Lent 2023 Day 16 “Protect Your Neck”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:1-8;%20Colossians%201:15-23

^{Psalm 95:3} For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
⁸ “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,^[a]
    as you did that day at Massah^[b] in the wilderness,
⁹ where your ancestors tested me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

Protect Your Neck

For the last few years there has been a new virus on the scene that has challenged and changed many of the ways we move from day to to day. There once was a time only deperados and stick up men wore masks. Now you see masks everywhere, even on the streets as trash. This virus has taken many lives and it may never leave us. A virus is a microscopic organism that replicates in a cell of the body. Scientist recommend we get vaccinated, wash our hands with soap and water, cover our noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing, and avoid touching our face. In other words protect your neck and the necks of others.

In the same way we must protect ourselves from viruses we must also protect ourselves from sin. Sin acts like a virus. Sin enters into our body when we let our guards down. When we grow complacent and skip vital steps of spiritual discipline, sin creeps in like a virus. It is aggressive and replicates itself. In very little time we are ill, focusing on surviving and missing the call to thrive. Psalm 95 gives us a way to protect ourselves from a virus. First, humble ourselves. We do this when we: bow down in worship, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Putting GOD first allows our life to be in a proper perspective. Secondly, listen to what GOD is saying. Amid the symphony of sound we are bombarded with, GOD is still speaking. Sometimes through the percussion and sometimes through the piccolo. Sometimes through the tuba and other times through the triangle. GOD is speaking and we are called to listen which is a more intentional act than simply hearing. Third, we must remember how GOD has been with us in the past and not harden our hearts.

Let us be prepared this Lenten season to know GOD in creative ways that rituals and routines don’t provide. This is a day the LORD has made, Come let us bow down and worship.

Point to Ponder: How have you hardened your heart to GOD? In what ways has sin crept in and weakened your spiritual immune system? How will you Protect Your Neck?

Lent 2022 Day 7 “Rescued and Restored”

Zechariah 3 New International Version

3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. ² The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. ⁴ The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” ⁵ Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. ⁶ The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: ⁷ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. ⁸ “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. ⁹ See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes^[b] on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. ¹⁰ “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Rescued and Restored

It is day 7 of our dedication to consecration. After a week I pray you are not getting weak. One of the things that we address through consecration is an awareness that we have been the recipients of grace. Think of a time where you knew you were out of control. You may have fallen into some bad habits and they consumed every thought you had. After a while you became so identified with your frailty that you forgot who you truly were. Like a garment that never gets changed you wore the residue of your recklessness and it weighed you down. Without consistent care we become fragile, fractured, and fallen. This happened to Israel and led to their exile from Canaan and it almost led to their extinction until YHWH extended grace.

In our text from Zechariah 3 we have the writer writing Joshua the priest as a representative of Israel. Joshua like Israel is being accused and judged by satan for his sin. While in the midst of this the LORD rebukes the accuser and reminds the accuser and us, We are like burning sticks snatched from the fire. The LORD has rescued us from the fire and we are no longer to carry the penalty and punishment for our actions. In short we are granted a second chance. We were frail and fractured but the LORD says we are still functional. The thing about fire however is it leaves a residue. The residue is like a reminder of where we’ve been. Knowing this the angel of the LORD instructs Joshua’s filthy clothes be removed. By doing this we learn to move on we have to leave the past behind.

On this 7th day of consecration I encourage you to leave the past behind. Take off your filthy clothes from the fire and put on your best clothes. You have been through the fire and even though you may have set the fire, the LORD, the ALMIGHTY CREATOR, has rescued you from destruction and you are restored.

Points to Ponder: How are you confronting the residue of what you’ve been through? How are you showing grace to others? How will you move forward in the confidence of your new garments?

