COVID Vaccine – Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy

Foolish and Slow to Believe

April 7, 2021 Jeff3 Comments

Today is Wednesday (Hump Day), the seventh of April, 2021. Easter Wednesday in the first week of Easter.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,036

43 days until our trip to Glen Rose

It is currently 70 degrees here, with a projected high of 77, and a 54% chance of scattered rain showers today.

We successfully got S her second vaccine shot, yesterday. The drive through set up at Texas Motor Speedway is very impressive. The rest of the day contained nothing of any significance, other than I finally finished a book I had been reading for a couple weeks. It was a book about Manson and the sixties, some secret government organizations, LSD, and even the Kennedy assassination. It was wild and crazy read. It was called CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties. You can read my review of it at my other blog.

We have made plans to gather (still safely, though) at Mama’s house on Saturday, to celebrate some birthdays. Her birthday is tomorrow, R’s was on March 31, and mine was back on March 13. We have not really been able to properly celebrate, of course, and you all know why. No need to go into that, eh?

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Let nothing disturb you,
let nothing frighten you,
all things will pass away.
God never changes;
patience obtains all things,
whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Amen.
(St. Teresa of Avila)

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
(Psalms 71:4-6 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

that I have leaned upon You from before my birth
for the mystery of the “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3)
that whoever has You has enough; You alone suffice
for praise from the lips of children and infants
for Your steadfast love, mercy, and grace, lavishly rained down on us

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

EASTER – DAY 4

INVITATION

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
(1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

I am pausing to quietly reflect on the mystery of the new birth, given through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
(Psalms 68:1-3 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
(Luke 24:13-19 NIV)

“. . . but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
(Luke 24:21-32 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I remind myself that I am, truly, in God’s presence, I read these passages again, asking the Holy Spirit to draw me in and speak truth to my soul.

I do find solace in the third verse of Psalm 68. I do hope for gladness and rejoicing before God, for the “righteous,” keeping in mind that our only possible righteousness is from the aforementioned mystery of the new birth in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I have no righteousness which I may call my own. I am happy and joyful when I consider the righteousness of Christ, and when I consider the prayer of St. Teresa, with which I began my devotional today. I have God; I lack nothing.

I feel, at times, that we (or just me, maybe? Can I truly speak for anyone else?) are “foolish” and “slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken,” as Jesus, incognito, said to the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. We have even less of an excuse than they did, because we have the whole story, from beginning to end. We have the same prophets they had, with the addition of the New Testament, yet we constantly wonder around in a fog, not sure what to believe.

My faith, while it may be strong enough to get me by, is weak, still. It is incomplete. Not because God isn’t enough. I’ve already covered that, this morning. I have the Lord, so I lack nothing. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack.” If I lack anything it is because I am foolish and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Strangely, these words give me hope, this morning, rather than a feeling of condemnation. I can only credit the Spirit for this. The hope rests in the truth of what Jesus has spoken. I am not alone in my slowness to believe. I know this because of the common testimony of others with whom I fellowship and worship. We all struggle with the same things. And I also know that there is hope for it to be better.

I know the words of Jesus. I know much of the prophets’ writings. (I am far from a prophecy expert, however.) I know Paul’s writings and am familiar with the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. Therefore, I have no real excuse to be foolish and slow to believe.

Father, help me to act on the available wisdom that comes from Your Word and Your Spirit. Show me Your face, as Jesus revealed Himself to the two on the Emmaus Road. Complete my faith and eradicate my foolishness. I have You in Christ, through the Spirit. That is enough.

Lord God, I'm sluggish in faith,
thick of head,
and I need your Holy Spirit's power to help me see Jesus in all the Scriptures and in the breaking of bread.
Kindle in me a burning heart of rich faith that opens my eyes and recognizes you as Lord.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 65)

BLESSING

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
(Matthew 21:16 NIV)

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
(Matthew 18:3-5 NIV)

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
(Matthew 19:14 NIV)

“Where you look is where you go.” (Jonathan Cahn, The Book of Mysteries)

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
(Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14 NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
(Philippians 4:8 NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
(Ephesians 4:1 NIV)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
(Colossians 3:1-2 NIV)

“The Mission: What is the direction of the calling of your life? Today, dwell only on that which leads to that destination, and on nothing that doesn’t.”

Father, today, direct my eyes only in that direction toward which I should be moving. Help me to not look toward things that are unhealthy for me, either physically or spiritually. Teach me Your way, that I may walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name. You are enough. Nothing is lacking. Take away my foolishness and slowness to believe. “I believe! Help my unbelief!”

I lift up our communities, this morning, national and local, that Your presence would be felt in their midst. I pray for the continent of Africa, that You would be provider and protector for all of Your people there. I pray for our governments throughout the land, federal, state, and local. May You give all of our elected leaders Your wisdom. More importantly, I pray that Your Spirit would draw them to seek Your wisdom today.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

Forsaken for Us

April 2, 2021 Jeff

Today is Friday, the second of April, 2021. Good Friday in Holy Week.

Day 23,031

Resurrection Sunday is the day after tomorrow.

C has the day off today. I don’t think we were expecting that, and she didn’t realize it until a week or so ago. I’m not taking the day off.

My mother finally got her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine! She called me the day before yesterday to tell me that she had finally gotten a call to notify her that it was her turn to get one, so a blessed friend took her yesterday morning.

We also finally got the notification for S’s second dose, which will be next Tuesday morning. I will be taking the day off, and will take her to get her shot.

In other news, the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day, yesterday, was the opposite of spectacular. The pitching for both teams was disappointing, to say the least. By the end of the first inning, the score was 5-5, and by the middle of the second inning, both starting pitchers were gone. In fact, the Rangers’ opener didn’t even last a full inning. Final score, Royals 14, Rangers 10. The Rangers hit no home runs, while the Royals hit three. I was also surprised to find Andrew Benintendi playing for the Royals. I found out later, that he was traded earlier this year, in a three team deal. He was previously with my other favorite team, the Boston Red Sox.

Speaking of the Red Sox, it appears that their home opener was postponed. That happens a lot in the northeast, around opening day. They were supposed to play Baltimore, at Fenway. They will try again today, with Nathan Eovaldi taking the mound for Boston.

The Rangers have the day off. Probably a good thing.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

"O Lord,
you have mercy on all.
Take away my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of your Holy Spirit.
Take away my heart of stone
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore you,
a heart to delight in you,
to follow and to enjoy you, for Christ’s sake.
Amen."
(Prayer for A Renewed Heart, St. Ambrose)

they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
(Psalms 22:13-15 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

for the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross
that, though it is Friday, Sunday’s coming
that You, Lord, are not far from me; You are my strength
for my mental image of the scene in the midst of the Holy Trinity, between the death and resurrection of Christ
for the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 39 – GOOD FRIDAY

INVITATION

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(John 1:29 ESV)

I pause, this morning, to reflect on the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
(Psalms 22:1 NIV)

All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
(Psalms 22:7-8 NIV)

They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
(Psalms 22:18-19 NIV)

BIBLE READING

It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
(Mark 15:25-39 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I sit quietly in the presence of the Lord, this morning, remembering that I (as well as all of you) am precious to Him, I read these passages, asking the Holy Spirit to teach me, to draw me in closer, to speak to my soul.

