Wednesday, October 31, 2012

My Help Comes from the Lord


He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. -Psalm 121:3-4 (NIV)

To the best of my recollection, the first time that I ever kissed a girl was on Halloween night. I remember being so nervous. Should I turn my head to the left or the right? A quick kiss or a lingering one? It was all so very stressful. I remember wishing that I had a book about kissing that could teach me how to do it. Where was Google back then? Around that time, the preacher at our church preached from Psalm 121 and he told us that our help comes from the Lord. Somehow I didn't think that God was going to help me to learn how to kiss.

I remember the first time that my heart was broken over love. Though I had been unsuccessful in finding a self-help book on "How to Kiss," I did find one on how to heal a broken heart. I read it in one sitting, crying through the whole thing. Although there was some helpful advice in the book, advice that I still remember and use today, it really didn't do much to heal my hurting heart.

As I have gotten older, I've noticed that the Self-Help section of the bookstore has gotten larger. I can almost guarantee that you'd find a how-to book on kissing today. It seems as if everyone is looking for help everywhere. And yet I think that preacher was right so many years ago: help really does come from the Lord.

I don't know that I'd expect a kissing lesson from God, but I do believe that God watches over me and God longs to help me. I also know that there are times when I wonder if God has forgotten about me, if God has drifted off to sleep while my heart is hurting. This morning, I read a quote by Martin Luther, who said: "When you feel this way, remain steadfast in faith and await God's help and protection. Even though it appears that God is sleeping or snoring, this is certainly not so, despite the way you might feel and think. God is surely awake and watching over you. Eventually you will learn that...if only you can hold fast."

I'm more confident than ever that my help and my hope comes from the Lord. I look to the hills, knowing that God's protection and guidance is needed and is coming.

May God grant you the grace to find help and hope in the Lord today.




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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 23-24 and Mark 11-12.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

When Jesus is Near, So Is Hope


Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him. "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him. -Mark 5:22-24 (NIV)

It's hard for me to read the story of Jairus in Mark 5 without thinking about the story of the friends bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus in Mark 2. In the latter-mentioned story, we're told nothing of the faith of the paralyzed man and whether he really believes that Jesus can or will heal him. What we are told is that, when Jesus sees the faith of the four who brought the paralyzed man to him, he heals the paralyzed man. The implication is that when you and I are willing to place others before Jesus, our faith- regardless of the faith of the one we place before Jesus- can prompt Jesus to heal.

In the Jairus story, I expect a group of people to come with him to see Jesus. He is the synagogue leader and no doubt has plenty of friends and colleagues. I expect that Jairus, with his daughter near death, would not want to leave her side. Instead, I expect Jairus to send other people to fetch Jesus. And yet Jairus himself comes searching for Jesus. Maybe unlike the paralyzed man, who had four faith-filled friends, Jairus is alone in believing that Jesus can heal his daughter. Whereas the paralyzed man is not recorded as saying anything, Jairus humbles himself by falling at the feet of Jesus and he pleads earnestly for his daughter's life.

The word that keeps coming to mind this morning as I read this text is hope. Whenever Jesus is near, there is hope.

Is there something in your life that has you paralyzed? Are you not even sure that you can make a statement of faith right now? Hopefully, you have faithful and faith-filled friends who are willing to place you continually before the feet of Jesus where healing can take place. You may not believe that it's possible, but scripture testifies to the fact that the faith of your friends can bring healing to you. There is hope.

Do you feel all alone? Is there no one standing with you or beside you as you go through difficult times? There's still hope. Just humble yourself before Jesus, fall at his feet and earnestly plead your need. Do not be afraid; just believe (5:36).

May God grant you the grace to have faith-filled friends who will continuously place you before Jesus, the grace to be willing to fall at His feet and plead your need, the grace to trust that God will do what's best, and the grace to never ever lose hope.