Daily Scriptures Lent 2021

Date	Psalm	OT	Epistle	Gospel
Wed Feb 17	am: 95, 32, 143 pm: 102, 130	Jon 3:1-4:11	Heb 12:1-14	Luke 18:9-14
Thur Feb 18	am: 37:1-18 pm: 37:19-42	Deut 7:6-11	Titus 1:1-16	John 1:29-34
Fri Feb 19	am: 95, 31 pm: 35	Deut 7:12-16	Titus 2:1-15	John 1:35-42
Sat Feb 20	am: 30, 32 pm: 42, 43	Deut 7:17-26	Titus 3:1-15	John 1:43-51
Sun 1 Feb 21	am: 63, 98 pm: 103	Deut 8:1-10	1 Cor 1:17-31	Mark 2:18-22
Mon Feb 22	am: 41, 52 pm: 44	Deut 8:11-18	Heb 2:11-18	John 2:1-12
Tues Feb 23	am: 45 pm: 47, 48	Deut 9:4-12	Heb 3:1-11	John 2:13-22
Wed Feb 24	am: 119:49-72 pm: 49, 53	Deut 9:13-21	Heb 3:12-19	John 2:23-3:15
Thur Feb 25	am:  50, 59, 60 pm:  19, 46	Deut 9:23-10:5	Heb 4:1-10	John 3:16-21
Fri Feb 26	am: 40, 54 pm: 51	Deut 10:12-22	Heb 4:11-16	John 3:22-36
Sat Feb 27	am: 55 pm: 138, 139	Deut 11:18-28	Heb 5:1-10	John 4:1-26
Sun 2 Feb 28	am: 24, 29 pm: 8, 84	Jere 1:1-10	1 Cor 3:11-23	Mark 3:31-4:9
Mon Mar 1	am: 56, 57, 58 pm: 64, 65	Jere 1:11-19	Rom 1:1-15	John 4:27-42
Tues Mar 2	am: 61, 62 pm: 68	Jere 2:1-13	Rom 1:16-25	John 4:43-54
Wed Mar 3	am: 72 pm: 119:73-96	Jere 3:6-18	Rom 1:28-2:11	John 5:1-18
Thur Mar 4	am: 70, 71 pm: 74	Jere 4:9-10, 19-28	Rom 2:12-24	John 5:19-29
Fri Mar 5	am: 69 pm: 73	Jere 5:1-9	Rom 2:25-3:18	John 5:30-47
Sat Mar 6	am: 75, 76 pm: 23, 27	Jere 5:20-31	Rom 3:19-31	John 7:1-13
Sun 3 Mar 7	am: 93, 96 pm: 34	Jere 6:9-15	1 Cor 6:12-20	Mark 5:1-20
Mon Mar 8	am: 80 pm: 77, 79	Jere 7:1-15	Rom 4:1-12	John 7:14-36
Tue Mar 9	am: 78:1-39 pm: 78:40-72	Jere 7:21-34	Rom 4:13-25	John 7:37-52
Wed Mar 10	am: 119:97-120 pm: 81, 82	Jere 8:18-9:6	Rom 5:1-11	John 8:12-20
Thur Mar 11	am: 42, 43 pm: 85, 86	Jere 10:11-24	Rom 5:12-21	John 8:21-32
Fri Mar 12	am: 88 pm: 91, 92	Jere 11:1-8, 14-20	Rom 6:1-11	John 8:33-47
Sat Mar 13	am: 87, 90 pm: 136	Jere 13:1-11	Rom 6:12-23	John 8:47-59
Sun 4 Mar 14	am: 66, 67 pm: 19, 46	Jere 14:1-9, 17-22	Gal 4:21-5:1	Mark 8:11-21
Mon Mar 15	am: 89:1-18 pm: 89:19-52	Jere 16:10-21	Rom 7:1-12	John 6:1-15
Tue  Mar 16	am: 97, 99, 100 pm: 94, 95	Jere 17:19-27	Rom 7:13-25	John 6:16-27
Wed Mar 17	am: 101, 109 pm: 119:121-144	Jere 18:1-11	Rom 8:1-11	John 6:27-40
Thur Mar 18	am: 69 pm: 73	Jere 22:13-23	Rom 8:12-27	John 6:41-51
Fri Mar 19	am: 107:1-32 pm: 107:33-43	Jere 23:1-8	Rom 8:28-39	John 6:52-59
Sat Mar 20	am:  102, 108 pm: 33	Jere 23:9-15	Rom 9:1-18	John 6:60-71
Sun 5 Mar 21	am: 118 pm: 145	Jere 23:16-32	1 Cor 9:19-27	Mark 8:31-9:1
Mon Mar 22	am: 31 pm: 35	Jere 24:1-10	Rom 9:19-33	John 9:1-17
Tues Mar 23	am:121,122,123 pm: 124, 125, 126	Jere 25:8-17	Rom 10:1-13	John 9:18-41
Wed Mar 24	am:119:145-176 pm: 128, 129, 130	Jere 25:30-38	Rom 10:14-21	John 10:1-18
Thur Mar 25	am: 131, 132, 133 pm: 140, 142	Jere 26:1-16	Rom 11:1-12	John 10:19-42
Fri Mar 26	am: 22 pm: 141, 143	Jere 29:1, 4-13	Rom 11:13-24	John 11:1-27 or 12:1-10
Sat Mar 27	am: 137, 144 pm: 42, 43	Jere 31:27-34	Rom 11:25-36	John 11:28-44 or 12:37-50

Maundy Thursday “Love in Action”

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=34

John 13:1-17, 31b-35
13:1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

13:2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper

13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,

13:4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.

