Author: Peterloeffelbein

It must’ve been hard to do.

Make the change from being a follower of Jesus to a teller about Jesus. From having him there with them to having him pop in and out of life unexpectedly.

This next bit is a paraphrase told from the perspective of the once disciple, now apostle, Peter.

I remember that day…

What to do? Let’s go fishing. Fishing is what we do, Simon and Thomas and Nathaniel, James and John. Fishermen. It’s what we do, it’s what we know, it’s how we provide for our families. Fished all night and got nothing. Some guy on the beach shouting instructions on how to catch fish…we’ll try it.

Whoa! Wow! So many fish, almost too many fish. One fish, two fish red fish, 152 fish. (Plus one).

This all seems so familiar, I’ve had this happen before. It was Jesus on the shore.

A quick swim, some breakfast, fish hauling ashore and then the “chat”.

For 3 years we’ve hung out with Jesus. On meeting me he said he would change my name. Now, after the denial, ( three denials, if you’re counting) and the resurrection we are back to Simon son of John. Not Peter. Simon.

Then the questions, do I love him more than these? Do I️ love Jesus more than my fishing buddies do? At one time in the not so distant past I️ claimed that I️ did.

Then the questions come. Jesus could’ve used 4 different words for the word love in his questions. He went straight to the highest, the strongest, the purest, do I Simon, love, agape love, Jesus?

It may be my failures and denials but all I can muster is “you know I love you like a brother, I️ phileo you Jesus”.

He gives me a job. “Feed my lambs”.

Then he asks me again, do I Simon, agape him, Jesus?

“Jesus, I love you, like a brother” is my answer.

“Take care of my sheep”.

He asks again, a third time. I didn’t get why he asked me twice but it becomes clear as he asks the third time, my mind went back to that horrible early morning, my third denial, “I tell you I do not know the man”….and then began swearing like a fisherman.

The third and last question Jesus asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love me….like a brother?”

I’m hurt and frustrated, so my answer is terse, “ you know all things, you know I love you like a brother..”

Again, “Feed my sheep…”

And then I get the prophecy about my death.

“18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

John 21:18

There are 2 things that encourage me here. “When you are old,” it isn’t eminent, and “old” I will continue to follow Jesus for the rest of my life.

This is one of the memories I think about as I write to those followers of Jesus who will continue after I’m dead. They will continue to tell others about our Jesus.

Add to your faith…brotherly love, and add to that, Agape love, God kind of love, selfless, others first, die in your place, kind of love. Add that to your faith in Jesus. Then you will be able to be fruitful and productive in your faith.

Jesus welcomed me back, I fell, I fell further and harder but his love covered my failures. His love will always do that. It will always cover over our sin.

(Originally posted 12/19/17)

My personal restoration process.

I work at a chemical plant. My job is in process controls. I create the computer graphics and logic so that an operator can click a button on a screen and a valve will open somewhere in the plant. I always hope it’s the correct valve.

Occasionally There are conditions that I have to insert in the logic. Like don’t open valve X if tank Y is above level Z. It’s called interlock logic.

I have talked and talked about Gods unconditional love for us. He has shown us how much he loves us by giving up his only son Jesus. Jesus died to pay for our sin. He rose again to show that he has defeated death and to give us hope of eternal life.

God has given us his Unconditional love, but there is one small tiny catch. Gods love for us is unconditional as long as it is flowing. His love must flow into us to wash us and forgive us, and flow out of us, for us to forgive others. As soon as his love begins to pool in us, as soon as we stop forgiving others, it stops flowing to us. There is an interlock on God’s forgiveness.

We see Jesus teach this principle at the end of the Lord’s prayer.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]

but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

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.”

Jesus shared a story to illustrate this point. It’s found in Matthew 18

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

I think Gods #1 priority is restoration. Our restoration. In my world it’s my restoration. The fuel of Gods restoration process is forgiveness. When a project runs out of fuel it stops. When forgiveness stops flowing in my life my restoration stops. I cannot have enemies. Not from my point of view anyway. Others can hate me but I cannot hate them back. It goes deeper than that. I cannot hold unmet expectations over someone’s head. I must forgive them, let go of the expectations and love them at ground zero, that place at the foot of the cross where I get my forgiveness. It’s level there. No steps to climb. No podiums to stand on. No hoops to jump through. No bars to leap over or to break through. Free access to Jesus and his forgiveness. As long as I give it away in the same way I receive it.

