Peter’s Posts

(This post is a memory from a year ago)

I was at a worship conference this weekend and was given a sweet reminder about one of my favorite things about my dad.

First I want to quote this verse that gives me an admonition to follow my parents example.

“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”

My dad believed in Jesus. He struggled to follow him but he never denied him. One thing he would do at family gatherings as the eldest son, instead of saying grace would lead us in singing the doxology.

At the worship conference We sang the doxology. I was reduced to a snotty puddle of tears as I remembered my dads strong voice singing “praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Thank you dad. Thank you for your strong and steady belief, even if practicing your faith saw dips and swells. Thank you for hanging on to Jesus. Thank you for giving me these precious memories.

Acts 6

Some of the widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

The apostles were concerned and decided to divide the labor of ministry. It’s like when a human is formed from two cells, the egg and sperm. They quickly begin to multiply and as they do they cluster into groups. Theses groups begin to develop into the various organs and tissues that will make up this little person. No group is more important than any other because they are after all just specialized copies of the original two cells.

The church, this living organism is a multifaceted organization with millions of people. We all, all Christians, have a part play in the function, health and growth of the church, which is also called the body of Christ.

Stephan was chosen not to preach and teach, he was selected to serve the widows in their needs. “3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

And yet he served. And the church continued to grow.

“7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen Seized

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”

My body has a lot of different parts and pieces. I need them all to work, to work well, to work hard, to work at their jobs even when I don’t recognize or am aware of what they are doing. It’s a team effort and all victories and defeats affect my entire body. Every part of me is working together to feed, encourage, bless, protect, aid, and serve every other part. When a part is sick or hurting all parts suffer.

We are like that. Us Christians. We all part of one body. One body of Christ. We need to work together. We need to be connected to each other. We need to aid and support each other. One body, one goal: witness to the miraculous work that Jesus is doing in us.

The good news is Jesus loves us and has forgiven all of our sin. He wants to have a relationship with us. Once we have become part of his body, He wants to use us to reach the rest of the world with the message of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. He needs all of us healthy and strong and connected in order to accomplish this. For me that has meant a multiple step process, Step one, stay connected to the rest of the body, step two, get healthy, admit to my own sickness and need for help, step three, when sick, do what the Bible and my Christian leaders recommend to get well.

Stephan was a servant and yet his ministry included great wonders and signs and he was described as a man full of Gods grace and power. I want to be more like him.

John 8

What if God knew our secrets?

“8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”’

We don’t know what Jesus wrote with his finger on the ground. We can only guess. The Text says that the older men left first. This was a society that esteemed elders and they would’ve been in the front. They would’ve seen what Jesus was writing first. I believe Jesus was writing out the list of each mans dalliances, names and dates.

Who was without sin? not one in that crowd. There is no crowd where the outcome would be any different. No one is without sin.

The one man who lived his life without sinning, Jesus, stood there completely justified to condemn this woman but instead he forgave her.

What if God knew our secrets?

He does.

He knows all of them. He knows all of our past. Here’s the hard part to understand, he still loves us. Jesus knew us and and our sin and yet went to the cross to pay for them all, to pay for us all.

I did some stuff, bad stuff. I was young and stupid. I cannot undo what I did. I recently met an older gentleman who knows part of my story. I can’t see him without thinking about that part of my life and feeling shame and remorse. He only knows part of my story. God knows it all. Every detail. Every motive. Every move I made, he was watching me. He has enough on me to condemn me for eternity but instead he has forgiven it all.

Jesus paid it all. It’s not fair, but it’s true. I walk away forgiven.

Thank you Jesus. You have set me free!

(Originally posted 3/21/2016)

We are at the point in Matthew 26 where Jesus is going to make a statement that condemns him. He claims to be God.

What are we to do with this information?Here is what C.S. Lewis said about the matter,

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Here is the story from Matthew 26:

“57-58 The men who had seized Jesus took him off to Caiaphas the High Priest in whose house the scribes and elders were assembled. Peter followed him at a safe distance right up to the High Priest’s courtyard. Then he went inside and sat down with the servants and waited to see the end.

59-61 Meanwhile the chief priests and the whole council did all they could to find false evidence against Jesus to get him condemned to death. They failed completely. Even after a number of perjurers came forward they still failed. In the end two of these stood up and said, “This man said, ‘I can pull down the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62-64 Then the High Priest rose to his feet and addressed Jesus, “Have you no answer? What about the evidence of these men against you?” But Jesus was silent. Then the High Priest said to him, “I command you by the living God, to tell us on your oath if you are Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “I am. Yes, and I tell you that in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of Heaven.”

