Jan 19,20 - Luke 8:21

Jesus said,

“My mother and my brothers

are those who hear the

Word of God and do it.”

Luke 8:21

I was counseling a group of people just the other night. We were talking about things we put in front of God. Family was, by far, the most common thing.

Family is great thing! It is a gift from God! But I reminded them of the deal I made with Mary Louise when we got married. (If you’re married, I’ll bet you made this same deal with your spouse too.) Here was the deal we talked about while surrounded by bright flowers and excited friends: One of us would die first.

Isn’t that a horrible thing to talk about on such a joyful occasion?! But isn’t that exactly what “til death do us part” means?

Unless we go simultaneously in, say, a car accident, one of us will indeed go first. ALL earthly relationships WILL end.

Fortunately, God gave us a way to make relationship permanent. In the church, we generally use the word “eternal” in place of “permanent.” Indeed, those who believe are eternal. And in today’s lesson, Jesus invites us to reexamine our relationships.

In light of the Gospel, there are only two classes of people …

•      As soon as someone believes, their eternal status has changed. So has their relational status. They are now your brothers and sisters. And this relationship is permanent! It will stretch into heaven and across the millennia!
•      The other category of people are temporary beings. Their life in the kingdom will end with the expiration of their life on earth. The good news about these temporary being: They have the potential of being eternal brothers and sisters too.

This second category elicits two critical questions for the way you live your life …

1. Why would you entrust important issues in your life – issues that inevitably have eternal implications – to temporary people who are choosing not to value what heaven values.
2. Second, and more importantly, do you love these temporary people enough to make them permanent?!!  

In Christ’s Love,

your eternal brother, Ed

Jan 18 - Jeremiah 20:9

I can't stop!

If I say I'll never mention the LORD

or speak in his name, his word

burns in my heart like a fire.

It's like a fire in my bones!

I am weary of holding it in!

Jeremiah 20:9

Jeremiah is like a volcano.

He’s about to explode.

The lava coursing through his body is the Word of God – a scorching, but purifying, fire. Listen to the context …

God planted his word in the prophet. The Lord asked Jeremiah to speak. And Jeremiah cries, “7 O LORD, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded. … Now I am mocked by everyone in the city.”

Prophets have a hard job. Usually God shows up prophetically when someone needs corrected. Jeremiah’s message was to shout “8 Violence and destruction!” And this message was not received kindly. Rather he was “7 mocked by everyone in the city.”

Jeremiah says, “8 Whenever I speak, the words come out in a violent outburst.” He cannot contain the volcano, and “the messages from the LORD,” he says, “have made me a household joke.”

“9 [But] I can't stop!” says Jeremiah, “If I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones!” Do you hear the rumblings of a volcano?

I pray that the Word of God burns in you. I pray that like Isaiah, “[you are] weary of holding it in!” I pray that you’ll say, “’I can’t stop!’ I can’t help it. I’ll explode if I try and hold it in.”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants heartburn

(or at least wants the Word

to burn more brightly in my heart)

Jan 17 - Proverbs 20:12

The hearing ear and the seeing eye –

the Lord has made them both.

Proverbs 20:12

I am an artist. I am creative. It is an incredible gift from God.

Viewed correctly, it is reflection of God himself. As we all are, I am made in his image. And like you – each with our own unique gifts – I get to participate in something he loves … creativity!

What’s your gift?! How do you get to participate in something God loves. That’s a gift viewed correctly.

Some gifts – viewed pridefully – can have the opposite effect. They can draw us away from God as we puff ourselves up with ourselves.

I’ve done this with my talents too. In comparison with other people, I can view myself as more talented in one area or another. That’s poisonous. Instead of viewing my gifts as treasures from God and giving thanks, I’m prideful about what I can do well and jealous about what I can’t.

Have you ever done that?

My great faith awakening moments came when my creativity was utterly humbled. It’s essentially summarized in today’s proverb. Yes, I can draw a beautiful ear, but it can’t hear. And I can paint a detailed eye, but it definitely can’t see.

It sounds elementary to say … but I’m not God. Pride puffs us up and blinds us to the glory of God. I give thanks that I was humbled. I give thanks … that God is God … that eyes see … and ears hear … that birds sing … and that you and I are alive to rejoice.

In Christ’s Love,

a lump of clay

in the Master’s hand

Jan 16 - Isaiah 45:23-24

Before me every knee will bow;

by me every tongue will swear.