As I read, once again, David’s psalm, which so accurately predicts the scene which we commemorate this day, I notice verse 19. “But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.”

As Jesus hung on the Cross, near death (this morning I learned that, as I am typing this blog, it is about forty minutes until the time of Jesus’s death in Jerusalem, as it is 2:20 in the afternoon, at this moment), He knew that His Father was not far from Him. Yes, He will cry out, in a little over a half hour, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But that moment, which may have seemed like eternity, would only last a short time.

And His Father, would, indeed, come quickly to help Him. I can only imagine the scene between the death and resurrection of Jesus. I wonder what was going on in the Holy Trinity during those three days. I expect it must have been quite beautiful, as the love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is infinitely beyond what any of us could even imagine.

As Jesus breathed His last, at least one of the soldiers standing there had a glimpse of the Holy, and said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

May the Holy Spirit give all of us the same glimpse today.

Father, today is a somber day. Yes, we call it “Good Friday,” but it is mixed feelings that we have when we commemorate. We know that, without this day, we would be lost; there would be no salvation, no forgiveness of sin, no relationship with You. But it chills our souls and saddens us to see what happened to our Savior on this day. Up to this moment, as He hangs on the Cross, He has been beaten, almost beyond recognition; He has been mocked and scorned; all of it unfairly, as His only crime was making fools of the religious leaders of the day. As I walk through this day, today, may this scene be on my mind; may I ponder it, meditate on it, on the words that came out of His mouth during the event. Yes, I know what is coming. But for today, may I think only on the Cross, and what my Savior endured for our sake.

Crucified Savior,
on this dark day it seems crass and opportunistic to think of your death as an advantage to me.
And yet,
we call this Friday good because through your death,
my old self is crucified,
put to death,
buried with you,
and no longer rules.
Today,
I dedicate my life as an offering of gratitude to you.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 43)

BLESSING

In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
(Revelation 5:12 NIV)

At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
(Matthew 27:46 NLT)

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
(John 10:14-18 NLT)

My Savior, Jesus, to say I am grateful that You allowed these things to be done to You is not enough. There are not enough words. I love You, Jesus; thank You; may my life belongs to You; do with it as You will.

Lord, during this day, please give me a depth of gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Give us more of a capacity to know suffering, alongside our brothers and sisters. For any who might be entertaining doubts, today, may Your Holy Spirit give them the glimpse of holiness that the centurion saw. Show them, Lord, who You really are, and what You have done for them.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

There Is No Greater Thing

Father,
I seek to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified.
When I take the full measure of your love in the cross,
any worth I might think I have pales in contrast to the beauty and wonder of knowing Jesus Christ.
I find comfort in his wounds and life in his death,
which renders me perfect forever.
Amen.

March 26, 2021 Jeff

Today is Friday, the twenty-sixth of March, 2021, in the fifth week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,024

Nine days until Resurrection Sunday!

C received her second Pfizer vaccine shot, yesterday. Her reaction was a bit stronger than mine, as she has a mild fever, and chills and aches. Forward thinking, she brought her work computer home, and will be staying home today.

S should get her second shot next week, but I’m not sure we have received notification about that, yet.

Yesterday’s work day was as different from the day before as night is from day. It was truly amazing. The “epiphany” that I had in the midst of Wednesday made a world of difference. I’m still just as busy and just as behind, but the attitude was completely different.

And today is Friday! It’s hard to get me down on a Friday. I have no idea what this weekend holds, other than Palm Sunday. I know that we have no plans outside our normal Saturday and Sunday activities.

Baseball season begins soon. I believe Opening Day for MLB is April 1. The Texas Rangers begin the season in Kansas City, so their home opening day (at the new ballpark, which will finally have some fans) will be Monday, April 5.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.
(The Prayer of St. Francis)

Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
(Psalms 66:16-20 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

that C has gotten her second COVID-19 vaccine shot
for gentle nudges from You, throughout the day
that You are my Rock and my Foundation
that knowing You, Jesus, is the main purpose of my life
that Your Word casts a beam of light on my path

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 33

INVITATION

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
(Psalms 145:17-18 NIV)

I am pausing, this morning, to quietly reflect on the Lord’s goodness in my life.

BIBLE SONG

Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
(Psalms 28:6-7 NIV)

BIBLE READING

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:4b-14 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I rest in God’s presence, this morning, I reread these passages, searching for words or phrases that reach out to me or move my spirit.

I acknowledge that God is my Rock. He is my Foundation. All other ground is sinking sand. I frequently cry out to Him for mercy, and He hears my prayers. Praise be to God!

He is my strength and my shield! “My heart trusts in him and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”

The reading from Philippians stresses one thing and that one thing is, as Curly emphasized in City Slickers, the main thing. That main thing is “to know Christ.” Everything that Paul lists off as potential reasons to boast, and his list is long, he considers as garbage. The KJV uses the word “dung.” Everything that I could possibly boast in, compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, is a big old pile of poop.

And Paul?!? The mightiest of all New Testament writers? He does not yet claim to have “taken hold of it.” He continues to press forward, “straining toward what is ahead.”

We focus our attention on so many useless things, and, to be fair, some of those are helpful diversions from the issues we face in this world. I spend more than my fair share of time playing video games. But that is my mode of relaxation; it helps me to get over the stress of the work week.

But there are other things that we obsess over that are not so healthy. We get dragged into political junk, conspiracies over this or that. I’m currently reading a book about the Manson murders back in the late sixties. It’s making my head spin. It would be really easy to get drawn into an obsession over that kind of thing.

But obsessions over anything that is not Christ are unhealthy for us. As Paul proclaims, knowing Jesus is the main thing. There is no greater thing, as a song by Graham Kendrick proclaims.

Father, I praise You for being my Rock and my Foundation. I thank You that You hear my prayers for mercy, and other prayers, as well. I echo the sentiment proclaimed by Paul, and sung by Matthew in the above song. Knowing You, Jesus, is the main thing. There is no great thing! May that be the thrust of my life, the goal of my very existence. I love You, Lord!

Father,
I seek to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified.
When I take the full measure of your love in the cross,
any worth I might think I have pales in contrast to the beauty and wonder of knowing Jesus Christ.
I find comfort in his wounds and life in his death,
which renders me perfect forever.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 21)

BLESSING

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.
(1 John 5:11-12 NIV)

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him.
(Colossians 2:6 MSG)

With your instruction, I understand life; that’s why I hate false propaganda. By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
(Psalms 119:104-105 MSG)

Father, keep me on Your path, today. Simple and straightforward, teach me to live in what I have learned from You. I have received Jesus Christ, the Master; help me to live in Him and walk in Him. Your Word casts a beam of light on my path, that I may see where I am going. Let me not step out of that beam today! Knowing You . . . there is no greater thing!

