Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I am the good shepherd.

John 10:11-16

10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

John 10:27-29 

10:27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
10:29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand.   NRSV
 
The Lord says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
- Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
 
As she prayed for me, my friend said to God, “Let Nancy know she’s your favorite daughter.” God doesn’t have favorites! I thought. I knew God couldn’t answer a prayer like that. Later that day, I came across photos of my dear friend Doreen, who had died of bone cancer years earlier. I remembered her memorial service. As friends and family told stories about her, several women described themselves as Doreen’s closest friend. They’re mistaken, I thought. After all, I was her best friend. Doreen had so lavishly, unselfishly loved us all that each of us thought we were her favorite.

She lived so well Jesus’ commandment to love that I’d felt completely, unconditionally loved. The Lord interrupted my memories, speaking gently in my heart, “That’s like my love.” I told God that I didn’t understand. God said to me, “You don’t have to understand. Only believe.” And I do believe.
 
Still, I wondered how God could love me. I am certainly no saint. Then I remembered the stories of David — a liar, an adulterer, and a murderer and yet was “a man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22). To my surprise, I realized that I am God’s favorite. Each one of us is.
Prayer focus  To trust God’s love to pull us through
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Monday, April 15, 2013

Strength in Weakness

 One Body with Many Parts

 Corinthians 12:14-26 NLT
 
12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,  Greek some are Greeks.  some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Greek we were all given one Spirit to drink.
14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least
important are actually the most necessary. 23And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

 
Years ago I developed a painful and disabling spinal problem. I could no longer work, play, or volunteer. Only appointments with doctors and various therapists broke up the long, lonely days at home. I felt that all my energy, time, and money were focused on me and my body.





It seemed that I had nothing left to contribute to the world. Then, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12 changed my perspective: “The members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” I marveled at how God can turn the world’s thinking upside down.

I learned that I was valuable and needed just as I was. God helped me see that I had the opportunity to serve Christ by sharing his love with all the healthcare workers who were trying to help me. They could know Christ’s love by the way I treated them, and I could pray for them and their work daily. An even greater insight, however, was that I was providing a way for them to serve Christ by helping me to heal. We need one another in the body of Christ. Weak and strong together, we can learn the importance of both giving and receiving God’s love.
No matter our limitations, we all can serve God by loving others.

Prayer
O God, sometimes it is difficult to accept care from others. Help us to accept graciously your love shown through others and to be grateful for opportunities to share it as well. Amen.
 
Prayer focus   Those seeking purpose
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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Philosophy and Faith

 

Paul Preaches in Athens    Acts 17:16-34

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.
 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city.[d] “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council,[e] addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man[f] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your[g] own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council,[h] a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

 
 

 
Years ago in my college philosophy class, we studied the passage in the Book of Acts that chronicled Paul’s time in Athens.

I was surprised to learn that discussion between Christians and philosophers was a more ancient tradition than I imagined. To the Greek way of thinking, the professor explained, it was inconceivable that a God could die; gods were immortal and, therefore, could not die. I was amazed at the image of Paul speaking of Jesus’ resurrection and enduring the mockery of the philosophers.

 Even so, scripture says, “Some people joined him and came to believe” (Acts 17:34). Years later, I accepted Christ as my Savior. I remembered the philosophy class, and I thought about how great the Lord truly is — to be immortal and the Supreme Being who not only died for us but rose from the dead and lives today. This speaks to our sense of reasoning and to our spirit. Many Christians view Jesus’ resurrection as ancient history, perhaps as some did in my philosophy class. But though it happened over 2,000 years ago,

Christ lives today. The resurrection is not another ancient story with a good moral to be remembered on Easter Sunday. The resurrection is the reality that sustains our faith and anchors our reasoning.
The Lord has risen and lives today.

Prayer
Risen Lord, may we not view your resurrection as ancient history but rather the reality of our faith lived out day to day. Amen.
Prayer focus  Those who do not know the risen Lord
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Saturday, April 13, 2013

The Small Stuff

 

Psalm 32:1-7  A psalm of David.  (NRSV)

The Joy of Forgiveness

1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[a] as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress,[b] the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
- Psalm 51:10 (NRSV)
 
My aunt had to move because of declining health. We put her house up for sale. The realtor who came by saw what I had not seen: small carpet stains, a leaking faucet, mold around a bathtub, a loose handle on a cabinet, and chipped paint on facings. “Those things seem small,” she said, “but they make a huge difference in whether the house sells or doesn’t. Please get them fixed before we put the sign out front.

