Walking on Water

God's Creative Word
The Word Will Be
The Bread of Life

John 6:16-21

The Message

 ^16-21In the evening his disciples went down to the sea, got in the boat, and headed back across the water to Capernaum. It had grown quite dark and Jesus had not yet returned. A huge wind blew up, churning the sea. They were maybe three or four miles out when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, quite near the boat. They were scared senseless, but he reassured them, "It's me. It's all right. Don't be afraid." So they took him on board. In no time they reached land—the exact spot they were headed to.

For Reflection 

Storms of our lives frighten us.  They sometimes make us doubt the saving grace of God's promise.  Jesus seemed to have abandoned the disciples.  Then, in a display of his power to comfort and save, Jesus walked on the stormy water, reassured the frightened disciples, and lead them to the spot on shore which was intended.  Christ will do that for all of us. He will deliver us from our fear.

After  the Christ event, truth became knowable.

Pray

for confidence in Christ to deliver you into his loving presence.  Pray for all those who live in fear.  Pray that they will find comfort in the hollow of God's hand.

The Samaritian's Heresy

God's Creative Word
The Word Is Here and Now
Woman of Samaria

2 Kings 17:26-34

The Message

 ²⁶ This message was then sent back to the king of Assyria: "The people you brought in to occupy the towns of Samaria don't know what's expected of them from the god of the land, and now he's sent lions and they're killing people right and left because nobody knows what the god of the land expects of them."
 ²⁷ The king of Assyria ordered, "Send back some priests who were taken into exile from there. They can go back and live there and instruct the people in what the god of the land expects of them."
 ²⁸ One of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came back and moved into Bethel. He taught them how to honor and worship God.
 ^29-31 But each people that Assyria had settled went ahead anyway making its own gods and setting them up in the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that the citizens of Samaria had left behind—a local custom-made god for each people:
   for Babylon, Succoth Benoth; for Cuthah, Nergal; for Hamath, Ashima; for Avva, Nibhaz and Tartak; for Sepharvaim, Adrammelech and Anammelech (people burned their children in sacrificial offerings to these gods!).
 ^32-33 They honored and worshiped God, but not exclusively—they also appointed all sorts of priests, regardless of qualification, to conduct a variety of rites at the local fertility shrines. They honored and worshiped God, but they also kept up their devotions to the old gods of the places they had come from.
 ^34-39 And they're still doing it, still worshiping any old god that has nostalgic appeal to them. They don't really worship God—they don't take seriously what he says regarding how to behave and what to believe, what he revealed to the children of Jacob whom he named Israel. God made a covenant with his people and ordered them, "Don't honor other gods: Don't worship them, don't serve them, don't offer sacrifices to them. Worship God, the God who delivered you from Egypt in great and personal power. Reverence and fear him. Worship him. Sacrifice to him. And only him! All the things he had written down for you, directing you in what to believe and how to behave—well, do them for as long as you live. And whatever you do, don't worship other gods! And the covenant he made with you, don't forget your part in that. And don't worship other gods! Worship God, and God only—he's the one who will save you from enemy oppression.

For Reflection 

Quite a number of years ago, I was watching a TV magazine report on weddings in Japan.  Many Japanese would plan and execute a Christian wedding ceremony (Probably in American style.)  I wasn't  that they were Christian.  They just admired the wedding style.  

How often do we don the cloak of Christianity without fulling realizing what God expects from us?  Are we worshiping the God of our parents just because it has a nostalgic appeal?  How seriously do we take the robe of Christ?  To what extend are our actions consistent with God's intentions for our lives?


After  the Christ event, truth became knowable

 

Pray

that you will wear the robes of Christianity with the full understanding of what your choice means.  Pray that all you do will reflects God's intention for your life.

Feeding the Hungry

God's Creative Word
The Word Will Be
The Bread of Life

John 6:1-15

The Message

Bread and Fish for All

 ^1-4After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples. It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews. ^5-6When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread to feed these people?" He said this to stretch Philip's faith. He already knew what he was going to do.
 ⁷Philip answered, "Two hundred silver pieces wouldn't be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece."
 ^8-9One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, "There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that's a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this."
 ^10-11Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.
 ^12-13When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted." They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.
 ^14-15The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, "This is the Prophet for sure, God's Prophet right here in Galilee!" Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself.

For Reflection 

The word lives on in stories about Jesus and God's willingness to reconcile his people into his children.  This story is a microcosm of God's call.  God uses what is available.  In this case, a small boy who has fish and bread.  After prayer the meal was served. The people immediately saw Christ as the savior that was prophesied. They wanted to make him King.  While they recognized the importance of Christ they did not yet comprehend the kind of king He was to become.

God deals with us according to our humanity.  He leads us through compelling circumstance to choose Him over the seductive alternatives.  While he appeals to our body he fulfills our spirit.

