Tag: Sin

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 17

 

“For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust.”

Psalm 103:14

Read Psalm 103

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

He Remembers

Some people live as though they think they will live forever, as though they are indestructible. They never seem to live with eternity in mind. Their present lives are all that matters and they indulge in any and all behavior with no thought of consequence. Oh, how easily we forget that we are but dust.

We need times that remind us of our mortality. We are now sixteen days into Lent, a season given to us by the church to do just that, remember that we are but dust. But, there is someone who always remembers how fragile we are. Verse 14 tells us our Father always remembers that we are but dust. He created us from the dust of the earth, and knows that we will all one-day return to that dust.

The Purpose of Repentance

Remembering our mortality is easier when we live lives of repentance. In repentance we humble ourselves before our maker, so that He can raise us up to immortality. When we repent of our sins and failures, we experience the mercy and compassion of our God who does not deal with us as we deserve. And, in His forgiveness, He draws us near in His embrace to life in Christ.

The psalmist reminds us that our Father does not reward us according to our wickedness (Vs. 10), nor deal with us according to our sins. He always treats those who love Him with mercy and compassion. When we confess our sins, He is not only faithful and just to forgive us (1 John), but He also removes our sins, “as far as the east is from the west” (Vs 12).

Why We Need Lent

In the season of Lent, I’m reminded of my sinfulness not to make myself feel bad, but that I may know the love and compassion of my Lord. I love that. Lent is about remembering. We need to remember that we are dust. We need to remember that God forgets our sins in the sea of his forgetfulness, as the prophet Micah reminds us, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Mic. 7:19) And, we need to remember that if He remembers we are but dust…we also can trust He will remember to raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 15

“O God, why have you utterly cast us off?
why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?”

 

Psalm 74:1

Read Psalm 74

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

 

 

Why?

 

 

‘Why’ is the most common question in all of life. It’s asked by toddlers, teenagers, and adults over and over. I guess you could say the question of why is asked because people are so inquisitive and wish to learn. However, in reality, the answers to most all our ‘why’ questions are obvious, but we ask anyway. Perhaps we don’t want to believe the answer we know?

 

Of all people, the toddler has the right to ask why; the child needs to learn. But, for the rest of us we’ve learned many things the hard way already, and don’t like the answers we’ve received. So, we ask why. Why did things turn out like this? Why did this or that happen? And, the really big one – why God? Why did YOU let this happen?

 

Lent Is Also for Contemplation

Another part of the Lenten season is setting aside time for meditation and contemplation. We need contemplative times in our lives to reflect on the way things are. We need to reflect in order to discern what God would have us learn. In our ‘why’ questions, we often blame God for things that are our fault. To realize and accept our own fault is to see the need to change, and sadly that’s often our last alternative.

 

Won’t you spend some time in contemplation today? Contemplation is the companion of prayer. Thursday is a day for remembering Jesus’ contemplative, prayerful time in the garden. In many ways, the season of Lent is our garden of Gethsemane. We are asking God to shape us after His will through our disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

 

God Always Answers

 

The psalmist often asked God why, because he didn’t want to admit that the problems he faced were consequences of his own sinful choices. It’s okay to ask God why. In fact, it’s a natural reaction in an attempt to understand one’s circumstances. If we are truly searching for answers, we can trust God to lead us to them. We can trust God to lead us deep into our own conscience to see how we have gone astray. Then, we can see the real question is not, “Why God?” but, “Why me?”. Why did I make those choices? And, most importantly, when we have humbled ourselves and repented of our sin…we can trust God to raise us from the ashes.

 

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

 

Pastor Brad

 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 14

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

“Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”

1 Cor. 6:7b

Read 1 Cor. 5:9-6:10

 

Why Not?

We definitely have an aversion to suffering in our culture. I know, nobody should want to suffer, right? Only a masochist would choose to suffer, right? Perhaps, but what of the person who chooses to suffer for the right reasons? The Corinthian people were doing what many in our world today are doing; they avoided suffering or being wronged at all cost. The truth is, there is cost at which it is better to suffer or be wronged. The question is, how do we know when it’s best to choose to suffer or be wronged?

In Lent, we choose to suffer in a very small way. We choose to deny ourselves some thing or activity we would otherwise indulge in, as a matter of discipline. Such discipline is to help us grow in resistance to temptation. But, that is a very small way of suffering. In just about every other way, we here in Western culture have done our best to eliminate suffering.

Have We Gone Too Far?