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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 22, Psalm 121, and Mark 7-10.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Calm in the Storm


Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. None of you will lose a single hair from your head. After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged (in good heart) and ate as much as they wanted. -Acts 27:34-36 (NIV)

If you have been reading through the book of Acts over the past few weeks, you know that Paul has been on trial and has appealed his case to Caesar and is on his way to Rome via ship. Unfortunately, it is not the ideal time for sea travel. Paul advises the officers on the ship to wait until winter has passed before continuing their journey; the senior officer of the ship rejects Paul's advice and they continue. Unfortunately, a wind of hurricane force endangers the ship and an angel reveals to Paul that the ship will be destroyed. For 14 days, the ship is tossed all over the sea by this devastating storm.

In the midst of this storm, Paul urges the ship's passengers and crew to eat. Using language similar to the way the Last Supper is recorded in scripture, Luke says that Paul took some bread, gave thanks to God for it, broke it, and gave it to the passengers and crew. We're told that they all ate it and that, despite the severity of the storm, they were all encouraged (in good heart).

Holy Communion (some call it the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper) has often had that same kind of affect on me. The storms of life can be raging. I can feel myself being tossed to and fro by things that are bigger than me and outside of my control. And yet when I come to the table of our Lord, I am reminded of God's great love for me, that God has a history of working redemptively in seemingly hopeless situations, and that God has calmed more storms than I've ever experienced. I am encouraged by those things. I experience, even if for a fleeting moment, a calm in the midst of my storm.

May God grant you the grace, in the breaking of bread today, to find encouragement and calm in whatever way you need it most.


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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 19, and Mark 1-2. Sunday's readings are Job 20 and Mark 3-4. I'll be back on Monday with a devotional from Job 21 and/or Mark 5-6. 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Give People a Chance


I told them that it is not Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had the opportunity to defend himself against the charges. -Acts 25:16 (NIV)

Many serious charges are made against Paul that the accusers cannot prove. Festus, wanting to do the crowd a favor and wanting to avoid angering them by siding with Paul handed him over to Caesar. A few days later, Festus is talking to some other people and telling them about how he handled the situation with Paul.

I'm not sure that Festus was all that sincere in his dealings with Paul. He did seem to realize that Paul was innocent of the charges levied against him. He did turn him over to Caesar, presumably in an effort to allow for a fair trial. And yet it appears as if he was more concerned about passing the buck than he was doing what was right.

And yet I am struck by verse 16 and the need to give people a chance to defend themselves. I am often guilty of taking the hearsay of others as fact and without taking the opportunity to get to know a person and giving them a chance to refute the charges against them.

May God grant you the grace to be open-minded today and to see people as they really are.




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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 18, Psalm 114, and Acts 27-28.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Giving Voice to Faith


We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the Temple; so we seized him. -Acts 24:5-7 (NIV)

Paul is guilty of none of these things. He has returned to Jerusalem to worship on Pentecost. He has been and will continue to be faithful to the Jewish heritage even as he understands Jesus to be the fulfillment of Jewish scripture. He is being unfairly accused and persecuted for his belief in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.

Eugene Peterson makes a great point in his “Conversations” Bible. He suggests that God’s revelation is rejected far more than it is accepted, and dismissed far more than it is embraced. He also points out that God’s revelation has been attacked by every major culture. The community of God’s people has survived, but always as a minority- always marginal to the mainstream.

Paul was in the minority and yet he remained true to his convictions. It would have been much easier for him to bow to the pressure around him.

I am often guilty of bowing to the pressure, remaining silent because I fear rejection. I want to give voice to my faith today. I will not be quiet.

May God grant you the grace to confidently give voice to your faith today despite the opposition and rejection that may be around you.




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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 17 and Acts 24-26.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Knowing the God You Worship


Paul then stood up...and said, "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown God. Now what you worship as unknown, I am going to proclaim to you. -Acts 17:22-23 (NIV)

In Paul's day, as in ours, people made claims to worship a god that they did not know. The altar reference above was erected by the Athenians just in case there was a god out there of which they were unaware. The Athenians didn't want this god to feel overlooked or neglected, less this god either choose not to bless them or (even worse) choose to punish them for their lack of worship.

