Mission Faithwalk

                 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?” “Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23-24)   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me,     so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,     by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2)    Where is God? I’m not asking where God was when something bad happened. I’m asking where God is now - in your life, in mine, in the lives of our leaders, etc. Where is God? I’m not asking for the good Sunday School answer, which is “God is everywhere. He’s omnipresent.” In Scripture, there are two basic answers that God declares to be wrong. The first is that He’s not here. He doesn’t see what is happening. He doesn’t know what we’ve done (and we’re not going to tell Him!) The second is that “He’s not there.” He can’t do

              For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,   neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)   I’ve been listening to a series of podcasts by John Ortberg. Yesterday’s broad topic was about our each having a story. He’s been talking about this idea for a couple of weeks, but it was only yesterday that my mind dredged up a memory of something that happened more than 25 years ago. A speaker said, “Someday, you’ll be up here telling your story.” As I drove home, I wept as I said to God, “But I don’t have a story.” When I was doing genealogy, people told me that no one would be interested in their stories. Both when I have raised puppies and when I have been around parents whose health was failing, I noticed that since I saw the puppy or the person every day, I didn’t notic

                      but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)             I looked through the past 18 months of posts, and I haven’t mentioned this verse since January 1, 2023, so if I say the same things I said, chances are good neither you nor I will remember. The first thing to point out is that a reasonable number of translations and interpretations of this verse use the words wait on instead of hope in .           Both require patience, but I think we tend to see waiting on God as being more like sitting in a waiting room, while hoping in God requires more activity. Think about when you have hoped for, or expected the imminent arrival of someone you respect and whom you want to be pleased with you. Chances are good that in your hoping, you’ll clean the house, make some treats, or otherwise prepare. These may not be what you actual do. Yo

              Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”   “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.   “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,   “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”   They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (John 7:45-52)                         Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— (Isaia

                 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:14-16) This is another of those passages that used to confuse me a little. I understood the basic concept - God is our source of safety, but I thought of the shelter as a house of some sort. And that is one possibility, but where I live, houses aren’t often thought of as providing shadow. In the Middle East, hot suns are more prolific. The past few days have been hot (for this area) and so this morning as I consider this passage, I have realized that the shelter - whether a house, a pavilion, or a tree is a shelter so that one can be in the shadow, in a refuge and fortress, protected from the merciless sunlight. As I thought this idea, to break the paradigm, I thought about God as a tree. We take shelter under or behind trees to escape from the heat because trees let us rest in their

                   They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.    Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.” (Mark 8:22-26) Among the many stories in Scripture, this one is one of the strangest. Half-a-miracle at a time? A miracle in stages? What? More importantly, why? I can think of no other miracle like it. The possibility that, somehow, this was a more difficult miracle doesn’t help. What would make a miracle more difficult for God? If a demon had been involved, Jesus had cast them out without difficulty many times before. If the problem were

                 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; (Psalm 103:1-13) The universe is said to be roughly 46 billion lightyears in each direction around the earth. I’m sure someone will complain that such an idea is ludicrous, because the earth isn’t the center of the universe. And they’d be right. But for the purpose of this post, let’s just accept it as the illustration it is. The universe is - according to those who reject the Bible’s claims about its age - about 14 billion years old. That means that the light from the stars at the edge of the universe is only about 1/3 of the way from that edge to earth. Of course, since the universe is supposedly expanding, the light from where the stars were may have reached us, but the star is no longer where

                 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  (Hebrews 10:23) Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. (I Kings 18:26-29)   This is one of the salad verses in Hebrews: Lettuce! It’s also both an individual and a group verse. Not only do you and I need to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, but the Church needs to, too.

