Separated

Romans 8:38-39 (Message)

I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

How did Paul get so convinced?

"I'm absolutely convinced," he says, that there is nothing anywhere that can separate us from God's love.

How have we become so convinced, sometimes, that nothing can connect us to God's love?

My cell phone won't work. Somebody cut me off in traffic. The Braves' bullpen blew another one. My toe hurts. My kid was rude. I was rude. My soup is cold. There's static on my radio.

God must not love me.

I'm separated.

OK, we would probably realize how silly that statement is if we said it out loud. So we don't say it.

We just live like we believe it.

Not the Apostle Paul. I'm sure he had moments of spiritual struggle. We know as much from scripture.

But he always knew, deep down, that God's love is just too powerful.

No matter how much static gets in our signal...we're not ever really separated.

There's a lot of power in knowing that truth. If we can't be separated from God's love, it means our task is simply to learn how better to tune in to what God is already doing all around us.

Paul learned that power on the Damascus Road.

Blinded by the risen Christ, he sat in darkness for three days. He had time to think. Time to know.

His conclusion? Nothing can separate us.

May God clear our minds and steady our hearts with a knowledge of his presence and love.

Prayer: Nothing "thinkable or unthinkable" can get between us and your love. You embrace us that completely.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: I John 3:1

We'll see you at SOTH this Sunday for worship --- our theme will be part two of Max Lucado's "3:16." God Gives. Worship at 9 & 11 with Sunday School at 10:15.

Demonstration

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


I know a man who is waiting.

He's waiting, to start going to church.

And he famously said that he'd one day go to church when he felt that he'd gotten his life straight.

It just didn't seem right to him to go to church when he had so many things to work out.

Guess what?

He still doesn't go to church.

He's north of 60 now.

I have to wonder when "good enough" will get here. Maybe you know this man, too. Maybe this has been you at one time or another in your life.

It's hard for us to imagine the kind of love that Paul describes in Romans 5:8. We just don't see these kinds of loving demonstrations too often on the evening news.

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Salvation really is about Jesus, not us. It's his work...it's what he does.

If we could save ourselves, then all of this cross business just starts to seem a little bit messy and unnecessary, doesn't it?

Of course, we can't.

If we wait until we're good enough...to restore that relationship...or make that phone call...or take that chance...or open that door...we may be waiting a long, long time.

This is the day. The time is now. God's already been loving us since before the world knew our names.

He's made a demonstration of that love.

Our task is to believe...to accept the gift...to live out lives of response and thanksgiving.

Prayer: We know that every day, you "put your love on the line for us." You risk rejection, allowing us not to return your love if we so choose. Help us to take your extended hand of grace, and to live deeply in your love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 8:38-39

Friend

"Reconciliation," statue at Coventry Cathedral, England

John 15:12-15 (Message)

"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you.

This is the very best way to love.

Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you.

I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning.

No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

What's better?

Quality or Quantity?

A huge buffet of really mediocre, lukewarm stuff...

Or a nice little portion of something really unbelievable?

We want both...right?

The good news is that the love of God in Jesus really is both plentiful, and the best.

But we live in a world that values quantity.

Bigger is always better. More "friends," more rooms in our houses, more dollars in our account, prestigious members in our churches, stuff in our closets.

What if we instead focused on "the best."

Beef jerky "love" or a T-bone steak?

I'll take the T-bone.

"Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love."

The very best.

So, how did Jesus love? Sacrificially. Completely. Without reservation. Without hesitation.

And that took him to a cross?

Yes. But also to a resurrection.

And the amazing thing about love...is that when you empty it out...it's not really empty.

This best kind of love finds itself "complete" as it is poured out for others. It's the kind of love in which Christ's joy becomes our own, and vice-versa.

Pie in the sky? I don't think so. Jesus is talking about real, gritty, earthy, practical, beautiful love.

He calls us friends. And loves us...with the very best love of all.

Prayer: You could call us anything, but you choose to call us friends. We know that there is no greater love than friendship with you. Teach us the truth of what that can mean in our lives.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 5:8

Shown

I John 4:7-12 (Message)

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God.

Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.

The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love.

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

So, love can be "told," or "said," or it can be "shown."

Which is better?

Well, that's a difficult choice to make.

Ideally, the people who love us would both say it and show it. And that's exactly what God does for us.

But of the two, if you had to choose..."show" is the hands-down winner.

"This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only son into the world that we might live through him."

Jesus is the image...the presence...the "showing"...of the very love of God.

It's a mysterious, powerful, radical, singular sort of love.