Father God thank you for beginning my restoration. Thank you for giving your son to die in my place. Forgive me when I fail to forgive others. Help me to keep the flow of your love and forgiveness moving in my life by giving it away in the same manner in which it was given, freely and lavishly.

(Originally posted 12/19/16)

My wife Mary is a singer/songwriter. It all started with her plunking out tunes on her cousins piano. Mary’s parents saw a natural ability and so they procured a piano, from the stories Mary’s dad Harold told of getting it home, the first piano was a beast. But they got it home, then they found a piano teacher and the rest is history. She has been playing ever since. Mary finds peace and solace in playing. When she needs to decompress or sometimes needs to get energized she will sit at the piano and play, on some occasions it will be for hours.

Music brings rest to troubled and weary souls. If I think back to how it must’ve been for Mary and Joseph, newlyweds in a strange town, no place to rest except a barn, weary from travel and then the labor starts, this baby, this unexplainable baby, this baby that was not started like any other baby in history, this baby from God, this baby was God, this baby was coming and the only place they could find for shelter was a barn. Having a baby is difficult and messy but then there it is, this little human. Breathing and wriggling and crying and needing warmth and care and sustenance.

I wasn’t there in the manger, but I have been there in the birthing room with our own four kids and couple of the grandkids. Holding the baby and snuggling and cooing and singing just trying to bring the baby peace.

Mary recorded an instrumental version of Silent Night. I hope you will click the link and listen. If you like it, please share with friends and family. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.

Like this song says, sleep in heavenly peace…..

Hebrews 10c

Persevere.

One more look at chapter 10. It is a long chapter with so much to say to us.

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.”

Perseverance is maintained by remembering. Remembering the joy of forgiveness. Being released from shame and regret. Remembering who carries our sin and why. Why does Jesus carry our sin? He loves us. He loves me. Remembering that we are part of a community of faith, a body, and each part supports the other parts. Every part is essential to the survival of the other parts.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For,

“In just a little while,

he who is coming will come

and will not delay.”[f]

38 And,

“But my righteous[g] one will live by faith.

And I take no pleasure

in the one who shrinks back.”[h]

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

In a just a little while the writer said 2000 years ago. He is closer today than ever before. Let’s get ourselves ready. Good servants have their chores done and watch and wait for their master. When he steps back into our world I want to hear him say to us “well done good and faithful servants”.

(Originally posted 12/18/15)

Part of the joy of Christmas is the connection we have to our Christmases in the past. My favorite Christmas carols are hymns written years ago, sometimes centuries ago. When Mary was assembling music for her Christmas album her brother Scott suggested a song that he found that he loves. We had never heard of it before you showed it to us. It is called Taladh Chriosda (Christ’s Lullaby). It is a hymn traditionally sung at midnight mass. It comes from the Scottish Isles and was written around 1855 by a Scottish priest.

Mary sings the first verse in Scots Gaelic, the Ledgerwoods come from the borders of Scotland and Mary has embraced her Scottish heritage. The Scottish Isles can be inhospitable and harsh. Jesus came into this world to bring God’s love, mercy, grace, peace and joy, even to the most desolate places, and even the most desperate people, people like me.

The song was written as a lullaby for the baby Jesus. It has 29 verses, Mary selected her favorite verses for the recording.

If you have a few minutes please click on the link and listen. If you enjoy the song, please share it with your family and friends.

Hebrews 10b

Be encouraged.

“19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Go to church. We need each other. We are a body. The kidneys need the lungs and vise-versa. We all need the function of the others. The heart can’t function without the lungs, the lungs need the heart, the brain needs the lungs and heart and so on. We need each other.

Be careful.

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God….For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[e] 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

I don’t know how to talk about this passage. While writing this my Facebook started freaking out and kept closing, my nose started bleeding so I put my phone down and started to nap. (I frequently default to a nap).

While I was waiting for sleep and/or coagulation for my nose I got this picture in my mind.

If sinning means missing the mark, Like at an archery contest. The archer tries his best to hit the bullseye. Then Any shot that is not a bullseye is a “sin”. What if that same archer turns 180 degrees and lobs a few shots into the crowd? Is that kind of miss the same? He misses the target. A sin. But a deliberate miss. Does this kind of miss get the same kind of forgiveness?

