ironically, though this season commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, it is almost universally accepted that Jesus was not born during the cold winter month of December but at some other time during the year where the weather would be more conducive to shepherds tending their flocks in the field.
Regardless, I believe this time of year is the perfect time to celebrate the coming of the Christ-child. Theologically speaking, the coming of Christ represents the coming of HOPE into the world. What better time for hope than when we are in the midst of the death. Winter has always represented death and dormancy, where the green of life gives way to the cold, hollow grip of death. Yet, it is in winter where we see the hope of Spring and the return, or resurrection, of life.
Aside from the symbolic nature of the Season itself, it is also around this time that those who are Jewish celebrate Hanukkah. That holiday commemorates the Jews being liberated from Greek-Syrian oppression and the rededication of the Jewish Temple to God. This was a festival that Jesus, who was himself Jewish, observed (John 10:22-23). Following a bloody war against their oppressors, the Jews took back Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple to God. Even though there was only enough oil to keep the candles burning for only one day, those candles kept burning bright for all eight days of the festival. Thus, Hanukkah (also known as the festival of lights) is forever a celebration of the arrival of Hope and the reminder that God is always present with God’s people.
‘Tis the season for HOPE. Whether we look to the natural cycle of the season, or to the celebration of Hanukkah or to the humble birth of a small, vulnerable baby in a cruel and murderous world, this time of year will forever point people to the fact that HOPE never dies! Like the menorah burning on the last drops of oil, HOPE can never be extinguished. Like the birth of JEsus reminds us, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, HOPE does conquer all HOPELESSNESS!
The challenge today is for you to be a person of HOPE! Instead of getting caught up in the fears and the cynicism that the world produces, never give up HOPE. God is challenging us to place our faith in God, and to be filled with the HOPE that such a faith provides. There is HOPE for a brighter tomorrow, but more importantly, there is HOPE for a brighter NOW! Name it, claim it, and live it! Have the HOPE and allow that HOPE to transform you into an agent who bears HOPE for others!
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” – Dalai Lama
PRAYER
Lord, fill me and transform me with your hope so that I may be a beacon of that hope for others. Amen.