Love that fashions a whip and clears the temple when we sin and abuse that holy space. Love that stops an execution and tells the accused to "go and sin no more." Love that speaks in parables...and washes feet...and names hypocrites...and takes the nails of the cross.

Love that cannot be contained, forever dead and gone, inside a stone tomb.

What, then, does it mean to be a follower of this Jesus...the embodied love of God?

"If we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us -- perfect love!"

Perfect love.

God's presence manifest in our lives and hearts. God dwelling "deeply" within us.

That king of love comes from God. It is sanctification...holiness...love. It is God's gift to his people.

In 1904, a wonderful hymn was written that became an essential piece of what was known as the "Welsh Revival." The lyrics perhaps best describe the kind of love we hear about in I John:

"Here is Love," ca. 1904

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood

Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide

Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Let us all His love accepting
Love Him ever all our days
Let us seek His Kingdom only
And our lives be to His praise

He alone shall be our glory
Nothing in the world we see
He has cleansed and sanctified us
He Himself has set us free

In His truth
He does direct me
By His Spirit through His Word
And His grace my need is meeting
As I trust in Him, my Lord

All His fullness He is pouring
In His love and power in me
Without measure Full and boundless
As I yield myself to Thee

Prayer: We cannot earn your love. You love us first, and we are forever grateful.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: John 15:12-15

Love

John 3:16 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The words are so familiar to many of us...as to lose some of their power and meaning.

In his book, "The 3:16 Promise," Max Lucado has called John 3:16, "the crown jewel of the New Testament."

Truly, this is the case. Every word is powerful and could be explored.

But, it all begins in love.

God's love, not ours. That is the beginning, the foundation, the ground of it all.

There is no "Christianity," or "Christians," without God's love coming first, at the beginning.

In fact, this same Gospel tells us that without Christ, "The Word," the "logos," there is no creation at all.

We are here...because God loves us.

In the Greek of John, this verse says that God so "agapao" the world.

In English, we translate the word as "love," and certainly that translation is not incorrect.

But even more specifically, the word communicates being "pleased," or "contented."

Imagine...God the creator, so pleased with his world, that he would come among us to redeem it.
Doesn't God know about all the remarkably evil stuff in this world? All the cheaters and liars, abusers and killers of body and spirit?

God most certainly does...but God's nature is to look toward redemption.

No matter how bad we get...God's love remains steadfast. There is always opportunity for us to turn and find redemption.

In fact, that's the very context of the passage from which this crown jewel emerges. It is as Jesus speaks with Nicodemus about redemption, that the language of John 3:16 first takes shape.

God so loved...you...me...in contentment, and satisfaction...not with we do, but with our identity as his children...that he gave.

And that's the greatest news that there could be.

Prayer: God our Father, we think about the depth of your great love for your children. Help us to live into that love today. May the truth of your love bring us your peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Overlooked

Matthew 25:37-40 (Message)

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about?

When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'

Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

The most familiar versions of this scripture have Jesus saying, "when you did one of these things for 'the least of these...'"

But this version is pretty striking, because it puts a little clearer face on just who those folks are: the "overlooked or ignored."

So overlooked, in fact, that even those good people who are being rewarded by Jesus in heaven for their care of others are surprised to hear what Jesus is talking about.

"When did we do good things for you, Lord?"

"When you did them for the overlooked and ignored."

Have you ever been ignored?

Sure you have.

At one time or another we've all had that feeling of being overlooked. And it doesn't feel good.

Being overlooked and ignored challenges our feelings of identity and self-worth.

The one who chooses to see us and care for us becomes pretty special in our lives.

Those moments of recognition don't make the news. They may not even register in our hearts or minds in the course of a day. But they do matter.

Steve Sjogren, one of the founders of the "servant evangelism" movement, has famously said that, "Small things, done with great love, will change the world."

Jesus seems to say the same.

Looking at the overlooked has eternal significance.

May God give us the grace to see the people and places that are so easily overlooked.

Prayer: Knowing that we are saved by grace, we pray that you would transform us into true servants of those in need all around us. Show us the depths of your teaching, and help us to know that serving those in need is the very same as serving you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Neighbor

Luke 10:25-37 (Message)

The Good Samaritan

25Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"

26He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

27He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

28"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."

29Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

30-32Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

33-35"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'

36"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

37"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

"How do you define neighbor?"

Well, for me it's the folks who live at 3780 and 3800 Georgia Drive, Douglasville, Georgia, 30135.

We each own our little square thirds of an acre in the Ashworth subdivision and that's where the daily drama of our family lives play out.

Neighbors.

I've had good ones and bad ones. I bet you have too.

The best of the folks who occupied space next door were "neighbors," not just because of where their house was located in proximity to mine.

The best ones were our friends.