They will say of me,

“In the Lord alone are

righteousness and strength.”

Isaiah 45:23-24

I’m a guy.

I want to be strong.

That’s the American way. We’re an old cowboy culture. We’re supposed to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Men aren’t supposed to cry.

And so … most men are weak (or at least weaker than we need to be).

As boys grow into men, we have the illusion of growing strength and capability. As grown men grow into old men, the truth is gradually revealed. Human strength is an illusion. It is here today and gone tomorrow. Sickness and death always have the final word on this dusty planet. And any whisper of strength is only in comparison to other finite creatures.

Isaiah says, “In the Lord alone [is] righteousness.” Our being good is only an illusion too. We all sin and fall short. (But that’s the story for another day.)

Toward today’s point, Isaiah says, “In the Lord alone [is] strength.” And here’s where men sometimes struggle with faith. We want to be strong and sufficient, in and of ourselves. But the grass eventually withers. Our true strength – indeed, the only strength there really is – is to place our lives in God’s hands. Then, he can be our strength. And this strength never fades.

In fact, this strength has out-lived every earthly king.

In Christ’s Love,

a strong man from the circus

(but only because of God)

Jan 15 - Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah said,

“Woe is me! I am lost,

for I am a man of unclean lips,

and I live among a people

of unclean lips.”

Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah 6 tells one of my favorite stories in scripture.

Isaiah walks into the Temple in Jerusalem and literally sees God! He falls on his knees in awe. And as swooping angels chant, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” Isaiah notices the size of God. Just the hem of the Lord’s robe fills the entire temple.

Question: When was the last time you fell on your knees in awe? If it’s been a while, you’re God may not be big enough!!!

Second question: When you did last fall in awe, what’d you say? Isaiah said, “Woe is me.” When he realized the vastness of God, he was overwhelmed by his sin.

On another day, I’ll point to scriptures of grace that wonderfully scoop our beaten-down hearts off the floor. But today, it’s time to fall in confession, to be overwhelmed by sin, to be swallowed by God’s majesty.

In Christ’s Love,

a convict

Jan 14 - Acts 10:34-35

Peter began to speak:

“God shows no partiality,

but in every nation anyone who

fears him and does what is right

is acceptable to him.”

Acts 10:34-35

Many people use passages like this to say, “all people will be saved.” The logic is:

•      God is loving. (True.)
•      God wants all people to be with him eternally. (True.)
•      Therefore, all will be saved. (And the question is: Is this conclusion true or false?!)

Now, it certainly sounds good and loving, doesn’t it? But we leapt to that conclusion by cherry-picking our premises and by skipping a few important Biblical pre-conditions.

The question is: What did we leave out of the formula above?

The answer is: Sin.

That’s the topic humans always want to leave out!

•      If the wages of sin is not death, then I’m free to do whatever I want.
•      But the consistent Biblical fact is that we need a Savior.
•      Why? Because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God …
•      and the wages of that sin is death …
•      and scripture repeatedly tells us that this death has eternal consequences.
•      Nevertheless, God in his love has given us access to an eternal gift that starts now and comes to fullness in the kingdom to come!
•      This gift is life.
•      It is a free gift.
•      It comes through God’s amazing grace.
•      And our access point to this life is faith through Jesus Christ.

That’s the consistent witness of the Gospels and throughout the New Testament – see, for example, John 3:16, Romans 6:23, Romans 3:23-28, and Ephesians 2:1-5.

So here’s how to respond when people misquote (or incompletely quote) verses like today’s. They’ll say something like …

•      “Well, the Bible says that people ‘in every nation’ will be ‘acceptable to him.’
•      And since people ‘in every nation’ worship a variety of gods and strive toward heaven in different ways …
•      this means, therefore, that all paths are equal in their approach to God.’”

Say, “That sounds good. But didn’t you leave out a few premises … even in that short little verse you’re quoting?!!!! What about the ‘fear’ the of the Lord? What about ‘do[ing] what is right’?”

•      To fear God is to respect what he respects and love what he loves. What matters most to God is obviously what caused him to make his biggest sacrifice and to send his own Son. If the wages of our sin demanded the death of his Son, can we fully love God, fear God, know God, or worship God without knowing, fearing, and loving Jesus? The only path to God that works flows through his Son!
• 
  
•      The second thing this verse calls us to do is “what is right”? Can we ever, permanently, and consistently do what is right? No! “We all sin and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Indeed, “no one is righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). We absolutely cannot do right … at least, not on our own. But “Christ Jesus … became for us … righteousness” (1 Cor 1:27). He makes us right! And until we accept the life of this Savior, we have no life in us (see John 6:53).

