Summer Blessings

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

Summer can often be a time of contemplating our next steps on the the pathway of life. Some years ago I heard someone comment that schools that train men and women for ministry should be attracting "the best and the brightest." Thankfully, the Lord also uses some of us who don't fit that description! In fact, according to the apostle Paul, "Not many [who were called] . . . were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth" (1 Corinthians 1:26).

Jesus' disciples were ordinary people without an advanced education. But they had been taught by the Lord Jesus himself and were empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The Lord used these ordinary people to spread the good news about the risen Saviour. And because of that they stood out. Those who questioned them "were astonished and . . . took note that these men had been with Jesus." That's the key: they had been in Jesus' presence.

Sometimes we may wonder, "Am I good enough to talk about the Lord? Do I know enough? Will others accept what I have to say?" The answer: Of course, if only we spend time with Jesus by listening to him and walking with him. If we do, it will become clear to the people around us, and they will recognise that we have been with Jesus. Are you willing to give it a try?

Lord our God, draw us into your presence, and help us to spend time with you so that others will see through our lives that we have been with Jesus. Amen.

Journeys

To journey with Jesus means breaking down the barriers that divide us and accepting others without judgment. It means welcoming and mixing with the unclean, the profane, and the diseased.

In Matthew 7:1-4 we read, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

Who am I to judge?' must rank as one the best known phrases of Pope Francis. Perhaps that is because it touches a very sensitive point in our pluralistic cultures. How can we ever judge the behaviour of others? This can sometimes degenerate into a passive, uncaring attitude towards others: I will not judge you, for you are responsible for your own choices; now do not expect me to help you in any way, for I am not responsible for you at all. Jesus is saying something quite different: be careful not to judge others more harshly than you judge yourself, try to be free of prejudice for this can cloud your judgement.

In his little book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H.A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, 'It's all right, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!'"

Although this story may bring a smile to our faces, it still has a deeper significance.

Thomas a Kempis Says “In judging of others, a man labourers in vain, often errs and easily sins; but in judging and examining himself, he always labourers fruitfully.”

Thomas a Kempis also prayed; Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know,To love what I ought to love,To praise what delights Thee most,To value what is precious in Thy sight,To hate what is offensive to Thee.Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes,Nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men;But to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual,And above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Thy will. Amen.

Summer Blessings

 

“Who do you say I am?” —  Matthew 16:15

Busyness seems to be driven by a determination not to “miss out on life.” Behind much of the rat race of life today is the unexamined assumption that what I do determines who I am.

Jesus did not have that problem. His identity as the Son of God and calling as the Messiah were clear. He never asked a question to which he didn’t have the answer. When he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” he did that for their benefit. The disciples looked back and responded with the names of prophets from the past because people believed that the Messiah, their promised deliverer, would be like those prophets.

But Peter had seen enough to know that Jesus was the true Anointed One (Messiah). Peter had an inspired confession of faith. He declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Peter was a prophet as he spoke these words. He affirmed the truth of God, professing that Jesus is the Messiah and Saviour. That is what we do as prophets. We share in Christ’s calling as prophets when we point to him as the one true Saviour and Lord of all.

We are anointed as prophets to tell people who Jesus is. We are called to make Jesus famous.

As a Christian, this is your identity. This is who you are. Whom can you introduce to Jesus today?

Lord Jesus, make me more like you. Make my calling sure. May my heart and my mouth be open to confessing you as Christ, my Lord and Saviour, in whose name I pray. Amen

Summer Blessings

Mary . . . sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.   Luke 10:39-40

Here we see Mary and Martha met Jesus. If you describe yourself as a “doer” or an organiser, you can understand where Martha was coming from. She welcomed Jesus and his disciples into her home—a wonderful thing to do. But she made herself so busy with the preparations and the work of hospitality that she didn’t slow down and pay ­attention to Jesus. In fact, she got upset with her sister, Mary, for doing just that.

Do you ever make yourself so busy (even with good things) that you miss out on hearing the voice of Jesus in your life? Jesus told Martha not to be worried and upset but to ­focus on the main thing that is ­important.