They chose to love us, above and beyond the call of duty. In fact, some of our old Augusta neighbors still read this blog (Hi Shane and Shannon), even though they too have since moved on to other locations.

The man who questioned Jesus in the story above wanted to limit his definition.

He thought he knew who was in and who was out. Samaritans, certainly, were among the "out" folks.

Jews like this man considered them dirty, other, foreign and generally hostile. Even though they lived next door to the people of Israel, the relationship wasn't a good one.

Jesus' story blows up those kinds of foregone conclusions.

Your neighbor can be anybody, regardless of who they are or where they're from.

"Neighbor" is a condition of the heart. "Love God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and heart." "And love your neighbor as yourself."

It's easy to love the neighbors who love us.

It's easy once we know people and trust them. It's easy when they look like us and share our worldview.

But God has created neighbor-folks who have hearts for service and love...and put them everywhere...even where we'd least expect.

What kind of neighbor do we make? A heart full of grace and determined to serve is the most neighborly...and God-filled of them all.

Prayer: May we hear the words of your parable, and bring them to life in our own lives. Help us to be the neighbor to others that we should be.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Matthew 25:37-40

Clothe

Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

For me, this passage of scripture has come to have unbreakable ties to weddings.

It's been the scripture that I've read at most of the weddings I've conducted during my years as a pastor.

I love the picture of love that we're given, and I find that this vision in Colossians stands in nice contrast to the usual things that surround a wedding.

I've just been part of way too many weddings in my life where nobody can remember anything of significance that happened because they were all consumed with worry over the things that didn't really matter.

I always find myself wondering whether folks realize that there's more than a cultural ceremony going on --- but the beginning of a lifelong covenant?

Here, Paul isn't worried about the right clothes, the placement of the wedding party, the trappings of the day, or who is impressed and made happy.

He's concerned with the clothing of love.

The images are those of serving, giving and unity. But of course these aren't just ideas that apply in a marriage.

How can we move through all the deep places of life with spirits of forgiveness, love and unity? How can we remember that there's more than silly details happening each day? That there are deep things of covenant and truth...and God?

Live...Paul says..."as the Lord forgave you." A joyful heart for serving starts with that kind of clothing...humble and forgiven, fresh and clean. Focused on all the things that really matter most.

Prayer: Our prayer is that we might be "clothed in love," putting the interests of others even ahead of our own.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Wash

John 13:3-17 (The Message)

Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God.

So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron.

When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"

Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."

Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"

Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."

"Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"

Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene.

So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet.

I've laid down a pattern for you.

What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious.

A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

"What I've done, you do..." Jesus says.

And what Jesus does, over and over again throughout scripture, is to give and serve.

The disciples were appalled at his scandalous display of servitude.

He washed their feet, taking the role of the lowest-on-the-totem-pole servant. You can almost reach out and touch Peter's palpable discomfort.

And who can blame him? Nobody wants to let someone who is an authority figure stoop to a role that doesn't "become" them.

But serving becomes Jesus. And he says that it becomes his disciples.

Jesus' very character is that of a servant. And maybe we can see ourselves in that role, even more readily than that of the person who is in need, receiving what the Master has to offer.

Christian life is about serving...but only once we have received from Jesus. Knowing what it feels like to receive freely inspires us to serve.

Service can happen with humility, and no record of who-owes-who because we realize that everyone needs to receive sometimes, as well.

Jesus the teacher...teaches by doing. The master who serves his students.

Only simple words are needed after that sort of example..."Now do what I've done."

Prayer: We are amazed at Jesus' example of washing his disciples' feet. May we learn from this master-servant how we can love and serve those around us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

Lift

Luke 5:17-20 (Message)

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.

Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus.

When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, "Friend, I forgive your sins."

Jesus was impressed "by their bold belief."

Impressing Jesus is a pretty awesome thing in the New Testament.

It does happen a few times. And it seems always to have to do with the individual's (or in this case, the group's) willingness to accept and believe.

The action here...the serving...shows their faith.

And before Jesus even heals their friend physically, he provides for his healing spiritually.

"Friend, I forgive your sins."

Who are we in this story?

Part of the watching crowd? The Pharisees on the sideline, hoping that someone will trip up?

Are we the paralytic on the stretcher, dependent on his friends, hoping they don't lose their grip?

Are we the friends, straining hard and working with focus to bring their friend close to Jesus?

It probably depends on the day.

If we're honest, sometimes...maybe many times, we do sit out on the sidelines, out of fear, or judgment, or uncertainty.

Sometimes we are truly helpless, and maybe that's when we're most open to help from God and other people.

And sometimes, we have the opportunity to be servants.