13:5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

13:6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

13:7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”

13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

13:10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”

13:11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

13:12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?

13:13 You call me Teacher and Lord–and you are right, for that is what I am.

13:14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

13:15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

13:16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.

13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

13:31b When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

13:32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

13:33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

13:34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love In Action

What do you like most about your feet? If you are like many people, the least favorite part of their body is their feet. In some ways, it stands to reason. (no pun intended). We walk on them all day every day. We often enclose them in shoes, and generally, unless they are causing a problem, we neglect them. This modern perception is also an ancient one. We find even in this Biblical text a sense of how body perception can drive behavior. Maundy Thursday and the history of foot washing established by Jesus tells us a lot about our roles as followers of Jesus. We never stand so high as when we stoop so low as to wash anothers’ feet.

In our text we find Jesus, sensing the magnitude of the life he has been called to live. It’s a couple days after his “flash mob” parade into Jerusalem, and a day or so before his public execution. A lot is weighing heavy in his spirit. One thing we see about Jesus is although his life is in the balance, he never stops teaching. Jesus is the ultimate example of how to live until you die. Instead of running and hiding, or over-indulging in creature comforts, Jesus in our text is found on his knees, washing the feet of his disciples. That almost doesn’t sound right. The Master, the Lion of Judah, the Prince of Peace, the Son of GOD, on his knees, washing the feet of a group of followers whose faith wobbled, and actions were erratic to say the least. Not only that but Jesus washes the feet of the very man who will betray him in less than a day, and of another who will deny even knowing him. I don’t know about you, but that blows my mind. I can think of the times I have to challenge myself not to think of myself as other. When I say that I mean there are times it takes work to find the connection between myself and the people who are least like me. I can assure you, kneeling and washing the feet of someone I couldn’t trust would be the last thing on my mind. And that is why I love Jesus so. Jesus is showing me that no matter how high I fly I am never better than anybody. Jesus is showing me that if I have been blessed abundantly it is to share and not to show off. Jesus by kneeling helps me to stand up to the worst parts of myself and become a better person.

Now Jesus stooping to bless did not thrill everybody. In fact, Simon Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet”. I like Peter. Stil,l Jesus’ response to Peter gives us our marching orders. Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Wow! Jesus does not take the easy way out. I might have said, shoot I didn’t want to wash your stinky feet anyway. You’ve been walking through the unpaved roads of the country side, stepping on GOD knows what, with open toed sandals and no socks, Yeah Pete you can have your stink feet. But Jesus, responds in a way that reminds every believer, you are never too good to serve. Secondly, our service is not based on the merit of the people we are serving. Peter was on the verge of denying Jesus and yet Jesus washes his feet. Love is an action word. Love is a verb.

Today on Maundy Thursday I encourage you to bless somebody. Humble yourself and serve.

Point to Ponder: How can YOU serve? Are there any jobs that you feel are beneath you? Would you wash the feet of someone that might betray you?

LENT 2020 Day 39 “Amazed or Afraid?”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2031:9-16;%20Lamentations%203:55-66;%20Mark%2010:32-34

Mark 10:32-34  (NIV)

³² They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Amazed or Afraid

Walking into unknown territory can be overwhelming. There are some days and weeks when we have reasonable assurance that we will need the fullness of our awareness to successfully navigate the path. When the odds we face are unfavorable and there are no guarantees we live through it we must choose a response. Very much like soldiers going into a battle knowing the opponent has a larger army, more weapons, and maybe even more skilled warriors, the soldier has to choose. Will I walk in fear of a fatal outcome or active anticipation of deliverance. Will we be amazed and actively seek the presence of YHWH or will we be afraid?