65-66 At this the High Priest tore his robes and cried, “That was blasphemy! Where is the need for further witnesses? Look, you’ve heard the blasphemy—what’s your verdict now?” And they replied, “he deserves to die.”

67-68 Then they spat in his face and knocked him about, and some slapped him, crying, “Prophesy, you Christ, who was that who hit you?”’

It isn’t a crime to claim you are the son of God, if in fact you are the son of God.

Jesus is the son of God, I say is, not was, because he lives, he is alive today. He suffered, he died, he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven and he is returning some day, one day, possibly soon.

Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance of our answer to this question: What do you believe about this man Jesus?

(Originally posted 10/06/2017)

Psalm 25

Do you ever wake up at night a rehearse all the stupid things you’ve done? The feeling of shame wraps you in a suffocating hug. Where is the escape hatch? Where is tag out button? How can we get separated from our past? It’s like our shadow, we can’t get away from it.

We have 2 options: forgetting it, or forgiving it.

“6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11 For the sake of your name, Lord,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?

He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.[b]

13 They will spend their days in prosperity,

and their descendants will inherit the land.

14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.”

God forgives sin. Jesus died to take away the sin that we confess to him. The memories don’t go away but we can cling to him and his forgiveness.

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[c] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”’

Forgiveness is a prayer away.

(Originally posted 10/05/16)

Acts 3.

“6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

As a child I spent 21 days in a hospital bed. I was a complete surprise to me when I was able to try and walk that my legs would not support me. I just crumpled to the floor.

This healing then is actually two-fold. The beggar was not only given the ability to walk but also the strength to walk.

Then Peter uses the miracle as a platform from which he told everyone there about Jesus.

Jesus said that we would receive his Holy Spirit so that we would be Empowered to be His witnesses.

Are we as a church, the whole body of believers in Jesus experiencing this power now? Where did the power to heal go? What changed? Is wasn’t God. Jesus Christ is same, yesterday, today and forever.

It feels like being late to the party. When you arrive the people there say “oh, you should’ve seen it, wow it was great!” Or when the old timers reminisce about the good old days, “back in my day…”

It is today. I am here now. What miraculous signs will God do through us today? I’m Praying for healing for cancer patients, for babies hanging on for life in crisis pregnancies, for people healing from surgery, for GERD, for rashes that won’t go away, for food allergies and the list goes on. For marriages, ones in bliss and ones on the rocks. God please hear and heal and touch. Show us us your power God. Most important God, save us from our sin. Forgive us and clean us.

(Originally posted 10/05/15)

Psalm 25

“Oh Lord I give my life to you”

That is how Psalm 25 starts. That is the very best way to start a psalm or a day or a new chapter in life. I have a friend who recently said something like that. He gave his life to Jesus. He became a follower of Jesus.

Psalm 25 seems to be a good place for a new believer to read and study. 3 times in the psalm the writer requests forgiveness.

“Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins. Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.”

Psalm 25:6-7,11,16-18 -NLT

God wants to lead us and teach us how to live our best possible life.

“The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.”

Psalm 25:8-10 – NLT

God wants the best for us. He offers us forgiveness, blessings, relationship and protection.

“Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.”

Psalm 25:12-15 – NLT

I will suggest reading and ingesting this psalm to my friend who is now a new member of my God family.

How about you? Have given your life to God yet?

The next story in Matthew 26 is about the garden of gethsemane. I don’t like this story. It pains me to see Jesus suffer and to see his friends fail him in his hour of need. I guess I identify with his sleepy disciples.

“Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”’

What happens if you pray for a problem to go away and it doesn’t go away?

Mercy Me has a song that I think deals with this.

Even if you don’t.

“They say sometimes you win some

Sometimes you lose some

And right now, right now I’m losing bad

I’ve stood on this stage night after night

Reminding the broken it’ll be alright

But right now, oh right now I just can’t

It’s easy to sing

When there’s nothing to bring me down

But what will I say

When I’m held to the flame

Like I am right now

I know You’re able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don’t

My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith

To move a mountain

Well good thing

A little faith is all I have, right now

But God, when You choose

To leave mountains unmovable

Oh give me the strength to be able to sing

It is well with my soul

I know You’re able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don’t

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You’d just say the word

But even if You don’t

My hope is You alone

You’ve been faithful, You’ve been good

All of my days

Jesus, I will cling to You

Come what may

‘Cause I know You’re able

I know You can

I know You’re able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don’t

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, I know the hurt

Would all go away if You’d just say the word

But even if You don’t

My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

Songwriters: Bart Marshall Millard / Benjamin Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Arthur Garcia / Tim Timmons

Even If lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Music Services, Inc

I see two things to learn here. The first is that God said he will hear our prayers. He has said that we can move mountains if we pray. But if the mountains don’t move, will we still trust in God? Jesus prayed that there be another way to save the world but he trusted God and God’s best plan.