So let’s go back to the first formula we outlined this today. And let’s fix it …

•      God is loving. (True. In accordance with scripture.)
•      God wants all people to be with him eternally. (True. In accordance with scripture.)
•      But sin separates us from God. (True. In accordance with scripture.)
•      But because God loves us so very much, he sent his only Son, to become our Savior by taking our sin upon himself. (True. In accordance with scripture.)
•      And whoever believes in him will have everlasting life. (True. In accordance with scripture.)

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants people

to know God’s love, God’s grace,

and God’s path to life

– here now and eternally

Jan 12,13 - 1 Thessalonians 3:12,13

May the Lord make you

increase and abound in love

for one another and for all,

and may he so strengthen

your hearts in holiness

that you may be blameless

before our God and Father

at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Some people’s favorite part of our worship service is the end. (Wait. That sounds bad. Let me try that again.) Some people’s favorite part of our worship service is the benediction – the final blessing.

Citing Numbers 6:24-26, we say a prayer of blessing, comfort, and encouragement: “May the Lord bless you and keep you …”

Our lesson for today is a blessing (and a benediction, of sorts) too.

The second half is a blessing indeed. “May the Lord strengthen your hearts in holiness.” Does anyone, like me, want a stronger heart and help with holiness? Absolutely.

But the second half of this second half begins to point to a responsibility. With the words, “so that,” we are told about something we need to do, “be blameless before … God.” I’d certainly like to be blameless before God, but that’s a pretty tall order and a fairly crushing responsibility. Indeed, “the Lord” had better “strengthen [my] heart in holiness” if he wants “blamelessness” before him. In fact, that’s our only shot a blamelessness.

The first half is also a responsibility, though not quite so daunting. While I can’t do this one perfectly on my own either, I can at least strive humanly to “abound in love for one another and for all.”

As far as benedictions, I like the comfort from Numbers better than the challenge from Thessalonians. But if I’m honest, in the long run I need both – comfort and challenge. Without challenge, I’m rather slothful and my life goes nowhere. Without comfort, I’m crushed.

The old axiom for good preaching was that the pastor should, “Comfort the afflicted. And afflict the comfortable!” Through the scriptures, God carefully calibrates comfort and challenge, to call forth passions from wounded hearts.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s probably

too comfortable

(should I look out for

the next challenge?!!)

Jan 11 - Hebrews 13:2

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,

for by doing that some have entertained

angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

This passage begs the question: How active is heaven in our day-to-day world?

Other passages – like Ephesians 6:12 – prompt an equally important question (though pointed in the exact opposite direction): How active is hell and demonic influences in our day-to-day world?

Let me address the interpretation at each extreme end of the spectrum first.

•      Some “good church-going Christians” see only naturalistic explanations for everything. Naturalistic means “of this world.” Thus, angels and demons are mostly myth … or historic … or reserved for only old Bible stories or some future time in heaven. Thus, because they are “not-of-this-world,” they are definitely not a day-to-day reality.
• 
  
•      On the other side, are other good church-going Christians who see angels and demons behind every bush. Every positive happenstance involves at least an angel (if not a powerful orchestration from God himself), while every negative trial involves a demon.

Does it surprise you that I’m not sure either extreme is correct? In fact, each has dangerous flaws …

•      Regarding the second extreme, if we expect every action to have an angelic or demonic component, we sometimes short-change the human role outcomes our world – especially in the negative outcomes in our world. For example, we humans don’t need much demonic influence to create our own messes!
• 
  
•      The first extreme, however, is even worse. It’s usually a deceitful ideology that makes God smaller than he really is or tries to eliminate the role of the spiritual in our daily lives.

More of the world flocks to this first – and deadening – extreme. We’re largely a naturalistic society that demands scientific explanation, cheapens faith, and routinely explains God and wonder away.

So today I want to conclude by pulling the pendulum a little farther in the direction of seeing our world more spiritually …

     Allowing for a little more supernatural involvement can make the world a much more exciting – even more harrowing – place in which to live.

