August 21, 2018 Tuesday

“1 ¶  Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. 2  The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. 3  His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. 4  He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 5  He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. 6 ¶  He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. 7  The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. 8  They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. 9  He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. 10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” (Psalm 111:1-10 NKJV)

            The psalmist offers us an amazing view of God displaying why we should fear God.  We see not only see the power and glory of what God does but also in who God is!

            The Hebrew word for fear does mean fear but also to be in awe of someone and to revere them. The word fear is more than a feeling but a continuous action of our soul which calls us to follow and become like God.

            This psalm also shows the balance of the righteousness of God but also grace and mercy.  God’s righteousness demand we be righteous to be able to come to God but our sin breaks our relationship with God and we live without protection.

            God also is merciful and as the hymn “Victory in Jesus” says God “sought us and bought us with His redeeming blood”!  Being without sin Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice that redeemed us and by fulfilling the law made us righteous!

            Jesus bore not only our sin but our grief’s and sorrows!  Try to imagine every sin, sorrow, grief and sickness which Jesus bore for every person was, is and will be!  Think about the suffering Jesus not only bearing our sin but even became sin for us allowing us to be in the presence of God as Jesus for the first time was cut off from the Father!

“« To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. » My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?” (Psalm 22:1 NKJV)

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”” (Matthew 27:46 NKJV)

            Jesus usually referred to God as Father but here as Jesus experienced our being cut off from God there is this guttural scream as Jesus was on the cross!

            What does the horrific pain of Jesus being cut off from God say to you!  Do you accept the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus or are you still trying to do it yourself? As a Christian in your pain and suffering do you believe God has forsaken you?

August 20, 2018 Monday

“1 ¶  Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; 2  She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. 3  She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, 4  “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 5  “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. 6  Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.” (Proverbs 9:1-6 NKJV)

            There is a saying that “knowledge is power” and if we are not careful we become like a dictionary with words unconnected and unable to form a sentence or even a coherent thought. Wisdom is able to bring together Gods wisdom and our knowledge to form a coherent thought and vision.

            Wisdom is not just a help to us but is a house we can make our home and allow wisdom to impact our daily lives and impact those around us. The sad fact is some will be blessed by wisdom while others fear wisdom.

            God’s wisdom is a comfortable and elaborate home we can dwell in rather than something we just occasionally use. Wisdom does not just enable us to bless God and others but also is nourishment to our souls.

            It is interesting to see wisdom’s nourishment is bread and wine which should connect us to Jesus who is the bread of life.  The bread and wine provided by wisdom connects us to Jesus and Holy Communion. Our soul will be nourished through wisdom allowing us to not be saved by Jesus but be able to worship God but be an eternal blessing to others!

            Only those who recognize they are “simple” and lack of understanding can hear wisdom’s call and received the blessing of wisdom. If we believe we are wise ourselves our arrogance hides our foolishness from us. But wisdom still cries for us to forsake our foolishness and through wisdom receive life and understanding!

            Are you willing to settle for knowledge rather than wisdom? Do you believe you already are wise and do not need God’s wisdom? Are you receiving the security and nourishment of God’s wisdom?

August 19, 2018 Sunday

“51  “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52  The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53  Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54  “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55  “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56  “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57  “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58  “This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”” (John 6:51-58 NKJV)

            This passage is one of the times I feel sorry for the crowd as they had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Without knowing what we know about Holy Communion the teaching of Jesus here is not only incomprehensible but if we are honest also disgusting!

            Put out of your mind all that happens after this passage then imagine your reaction to this incredible teaching. We could say Jesus is only comparing natural food to spiritual food but then we are begging the question.

            This radical and even revolutionary teaching of Jesus would indeed be hard to swallow. To eat the flesh of a person broke the dietary law by being decidedly unclean. And Jews were not allowed to eat meat containing blood of an animal but Jesus calls for them to drink his blood!  This teaching would continue to cause problems for the early Church as they were accused of cannibalism!

            If we honestly look at this passage we must admit it is not only surprising but also shocking. So often we think of Jesus talking about loving each other and being kind. But passages like this reveal to us the greater depth of the teaching of Jesus. This message would shake some people to the roots while others would be disgusted.

            The message does contrast the difference between physical and spiritual nourishment. Physical nourishment is of temporary help and only helps us physically while spiritual nourishment is a permanent help physically, emotionally and spiritually.

            But why doesn’t Jesus just say that? Even taking into account Jesus often used parables this message is so drastic and radical listeners could be lost in the imagery. Could it be Jesus had another purpose in mind?