Our text from Mark’s gospel is drawn from Jesus’ declaration to the disciples and others following him that the week ahead was going to be rough. Jesus is preparing the disciples for his betrayal, condemnation, and death. That is as you can imagine hard to hear. It’s hard to know that someone you love may have to suffer. It is troubling to hear someone who you have seen do miracles and a multitude of marvelous deeds say I am about to go through the crucible of the crucifixion and there’s nothing YOU can do. Even worse is this devastating outcome is going to be led by his own people. It will be the chief priests and teachers of the law. The people who should know better will not behave better. How disappointing. Yet this is not all that’s in the text. Jesus does not just prepare them for the disaster he also prepares them for the delight. Jesus says its gonna be rough and then its gonna be better. Jesus speaks of the third day. Jesus says I will be down but I will not be out. I will be betrayed but I will not betray. I will be hated on but I will not hate. I will be condemned but I will rise above it. Three days later I’ll rise. There is pain ahead but in the end, we win.

This is the last day of Lent and tomorrow begins Passion week. We have walked daily and I will write through Holy Week ahead. I realize there are challenging days ahead and I also remind you, they will not last forever. It may get rough and loved ones may die, still to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. Be encouraged, Death could not hold Jesus down, he is the Risen King.

Point to Ponder: The days ahead may be filled with uncertainty. Will you be amazed and look for life in the midst of death or will you be afraid? The scientist say for some places the coronavirus will surge ahead this week and many lives will be lost. Can YOU see YHWH in our midst? Be alert.

Lent 2020 Day 35 “Before and After Grace”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20143;%202%20Kings%204:18-37;%20Ephesians%202:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10 

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Before and After Grace

Scanning through social media I came across a picture labeled before and after. The picture showed the contrast between the persons size before and after their decision to embrace a more healthy lifestyle. As you can imagine the contrast was startling. The person had lost almost 60 pounds. Quite an achievement. The question that could be asked is what was the turning point? What made them stick to the plan and eat and exercise even when sleep and slumber would have been easier. That same contrast can be observed in the life of a person who walks with Jesus. In the believers’ life there should be a before and after picture that shows the contrast between before and after grace.

The writer of Ephesians either Paul or his protege directs our attention to life before grace. Before grace, the writer say we were dead people walking in our transgressions and sins. In other words, we were caught up in an unproductive deathstyle. We were not alone. Living to satisfy our natural desires like misery loves company. When we walked that path we grew a crowd. Before grace, we were destined for wrath and destruction. We were self-consumed and selfish. We clung to a life of me first and fulfill every thirst. And then came grace. Grace, the writer says was initiated by the love of GOD and transforms us from a “deathstyle” to a lifestyle. We were once dead in sin and we became alive in Christ. Grace comes on the scene and is given to us before we started walking with GOD. Grace was the invitation to come alive. Grace sees the best in the midst of the mess in us. Grace is given not earned because if we thought we could earn it we might also think we could deserve it. There was nothing the reader could do to validate the opportunity to come alive and thrive. Grace was given without merit so that we could not boast but so that we could believe and be better for ourselves and others.

Nearing the end of the Lenten season the question is what will our before and after picture look like? Will there be any evidence of the residence of GOD in our life? Will we be more loving or patient or playful? Will our light shine brighter and our load be lighter? I encourage you today to walk with GOD and make sure we leave this experience with GOD refreshed, renewed, and restored.

Points to Ponder: Reflect on life just 35 days ago. When we began the Lenten season there was no shelter in place, no quarantine in America, no stimulus package, and no schools shut down. Now we are in another world it appears. How will you be better when the Covid19 runs its course? Will you be more loving, caring, or compassionate? What will be your before and after?

Lent 2020 Day 33 “Is There Any Hope?”

Daily Scripture: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=28

Ezekiel 37:1-14
37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 37:2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 37:3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 37:5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 37:6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 37:7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 37:8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 37:9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon this slain, that they may live.” 37:10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 37:11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 37:12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 37:13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.
37:14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act,” says the LORD.

Is There Any Hope

Have YOU ever been in a place of YOUR life where everything around you seemed dry and desolate? Have you ever downsized your dreams until they fit neatly into your back pocket as a mere memory? A dream that once gave you a sense of life and hope and purpose is now like a dusty, crusty, exfoliated skin cell. You are essentially walking in the graveyard of your hopes and destiny. While in this dry desolate place, you suddenly wonder, Is there any hope?

