Mission Faithwalk

                 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ” (John 14:1-3)                  There’s a post being shared over the past few days about hoping that 2024 is as wonderful as 2023 was terrible. It’s a natural but unrealistic hope. That’s not a prediction that 2024 will be terrible. It’s a prediction that if, toward the end of 2024, things aren’t marvelous, wonderful, and better than could be imagined that it could be, we’ll finish 2024 saying that it was a miserable year and hope that 2025 will be better. For me, 2023 was a hard but good year. I can hope that 2024 will be even better, but I can’t justifiably whine about 2023 now that I’m not in the middle of a crisis.                But as we ap

                 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.                Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:19-24)                  The first paragraph of today’s passage sounds like David was plucking away at his harp, praising God, and opened his eyes to see a group of evil men skulking about. It’s an ugly interruption to something beautiful. Yes, we’re supposed to hate evil, but it seems as if David got majorly triggered.                It’s sort of like my previous Shiba, Honey. If you touched her without speaking to her or otherwise letting her know you were there, she was likely to attack.

                 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.   My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13-18)                “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:25)                  Yesterday, I noted that the first six verses of this Psalm were about God’s omniscience, and the second six were about His omnipresence. It follows that today’s would be about God’s omnipotence. Usually, when we think about omnipotence, we th

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   

                 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4)                  I’ve written about this Psalm before, as one of the few places in Scripture in which I clearly see God as interacting with and interested in me. Most of the time, I’m only included as just another of many, if I’m included at all. I readily admit, that’s arrogance on my part. I want to be treated as important and “special.”  But in this passage, I see God pausing in doing His God-thing to listen to my thoughts. I know He doesn’t actually pause in doing His God-thing because it’s part of His God-thing to listen to my thoughts while He’s also doing whatever He's doing, but the point is that He can and does listen to my thoughts. (And yours, but that’s not quite as amazing to me

                 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,    fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)                  Christmas is over. New Year's is on the horizon. It’s time for the dreaded retrospectives and resolutions. Many are so disappointed with this past year that they don’t want to think about it, and they know from experience that the resolutions aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. In other words, with retrospectives and resolutions come recriminations.                And so we come to today’s passage, thinking ourselves a failure

               So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:16-20)                  Where were you the day JFK was assassinated? When Neil Armstrong walked on the moon? When the Challenger exploded? When the jets were flown into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Pittsburg? I’m too young to remember the first two, but the last two I can tell you – I was at home when my mother called to tell me about the Challenger , and I was standing at my desk at the County Courthouse with my hand held “just so” when someone from the next office delivered t

                 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15)                Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 11:19)          When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” …But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:16-17 & 26)           Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting wh

              When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. (Deuteronomy 17:18)             I know, we aren’t to Christmas yet and I’m starting on my New Year series. It’s frustrating when stores have their stuff out for holidays two months in advance, but that’s the only way their shoppers can have time to leisurely shop. Imagine if you have no choice but to buy all your Christmas decorations, presents, and goodies on Christmas Eve? I know, most of   us would find ways around it, but I’m starting on this annual “sermon” series so we all have time to consider and prepare.           Today’s passage has several applications. The first is writing Scripture. This isn’t one of my practices, but I have a friend who tells of the value of hand-writing passages of Scripture. I’ve read that writing in a journal or on pieces of paper connects you to the writing and to your creativity more than t

                 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.” (Luke 2:13-14)                  The last week of Advent focuses on the peace promised by the angels. I don’t watch TV, but I’m enough aware of what’s going on in the world to know that there’s not much peace anywhere. We don’t even need to take it up to the level of international discord, or even internal political strife. The self-help industry is valued at $13.2 billion dollars per year. Consider the divorce rate, and the fact that people can’t even get along well enough to bother to get married in the first place. Then there are the alcohol and drug use rates, the number of murders, assaults, rapes, arsons, and other violent crimes; and the whole transgender movement (which is built on the notion that people are not at peace with their bodies. As the song says, “And in despair,

                      After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh . (Matthew 2:9-11)                  A bit of good exegesis here. The word used for “child” here does not refer to an infant. Herod later ordered the death of all boys age two and under. And when   the Magi showed up, they went to a house not a stable. The wisemen did not arrive the same night as the shepherds. They don’t belong in the nativity scenes.               On this shortest, darkest day of the year , the real subject of the day is the star and Jesus as the Light of the World. After 9/11, I noticed that a lot of people who don’t usually put up Chri

                 They pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:1)                          It’s not quite a Christmas story. It’s not even a story about Jesus coming into the lives of those described. Jesus had already met them, and they had been present when he turned water to wine at a wedding feast. But it is the story of Jesus officially inviting them to be part of His life. That’s the reverse of the way we usually think about it. We talk about inviting Jesus into our life.                But that’s not what Jesus did with the disciples. I know that in Revelation 3:20, Jesus spoke of standing at the door and knocking. That’s where we get the idea. The Pharisees invited Him to their homes, but they didn’t leave their homes to follow him. They were willing for Him to be part of their lives, but not all. And they weren’t willing to enter into His life.                As we approach Christmas, this is an idea worthy of consideration. It’s easy t

                   But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)                  Throughout her life, Mary treasured up and pondered them in her heart. Mary didn’t get so wrapped up in giving birth and taking care of this newborn child that she didn’t bother to pay attention to what was happening around her. Of course, Mary wasn’t going through normal, everyday events.  The child to whom she’d given birth hadn’t been conceived in the normal way. Angels had told her He would be the Messiah. If unusual things were happening in your life, you might pay a little better attention to them. You might treasure them up and ponder them.                Instead, we’re just nobodies, and it’s next Monday is just another in a long line of Christmases followed a week later by just another New Year’s Eve. You have basically the same meal planned, with the guestlist and the same list of people who won’t be there. Even though pictures might be taken, there wo