            Jesus could be using this illustration to see who would continue to follow even after this radical message. By being so radical it would be remembered and hopefully come to mind at the Last Supper. That could explain why John included it.

            Do you think you must understand everything God does? What do you do when you read a passage like this? Do you seek God’s help as you study the Bible?

The pain is hard today. Last night I even dreamed I was hurting. I missed going to worship but I listen to the Bible and worked on my blog. I give thanks to God!

August 18, 2018 Saturday

“5  Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom. 6  So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. 7  The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. 8  For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 9 ¶  Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.” (2Samuel 18:5-9 NKJV)

            There are so many parts to this passage. First there is King David’s enabling of Absalom which almost destroyed Israel. Second there is Absalom’s arrogance seen in this passage by going to war riding a mule. Third the vanity of Absalom’s hair catches him “hanging between heaven and earth.”

            First – Like many parents King David enabled Absalom by allowing him to usurp some of the king’s duties and responsibilities. Out of “love” David ignored the growing menace Absalom was becoming not only to David but the entire nation. Enabling not only harms those enabled but the family, the community and in the case of Absalom the nation.

            Absalom’s arrogance was strengthened by his father’s enabling. David did not call his son to account for so many ludicrous actions. Looking at the passages before this it almost seems as Absalom wanted someone to stop him. Absalom seems to be seeking his father’s attention and when he doesn’t get it Absalom just does something even more outrageous in an attempt to get it.

            Second – When going into battle a king would ride a warhorse both as a statement of position and safety in case the battle goes bad. Jesus would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey to show his kingdom was to be of love and peace. Absalom seems to be somewhere in between and thus indecisive.

            Third – The arrogance of Absalom could also be seen in his lack of preparation for war by being more interested in his looks than being dressed for battle and Absalom leaves his hair long. Like all those who have been enabled Absalom gets trapped and tangled in his arrogance and his ludicrous preparations fall from “under him”.

            Are you like King David enabling someone and leading them to destruction? Are you like Absalom not seeing or dealing with the arrogance and destructive behaviors in your life? Do you blame others for your problems or accept responsibility and seek help to overcome them?

Today is Jonathan’s birthday and we ate together and spent time together. It was a good day and I hope he enjoyed it. Today we recognize what a blessing Jonathan and all our children are to us.

August, 17, 2018 Friday

“1 ¶  « A Song of Ascents. » Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; 2  Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3  If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4  But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. 5 ¶  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. 6  My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning — Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. 7  O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8  And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:1-8 NKJV)

            The Psalms of ascent would be sung as people gathered at the Temple to worship God and offer their sacrifices. They would unite at the Temple brought together by their common burden and need. Together they would sing out their cry of need through hope God could and would free them from their guilt and bless them!

            It is hard to admit publicly our need to be cleansed from sin and freed from our chains. It also is hard to say we look for a “hope beyond hope”.  We think we can take care of our need for forgiveness our self so we work hard trying to be good enough for God.

            By trying to be good enough we either try to be a little better than others or become like the mouse running on the exercise wheel only finding rest and forgiveness when we stop and confess our need for forgiveness from God.

            The psalmist believes God actively is listening for the prayer of confession. We need God’s forgiveness and the psalmist reminds us God wants to forgive us! In the face of God’s holiness and righteousness even more we recognize our sin and shame. In awe and fear we realize our need for the forgiveness we do not deserve!

            God’s forgiveness opens our eyes and soul to see God in our daily life and to know God’s will for our lives. By the hope we have through God we come to see the reality of God is deeper than what we see in this world!

            This world demands we work hard for more when at the same time defining us as less than God one. One problem is no one can really define what more means. Is it more than I now have or more than others have? The other problem is we cannot become who we are meant to be until we seek forgiveness and discover how God sees us! Only then can God’s power work in us and through us!

            Seeing who we can be through God enables us to celebrate and continuously seek God’s grace (undeserved love) to live the great adventure our lives become with the love of the Father, the sacrifice of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

            Are you seeking to rise above your sin through God’s forgiveness? Have you discovered the glory and wonder of God’s love? By the guidance of the Holy Spirit have you discovered the great adventure of life with God?

August, 16, 2018 Thursday

“25  Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak                                truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26  “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27  nor give place to the devil. 28  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. 5:1 ¶  Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Ephesians 4:25-5:2 NKJV)

            This passage in Ephesians is a wonderful summation of how we are to live the Christian life but also a description of what it means to be in community!