Be thankful for those moments when you've been helped, and have the opportunity, means and motivation to help someone else.

Serving is an act of faith, and it deepens our relationship with Jesus, every single time.

And, with a special nod to SOTH's Carlton Moore for the reference, I thought I'd include the lyrics to "Gotta Serve Somebody" by Mr. Bob Dylan:

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Prayer: Like the friends of the paralyzed man, teach us to work hard to bring others close to Jesus.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: John 13:3-17

Selfless

Philippians 2:5-8 (Message)

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.

Not at all.

When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!

Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process.

He didn't claim special privileges.

Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

The heart of God is that of a servant.

This passage of scripture, often referred to as the "Philippian Hymn," shows us that heart.

The Christian idea of incarnation is radical. God becomes human, with intent.

Jesus is a picture of self-imposed humility and servitude.

But that's not to be confused with a picture of weakness. That's the mistake that many made when they first experienced him. It was the mistake of those who rejected his message, who arrested him, convicted and mocked him.

But, at the foot of the cross, even the Romans soldiers were moved to profess faith.

Even in his death, Jesus didn't curse God or those around him. He served them by asking God for their forgiveness.

Finally convinced, the Roman centurion uttered the words, "Surely he was the Son of God."

There is great strength in service. And there is no greater strength than humility.

If this is the heart of God, embodied in Christ, then it must be the way of life that's best for us as well. We will need God's help, every day, to get there. But with his grace, we can begin taking steps.

Prayer: We know that your nature is to be self-emptying, giving and serving. May we learn to serve others, in the example of Christ, having the same mind that is in him.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 5:17-20

Measure

Luke 6:38 (NIV)

Give, and it will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Jesus says that giving results in more giving.

More precisely, he says that giving results in receiving.

Others have noticed this phenomenon too.

The Beatles wrote about it in their song, "The End." John Lennon said, "Paul had a line in it, 'And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give,' which is a very cosmic, philosophical line."

Not just cosmic and philosophical...Christian, it turns out, too.

At least according to what Jesus had to say in today's scripture.

Now, there are preachers out there who will tell you that you should give to their church or ministry because if you do, God will bless you and you'll get rich. I don't think that's right at all.

But I do think that it's an undeniable fact of the universe, that giving begets more giving.

Or more precisely, that giving does impact receiving.

I'll never forget "Pauline." She was the first terminally ill person whom I'd ever served as pastor. I was 23 years old, and the thought of death scared me to death. But it didn't scare Pauline. In fact, she was at peace, and probably did far more to counsel me through the situation than I ever did for her. I watched as the people around her...family, friends, church members...circled around her in care. I learned that this was what Pauline had faithfully done for others throughout her life.

And in the end, it came back to her many times over.

There was a full house of family and loved ones at her funeral. She touched a lot of people with her love.

"Give," Jesus says... "And a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall be poured out into your lap."

May God use us to start this cause-and-effect cycle of giving and receiving his blessings.

Prayer: Show us how "generosity begets generosity" in our own lives. May we give to other people just as we would like to receive: with kindness, goodness, and grace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Romans 8:32 (No blog)

Worship at SOTH this Sunday --- we'll be talking about the 6th spiritual discipline that God uses in moving us into deeper relationship with him: Serving others. Worship at 9 and 11 AM with Sunday School for all ages at 10:15.

Cycle

From 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 (NIV)

But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.

At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality...

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.


God seems to really like "cycles."

There is a beautiful elegance to these neatly intertwined, cause-and-effect cycles of life.

For instance, Paul points out to the Corinthians in today's scripture, God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.

Those acts of giving and Christian charity show thankfulness and bring glory to God, who was the original giver...the real source of all generosity.

It's a cycle.

And it's a shame for us to break the beauty of that chain.

God's desire is for balance...that his children would have neither too little, nor too much.

And the amazing part is that he allows us to participate.

The sun gives energy to the plants that feed us. Eventually, all things return to the soil through which God makes us. These cycles of God's design are all around us.

When we learn to "excel in giving," we help others see how good life lived in harmony with God can really be.

Prayer: We pray that our hearts would turn to you, so that our hands will be regulated by the truth of love that we learn. May giving flow naturally from hearts that overflow with your abundance.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 6:38

Rob

Malachi 3:8-10 (The Message)

Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day.

You ask, 'How have we robbed you?'

The tithe and the offering—that's how! And now you're under a curse —the whole lot of you—because you're robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple.

Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.

When we talk scripture, and giving...this is the scripture people usually want to read last, if at all.

This is good, old fashioned, Old Testament honesty.

And it's pretty tough for all of us to hear.

And like most tough things, it's something we really need.