It is easy to say that I am religious, to claim that I worship God. And yet when I fail to begin each day with God in study and prayer, I am missing an opportunity to know God better. If I claim to know, love, and worship God but am not disciplined enough to actively know God more intimately, I am doing nothing more than giving lip service to God. I don't want a relationship with God that is nothing more than covering my bases, seeking either this God's blessing or avoiding this God's punishment. I want to more intimately know the God I worship. I don't want to worship a God that I'm not seeking daily to know.

May God grant you the grace to know the God you worship.



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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 15 and Acts 19-20.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Pray Expectantly


When Rhoda recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she ran back without opening the door and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. -Acts 12:14-16 (NIV)

 Three weeks ago, I preached on the subject of prayer and I described how I've recently begun ending my prayer time with God by saying, "These things I pray confidently and expectantly in the name in Jesus." I'm trying to emphasize my belief (or my desire to believe) that through my prayer life, God will change me. That is my expectation when I pray: that God will bend my will to God's will.

I'm ashamed of the number of times in my life that I've prayed about something without really believing or expecting God to act. On so many occasions, I've prayed out of a sense of duty or obligation...because it's just what I'm supposed to do in such situations.

I wonder if that's what is happening in today's suggested scripture reading. Peter is in jail and many people have gathered in a home nearby to pray for Peter. When an angel of the Lord frees Peter from jail, he goes to the house where his friends are praying and knocks on the door. A servant named Rhoda recognizes his voice before she opens the door and (without opening the door) runs back to tell the others that their prayers have been answered... that Peter is at the door! Apparently, the people praying are not praying very confidently or expectantly because they don't believe Rhoda; they think that she's lost her mind. Eventually, they realize that indeed their prayers have been answered and Peter is safe and free.

God has convicted me that, when I pray, I should pray confidently and expectantly that God will hear and act. God won't give me everything that I want because sometimes God knows that I really don't know what I want or that I really don't need that for which I pray. I seek to trust that God sees the bigger picture and that God can work for good in all things for those who love God and seek to live according to God's purposes.

May God grant you the grace to pray confidently and expectantly today.



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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Job 9-10 and Acts 13-14. Sunday's suggested readings are Job 11-12 and Acts 15-16. I'll be back on Monday with a devotional from Job 13-14 and/or Acts 17-18. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Discerning God's Vision


While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. -Acts 10:45 (NIV) 

 In the suggested scripture reading for today, Peter falls into a trance, sees heaven open and something like a large sheet coming down to earth. This sheet contains all kind of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice tells him to "kill and eat."

Peter is immediately faced with a dilemma. The vision appears to be from heaven but the message of the vision is contrary to the Jewish law which states that certain foods are not to be eaten. What's a person like Peter supposed to do?

Peter begins by having conversation with God about the vision, seeking greater clarity from God. The vision's message is so different than he expects that he wants to be sure that he understands. Even after his conversation with God, Peter continues to ponder the dream and its meaning (10:17 and 10:19). Not surprisingly, the Holy Spirit provides more direction as to what Peter is to do and God provides confirmation to Peter that what he is doing is what God would have him to do. The final confirmation that Peter receives is when the Holy Spirit falls upon the Gentiles with whom Peter is speaking (something that would have been contrary to Peter's understanding of scripture prior the vision he experienced).

God's word for me today is to first of all consider what I believe and why I believe it. Then, to ask myself: is there some prompting in my life, some vision or dream that appears to be from God that is seeking to stretch my understanding or my belief? If so, I should pray about it, converse with God, not just once but often. I should set aside time to ponder and wonder about this prompting, testing to see whether it is of God and why I am sensing this prompting at this time in this way. Finally, I should trust that if this prompting is of God that God will provide confirmation. Sometimes confirmation doesn't come until I have acted on the prompting, but I trust that the confirmation will come if what I'm doing is of God.

May God grant you the grace to see, ponder, understand, and find confirmation in God's vision for your life today.




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Tomorrow's readings are Job 6-8 and Acts 12. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

What Are You Doing?


Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do. -Acts 9:6 (NIV)

We are first introduced to Saul when Stephen is being stoned. Witnesses to the stoning lay their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. Saul then begins to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging people to jail, and breathing murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.