Our text in Ezekiel is set in a valley of dry bones. The prophet Ezekiel is led into this valley and it is there that he hears a word from the LORD. This word is “Can these bones live?” In other words is there any hope. The Israelites have been exiled and have been brought so low that their dreams and aspirations are decaying matter. It is a very odd question to ask because it seems rhetorical, Can these bones live? Bones are a representation that life has been lived not that life will be lived. And Yet the prophet answers, Oh LORD GOD YOU know. What follows as GODS response is for the Israelites and we can draw some hope from it as well. The LORD responds by giving instructions that ultimately lead to a resuscitation of the dormant life forms. The LORD says Yes there is hope for Israel. Its been a long time coming and yes there are dry bones but they will be reanimated. The dream will be rekindled and the land will be restored. Today I draw hope from this text as the pandemic of Covid19 ravishes the world and many deaths are occurring. There is the question, is there any hope? I say yes,

As we draw close to the end of the Lenten season we living in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. As believers, we recognize this virus is no respecter of persons and the sheer magnitude of anticipated deaths can be overwhelming. Bw honest with your feelings, commit to remaining hopeful, and LIVE BIG here in the present moment.

Points to Ponder:  What dreams have become dry bones in your life? What have you given up hope of ever seeing? Who can you observe in your life that needs a little more hope? Will you purpose to give it to them?

Lent 2020 Day 30 “Present in the Presence”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20130;%20Ezekiel%201:1-3,%202:8-3:3;%20Revelation%2010:1-11

                                                          Psalm 130

¹ Out of the depths, I cry to you, Lord; ² Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy. ³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

⁴ But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. ⁸ He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Present In The Presence

Tick tock, tick tock, Waiting….Waiting….Waiting. Is there anybody who enjoys waiting? Most people I have met will describe waiting as one of their least favorite life situations. I recently observed myself and my phone have a closer relationship when I am waiting. The moment things slow down my phone comes up. Its almost a habit. Checking messages, looking at the gram, anything to pass the time. When we are waiting, our minds tend to fixate on the not yet and the things we would love to be doing. The growth opportunity exists in bringing our full attention to the present moment and identifying GOD in our midst. It is easy to grow agitated and disturbed when we are having an “out of being” experience. When I say “an “out of being experience”,  I am thinking on the lines of Being a Human being and not just a human doing. An “out of being” experience occurs when our bodies exist in one place but our minds are running all around town. Every moment of anxiety while waiting in a line, at a stoplight, at the doctor’s office can indicate an out of being experience.

In the writing of this Psalm, we connect with the writer in an intimate moment. The writer expresses the cry of the soul for help. He writes, “Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD…Be attentive to my cry for mercy. I can feel this. During the most challenging times of my life, I have found myself laying prostrate at the altar of the church I pastor with my face down and a full agonizing cry to GOD. (I do this when alone, so I don’t alarm anybody). In the moment of this cry, I am fully present. My mind is not wandering, I am totally focused on experiencing GOD and GOD experiencing me. At this moment like the Psalmist, I confront my role in my situation. Either through neglect or arrogance sin has crept into my life and I need forgiveness. My situation cannot totally change until I change. Carrying guilt locks me into living in the past. Knowing I am forgiven liberates me to live in the present PRESENCE. When we are forgiven the residue of sin can be washed away and we become new creations in Christ. Forgiveness allows us to breathe again and to begin the practice of being fully present in the moment. This is the challenge of waiting.

When we are able to say my whole being waits for the LORD, we are able to lose the illusion of time and see ourselves in the context of eternity. It is always now in the context of eternity. To wait with our while being takes practice. Imagine pausing the next time you find yourself waiting, and focus on your breathing. Drop your shoulders, exhale, de-stress and know you are blessed. Place your hope in the word of the LORD who plans to prosper you. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and put your hope in the unfailing love of GOD. Sometimes the wait is a Divine delay while GOD is preparing a great blessing for us. Instead of stressing through the stretching of waiting, Be Still and chill. GOD is with you and that’s all we need.

PRAYER: LORD we confess we want you to hurry up. We want to escape the waiting time and just get to the bottom line now. We want the joy of Easter without the pain of Calvary. Help us to wait with our whole being. AMEN

Point To Ponder: Where are you now? Are you fully present? Today when you find yourself waiting, don’t fiddle with your phone, or get distracted, but whisper a prayer for someone near you. Pray for your pastor or president. Breath and Be…

Lent 2020 Day 28 “Look Around”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20146;%20Isaiah%2042:14-21;%20Colossians%201:9-14

Isaiah 42:14-21

¹⁴ “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.
¹⁵ I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. ¹⁷ But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.