            Prayer is a necessary part of becoming a better Christian and a better congregation or community.  One reason it is so hard to live in community is we disagree about what community is.  Paul gives us a picture of people living together in community by God’s help and guidance.

            We must humbly admit we are not the most important, are not always right and must be guided by the Truth we find in the Bible. Community must have God as Truth rather than ourself or the community!

            If we are forgiven we must forgive and confess our lives belong to the God who created us and gave his life for us! If we walk in love we become to God “a sweet-smelling aroma” and strengthen our community.

            We need God’s help because if we are honest we are hopelessly unable to live like we should!  We become angry and sin, we hold onto grudges and begrudge forgiveness!  If we do not put away bitterness and malice our lives our families, congregations and communities explode or implode!

            We can be the destroyers of the very things we try to protect!  Rather than imitate God we imitate our enemies!  We forget the saying:

When fighting monsters be careful you do not become like the monsters!

            What is impossible for us is possible with God!  Verse 5:1 tells us we must see God by the example of Jesus how we should live! Only through God who first loved us are we able to love others. Paul recognizes how difficult this is for us by calling it “an offering and a sacrifice to God.”

            How do you think you smell to God? How do you think you smell to others? Are you willing to love as you have been loved and forgive as you have been forgiven being helped by God’s example?

We headed home for our week at the cabin.  The trip home was very painful but the week at the cabin made it worthwhile. It was a good time to be together and enjoy each other. I was able to experience God's re-creation as I enjoyed God’s creation! Some thought I didn’t do much but to me I did a lot. Lately I have been spending a lot of time in bed but there I spent a lot of time on the screened-in porch enjoying creation!

August 15, 2018 Wednesday

“4  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” 5  Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6  Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7  And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8  So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.” (1Kings 19:4-8 NKJV)

            Many people have the strange belief that to be brave you must always be brave but bravery like a muscle can grow tired and weak. We fool ourselves thinking bravery is an absence of fear when bravery is doing the correct thing when fear says we shouldn’t.

            For a long time Elijah had faithfully served God in the face of the fury of the king but now after a great victory Elijah runs. Often it is when we are weary from being brave we break and run.

            God’s response is to care for Elijah with a deep rest waking him only to be nourished. In this time of weariness and collapse God does not judge Elijah but gives him rest and nourishment before sending Elijah back to serve.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to rest!

            God knows our limits and will not take us beyond them though at times like with Elijah God may take us to the very edge. Then God will give us a time of physical, emotional and spiritual rest!

            Rested and renewed we are able to rejoin the battle against evil and move toward “the mountain of God.” Living with God and for God is a task beyond our ability and we must depend on the constant strength and nourishment we can only get from God.

            If you are weary then rest and be nourished by God. If you have sat and are rested get up and serve God in the strength of the rest and nourishment you have been given!  For the gifts of God are not just for us but so we can serve others and thus glorify God!!!

            Do you feel weak or that you have lost your courage? Where do you turn for nourishment and strength? (Who you trust in for what you need is your God!)  Is your life is heading toward “the mountain of God” and bringing glory to God?

Our time here at the house is about to end and it has been a wonderful time.  We were able to be together and just have fun.  I was able to do so much for me and to be outside al lot.  Every morning I enjoyed the coolness of the porch and the sounds of nature.  They have a wonderful handicapped park and I enjoyed a view of the river.  As with the devotional God gave is a time of rest and nourishment!  After the last two years of my decline, having to leave the pastoral ministry and move as we went through the process of going on disability we needed a time of rest, nourishment and re-creation!  Thank you My Lord and My love for giving it to us!

August 14, 2018 Tuesday

“1 ¶  « A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. » I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2  My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4  I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6  This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7  The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9  Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” (Psalm 34:1-9 NKJV)

            Fear is such a destructive force in our lives and our world. While fear can protect us from an act of foolishness taken too far fear can bind us and keep us from the fullness of all God has for us.

            David ran from Saul and fled to the land of King Abimelech then out of fear David pretended to be insane. It seemed David had no place to go and the few who came to him were also fleeing.

            While this may seem a hard judgment in reality it is the heart of this Psalm. The title of this Psalm first shows how fear gripped David and the Psalm reveals to us the proper response to fear.

A.     We begin responding to fear by praising God then share our praise and worship with others.

B.     Having broken the chains of fear by praising God we then can seek God and discover God’s power and love.  By beginning with praise we can be calm and  hear God’s response and be delivered from fear.