                 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:7)                  The advent devotional I’m sort of skimming asks questions each day, and one of the questions it asks about this verse is what is disappointing or embarrassing us about this Christmas.                So many things leap to mind: my cold, my needing to have a job, the slowness of progress on my story, my inoperative water heater… They don’t really have anything to do with being disappointed or embarrassed about Christmas. I’d be just as disappointed or embarrassed about life not being just as I want it to be if it were June. What is it about Christmas that is disappointing me?                This is hard for me because I pretty much stopped doing Christmas in 2002. My experience in retail destroyed Christmas, and for years, the season was a struggle with depression. Some might say that

                 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job 23:10)                 Gulp. Help. Over the past two days, I’ve experienced a slow flash of inspiration. Yes, I know: “slow” and “flash of inspiration” don’t sound right together, but that’s often how ideas work. They are both slow and fast at the same time. It started with my finding the disks that I bought to make the signs for my windows. January begins 2024 and it’s only 16 days away.              What rhymes with four ? Nothing interesting suggests itself. What ideas can I tie to twenty-four? The first glimmer of light… twenty-four…karat …gold. Gold really isn’t my color. I  prefer blue tones like silver, but OK, it’s a nice bit of fun. Probably twelve hours later, today’s verse rose from the depths and latched hold of the 24-carats. Naturally, my heart sank. Does this mean I am going to have a miserable, trying, difficult year? Excuse me while I whine. “I don’ wanna!”

                 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)                In terms of Advent, this week focuses on joy. Both the verse in my devotional and the Biblegateway.com verse include the words “Do not fear.” They go on to say that they have good news. And my mind fills with memories of videos of people trying to help animals that are trapped or injured. The animals struggle and try to defend themselves. Sometimes, even once an animal is rescued, it may attack the humans who are trying to help it. I think of my dog, Grace, who hurt her foot twice on our walk today, and who has stepped on countless sand burrs. She’s lived with me for almost nine years but she still snaps and growls when I try to touch the h

                      Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows . (James 1:17)                As usual, I’m writing this the day before you read it, and Thursday is my “Thankfulness Day.” I wrote in my list of things for which I’m thankful that I should be thankful for my cold just as Corrie TenBoom learned to be thankful for the lice and fleas in her barracks in a concentration camp. Corrie had her sister, Betsy, who was able to point out the reason. I’m having to take it on faith that there is a blessing in it. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any. It might be something as “insignificant” as building immunity against something worse or building perseverance. It’s not that big of an issue- but I could make it so.               I sn’t that what we do so often? First, we say we don’t understand. If we only understood, that would help us cope. If God had a good (enough) reason, it might help – or

                 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)                  I’ve been trying to avoid this one since I started doing the prophecies, but there’s no  avoiding it. When this prophecy was given to Isaiah, it was immediately about a woman who was a virgin at the time, whom Isaiah would take as a wife and who would have a baby. By the time the boy was old enough to know right from wrong, the kings feared by the King of Judah would be dead. However, prophecies can have multiple fulfillments and, in this case, the ultimate fulfillment was the conception of Jesus without the aid of a human father.                My problem isn’t that I don’t believe it. I do. It’s no more of a miracle than any of the other prophecies I’ve listed, and yet it is. And it is an intimate miracle. None of my business, or yours, but critical for us to know. After all, the descendants of Adam and Eve

                 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.   After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. (Daniel 9:25-26)                The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)                The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. (Genesis 49:4)                  I haven’t done the math, but I’ve read that the count of years from when the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the estimated date of Jesus’ “triumphal entry” fits perfectly with the 62 sevens. Here’s what David Jeremiah says about it: Decoding Daniel’s

                 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.  I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.  I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’” (I Chronicles 17:11-14)                But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)             Yesterday, we considered the prophecies stating that the Messiah had to be a son of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob (Israel,) and of those who came out of Egypt. In today’s passages we learn that the Messiah also had to be a son of David while at th

                 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3: 14-15)                  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.                The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:1-3 & 7)                The Lord your God will raise up for you

                “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, 8)                  This morning as I read my Advent devotional (a day behind), one of the questions was, “Is it easy or hard for you to set aside your  own plans and trust that God will provide?” Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor after my laughing fit.                Yes.                No.                Maybe.                Sometimes.                It depends.                One of the things that tells me God is guiding me toward something is when my reaction to the idea is “No, no, no, no, no, no, no…” If I’m not against the idea, I tend to think it’s mine and therefore likely not God’s. That’s the problem with a lot of my life right now. I’m doing things that I think are my idea, and therefore, they can’t be the right direction. I’m waiting for God to crush everything I’m trying to do, and

                 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we   boast in the hope of the glory of God.    Not only so, but we   also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope.    And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  (Romans 5:1-5)           Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.   It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes , always perseveres . Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.    Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope.   And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)                  Five verses, three uses of the word hope. The first is the hope of the glory of God. Why should we hope in the glory of God? That sounds a little like God wanting us to swoon over Him while He kisses His biceps. Put another way, it’s God as Gaston from Beauty and the Beast . Ugh.                Yes, I know better, but since it doesn’t mean that, what does it mean? Perhaps this will help. It's the night