We have medical care that tries to eliminate or minimize suffering. We have passed laws that allow us to sue others when we feel their actions have caused pain and suffering. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against medical care. I think it is given to us as the healing hand of God for our time. And, I’m not against laws and courts designed to protect innocent people. However, in our culture, we seem to have taken the problem St. Paul addressed with the Corinthians to a whole new level.

Our society encourages us to fight back no matter what. People sue other people for the wrongs they feel, far too easily. And too often, this is true among those who are in the church. If Jesus is our model for living, we shouldn’t we be doing a lot more turning the cheek and being willing to be wronged? St. Paul asked the question – why not be wrong? Why is it so important that we right every wrong

For me, a great part of my Lenten journey is learning to identify opportunities to become more Christ like through humility. I’m still a long way from where I need to be on the Humility Scale, but I’m thankful for the journey.

My Prayer for Your Journey

I hope your journey is giving you cause to practice your faith in ways that challenge you. While I pray nothing of harm comes to you, I also pray that the hurts and heartaches that are germane to our fallen world will give you hope to say with St. Paul…why not? Why not suffer and let it grow your character? After all, Romans 8:17 tells us we are heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him. Why not let yourself be wronged rather than take vengeance? After all, vengeance is the Lord’s (Rom. 12:19). Why not let yourself die…and be raised from the ashes?

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised form the Ashes: Lent Day – 12

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

“For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

1 Cor. 4:20

Read 1 Cor. 4:8-21

Cheap Talk

Talk is cheap, unless of course that talk gets you in trouble, then it could prove very expensive. I think that proverbial saying says what St. Paul was telling the Corinthians. The great Apostle was a spiritual father to the Corinthians (Vs. 15), and as such had earned the right to talk to them straight about their spiritual lives.

As you read the letters to the Corinthian church, you will see the church struggled in about every way imaginable, and you will hear Paul’s straight talk as he tells them the truth in love. They stopped maturing in their faith and fell into many sins. Such a state was a detriment not only to their own lives but to the witness of the church to effect change in the culture around them.

Can We Change from Our Sinful Ways?

St. Paul reminded them, as he sent Timothy to minister on his behalf, that they hadn’t received the gospel just to continue in their sins, but to be changed. The gospel is the power of God to save (Rom 1:16), and not just save “in” our sin, but to save us “from” our sin (Matt. 1:21). The New Testament continually calls us to a life above sin, both in the words of Jesus, and the Apostles. Perhaps the best example is Jesus’ words to the woman at the well as he tells her, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Sometimes we think our Lenten journey will help us learn to avoid sin, by spending more time in prayer and fasting. While I’m sure our resolve to avoid sin is strengthened through such Lenten disciplines as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we must remember that that is not the object of Lent. The object of our Lenten journey is to grow closer to Christ. The answer to losing our desire for sin (which is innate in our fallen nature), is growing more in love with our Savior.

The people of the Corinth church needed to be reminded of how much Jesus loved them, and just how his death, resurrection, and gift of the Spirit was to deliver them from the dominion of sin. It wasn’t enough for then to just say they believed (Cheap Talk), and to continue living unchanged, and it’s not okay for us either. We must live in the kingdom power that not only saves, but transforms.

Lent is a part of our spiritual tool box given to us by the church to help effect our transformation into Christ’s likeness. When we pray, fast and do works of mercy we imitate the Apostles who imitated Christ. Paul knew his life was to provide a living example for the people to follow. So too, we want to imitate the lives of the saints who’ve gone before us, as we ultimately conform our lives to the imitation of Christ. The closer we grow to Jesus Christ, the more He transforms us. His transformation will indeed, raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

 

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Raised from the Ashes: The Perfect Hiding Place

First Saturday: My Secret Hiding Places

 

“You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; *you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”

Psalm 32:8

Read Psalm 32

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

Kids love hiding places. Hide and seek is one of every kids’ favorite games. They’re so good at it because they’re small and fit in lots of unseen places. I remember as a boy, I had a several secret hiding places-places to hide from my mom or my big sister if I was in trouble. The problem was I eventually had to come out in the open and face my trouble; never mind I was usually innocent (sarcasm intended).

As grown ups we still like hiding places, don’t we? Whether it’s needing a break from the kids and family, or a break from work, sometimes we just need to get alone and hide. Of course we can’t really hide from our problems. That’s part of being an adult, right? Or, maybe we can hide from our problems.

The Perfect Hiding Place

The psalmist saw in God the perfect hiding place. No matter what was happening in his world, whether chased by enemies or whether pursued by his own guilty conscience, God was his true hiding place. The Psalms are filled with songs of praise to God for his protection and deliverance from all enemies. Psalm 32 is one of those songs.