C.     Verse 4 and 5 are an amazing picture of what we become after God delivers us from fear! There is a picture showing several Christians from the Middle East on their knees with Muslim “warriors” with masks preparing to behead them. The Christians out of love for God were willing to die for Jesus who had died for them but the Muslims out of fear murdered them.

D.    Through praise the chains of fear are broken then we can know God heard us and will deliver us. If we are not careful we stay here and miss the best!

E.     Remembering God has delivered us from fear we can live trusting God to protect us and save us we can continue to be delivered from fear by remembering God’s deliverance, praising God, rejoicing in God’s goodness and in awe and fear trusting God is greater than our fears!

            How do you respond to the fear in your life? Do you let your fear fester into anger which will destroy you? Will you seek to keep fear at bay by remembering God’s love and power and praising God who has and will deliver you?

August 13, 2018 Monday

“41  The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42  And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45  “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46  “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48  “I am the bread of life. 49  “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50  “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51  “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”” (John 6:41-51 NKJV)

            The world is always trying to define you.  (By the world I mean either those whose lives are lived without God’s guidance or those who actively work against God.) The world will say you are too short, overweight, the wrong color, the wrong education and you just don’t have enough to fit in!

            Some may ask why sexual orientation is not included but there are something’s though the world defines as right God says otherwise. The danger of following the world rather than God is you can call God a liar and saying something which is wrong is right people will not confess and be forgiven. This is an eternal problem!

            While we “murmur” against God Jesus makes it plain if we are drawn by the Father we shall be taught by God and we must hear and learn from the Father and then can we come to Jesus.

            When we come to Jesus we receive “the bread of life” and be nourished in this life and live forever! Like the manna God will provide our physical needs but Jesus tells us God will also provide for our emotional and spiritual needs.

            As God provides our physical needs our faith grows and we become more whole. When we receive Holy Communion we are nourished as we receive the body and blood of our Savior Jesus. (The word Savior means to heal and make whole.)

            While the world divides and brings death (even celebrates death) Jesus by offering his body and shedding his blood for us unites us in God and we receive “the life of the world”!

            While the world defines you down God says you are worth Jesus, the only begotten son of God dying in your place and for your sin! Self esteem will always fail you but God esteem is eternal and never fails you!!!

            Who defines you and guide you in who you will be and what you will do? Are your beliefs formed by the world or do you through the Bible form your beliefs as God teaches you? Are you being nourished by time in the Bible, talking with God in prayer and by receiving Holy Communion? Are you seeking life and unity in the “bread of life” Jesus Christ?

August 12, 2018 Sunday

“35  And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36  “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37  “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38  “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39  “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40  “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”” (John 6:35-40 NKJV)

            Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life and this is one of the seven “I am” statements in John that defines Jesus for us and gives us a deeper understanding of what God is like. This passage also reveals Jesus is obedient to the Father.

            This passage also shows us Jesus often uses words of a physical nature to help us understand a spiritual truth. When Jesus refers to himself as “the bread of life” he is not talking about a loaf of bread but about his body. We can know this because Jesus had already chastised them for just wanting physical bread and he proclaims with the spiritual bread we will never be hungry or thirsty again!

            We must not think little of them for not understanding since the Last Supper which was the first communion to be celebrated had not yet occurred. An interesting point is Jesus proclaimed the bread was his body broken for us and the wine was his blood shed for us but Jesus would not be crucified until later!

            Jesus also proclaimed everything the father had given to him would not be lost and Jesus would raise it up at the last day. This is a point where Calvin would say we are predestined or chosen by God to be saved and those who believe in free will would say the ones God foreknew those who would be saved. This is a teaching each must decide for themself after studying the Bible.

            Jesus then teaches that to have everlasting life we must see and believe Jesus. The word see is used as see, behold, perceive, consider and look on. The deeper meaning is to be a spectator, to view attentively, survey, to view mentally or to enjoy the presence of someone. Believe means to be persuaded of, to have confidence in someone and to entrust your possession or yourself to them.

            Are you looking for more than physical things or food? Does realizing Jesus was obedient to the Father teach you anything? Are you willing to see and believe in Jesus and receive eternal life?

August 11, 2018 Saturday

“24  when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” 26  Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27  “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” 28 ¶  Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” 30  Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31  “Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32  Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33  “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34  Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35  And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:24-35 NKJV)

            Food is such an integral part of our lives and for Christians the highest form is the bread and wine (or juice if you prefer) as part of Holy Communion.  Wine was commonly used for Communion but some changed to grape juice because it was hard for alcoholics. 