"Be honest," God says. "You're stealing from me if you don't learn how to give."

Stealing from God and a lack of honesty.

God just slices through all of our good excuses.

"I can't afford to give..."

"I'll start giving next month..."

"I don't have enough to live on now as it is..."

"Why should I?"

All those excuses start from a faulty view of the world.

We forget that we don't provide for ourselves, but that everything is a gift from God.

God's reaction seems to say, "You're stealing what's mine."

But that's not the end of the message. God has some very good things in store.

"Test me," God says.

Really, God says, "test me."

Isn't that great?

"Give me what's mine," God says, "and see what happens in your life."

God is the God of blessings.

If we believe that all things belong to him, and that he clothes the "lillies of the field" in splendor, then how much more will he take care of us? At least, that's what Jesus said.

So, here's our promise for the day: "Test me in this, and see if I don't open up heaven itself and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams."

May it be truly so for all of us.

Prayer: Teach us to "test" you and not "rob" you, our God. We seek to learn the grace of giving so that we can bring the whole tithe into your storehouse.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

Giver

Deuteronomy 8:18 (The Message)

If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!"—well, think again.

Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.

We would do well to realize the truth of this scripture.

I really believe that it's the beginning of what giving is all about.

Anybody who gives, participates in an act of humility.

It's hard for me to give away what I got for myself...what I worked hard to obtain for my own well being, and that of those I love.

In fact, it just wouldn't make any sense to give that kind of possession away at all, would it?

But what if you really believe that you're not the source of your own sustenance, in the first place?

That's a pretty radical idea, but without it, giving can't even really find a place to start in a person's life, much less grow and flourish.

Within just a few generations of their arrival and the Promised Land, the people of Israel had begun to prosper.

These were the people of God's covenant with Abraham, and they were receiving the blessings that God had always promised.

But God knew that they would be tempted at that very moment of blessing to stop giving thanks...and start believing that they had done it all themselves.

Sound familiar? It sounds a lot like my own life sometimes...and a lot like the culture in which we live.

Jesus-followers can show the world another kind of life. One that's radical and counter-cultural. A life that's about giving...a life that knows we didn't do this ourselves.

Be thankful and remember that God is the real giver.

Prayer: May we learn the lesson and always remember: It is you who gave us the strength to produce whatever wealth we have. We thank you for your love and grace that knows no end. You are a giving God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Malachi 3:8-10

Fighting

I Corinthians 1:10-17 (The Message)

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master.

I'll put it as urgently as I can:

You must get along with each other.

You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

I bring this up because some from Chloe's family brought a most disturbing report to my attention—that you're fighting among yourselves!

I'll tell you exactly what I was told: You're all picking sides, going around saying, "I'm on Paul's side," or "I'm for Apollos," or "Peter is my man," or "I'm in the Messiah group."

I ask you, "Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own? Was Paul crucified for you? Was a single one of you baptized in Paul's name?"

I was not involved with any of your baptisms—except for Crispus and Gaius—and on getting this report, I'm sure glad I wasn't. At least no one can go around saying he was baptized in my name. (Come to think of it, I also baptized Stephanas's family, but as far as I can recall, that's it.)

God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him.

And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

Human beings tend to naturally segregate themselves into like groups.

What about human beings in a church?

Well...the same can certainly be true.

We find people who share a similar world-view, who have similar backgrounds and interests...and we can become a little "pocket" of sorts within the larger body.

To some degree, that kind of grouping really is natural and can even be healthy. Folks do need other people to feel connected to, and everybody needs to feel like they can be accepted and at home with one another.

But the problems come when sub-groups within a larger whole begin to do that other thing that comes naturally.

Comparison and maneuvering.

When group A decides that group B is wrong...and that they're right...and then they spend their time together complaining about the ins and outs of group B's position...

Uh-oh.

In the early Corinthian church, this kind of thing had already taken root.

Based on today's scripture, we know that there were "Paul people," "Apollos people," "Peter people," and "Messiah people," just to name a few. So Paul gives that group...and us as well...a reminder that we all need.

"You must get along with each other."

Notice that he says, "must." Not "should," or "maybe," or "it would be nice if..."

It's an urgent matter that the people of Christ get along with each other.

If we don't, we lose our witness to the world. Instantly.

Further, we trivialize Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

What personal agenda could be worth that?

Prayer: May we remember how important "agreement" really is in the life of the church. Forgive us when we cause division and harbor it in our hearts. May we truly be one in Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: (No blog) Proverbs 27:17

Worship services this Sunday @ SOTH -- 9 & 11 AM with SS for all ages at 10:15. This week's step on the path: Giving. See you there!