Mission Faithwalk

                 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:18) I should probably begin with an apology. This is one of my favorite verses. I’ve written about it twice this year already, but changes are taking place in our lives, and I feel the need to remove the magic from this verse, for my own good if no one else’s. I’ve noted before that I tend to negate myself. I argue that I am not a _____ because of some ludicrous claim that I don’t measure up. I might fail and be an embarrassment to this person or that group, so better not to claim association. Put simply, I can’t see myself as many of the things that I am. I have no revelation or (to use the King James vocabulary) vision. The idea is not limited to people who have no prophet telling them what God says. Everyone has some idea or vision of what the universe is like. They have a worldview. It ma...

                 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14) When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.   When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. (Exodus 16:14-15) Let’s start with a little sanity. Just because someone claims to be a Christian and therefore “with the Spirit” does not guarantee that their ideas are not foolishness. We can have our own foolish thoughts just as well as the atheist down the street. This is also not magic. If you know a chef, an artist, or an engineer,  you may accept things that others consider foolish, but your exposure to that person has taught you is not.       ...

                 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well . (Matthew 6:33) 'Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride,' The shade replied,— 'If you seek for Eldorado! ' (Edgar Allen Poe, “Eldorado”) I love the poem, Eldorado, but it I suspect that, too often, we see seeking first His kingdom much as the shade describes the search for the golden city. The Mountains of the Moon may refer to a mountain range in East Africa and the Valley of the Shadow may refer to a valley in Israel. Whether they do or not, the idea is clear. The places one must go in one’s quest for the city of gold are inaccessible to most of us. Too often, the Kingdom of God is considered just as inaccessible. It’s out there, somewhere, and the only way we’ll find it is to die. Dallas Willard described the Kingdom of God as the range of God’s effective will. If we ar...

            For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:30-31)           Sinners In The Hand of an Angry God           I have no wish to try to paraphrase Jonathan Edward’s sermon. It’s 11 pages long and you can follow the link above to read it for yourself. I think you might be surprised by it. As I recall, it’s not the fire and brimstone I expected, but I need to reread it. This morning, the key point is that the passage itself doesn’t say “angry.” It says “living.”           This does not mean that God is not angry with sin and evil or that He won’t avenge, repay, and judge. Unlike the other gods, He makes clear that He will judge. He states in Scripture fo...

            So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)            My sister and her husband are going through a tough time, and this is the verse she’s holding on to. Each of us is facing at least one challenge. Even if life is  going well now, at some point, we’ll face difficulty. We each need to cling to this promise. God is nearby. God will strength, help, and uphold us. Sometimes, He will act directly. Often, He will use another person, place, or thing. Sometimes, He may even use you to strengthen and uphold you. This is part of the reason we need strong marriages, strong families, and strong church communities.           Here’s another piece to this puzzle. Sometimes, we are tempted to fear other ...

                 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.   You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.    So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.  (Hebrews 10:32-36) Remember when you started that project, hobby, or relationship? There might have been some fear but there was probably more excitement.   There were probably people who got in the way, you were going to do this thing, whatever it was. Then, as time passed...

                 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26) This passage came to mind as I was getting out of bed yesterday morning. My first reaction was that the point was that faith isn’t a feeling. One can choose to do it.  The problem is that we often make our choices out of habit, based on feelings, without conscious awareness that we’re making a choice. That’s where the disciples were: in the boat, in the storm, and following generations of scientific evidence that in a boat, in a storm, on a lake equals bad outcomes. If someone had said, “Wait, guys, Jesus is the Messiah.” They might have agreed, but just because Jesus would survive doesn’t mean they would. Follow the science. It’s accurate, except for one pesky little detail. God’s love. I’m not suggesting that God never lets those He loves die in boat...

                 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7) Paul’s asking a lot here. He does not say “Accept one another.” There are two subordinate clauses that bring depth and difficulty to the instruction. The first is that we are to accept one another just as Christ accepted you . So, when did Christ accept you? After you got yourself together, or before? And how long will that acceptance last? What are the conditions upon which His acceptance of your is given? There is a loophole here, if we can call it that. It’s found in the Greek we translate as one another. There are two Greek terms that would be translated one another . The one used here is “of the same kind.” We’re to accept those who are of the same kind. What kind is that? Christians? Yep. But could it also mean those of the same race, family, gender, educational level, economic class, cultural background or p...

                 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (II Corinthians 13:14) I don’t know if this is the earliest clear statement of the Trinity or not, but here it is. And what I find amusing is that Paul referred to all three members of the Godhead (who are one even though we can’t understand it) and three separate blessings that are equally one. Grace, the giving of what is not deserved; love, the giving of self and commitment to the well-being of the beloved; and fellowship, or friendly association are all expressions of love. My immediate reaction to the three expressions of love isn’t entirely positive. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want grace. I want to have earned what I get. Notice the tense in that sentence. I don’t want to continue to pay the price. Yes, I want love, on my terms. And that’s what the cross is about, at least in part. Go...

