Author: Peter Loeffelbein

1Timothy 5

Practical advice for pastors.

Our pastor will often say this to our congregation, “when you’re here, you are family”.

Paul says pretty much the same thing, ” Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”

We are a family. Family takes care of our own.

“3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

There were no programs or institutions for the care of the less fortunate. It was all done person to person. I guess that’s not completely true. There was the “list”. Widows who were over 60 and had no family but who were still active in their faith doing good could be put on a support list.

Paul is very practical and realistic here. He notes that younger women will want to remarry, that idle people tend toward gossip and being busybodies. My mom’s favorite saying was “idle hands are the devils playground”. I had at least 4 after school jobs. And yet still I found time to get into mischief.

More advice; if we have a widow in our family we should take ownership of their care, pay your pastor well, don’t believe every accusation that you hear, require witnesses, if an elder sins rebuke them publicly, don’t show favoritism, don’t be hasty to advance people in the church, wine occasionally is good, we are being watched, our sins and our good deeds are being noted, by God and by those around us.

Long chapter. Jesus loves us and cares about the needs of our lives. We need to help others when we can and be open to receive help when we need it. To be The church, we need to act as Jesus with skin on.

1 Timothy 4

The food network got this one right; All food is good. (Even beets?) no food is on the naughty list. And speaking of naughty, marriage isn’t naughty, it is good. I would add that for me it has been very good.

“3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”

There are things we should avoid.

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”

And here is the thing to not forget, the key, the center of the message, the reason for it all, “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.”

Jesus saves. Jesus has forgiven us. Jesus wants to restore us. Restore the broken parts, the parts that hurt us. He wants to heal us from the the inside out. When I think about restoring I think about my old truck Rusty and what all I’ve done to get him drive able, useful. A labor, a labor of love. The goal has never been to make him glisten but to make him road worthy. To get him back in service. In many people’s eyes he was just an old carcass, a pile of junk, a waste of space but I saw what he was meant to be. (https://www.facebook.com/Rustys-Page-532927836827647/ )

Some of us feel that way, like a pile of junk but God sees us through eyes of a loving Father who knows our potential. No one knows better the capability of a thing than the designer/architect/craftsman. I am
Limited in my skills, abilities and resources for Rusty. God is not limited in any way with us. He knows what we can be and has the skills and resources to make us just that.

(From 2017)

I apologize for the grossnicity of this but I have come to the conclusion that we are not fed by what we poop out. We are fed by what we digest.

I recently met with my pastor Rory Lewellyn and we were talking about some struggles I was having. He said that he thought part of my problem was I wasn’t assimilating the word that I was reading. To Paraphrase, I wasn’t digesting the word.

It wasn’t too long after that that God gave me a picture of what Rory was talking about. It was big pile of red poop. On my daily walk I came across a big pile of red poo. Not red with blood, red from whatever the pooper had eaten. Upon closer inspection (not too close) I could see fruit pits, like from cherries.

I read in the book of James this morning. Here is what I read: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:22-27

Read the word, then Assimilate, digest, act on, allow it to change, guide and direct me.

Is the study of God’s word having an effect on me? Is my life changing? Am I doing the basics of caring for those in need around me? Am I guarding my tongue?

Is the word of God in me coloring my life? Or just coloring my “poo”?

Hmmm.

An inconvenient truth. That is what Jesus’ resurrection was to the Jewish leaders. They got the story, the whole story from the guards but chose to invent a lie to maintain the status quo.

Matthew 28 tells us the story.

“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Matthew 28:11-15

They did the wrong thing. They lied and bribed to cover the truth about Jesus.

The question always comes back to us though, what do we believe about Jesus? Who is he? What do his life and death mean for us? Did he really rise from the dead? Where is he now?

The apostle Peter said this to the Jewish leaders after healing a man born lame.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

The inconvenient truth is there is no body in Jesus’ tomb because God raised him from the dead. The truth is inconvenient only for those who don’t believe that Jesus came to die for us sinners and to be raised back to life on the third day.

What do you believe about Jesus?

1 Timothy 1

Timothy, that young man that joined Paul and Barnabus in Lystra. He is now Pastoring the church in Ephesus.

Paul calls him “a true son in the faith”.

This is a tough town. It’s where Paul & Silas got thrown into prison for setting a slave girl free from her demonic possession. Then they had church in chains and were set free by a God Ordained earthquake.