In today's suggested reading, Saul is on his way to Damascus to round up any Christians there and take them back to Jerusalem as prisoners.  Suddenly, a light from heaven flashes around him. He falls to the ground and hears Jesus say to him, "Why are you persecuting me? Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."

In his study on the Acts of the Apostles, William Barclay writes that "up until now, Saul had been doing what he liked, what he thought best, what his will dictated. From this time forward, Saul would be told what to do.

Christians are men and women who have ceased to do what they want to do and who have begun to do what Christ wants them to do."

May God grant you the grace to do what Christ wants you to do today.





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Tomorrow's readings are Job 5, Psalm 108, and Acts 10-11



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What Are You Looking At?


When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God. "Look, he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." -Acts 7:54-56 (NIV)

In today's suggested scripture reading, we are introduced to Stephen. He's one of seven people chosen to supervise the daily distribution of food to the needy. According to Acts, the criteria for being chosen for this important ministry is being full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Luke (believed to be the writer of Acts) goes on to say that Stephen is full of grace and power and able to perform great wonders and signs among the people.

Unfortunately, Stephen's ministry meets with resistance because he is calling into question some of their practices and some of their understandings of who Jesus was and what Jesus came to do. Unable to match Stephen's wisdom and Spirit, they form a plot against him and they stone him to death.

What I find so amazing is that, when faced with an angry mob that is gnashing its teeth, a mob that hurls him off a cliff and starts throwing huge boulders down on top of him to silence his witness once and for all, it's as if Stephen doesn't see the mob at all. Instead, we're told that he looks up to heaven and sees the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen asks Jesus to receive his spirit and that Jesus not hold the sin of his murderers against them.

I suspect that all of us have felt attacked on some level or another. It's so easy to focus on the person or the thing that is attacking us. But I want to look beyond those things. I want my ultimate focus to be on Jesus.

May God grant you the grace to look beyond your troubles today to see the glory of God and your Savior Christ standing up for you in glory.


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Tomorrow's readings are Job 3-4 and Acts 8-9.

Monday, October 15, 2012

My Prayer for Your Shadow


As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. -Acts 5:15 (NIV)

Two weeks ago, the subject of my sermon was on the ministry of presence. I suggested that it is important for people to be in worship each Sunday unless they are sick or out of town. Not only do I believe that God is blessed by your faithful presence in church, I believe that you'll be blessed by your faithful presence in church. Even more, I believe that those around you will be blessed by your faithful presence in church.

Today's suggested scripture reading once again features Simon Peter. Remember him? He's the one that Jesus calls "Satan" after Peter tries to rebuke Jesus for something that Jesus said. He's the one that, despite being warned that he would do it, denies knowing Jesus on three different occasions out of fear for his own life. Yet since that time, Peter has received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He has devoted himself to gathering together with other believers for worship, prayer, fellowship, and food. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter has been transformed into someone whose very shadow changes lives.

That's what I want for you. I want for you to make it a priority to regularly come together with other believers for times of worship, prayer, fellowship, and food. I want you to invite and expect the Holy Spirit to fill that worship space. I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will transform your lives in such a way that your very shadow, drenched in Holy Spirit power, will be a source of healing for others.

May God grant you the grace to experience Holy Spirit power today.


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Tomorrow's readings are Job 1-2 and Acts 6-7.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Not Neglecting God's House


We will not neglect the house of our God. -Nehemiah 10:39 (NIV)

Not too long ago, I was asked to help someone get their finances in order. Now I'm not the one who does the finances in our home. I've never even considered myself good at numbers. I know that Eli Manning is number 10. I know that I like to be number one in line at the covered dish dinners at church. I know that, if asked to pick a number 1-20, the most likely number picked is 17 (click here to read the study). But nevertheless I am financially responsible (frugal) and so I agreed to help this person who approached me.

Maybe it's because I'm a pastor and it's one of the hazards of the job, but one of the first things that I noticed was that this person (not a member of the church I serve) was not financially supporting his/her church. This person simply felt that her/his financial situation was so strained that he/she couldn't afford to give money to the church.