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me, yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The second thing for me to learn is that Jesus knew what was coming, the whipping, the hitting, the spitting, the mocking, the beating, the thorns, the nails, the hanging by the nails, the pain, the spear, and did it anyway. He loves us so much he continued on in the plan that would destroy him but make a way to save all of us.

And now the offer is open to all of us, “if you will confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead, you will be saved”.

(Originally posted 10-03-17)

When I was a manager at a local fast food chain and we were looking to hire someone, one of our main concerns was what the person’s availability was. Finding someone who was willing to work any day at any time was like finding gold.

 

Reading Colossians 4 I came across the name of a guy that shows up 4 other times in the New Testament, Tychicus. When Paul found him, he found gold.

 

“As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.”

Colossians 4:7-9 – NASB

 

Paul was sending Tychicus to the Christians in Colossi as a messenger-and servant. This guy was committed to Paul and to the Gospel. He had that golden quality- open availability. He would go wherever Paul sent him, faithfully serve and then return to support Paul whenever needed. We don’t get many details about his life. How was he able to be so available? Was he young and single? Was he old and single? Was he married with a patient wife? Or an adventurous wife? Was he independently wealthy so travel and work were not an issue? Or was he like Paul and able to be content with whatever he had at the time? It didn’t seem to matter who he was sent to help or how much help was needed, he would just go.

 

I have a lot of stuff. My stuff needs to stay warm and dry. I need to stay warm and dry, (Need or want?) I work to pay for a place to keep myself and my stuff warm and dry. I have a wife who likes to stay warm and dry and safe. We both like to have food and clothing. This means more space, more stuff. My wife is very good at making our simple things look nice and be warm and welcoming. But because of our stuff, we are home bound.

 

I am not free to go like Tychicus. I still want to serve Jesus and be actively involved in expanding God’s kingdom. Since I cannot go there must be other ways for me to serve while I stay and work so I can keep me, my wife and our stuff warm and dry. We look for ways to help and serve.

 

I had a dream last night that a homeless man that in my dream, we had befriended, was pacing outside our house while being covered in snow, he was waiting to be invited in. He wasn’t bold enough to ask. This dream could mean that our warm and dry house may have a larger purpose in God’s kingdom. I don’t know. I do know that Tychicus is a hero of mine and I want to be more like him because he was a lot like Jesus. And he was available.

 

If we can’t be like Tychicus with his unlimited availability, if we can’t just get up and go, then what can we do to serve God’s kingdom while we stay?

 

Use me God, use us.

Luke 24

Jesus is alive.

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.”

Jesus is alive. He died for all our sins but he rose from the dead 3 days later just as he had said he would. Back in chapter 18 of Luke Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. Jesus ‘ arrest, trial, punishment and crucifixion were not an accident but planned by God to give his son to suffer and die in our place.

“31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”’

After raising from the dead he ascended into heaven. He went back into heaven for two very important reasons. The first is so he could send his Holy Spirit to us, the second is so that he can be interceding for us.

Here is what Paul says about it in Romans 8:

“31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We have all sinned. We have all fallen short of perfection. The good news is we have a savior who died to pay for our sins. Not only that but he came back to life and will live forever and his main job is to intercede for us in heaven.

When I mess up Jesus says to God, ” I died for that sin, it’s covered”. He can do the same for all of us if we will accept his gift of forgiveness.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me. For forgiving all my sins. I accept your offer today to be my savior and the one who will be the boss of me because you love me.

(Originally posted 10/01/15)

Luke 23

“38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus’ Death

23:44-49pp — Mt 27:45-56; Mk 15:33-41; Jn 19:29-30

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.”

Good Friday service. I was 17. I was in church but was the furthest from God that I could get. There was a cross erected at the front of the church. It wasn’t normally there. It was made from rough lumber. At the end of the service the ladies of the church draped the cross with a black veil. I couldn’t stop staring at it. Jesus was dead. I had lived my life being told about this man. The healer, the miracle worker, the one who cleansed lepers and gave sight to the blind, who forgave and protected prostitutes and tax collectors. He was dead. What did it mean?

What does it mean? The perfect man was killed. Why? What does it mean?

It means God hasn’t forgotten us.

It means God loves us.