Paul was asked to leave the city but he sent Timothy back in.

This letter is advice to pastor in the thick of it and to a young man living in a sensual city.

We’ll get to the advice later, I was impressed with this in my reading this morning.

Paul sums up his life and ministry I chapter 1.

“12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Yes Paul, what you said. Yes.

The gospel equalizes us all. We are all sinners who need a savior. Jesus has died for us all. The state of grace, being forgiven, is a confession and an acceptance away.

Acts 28

The final chapter but it isn’t the end.

Paul and crew arrive safely on Malta. They winter there. While there Paul shows Gods love and power by getting bit by a snake and not dying and healing all of the sick on the island.

Life is more than cause and effect. Karma doesn’t work. “3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.”

What I’m getting out of this is that Life is neither random nor predictable. Our life and our time is ordered by God.

Paul finally arrived in Rome and was able to stay in a rented house under Roman guard. He first went to the Jewish population, when some rejected his message he went to the Gentiles.

“30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”

What was next for Paul? Well he wrote most of the New Testament. And then? Tradition says he died for his faith.

“Concerning the time, place, and manner of his death, we have little certainty. It is commonly believed that, when a general persecution was raised against the Christians by Nero, about A.D. 64, under pretence that they had set Rome on fire, both St. Paul and St. Peter then sealed the truth with their blood; the latter being crucified with his head downward; the former being beheaded, either in A.D. 64 or 65, and buried in the Via Ostiensis. “

Thanks for following with me as we read through Acts. I’m going to the Timothy’s and Titus next.

May God bless your day.

Acts 27

Luke Aristarchus and Paul along with 273 sailors soldiers and prisoners set sail that day…I really want to sing “for a three hour tour..” But it was towards Rome. Things did not go well.

A really bad storm came up. Luke says, “when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we gave up all hope of being saved.”

Storms are a part of sailing. Troubles and trials are a part of life. Every life will encounter them. How will we respond?

Paul was told by Jesus that he would go to Rome. Then while on the ship he was encouraged again by an Angel.

“Last night an angel of God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you’.

It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t without struggle or peril. “42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.”

There is no standard or rule that I can see that God uses to get people where he wants them and we do not know how our patience and confidence in an unseen God is affecting those around us. An all-knowing God makes plans that baffle the unknowing people who serve him. Yet, he cares, yet He sees, yet he knows and provides.

I think I can say safely this, if you are his, you are, right now right where he wants you. I am right where he wants me. Today that is a very uncomfortable spot. I am out on a figurative ledge way beyond my comfort zone, not even in the same ZIP code as my comfort zone. Help me Jesus. Use me while I’m here. But don’t leave me here.

“Heaven? You can’t get there from here.”

Have you ever been lost and had to stop and ask for directions and had the person giving you a new route say “you can’t get there from here…”?

From our human standpoint, we cannot get to heaven. The road is blocked in every direction.

1. You do not get to heaven by avoiding bad behavior

2. You do not get to heaven by choosing good behavior

3. You get to heaven by paying for your sins.

Wait, if number 2 is true, how do I pay for my sins?

I cannot pay for my sins. The Bible says that Even my best good deeds are like filthy rags in Gods sight.

I have a problem. What am I going to do to get into heaven? I have done some stuff. Bad stuff. How do I pay for my bad stuff? How do I pay for my sins? Maybe I should have said in number 3, “you get to heaven by having your sins paid for” or “in order to get to heaven, you must have your sins paid for.” It’s like our sins are a debt that must be paid, One version of the Lord’s Prayer says, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. Debts can be paid paid by benefactors. Early in our marriage someone paid off a washing machine for us. If someone has wealth, an abundance, they can pay off the debts of others. Where sin is considered as debt, we have a problem. We are all in the same debtors prison. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no other person who has an abundance of, of, hmmm. What kind of abundance would it take to pay for sin? Goodness? The Bible verse I just referred to goes on to say that none is righteous, no, not one. Righteousness, is that what we need to pay for sin? No human has any for themselves , let alone enough to share with another human. There is that one guy, he was fully human, and yet he was also fully God. His name is Jesus. I used the present tense in the verb because although he was born 2 millennia ago he is still alive. He did die. He died once and was dead for 3 days but he rose from the dead and is alive.

God the Father sent his son Jesus to live as one of us, do it perfectly, be completely God and completely man and then die the death we deserve to pay off all of our debts, yours and mine.

The apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Roman believers.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

Romans 5:6-11 – NLT

So there it is. Jesus meets us at #3 and pays our debts for us. And even though it cost God the Father, the life of his only son, by accepting the gift Jesus offers, we are not only sin debt free, we are invited into God the Father’s family and given God the Holy Spirit to live in us, to guide us and help us.

To complete the traveling analogy where we’ve been told that we can’t get to heaven from here, we need to turn around, another word for that is to repent. Ask God to forgive our debt and the cross that Jesus died on becomes the bridge into heaven, into God’s family.

We cannot get to heaven from here- on our own. We have to ask Jesus to help.

If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved, we have our ticket to heaven and the Bible is our guide on how to live, like our spiritual AAA instructions on safety and maintenance as we travel.

I have this idea in my head about how the bible is divided in two parts. The Old Testament in my head is all about the law judgement and Gods wrath, the New Testament is about Jesus and grace and mercy.

This morning I read psalm 103.

Maybe mercy love and forgiveness permeate both halves.

“1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.”

Our sin is no surprise to God. He has always been in the forgiveness business.

As high as the heavens, that’s how much he loves us. As far as the east is from the west, that’s how far away he puts our repented sin. He heals us, he redeems us, crowns us with love, satisfies our desires, and renews our strength.

The message that flows through the bible is this; God is in love with us.

What will we do today in response to this great love?

I’ve got some good news.

I opened my bible this morning intending to continue reading in Psalms but opened to Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61 is the Gospel ministry spelled out in the Old Testament.

“61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.”

This is good news.

I am spiritually poor. My debt has been paid in Jesus.

I am broken-hearted. For my own situation and for the people of my world. There is help and healing and comfort in Jesus.

I am captive to sin. And sometimes held chained in darkness. Jesus can set me free. Jesus brings light into my world. Light shows me my depravity and also shows me the way out.

I’m not sure what the year of the Lords favor is. I think it might be the year of jubilee. That is where all debt is wiped clean. Anything mortgaged or pawned is returned. I would love a day of that. Can you imagine a year of that? No debt unpaid. Everyone reset to zero. Financially it would be incredible, spiritually it is life changing.

I mourn the loss of family. I mourn the loss of innocence and purity. I mourn for those lost and and alone. I mourn for those enslaved by addiction of any kind. I mourn the victims of abuse, the breakup of homes and families. I mourn. Jesus brings comfort to me.

Beauty for ashes. This part is special to me. I am ashes. I was burned as a child, my dad said my nose was a black cinder. He feared it would be gone. When my bandages came off my nose was there. All of it. I feared that I would never find a woman to love me but then one day while I was still a youth I met Mary and she has been the beauty that I traded my ashes for. Jesus provided love through my loss.

I have a family history. It’s not all good. There is abuse and alcoholism and pornography and fights and divorce and pain and base humanness. Jesus has come to restore brokenness that is generational. Walls broken down for decades, for centuries can be restored. Family sins, family patterns of abuse and pain can end now in Jesus.

“delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.”

Jesus has come to bring good news. That’s what the word gospel means, good news. We are forgiven and free in the covering Jesus provides us.

God loves us and longs for a relationship with us. The one who built everything we see and know, who created us , has also redeemed us. He has bought us out of slavery. That’s good news.

How do I get back?

Part of my job is to design operator interfaces. It’s a screen that symbolizes our factory process. I build it from pre drawn pieces and parts. Last week I was drawing a pipe and I needed a tee. There was a tee on the page already but it was pointed I the wrong direction. I clicked on it, went to the properties window and I adjusted the rotation angle. I punched in 180 and suddenly a tee that was useless became useful.

Sometimes in life we need to have our rotation angle adjusted.

“11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

I sometimes stumble and fall. I rely on Gods grace to forgive me one more time.

I read psalm 100 and it reminded me of this sweet reunion when the prodigal son returns.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

We have father who loves us and his son who died for us to pay for all our mistakes. Let us go home to the father and celebrate together. We may have to get turned around first (repent), but God is waiting and watching for us to come home.

Acts 24

In jail for two years and no end in sight.

I kind of wonder what happened to the 40 men who vowed not to eat until they killed Paul? (Chapter 23). Two years without food can make a person hungry. And dead.