 `             Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. (Joel 2:23)           I’ve checked the average rainfall per month stats for my hometown, and September through December, otherwise known as “the fall” are supposed to be the wettest months of the year, followed by April, May, and June, otherwise known as “the spring.” Since late June, we have had one rain shower that produced an inch of rain, according to one website that keeps track of such things. So today’s verse is more of a promissory note than a payment received.           But Erie is not Zion. Zion gets about 21 inches per year. Erie gets about twice that and is located on a lake that helps us maintain a reasonable water-table. In other ...

                 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen . (Ephesians 4:29)           When I was a kid, my mother informed me that saying, “Geez” was really saying, “Jesus.” Darn was damn . Shoot was shit . I don’t recall any others that she pointed out, but if I wasn’t going to use the bad expletives, I shouldn’t use the not-so-bad ones. If we’re being honest, if we use our expletives in the place of the bad expletives all the time and think we’re being wholesome. At least until we get angry or frightened. How many of us think “OMG” is OK?           What words you use or don’t use is up to you, but bad language isn’t the only unwholesome stuff that comes out of our mouths. Other obvious bits of unwholesomeness are lie...

                 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others .  (Philippians 2:3-4) “At four in the afternoon I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation…” (John Wesley) Vile: unpleasant, immoral, and unacceptable We all want things, and not just physical things. We want to live, to love and be loved, to be happy/content/joyous, to have enough money that we don’t have to worry about how we’ll pay the bills, to win, to eat good food, to have pleasant company, read a good book, to have significance and respect…. In 18 th Century England, they wanted the same sorts of things, and John Wesley was a pastor. That meant he was supposed to live according to a certain standard, which included being too dignified to preach on the street. He ...

  In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NIV) People may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do. (Proverbs 16:9 NCV) Between the two versions of the verse above, I prefer the NIV, but where I found the verse today, it was quoted the other way, and to some extent, that’s the way I want to approach it, at least to begin. Some people seem to think that the only way this verse could the true, and the only way that God can be in control is if He makes every decision, and effect, He’s spinning plates. Granted, He can be everywhere and everywhen at once, so He could, but why bother? Wouldn’t it be wiser to make it so hearts beat within a certain range of times per minute? What sense would there be to saying the only way He’s in control is if He actively micromanages everything? In the same sense, Gods deciding what someone will does not need to involve micromanaging every tiny de...

                             Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen , (Isaiah 43:18-20) It is like your gardening   You picked your garden spot! (Erie). You are now planted. This past year you have had time to get your job, church, and form relationships .(Growing strong roots) Then the healthy plant sets out blossoms   (reaching out to projects and community). Soon the   will show up and you will have wings. (As you had started to do at Hillcrest). You will no longer fee...

               Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3)           I admit it. In case you haven’t read between the lines of late, I’m feeling a little off kilter. It’s the time of year when things are supposed to change. School is supposed to start. As it happens, I may be going back to “school,” to learn to be a master gardener, but I don’t know yet, and it doesn’t start until October. Snowbirds are supposed to head south. It’s sort of like when someone takes something from you and you don’t know what to do with your hands. It doesn’t help that I’ve decided to learn to crochet hats, but haven’t picked a pattern yet.           I don’t know if anyone else is in the sort of a funk. The reality is that nothing is wrong except (wait for it!) my attitude. However, today’s verse is food for thought. Wh...

              Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2)           If you have experienced any positive results from being a Christian…any encouragement…comfort…sharing…tenderness…compassion… then be a Christian and do the things that Christians are supposed to do. As much as I am convinced that Christianity is the best and only truly good choice, if you have received any encouragement…comfort…sharing…tenderness…compassion… from being a Muslim, a Wiccan, a toxic male, a Socialist, or a psychopath, then be a Muslim, a Wiccan, a toxic male, a Socialist, or a psychopath. I’m not suggesting anything in that list from Muslim to psychopath is something you s...

              Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. (I Peter 3:8)           “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (Luke 6:27)           There are two things I doubt Charlie Kirk would have wanted as a result of his death. The first is to be made out to be better than he was. I’m not saying anything against him. I’m speaking against those who would make an idol of him. The second is to have others respond in his name in precisely the manner he rejected or to make a weapon of him. One meme I saw said something about killing him resulting in the creation of 12 million of him, but if any of those 12 million are belligerent, they are not him or his followers. To be a new Charlie Kirk means educating oneself. I suspect he would sugge...

                 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) Rejoice? On the day after the anniversary of 9/11? With all that’s going wrong in the world, the country, the state, the county, the city, the neighborhood, and our homes? Rejoice? Or let’s bring it down to the minor stuff: more than 36 canning lids and an open bowl of ketchup hitting the floor, six hours of work on a knee that is threatening to strike and a few other joints listening in and it’s the end of the day and I’m just tired. Rejoice? A sick family member needing 24/7 help? A medical diagnosis that’s not someone else’s? A family member walking away. Financial struggles? Rejoice? Rejoice ?           OK, the good Sunday School answers… God is still God. God has promised to work all things together for good for us. It builds our character. It’s all temporary and eternity looms large and wond...

