God's Abundant Blessings

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
Righteousness and Wisdom

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

The Message

 ^6-7Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
 ^8-11God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

   He throws caution to the winds,
      giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
   His right-living, right-giving ways
      never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
 ^12-15Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!

For Reflection
What does it mean to become a lavish planter?  Many personnel evaluation forms include the standard, "consistently exceeds expectations."  What is the expected response to God's abiding love?

What expectations to people have for you that are derived from conventional wisdom?  How is conventional wisdom differ from the wisdom that resides in you and is derived from study of scripture and guided by the Holy Spirit?  When conflicting action is suggested by conventional wisdom and Godly wisdom how do you respond?

Pray
that you will study and pray earnestly for the wisdom from the true source of all wisdom, God.  Pray that you will be able to differentiate the actions you take which are based on conventional worldly wisdom and actions based on Godly wisdom.  Pray that you consistently exceed God's expectations for righteous living.

Remember All of the Commandments

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
Righteousness and Wisdom

Numbers 15:37-41

The Message

^37-41 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them that from now on they are to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to mark each corner tassel with a blue thread. When you look at these tassels you'll remember and keep all the commandments of God, and not get distracted by everything you feel or see that seduces you into infidelities. The tassels will signal remembrance and observance of all my commandments, to live a holy life to God. I am your God who rescued you from the land of Egypt to be your personal God. Yes, I am God, your God."

For Reflection
Do you wear a fraternity pin or one from the Rotary?  Do you wear a class ring or a wedding band?  Do you carry or wear a cross?  What symbol do you wear that reminds you of the your Christian beliefs?  The symbol that you wear is much like the tassels.  It is not only a reminder to you but also a notice to all that you are a Christian and hold strongly to principal and practice of righteous living.

God is the beginning of all wisdom.  Wearing a Christian symbol that your relationship with God is one of reverence, awe and piety, will remind you of the Godly wisdom you possess and will help you stay on the path of righteous living.

Pray
that you will carry your fear of God into all aspects of your life.  Pray for the wisdom that a disciplined relationship with God will bring.  Pray that your deepening understanding of scripture in the light of Christ's life and teaching will lead you into righteous living.  Pray that God will help you make good choices.

The Sun of Righteousness

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
Righteousness and Wisdom

Malachi 4:1-6

The Message

The Sun of Righteousness Will Dawn

 ^1-3 "Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash— a black day. But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you'll tromp on the wicked. They'll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day." God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. ⁴"Remember and keep the revelation I gave through my servant Moses, the revelation I commanded at Horeb for all Israel, all the rules and procedures for right living.
 ^5-6"But also look ahead: I'm sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of God—the decisive Judgment Day! He will convince parents to look after their children and children to look up to their parents. If they refuse, I'll come and put the land under a curse."

For Reflection
Those that believe in the Now and Future Christ will be bathed in the light of the sun while those who do not believe will still suffer the flames of their disbelief.  The God of the Angle Armies says that we who believe will be bursting with the energy of the Holy Spirit.  Righteous is achieved by those wise enough to follow the laws of Moses.  Wisdom is knowing what to do.  Righteousness is having the courage to follow through.

Pray
that you have the courage to follow your faith.  Pray for the wisdom that leads to righteous living.  Pray that you seek opportunities to improve your faith knowledge and that you continue to grow in grace.

Following Community

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Respecting Community Standards

Job 2:1-9

The Message

The Second Test: Health
 1-3 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan also showed up. God singled out Satan, saying, "And what have you been up to?" Satan answered God, "Oh, going here and there, checking things out." Then God said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him, is there—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work."

 4-5 Satan answered, "A human would do anything to save his life. But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what."

 6 God said, "All right. Go ahead—you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don't kill him."

 7-8 Satan left God and struck Job with terrible sores. Job was ulcers and scabs from head to foot. They itched and oozed so badly that he took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, then went and sat on a trash heap, among the ashes.