The high priest Ananias was there to accuse Paul. This is the same guy who had Jesus crucified. It was personal. The “sect” just wouldn’t go away. This group of people who believe that a man named Jesus was actually God in the flesh. And they believe that his death holds some spiritual significance. That it pays for sin. Only sacrifices pay for sin. Only a perfect sacrifice will actually wash away, forgive, sin. They said Jesus’ death was that, the perfect sacrifice. They also say that he didn’t stay dead. You just can’t keep a good man down and you just can’t keep a God-man dead. That’s what they say. That’s what they believe.

Ananias couldn’t crush the sect. No one has been able to. WE are still here. This sect that believes in a God-man who died for our sins and now lives forever.

He loves us enough to die for us. He loves you. Join us.

I am not sure what’s wrong with me but my head and heart and soul feel sludgy.

That feeling makes me act prickly. Like I lash out irrationally. I feel like, well like a pumpkin stem. I say that because we recently went to a local pumpkin patch and bought some pumpkins. Pumpkins are smooth skinned and they look jolly and happy even before a smile is drawn on them and yet when I picked them up by the stem My hand was poked full of little holes by the pokey thistle shaped spikes on the stem.

Later in the day, I read this in Isaiah. It gives me hope while I weather through this prickly season of my heart.

“In that day, sing about the fruitful vineyard. I, the Lord, will watch over it, watering it carefully. Day and night I will watch so no one can harm it. My anger will be gone. If I find briers and thorns growing, I will attack them; I will burn them up— unless they turn to me for help. Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me.” The time is coming when Jacob’s descendants will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole earth with fruit!

Isaiah 27:2-6 – NLT

God said he will burn up briers. God will burn up the prickly. UNLESS. Unless they turn to him for help. Is Isaiah just talking about weeds in a garden or is he using a metaphor and talking about people, contrasting fruitful people with those people who are parasites, who are antagonistic prickly people who detract and distract from the fruitful?

We recently spent time at the Oregon coast. It is beautiful there. The variety of plants and trees is amazing! One constant in all the flora is the black berry brier. They seemed to grow everywhere. We saw several abandoned properties that were being enveloped in briers. The black berry it a sweet delicious fruit but the vines are spiked with thorns and they can envelope and reclaim the ground from houses and barns and vehicles.

God talks about planting a vineyard. Grapes are a vining plant. Blackberries briers are a similar vining plant however grape vines don’t have thorns. I have never seen a domesticated black berry patch. I suppose it’s possible to control them but they seem to want to spread and take over wherever they grow. No matter where they are, they have long prickly thorns. Those of us who would eat of their fruit will be scratched and torn in the process.

Their thorns make it difficult to harvest the berries.

Jesus used many different farming analogies; if we are the sheep, he is the good shepherd, if we are the wheat, he is the farmer, if we are the grape branches, Jesus is the vine and God the Father is the vine dresser.

I’ve just done an internet search for domesticating blackberry briers. I read several, They all say to start by cutting out the dead wood, cut the vines back to 5 feet, and strap them to a post.

Jesus used the vine/branch/vinedresser analogy in John 15.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

John 15:1-8 – NLT

If we are following Jesus we need to to be connected to him in a way similar to a grape vine and a branch. We need to receive our life source from Jesus. If we aren’t producing God will prune us so we can be. I read somewhere that a vine dresser will cut back the vine to the second budding branch, No room for supeerfluoence.

Well, I woke up this morning in God’s vineyard, looked around at all the grapevines around me, looked down at myself and realized that I am a blackberry bush. What Am I to do? What will God do about me being a blackberry in the middle of his grapevines?

“If I find briers and thorns growing, I will attack them; I will burn them up— unless they turn to me for help. Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me.”

This morning I am turning my prickly self over to God for help. We will see what he can do with prickly me.

My favorite hymn lyrics by my favorite (male) musician

Chris Rice – Untitled Hymn (Come To Jesus) Lyrics

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

this will be sung at my funeral or I’m coming back.

Who is this God we serve?

Psalm 89 starts out with praise of God. It talks about how awesome He is. How he is the creator of everything and then it reminds God of his promises to King David and his line.

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”[c]

“11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.”

So God is good, he is powerful, he is creative and creator. He has promised special favors. Good good good. Yes.

But here’s the problem. Life is in shambles. Enemies have attacked and are tearing up home. Literally destroying and killing.

Now what? Why go through the process of recounting the goodness of God and his promises before telling God about the destroyer in the backyard banging on your door?