•      If good and evil do exist, then daily we’re on the battle lines!
• 
  
•      Day-by-day – and sometimes even moment-by-moment – we must fight for right.
• 
  
•      Every decision matters.
• 
  
•      Life is not a purposeless routine, it’s a daily and hallowed adventure.
• 
  
•      God is real, and the consequences are real.
• 
  
•      Be a part of the fight for victory and light!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’ll passionately

live on the battlefront

Jan 10 - Leviticus 19:34

The alien who

resides with you

shall be to you as

the citizen among you.

Leviticus 19:34

One tried and true formula for comedy has always been the fish-out-of-water.

•      It’s the country kid going to the big city.
•      It’s the Ivy League doctor getting stuck in the Deep South.
•      It’s a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court.

Some comedies stretch it even further. To poke fun at our own world today, comedy writers have aliens-from-outer-space move in next door. And it’s funny watching them try to make sense of our customs, our culture, our language, and most of all, our inconsistencies and irregularities.

In Leviticus 19, “alien” didn’t mean “visitor-from-outer-space” … of course! It meant “foreigner.” “Foreigner” has always implied “different,” and “different” is always met with suspicion.

Jesus – and the New Testament with him -- redefined “alien” in three significant ways.

•      First, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus redefined “foreigner” as “neighbor.” We are called to sift beyond our presuppositions and prejudices and look at person’s heart.
• 
  
•      Second, as the Gospel spread to the Gentiles, scripture began to redefine “foreigner” as “brother” – indeed, brothers and sister in Christ. Thus, it’s no longer race and nationality that define us but our relationship to Christ.
• 
  
•      Finally, Jesus redefined “alien” status even further. He was the ultimate alien. Into the midst of dirty, broken world, Jesus was the advanced space creature – or divine heavenly being – who came to live among us.

In light of Jesus’ incarnation, “foreigner” is much more than “brother” and “neighbor.” This “alien” is the ultimate fish-out-of-water; the Son of God took on human form to save the world.

In other words, through our own world, our own culture, and our own human ability, we are unable to win salvation – by ourselves nor for ourselves. True freedom, hope, mercy, and grace are utterly and ultimately outside our human ability. Therefore, in order to survive, we need something very foreign to our human condition: true forgiveness!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who has alien blood

keeping him alive

Jan 9 - Exodus 20:16

You shall not bear false witness

against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:16

“Raise your right hand and repeat after me: I swear to tell the truth …”

If only people did tell the truth!

Instead …

•      We gossip.
•      We tell white lies.
•      To build ourselves up, we often tear others down.
•       Have you ever been stabbed in the back?
•      Have your intentions ever been misrepresented?
•      We may not literally take a gun and murder someone, but how often do we say things that hurt, wound, and cause others to die a thousand little deaths?

Have you ever thought of false witness as murder?

It is. It may be slow, but false witness gradually steals light and life and hope and joy.

The commandments aren’t given to rob us of fun, they are to help us (and our neighbors) live more joyfully.

Who do you need to apologize to today to restore a little more light after a little false witness? And who do you need to forgive – whether they apologize or not – for wounding you? (The apology may never come, but forgiveness sets you free.)

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to raise his right hand

and promise to tell the truth

without having to be hauled into court

Jan 8 - Luke 21:26-28

The powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming

in a cloud with power and great glory.

Now when these things begin to take place,

stand up and raise your heads,

because your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:26-28

This is, obviously, an end-times passage. Much could be discussed about this, but for today, I want to focus on one truth and one phrase.

The one truth is this: Christ will come again. Jesus declared it. The scriptures proclaim it. The creeds affirm it.

People “can faithfully” and “will continually” debate the timing and the details of the second coming.  On this issue, there are often more questions than consensus! Nevertheless, we can’t debate the truth, the promise, and the expectation of a second coming without twisting or gutting the words of Savior and Apostles, Old and New Testaments, prophets and creeds.

That’s the truth.

The phrase we’ll focus on is this … What does “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” mean? (That’s enough to chew on for one devotion!)

This phrase, as Luke reports it, is apparently short-hand for a more expansive description that Jesus gave. According to Matthew 24:29, Jesus gave a four-fold explanation of what would occur on that great and terrible day …

•      “the sun will be darkened,
•      the moon will not give its light,
•      the stars will fall from the sky, and
•        & the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Obviously, this implies a rattling within the universe when Jesus returns. And this should not surprise us. If we say that God is indeed God … and if we say that God created heaven and earth with the drama of redemption through Jesus Christ in mind ... then we should not be surprised that the whole creation might indeed shudder when God’s plans are fulfilled!