Lord, may You give me, today, the ability to deny myself and serve others. I am still praying for more gentleness in everything I think, do, and say. Give me and all of us the commitment to do justice and love mercy. I lift up a special prayer, this morning, for all who are separated or divorced. May You bring comfort to them, peace to their hearts, and, where possible, restoration to broken relationships. All glory to You, Lord!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Joy Comes In the Morning

March 21, 2021 Jeff

Today is Sunday, the twenty-first of March, 2021. The Fifth Sunday in Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,019

Fourteen days until Resurrection Sunday

It was a great day, yesterday. As expected, C has obtained her Lifetime membership in WW (formerly Weight Watchers)! What this means is that, going forward, she only has to weigh in once a month, and, as long as she is within that two pounds of her goal (above or below), she will not be charged for her membership. It was a very exciting morning.

Somewhere around mid-afternoon, I began to feel what I can only surmise were the effects of that second Covid-19 vaccine shot. I was surprised that I began feeling effects that long afterward, but the way I felt line up with what other people had experienced. It wasn’t terrible, I will say that. But I felt on the verge of sick. Just an over-all sense of not feeling well, almost-but-not-quite-feverish (there was never any fever, I checked it several times, and it was always below 98), not quite aching, and just over-all “bleah.”

So I took some Advil and went to bed much earlier than I normally would on a Saturday night. I feel fine, this morning, after another great night of sleep.

We have our usual Zoom church gathering, this morning, at 10:15. For lunch today, we are planning something different. As part of my ten-year anniversary swag from my employer, I chose a sous vide cooker. I had been wanting to try one of those for a long time, and never purchased one. Well, this one cost me nothing buy work reward points. So we put some fresh chicken breasts in a ziploc bag, yesterday, along with some new seasoning that we bought at WW, yesterday morning (a BBQ flavor seasoning), and we will try cooking that, today, with the sous vide cooker, for lunch.

S may not be happy that we are not getting Applebee’s, but she’ll live. Maybe we will get that for dinner, or one night this week. I will try to remember to share how the chicken tasted.

Oh, I forgot to share my own WW results from yesterday. I lost .6 pound, which put me below where I was three weeks ago. I had one week where I remained the same, and then gained .4 on my birthday (boo!), but lost that back, this past week. So I am at my lowest point, so far, in this journey. But yesterday was all about C and her lifetime accomplishment!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

I Am Bending My Knee

I am bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
In friendship and affection.
Through Thine own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
Love towards God,
The affection of God,
The smile of God,
The wisdom of God,
The grace of God,
The fear of God,
And the will of God
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
Each shade and light,
Each day and night,
Each time in kindness,
Give Thou us Thy Spirit.

(Alexander Carmichael, from Carmina Gadelica)

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
(Psalms 65:12-13 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

for an almost overwhelming sense of peace, this morning
that You were “broken and spilled out” for us, just like Mary’s vial of perfume
that, though weeping tarries in the night, joy comes in the morning
that Your faithful love never ends
that C accomplished her lifetime goal, yesterday

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

INVITATION

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
(Psalms 145:17-18 NIV)

I’m spending a moment in quiet meditation, considering the righteousness of God in all His ways.

BIBLE SONG

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

I will exalt you, LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
(Psalms 30:1-5 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
(John 12:1-8 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I enjoy the presence of the Father, this morning, I reflect on these passages. I find great comfort in the last four phrases of the reading from Psalms. “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

I keep returning to Dallas Willard’s definition of “joy” as “a pervasive sense of well-being.” Webster’s defines “pervasive” as “existing in or spreading through every part of something.” So, if that sense of well-being is “pervasive,” it is existing in or spreading through every part of my life.

And I feel that, this morning. I have experienced the weeping, but it always gives way to joy. There have been many times in my life when I thought that God was angry with me. Right or no, I still felt that way. But I know that His favor is eternal, and that will never change.

Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, displayed her joy, even though, in her act of worship and sacrifice, there were tears. I believe her tears were tears of gratitude and joy. We don’t see the tears in John’s version of this event, but in another gospel account (I don’t believe she is named in that one), she washes Jesus’s feet with her tears and hair. What a beautiful picture!

I’m going down a small “rabbit trail.” I sincerely hope that, when we reach our eternal Home, we can skip back in human time and watch certain events occur. One obvious one would be the moment of the resurrection of Christ, which no human being observed. But this event, when Mary busts open a vial of perfume that was worth a year’s wages (can you imagine pouring a $50,000 bottle of perfume out on someone’s head??) is one that I would definitely like to watch.

And then we all go “SSSSSSSS” when Judas objects. Hahaha!!

It is said that there will be no tears in heaven. But does that include tears of joy? Because I do hope that there will be tears of joy. I choose to believe that it is only tears of sadness and pain that will be eliminated.

And just like that vial of perfume, Jesus, Himself was “broken and spilled out” for us, being of far more value than a little bottle of perfume.

Thank You, Jesus! My words of gratitude are far from adequate to express my gratitude for Your sacrifice for us. I do try to live my life in such a way that it also expresses such gratitude, even though it could never be enough. I want to live my life in a way that expresses my love for You and Your love for me. Help me to display that love toward everyone I encounter in my daily life. Thank You for the example of Mary, and for how much she devoted her life to You, being content to sit at Your feet and listen to Your words. May I share that contentment and hang on every word You speak, and every action You do.

Beautiful Savior,
what can I offer to you for the lavish gift of your loving sacrifice?
I joyfully offer you my life,
my worship,
my treasure,
my time,
and a willing delight to do every kind of good.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 90)

BLESSING

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.
(1 John 5:11-12 NIV)

On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again.
(Zephaniah 3:20 NLT)

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT)

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
(Psalms 36:5 NLT)

No matter what comes our way today, this week, next week, the rest of this year, we can take comfort in knowing that our Father knows it all; He knows what was, what is, and what will be. And He will be there with us through it all.
(Thanks to Kim Taylor Henry in today’s reading from Daily Guideposts 2021)

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:
“I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”
(Revelation 2:12-17 NLT)

The Christians at Pergamum had done a great job of persevering through the persecution. However, as John relates Jesus’s words to them, from his exile on Patmos, it is pointed out that there are some in their midst who would have them relax their standards a little bit.

Says Eugene Peterson, “Sometimes it is easier to die for the truth in a crisis than to live the truth through a dull week at work.” Remember, the chapter is called “The Test of Our Truth.” This test is played out through those “ordinary hours when we don’t know we are being examined.”

But be sure that people are watching, especially if they know you claim to follow Christ. “Truth is not just right answers but a right life.” It is far easier to join a crowd of protesters than it is to love your neighbor.

“Christ is our comprehensive, personal truth to be expressed in gestures, actions, and conversations when no one is watching.”

Balaam’s teaching, which we looked at yesterday, attempts to make things more easy and clear than the really are. They add to the Gospel and elaborate on “real truth.” “Gospel truth is always personal, direct, obedient – a way to live in love and courage and adoration.”

The Greek word for “truth” is “aletheia.” I have verified this with my own brief research. The literal meaning of the word is “the state of not being hidden; the state of being evident.” So, for example, in Matthew 5, when the woman pressed in to Jesus, through the crowd, and touched his robe and was healed, when it became evident who had done this, she told the “truth.” She became “unhidden.”

Eugene Peterson says, “The truth test bares our being before Christ’s being. We are seen in the concrete, not the abstract – as livers of this life, of my life as it is.” Who and what we are is revealed in the reality of the light of Jesus Christ. As it says in Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”

The test of truth asks not, “What do you think?” Rather, it asks “Who are you?” And this next statement is very interesting. “God is not nearly as interested with what we say about him to others as he is with what we say to him.”

