Mission Faithwalk

                 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18) The cross is among the most recognized symbols in the world, if not the most recognized symbol. Yes, it was more than a symbol, but it has also always been a symbol. In the Roman Empire, it was a symbol of shame, crime, and oppression. Keep in mind that crucifixion didn’t kill quickly or neatly. It was a surprise to the Romans that Jesus died in only a few hours. They probably consider Him particularly weak for dying so soon. Perhaps part of the power of the symbol of the cross is the fact that it’s contrary and complicated. It was a symbol of shame, crime, oppression, and death. On that weekend, it became a symbol of life and freedom. Since then, it has become -  at times – a symbol of shame, crime, oppression, and death, for those against whom it has been inappropr...

                 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14)   “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.    “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) The other night at a Bible study, I was presented with two definitions or perspectives. The first was an etymological consideration of the Hebrew word we translate sin. It is a term from archery and describes the fact of the arrow not hitting the bull’s eye. Sin is the amount one falls short of “hitting the mark.” There are at least 100 references to sin or sinners in the gospels, but today’s verse is the only one menti...

              If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved . (Romans 10:9-10) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder . (James 2:19) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark12:30) Usually, I avoid this passage because I don’t understand it. Anyone can say “Jesus is Lord” but not actually believe it. And anyone can believe that God raised Him from the dead without turning to God to be saved. We can lie to ourselves and lie to each other. We can lie to God, but He’s not deceived. After all, the demons believe there is one God, a...

                 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15:33) Carpe diem, “Seize the day.” But Buddha taught that desire or craving was the root of all suffering. There we have the world’s range of perspectives: fight or flight.  Yes, we’re back to that. It’s so basic to our lives. Today’s verse is about fear, too. The Bible teaches us that there is wisdom in fear, if we fear the right things. Wise fear faces reality and responds appropriately. I used to be afraid of spiders. Thanks to God, I’m not anymore, but that doesn’t mean I plan to handle one, especially in a  way that might stimulate it to bite. I’m not afraid of God in the sense that I can’t leave the house because He might be “out there.” But I do fear Him in the sense that He is God and I am not. I don’t intend to “handle” Him in a way that might stimulate Him to “bite.” I know, I’ve written about this many ti...

                                                                   Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?     Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless,     who does what is righteous,     who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander,     who does no wrong to a neighbor,     and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person     but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts,     and does not change their mind;   who lends money to the poor without interest;     who does not accept a bribe against the i...

                 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:1-3) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God , (Romans 3:23) I have to smile as I begin this post because after I chose the Psalm 14 passage, my mind went immediately to Romans 3:23- it’s not a great leap of intuition. I’m sure your thoughts went there, too. But a few verses before Romans 3:23, Paul quotes Psalm 14. I also have to smile because I have heard people claim that Paul (or Constantine) manufactured what we call Christianity. Just to follow the silly logic, if either of them did, they used the Old Testament for the parts. We knew that, but it’s fun...

                 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?   Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.      But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13) You’ve been here.  You are here. The world and your own universe are out of control. You want to run in circles, pulling out whatever feathers/hair you have left and cry, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Nobody loves you, everybody hates you.  You’re gonna go eat worms. It’s the scene in the old, old mov...

                 “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. (Psalm 11:3-7) We live in a world in which the question of the first paragraph is being asked. The truth is that we always live in a world where it’s asked. Every generation, every society, more often than not asks that question. What does your answer look like? Two automatic and ineffective reactions are war and withdraw, also known as fight or flight. Someone asked this on Facebook this morning. I s...

            For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (II Timothy 1:7)   Yesterday at work, I came face to face with my cowardice. Cowardice might be too strong a term. Timidity might be better. I got to work with a full-time coworker who has been working with the person in charge of the decorations we carry. Our boss didn’t happen to be there, so she texted him to ask for marching orders, went to another authority to get paperwork, and got to work on some boxes of stuff that were well away from the registers. I immediately saw the difference between us. She had no problem diving in, while I couldn’t imagine checking with my boss except regarding my schedule. It’s not that I’m not a hard worker; it’s that taking initiative (in my thinking) is likely to get me in trouble for going beyond my place. I’ll step on someone’s toes. I might do something wrong. The idea of learning from her ...

                 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10) Recently, I got the idea to be more disciplined about my praying, moving through categories in order of priority: the Church, family, community, authorities, enemies, and myself. Given today’s verse, the enemies portion is the focus. Fortunately, the itemized portion of that list is short. Most days, there are no names that come to mind. That doesn’t mean that I think I have no enemies. I’m sure I have many. I can’t think of any names. The general prayer for my general enemies is that God would cause them to be a blessing in my life, and me to be a blessing in theirs. I pray that, where possible, the enmity between us would be resolved. I’m not sharing this to impress you with how spiritual or wonderful I am. If the purpose of being a ...