 9 His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"

For Reflection
Even in you most intimate community there are those whose council, while given in good faith, seduces you into doubt and unGodly thought and deed.  Think of a time when you felt pressure to walk away from commitment to God.  Like Job, are willing to suffer for God's sake?

Pray
prayers of confession.  Seek God's forgiveness for those week moments of doubt and transgression.  Pray for His help in forming and participating in communities that reflect The Way.

Walking in Integrity

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Respecting Community Standards


Psalm 26:1-11

The Message

A David Psalm
 1 Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop.
   I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and
      I'm not budging.

 2 Examine me, God, from head to foot,
      order your battery of tests.
   Make sure I'm fit
      inside and out

 3 So I never lose
      sight of your love,
   But keep in step with you,
      never missing a beat.

 4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters,
      I don't pal around with thugs;
   I hate that pack of gangsters,
      I don't deal with double-dealers.

 6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap,
      then join hands with the others in the great circle,
      dancing around your altar, God,
   Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs,
      telling God-stories.

 8-10 God, I love living with you;
      your house glows with your glory.
   When it's time for spring cleaning,
      don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks,
   Men with bags of dirty tricks,
      women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.

 11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you;
      now be aboveboard with me.
   I'm on the level with you, God;
      I bless you every chance I get.

For Reflection
What joy the psalmist must feel.  He declares his commitment to God and sings praises to His glory. He tries to hold council with other good people and asks repeatedly for God to purify him and to guide his daily activity.

Pray
the prayer of the psalmist.  Read the passages again as a prayer and add actions which are specific to you.

Integrity of Heart

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Respecting Community Standards

1 Kings 9:1-5

The Message

 1-2 After Solomon had completed building The Temple of God and his own palace, all the projects he had set his heart on doing, God appeared to Solomon again, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

 3-5 And God said to him, "I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.'

For Reflection
Integrity.  Easy to say -- not always easy to do.  God answers prayers.  God only asks that we be obedient to His word living in His presence.

Pray
that you remain faithful to Gods will.  Pray that you will listen closely to God's guidance. 

The Blameless Walk

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Respecting Community Standards

Psalm 15

The Message

A David Psalm
 1 God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?
   How do we get on your guest list?

 2 "Walk straight,
      act right,
         tell the truth.

 3-4 "Don't hurt your friend,
      don't blame your neighbor;
         despise the despicable.

 5 "Keep your word even when it costs you,
      make an honest living,
         never take a bribe.

   "You'll never get
   blacklisted
   if you live like this."

For Reflection
Walk blamelessly,  How are you doin'?

Pray
That you live a blameless live.  Pray for forgiveness when you feel that you have not met the blameless standard.  Focus your prayer on one troublesome area where you missed the mark.

Pray for the Faith Community

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Respecting Community Standards

Philippians 1:3-11

The Message (MSG)

A Love That Will Grow

 ^3-6Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. ^7-8It's not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!
 ^9-11So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
 

For Reflection
Can you imagine what it must have been like in those first formative years of the Christian faith?  How confusing it must have seemed to the new converts, to say nothing of the confusion Jews faced.  Paul writes often to confirm their covenant relationships and to support their new found faith.  Paul focuses them on the central issue, love.  Still today Christianity can confuse.  How does it help when you become confused to turn to that central principle, LOVE?

Pray
that you live a live a live guided by sincere love.  Pray that you live a life that is attractive to all.

Ready to Share

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Empowering the Needy

1 Timothy 6:11-19

The Message

 ^11-12But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. ^13-16I'm charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn't give an inch: Keep this command to the letter, and don't slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. He's the only one death can't touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He's never been seen by human eyes—human eyes can't take him in! Honor to him, and eternal rule! Oh, yes.
 ^17-19Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

For Reflection 

Timothy is asked to forsake his worldly persona and be transformed into a Christ centered person who lives in the hollow of God's hand.