After the Christ event, truth became knowable.

Pray

that you will seek out the living word of God to fill your spiritual need.  Pray that will used by God in his plan for reconciliation of all people.

The Water of Life

God's Creative Word
The Word Is Here and Now
Woman of Samaria

Revelation 22:10-17

The Message

 ^10-11The Angel continued, "Don't seal the words of the prophecy of this book; don't put it away on the shelf. Time is just about up. Let evildoers do their worst and the dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight course and the holy continue on in holiness."

^12-13"Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon! I'm bringing my payroll with me. I'll pay all people in full for their life's work. I'm A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.
 ^14-15"How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City. But outside for good are the filthy curs: sorcerers, fornicators, murderers, idolaters—all who love and live lies.
 ¹⁶"I, Jesus, sent my Angel to testify to these things for the churches. I'm the Root and Branch of David, the Bright Morning Star."

 ¹⁷"Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride.
   Whoever hears, echo, "Come!"
   Is anyone thirsty? Come!
   All who will, come and drink,
   Drink freely of the Water of Life!

For Reflection 

All of human kind is welcome to participate in God's promise.  Many will hear God's invitation, but not all will listen.  People are free to choose.  No amount of legislation, threat or promise will be compelling for some to become obedient to God's will.  It seems that believers in God and disciples of Christ are bound to spread the gospel.  But in doing so, they must recognize and preserve free choice.  God offers choice not totalitarian rule.

Look to your own house. Is It a strong fortress against evil influence?  Are you doing all you can to offer God's hospitality? Are you a steadfast witness to the Resurrection?


After  the Christ event, truth became knowable.

Pray

that you will not be overwhelmed and frustrated by those who hear but do not listen.  Pray that you will be a steadfast believer and disciple.   Pray that you drink freely and offer the Water of Life to all.

Seeing but Not Seeing

God's Creative Word
The Word Is Here and Now
Healing the Blind Man

John 9:35-41

The Message

 ³⁵Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
 ³⁶The man said, "Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him."
 ³⁷Jesus said, "You're looking right at him. Don't you recognize my voice?"
 ³⁸"Master, I believe," the man said, and worshiped him. distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind."
 ⁴⁰Some Pharisees overheard him and said, "Does that mean you're calling us blind?"
 ⁴¹Jesus said, "If you were really blind, you would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you're accountable for every fault and failure."

For Reflection 

To what extent do you believe the unbelievable?  Believing and acting in a God-centered way, contrary to conventional wisdom, is to become unbelievable.  "How could you forgive him?"  "How could you befriend her?"  "Everyone is with me on this! What is your problem?"

Some folks are blinded by culturally based righteousness.  They are blind to all but the conventionally derived assumptions about rightness.  If you can hear. If you can see. if you can choose.  You can never claim to be blameless.

After  the Christ event, truth became knowable.

Pray

that you will continue to be vigilant and be armored against cultural based rather than God-centered responses.  Pray that you will act on behalf of the truths of your faith.

Teaching the Unteachable

God's Creative Word
The Word Is Here and Now
Healing the Blind Man

John 9:24-34

The Message

 ²⁴They called the man back a second time—the man who had been blind— and told him, "Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor."
 ²⁵He replied, "I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see."
 ²⁶They said, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
 ²⁷"I've told you over and over and you haven't listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples?"
 ^28-29With that they jumped all over him. "You might be a disciple of that man, but we're disciples of Moses. We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from."
 ^30-33The man replied, "This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything."
 ³⁴They said, "You're nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us!" Then they threw him out in the street.

For Reflection 

Such arrogance!  So dedicated to the rules of righteousness.  So dedicated, in fact, that in following the traditions and the rules they violate God's intent.  Can you tell the difference when you respond from tradition instead of seeing each new challenge as an opportunity to understand?

Pray

that you will live in reverence and obedience to God's will.  Pray for the wisdom to temper your understanding of your faith with an eagerness to serve in obedience and love.

The Blind Questioning the Blind

God's Creative Word
The Word Is Here and Now
Healing the Blind Man

John 9:18-23

The Message

 ^18-19The Jews didn't believe it, didn't believe the man was blind to begin with. So they called the parents of the man now bright-eyed with sight. They asked them, "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he now sees?"
 ^20-23His parents said, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he came to see—haven't a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don't you ask him? He's a grown man and can speak for himself." (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. That's why his parents said, "Ask him. He's a grown man.")

For Reflection 

How often have you heard, but not listened?  How often have you seen but not observed?  How often have you inferred incorrectly from past experience?  Christ challenges us to hear with his ears, see with his eyes and possess a wisdom that is grounded in Scripture and prayer.  How are you doing?

Pray

that you will not be blind to the truth that resides within you.  Pray that you react to each new event hearing with God's ears and seeing with God's eyes.  Pray that your faith overrides commonplace assumptions.