Because this person wasn't financially supporting a church, I refused to help. Just kidding. In fact, it reminded me of when me and my family were just starting out with a smaller income, a lot of debt, and not a lot of trust that, if we put God first with our wallets, God would provide or grant us the grace to manage what was left. It took us several years to trust God enough to give to God our first fruits, a tithe of our income, and then worry about how we were going to meet the rest of our financial obligations. I could relate to this person who was now seeking help from me with his/her finances.

The decision to not neglect God's house is a theological one for me. I don't give to God because I think that somewhere down the road God is going to give more to me. I give to God as an expression of my trust in God and my desire to put God first and foremost in my life. I give because as a follower of Jesus I believe that I have a responsibility to support the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ.

The person who asked me for help with financial planning is likely still struggling. But he/she has decided that the first check written each month will be to this person's church. This person is not trying to manipulate God but is instead committed to putting God first in every aspect of life.

May God grant you the grace to trust God enough to put God first in every aspect of your life, including your finances.



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If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings Nehemiah 11-12, Psalm 1, and Acts 3. Sunday's readings are Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-2, and Acts 4. I'll be back on Monday with a devotional from Malachi 3-4, Psalm 148, and Acts 5.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Looking Upward and Outward


They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." -Acts 1:10-11 (NIV) 

One of the quotes that I remember hearing as a teenager was this: "As a Christian, don't be so heavenly-minded that you're of no earthly use." Oftentimes the Christian faith is reduced to being concerned only about getting to heaven. Yet Jesus spent a lot more time talking about living out our faith on this side of eternity than he did about what's waiting on the next.

Today's reading is a good example. Jesus tells his followers that the Holy Spirit is coming upon them and that they should be his witnesses. He is then lifted up into the sky and disappears. His disciples stare upward, perhaps wondering what to do next or perhaps wondering what Jesus will do next. Suddenly two men in white robes appear and ask the disciples, "Why do you stand here looking up into the sky?" It's as they're trying to help the disciples realize that faith is not just about looking upward; it's also about looking outward. Remember that just before his ascension, Jesus tells the disciples that they are to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth. They're supposed to preach and teach about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Christians reading this devotional today are followers of Jesus because of the witness of these early disciples and the disciples that have come along since that time.

This past Sunday, I preached a sermon on the ministry of presence. In it, I hope I conveyed the importance of opening ourselves up to the presence of God, especially in worship (looking upward). But it's also important for us to open ourselves up to the presence of God in God's people (looking outward). There are opportunities all around us to testify about what Christ has done in our lives and what Christ desires to do in the lives of others.

May God grant you the grace to not just look upward in faith, but to look outward in faith as well.



Tomorrow's readings are Nehemiah 9-10 and Acts 2.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Another Piece of Bread, Please


When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and the recognized him... -Luke 24:30 (NIV)

The last two times that I've visited with my mother, we've eaten. The first meal was drive-thru at a fast food restaurant. We were in Columbia and in a hurry to get home. So instead of stopping somewhere and eating, we got it to go.

Yesterday, we opted to stop at a buffet-style restaurant. We went in, sat down, placed our order, and ate across from each another at the table.

Can you guess which meal was more enjoyable? Can you guess which conversation was more meaningful and engaged? The second one, of course. I wasn't worried about driving with one hand and eating with the other. I wasn't as concerned about getting ketchup on my shirt (although I always seem to do it). We could look at each other face-to-face. And we could stay there until we got our fill of food and fellowship.

As I read today's suggested scriptures, I wonder how often we miss Jesus because we're always on the move. The two people walking to Emmaus, when joined by Jesus, didn't recognize him at first. It seems likely that they knew Jesus. Perhaps they had walked with him before his death, heard him speak, or even watched him die. Yet somehow in their haste to get home and in their grief at his death, they did not realize that Jesus was with them.

It was only when they sat down at the table together, when Jesus took bread and broke it, that they realized who he was.

