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and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."
-Amos 7:11-13
For the first time in many years and only the second time ever, I spent Independence Day in another country this year. This meant I got to skip the uncomfortable (but important) tension of how much our national pride influences worship and how much our faith should inform and shape our personal patriotism. Scripture is full of reminders that our leaders should be guided by their morals and faith as they seek to serve as humble public servants. However, we sometimes forget that it contains warnings about the encroachment of our secular governments into our houses of faith.
If Jesus Christ is Lord of all, he's lord of every part of our lives. This has been dangerous to princes and powers throughout history when our faith challenged the evils of slavery, genocide, racism and sexism, and more. However, if our rulers become rulers of everything, they can begin to set the rules and endanger our faith. It can challenge the articles of our faith like everyone being a beloved child of God or love for our neighbors, our enemies, for all. I was thinking about the Fourth of July when I chose to study Amos for our youth bible study this week. I wasn't prepared for how relevant its exact words would become by the time I taught the lesson yesterday.
Our youth immediately recognized the words from the corrupted priest Amaziah to the prophet Amos in the words we read. In their recall, "Go back where you came from back in Judah. You're not a real Israelite, if you challenge our behavior and our king. This is his temple." He says it's the royal temple, implying it is not God's. (Bethel, the place Jacob had seen angels ascending and descending from heaven literally means "House of God") When our houses of worship echo the words of our secular leaders over those of God's word, they become royal temples, government property. Not God's house. It is clear that this challenge is not new and that we are called like Amos to say what may be unpopular - a message of love for all - even our enemies.
Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to see your image in all of your created and beloved children, to listen and engage, rather than to shun or expel. Amen.
When Xavier McCoury put on the glasses Aunt Celena sent for his tenth birthday, he burst into tears. Born colorblind, Xavier had only ever seen the world in shades of gray, white, and black. With his new EnChroma glasses, however, Xavier saw color for the first time. His euphoria at witnessing the beauty around him made his family feel like they'd beheld a miracle.
Witnessing God's colorfully radiant brilliance also evoked a powerful reaction in the apostle John (Revelation 1:17). After encountering the full glory of the resurrected Christ, John glimpsed "a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. . . . From the throne came flashes of lightning" (Revelation 4:2-5).
In a different time, Ezekiel had a similar vision, seeing "what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli," with a figure above the throne who "looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire" (Ezekiel 1:26-27). This magnificent figure was surrounded with rainbow-like radiance (v. 28).
One day we will meet Christ face-to-face. These visions give us just a hint of the magnificence that awaits us. As we celebrate the beauty of God's creation here and now, may we live in anticipation of the glory yet to be revealed.
Prayer for Today
Father, words fail us when we try to imagine what we will experience when we meet You face-to-face. Thank You for the small hints of Your beauty You have placed in our world. Amen.
It's that wonderful week of the year again, Vacation Bible School. As I look back over the past 6 years, the word that comes to mind is thanksgiving. I am grateful for the warm welcome that we received upon moving here. I am thankful for the constant support that this church family and extended family provides during this week each year. I am blessed to have the opportunity to grow in my faith with this community of believers.
I believe that thanksgiving is all about what God has done. Since faith is our response to God's presence in our lives, then expressions of thanks are at the heart of our spiritual lives.
This time of year I am so grateful for the team of adults and youth that made Vacation Bible School happen. There are many people who work diligently behind the scenes in the spring through this week to make this a life changing experience for so many children.
What would you write in your thank you note to God today? Over the past few hours, days, weeks or months, what are you thankful for?
Many of the Psalms provide prayers and songs of thanksgiving. I was reading Psalm 100 recently and found it to be meaningful prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Amen."
Prayer for Today
Thanks be to you, Gracious God, for all the benefits which you have given me. O most merciful Redeemer, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.
The 3 A's areApproach, Attach, and Avoid. When we feel safe and engaged in collaborative activities we enter into Approach behaviors. The other two behaviors occur when we are in the fight/flight stress reaction; we either Attack or Avoid.