I’m going back to verses 12-14.

“12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

We must hang onto Jesus and hang onto, stay connected with each other. By Gods undeserved forgiveness we are saved. There is no other way.

(Originally posted 12/17/15)

Being with someone.

It brings comfort. When life is scary, or sad. Having someone there absorbs the intensity of the fear and sadness.

When life is good or joyful it is nice to have someone with us to share the joy with. Having someone with us when life is good expands and expounds the joy and gladness.

God knew this about us and about life. His plan has always been to be there for us and when Jesus was born, God became God with us.

If you have a few minutes, please click on the link and listen to the lyrics and contemplate the meaning of God with us. If you like the song, please share it with your friends and family.

From our family to your family, merry Christmas.

Hebrews 10

This book is written to a group of people who wanted to go back. Go back to the old familiar.

I am reading my bible In the early morning darkness through the wizardry and technology of the electric light bulb. The old technology- candle or lamp, basically portable and containable fire, was good but this is better. I don’t want to go back.

New is usually better. That’s why it’s here. If there wasn’t room for improvement we would have never sought a replacement.

“Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

God has always been in the forgiveness business. Back in the day forgiveness took a life. If a person was going to be forgiven then Some animal was going to have to die. Jesus took the place of all of those animals. Once for all people, for all the sin, for all time.

The new is better. Jesus is better.

“11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

Jesus came and replaced the old system. One sacrifice for all people, for all of our sin for all time.

Thank you Jesus! You are the light of the world. Shine on us.

What does that mean for our lives?

Hebrews 9

Connect the dots.

As a kid I was more of a free hander drawing what else? Race cars. Occasionally I would allow someone else to dictate what the drawing would be and follow the numbered dots with my crayon. Most of the time I wouldn’t follow the order and just guess by the suggested shape of the dots. If I drew straight lines between all the dots the shape would look funny. In nature, Very rarely are there straight lines.

Judaism and its practices were a connect the dots so to speak. The temple sacrifices and ceremonies were, once completed, a set of things to show us who Jesus is and what he came to do.

“When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[a] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

In my bible I have verses 22&28 underlined.

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It can’t be my blood. I am sinful. Jesus sacrificed his perfect blood for our sins.

“and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

I’m waiting for him. Will you watch and wait with me? There is much to do while we wait. Many who don’t know that their sins are all forgiven. We must let them know. Jesus left us with an open invitation and it read, Bring a guest. Bring lots of guests.

(Originally posted 12/15/15)

Hebrews 8

The new and improved promise.

The letter of Hebrews was written to first century Jewish Christians. They were familiar with the ceremony and practices in the temple. The writer was reminding them that Jesus is the new way of life. What he brings to them and us is a vast improvement over the past.

“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said[b]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,

when I will make a new covenant

with the people of Israel

and with the people of Judah.

9 It will not be like the covenant

I made with their ancestors

when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of Egypt,

because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,

and I turned away from them,

declares the Lord.”

The new covenant will include God writing his laws on our minds and hearts. And….

“No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest.

12 For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.”[c]

13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

The new and improved way to God is through Jesus. We no longer need the flesh and blood of animals to pay for our sins. We have the sacrifice of Jesus. We no longer rely on a line of men just as fallen as we are to go to God for us. We can go to Jesus who is our priest and our mediator and our sacrifice. He lived the human experience and did not miss the mark, he did not sin.

Jesus, he knows us, knows what it’s like to be us, loved us enough to die for us and stands before God the father on our behalf.

Repeat after me: Jesus loves me. That is what this book is all about.

(Originally posted 12/14/19)

I have already used this picture once today but I think it is an amazing shot that encapsulates so much of the meaning of Christmas for my wife Mary and for our family.

First, it’s dark. Winter is dark up here in the northern part of the U.S. We only get about nine hours of sunlight. There is snow on the tree. Along with being dark in the winter, it is cold. If we get precipitation at all, it comes in the form of snow and ice. There is a moon. I can’t think of any significance for the moon and Christmas, but it is a mostly full moon, which is mentioned in the poem “The night before Christmas”.  “The moon on the crest of the new fallen snow, gave luster like midday to objects below”. There is the star. It is a star that my Wife Mary has looked at and cherished every Christmas of her life. If it was just a star shaped light it wouldn’t be that special, but it symbolizes another star, a star that led wisemen to seek a new king. That king was Jesus. That Jesus became the king of my wife Mary’s heart, then my heart, then our children’s hearts and now our grandchildren’s hearts.