The letter to the Church at Pergamum, just like all the letters, closes with a promise. “To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.” (verse 17)

“The hidden manna is the food that God gives to his people, the nourishment that keeps them going.” And the white stone, the new name, is an identification that Christ will give to His people. “He will sustain us, and he will identify us as his own.”

(From This Hallelujah Banquet, by Eugene H. Peterson)

Father, may my life express Your truth in all ways. Help me to not cave to the pressure of popular opinion. But at the same time, truth must always be expressed in a loving manner. So may that always be true, as well. I desire to be seen as one who loves, not as a “hater.” So let truth be my banner, but may it be held up by love, and, as much as possible for a human being, let that love be agape love, that which can only come from You.

May all in Your Church experience resurrection hope and joy, this morning, knowing Your presence, wherever they may be today. Help us all to be better harbingers of Your Gospel of peace, announcing that Your Kingdom is at hand, available for all, right here, right now.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Above All Else, Clothe Yourselves with Love

“As we realize how vast the resources and energy of God are in our everyday lives, we find that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world’s sins on our shoulders, that our moral sweat isn’t going to make the critical difference in history, but that the difference has already been made by Christ’s blood.”

March 20, 2021 Jeff

Today is Saturday, the twentieth of March, 2021, in the fourth week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,018

Fifteen days until Resurrection Sunday

I am fully vaccinated against Covid-19! And I feel fine, this morning! My arm hurts, but not nearly as badly as last time. I never felt “sick,” yesterday evening, but I did feel, well, “weird” is best way I could describe it. I didn’t feel quite right, but I didn’t feel bad. I was extremely tired, pretty much exhausted. And I had one of the best nights of sleep I have had in a long time. My sleeping heart rate, according to my Fitbit, was 59 avg bpm. That’s phenomenal, and was 97% below my normal resting heart rate, which is an average of 66 bpm.

C and I have both observed that resting heart rate decline in the past year, as we have lost significant weight.

Speaking of that, we are excited to go to WW Workshop this morning, as C should make lifetime! Barring any surprises, she will have completed six weeks of maintenance, staying within two pounds up or down from her goal weight! It will be a glorious morning!

It should be a beautiful day, as well. It is currently 44 degrees and sunny, at 8:32 DST (which means it is really 7:32), and the projected high for the day is 68 degrees.

The only other plan for the day is a trip to the grocery store (it may take more than one store to get everything we want, as only Albertson’s has our new favorite ice cream brand, which is Nick’s, a Swedish brand). We tried putting in a pick up order for Walmart Neighborhood Market, last night, but their web site appears to be broken, and more than half of everything I was ordering showed to be “out of stock.” I find that difficult to believe, unless their shelves are at less than 50% capacity. So we gave up and C will go out, probably this afternoon, after WW and brunch.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:11 ESV)

You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
(Psalms 65:9 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

for the weekend, to rest and refresh for the upcoming work week
that I have completed the Covid-19 vaccination process
for Tessie, Trixie, Rocky, and Luna
for Your peace, with which You bless Your people
for the love displayed within the Holy Trinity

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 28

INVITATION

The Lord is . . . patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

I’m taking a moment to meditate on the richness of God’s favor over the earth, the fulness of His “river,” and His provision and kindness to all people, even those who refuse to acknowledge Him.

BIBLE SONG

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
(Psalms 29:1-4 NIV)

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
(Psalms 29:8-11 NIV)

BIBLE READING

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
(Ephesians 5:8-14 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I read these passages again, reflecting on them, I am taking refreshment in the Lord’s presence, enjoying His peace over me. I am soaking in the peace with which He blesses His people in Psalm 29:11. He gives strength to His people; He blesses His people with peace.

There are certainly times, and we are in the midst of one of those times, when it does not appear that we are blessed with peace. That is because we have our eyes focused in the wrong places. We are looking at external circumstances, not at internal joy. Joy is a pervasive sense of well-being; that feeling that, in God’s kingdom, everything is much better than we could imagine.

But we can imagine it, we can realize it, if only we look in the right direction. That is how we can have peace in a world that is in turmoil. Because everything that is happening in this world, from pandemics to Asian massage parlor murders, is a “footstool” problem!

Do not misunderstand me. These things are horrific, and we definitely need to be praying for such things, and taking action where possible and necessary. But these things are not definitive of our life in Christ, nor can they affect our life in Christ whatsoever!

Or they shouldn’t. Sadly, we do allow them to.

Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead! Christ will shine on you!

I praise You, Father, for the peace that passes all understanding! I thank You that You give us peace in the midst of the most terrible circumstances. When my family sat in a cold house for thirty-plus hours, with no electricity, we did not despair. Our hope never waned, because You are our peace! We did complain a time or two, I will confess. But we also were aware that that complaining did no good. What did do good was remembering that You are in control, and that Your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is nothing that a human can do to thwart Your perfect will for us.

I do pray for the circumstances in this world, Lord. I pray, in that light, for Jesus to return and make all things right. We are weary of this world, I will confess. We are tired of seeing things like Asian massage parlor murders and pandemics (even though most of us have only seen this one pandemic). We observe the physical world groaning in agony, awaiting full redemption. That is why we pray, “Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!” Thank You for Your peace, Father, and thank You that this cannot be taken away from us. Unless, of course, we permit it by focusing our eyes on the wrong things. Help us to keep our eyes on things above, not on things of the earth. Let not the stuff of earth compete for our allegiance, which we owe only and solely to You!

Giving God and source of every good thing,
forgive me for turning away from you to seek out good in what I think is right or in the latest fads all around me.
Turn me again in faith to you and your shining presence.
Let me live as a child of light,
doing everything good that fits with your law.
In Christ's name,
amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 91)

BLESSING

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26 NIV)

“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.”
(Revelation 2:14 NLT)

In spite of their resistance in the face of persecution, Christ still had this against the Christians in Pergamum.

For anyone who has read the story of Balaam, you know that there are some quite amusing moments in it. Just as there are in other stories in the Bible. We learn from this laughter, though, as it does more than entertain us. It is good to laugh. “Solemnity is not a mark of religious depth,” says Peterson. “It is not true, as many people seem to assume, that the more serious we get about God, the more serious we get.” In fact, sometimes the opposite occurs.

As we mature in Christ, we get more of a sense of grace. “As we realize how vast the resources and energy of God are in our everyday lives, we find that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world’s sins on our shoulders, that our moral sweat isn’t going to make the critical difference in history, but that the difference has already been made by Christ’s blood.”

What an incredible sentence! I think I need to read that again!

“As we realize how vast the resources and energy of God are in our everyday lives, we find that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world’s sins on our shoulders, that our moral sweat isn’t going to make the critical difference in history, but that the difference has already been made by Christ’s blood.”
Eugene Peterson, This Hallelujah Banquet

I see a lot of well-meaning Christians on social media who must be the most miserable people on the planet! They are always angry about something! Viciously angry, in fact, spewing the most hateful rhetoric toward those with whom they are angry, and displaying no evidence of the love of Christ, whatsoever. How can these people be happy at all? It makes me sad, because I agree with Peterson’s statement, above, even though I had never considered it in the way that he has so aptly written it.