                 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:32) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44) One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:6-8)   As I consider the subject of overcoming, and the fact that our battle is not against f

            In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God . (I John 5:3-5) Let’s start at the top. Loving God means being a Stepford wife, mechanically doing everything He expects of us? Without a thought of a will of our own? How demeaning? Who wants a god like that? But reverse it for a moment. Do we think God loves us if/when He “never does what we ask” of Him? Would we think our family members loved us if they never did anything we told them to? I suspect we can think God doesn’t love us because He doesn’t do what we ask - amid abundant blessings. Moving on to the second statement, which seems odd. God’s commands aren’t burdensome? Two thoughts come to mind. When I do something for a friend or someone I love, it often doesn’t feel like

                 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good . (Romans 12:21) Like sin, evil hangs around the house and loiters in marketplace. Some people think that passing laws and putting up signs (“Shoplifters will be prosecuted,” or “_____ only, all others will be towed at owner’s expense.”) will fix things. As I consider this passage this morning, one of the things that strikes me about it is its applicability at both the individual and collective level. We must each overcome evil with good. We must do it within our own lives first, to make sure we can see well enough to remove the specks from the eyes of others. But we must also overcome evil with good in our dealings with others. Those who attack us with intent to hurt must be given reason to regret their misdeeds. And the Church is to act to end evil. The Church should not tolerate evil in its midst. All this means that we need to clearly understand what evil is, but keep in mind that our battle isn’t with f

                 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 7:9-13)   I relate to these today. Oh, I don’t have a child who is demon possessed. Most of the things I go to God about aren’t that important. Some are important, but I can’t seem to muster up Gethsemane levels of emotion that I seem to equate “effective, fervent prayers” that will accomplish something. My prayers - even when I’m not praying “The Lord’s Prayer” - often sound more like the second passage. You could pray it with comic opera intensity, but more often than not, it sounds to me like a casual conversation mapping out the day’s activities over breakfast. “I’ll take the kid

              For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms . (Ephesians 6:12)   We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.    I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.    For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:14-20) Yesterday’s post was about the vampire named sin that lurks at our door, an

                 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?   If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7) In 1645, Leona Allatius, a Greek theologian and patron of the Italian Renaissance theorized that vampires could not enter a home without having been invited. Now, I don’t believe in actual vampires, but they do a great job of representing some ideas. They are a good way to describe people who just drain you dry because they are so needy or demanding. They are also a great representation of this verse. God told Cain that sin was crouching at his door. Whether or not it got Cain depended on what Cain did about it - either inviting it in or ruling over it by not letting it in. Sadly, we tend to be at a disadvantage right from the start, because we are fallen. Even before we understand what sin is, we have lea

                 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again . (Exodus 14:13) When are you noisy? When is your mind noisy? It seems to me that my mind weaves between being a cacophony to being a cavern that rings with echoes of emptiness and silence. Both are reasons why I like to listen to music or do something while walking or sitting around. The attention it takes to from the oppressive noise or silence in my mind is enough to let me ignore them. But I generally suspect our minds are noisy when we experience strong emotions. I’d say “especially strong negative emotions,” but strong positive emotions are likely as loud, but we welcome that noise.   When this verse came up as the day's verse, I immediately thought of t

                 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13) Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8)   Yeah, this would have to be the verse of the day. In the past week to ten days, I’ve been working on forgiving some people and I think I’ve been doing half-decently at it. My policy has been that whenever I start getting angry or hurt, I pray for their well-being and blessing. But it cannot escape my notice that there’s no reciprocation. I should be used to this, because this isn’t the first, or even the fifth time it’s happened. People decide I’m something to scrape off their shoes. It doesn’t help that someone else said something in my hearing on another subject and I’m grinding my teeth about that, too. Forgiveness isn’t (necessarily) easy. And it’s even harder when you’re the person you need to forgive. Bearing with other people seems like

                 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14) Observe the masses and do the opposite . James Caan One of the things I learned from Dallas Willard is that what we find in Scripture about life isn’t just what things will be like in heaven. Today’s verses are usually understood to refer to salvation and teach the idea that there is only one way to Heaven - Jesus Christ, our Lord. Many will go through the gates of other religions (including the supposed “no religion”) but only those who come to Jesus will be saved. Yes, this is so. Today, however, I’m looking more at the “everyday” and “today” of this passage, which James Caan, quoted above, may have paraphrased nicely. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly told Israel not to live like the nations lived. He gave them laws that sp