The psalmist sings of the joy of being forgiven and released from guilt. He admonishes the reader to not be stubborn like a mule, but trust God – He is our hiding place. But, He becomes our hiding place only when we confess our sins. When we are open and honest with God, His arms are open wide to receive us in mercy, not in condemnation and punishment.

Everyone is Welcome

The psalmist saw into the future a day when all people would be welcomed into God’s arms, not just the Jews. Jesus Christ opened wide the arms of God as He hung on the cross so that, no matter the sin, no matter the enemy, no matter the trouble all may find the perfect hiding place. At the cross of Christ there is perfect love, and acceptance. No one who comes in repentance is denied refuge.

As you enter the first weekend of your Lenten journey, I hope you will find peace and safety in the cross today. It is in God’s hiding place we are raised from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent

Pastor Brad

 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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“Raised from the Ashes”: First Friday, The Power of the Cross

“Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.”

Ezekiel 18:4

Read Ezekiel 18: 1-9

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

The Power of the Cross

Have you ever felt as though you were living with some sort of family curse? That may sound strange to you, but many people do. Perhaps it’s stems from a cycle of abusive behavior, or even a hereditary trait. In the Old Testament, scripture taught the people of Israel that the sins of the fathers were visited on the 3rd and 4th generation (Ex. 20:5). Clearly we see this throughout history. Many family members have suffered due to the consequences of their fathers’ and grandfathers’ sinful actions. But, that isn’t a curse; it’s a consequence, not a punishment.

Sadly people often misunderstood what God was teaching in the several verses of the Old Testament that speak to the consequence of sins affecting future generations. We see this even in Jesus’ day as His disciples asked if a man’s blindness from birth was because of his father’s sin, or of his own (John 9:1-3). Jesus, set them straight. The man’s blindness was not a result of sin, but to show that God is sovereign over all things, even birth defects that happen in a sinful world.

The Prophet Ezekiel had some very important words for a people who seemed lost in superstition. He told them they could no longer use their old saying of a father eating sour grapes and his child’s teeth being set on edge. God is sovereign over every soul. There is no such thing as superstition. Each person is ultimately responsible for his or her own sin. He also made it clear that there are consequences to sin, natural ones, not superstitious curses.

So what are we to make of what seems like family curses passed down in our world today? First we need to understand that a curse can only be spoken into existence by one who has supernatural power over the forces of our world, and the only one with that power is God. While we do see God putting a few curses on subjects in the Bible (the serpent in the garden, and Jesus cursing the fig tree), we know that His curse is given out of his divine knowledge of what is needed.

So What Are We to Do With Curses?

Scripture teaches us God is love, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). God loves us so much, that when nothing else could save us from sin and darkness, at the right time He sent His only son to die for us on a cross. And, as the powerful hymn “Before the Throne of God” says, “sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me”. Jesus, our great High Priest whose name is Love, has saved us so completely, we can give our lives over to him and his sovereignty, such that even death cannot touch us.

To enter a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God, is to enter everlasting life. Jesus tells us in John 5 that those who believe have passed out of death and into life. One day, when our body is laid to rest, then we will live as never before. A wise man once said, “If you die, before you die, you’ll never die when you die.”

Friday’s in Lent are a day for dying. We remember and honor Jesus’ death on the cross by meditating on his cross, and how He broke the curse of sin and death. Has your curse been broken? It’s your choice. Don’t live blaming your ancestors any longer for things you know you shouldn’t do, things God’s power can help you overcome.

Won’t you click the link below and listen to this powerful hymn of faith by one of my favorite artists, Selah? Then spend some time today meditating on the power of the cross that can raise you from the ashes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPyLcY6Zv4

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Mercy Always Wins

Click Here to Read Today’s Epistle: James 2:1-13

mercy wins

 

Why are the poor so important? When Jesus said, “…the poor will always be with you”, He wasn’t saying we should take them for granted, that they were somehow unimportant. As a matter of fact, I think he was saying something quite the opposite. I think He was raising our awareness to the poor around us. The disciples were upset the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume had poured it out on Jesus’ feet; they felt it should have been sold and the money given to the poor. You can read the story in St. Mark 14.

Jesus taught the disciples (and us) that giving to Him is the highest priority. By telling them He would not always be with them, He showed the immediacy of the importance of what the woman did in anointing his feet, since He would soon leave them. However, the poor are always with us and we must show them mercy and grace – in doing so we honor Jesus.