                                                                                       Lord, our Lord,     how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory     in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants     you have established a stronghold against your enemies,     to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens,     the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,     which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them,     human beings that you care for them? You have made them a lit...

                 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.   The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. (Psalm 7:115-16) Sometimes, people share memes or make statements about “karma” getting someone. Technically, karma is supposed to “get” people for doing good with good things, but we never hear statements of hope that karma would visit someone with anything positive. No, karma is the thing sought or hoped for when someone isn’t doing what we think is right. And we are delighted when karma either KOs someone or beats him/her to a pulp. In some ways, the person we think deserves a visit from karma is like the bait dog in a dogfight.  We don’t care if they’re incapable of defending themselves. The whole point is to enjoy the bloodshed, whether literal or figurative. I don’t believe in karma, but today’s verse sometimes has the same feeling. Whoe...

                      This is what the Lord says: “The people who survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.” The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:2-3)   We all have moments. Sometimes, they last longer than moments. Yesterday I had a few. I ran out of soil in the garage before I ran out of beds to fill. I was thinking of buying soil (a first!) today, but the weather forecast said “Rain.” For once, it’s correct. I couldn’t find a vital document to finish my taxes. A book I was reading was pushing all the wrong buttons. These and other little things tripped up my attitude. They were tiny swords, but swords none-the-less. None of it was terribly traumatic. The traumatic makes me feel justified in my emotional response....

            Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.   Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?    You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)   Some people think that the heart is a well of good, clear water, and the only guarding it needs is to protect it from evil outsi...

                 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11) “If you love me, keep my commands .” ~Jesus (John 14:11)           Someone recently suggested that in our discipline of celebrating the sabbath, we should do what makes us “come alive in God.” From today’s verse, it might be understood that we are to be unresponsive to sin but responsive to God.  If we love God, we are to obey Him, which we can only do if we are alive to Him or in Him.           The same person (or another person the same video) suggested that keeping the sabbath could include playing basketball with your kids, taking a nap, or hanging out with friends and family. Again, anything that makes you “come alive in God” is an acceptable part of the discipline of sabbath-keeping. But this ...

                 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13) What sort of men were the disciples? In Acts 4, the Pharisees and Sadducees considered the “ordinary.” By ordinary they probably meant poor, educated to the lowest level considered acceptable (what we’d call “high school.”) We know four were fishermen. One was a tax collector. The rest, we can only guess. The religious officials looked down on them as nobodies. And they were – that was the point. But as we face life today, there are folks who think like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Anyone who isn’t “educated” is considered a nobody. Interestingly enough, this is the opinion stated by groups that used to be known for wanting inclusivity. The same folks who used to want to fight for the rights of the marginalized now reject ...

               Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. (Proverbs 31:3) Some time ago, I wrote about the more famous section of Proverbs 31, and pointed out that while it was advice given a son who happened to be king, it could easily be advice of a father or mother to a daughter.  It is advice from a Father who is King, to sons and daughters who are princes and princesses. Also some time ago, I wrote about the idea of vampires, those people, places, and things that suck the life out of you. They may make promises, but they bleed you dry. Translated, then, the verse may be read “Do not spend your strength on men/women, your vigor on those/that who/which ruin princes/princesses. My first thought was that right now, there are no men on whom I feel tempted to spend my strength or vigor. In fact, it seems to me that one of my challenges is a fear of spending strength or vigor in, with, on, or for an...

            “ Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. (Habakkuk 1:5) As we look around, we see all sorts of things that are amazing. We have hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, wars, people hating, and all manner of evil. We also see folks helping folks, the possibility of paralyzed people walking again, of mechanical arms, legs, and hands, discoveries, love, and beauty. There are parts of the world where Christianity is growing. It’s all mixed together and it all amazes us – or should. We know what He’s done in the past. We have read what He’ll do in the future, and we suspect that now is part of that future, but it’s not an immediately happy future from our perspective. We feel like Habakkuk, asking how God can allow it all.  But in all that we look at as evil, God is able to - and does – use people we think are mon...

                 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, (Psalm 30:11)           Though I prefer the NASB’s use of “mourning” to the NIV’s, “wailing,” the latter fits better with my recent post about grocery store aisles. This verse brings to mind a transition that has taken place in the last ten years. The first five of those years still involved lots of stress caring for my father, but there were tiny steps. In the past five, I’ve moved more assuredly into gladness (NASB), joy (NIV), and, well, maybe not quite dancing.           But this isn’t the way we think it should be. We want the transition to go at the speed of Leo Sayer’s Long Tall Glasses : less than three minutes between “of course I can’t dance”  and “Hand me down my tuxedo, next week I’m coming back for more.” But as...

                 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:11 NIV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is one who keeps the Law. (Proverbs 29:18 NASB) Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 ESV) I’ve shared multiple translations of this verse because it’s one of my favorite verses and the differences help in understanding it. But I’m going to expand it in its principle. Where there are no guiding principles, there is chaos, but happy is the person who has and follows guiding principles. And the closer those guiding principles are to reality, the more your life will “work.” After my rant two days ago about Scripture twisting, I’m feel...