Does this mean we shouldn’t do any work for the kingdom of God? Should we only sit still and reflect on the Bible and pray? No, we are certainly called to be active doing the Lord’s work. In fact, the story of Mary and Martha comes right after the parable of the good Samaritan, a story in which Jesus praises someone who works hard to be a neighbour, showing compassion and hospitality.

Instead of going to either extreme (trying to do everything or doing nothing at all), we can focus on the most important thing, which is Jesus himself. Inspired by his love, we can show hospitality to the people around us.

Lord, help me to focus on the one thing that is important: you. Help me to welcome you into my home, my heart, and my life. Amen.

Summer Blessingsu

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. —  Hebrews 4:9-10

Vacations are often a source of rest for many people. They are something that we long for ­after many months of hard work.

Each week we need a time of rest too. Earlier this month we spoke of God’s rest on the seventh day when he completed the work of creation. That set a pattern for us that is worth keeping. In the midst of our busy lives each week, it is good to take a day to rest from our work, to take time to worship and honour God, and to give to and share with others, especially people who are in need.

The author of Hebrews points out that the promise to enter God’s rest still stands. So, for all of us, this remains something to strive for and long for.

Echoing the warning signs mentioned earlier, Hebrews notes that some of God’s people hardened their hearts and refused to trust in God, so they did not enter his rest. Nevertheless, the promise of entering God’s rest is still there.

The promise is for everyone who believes in the good news of Jesus Christ. Entering God’s rest is something we may long for and desire. It is even something we can begin to enjoy in Christ now, and we are promised that it will be complete when Jesus comes again.

This is not a call to stop all of our activity and our work. Instead, it is a call to continue believing in Christ, knowing that through him we will enter God’s promised rest and live with him forever. 

Lord God, help us to find true rest in you. Amen.

Blessings of Summer

As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”  Genesis 29:13-14

When you’ve made a mess of your life, you need a safe place to land.

After a long journey, Jacob, running for his life, arrives at the home of his uncle. These are “his” people, his mother’s family. This, surely, should be a good place to begin rebuilding his life. The fact that God had guided him to this spot—and Laban’s warm welcome—must have reassured Jacob. He would have a home away from home.

Perhaps “your” people are a group of friends to whom God has led you, people who will stick with you through good times and hard times. Perhaps you’ve made a mess of your life, but God has led you to find reliable support in a recovery group or even in prison. Sometimes God graciously pro­vides us safe places, as he does for Jacob, so that we can begin growing and rebuilding our lives.

But the most important change God works in our lives is not in our circumstances or our location; it is in our hearts. God may sometimes grant a reprieve from the effects of our sin. But as Jacob will learn, God continues to pursue us until we rest in his grace alone.

The only place to truly be at home is at the cross of Christ, where sins are forgiven and messed-up lives are made new. Won’t you flee to Jesus today? 

Holy Spirit, thank you for providing places of temporary refuge in the midst of our harried lives. Keep directing us toward the true rest that is in Christ alone. Amen.

Blessings of Summer

Genesis 2:1-3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all [his] work. . . .

I must admit that I miss the notion of Sunday as a different day from all the others. Although as a child, I recall attending 3 services a day plus morning and afternoon Sunday schools; in many senses far from a day of rest.

From earliest times the people of God replicated the story of creation because “On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done.

Nick is a small-business ­owner. He runs a restaurant. He opened it a few years ago, and he is still spending countless hours improving its operations and managing the staff. “There’s only one problem,” Nick admits. “When Sunday comes, I have no time or ­energy for the church.”

We all live in a world that pushes us to run faster and work harder. How does your calendar look? Do you have time for God and for your spiritual welfare? Do you have time for your loved ones and for the ministry of your local community of faith?

In the Bible we discover the God-ordained rhythm of life. God the Creator labours for six days and rests on the seventh. We all need regular time off to rest and be spiritually recharged in God’s presence.

The concept of biblical shalom, or peace, is all-encompassing. It includes inner wholeness and tranquility. Such harmony is unattainable if we routinely ignore our spiritual and physical rest.

Sabbath can be described as God’s “reset button” for us. Resting is central to wholeness because God uses his holy day to restore our shalom. Let us not forget about our spiritual and physical rest as we search for meaning and inner peace!

Father, thank you for teaching us about the healthy patterns of work and spiritual rest. Help us to stop running so that we can take time for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.