It means that we can be forgiven.

He took my place.

He took our place.

He took all of our sin upon himself and paid the price for it with his death on the cross. Now he offers us forgiveness. For free. For reals. For keeps.

Will you accept his gift of forgiveness today?

I did.

(Originally posted 9/30/15)

Sunday morning. I’m so sleepy. My bed is warm and cozy. I’m alone, Mary is already up getting ready for church, I check the clock, 6:30. It is still darkish outside. I hear the wind and the rain. I don’t check the weather app but if had I would’ve seen very near freezing temperatures. Did I mention my cozy warm bed? I doze a little longer then force myself up and out.

Colossians 3 is the spot to read today. I stumble through it, not really gathering anything useful. Then I hit gold. Maybe not gold but confirmation that getting out of a warm bed on the coldest morning of fall, so far is the right thing to do.

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.”

Colossians 3:16 – NLT

So now I am up and dressed and in my right mind, sitting on a chair at church waiting for the other worship members to arrive.

God is always worthy of praising and sacrifice so that is what I will do. Will you join me? No matter where we worship we will be worshipping the same God. Jesus is worthy of praise because of what he has done, giving up his life for our sins.

Setting slaves free. God is good at that. He did it for Israel when they were enslaved by the Egyptians.

It was a horrible night of death in the land. The first born of every household, animals and people would die.

Exodus 12:12-13 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

The blood refers to the blood of a lamb, a spotless blemish free lamb, that was sacrificed. It’s blood painted on the doorposts and lentil.

Exodus 12:5-7 “The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.”

This activity was to be done by the Israelites every year to remember what God had done back in Egypt to set them free.

This meal is what Jesus was taking part in when we read Matthew 26.

Jesus then interprets what the meal was a symbol of. The meal, the sacrifice of the lamb, the blood, it was all a picture of Jesus. The slavery he was setting us free from wasn’t a human earthly master, it was from sin and death. Jesus came to set us free from our rebellion from God and the consequences of that rebellion; separation, death.

“Matthew 26:17-19, 26-30 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. ”

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ”

The Passover meal was very real and very important but it pointed to something and someone even more important, Jesus.

Paul says in his letter to Believers in Rome, “Romans 6:8-10 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”

Jesus has set us free from sin and death, if we accept his substitution for our payment. Today would be good day to start a new relationship with Jesus.

(Originally posted 9/27/17)

Thursdays should be called stretch days. We get paid every 2 weeks. Payday is Friday so today, Thursday, we are stretching everything until tomorrow. Oatmeal was just enough, dog treats, had to break them in half. Thursday could also be called, “make me aware of everything that is running low” day. Maybe call it it “worry Day”. As a believer in Jesus What it should be or could be called is pray day.

I just read in Philippians 4 that I am not to worry about anything, instead, pray about everything.

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:5-8 – NLT

So putting the words I read into practice, Lord Jesus, we just ran out of oatmeal, the dog treats are almost gone and my truck is overdue for an oil change. My schedule and pay scale got changed, you know this, we know it will be less pay, Lord make it enough. Like you fed the 5 thousand with 5 loaves and 2 fish, make whatever we have and whatever we get, enough. Lord you also know about the relationships in our family that are damaged. Thank you Jesus for always supplying what we need, when we need it. You are our healer and restorer.

So here is to pray day. May it become a special time in my life following Jesus.

Father God, if there is a reader with a need today, be the Good God that you are and graciously and abundantly meet their needs too.

Have a happy Prayday. (Aka Thursday).

Philippians 1

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”

Philippians 1:20-24 – NLT

I read about D-Day. I read it probably 15-20 years ago. The details have faded but i remember some of it. The assault on Omaha beach was not going well. For various reasons most of the men from the first wave were dead. A machine gunner In a pill box on the top of the hill was shooting up everything that moved.

5 men avoided the German marksman and yet found each other, they had survived the massacre. They found a spot out his gunsights and devised a plan the take out his pill box. Two men would be positioned to lay down suppressive fire while another man would attempt to climb the hill. One of the two to lay down suppressive fire was Mac Smith. He had already been shot in the head and face. Part of his skull was missing but he was somehow still conscious and coherent. The group told him he could sit this one out but he insisted on doing whatever he could as long as he could. “I’m dead already, I may as well keep fighting until I can’t anymore.” (I paraphrased him).