Pray
for "a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy.  Pray that you "Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

Sharing Equally

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Empowering the Needy

1 Samuel 30:21-25

The Message

 ²¹ Then David came to the two hundred who had been too tired to continue with him and had dropped out at the Brook Besor. They came out to welcome David and his band. As he came near he called out, "Success!"
 ²² But all the mean-spirited men who had marched with David, the rabble element, objected: "They didn't help in the rescue, they don't get any of the plunder we recovered. Each man can have his wife and children, but that's it. Take them and go!"
 ^23-25 "Families don't do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!" said David as he broke up the argument. "You can't act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!" From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.
 
For Reflection 

"Mean-spirited men...the rabble element..."
Who are they? 
Have you seen them? 
The rational ones. 
The legalistic ones. 
The fairness fighters; filled with righteous indignation. 
The epitome of cultural bias--the selfish. 

All share equally the spoils in the Kingdom of God.

Pray
that you are not caught up in the culture of the present kingdom.  Pray that you follow Christ in the Kingdom of God.  Pray for supreme selflessness.

Generosity in God's Kingdom

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Empowering the Needy

Matthew 20:1-15

The Message

A Story About Workers

 ^1-2 "God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. ^3-5"Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.  ^5-6"He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, 'Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?'
 ⁷"They said, 'Because no one hired us.'
   "He told them to go to work in his vineyard.
 ⁸"When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, 'Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.'
 ^9-12"Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, 'These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.'
 ^13-15"He replied to the one speaking for the rest, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?

For Reflection
Did the estate manager hire just to get work done?  I'm sure that is what the first workers thought.  Surely the manager did not expect the second and third hires to get as much work done.  Why did he hire them?  What was his objective?  How is one's need different from one's want.  How is God's sense of fairness different?


Pray
that we hesitate to make God into our own image.  Pray that in God's kingdom all are acceptable at equal value.  Pray that you see all people as equal in the sight of God.

Provision for the Poor

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Empowering the Needy

Leviticus 19:1-10

The Message

 ^1-2 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be holy because I, God, your God, am holy. ³ "Every one of you must respect his mother and father. "Keep my Sabbaths. I am God, your God.
 ⁴ "Don't take up with no-god idols. Don't make gods of cast metal. I am God, your God.
 ^5-8 "When you sacrifice a Peace-Offering to God, do it as you've been taught so it is acceptable. Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is to be burned up. If it is eaten on the third day it is polluted meat and not acceptable. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is holy to God. That person will be cut off from his people.
 ^9-10 "When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest. Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God.
 

For Reflection
How do we provide for the provision for the poor? Many churches have special funds to help those in need.  Many of us give money in response to special fund raising efforts to help those in need.  How can we see the pictures of those in Africa suffering famine and not be moved?

How would your life change if you had no appreciable assets and you lived alone on a government provided stipend of $800 a month?  Where would you live? How would you eat and cloth yourself?  In what kind of culture would you be immersed?  What tole would poverty take on your faith?

Through federal and state taxes we fund programs intended to provide food, housing, clothing and medical care to the needy.  Today all of those programs are in jeopardy.  As our national wealth erodes, law makers are looking for places to cut spending.  Nearly sixty percent of the national budget is dedicated to medical, social security and other essential care.  Think about what you would advocate in these economic times.  Where would you cut?  Would you be willing to give more in taxes?  Try to establish a God-centered response. What would you leave for gleaning?

Pray
that the poor of our nation are not sacrificed for a "balanced budget."  Pray that our lawmakers find solutions to our current economic problem that are not at the expense of those who can least afford them.  Pray for all people that suffer famine and the evils of tyrannies all over the world.  Pray that we find compassion for those whose needs are great.

Sharing Bread with the Poor

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Empowering the Needy

Proverbs 22:1-9

The Message

The Cure Comes Through Discipline

 ¹ A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.

 ² The rich and the poor shake hands as equals—
   God made them both!

 ³ A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks;
   a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.

 ⁴ The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God
   is plenty and honor and a satisfying life.

