Mission Faithwalk

          Thus says the  Lord , Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters, “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. ” (Isaiah 43:16)           Yesterday, I addressed the issue of to whom a promise was given. That’s an issue today, too. This admonition was given to the Jews, and I believe Jesus fulfilled it. In Christ’s fulfillment of it, He expanded the scope to all of humanity. It’s done. The new something is completed. If I promise to pay you to do something, once I’ve paid you, my obligation to you is ended. God isn’t required to do anything beyond what He has done. He’s not required to do anything else new. We can’t hold the promise of today’s passage over God’s head like the sword of Damocles.           In spite of all that, I’m sharing this passage because there

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the  Lord , “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a  future  and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)             This is one of those favorite verses that I need to memorize and on which I need to meditate. Technically, I need to meditate on it, to refresh my memory. I memorized it years ago, but “where’s that verse that talks about a future and a hope?” I’ll claim the excuse that it’s early in the morning and I’m not quite awake yet.            And since it’s early morning, “technical” is on full alert. Technically, this passage was a proclamation to Israel. Does it apply to all nations? Would that mean that God doesn’t know the plans He has for the United States? Or Canada, or whatever country you care to name? Even if He weren’t omniscient, it’d be silly to say that He might not know His plans for a nation. Could those plans not be for welfare, but for calamity? Could they be to deny a country a future or a hope? In t

         Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who  keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)             I have to return to the third passage in yesterday’s list. It might not be quite as much a favorite now as it was, but it’s still high on the list. If you’re not told that something is wrong, you can’t turn away from it. If you’re not told that something is right, you can’t turn toward it. If you don’t have at least some ideas about how to get somewhere (a map, a GPS, directions, landmarks…something….) you’re not likely to get there. If you don’t know what something looks like, you can’t make something that looks like it.           Years ago as I considered the idea of a personal mission statement, one thing I learned was that one’s mission can be found by asking what it is you can’t not do. When I read Dallas Willard’s works, one of the keys he returned to was the idea of becoming the kind of person who did things naturally – even unconsciously. At

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your  hope  in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.   (Psalm 42:5) Why, my soul, are you downcast?   Why so disturbed within me? Put  your hope in God ,  for I will yet praise him ,  my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)         Where there is no vision, the people are  unrestrained , but happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)           Before the first passage shared above, and between it and the second, there is nothing but woe. God feels a million miles away, and even enemies have noticed. All the author has is the memory of God’s actions in the past and the current feeling of abandonment and oppression. Even so, he tells his soul to buck up, twice. Twice he says to his soul to put its hope in God and proclaims that he will yet praise Him.           The third passage of the day may not seem connected, but it is because hope is not hope without a vision of a positive future.

             The  Lord  had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”   (Genesis 12:1-3)              These verses, and the verse in Hebrews 12 that refer back to this, have been key verses for me over the past five years. When I quit my job and left Erie for the first winter in 2015, these verses were God’s promise that He would lead the way. Quite honestly, I didn’t care about being made into a great nation, or about having my name made great. When I began this journey, the key in this passage was “Go from your country…to the land I will show you.” My goal was to be a blessing to my father. No more, no less, no other. And the verses were appropriate for my departure from the

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way;  walk   in   it .” (Isaiah 30:21)            Having closed the books on one year, it’s time to prepare the books for the next year. How can we prepare when we don’t know what next year will bring? Since I’m more of a nose to the grindstone type than an “I’m going on an adventure” type, I understand. This is part of the reason behind “Wisdom, Direction, and Attitude.” And God keeps insisting that I carry my grindstone with me on an adventure (even if it never leaves my home.)           We know who the passage is talking to: it’s talking to you, and therefore also to me. We tend to like to think of new years in terms of what, where, and when. Aren’t those the questions answered by “This is the way; walk in it”?            How are we to walk in God’s will if we don’t know what that will is? Or where it is? Or when we’re supposed to turn in what direction? How can we w

Remember  that you were slaves in Egypt and the  Lord  your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. (Deuteronomy 15:15) give   thanks  in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)           Christmas is over, in some ways, much too soon. In other ways, not soon enough. I’d love to hold on to the spiritual part for another month, but I’m glad the “stuff and nonsense” is done. Another holiday looms on the horizon: New Year’s Day. And somehow, New Year’s Day 2020 seems more significant than New Year’s Day 2019. Maybe it’s just the beginning of a new decade, but technically, every new year begins and ends a decade. It’s just that only ten percent of them begin a “magical” decade that has a corresponding decimal number. Or, maybe the science fiction we’re read and watched over the years has spoken of the glory that would supposedly be ours this year.           As is my habit, I’m beginning the week between Ch

          In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was with God in the beginning.   Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.   In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.   The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)          It’s another Christmas, and we’re celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. Two of the gospel writers wrote about it. Two didn’t. It wasn’t until sometime after the first century that it became important, and too soon after that it became political. Now it’s become commercialized. Every year, I hear complaints about how commercialized it is, and having worked in retail for too long, I tend to agree.           With all the changes that are taking place in my life, I find myself thinking about holidays. Of course, they can be as big or as small as we need them to be. We can even ignore them completely. Years ag

          But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.   She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)           “Do not be afraid.” Angels seem to need to say this often, but usually, it’s reassurance about themselves. Today’s admonition against fear deals with the situation in which Joseph found himself. Here he was, a young man engaged to a young woman who is pregnant. It’s not his child. By all rights, he should demand the name of the father. He probably did and was told that the Father was the father. What sort of nonsense was that? By all rights, both she and her lover should be stoned to death. But he loved her. He may not have been in love with her. He may have been deeply hurt by her infidelity, but he lo

          And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.   An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.   But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.   Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.   This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”           Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven,      and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”           When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”   (Luke 2:8-15)           An angel … a great company of the heavenly h

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,      you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles,      and the glory of your people Israel.” Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,   so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:29-35)          Abraham  will  surely become a great and powerful nation, and  all   nations  on earth  will  be blessed through him. (Genesis 18:18)           Some people would like us to believe that Paul originated the idea that the Gentile nations would be included in God’s blessing. In today’s passages, it’s clear that both Luke and Moses thought along those lines, too. They may not have understood it quite the way we do, but i