Christmas is special to us because God became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life, and died the death we deserve to pay a debt we cannot pay. He was raised to life and now lives forever to intercede for us.

Mary wrote a song about a special Christmas memory from her past. She doesn’t mention it in the song, but the star was shining over her little town that night, symbolizing another star that shown over another Bethlehem Ephrata, that led wise men to seek a king.

Please click on the link and listen to Mary’s song, “Merry Mary” and remember all the Christmases, especially the first one, when Jesus Christ was born.

When my wife Mary and I were first married we moved to Vancouver Washington because I was going to school across the river in Portland Oregon at Concordia College. We were very young and very newly married and Mary was pregnant with our honeymoon baby. She was homesick for her home town of Ephrata and would cry herself to sleep over the thought of missing out on her favorite Ephrata Christmas tradition, the giant star being lit on top of the hill that overlooks the town.

The town of Ephrata is named after the town of Bethlehem. An early traveler to our sleepy little whistle stop looked around and said the setting reminded him of the town of Bethlehem. The name is found in a prophecy about the coming messiah being born there, found in the minor prophets book, Micah, chapter five.

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”

Micah 5:2 – NLT

I’m not sure when it started but for as long as my wife has been alive, seeing the Star on the hill over Ephrata has been a meaningful experience.

The town elders who installed the star were prompted to by the story found in the book of Matthew. Wise men followed a star and found Jesus in Bethlehem.

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

Matthew 2:1-8 – NLT

This mornings bible reading took me to Micah 5, then as I was leaving for work the fog that had blanketed our town overnight, lifted just enough for me to see both the star on the hill, and a waning moon, framed by our weeping fir covered in snow.

It was like looking down the hallway of time. I saw the Old Testament prophet speaking words about his coming messiah, then the fulfillment of that prophecy at Jesus’ birth, then the connection of our little town to that town by a stranger passing through, then my personal connection to the star through my wife who has never missed a Christmas seeing the star on the hill.

Yes, even the year we were in Vancouver, God provided a way for Mary to see the star over Ephrata, which symbolizes the star over Bethlehem, which was the sign to the wisemen that the savior, the King had been born.

The angels said it best, “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:8-14 – NLT

My father-in-law was a really good man. He lived his whole life serving others, doing the right thing, even when it hurt, going the extra mile just because it was needed. He rescued people, he rescued dogs and cats, he put out fires, he served in the national guard going and doing whatever needed being done. He was a selfless servant. He didn’t ask for much in return. In the 40 plus years I knew him I rarely saw him angry.

When Mary finished her first album her dad looked it over and asked if his favorite song was on it. He loved Mary’s song that she called “Glory”. Mary told him that Glory did not make it on the album because it was more of a Christmas song. His response was a little out of character, he actually got a little miffed and said, “Well then, make a Christmas CD!” At first we scoffed at the thought. The recording process was expensive and time consuming but eventually we came up with a plan and of course we knew whatever else we put on the album, “Glory” had to be among the songs listed.

Harold passed away before the project was finished. We believe because of his faith in Jesus, that he is now experiencing in person, what we can only imagine, the Glory of the great God of the universe. God is a great and powerful and awesome God, but he showed his grace and mercy to us in sending us his son Jesus to die in our place, to pay for our sin which separates us from God.

If you have a few minutes to relax, please click on the link and listen for free to Mary’s dad Harold’s favorite song, “Glory”. If you like the song, please share this link with family and friends, you are our distribution system.

Merry Christmas, and Harold, thank you for your serving heart and hands.

Ah to be a kid again and to be thrilled with the white stuff. It snowed last night, probably close to 2 inches so now our bleak winter landscape has a fresh fluffy white blanket and everything is beautiful. It is lovely, the snow tends to make me grumpy because of the impact it has on me. I have to shovel the walks, scrape the windows of my truck, drive slower than normal, walk carefully around the campus at work. So now I am the grumpy old man grumbling about how snow inconveniences me.