            Jesus had fed the crowd and as they follow Him you can almost see their hands or bowls out.  But Jesus did not want to just feed their physical hunger but their emotional and spiritual hunger also.  It is too easy to come to God for physical needs alone.

Whoever you look to for sustenance is your God

            How do you know you are seeking God for the right reasons?  Hopefully these three questions will help.

Why do you seek Jesus?  Some might ask what if you are not seeking Jesus.  Then you are just seeking to get way from Jesus!  The three choices are: seeking to get away from Jesus, wanting Jesus to meet my physical or emotional needs or seeking Jesus to meet my needs so I can get to know God better.  Why you seek Jesus is as important as if you will seek Jesus.

What are you laboring for? The simple answer could either be I am laboring to have more of the things of the world than the people I know or it could be I seek Jesus so I can know God and receive the fullness in this world and in heaven.  The first is you orientated and the second is God orientated.

What does it mean when Jesus says “I am the bread of life”? By feeding so many people miraculously Jesus made a connection with Moses and the manna.  In the simplicity of a loaf of bread God connects us to the totality of the constant provision we receive!  Jesus was born is Bethlehem Ephrath.  Bethlehem means house of bread and Ephrath means place of fruitfulness!

            Jesus being born in Bethlehem represents the elements of Holy Communion of the bread (the Body of Jesus) and fruit which is the wine (the blood of Jesus).

            So we go back to the questions.  Why do you seek Jesus?  What are you laboring for?  What does it mean when Jesus says “I am the bread of life”?

Melanie, Phil and mom Perkins came to celebrate Bonnie and Jonathan’s birthday. We ate at the Steak and Trout and the food was very good. We came back to the house for cake and presents. It was a wonderful day but incredibly tiring.

August 10, 2018 Friday

“1 ¶  « To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. » Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3  For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4  Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6  Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 ¶  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8  Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9  Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (Psalm 51:1-12 NKJV)

            Listen to David’s grief and pain when God through the prophet Nathan calls him to account for the sin, the terrible sin, David has committed and the consequences of his sin. These sinful acts were against God Bathsheba, Uriah and harmful to David.

            David pours his soul out to God leaving nothing out but confesses the devastation sin has wrought in his whole life. David attempts to put aside anything that stands between God and him. 

            We also must confess everything that stands between us and God. Sin not only destroys our lives but also destroys our relationship with God.

            In David’s thorough confession he uses four different words to describe his sin and each one is a different kind of sin. Let us look at the meaning of each one.

Sin - carries with it the idea of doing something wrong but also of the judgment it brings to our lives. The word for sin is an archery term which means to miss the mark.

Transgression – means to rebel or revolt against an authority.  This is usually seen as planned sin.

Iniquity – this is a sin of action, something you do wrong. Iniquity also is used for the sin of idolatry. Some also see iniquity as a sin that is taught and accepted by a family or community.

Evil - the many terms used for the meaning of evil are astounding.  Here are just a few.

Bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant (giving pain, unhappiness, misery), sad,

hurtful, vicious in disposition, misery, calamity, to be displeasing, injurious, to break, to be broken, to shatter, be broken in pieces, be broken asunder. There are some who believe there is no such thing as evil in the world but to believe this you must totally be ignorant of history and not read their morning paper. It is disgusting and horrific what people are capable of and do to each other! Others may believe only satan is evil but like Jesus satan has disciples who seek to live as satan does.

            But like David we can cry out for God to cleanse and wash us so we will not be cast off from God. This is an example of the difference between Saul and David. Saul sought to blame others for his sin while David thoroughly confessed and sought, begged, for God’s forgiveness!

            Do you recognize the sin in your life? Do you confess your sin or blame others? Do you desire a good relationship with God?

Jonathan got here after work and we had supper together.  I feel so terrible today still recovering from the trip I guess. The place we are staying is pretty amazing! I sat on the screened in porch and enjoyed the cool weather and the rain which I love to hear. Bonnie fixed a great supper and Rebecca cleaned up after the meal.

August 9, 2018 Thursday

“1 ¶  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 ¶  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6  one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7  But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8  Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9  (Now this, “He ascended”  — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10  He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11  And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —  16  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:1-16 NKJV)

            Recently when teaching a celebrate recovery class in jail I told them if they came to Jesus they were freer than many people who are not behind bars! Paul speaks about the freedom to live as God desires while writing from prison because of his faith.  We were enslaved by our sin but Jesus set us free:

 “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

            Then Paul defines what it means to live out the freedom we have received through Jesus Christ. Jesus set us free so we can live in the way God would have us and brings glory to God, blessings to other people and enriches our own life. The Bible is 66 books proclaiming God’s love for us a guide of how to live.