And so we laugh at some of the Bible stories, that I fully believe are intended for exactly that purpose. We laugh at the story of Balaam, when his donkey lays down and refuses to move, or crushes Balaam’s leg against a stone wall, or when the donkey finally speaks to him.

The complete story can be found in Numbers 22-24.

But we learn later, that Balaam was responsible for the big sex party that Israel had with the local Moabite women, immediately afterward. In this way, though he could not prophesy against them, he still found a way to benefit Balak, due to his greed.

Why does John bring this up, now? Because there is danger of the same thing happening with the church at Pergamum. “A hostile society had tried everything to get the Christians to fold, without avail. They were the bravest, most courageous, most steadfast people the world had ever seen. They were persecuted, but they didn’t budge an inch.” So lies began to creep in. “Some nice people . . . were suggesting that it is possible to be just a little too strict with ourselves. After all, what counts is what we believe and our courage in standing up for the right – saying the truth. But in everyday life, we have to get along in the world that we find ourselves in, and we can’t be making ourselves obnoxious all the time.”

But we cannot separate the things we say from the way we live. This is like living one way on Sunday at worship and living totally opposite the rest of the week, while at work. “Truth is lived truth. Truth is not simply what we say but what we live.”

(From This Hallelujah Banquet, by Eugene H. Peterson)

Just a quick word of what might be considered trivia. I learned something today. The first time the word “love” is found in Scripture is in Genesis 22:2. It occurs at the beginning of the story when God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him.

The correlation, is made, of course, between the love Abraham had for Isaac, and the love the Father has for the Son. There are other similarities between the stories, but I will leave you to discover those for yourself.

Father, I thank You that the weight of the sins of the world is not supposed to be on our shoulders. After all, why would we want to carry something that Jesus already carried?? Thank You for His sacrifice on the cross. And I thank You for the love that is shared between You and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The great, unspeakable, eternal, infinite love that is displayed in the Holy Trinity is far beyond anything that my feeble mind can comprehend. Nevertheless, I ask for that same love to be displayed in my own life. This is a difficult challenge, as I am but human, and have as many negative human characteristics as positive. I just pray for that one characteristic, that of love, to overshadow everything else. All glory to You, Lord!

I pray, Lord, for Your Church to flourish all over the earth; may we feel Your presence during our times of worship, whenever and however, they may occur. May our worship glorify You, even when it is limited to Zoom gatherings. May Your people be united and blessed in You, forsaking all others, who are not worthy of our worship or adoration. I pray for a special blessing on those in Your Church communities who are single people. There are some who do not feel called to this life; may You provide a life partner/spouse for them, Father, that they may be complete. For those who are called to this lifestyle, give them strength against temptation, for it will surely come.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
(Colossians 3:13-14 NLT)

Grace and peace, friends.

Amazing Grace

March 19, 2021 Jeff

Today is Friday, the nineteenth of March, 2021, in the fourth week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,017

Sixteen days until Resurrection Sunday

Today is Friday! Not only that, but I’m only working a half day today. It’s not all fun and games, though, as the first part of my afternoon will be spent getting my second round of COVID-19 vaccination. After that, I will be heading straight to the car dealership to get my oil changed, tires rotated, and, hopefully, figure out what caused the part under my car to get damaged (and, according to the oil change place, installed backwards).

If, as I have heard, the second round of vaccination makes me feel unwell, I have the whole weekend to recover from it.

There are no other plans for the weekend, other than the usual things that we do every weekend. I do hope I feel up to the WW Workshop, tomorrow, because C should obtain Lifetime membership tomorrow, and I want to be there when she does, to celebrate with her.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know you, and desire nothing save 
only you. 
Let me hate myself and love you. 
Let me do everything for the sake of you. 
Let me humble myself and exalt you. 
Let me think of nothing except you. 
Let me die to myself and live in you. 
Let me accept whatever happens as from you. 
Let me banish self and follow you, and ever desire to follow you. 
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in you that I may deserve 
to be defended by you. 
Let me fear for myself, let me fear you, and let me be among 
those who are chosen by you. 
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in you. 
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of you. 
Let me cling to nothing save only to you, and let me be poor 
because of you. 
Look upon me, that I may love you. 
Call me that I may see you, and forever enjoy you. 
Amen.
(Prayer to Forsake Myself for Jesus, by St. Augustine of Hippo)

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
(Psalms 65:8 NIV)

Today I am grateful:

to be getting my second Covid-19 shot
that I am alive and breathing
for Amazing Grace (both the reality and the hymn)
for opportunities to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You
that You are my Shepherd, and I shall lack for nothing

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 27

INVITATION

The Lord is . . . patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

Take a moment to ponder and meditate, seeking the joy of the Lord that abounds in His presence.

BIBLE SONG

Of David.

To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.

Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again. Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
(Psalms 28:1-6 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
(Mark 8:34-38 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I quietly re-read these passages, and enjoy His presence, this morning, I confess that I always feel guilt when I read this passage in Mark. It’s that bit about denying myself and taking up my cross.

The guilt is just my nature. I seem to be, by nature, a self-deprecating person. Not necessarily in an unhealthy way, mind you, but sometimes, maybe so. Did that make sense?

There are plenty of instances in my history where I did not, most definitely, deny myself and take up the cross. In fact, I blatantly did the opposite. Those are times of extreme sin in my life. Of course, there was repentance. God never allowed me to languish in those events, but always drew me back to Himself, sometimes by a gentle nudge of the Spirit, sometimes by a violent dragging or shoving.

You see, I belong to Him. He paid the price for my redemption, and He is not about to let me go. Nor do I want Him to.

Nevertheless, I still feel that there is always room for improvement in the arena of denying myself and taking up my cross to follow Him. Taking up my cross can look different, of course, for everyone. But one thing it must be is something over which we have control. Someone treating you badly is not “your cross to bear.” A dreadful disease, bad as it may be, is not “your cross to bear.” We have no control over those things (other than the control of getting out of an abusive relationship).

Taking up my cross goes hand in hand with denying myself. That means there might be something I really, really, really want to do, in the flesh, but my spirit, by the Holy Spirit’s influence, knows that it would not be right, even if it isn’t necessarily sinful. Refraining from doing whatever it is would be an act of denying myself and taking up my cross.

My life is not my own. It is not mine to save or lose. And I do not wish to “gain the whole world,” only to lose my soul in the process. My soul is the most important part of me, and I intend to keep it healthy, in spite of myself.

I will not be ashamed of Christ, so that He will not be ashamed of me.

Father, thank You for the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. Thank You for the strength to deny myself, when called upon, and help me to always take up my cross and follow Jesus. I would not make You ashamed of me, Lord, so let me not be ashamed of Christ in my life, but wear Him like a badge of honor.