But what if I could see the fresh snow like it looks to a kid? Kids love snow, it creates a playground. Every flat surface is slide, every hill is a sledding hill. The white stuff becomes a builders master lego set with every shape possible, the warriors among the children have an inexhaustible arsenal at their fingertips.

Our granddaughter Molly wrote a song about the joy of snow. Click on the link and listen for free. If you enjoy the song, please share with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas and I hope you find multiple reasons to enjoy the season.

I am reading a book titled “Redeeming Sex”

By Debra Hirsch

In chapter 7 she writes this:

“Apparently the Gospel doesn’t involve God simply obliterating our history. God is a redeemer not an eraser. Our past, in some way , will always be with us, always a part of who we are and have become, an inextricable part of our life narrative. “

The book is not so much about sex as an act but about sex as gender and how Jesus helps us through the minefield of gender identity and how we can love people no matter what.

Before I read this I was at Church. We have a wall at church that is purposefully rustic. I felt like God said to me, “look at this wall” and I said “ok, I’m looking,” and he said “no, Peter, look at this this wall and let it teach you something about me,”.

The wall is paneled with boards from pallets. The colors, size, shape and texture of each board are all different. As I gazed at it, I was looking at the boards first as a whole, as the entire wall, then individually, as boards that make up the wall. I noticed two distinct patterns on the wood. On some boards there had straight lines cut in. Others had curved lines cut in. I then realized that these patterns were made by the saws used to cut the wood. The boards with the straight lines had been cut with a band saw which has a straight blade and cuts in a straight line. The boards with the curved lines had been cut with a circular saw which spins on an arbor making the half circle lines.

I see this wall like a picture of our church, we are an assemblage of people from all over and we are all in varying states and places in our life, different shades, different textures, some of us are knottier than others but we all need each other to complete the wall.

We have been cut out with different methods. Our life’s have been sliced and shaped by different means. We carry the marks of the saw with us.

When Jesus was traveling south to north he made an unusual travel deviation. Unlike the other Jewish travelers of his day,he went through Samaria instead going around it.

He ended up at Jacobs well, a spot that would be special to both Jews and Samaritans.

While he was there he bumped into a woman with a dubious past and a scandalous present.

During their conversation Jesus exposes his knowledge of the woman, her past and present and is unoffended by her life and lifestyle and racial lineage.

“Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

John 4:5-26 – NLT

This woman had both a past and a present that made her an outcast but Jesus sought her out. She will go on from this point in the story to tell her whole village about Jesus because he knew about her life yet loved and cared for her anyway.

God is not an eraser. Our “saw lines” stay with even after we encounter him and his grace and mercy.

In his letter to the believers in Rome Paul wrote this:

“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

God is not an eraser, he is a redeemer, I hope that brings us relief and hope. Maybe we can find someone who needs to hear about this God we serve who seeks us out, while we were yet sinners.

Hebrews 7

There are 2 history lessons here but I won’t go into them now. The story of Melchizedek and the story of the Judaic priesthood. Great stories, must reads. Maybe later.

I’m excited to share this next section because it encapsulates Jesus’ mission.

“And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind:

‘You are a priest forever.’”[b]

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”

That part, vs 25 Jesus saves completely, and he always lives to intercede for us.

At work we have a tech support contract for our control system. They offered 2 levels. Entry level was support M-F 8-5. We run 24/7. Most break downs for some reason happen in the middle of the night. We took option 2, for the 24/7 support. Jesus is on 24/7 for each one of us. He saves us completely and then is there to support us all day, and all night.

We have 24/7 support. That is good news. He is there to support us and as we saw recently, he understands our situation. He has been where we are, yet without messing up.

Jesus help me come to you with my problems and concerns and junk and yuck and thanks and good reports. I tend to hang onto them too long trying to fix it myself. Help me ask for help.

(Originally posted 12/11/15)

Instrumental music can be very helpful on an ordinary day in an ordinary season. However, with Christmas upon us, days are more hectic than usual and this season of joy and happiness can easily become a season of pressure and chaos as we flit around trying to make it to all of the joyous celebrations, complicated by gift buying with money that doesn’t stretch any further now than it did last month. During the Christmas season, we may need a instrumental interlude even more than any other time of the year.