”As I dealt with getting repairs done, God led me to begin thinking about the “small things” in my life — the bit of gossip I repeat, the minor resentments I hold on to, the way I sometimes shade the truth to my benefit, my pride and self-justification, judging the actions and worth of others. I wondered if these are actually sins. Honestly, I knew that the answer is yes. I had committed sins and dismissed them as mere human failings. But they were sins and were obscuring the grace of God in my life.


In forgiveness and love, God helped me to be more honest and to confess my sins. God’s love and grace guided me through the period of helping my aunt and enabled me to begin a process of spiritual growth that led me to deeper faith and greater joy in my relationships.
God’s grace extends to our deepest unconfessed sins.

Prayer
Loving Father, we ask you to forgive us as we examine our conscience and confess to you the sins present in our lives. Thank you for your saving grace. Amen.
 
Prayer focusThose burdened by unconfessed sin
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Friday, April 12, 2013

In the Family

 

Paul wrote,  Corinthians 10:31–11:1
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles[f] or the church of God. 33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
11 1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

 

Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.”
- Philippians 3:17 (NRSV)
 


“I can tell you’re mother and daughter,” the salesclerk said. We smiled, making no comment. We’ve heard it before, and it always amuses us because we do not share DNA. My husband and I adopted our daughter when she was six weeks old.

 So what makes us look alike? Living with me for 20 years, my daughter has picked up many of my characteristics. We think alike; our reactions are similar. In other ways we are quite different, but observers notice the ways we are the same. When we are adopted into the family of God with Christ as our elder brother, something similar happens.

 We spend time with God and with other believers; we discuss important ideas, and we gradually become more like Christ. We hope that when we go out into the world, people are reminded of God’s love and compassion and want to follow Christ because of what they see in our lives.
Thought for the Day: As God's children, we are meant to show the family traits of love and compassion.

Prayer

Almighty God, help us to live so that people see Christ in us. In his name we pray. Amen.


Prayer focus  Adoptive parents and those needing adoption
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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Who Said “Change”?

Matthew 25:31-40

25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
25:33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
25:34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'
25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
25:38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
25:39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?'
25:40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

Every week I volunteer at a juvenile detention center with others from my church. My goal when I joined this ministry was to change these young people and give them the tools they need to make it in the world today. Early on in my volunteer work, one of the former inmates was re-arrested (unfortunately, a fairly common occurrence). I saw that achieving my goal wouldn’t be easy. As volunteers, we provide a positive influence for the young people as we talk to them about life and introduce them to passages of scripture that can guide them when they are released. But how are we ever going to change them? Instead of becoming discouraged, I re-read the verse (above) that inspired me to get involved in the first place. Jesus never said to change anyone.

Whether we are meeting a stranger, a prisoner, or someone who is sick, Jesus gave us his direction. Visit these people. Spend time with them. I have to trust that God will work through us to reach these young people during our visits and beyond. I try not to become discouraged when I learn that a former resident is in trouble again. I return to the detention center the next week to show unconditional love.
Thought for the Day: God sends us not to change people but to love them. Link2Life: Volunteer with a ministry group in your area to mentor juvenile offenders in detention.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to stop trying to change others. Use us instead to show your love and mercy. Amen.
Prayer focus    Our youth and juveniles in detention
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Lord watch over the door of my lips

Only the Good

Read Proverbs 15:1-4

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
- Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
 
Every morning I write down a verse of scripture to remember as a motto for the day. One day my exhortation had to do with not slandering.

 I know that spreading rumors with the intention of harming someone is wrong. But it occurred to me later that there is a form of speech as insidious as untruth: speaking of another’s faults to a third person — even though the faults may be real. We are prone to tell others about the wrong someone has done or about a particular weakness someone struggles with. Even though no lies are told, such talk can cause prejudice or suspicion. Relationships can be negatively affected.

 That day as I was reflecting on my motto from scripture, a man called to tell me a story that I was confident was not true.

My first reaction was: I will tell my colleagues about this! But doing so would have harmed the reputation of the person he was calling me about.



 Then I remembered the verse that I had read that morning and by the grace of God, I said nothing. Now I make it a practice to ask the Lord to watch over the door of my lips. (See Ps. 141:3.)

Prayer

Dear God, give us the strength to speak only good about others. We pray with the psalmist, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord” (Ps. 141:3). Amen.
 
Prayer focus   Someone I have hurt with my words
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