                 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 120:1-2)           The past few days have been tough. I thought of writing something for yesterday’s post about 9/11, but I write the day before. Last night and this morning, the grief hit, possibly because I learned that Iryna Zarutska was killed in Charlotte (a couple of weeks ago) and Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah yesterday. In my mind, the three are separated by time and space, but irrationally, one in their message. That message is that something has been and is desperately wrong with this country. We need help.           In ancient Israel, the mountains were places of idol worship and danger. They were also the territory that had to be traveled to get to the...

            Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4)           Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (I Corinthians 1:26-27) When God put a calling on your life, He already factored in your stupidity . (unknown but found It's Factored In ... - Pastor Terry Lema's Daily Devotions ) The Footprints Poem ( Footprints in the Sand Poem - I Carried You ) Like Terry Lema, I saw the quote about God factoring in our stupidity and it came to mind when I read the verse from Isaiah. Pastor Lema m...

               Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. (Titus 2:2) Oh, here we go. A single, modern (not post-modern) woman thinking I have a right to comment on the behavior of “older men.” It doesn’t make it any better because the comments are about one of the current subhuman classes. We must be ever so careful if we talk about people of certain skin-tones, or who claim to have a gender that is “new and improved,” but gutting guys, that’s a current gladiator sport. And older men? Well, they’re derelicts from a primitive age and they don’t tend to like the way things are headed, so yeah…I can attack older men with impunity. Right? There are two issues with the paragraph you just read. First, I don’t intend to attack anyone. Second, the passage above wasn’t written by me. They aren’t my words. So, trusting to God for wisdom, let’s walk on some eggshells, or ...

            Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground . (Psalm 143:10)           Today’s passage is a good description of what a god is. It might not quite be a comprehensive definition of god but it is a good start. That to which we submit our wills is our god. That which has the right, authority, and permission to teach or lead us is our god, even if we know perfectly well that there’s nothing supernatural about it. That to which we look for guidance to walk on level ground or in times of trouble, that’s our god. It may change from one breath to the next.           Some people say that Christians are often functional atheists, living as if there were no god. I disagree. We have too many gods, most of whom we don’t even realize we’re serving. On the other hand, atheists and agnostics only have t...

                 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 little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.   You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:   all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalms 8:3-9) Last night was the Harvest/Corn Moon and in some places on the planet, it was also a Blood Moon/Lunar Eclipse. We have a fascination with the sky and with our planet and its creatures. Even those who abuse the planet and its creatures sometimes stand in awe of its magnificence. One of the videos I...

            Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)           This is the definition of Christian . It is someone who loves Christ and therefore obeys Him.  As a result, God and Jesus make their home with the person. We struggle with the idea that love means we obey God. We don’t have as much trouble with the notion that God should obey us. We call that answering prayers. And we’ve all experienced broken relationships within our homes or witnessed them in the homes of those around us. We’ve been told having healthy boundaries is essential to personal and interpersonal well-being.           So why is it that we have such problems with the notion of loving and obeying God? Yes, our fallen nature is a big part of it. But I think anot...

                  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) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus . (Philippians 1:6) for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)   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 of course,             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)    ...

              What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (II Timothy 1:13-14)           Worldview : a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world, particularly from a specific standpoint. It represents the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society, encompassing their knowledge, culture, and point of view. Additionally, it can be described as a philosophy of the universe and humanity's relation to it (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, online.)           A worldview is or includes one’s knowledge, culture, and point of view, and it is one’s philosophy of the universe and our relation to it. As such, it is indistinguishable from one’s religion. This d...

  This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. ” (Isaiah 48:17) I get it. It’s the temptation of Genesis 3 all over again. We would be like the Most High. We just have to distrust God and rely on our own perceptions and understandings. I know. I recognize the problem. We have our perceptions. We don’t have God’s. To trust God requires that we let go of what we have to accept the unknown. It’s a scary prospect. We’re being asked to buy a pig in a poke. Perhaps worse, we’re being asked to buy that pig in a poke when there’s another “perfectly acceptable” pig right in front of us and it looks pretty good. I mean, what if the thing in the poke isn’t even a pig? That’s fallen human nature for you. But if we really trusted the person offering us the pig in the poke, we wouldn’t hesitate. I’m not suggesting that a moment’s hesitation to ev...

                           When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12)           And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:11)           I wonder whether Gideon looked around, trying to figure out who the angel of the Lord was talking to. After all, he wasn’t a mighty warrior at the time. The angel was addressing Gideon as he would become. But if Gideon looked around, I can relate. Scripture doesn’t include the “Who me?” response because Gideon had a more important question that might be expressed as “What Lord?” Another way to describe both questions is “Who are you trying to ...

                           I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) Yesterday morning’s BecomeNew podcast was about hope. They even included a “hopefulness assessment,” which I failed miserably. In the talk, John Ortberg referred to this verse (I think). He discussed the Greek version of the text and the idea that pressing on involved an image of a Greek runner with his head stretched forward in his determination to win the prize. What came to mind is the scene in Chariots of Fire in which Eric Liddell’s coach tried to get him to “run right” in the manner described. But Liddell couldn’t run both right and fast. He won races with his head thrown back. Another image that came to mind was the image that I associated with the young folks who play at...