And yet …  I think Luke might be conveying the double meaning in Jesus’ speech.

Jesus often talked on two levels – the human and the spiritual. Those listening with human ears, heard worldly truths. Those listening spiritually, heard wise human truths and eternal spiritual decrees.

•      To human ears, Jesus appears to have stated factually that “heavenly bodies [like planets and constellations] will be shaken” at his return. That’s Matthew’s translation.
•  
•      But Luke uncovers, additionally, a deeper spiritual truth. “The heavens” that will be shaken include all the creatures that dwell in “the heavens.” Heaven-singular includes just the good side. The-heavens-plural include the dark side too – including Satan and his henchmen. Thus, when Christ comes again, who will receive the greatest rattling of all? Satan and evil. This is their final, ultimate, and permanent defeat.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who shakes

in joyful expectation

at the final defeat of evil!

Jan 7 - Psalm 148:13

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his glory is above earth and heaven.

Psalm 148:13

In recent days, I’ve surely watched more than a few bowl games and playoff battles.

•      There are mighty gladiators in gaudy uniforms.
•      There are wild spectators painted in colors to match their teams.
•      The hopes of universities and cities ride on the shoulders of young quarterbacks and grizzled linemen.
•      Anthems are played.
•      Stadiums roar.
•      Accomplishments are praised.

Wait … read that last word again. What gets praised? Human accomplishments.

We could surely look it up, but off the top of your head do you know who won the NCAA National Championship in 2002? Do you even know who scored the last touchdown in the last wild-card game last year?

We spend billions of dollars exalting these temporary feats. But there’s really only one thing worth our praise. The Psalmist says it succinctly …

•      Let them praise the name of the Lord.
•      His name alone is exalted.
•      His glory is above earth and heaven.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who gladly cheers for talented teams

but will only, ever, praise one name

(in fact, a guy who cut off his cable,

making game watching and earthly exultation

wonderfully more difficult)

Jan 5,6 - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself

and God our Father,

who loved us and through grace

gave us eternal comfort and good hope,

comfort your hearts.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

The verb tenses matter. What does the Apostle say that God has done for us in the past. He’s … 

•      “loved us”
•      given us “comfort”
•      and encouraged us with “hope.”

Have you felt that love? experienced that comfort? heard that grace? known that forgiveness? believed that blessing? grabbed hold of that joy?

The Apostle assumes you have! That light occasionally seems to flicker because of sin, but because we’ve glimpsed it before, Paul lovingly extends to us a new blessing – a blessing for the present. He says essentially: “May God – who’s blessed you in the past – comfort your hearts now.”

Do you see that?

Most of that live that way. For example, I’m confident that Mary Louise will wake up beside me tomorrow. Why? Because she’s done it day-after-day in the past.

I’m confident that God will give me – and you – comfort, hope, joy, or whatever we need in the present … because he’s done it many times in the past.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t want self-confidence

(I’d rather have God-confidence)

Jan 4 - Luke 4:1

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,

returned from the Jordan and

was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

Luke 4:1

Jesus was born the Son of God. He was the Messiah. But no one (except his parents) knew it.

His public ministry began with his baptism. But then the Holy Spirit whisked him back into seclusion. He drove him into the wilderness – which was not a beautiful, camping trip wilderness; it was harsh and desolate.

And what happened there was harsh and desolate. He was alone, fasting, and hungry. And in this desolation, God allowed him to be sifted by the devil.

Why?

When Jesus was baptized, the curtain was pulled back. Earth got a glimpse of heaven, got a glimpse of our redeemer. Then God pulled that power and glory back away from Jesus – just as he did upon the cross. Without the power and glory, Jesus, on Calvary, was allowed to be human to the extent that he literally died. In the wilderness, with the power and glory rolled back, Jesus had to confront Satan and temptation and evil as only a human.

That’s how you and I always encounter this earth and its temptations. We are always and only humans.

But … when Jesus weathered this wilderness temptation, something remarkable happened. He provided a path to victory. You and I cannot defeat sin and evil on our own. Nevertheless, there is a path to victory. When we die to ourselves and enter into the life of Christ, it is his power – not ours – that fights temptation and evil.