This is the attitude I want to have. It is the way Paul lived his life. Our battle is not against flesh and blood and we don’t fight using rifles and grenades but we fight against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Our weapons are prayer and the word of God. (Ephesians 6)

The assault on the pill box was semi successful. The officer that climbed the hill made it to the top. Unfortunately The German machine gunner got out and escaped. But his rain of bullets was stopped. In the morning they found Mac Smith slumped over his rifle dead. He had been shot several more times but continued fighting until he breathed his last.

Paul says this about our conduct: “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.”

Philippians 1:27-30 – NLT

The privilege of knowing Jesus brings the privilege of suffering for him.

Please forgive any inaccuracies in my retelling of D-day. The message is there, whether I live or die, I’ll keep moving forward advancing the kingdom for Jesus. My citizenship is no longer a citizen of earth, I am headed home, home to heaven and to my family there. I should behave like a citizen of there, not of here. My rules are to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and love love my neighbor as I love myself.

On it.

And when I fail, I ask for forgiveness and I am forgiven and cleansed.

Luke 17. Gods kingdom.

Where is this kingdom? Can I find it on GPS? Can I visit with my family? Can I go there and have an audience with the King?

“20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”‘

The kingdom is here. The kingdom is now. The kingdom of God is people. The borders of the kingdom are enlarged every time another person receives Jesus as their savior. The passport required is the cross of Jesus. Did he die to save you from your sins?Is he the boss of you? If the answer is yes then welcome into the kingdom.

Some day our King will return to claim all that is his. All those that are his.

“22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”‘

We do long to see our King.

An audience with him is a prayer away. Unfortunately it’s still more like a landline call than a FaceTime chat but God does hear us when we pray and he speaks to us through his word, through other believers and through his still small voice in our hearts.

The kingdom of God is here now. Jesus is waiting and asking us if we want to be citizens. I am one. Will you join too?

Luke 15. The lost and found.

I have been both. I once was lost. Now am I found.

Here is how God feels about us when we are lost.

4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

This theme is repeated 3 times in this chapter. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and The lost son. Each time there is Someone actively seeking that which was lost and when they find it there is a party, a huge celebration because something or someone of value has been returned.

That is good news. Being lost is not fun. It is isolated and lonely and scary. Sometimes we start out to just hide, hide in our shame and then we lose our way back. Our return is not the walk of shame. It is a walk of humility and repentance. Turning around. But God is watching and waiting.

” 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.”

God was waiting and watching for me as I returned.

God is waiting and watching for you to return to him too.

Come home and be overwhelmed by God’s love and forgiveness.

(Originally posted 9-21-15)

I read Hebrews 10. I don’t think I need to comment about it or explain anything. Please read this. It is 18 verses.

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Hebrews 10:1-18 – NLT

Jesus is our sacrifice. Jesus is my sacrifice for my sin and lawless deeds. Have you accepted Jesus death as payment for your sins?

Paul the apostle summed up the process in His letter to the Romans. “In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’

Romans 10:8-13 – NLT

If you have already confessed and believed have you told anyone else about this amazing Jesus that loves us?

Everything had to be right.

Everything had to be in place.

Everything and everyone had to do their part for it to happen the way that it must be. Even the one who did the wrong thing was in the right place at the right time.

There had to be a Judas.

Matthew 26 gives us the story.

“Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.”

Someone had to betray Jesus. Judas was that man. I can blame him but I must realize that it’s my sin that brought Jesus and Judas to this place. My sin, and God’s love for me, God couldn’t stand the separation between us so he gave his son to pay for my rebellion.

It was the fullness of time. Jesus was ready and unfortunately for him,so was Judas.

“Matthew 26:20-25 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”’

It was the fullness of time, all the pieces were coming together, the plan to redeem us.

“Galatians 4:3-5 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

Thank you Father God for sending your son, who was willing to be betrayed by a friend and die the death that I deserve. You did it because you love me. You did it because you love us, all of us, everyone of us. Thank you.

(Originally posted 9-20-17)

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were shrinking back into Judaism due to the double persecution they faced. Jews were hated by the Romans and were mistreated but then if a Jew became a follower of Jesus then they were also hated and ostracized and even persecuted by their fellow Jews. It was tempting to give it up and just go back to Judaism so some of the persecution would stop. Hebrews was written to explain how Christianity was the new better thing. How the rituals and practices of temple worship had all been foreshadowing Jesus.

In chapter 9 the writer compares the temple sacrifices to the ministry of Jesus.

“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Hebrews 9:22-28 – NASB

There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. For the Old Testament believers it was the blood of animals, but it all pointed to the one perfect sacrifice, God who became a man, Jesus who then gave his own life to pay for my sin, for our sin. One sacrifice for all time, for all sin.

Thank you Jesus. You paid the price for my sin, for our sin.