 ⁵ The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick;
   if you know what's good for you, stay clear of it.

 ⁶ Point your kids in the right direction—
   when they're old they won't be lost.

 ⁷ The poor are always ruled over by the rich,
   so don't borrow and put yourself under their power.

 ⁸ Whoever sows sin reaps weeds,
   and bullying anger sputters into nothing.

 ⁹ Generous hands are blessed hands
   because they give bread to the poor.

For Reflection
No, Ben Franklin didn't write these!  There are a lot of ways to be poor.  My mother's folks came to this country around 1900 from Germany.  They had no money.  I have pictures of the house in Bower Hill which looked typically European -- picket fenced and a cow and chickens in the back yard.  They may lacked wealth, but they were not poor in spirit.  And neither were the other Central Europeans that settled in the same steel mill town. There was work and they took advantage of it. They were rich in their strong Lutheran heritage.

The poor will always be with us.  Being poor is bad enough, but being also poor in spirit is worse.  The fact that people are poor in wealth and spirit for whatever reason should not alter the fact that they need help.  We who have wealth need to share it.   We who are rich in spirit should invite others to share in the Spirit.

Pray
that we learn to respond in humility to the needs of the poor.  Help us to find ways to enable the poor in spirit to find meaning in their lives.  Pray for generous hands.

Seeking Comfort in Community

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Choosing a Community

Ruth 1:1-7

The Message

 ^1-2Once upon a time—it was back in the days when judges led Israel— there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man's name was Elimelech; his wife's name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion—all Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there. ^3-5 Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband.

^6-7 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.

For Reflection
In those days to live without a husband was to live as a non-person. With no family to support them, Naomi sought the only comfort that was available to her. 

Where do you find comfort?  How did you select the Christian community in which you now enjoy the fellowship in the Holy Spirit?  Why did you not select other Christian fellowships?  Have you left one Christian community for another?  What did you find there that you could not find in the former community?

People change.   Life circumstances change.  The character of Christian communities change.  Discomfort and change is inevitable.  God calls each believer to different purposes.  God will resolve the conflict.  Pray and listen quietly to his gentle guidance.

Pray
for all people who can not find comfort in community.  Pray for all Christians, that they may find comfort in the fellowship of believers.  Pray that you will listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit to guide you in selecting communities to which you can practice faithfulness to your call.

Restoring Community

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Choosing a Community

Genesis 50:15-21

The Message

^14-15 After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?"
 ^16-17 So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command: Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.' Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"
   When Joseph received their message, he wept.
 ¹⁸ Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, "We'll be your slaves."
 ^19-21 Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

For Reflection
OK; here's the rub with all this accept differences stuff.  The differences in worship styles among Christian demonations (and for that matter individuals) is that each sees differences in worship style arising out of differences in substantial theology (seen most dramatically in the reformation).  Each group is rooted in their "rightness" and, therefore, is offended by the other.

God, our father, like Joesph's father, commanded us to forgive each other.  Can we, like Joseph, forgive each other for the offenses derived from our differences in worship?  Can we see beyond the differences into the Holy Spirit working His mysteries through all Christians?

Pray
that you will recognize the Holy Spirit working in all Christian communities.  Pray that the diversity of Christian believers extends the call to God's Kingdom so all may practice Godly ways.  Pray for the Church universal to be consistent with God's call to love and service.

Seeking Unity in Community

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Choosing a Community

Romans 14:1-9

The Message

Cultivating Good Relationships

 ¹ Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. ^2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
 ⁵Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
 ^6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

For Reflection
Living in the hollow of God's hand is living for the glory of God.  Each of us worships God in his/her own way in response to His grace.  God's grace has no rules.  God's grace is given freely to all who ask.  The only rule that matters is to serve God in love.  To me, this means leaving my judgment of others behind.  Judgment is God's domain.  We, indeed, are not answerable to each other.