When I read the gospels, I see the 3 A's as people seek out Jesus. When people, who were aware that they needed healing Approached Jesus, he engaged them with interest and they experienced health and salvation in his presence. The key was that they were open and sought his help.
Other people, namely Pharisees and Sadducees sought out the Lord, their purpose was to make a point, their point, in order to win an argument. Matthew 16:1 states, "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him..." This is Attack. Later, they would Avoid Jesus as Matthew 26:3 describes, "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name is Caiaphas..."
In our own lives, we are no strangers to the 3 A's. Whenever we are out to make our point, we stray into Attack or Avoid and tend to miss each other. But when we are open and want to ask for help or offer help, we practice Approach.
Jesus shows us the better way to relate to each other through Approach behaviors. Be open, curious, engaged, and interested when others approach. They just might see Jesus through your behavior toward them!
Prayer for Today
Loving God, help us to be imitators of Christ; loving our neighbor, being gracious to our enemies, and asking for help rather than thinking we need to be right. Amen.
When Xavier McCoury put on the glasses Aunt Celena sent for his tenth birthday, he burst into tears. Born colorblind, Xavier had only ever seen the world in shades of gray, white, and black. With his new EnChroma glasses, however, Xavier saw color for the first time. His euphoria at witnessing the beauty around him made his family feel like they'd beheld a miracle.
Witnessing God's colorfully radiant brilliance also evoked a powerful reaction in the apostle John (Revelation 1:17). After encountering the full glory of the resurrected Christ, John glimpsed "a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. . . From the throne came flashes of lightning" (Revelation 4:2-5).
In a different time, Ezekiel had a similar vision, seeing "what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli," with a figure above the throne who "looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire" (Ezekiel 1:26-27). This magnificent figure was surrounded with rainbow-like radiance (v. 28).
One day we will meet Christ face-to-face. These visions give us just a hint of the magnificence that awaits us. As we celebrate the beauty of God's creation here and now, may we live in anticipation of the glory yet to be revealed.
Prayer for Today
Father, words fail us when we try to imagine what we will experience when we meet You face-to-face. Thank You for the small hints of Your beauty You have placed in our world. Amen.
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
-Hebrews 3:4
I've spent the week combing through picture and video footage of our youth and parents in Mexico last week. This year, we had the privilege of using a time lapse camera gifted to us by a generous JCPC member. It captured the building of the exterior of this small house over two days. And we used other cameras to capture the changes from the inside. It's incredible to see the transformation inside and out in just three days with the work of a dedicated community.
This is the second build in three years for our youth group and about half the group worked on the last house. We got to visit that house and that family, which was so inspiring. Their lives have stability and joy like never before. But it is just as incredible to me as their leader to see how much our youth have transformed in those intervening years. The youth who were just rising sophomores and juniors back then walked onto the foundation and the roof as seasoned rising seniors and college freshmen. They taught younger youth the skills they would need this week and did so with new maturity and wisdom. They worked harder and with greater purpose. Like the house, they've been transformed inside and out through time and people dedicated to making disciples of them.
This Sunday, our youth will tell you their story and share pictures and experiences of the week-long trio serving in Mexico at both 9 and 11. I hope you'll make time to be at one or both services and see and hear how they and the people we have served have been transformed. Maybe, one day you can join us in the mission field or at the shelter or for a Sunday evening. Help us build God's kingdom.
Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to be a builder for eternity by being your hands and feet, ready to serve. Amen.
When Denise began dating her boyfriend, she attempted to maintain a slim figure and dress stylishly, believing she would be more attractive to him in that way. After all, it was what all the women's magazines advised. It was only much later that she discovered what he really thought: "I liked you just as much when you were heavier and didn't worry about what you wore."
Denise realized then how subjective "beauty" was. Our view of beauty is so easily influenced by others. It's often focused on the external, forgetting the value of inner beauty. But God sees us in only one way-as His beautiful, beloved children. I'd like to think that when God created the world, He left the best for last-us! Everything He created was good, but we're extra special because we're made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
God considers us beautiful! No wonder the psalmist was filled with awe as he compared the greatness of nature with humans. "What is mankind," he asked, "that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:4). Yet God chose to give mortals a glory and honor that nothing else had (v. 5).