When we are reminding God of his power and his promises are we really reminding him? Does he forget? I think we are the forgetters. But it also sets up why we can expect anything more out of life than scraping up enough food to stay alive, procreating, getting sick and dying like animals. Aren’t we just animals? Not according to God. We wouldn’t know who we are or what we are or what more there was to life without Gods word. Reminding him reminds us that he is Almighty God. He is not some mighty, a little mighty, sort of mighty he is All Mighty. He is creator. He is sustainer. He is the maker and keeper of promises. Why did the psalmist have hope or expectations of David’s lineage? Because God said so. So what? We all make grandiose statements sometimes. God is the only one who can promise and keep his promises, all of his promises.

We can turn to God. We can vent. But while venting I will try to also say why I expect more from my existence. I have seen and heard God working. I have read his proclamation of love for me and for a sick and dying world and so now I have hope for more out of life.

“46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.
For what futility you have created all humanity!
48 Who can live and not see death,
or who can escape the power of the grave?
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has[g] been mocked,
how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
52 Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.”

When is God worthy of praise? If he is who he says he is? Always. All of the time.

One of the many reasons I am still in love with my wife Mary is that she is an encourager. She is actively looking for the positive in people and in our life. With God you don’t have to search long to find something to praise. He is THE God. The almighty, the wise one, the one who knows, the one who loves, the one who forgives. It’s like looking at a diamond and trying to decide which facet is my favorite. It’s all good. It’s all beautiful. He is all good. He is all beautiful.

Life isn’t always a great place to be. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it’s hard to keep going anticipating more of the same. But God is always good. He is always just. He is always loving. He is always compassionate. He is always all of the things he is. Like the sun is always shining, even on a cloudy day. Someday the sun will burn out but God will still be there being who he is and has been.

Psalm 86 is a plea for help but is dripping with praise for this God we worship. Why? Because he’s worth it.

“1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”

I hope for us all that no matter what situation we are in today that we can pause just a moment and look at God and tell Him what we see in Him. Be honest. He can take it. An honest prayer of frustration is better than a fake prayer of praise. I believe He is worthy of praise, but I also know there is pain and hurt that we don’t understand and it can filter our view of Him like the clouds block the sun and make everything look shadowy and sad. I know he loves us. I know he loves me. I know he loves you.

How do I know that? Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, (Jesus) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Sometimes when I’ve been hurt or am angry with someone I don’t go to Jesus first. I know what he will say, forgive as you have been forgiven. I don’t want to forgive, I was wronged or damaged or disappointed and it hurts. I want to be coddled and soothed and petted and sided with. I have unmet expectations and the world is not serving me like it should.

That’s a dangerous place to be. There is someone who will cuddle me and soothe me and take my side. He is no friend. He is the enemy of my soul. He wants me to build a case, build a wall, build my resentment, build my anger all the while he wants to tear me down, tear me away, tear me apart. He will do anything it takes to keep me from remembering Jesus’ words, “12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:12,14-15

If he succeeds in getting me to stumble, then he has a wedge between God and me. Now not only am I angry but now I am also ashamed. I want to cleanse myself before I approach God but there is no way to pre-rinse the stain of sin.

Jesus always meets me where I am. Meets me in my need.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

If you who are reading this are stuck in the hurt/anger/sin/shame cycle too, let us both jump off of this not-so-merry-go-round and ask forgiveness and also be forgiven. I also want to go back up the path of my life and see where I can begin to apply God’s word in my life so I can avoid this Nauseating cycle.

Jesus forgive me. I also forgive those who’ve hurt me. Help me avoid this cycle Jesus, show me in your word how to live better. Amen?

In my estimation the next section of Matthew 27 records the second most important thing to ever happen in human history.