¹⁸ “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! ¹⁹ Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the Lord? ²⁰ You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” ²¹ It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness
    to make his law great and glorious.

Look Around

Have you ever been riding in a car on a road you usually drive on? Have you ever noticed the different things you see when your vantage point has been changed? Many people find themselves asking the question, “Where is YHWH”? A crisis is a particular season of life that causes us to start to wonder if we have an absentee Deity. A crisis will grab our attention and make us more attentive to detail. Look around. I mean really look around. Think about what you begin to see when you focus on seeing. Details start popping up and the whole terrain changes. Could it be that we cannot find YHWH anywhere because YHWH is everywhere? Look around.

Our text in Isaiah 42 addresses Israel and it’s overlooking the presence of YHWH in their midst. Day by day they would look for YHWH but they missed YHWH in their midst. Isaiah writes, ¹⁴ “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,I cry out, I gasp and pant. The text gives us an idea that YHWH was always in their midst even when they looked but did not see. Too often we get caught up in just wanting things to move faster and faster with no regard that we may be truly missing the MIGHTY ONE in our midst. In the movie The Color Purple, there is a line that says, “I think it upsets GOD when we walk by the purple color in a field and don’t notice it. This applies to the children of Israel and us today. As chaotic as things appear YHWH is here. Vs 20 says, “You have seen many things but paid no attention. YHWH is working and yet we are oftentimes so preoccupied with minutia that we miss the marvelous and miraculous. The reality is YHWH is hiding in plain sight which is not hiding at all.

The discipline of Lent is intended to slow us down long enough to recognize YHWH all around. The grind can cause us to lose the desire to pay attention. To move beyond looking and into seeing we may have to slow down. We are tasked to grow from listening to hearing. We are encouraged to be fully present in as many moments as possible. When we pause and pray we may see that YHWH was working it out while we were still trying to figure it out. YHWH is in our midst.

Points to Ponder: In what ways have YOU longed for something you already had but didn’t recognize it? How often have YOU been on auto-pilot paying little or no attention to YOUR environment? Wherever YOU go, YHWH is already there, go boldly.

 

Lent 2020 Day 25 “Follow The Light”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:32-34;%20John%201:1-9

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Follow The Light

Have YOU ever been going through life and suddenly recognize you are not seeing as well as You used to? The concern of losing sight could mean a whole new lifestyle. It could mean losing ones independence. This awareness prompts a visit to the ophthalmologist. Once YOU get there one of the tests the doctor runs is asking you to follow the light. By doing this they are able to identify the health of the eye and diagnose any potential problems. What happens when YOU cannot see the light? What happens when the whole world seems dark and untenable. Whether literal or figuratively speaking blindness and darkness can be a scary place. I don’t think its reaching to say we are living in a dark world where unthinkable things happen on a daily basis.

This is the world that Jesus enters into. A world of chaos and disorder. Our text in John 1 references Jesus as the Word that was with YHWH in the beginning and that the Word possessed life and that life was the light of Humankind. The life of Jesus is a light that enters a world of darkness with the intent to illuminate the pathways of life. Unfortunately this life and light enters into the world and the world chooses darkness. Most of us believe we would not have responded like our brothers and sisters in the time of Jesus. We would like to believe that we would welcome any help to get through this darkness. Although we believe this about ourselves a deeper look may reveal some blindspots.

The Lenten discipline we are utilizing to repent, reflect, and refuel for service makes room for the power and presence of GOD to be manifested in our life. We are clearing out the junk that accumulates in the dry wildernesses we find ourselves in. We are adjusting our routines recognizing that if we don’t we can easily miss the Messiah in our midst. It’s easy to get lost in the wilderness and darkness of life. The day to day hustle to stay alive can get in the way of our ability to thrive.

In order for us to experience the next level in our life, we must follow the light. This may challenge our comfort zones and disrupt our status quo. Whereas this is true we cannot climb to the highest levels GOD has for us tethered to the pole of who we have been and what we have seen. The light has appeared. New things are being revealed. New thoughts and ideas are entering and this can be invigorating or infuriating. The Jewish people in our text rejected the light. Jesus came to his own and his own received him not. Be the light that causes the darkness to flee. When we do this and are ready, we will experience the abundance of life Jesus entered the world to provide.

Points to Ponder: Are there challenging truths that you reject because they are uncomfortable? Are there thought patterns YOU have that compromise YOUR ability to see? Are YOU ready like John to prepare others for the light?