Christian denominations have formed because groups of believers have similar worship preferences.  Because of this, Christianity has been able to survive and grow as an inclusive body of believers. The strength in Christianity is its ability to accept differences in worship style.  Love of God and each other is the only true standard.

Pray
that you find in the community of believers common threads of worship that are grounded in the love of God and each other.  Pray for the unity of all Christians.  Pray that you see beyond the style of worship into the core of Christian thought and deed.  Pray that  all Christians accept the differences among them as strengths in the body of Christ.

Bound together in Christ

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Choosing a Community

Romans 12:3-8

The Message

 ³I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
 ^4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
 ^6-8If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

For Reflection
One can not earn God's grace.  It is freely given. All of God's people have gifts. No gift is greater than another. No deed is greater than another.  None of us is greater in stature than another  We are bound together in a community of believers; each with our own special purpose..  Our strength in the Kingdom of God lies in our differences, not in our similarities. Service in the Lord is an exercise in humility.  Serve with out expectations of return.  Love given in service is unconditional.

Pray
that you give with out expectation of reward.  Pray that you open yourself  to the Holy Spirit and allow God to work through you.  Pray that you serve in humility. Pray that you serve with out judgment.

The Lord of All

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Choosing a Community

Romans 10:5-13

The Message

 ^4-10The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?

   The word that saves is right here,
      as near as the tongue in your mouth,
      as close as the heart in your chest.
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
 ^11-13Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."

For Reflection
To what extent do you trust the Lord?  To what extent do you give up controll to God?  The extent to which  you do these things is the measure of your confidence in your faith.

Pray
for complete trust in the promise that God will help you.  Pray for all people who cry to the Lord for help that they may recognize it when it arrives.  Pray to be part of the God's promise to serve by helping those who cry for help.

Nuturing God's Children

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Walk in Gods Path
e of life,

Judges 13:1-35

The Message

Samson

 ^2-5 At that time there was a man named Manoah from Zorah from the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren and childless. The angel of God appeared to her and told her, "I know that you are barren and childless, but you're going to become pregnant and bear a son. But take much care: Drink no wine or beer; eat nothing ritually unclean. You are, in fact, pregnant right now, carrying a son. No razor will touch his head—the boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression."
 ^6-7 The woman went to her husband and said, "A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God—terror laced with glory! I didn't ask him where he was from and he didn't tell me his name, but he told me, 'You're pregnant. You're going to give birth to a son. Don't drink any wine or beer and eat nothing ritually unclean. The boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of birth to the day of his death.'"
 ⁸ Manoah prayed to God: "Master, let the man of God you sent come to us again and teach us how to raise this boy who is to be born."

For Reflection
Each of us has the same privilege as Manoah's family.  We must strive to raise our children as though they are God's Nazirite.  Each of us must take seriously our baptismal vow to raise the child or person to follow Jesus.  It is not an option.  It is not a task taken lightly.  It is a 24-7 obligation.

Pray
that you have the courage and the fortitude to follow the children of God.  Pray that you will find opportunities to assist in the nurturing of children.  Pray that all children will come to know God and to live in the hollow of His hand.

Wonders for God's Followers

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Walk in Gods Path

Judges 13:15-23

The Message

 ¹⁵ Manoah said to the angel of God, "Please, stay with us a little longer; we'll prepare a meal for you—a young goat."
 ¹⁶ God's angel said to Manoah, "Even if I stay, I won't eat your food. But if you want to prepare a Whole-Burnt-Offering for God, go ahead—offer it!" Manoah had no idea that he was talking to the angel of God.
 ¹⁷ Then Manoah asked the angel of God, "What's your name? When your words come true, we'd like to honor you."
 ¹⁸ The angel of God said, "What's this? You ask for my name? You wouldn't understand—it's sheer wonder."
 ^19-21 So Manoah took the kid and the Grain-Offering and sacrificed them on a rock altar to God who works wonders. As the flames leapt up from the altar to heaven, God's angel also ascended in the altar flames. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground. Manoah and his wife never saw the angel of God again.
 ^21-22 Only then did Manoah realize that this was God's angel. He said to his wife, "We're as good as dead! We've looked on God!"
 ²³ But his wife said, "If God were planning to kill us, he wouldn't have accepted our Whole-Burnt-Offering and Grain-Offering, or revealed all these things to us—given us this birth announcement."