            But Paul does not just define our freedom and how we should live he also calls for us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ to also live out their faith through God’s strength.  Each of us must live our lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit who guides and strengthens to be able to love and live far beyond our own abilities.

            We also are to pray our lives in Jesus will prepare us to come together in unity as the body of Christ with Jesus as our head.  We must seek God’s will rather than deciding for ourselves and asking God to bless our will.  The Bible is a test for us to know if what we think or believe is correct.

            Have you been set free by trusting in Jesus as your Savior? Through Jesus Christ, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Bible are you growing in and living out your faith? Do you pray your brothers and sisters in Jesus are also growing in and living out their faith?

           

Last night we went to the Vision Team Meeting at Asbury last night and it was wonderful.  There is such great discussion and Rev Ashley is doing so good helping us see the need for personal growth in discipleship and then reaching out to the community.

Off to Townsend we go! The trip here was long, rough and terrible. I was not sure if I would make it but getting here and seeing the place made it worthwhile. Thank you God, Bonnie and Rebecca for being able to come here. Thank you Sarah for the idea to come here and that Jonathan is coming tomorrow!

August 8, 2018 Wednesday

“23  Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, 24  Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. 25  Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. 26  He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. 27  He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; 28  And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. 29  So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire.” (Psalm 78:23-29 NKJV)

            This passage looks at God’s provision for the children of Israel from a heavenly perspective. We are shown an amazing view of God’s provision for their need in response to their complaint.  We are not shown their complaints and criticisms but only God’s response.

            All that happens and what is given is by God’s command is revealed in very detailed steps.  Take time to list how God meets the needs of the children of Israel.        There are two statements we can look at deeper here.

“Men ate angels’ food” – God gave to the children of Israel the “bread of heaven” which rained down from heaven to meet their physical needs. Jesus would come as the “bread of heaven” to meet our emotional and spiritual needs. We may be able to grasp Jesus and manna are the “bread of heaven” but it is harder to grasp manna as the food of angels! There is amongst many people the misconception when Christians die, especially children, they become angels but biblically this is not true. In the New Testament it is very clear when Jesus returns we will have glorified bodies, not angelic bodies. God has a wonderful way of answering a question with a better question because while the answer could be “bread of heaven” that does not explain why this is angels food.

“For He gave them their own desire.” - Is used several times in the Bible and seldom is it used in a positive manner. Often it seems to imply God’s people complaining and whining until they get their way and God giving it to them and showing them the high price of wanting the wrong thing. This phrase is a frank reminder not only that our desires are wrong but there is a high cost when we fulfilled them. When a wrong road is chosen we miss the blessing God has for us as well as discovering the high cost of our desire.

            What is the difference in praying for a desire or a need? Are you being nourished through Jesus Christ who is the bread of heaven? Do you pray for the richer blessing of God’s will?

Tuesday was a very long and blessed day.  Vance Woodward came by and we had a long and wonderful time together.  Ken and Pat Herman came by and we also had a great time with them.  The Herman’s went by to see Asbury.  That night we took Bonnie for her birthday bash! 

August 7, 2018 Tuesday

“9  Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.’ ” 10  Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12  “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ ” 13 ¶  So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14  And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15  So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.” (Exodus 16:9-15 NKJV)

            Prayer, even when it is just complaining, is a time when we can experience the presence of God.  The passage calls for us to “Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.”  God is always with us so prayer is coming near to “the Lord”.

            When we spend deep time in prayer we can grow our relationship with God and experience his presence.  Without long and deep times of conversation with God we never will see and discover not only the presence of God but also the wondrous works throughout creation.

            The result of the children of Israel’s prayer is they see the presence of God and receive the nourishment they need.  Coming into the presence of God renews us and nourishes us physically, emotionally and most of all spiritually!

            The trouble is we sometimes do not recognize the blessing or the provision.  Like the children of Israel our response is “What is it?”  How can a struggle nourish us?  How can persecution and death be a blessing?

            Like Habakkuk we prayed our nice prayer so how can God give such a horrific answer?  But if we honestly look at the history of Christianity we see times where Christians were accepted and not persecuted are rare.  Many brothers and sisters in Jesus have suffered and died for the God who suffered and died for them?

            Have you ever complained to God when you prayed?  Do you take time to listen to God?  Are you willing to see the celebrations and the suffering as blessings from God?