This truth gives us an assurance and reason to praise Him (v. 9). No matter what others think of us-or what we think of ourselves-know this: We are beautiful to God.
Prayer for Today
Father, You know how insecure we can feel about ourselves. Thank You for the assurance that You love us! Amen.
Have you ever been really thirsty? What is it like to take a cold drink of water when you are very thirsty? Think about that feeling for a moment.
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)
What are some of the dry or thirsty places in your life? Take a moment to identify them and place them before God.
Are you in need of a drink? Are you in need of living water? Are there people in your life who are in need of it as well? What would living water look like for them?
As you have read over the past couple of weeks, I spent some time in the desert. It was dry and water was important. I noticed my skin and body experienced something different from the humid and warm climate here. Each time I encountered a cup of ice-cold water on our adventure it was so welcome. I also encountered two rivers on our experiences during the week, the Chama and Rio Grande. We spent some time near the banks of the Chama river before we encountered a native pueblo community, Ohkay Owingeh, on their feast day. I can visualize these encounters with water and they remind me of the ways that God nourishes us and the creation around us with water.
Find a time and place this week when you can stop, take a drink of water and consider places in your life where you need God's living water to flow. I hope that you will be refreshed and renewed so that you can share this good news with those around you.
Prayer for Today
Creator God,
Thank you for promising to satisfy our thirst, to fill our cup, and to cause it to run over. Thank you for giving us living water that comes from the well of Your Son, from the river of Your Spirit, and from the water of Your Word.
Barbara grew up under the care of the British government in the 1960s, but when she turned sixteen, she and her newborn son, Simon, became homeless. The state was no longer obligated to provide for her at that age. Barbara wrote to the Queen of England for help and received a response! The Queen compassionately arranged for Barbara to be given a house of her own.
The Queen of England had the right resources to help Barbara, and her compassionate assistance can be seen as a small picture of God's help. The King of heaven knows all of our needs and sovereignly works out His plans in our lives. As He does, however, He longs for us to come to Him-sharing our needs and other concerns-as part of our loving relationship with Him.
The Israelites brought their need for deliverance to God. They were suffering under the burden of Egyptian slavery and cried out for help. He heard them and remembered His promise: "God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them" (Exodus 2:25). He instructed Moses to bring liberty to His people and declared that He would once again release them "into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey" (3:8).
Our King loves it when we come to Him! He wisely provides what we need, not necessarily what we want. Let's rest in His sovereign, loving provision.
Prayer for Today
Loving God, thank You that I can bring my needs to You. Help me to be content in whatever paths and provisions You choose. Amen.
Pastor and writer Eugene Peterson had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Swiss physician and highly respected pastoral counselor Paul Tournier. Peterson had read the doctor's works, and admired his approach to healing. The lecture left a deep impression on Peterson. As he listened, he had the feeling that Tournier lived what he spoke and spoke what he lived. Peterson chose this word to describe his experience: "
Congruence. It is the best word I can come up with."
Congruence-it's what some refer to as "practicing what you preach" or "walking your talk." The apostle John stresses that if any of us "claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister," then we're "still in the darkness" (1 John 2:9). In essence, our lives and our words simply don't match up. John goes further to say such people "do not know where they are going" (v. 11). The word he chose to describe how incongruence leaves us? Blind.
Living closely aligned to God by allowing the light of His Word to illuminate our paths keeps us from living blind. The result is a godly vision that gives clarity and focus to our days-our words and actions match up. When others observe this, the impression is not necessarily that of someone who knows everywhere they're going, but of someone who clearly knows who they're following.
Prayer for Today
Jesus, I want my words and actions to match up. There are times I fall short, but my desire is to grow more consistent each day. Help me, please, so that everyone listening and watching my life will be drawn to You. Amen.