God of new creations,
I search to find real life,
but my attempts are ashes because I've failed to understand the gospel mystery,
that I need to die to come alive.
Teach me to repent,
and provide me with the faith and courage to give myself away and so let your new life fill me.
In Jesus' name,
amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 88)

BLESSING

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26 NIV)

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”
(Isaiah 57:14 ESV)

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
(John 11:9-10 ESV)

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
(1 Corinthians 8:9 ESV)

"Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home."
(John Newton)

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
(Isaiah 40:11 ESV)

As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
(Ezekiel 34:12-16 ESV)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
(John 10:11-16 ESV)

Father, I am very grateful for those along the way who have helped me by clearing obstructions from my path, teaching me how to be watchful for dangerous paths, and essentially preparing me for success in Your kingdom. This goes all the way back to my parents and childhood Sunday School teachers, up until today, including pastors and people who have authored books that have been helpful and influential. Keep teaching me, Father, and help me to do the same for someone else. Thank You, Jesus, for being our Good Shepherd and laying down Your life for us. There are not enough words of gratitude . . .

Lord, please give me, this morning, more of a feeling of gratitude and wonder and awe at the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Help me to follow the way of the cross and give me more of a capacity to suffer alongside others who are suffering. Lord, I pray a special blessing on those, this morning, who struggle with marital and family issues.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
(Psalms 23:1-6 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

“Have Mercy On Me, A Sinner”

March 16, 2021 Jeff

Today is Tuesday, the sixteenth of March, 2021, in the fourth week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,014

Nineteen days until Resurrection Sunday!

C is working from home, today, so she can take S to get her first Covid vaccine today! Yes, she finally made it to the top of a list. She will be going to Texas Motor Speedway, for a drive-by shot. I hear they really work those quickly, too. I’m getting my second shot Friday, and C has her second shot, I think next week.

Not much else to report today, so on to the devotional material.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us.
(The prayer of St. Patrick)

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you.
(Psalms 65:1-2 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

for my soul
for Your mercy on me, a sinner
for the call to follow You in my whole life
for Your Word that falls like gentle rain in my life
for eem anu El (Immanuel – God with us)

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 24

INVITATION

The Lord is . . . patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

Spend a moment of quiet reflection, pondering the soul, and the Lord’s desire for you to live.

BIBLE SONG

Of David.

In you, LORD my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
(Psalms 25:1-3 NIV)

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.

Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!
(Psalms 25:16-22 NIV)

BIBLE READING

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
(Luke 18:9-14 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Father, I read these passages again, slowly, taking in each word. What stands out to me? What speaks to my soul?

I believe there is a connection between the two passages, whether intentional or not. In the psalm, David prays for integrity, to not be put to shame. The basis for that prayer is that he puts his trust in the Lord. This is a proclamation. “In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.” Because of this truth, may I never be put to shame.

David’s confidence is not in David. And this is where Jesus begins His parable in Luke. He warns us against over-confidence in our own “righteousness.” I put that in quotes because I have no righteousness of my own. Horatius Bonar once wrote, in a little book called How Shall I Go to God, “It is with our sins that we go to God, for we have nothing else to go with that we can call our own.”

We had a conversation this past Sunday, in our Zoom gathering, about being too smug about our relationship with God. How many of us, if we are honest, have been like that Pharisee in Jesus’s parable? “Thank you, Lord, that I’m not like that sinner, over there!”

In contrast, the “sinner,” beat his breast, looked downward, and pleaded, “Have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Paul, in 1 Corinthians, says this:

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
(1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! Father, I praise You for the repentance that You have granted me! I thank You for the knowledge, as small as it may be, of my soul and its relationship with You through the Holy Trinity. Help me to embrace this, today. May my trust always be one hundred percent in You, and zero percent in me or any perceived righteousness. My life is Yours, Lord; use it however You choose. May it be, somehow, an inspiration to others, that they may see You and Your love. May my life display the truth of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ came to earth to save us, not to condemn.

Loving Father,
let me hear your gracious call -
not in preening religiosity,
comparing myself with others,
but in desperate humility,
casting myself on your mercy.
As I pray,
"God, have mercy on me, a sinner,'
so may I live this day justified and free in the life-giving power of your Spirit.
Amen.
(Westminster Confession 10.2)

BLESSING

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26 NIV)

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
(Deuteronomy 32:2 NIV)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
(Romans 8:35 NIV)

A common Hebrew word for “with” is eem. And a common Hebrew word for “us” is anu. (I’m no expert, here, and am aware that there are variations on these.) And one of the Hebrew words for God is El.

So the Hebrew phrase for “God is with us” would look like this:

Eem anu El.

“With us is God.”

If you say those quickly, together, you get Immanuel, one of the names given to Jesus, because it means “God with us.”

Just a quick Hebrew lesson from Jonathan Cahn, this morning.

“The Mission: Today, practice the Hebrew of His name. In every circumstance speak and fathom the reality of eem anu El – God is with you, always.”

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
(Isaiah 7:14 NLT)

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:21-25 ESV)

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
(Luke 8:22-25 ESV)

(From The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn)

Father, I praise You for the fact that You are always with us, and that this presence is made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the introduction of the Holy Spirit to our environment. May we all know Your presence today, as we walk through this world, in whatever journey you have placed us. Give us the hope and faith that whatever we are experiencing is temporary, and that we will one day rest with You in our eternal inheritance, as the name “Immanuel” becomes full reality.

Lord, I thank You for the call to follow You in my home, in my community, and in my workplace. May I faithfully honor this call in my life, today. May I serve others selflessly, today. I pray, especially, today, for those who work or serve in government capacities. They are in a position where they cannot win, as, no matter what they do, pretty much half of the people are going to be angry with them. Have mercy, Lord.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

The Word, the World, and Sacrifice

February 27, 2021 Jeff

Today is Saturday, the twenty-seventh day of February, 2021, in the first week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 22,997

36 days until Resurrection Sunday

I will start out by reporting on my vaccine experience, yesterday. I arrived at the Baylor Scott & White location (they are my health care provider organization) right about 12:00 PM. My appointment was for 12:15.

As I was approaching the parking garage, I was initially panicked by the number of cars parked in a grassy field across the driveway from the building. These turned out to be not related at all. But, since I was in a mild state of anxiety, when I found a parking place on level 2, I grabbed it, and headed for the elevator to go to the sixth floor, where the vaccines were administered.

The good people with BS&W have this down to a well-oiled system! There must have been at least a hundred staff people (I wonder how many were volunteers) on site. There were at least three in the hall, as soon as we stepped off the elevator, directing us in the right direction immediately. Just around the corner, a gentleman was scanning people for temperature.

As I approached the first area of a large room (this appeared to be happening on the top floor, in an area that was yet undeveloped), a friendly person directed me to one of many tables set up in the area. Within seconds of when I sat down, a young lady was in front of me, handing me a form to fill out, along with a fact sheet about the vaccine. I would be getting the Pfizer version.

After filling out the form, I was directed to the next area, where another friendly staff person directed me to another table, at which was sitting a lady at a computer. She quickly registered me, explained the vaccine card to me, and provided me with my next appointment, exactly three weeks in the future, same bat-time, same bat-place (I know . . . I’m showing my age with that, but I’ve never tried to hide it, anyway). She then pointed the way to an exit door and told me they were waiting for me, as she handed me my vaccine card and form. I thanked her as I stood, barely able to hold back tears.

I found that I was way more emotional than I expected to be, as this process progressed.