Life will inevitably cast us into the wilderness. It will be harsh and desolate and lonely and grief-filled and tempting. If you go it alone, you may get crushed. But if you die to yourself and let Christ live through you, you will be as victorious as he was.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s played enough sports

to know that he wants to be victorious

rather than crushed

Jan 3 - 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

May the Lord make you

Increase and abound in love

for one another and for all,

and may he so strengthen

your hearts in holiness

that you may be blameless

before our God and Father

at the coming of our Lord Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Yesterday we talked about the pendulum. It flows between the grace and awe (on the good side … and permissiveness and crushing despair on the negative side).

Today, the Apostle Paul talks similarly about the pendulum. It swings between love and holiness.

I invite you to view this pendulum in terms of evangelism. Love and holiness – and blamelessness – are attractive qualities in a lost, broken, and hurting world.

Wait … blamelessness is not always an attractive quality. Why? Because it often lapses into legalism and pride and judgment. “If you’re not as ‘good as me,’ then you’re ‘bad.’”  

That’s not endearing evangelism.  

However, holiness infused with love, forgiveness, and grace can be very attractive. It’s not prideful. It’s not legalistic. It’s not judgmental. And yet it has life-giving standards. There’s something different, attractive, honest, and pure about it.

Every heart wants this … because every heart, deep-down, aches for these morals and standards. Why? Because we’re made in God’s image, and he has placed these desires in our hearts.

At the same time, though, every heart fights against these standards. Why? Because we’re sinful. Worldly. And while sin often offers a temporary attractiveness, it ultimately swallows us in filth and despair. (Have you seen that?)

One of the secrets to evangelism is to offer the world a different and better path to life … but to do it in abundant love … rather than lecturing or judgmentalism.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to be

a lover, not a fighter

Jan 2 - Joel 2:11-12

Truly the day of the Lord is great;

terrible indeed—who can endure it?

Yet even now, says the Lord,

return to me with all your heart.

Joel 2:11,12

I was talking to two of our college students recently. Spiritually, they were very discouraged.

Their faith is strong. What they are discouraged by are the constant compromises of their classmates who say they are Christians.

One said, “We need to kneel. We need to be humbled. We have no sense of the greatness of God. We don’t tremble in awe.”

In the average Christian life, the pendulum needs to swing constantly between trembling and grace. Too much awe will crush us. Too little awe produces too much permissiveness … and too much promiscuousness and too much drunkenness and too much … yuck (say our discouraged college students.)

Is grace the alternative? Yes … and no. Too much grace is often the same as too little awe. We can excuse anything because God loves us anyway. And we cease to tremble. We cease to acknowledge that the day of the Lord will be great and terrible.

•      We need the pendulum.
•      We need to fall on our knees in awe.
•      But when the weight of God’s judgment seems heavier than we can bear, then we need to jump in praise, because this same God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
•      But when our fleshly nature inevitably turns the freedom of grace into permissiveness and relativism …
•      we needed to fall down on our knees in humble worship and awe.

Then the pendulum needs to swing back again.

•      Fall in awe.
•      But when feeling crushed …
•      Jump up in grace.
•      But when you find yourself falling into permissiveness …
•      Fall in again in awe and grace.

Wait, look at that last point. What did God say in verse 12? “Even now … return to me with all your heart.”

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s been crushed and permissive

but wants to be joyful and awed

Jan 1 - Hebrews 5:7

In the days of his flesh,

Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,

with loud cries and tears,

to the one who was able to save him from death,

and he was heard because of

his reverent submission.

Hebrews 5:7

Last year, New Year’s day was a very good day. But not for the reason you might expect.

Last New Year’s, a member called and said, “Pastor, outwardly I have a very good life, but inside I’m very empty. Can you call me? I really need help.”

I called. I listened. I saw a heart that was broken, yielded, hungry for a new direction. So I said, “Have you ever really tried the classic Christian disciplines?” “Kind of,” the person said, “but I do them for a few weeks and then I forget.” “Let’s try them for real,” I said.

•      The person started with daily devotions (these devotions online).
•      Then began to crack their Bible and read the Gospels.
•      Then they found a place of meaningful service within the church, helping a person in need.
•      Their church attendance also became much more consistent.
•      And “in the days of his flesh, [this person began to] offer up prayers and supplications, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

And an amazing thing began to happen: Growth occurred. Purpose returned. Joy surfaced. A family was transformed!

Are you hungry for that?

I doesn’t take a New Year’s Resolution. But it takes a little discipline. A little focus. A little openness. And a lot of help from the Spirit.

If you want to go on this journey this year, call me! It’s good to have a little direction, a little plan, a little accountability, and a bit of a friend.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who finds joy

in helping others find joy