If the Christmas season is stressing you out, Please take a couple of minutes, click on the link and listen, and breath, and reflect on the invisible God, who took on flesh, was born in a barn and slept in a feeding trough. He did it all because he loves us so much, he couldn’t bear to let our sins separate us from him.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright….

Psalm 69 vs 32 & 33

I’ve been sick for a couple of days and I’ve used my early morning hours for sleep rather than study or devotions. On Monday before I got sick I read Psalm 69. It was on my reading list because of the messianic prophecies.

There are four verses that Jesus fulfilled.

Vs4 “Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.”

Psalm 69:4 -NLT

Fulfilled as he hung from a cross dying. Accused of crimes he did not commit.

Vs8 “Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me; they treat me like a stranger.”

Psalm 69:8 – NLT

Fulfilled at the cross, he was abandoned by his followers and his family. Only his mother and a few other women and his disciple John were there.

“Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”

John 19:25-27 – NLT

Vs9 “Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

Psalm 69:9 – NLT

Fulfilled as he cleansed the temple of the money changers, also when he was 12 and was left behind in Jerusalem by his family. They found him in the temple discussing scripture with the priests and elders.

Vs 21 “But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

Psalm 69:21 – NLT

Fulfilled at the cross John 19:28.

“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28-30 – NLT

These verses show thatJesus is the one promised, the one hoped for, the messiah, our messiah, my messiah.

But wait, there’s more.

I was personally encouraged to read these verses below.

“The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.”

Psalm 69:32-33 – NLT

I am not in prison but because of debt I am not free either. As the proverb says the borrower is a slave to the lender. Things changed at work recently and I no longer have overtime. It’s a substantial drop in pay. We are having to work on our faith, not blind faith that says it will all work out but focused faith in the God who spoke and world and planets were formed, who created light, who heals the sick and raises the dead, who has his people, not walk around but walk through a sea on dry ground, who has provided for Mary and I day in and day out. I have had faith, faith in myself, faith in the status quo, and in some measure of faith in God but my faith in God has weakened. Like working on a weak muscle, The only way to strengthen a weakness is to exercise it. Here we go, God make me stronger. “He hears the cry of the needy. “

One phrase of the verse stuck out to me, “will see their God at work”. I believe what the writer meant is that we will see God working, but could it also mean that I will see God at my work place, in other people, see him doing stuff “at work”?

That seems to interweave with A memory verse I’ve been working on. Philippians 4:5 “let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near”. I’ve also been looking at that in more than one way. The Lord is near, I need to be gentle with people because my Lord and God is observing me. He is near me for my good, and to keep me aimed in the right direction. There’s that way and another way, the Lord is near, he is coming back, I need to be gentle with people because Jesus will be back soon and I have a job to tell people about him, in a gentle loving way. Mercy triumphs over judgement. I’m contemplating both of these aspects of this verse while I spend my days at work.

In all circumstances and over all our lives, thank you God for your heart of care and concern for me, for us. Provide for us God, financially and also lead us into the fields of yours that are “ripe unto harvest”.

My wife Mary and I were both born in the tail end of the baby boomer generation. We grew up in the 60’s. We were part of this mass of kids, everywhere we went there were bunches of kids. It was fun to have kids everywhere, we frequently outnumbered the adults 2 to 1. One of the most fun times was when our families would get together because every family seemed to have more kids to add to the mix.

Mary wrote a song about a childhood memory, waiting for her cousins to show up and a magical Christmas event happened, a Christmas snow. With Mary every magical event will eventually produce a song.

Please click on the link and listen to “Merry Mary”, a song about Mary’s magical Christmas past. If you like the song, please share it with your family and friends.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to listen to Mary’s song,  and Merry, Mary, Christmas to you.

Hebrews 4C & 5

A priest is someone who goes to God on my behalf. The high priest was the guy who went before God to make the annual sin offering. Jesus is my high priest.

He has “been there” but he hasn’t “done that”.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

We can be “honest to God” with Jesus. We can tell him what we are going through, say exactly what our temptation or trial is. He is familiar with our situation. He knows how it feels.

“7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus is our priest. Jesus is also our sacrifice. Jesus is our intercessor, our lawyer before God.

My goal is to grow up. To be maturing. To be able learn and share my learning.

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

(Originally posted 12/08/15)