I went through the door, into yet another large room, where another friendly staff person directed me to a table staffed by a couple of health care professionals. I sat down, and the lady courteously spoke with me about the shot, asked a few questions (have I ever had a reaction to a vaccine; which arm, and so on), and explained that I would be asked to sit and wait for fifteen minutes after the shot, to insure that I did not have any serious, immediate reaction. And just like that, it was done. I never even felt the needle.

As I got up and moved to the next area, filled with chairs for the fifteen minute wait, I was greeted by gentlemen handing out stickers declaring that I had been vaccinated against COVID-19. I found an empty chair and sat down to wait, fighting back (not necessarily successfully) tears the whole time. The time went quickly, as I watched, in a bit of amazement, the buzz of activity around me.

As I left, I thanked every staff person/volunteer I could see, thanked them for being there. I do believe that a few of them were quite surprised by that. I hope it made their day.

As to any reactions or side effects, the only thing that I can say for certain is that my arm hurts like a son-of-a-gun! Up until about four hours after the shot, I was wondering if I even really got a shot! After that four hours, though, there was no doubt, and it still hurts pretty bad, this morning. Otherwise, I have had no other effects that I can say for certain are related to the vaccine. I had a very mild headache for a little bit, yesterday evening, and, at one point, my fingertips on the arm where I received the shot were a little tingly, but who knows if either one of those were related.

It was a fantastic experience. My thanks go out to the good people at BS&W for how efficiently they worked this. There was literally never any time where I was standing and waiting, except for when I was waiting for an elevator. And that’s not their fault, is it?

My appointment for the second shot is at 12:15 PM on March 19.

We have our WW Workshop, this morning, at 10:30. We didn’t get a weigh-in last week, because of our week of winter, so I should definitely lose a little. At this point, I’m not sure how much, but it should be at least a couple pounds. Looking at my weight from two weeks ago, I suppose it might even be as much as four pounds.

Tomorrow morning, our little church will be taking a break, as the other two leaders and their wives are on a hunting trip. They tried to act like they weren’t going to be together, but some of us knew better. So, I’m going to take this opportunity and do something completely different. Our form pastor, Jacob, and I will be attending St. Barnabas Anglican Church tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM. I am really looking forward to this. I’m not sure what to expect, other than a lot of liturgy/ritual, and a bit of responsive recitation back and forth with the priests. It should be quite interesting, especially considering that this will be the second Sunday of Lent.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, the Anglican Church is Protestant, born out of the Reformation. But a lot of what happens in their service still resembles Catholicism.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

This new day You give to me
From Your great eternity
This new day now enfold
Me in Your loving hold

You are the star of the morn
You are the day newly born
You are the light of our night
You are the Savior by Your might

God be in me this day
God ever with me stay
God be in the night
Keep us by Thy light
God be in my heart
God abide, never depart.
(David Adam)

The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
(Psalms 121:7-8 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

That I successfully got my first COVID-19 shot
That I have had no adverse effects, other than my arm hurts pretty bad
For the weekend, to rest and refresh for another work week
That the Word precedes the world
For the example of hundreds of years of Christian martyrs

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 10

INVITATION

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalms 34:18 NIV)

As this first full week of Lent comes to a close, take a moment to reflect on your closeness to the Father, and His great salvation in Christ Jesus.

BIBLE SONG

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
(Psalms 29:1-5 NIV)

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
(Psalms 29:9-11 NIV)

BIBLE READING

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
(1 Peter 3:18-22 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

“Ascribe . . .” what does that mean?

It means “to attribute” something to someone. So when we ascribe to God glory and strength, the “glory due his name,” we attribute these characteristics to him. In other words, we acknowledge His glory and strength.

His holiness is indeed full of splendor, and worthy to be worshiped. The rest of that psalm proclaims the power of His voice over creation. And if His voice thunders over the waters, how incredible must be the strength He gives His people?

Considering this, it is not unbelievable that He brought Jesus Christ back to life, following His great sacrifice for us on the Cross. He was raised, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, with all things in submission to Him.

Also important is the word “once” in verse 18 of the 1 Peter passage. In contrast to the Hebrew sacrificial system, which had to be performed on a daily basis, Jesus died once. He “suffered once for sins.” The NLT says “once for all time,” nailing it down even more explicitly.

So when Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the Cross, He meant it.

The reason is also made clear. “To bring you to God.” And contrary to what many people seem to believe, that is the only way to get to God. There are not “many roads” to the Father. There is one. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Father, I praise You, this morning, for Your great glory and strength. I lift up Your Name because of Your great holiness, the splendor of Your majesty. Thank You for the strength and the peace You give Your people. I also thank You for the sacrifice made for sin, once for all time, by Jesus on the Cross. I thank You that, in this sacrifice, I have been brought into Your presence, so that I can truly worship You in spirit and in truth. I long for the day when Jesus will return to lead us into our Home forever.

"Persuasive God,
I know it sounds odd,
but sometimes my sin seems
too big and ugly even for you.
Keep me from adding to my sin
by thinking that your power can't forgive me now.
Convince my unbelieving heart that
through Christ's sufferings
I'm forgiven and forever right with you.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
amen."
(Heidelberg Catechism 21)

BLESSING

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8 NIV)

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
(Psalms 139:11-12 NIV)

The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
(Deuteronomy 28:7 NIV)

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
(2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
(Revelation 2:10 NIV)

In contrast to Ephesus, who got a warning about abandoning their first love, Smyrna got a promise. But it’s not the kind of promise that we like to hear. “Things are going to get worse,” they were told.

One wonders if Jesus’s words to the church at Smyrna were echoing in Polycarp’s mind as he burned to death. And, then, one wonders what lead a group of early American to name their Delaware town after Smyrna. “Perhaps to keep before them the example of the person who was faithful to death and fearless in the face opposition. To remind them that the sequence is not life to death but death to life.”

Says Peterson, “I live in a culture and a society where hardly anyone knows the meaning of the word sacrifice, where suffering is something to be avoided at all costs and complained of when it can’t be avoided, and where it is unthinkable that there is anything more important than preserving and extending my life.”

In contrast to our modern culture, for three hundred years, the church’s “most important model of the Christian life was that of a martyr – the person whose witness was authentic to the point of death.”

This is the great paradox of the Christian life. In order to truly live, we must die. Not physically, of course, not literally. But we must die, as Paul repeatedly says, to ourselves. If we use all our energy trying to preserve our lives, the opposite will happen. “But if we live at risk, giving up all in witness and commitment and love, we are released form death to live in the power of the Resurrection.”

(From This Hallelujah Banquet, by Eugene H. Peterson)

The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.
(Psalms 33:6-9 NLT)

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
(John 1:1-4 NLT)

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
(Hebrews 11:3 NLT)

The Word preceded the world. In fact, it was the Word which created the world. God spoke, and everything came into existence. By His Word, the universe was created ex nihilo, out of nothing.

According to Jonathan Cahn, the world, the creation, is the olam. The Word is the Davar. The Davar came before the olam.

God’s Word stands forever, and never changes. It will accomplish all that it is set forth to accomplish. Even more importantly, that Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We must stand on the Word, regardless of what we see in the world.

“The Mission: Choose the Word over the world, over your circumstances, your problems, and everything else. Let the Davar rule your olam.”