                 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:7-9)           Yesterday, I responded to a comment on Facebook that suggested that a parent's first (and only?) priority in life should be tending to the needs of his/her child. I pointed out that there are needs, and there are felt needs. A child may be absolutely sure she needs a dragon or another candy bar. They may throw themselves down in the grocery store aisle and scream, and nothing short of giving them what they want is going to be enoug...

                 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37) Excuse me while I vent. I’m reading a book about simplicity, in which the author cites this verse as an argument that we should live out a divine center in which we do not experience internal conflicts about what we should or should not do. Now, had he referred to the first chapter of James, I probably would not be having this response. I’m not saying his idea of being single-minded and living out of the divine center are wrong. But Matthew 5 does not address the issue of being conflicted about what one should do. It has to do with taking oaths. Jesus taught that we are not to swear by Heaven, the Earth, Jerusalem, or our heads. Rather, we are to simply say, “Yes” or “No.”  That’s not the same thing. It’s not even close . His claim now creates in me a conflict of motivation. Do I throw the book in the met...

                 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly. (Proverbs 26:13-16)           Sluggard: a habitually lazy person           Recently, someone said that a sluggard isn’t just a lazy person. It’s a person who basically believes that nothing matters. There’s no reason to bother.  I’m not quite comfortable with that depiction, partly because of the first verse above. Clearly, the sluggard has at least some sense that his/her life matters. Perhaps it would be better to say that the sluggard believes they don’t matter, or that nothing is going to make things better. In ...

                 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings…   remove wicked officials from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness. (Proverbs 25: 2& 5) The thing these two verses have in common is a king. It’s tempting to say that they have nothing to do with us, but we were created to rule, and as Christians, we are sons and daughters of the king. That might not grant us all the authority we think necessary to be a king, but enough. What’s more, while non-rulers likely didn’t have the time or resources to search out a matter in Solomon’s time, we are not so unfortunate. I can tell you from fairly extensive experience that searching out a matter is glorious. Another difficulty some might have with the first of these verses is that (in their opinion) a good God wouldn’t conceal anything; therefore, it cannot glorify God to conceal a matt...

                 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures . (Proverbs 24:3-4) Wait. Yesterday’s message was “riches bad.” Now, today, it’s that riches are connected to knowledge and wisdom? Yes. Yesterday, we were warned not to make the pursuit of riches our motivation and as a sign of success. Today’s passage refers to valuable things with which we fill our homes. One of the riches that comes to mind for me is crafting supplies. It’s not that I want to have a house decorated with crafts that I treasure. It’s that I want to be able to solve problems that arise, have ready access to something productive and creative to do, and be able to give to others. I have friends who put pictures of family members on their walls, or pictures children or grandchildren have colored. Mind you, the frame may not be gilt. There may not be a frame, ...

                 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.   Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:4-5)           So much of our lives is like the Wizard of Oz. We go on grand quests and eventually stand in awe and wonder of something, only to discover “the man behind the curtain.” The “riches” we seek, whether money, fame, power, influence, adventure, safety, or whatever else you may list may be exciting at first, but the glitter gets all over everything. Familiarity breeds contempt, and what was enough once upon a time is old, outdated, or not enough.           This is the problem with diminishing returns. Just as the roller coaster or horror movie you watched was exciting or scary the first time, and maybe the seco...

                 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:13) I must begin with my standard disclaimer. What I’m sharing is not an appeal to pity, nor is it blaming anyone. It’s just part of my story and you’ve probably heard at least part before. Part of today’s Bible study homework is to consider the stories we believe about happiness. I’ve just listened to a book on the subject and one of the big stories we believe that he mentioned was that we associate happiness with things being as we want them. When we get the job, the marital status, the contract, the house, the dog, or the new outfit, book, plant, or “toy,” then we’re happy. Until we see a different thing we want or the thing we got produces diminishing returns. Then we’re not happy any more. I spent a great deal of my life in this cycle  and at least as much of my life believing that happiness was not something I ...

                 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.” (Isaish 30:21) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)           Another section of my homework is to examine life experiences have shaped me into who I am. In this case, I’m fortunate because part of another challenge given me by someone else led me to produce a list I laughingly call a “Boring Tale of a Failed and Incidental Life.” It begins with going to college, so I should add the earlier experiences, but it’s three pages long and doesn’t include my early...

                 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.  (Proverbs  27:17) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20) There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit— immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. (C.S. Lewis, Weight of Glory )   I’ve joined a spiritual formation Bible study at my church, and one of the assignments involves looking back at the influences that have shaped my life. It’s supposed to take an hour. Excuse me while I laugh. One of the questions has to do with people who have influenced me. Coincidentally, I recently started (and gave up) reading Med...