                 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments . (Habakkuk 3:19)   Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) was the son of Gabriel and Elsa Frankl. They were Jews who lived in Austria, which means that when Hitler annexed Austria, he was thrown into a concentration camp. He was already a psychiatrist and had already published papers on his perspectives (called Logo Therapy,) but according to Man’s Search for Meaning , he at least confirmed to himself the idea that if someone had a “why,” he could survive the “how.” Now, I am not suggesting that God cannot and does not supernaturally give strength, agility, and ability. I’m not limiting or discounting God. Rather, I’m doing the opposite. God can and does also give “normal” strength, agility, and ability, and “normal” determination to people. And He can and does give all those things in levels somewhere betwe

              Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God . (Psalm 90:2)   In case you haven’t noticed, I’m struggling with my attitude, which is contentious. This time, I hope it will work toward your benefit. According to an article on the Internet, “The Universe might well be older than 14 billion years, and we should stop putting a limit on it every time something new is discovered…In theory, the star HD 140283, or the Methuselah star, seems to be older than our Universe, but that would be an impossibility. It is either an error of calculus or an error of our Univers’s (sic) estimated age.” [1] Scientists also calculate that the universe will cease to exist in 22 billion to 225 trillion years. But while putting a number or a name to it, that doesn’t tell us much. We confidently throw these numbers around, proud that we can state the limits of time and thus “prove” something. But what is the effective differ

            so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)             Yesterday’s post was about encouragement. If we ever needed to be encouraged about anything, today’s passage probably hits the bull’s eye. Paul’s prayer was for the Ephesians (and us) to have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. If this were as easy as grasping a coffee mug, Paul wouldn’t have needed to pray that we could grasp it.           Sadly, God’s love seems to be as slippery as BAM. [1] Or, if you like a more familiar reference, as slippery as an eel covered in WD40. It’s not, actually, but at least to me, it seems like it more often than n

                 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:11)             Encourage - put heart in. Wake up their will to keep going even when they’re afraid, tired, disappointed, burned out, or otherwise negatively motivated. But the “You can do it!” sort of encouragement, even if sent as a card, can seem like a throw-away bit of encouragement. It can cost us nothing, take no time away from more important things. And have little more meaning or effectiveness - or be just what the person needed.           What encourages you? Think about this, and maybe even share it with those who are closest to you. Thinking back over the past few years, things have encouraged me or that I think might encourage others. Receiving instructions - someone helping me learn. My boss asked me a question to help a customer - me helping someone learn A coworker said that “She knows her plants.” (I wish I knew half of what he does!)

                 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (II Timothy 2:22) Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (I Timothy 4:12) One of the problems Pastor Timothy faced was his youth, so Paul wasn’t advising some 60-year-old to flee the evil desires of youth. One of the evil desires we face in the middle years (traditionally) is a desire to return to our youth. I suspect, however, that had Timothy been seventy-something, Paul might have advised him to flee the desires of the aged. We’re not safe from evil desires once we hit a certain age. Of course, not fleeing from the evil desires of any age automatically produces a lack of purity. But what does one do to flee? One option is to physically leave the source or focus of the evil. Another is to pray for a means of escap

            Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure . (I Timothy 5:22) Today’s is a hard one. The part about not being hasty in the laying on of hands isn’t so much the problem unless your love language is Touch. We aren’t pastors. We don’t tend to be involved in commissioning anyone. What we don’t tend to think of when we hear “laying on of hands” is that it involves relationship and approval. Our sending them away as our representatives may not seem real to us, but just think about what being seen with the wrong folks can do to a reputation. I’ve heard that Billy Graham would not be in a room alone with a woman. Others follow the same policy, or at least make sure the door is open so that anyone who wants to can see that nothing’s going on. But the hard part is not sharing in the sins of others. What does it mean? It’s comparatively easy to say that being pure means not having sex with someone who is not our spouse.

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, anger, fear, jealousy, and lust can crowd out everything else. This is like

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my typical thought process of “Do…”, “Next!” and, “Do wh