(From The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn)

Father, I praise You for the truths presented this morning. I thank You for Your Word, both spoken by You and the Word become flesh, that we might be drawn to You and Your kingdom. Help me to stand on Your Word each day as I walk in this world. May Your Word guide me over my circumstances; may Your Word rule over my problems. And may I be willing to sacrifice for Your sake and the sake of the Gospel in this world.

Lord, I pray for the mission-mindedness of the Church, these days. There seems to be a bit of an identity crisis in recent years. Help us to remember what we are about. I also pray for “servant leadership, kingdom vision, godly stewardship, and effective organization” in the local church. Especially that “servant leadership” part. It is way past time for our pastors to stop acting like authority figures and start acting like servants, mimicking the life of Jesus. Likewise, I pray for deacons and other servants in the local churches, that they, too, would transition from thinking that they are a governmental body, into realizing that their original purpose was to “wait tables.”

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

February 25, 2021 Jeff

Today is Thursday, the twenty-fifth of February, 2021, in the first week of Lent.

Peace be with you!

Day 22,995

38 days until Resurrection Sunday!

A couple of news items, and then on to the morning devotional.

I received a somewhat unexpected message from my health care provider, yesterday afternoon. “It’s your turn! Schedule your COVID vaccine,” it said. So I did. I’m getting round 1 tomorrow afternoon (Friday), at a Baylor Scott & White clinic in Frisco, TX. I chose that one for two reasons. One, it is close to where I work (within ten miles), and, two, they had appointments on Friday, which works well, in case the shot makes me feel ill. I will leave work early, get the shot, and take the rest of the day off.

The second news item is that my new glasses arrived yesterday. The eyecare place is open until 7:00 PM on Wednesdays, so I stopped by to pick them up. After a couple of adjustments, I went on home. However, I may need to stop by Saturday for one more adjustment, as I think they still might be riding a little high on my nose. These new ones are trifocals, so they will take a little getting used to. However, I’m sitting here typing with them on, and I can see the computer screen perfectly! So I will no longer need two pair of glasses! Huzzah!

Have I mentioned that C has to return to the office next week? We are pretty bummed about that. But, as they say, “it is what it is.” On March 1, they are returning to the office. To sit in their offices with their doors closed. And still have virtual meetings. Oh, well.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Prayer to the Most Holy Name of Jesus
By St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ name,
The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
O joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity.
Amen.

I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Interlude
(Psalms 77:5-9 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

That I am getting my COVID vaccine tomorrow
That You have NOT forgotten Your unfailing love and compassion!
For the confidence that I have in You, no matter what my circumstances throw at me
That Your Word tells us it’s okay to have fun (read Ecclesiastes!)
That the plurality of God’s mercies is more than enough for the singularity of my sinful condition

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 8

INVITATION

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalms 34:18 NIV)

Sit in silence for a moment, pondering the unfailing love of the Lord.

BIBLE SONG

Of David.

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
(Psalms 27:1-3 NIV)

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
(Psalms 27:9-10 NIV)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
(Psalms 27:13-14 NIV)

BIBLE READING

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
(Romans 10:9-13 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

There’s a word that captures my attention in the psalm, this morning. It appears twice. That word is “confident.” David declares that, even if an army wages war against him, he will be confident. Confident of what? Verse 1 appears to be the answer.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?”

In the words of the Emperor Joseph, in the movie Amadeus, “Well . . . there it is.”

If verse 1 of Psalm 27 is true, the rest follows. Of whom shall I be afraid? What can man do to me? What is the worst thing that could happen to me? Death? That sends me Home!

But even in the face of all the bad things that may happen to him, in verses 9 and 10, David again uses that word and says, “I remain confident.” He believes with all his heart that he will see God’s goodness, still, in this life.

I share David’s confidence, this morning. In spite of everything that 2020 and 2021 have thrown at us (and we are still barely in 2021), I believe that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I saw it last week. In the middle of the frozen crisis in Texas, last week, I saw the goodness of the Lord. And if you didn’t . . . you’re doin’ it wrong!

One quick note about the Romans passage. All that is required to be saved is to call upon the name of the Lord. It does not say “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord and gives up drinking, dancing, fornicating, and smoking will be saved.” It does not say “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord and votes pro-life will be saved.” There are NO conditions other than believing in your heart and declaring that Jesus is Lord!

Another thing I am confident of: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Period.

Father, I praise You for this great salvation which requires nothing other than believing with our hearts and declaring that Jesus is Lord! I thank You for the confidence that You have placed in my heart, confidence not in myself or any “good” works that I might do, but confidence in YOU and You alone! I have seen, and believe that I will continue to see, Your goodness in the “land of the living.” I am also confident in my eternal inheritance. The further You draw me in, the more confident I am of that inheritance which resides where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal. All glory to You, Father!

"God of truth,
I don't like to face the sin in me -
it's ugly and frightening.
But avoiding it only gets me
tangled deeper in deception.
So give me the courage
to take an honest look at myself,
and may that honesty make me
long more and more for your salvation that
sets me free from this body of death.
In Christ's name,
amen."
(Belgic Confession 15)

BLESSING

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8 NIV)

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.
(Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT)

So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.
(Ecclesiastes 3:12 NLT)

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
(Romans 12:9-10 NLT)

Did you ever know that the Bible says it is okay to have FUN?? There is something to be said for spontaneity. I’m not very good at that, myself. The spontaneous part. I love having fun. Perhaps too much. But I like to plan things. But the older I get, the more I like for vacation trips to be unplanned. I start feeling tired before it begins, if there is something planned for every day.

I bet you did know that the Bible commands us to love each other. But guess what! Loving people, truly loving them and not pretending, as the Romans verse warns us against, is also fun! Loving people is fun.

So have some fun today! Be spontaneous! Love someone and do something unexpected for them!

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT)

But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
(Daniel 9:9 NLT)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT)

Jonathan Cahn points out, in The Book of Mysteries, that the Hebrew word for mercy, “rachamim,” is actually plural. Mercies. It is interesting. In the Lamentations passage, the word for “mercies” is “chesed.” But in Daniel, it is “racham.” But both times, it is translated “mercies” or “merciful.” The KJV says “mercies” in Daniel 9, as well.

The point, though, is that God’s mercy is plural. It is infinite. As opposed to our sin, which is singular. Yes, we have plural “sins,” but those are actions, occurrences. “Sin,” singular, is our condition. And the mercies of God are more than enough for our sinful condition, regardless of the plurality of sins.

“The Mission: Open your heart today to receive the rachamim God has for you, not only for your sins, but the overflowing rivers of His compassions and love.”

(From The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn)

Father, I praise You for the plurality of Your mercies, which is more than enough for my sinful condition. I thank You that You have placed within my heart the confidence and belief that is required for me to call upon Your name, that I may be saved. Your mercies . . . Your compassions . . . will never fail. Praise to You, Father!

Lord, I pray that You would keep giving me more and more yearning to know You more and also give me the diligence to continue seeking You, day by day. I pray for the fullness of the Spirit of Christ within my soul, as well as all other believers, this day. And I pray for any family members and friends who may not share my faith in You, or perhaps their faith wanes. I pray that You draw them in to Yourself by the power of Your Holy Spirit, and may I be an acceptable witness to Your grace and goodness.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Speaking of fun . . .

Grace and peace, friends . . . and FUN!