For Reflection
An angel announces the conception of Sampson.  Manoah, knowing only what he has experienced applies conventional hospitality.  With each request of the angel, the response indicates a mystery that is beyond his experience.

As I get older, I increasingly accept and marvel at the mystery that is God.  I accept, and long for the inexplicable.  I find comfort in the unexpected truth.

Pray
that you accept the mysterious God.  Pray that find delight in unexpected revelations.  Pray that you embrace the unknown in your spiritual journey.  Pray that you hear God's call and, as a child who has complete faith, act according to His whispered will.  Pray that you marvel in the mystery of it all.

The Holy and the Common

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Walk in God's Path

Leviticus 10:8-11

The Message

^8-11 God instructed Aaron: "When you enter the Tent of Meeting, don't drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, lest you die. This is a fixed rule down through the generations. Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the ritually clean and unclean. Teach the People of Israel all the decrees that God has spoken to them through Moses."

For Reflection 

I suppose this is the most difficult task that a Christian faces.  How does one distinguish between the holy and the common? Or, for that matter between the Godly and the culturally bound conventions of thought and action.  Christ calls us to become separated from this world.  We are asked to judge our own responses by the rule of love.  Ask yourself each minute of each day, "Does this thought or action belong in the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Humankind?"  Listen and follow the Spirit which resides within you.

Pray
that the God of love will guide the common place choices that we all make as life happens.  Pray quietly and listen to the Holy spirit.  Pray that you hesitate and think about the responses you make.  Pray for the wisdom to differentiate between the Spirit's call and the call of cultural convention.

Separated to the Lord

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Walk in God's Path

Numbers 6:1-8

The Message

Nazirite Vows

 ^1-4 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to God, you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes—in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins. For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine—not even the seeds, not even the skin—may be eaten. ⁵ "Also, for the duration of the consecration you must not have your hair cut. Your long hair will be a continuing sign of holy separation to God.
 ^6-7 "Also, for the duration of the consecration to God, you must not go near a corpse. Even if it's the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head.
 ⁸ "For the entire duration of your consecration you are holy to God.

For Reflection


Nazirite means to separate ones self to God as, perhaps, a monk.  It continues for a period of time agreed upon in contract at the time the vow was taken.  At the conclusion of the contract, one would sacrifice a burnt offering, a sin offering and a peace offering which included unleavened bread, drink, grain and then shaving their head and put the hair on the peace offering fire.

Think about the vow and the ritual following its completion.  today?  Suppose you wanted to take a Nazirite like vow today.  How would you metaphorically parallel a Nazirite vow?  What would you refrain from doing or do as a result of your vow? How would you consecrate yourself to God? What three offerings would you make at the vow's conclusion.  Do you want to try it?  For how long?  Go for it!

Pray
that you commitment to the Lord deepens with every breath.  Pray that you understand how you in which the Spirit dwells are consecrated to God and separated from the culture in which you live.  Pray for the sustaining hand of God to support your separateness in grace.

Hope in God's Promises

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Walk in God's Path

Romans 2:1-8

The Message

God Is Kind, but Not Soft

 ^1-2 Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. ^3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.
 ^5-8You're not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God's side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire!

For Reflection
When you criticize someone to another how do you feel? Do you want to slap your own face because of your folly?  Or do you continue, hoping the other person will enjoy mutual entertainment at another's expense.  If you can't say anything nice why say anything at all.  What is it about you that motivates speaking ill of others?

Pray
for a realization of the radical life change that God promises.  Pray to have the control which allows you to hold your tongue.  Pray for forgiveness for giving in to your impulse to speak ill of others.