When's the last time that you sat down with your family and/or friends for a meal? Maybe it's been a while. Maybe it happens all the time. If it doesn't happen all the time, why not make time for that today? If on the other hand you do sit down with your family often, try this: when you get ready to eat that piece of bread that almost always accompanies the meal, break it before you eat it. And when you break it, pause to remember that Christ is present at your table. Look for him. Listen for him. It might make such a difference in your mealtime that you'll ask for another piece of bread.

May God grant you the grace to encounter Christ around the dining table today.



Tomorrow's readings: Nehemiah 7-8 and Acts 1.

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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Influenced by the Crowd


But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he (Jesus) be crucified and their shouts prevailed. -Luke 23:23 (NIV)

For those of you who know me well, you know that I love football. Naturally, then, this is my favorite time of the year. Not only do I get to watch a lot of football but I get to talk a lot of football with others.

Many of my friends are fans of a college team in the Southeastern Conference. We don't always agree on many things like: which stadium is the loudest, which team is the best, or which uniforms the ugliest. But there is one thing on which most of us do agree: the Alabama Crimson Tide enjoys home-cooking.

Some of you (the Tide fans) are probably dismissing that statement as "sour grapes" (It probably is). Some of you are wondering, "What does he mean by 'home-cooking'?" Well, it just seems to 13 other schools in the Southeastern Conference that Alabama gets more beneficial calls by the referees than any other team. When you play a game against the number one ranked Tide, don't expect many calls to go in your team's favor.

Now before I start getting blasted by Tide fans, I don't have any evidence to actually support the claim that your particular team gets more calls in its favor than others. But through some online searching, I did find a study from Harvard University which concludes that referees are indeed influenced by home crowds. You can find that study here.

I don't really know if referees at Alabama games are influenced by the crowd, but I know that I'm often influenced by the crowds around me. If everyone else is eating a second piece of pie for dessert, I am more tempted to eat two myself. If everyone else is reading a particular book, I'm tempted to read it as well.

In today's suggested scripture reading, Pilate interrogates Jesus and finds no basis for a charge against him. Pilate does not want to kill Jesus and instead suggests punishing and then releasing him. But the crowd is relentless and demands that Jesus be crucified. Pilate allows the crowd to influence him and he eventually hands Jesus over to be killed.

Sometimes the crowd is right. A holding penalty needs to be called. A particular voice needs to be heard. But sometimes the crowd is wrong. They just want things to go their own way to serve their own purposes.

May God grant you the grace to discern whether or not to be influenced by the crowds around you today.
   


* Don't fret Alabama fans: you'll have another national championship to brag about in a few months and all that the rest of us SEC fans will have is a bellyache about how your team got favorable calls all year. I'd trade places with you any day. Oh, and by the way...I heard that inciting Alabama fans is a wonderful way of increasing the readership numbers of my daily devotional. I'll let you know if it works. 


Tomorrow's suggested readings are Nehemiah 5-6, Psalm 146, and Luke 24.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Prayer and Fasting


Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." -Esther 4:16 (NIV)

The book of Esther has all of the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster film (I'm guessing the Motion Picture Association would give it a "R" rating). There's a king who throws a seven day party and allows people to drink without restrictions. He then wants to show off his wife, the queen, to the drunken guests because she's "lovely to look at."  The queen, apparently not wanting to be eye candy for a bunch of drunks, refuses to make an appearance at the party and this angers the king. He gets rid of the queen and a search begins for a new queen. Esther is chosen because (surprise) the king is more attracted to her than any of the other virgins he sees and she becomes the new queen.

Esther has a cousin, Mordecai, who overhears a plot to assassinate the king. He informs Esther who informs the king. Those planning the assassination get impaled and Mordecai gets the credit for foiling their plan. Meanwhile, a man named Haman rises in status in the eyes of the king. It goes to Haman's head and he soon expects everyone to bow down to him out of respect. Mordecia refuses to bow down to anyone but God. Not surprisingly Haman decides to kill Mordecai. But that's not enough for Haman: he intends to kill all Jewish people (can you say prejudice?). Mordecai gets word of Haman's plan to his cousin, the queen, and asks Esther to intervene. What he asks Esther to do is illegal and could result in her death.