“On their way out of the city they met a man called Simon, a native of Cyrene in Africa, and they compelled him to carry Jesus’ cross. Then when they came to a place called Golgotha they offered him a drink of wine mixed with some bitter drug (or vinegar mixed with gall or myrrh in other versions of the New Testament), but when he had tasted it he refused to drink. And when they had nailed him to the cross they shared out his clothes by drawing lots. Then they sat down to keep guard over him. And over his head they put a placard with the charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Now two bandits were crucified with Jesus at the same time, one on either side of him. The passers-by nodded knowingly and called out to him, in mockery, “Hi, you who could pull down the Temple and build it up again in three days—why don’t you save yourself? If you are the Son of God, step down from the cross!” The chief priests also joined the scribes and elders in jeering at him, saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! If this is the king of Israel, why doesn’t he come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him! He trusted in God… let God rescue him if He will have anything to do with him! For he said, ‘I am God’s son’.” Even the bandits who were crucified with him hurled abuse at him. Then from midday until three o’clock darkness spread over the whole countryside, and then Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Some of those who were standing there heard these words which Jesus spoke in Aramaic—Eli (or Eloi), Eli lama sabachthani?, and said, “This man is calling for Elijah!” And one of them ran off and fetched a sponge, soaked it in vinegar and put it on a long stick and held it up for him to drink. But the others said, “Let him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come and save him.” But Jesus gave one more great cry, and died. And the sanctuary curtain in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The ground shook, rocks split and graves were opened. (A number of bodies of holy men who were asleep in death rose again. They left their graves after Jesus’ resurrection and entered the holy city and appeared to many people.) When the centurion and his company who were keeping guard over Jesus saw the earthquake and all that was happening they were terrified. “Indeed he was the son of God!” they said. There were many women at the scene watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to his needs. Among them was Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.”
Matthew 27:32-33,36,38,45,47,51,54-55

It is the second most important because without THE most important thing, the second doesn’t matter at all. Jesus was a good man. Many good men have died. Jesus was an innocent man. Many innocent men have died. Jesus died for a cause. Many men have died for a cause.

The second most important and miraculous thing Jesus did was die.

The upper most important miraculous thing Jesus did? Jesus rose from the dead. One act without the other makes both unspectacular. You can’t rise from the dead without dying first so the two events are inseparable.

Without Jesus dying, our sins are unforgiven. Without Jesus rising from the dead there is no power at work and he was just a nice guy who came to an unfortunate end.

He did die. He died not for his crimes or sins, he died for my sins, for our sins, for all sin for all time.

Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 –

In his letter to the Romans Paul says this, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Romans 5:6-11

When Jesus died, he became our sin. His death wiped away all of it. When Jesus died he showed how much he loves us, how far he is willing to go to provide forgiveness for us. When Jesus died, he took our punishment away.

When Jesus rose from the grave he showed his great power and his defeat of death.

Jesus has defeated our two greatest enemies, sin and death and he has bridged the gap between us and God so that we can be welcomed back into God’s presence again.

It is all a conversation (some would say a prayer) away. God has arranged it all, we just need to accept and show up.

This morning I received an email with a confirmation of my travel to Dalian China for our company. It’s all paid for, I just have to show up at the gate and show my passport. This Jesus thing is like that. All paid for. Just show up.

Sent from my iPhone

Acts 18

The homespun chapter.

There is still much travel. We start out in Athens and then travel to Corinth, Ephesus, Caesarea and Antioch. How can this be the homespun chapter?

The chapter talks about making new friends, meeting Priscilla and Aquila, meeting Apollos. And old friends reunited- Timothy and Silas rejoin the team. Then it also talks about just living life, making tents.

“2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.”

I like this chapter. Maybe because it shows real life. Maybe because it shows friendship and fellowship, maybe because it shows discipleship and inclusion,maybe because God speaks encouragement. But I think mostly because it shows that Christianity isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. It’s a part of a life, a real life.

I know I haven’t arrived. I’m not done learning, growing or failing. I haven’t outgrown the need for grace and forgiveness. Thank you Jesus that you know me and love me and forgive me. Forgive me.

Save, heal, protect and bless my friends and family. Become more real to us Jesus.

Acts 17

Paul Timothy and Silas travel to Thessalonica and preach and teach about Jesus and many people believe but opposition soon lands some new converts, Jason and friends in Jail. They post bond and that night the team is sent to Berea.

“11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”

Soon the rabble rousers in Thessalonica came and stirred up trouble. Paul was sent to Athens, Timothy and Silas stayed on in Berea.

Athens wasn’t the next town over. It was 250 miles away, a 3 day sea journey or 12 day land journey.

While there he was asked to tell his story. He said this, it’s long but I’m going to post the entire message,

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”’

Today We don’t have idols we worship. Mostly We have ideas and philosophies.

Here is what I need to know. Gods plan to save all the people on planet earth is Jesus. Jesus’ death paid the cost of my sin, the fact that he rose from the dead and then went from here to heaven gives me hope of a life beyond death. All of my mistakes are covered by that one act. Those things that I’m too ashamed to even mention, all of that, of those things. All covered and forgiven. And that forgiveness is available to all people.