St. James has a way of getting in our face when he writes. His letter offers some of the most convicting scriptures; they convict us because in them we see our true selves. Though we don’t mean to, we often show partiality in how we treat others, especially the poor. And, James tells it to us straight out – partiality is sin.

If we’re honest with ourselves we will admit we often tend to gravitate to the wealthier people in a room, and away from those we deem poorer. I don’t mean that we do it on purpose. It is for the most part, an unconscious movement. But, what a sad commentary that is on our instincts.

James teaches us when we show such partiality we have judged people. And furthermore, when we make such judgments we judge ourselves. Instead of instinctively judging people on their perceived wealth or influence, or what we may gain from association with them, as followers of Jesus we should be servants of His mercy. Mercy always wins over judgment. If we hope to receive mercy, in both this world and the next (I do!), then we must be servants of Christ’s mercy.

This Weekend:

There is perhaps no better place for us to practice such mercy than at church. Often people who visit churches decide not to return because they felt they were judged (or worse, completely over-looked). While it may sometimes be the case the visitor came in with a chip on his/her shoulder still, we need to show mercy, not judgment.

People’s lives really are at stake in how we, as servants of Christ, treat them. We have the privilege of seeing people through the eyes of Jesus, and to show His love to all humanity. Listen to singer/songwriter Brandon Heath’s message in his song “Give Me Your Eyes”.

Here’s a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mhpLjPslbM

Evey time I hear this song I’m convicted of the partiality in how I see others. Listen to it with me today and ask Jesus to help you see others differently. This weekend, resolve to go to church (and wherever else you go) and see others as Jesus sees them, – with eyes of mercy. Mercy always wins.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCInUHPcas

 

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Sin Is Wrong, Hell Is Real, No Second Chances

This week’s gospel, November 1-7

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31 Click Here to Read the gospel.

Hell is real

We don’t know a lot about what happens to us after we die. What is Heaven really like?  How will we experience it without our bodies? Of course, in the end of the book of Revelation we learn that there are streets of Gold and there is no more death, pain, or sorrow. However, the scriptures in Revelation, written in apocalyptic style (meaning there are images that hide the meaning of things from those who are not familiar with the context of the times), are not there for us to take literally. But, we can know that since streets of Gold and a life without pain and death are the greatest things our limited minds can even imagine, God wants us to know that Heaven will be even greater than anything we can imagine.

By that same understanding, Jesus wants us to understand from his story of the Rich man who goes to Hades, that Hell is real, and once there, there is no way out. Jesus makes it clear that one more sign, or another person raised from the dead won’t convince a hard-hearted, unbeliever.  The testimony of Moses and the Old Testament, coupled with the witness of John the Baptist and the miracles of Jesus is enough for anyone to believe…if they only will.

Our free will is the one thing God will not go against to make us believe in Christ. He may make winds cease, mountains move, and raise people from the dead, but if we are not open to believing of our own free choice, we are left to the consequences of our choices. Jesus wants us to understand from the story of Lazarus the Beggar and Rich Man, that Hell is very real. There are eternal consequences to our sins, if we do not repent. God is always the God of second chances as long as we are still on this side of death. But, make no mistake about it, death comes to all, and as the Book of Hebrews tells us, it is appointed for us all to die and then comes judgment (Heb. 9:27).

Do you need a second chance today? Is there sin in your life from which you have not repented? 1 John 3:9 tells us those who are born of God do not make a practice of sinning. We cannot say we believe in Jesus and keep treating others like dogs (as did the Rich man Lazarus). I have good news for you, God wants to give you a second chance today, and He will every day if that is what it takes to win you back. Our Father is always ready to forgive those who repent. But, we should not take His grace for granted. We must learn to avoid sin, and live for righteousness. After all, the name Christian means to live “like Christ”.  We must repent while there is still time before we die, because just like the Rich man, after death there is no second chance.

This week:

This week try keeping a journal of any sins you become aware of at the end of each day. Before you go to bed, ask the Father to reveal to you anything you did that was not His best for you. Then, think about the things He shows you. Did you do them by choice, even though you knew you should not? Were they things that seemed part of your character you wish you could change? In a closing prayer for the day, repent of whatever the Father shows you. Ask for His grace to strengthen you in the coming days, and to help you change. If you will do this, I promise you will feel God’s love reassuring you that you are His child. He loves you and has a better plan for your life.

Feel free to comment or ask a question along the way this week. After all, we are in this life together, to pray for and help each other. Let’s contemplate this gospel passage together all week. Ask any questions that may arise. I will be back here on Friday with more thoughts from this week’s gospel. Until then…

Grace & Peace for your journey,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6