What stands out the most for me this morning as I read this story is that, before Esther does anything, she asks Mordecai and all the Jews of Susa to join her in a time of prayer and fasting. She understands the importance of seeking the support of other believers and seeking the will of God in this important decision.

Your life may not have all the elements of a blockbuster Hollywood film. Seven-day long parties, choosing partners based solely on looks, prejudice against people because of their race, jealousy, and murder plots might make for good movies (although I don't think so) but they certainly don't make for a good life.

What does make for a good life is, when faced with important decisions, seeking the support of other believers and seeking the will of God. May God grant you the grace to do those things today.


Tomorrow's suggested scripture readings are Esther 9-10 and Luke 19.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

No Regrets


He answered, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers.  Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." -Luke 16:27-28 (NIV)

In today's suggested scripture reading, Jesus is addressing a group of Pharisees who are lovers of money and he tells them a parable about two men. One of them is wealthy as evidenced by the purple robes and the abundant tables of food. The other man is poor, covered with sores, and sits by the gate of the rich man longing for scraps of food from the rich man's table.

Both men die. The rich man is buried and descends to Hades, defined most simply as the place where God is not. The poor man, Lazarus, is carried away by angels and takes his place beside Abraham.

The rich man is somehow able to see Lazarus alongside Abraham while he himself is in endless torment. The rich man asks Abraham for relief but there is none coming. The rich man is told that the chasm exists because he had good things on earth while Lazarus did not. Some suggest that the chasm exists because the rich man refused to share his riches with poor Lazarus who begged outside his gate.

I want to live a life of "no regrets." I want to live in such a way that I lessen the likelihood of approaching death having wished that I had done something I did not. I want to so live that I approach death regretting that there were lots of things that I should not have done.

May God grant you the grace to assess what is really important today and to be a good steward of your time, talents, and treasures. May you see this day as a gift and may you live with no regrets.


Tomorrow's suggested readings  are Esther 1-2, Psalm 150, and Luke 17. If you'd like for these daily devotionals to be delivered to your email inbox each morning, please scroll to the bottom of this screen and enter your email into the yellow-tinted box. 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Seek the Straying


"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" -Luke 15:4 (NIV)

Yesterday at the church where I have the privilege of serving God, we had a church-wide luncheon. I enjoy it when our two worshiping congregations come together and it was good to see a gym full of people enjoying good food and fellowship. But I'm also always struck by the number of people who don't come when the two congregations get together. Of course, special schedules aren't the only Sundays when people don't regularly attend church. We could no doubt come up with several reasons why people don't regularly attend (and that's an important conversation to have) but it's not the scope of this devotional. Rather than criticize those who don't regularly worship, I'd like to encourage those who do regularly worship.

When you get to worship on Sunday morning, take note of the people that you don't see. Commit to calling or writing those people even if you don't think you know them well. You could say something like this: "I missed seeing you at church on Sunday. Perhaps you were under the weather. Perhaps you were traveling. Perhaps you had an ox in the ditch that needed to be rescued. Whatever the reason, I just want you to know that it's not the same worshiping without you."

When someone comes to church that hasn't been in a while, avoid saying things like, "I can't believe the roof didn't cave in when you walked into the sanctuary." Just smile, greet them warmly, and say that it's so good to see them. Invite them to sit with you. Contact them later in the week and say that their presence is important and a blessing.

Isn't that exactly what Jesus is modeling in the suggested scripture for today? He tells the parable of a shepherd who has one hundred sheep. One of them is missing so the shepherd seeks out the one that has wandered. Why would a shepherd do this? Is it really worth leaving the ninety-nine to go after one that has strayed? Apparently so. The shepherd realizes that if the wandering sheep is not found, it will likely be devoured by a predator.

Jesus knows that it's to the wandering sheep's benefit that it be brought back to the flock. Indeed, Jesus goes looking for wandering sheep. How would church attendance and even more importantly the heath and welfare of all God's sheep be different if you, as a faithful member of his flock, did the same?

May God grant you the grace to seek out straying sheep of the fold today.


Tomorrow's readings: Ezra 5-6, Psalm 138, and Luke 16.