Mission Faithwalk

                     But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)                 This morning, before sitting down at my computer, I asked God for a verse I could write a blog about quickly. The verse above was the verse of the day online. It’s one of my favorite verses, so now I’m flustered and don't know where to start. Oh boy…oh boy!                 Joshua was about 110 years old. He’d spent 25-30 years leading the Israelites as they conquered the Promised Land. Before that, he had spent 40 years watching Moses lead them a...

                   I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (I Timothy 2:1-2)                 Over the past week or so, I saw lots of pleas that Christians would get out and vote, because if Christians actually vote, we can choose who gets into office. If you don’t vote, “they” will get into office and America is doomed. In the last election, it appears that lots of Christians didn’t vote, and that those who did weren’t the ideological monolith hoped for. So, quite likely, some people are going to be chastising Christians for not voting.                 And I think Scripture makes it clear that we should vo...

                [He]  made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10) Unity: the quality or state of not being multiple : oneness ; a condition of harmony : accord ;   continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action);   the quality or state of being made one ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unity ) His will, His good pleasure: unity. He wants us to love one another, to get along, to work together, to cooperate, etc. You know, all those things that everyone says they want, and that many are willing to shove down the throat of anyone who disagrees with their version of. Wars are fought to produce unity. Culture wars are disagreements about what the rules of unity are going to be. In fact, that’s been ...

                 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8) “His master replied, ‘ Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21) This is the sort of passage that some people will put in a bold font with a font size at least 20 (as above). They will gladly put it on signs with an even bigger font and shove it in the face of anyone they decide isn’t obeying it. Doing so is specifically not practicing the sort of servanthood they demand from their opponent. And before we announce that “we would never do that!” we should keep in mind that we treat other verses the ...

                 Such confidence we have through Christ before God.   Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (II Corinthians 3:4-6) Competence [1590s, "rivalry" (based on compete ), also "adequate supply," both senses now obsolete; 1630s as "sufficiency of means for living at ease," from French compétence , from Latin competentia "meeting together, agreement, symmetry," from competens , present participle of competere , especially in its earlier sense of "fall together, come together, be convenient or fitting" (see compete ). Meaning "adequate range of capacity or ability, sufficiency to deal with what is at hand" is from 1790.] ( Competence - Etymology, Origin & Meaning ) Granted, the word was chosen with i...

                 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”                  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:33-39) Quick not...

                 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)                 Who can be against us? That question has always baffled me. If God is for us, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels, and the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) are all for us. Those are obvious. So is the answer to the question. Who? Lucifer and all his buddies,  the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12), Add to those all the people who have been taught to hate us, and perhaps worst of all, us. Granted, none of those are as great as those who are for us, but that’s the answer to “who can b...

                   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. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30) And the image of a father continues. Fathers are supposed to work for the good of their families. If a son or daughter disowns and hates a father, and specifically works against the father’s goals, it would be normal for the father to stop fixing everything for the child, to allow the child to go off and return like the man in the story of the Prodigal Son. Those who remain, fathers, will teach to be the best they can be according to whatever model they deem appropriate. And those who work within those principle...

                 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God . (Romans 8:26-27) Continuing the line of thought from the past couple of days, when a good father  is allowing a child to struggle or even suffer a little because it will help the child, what does the father do? I’ve seen reels  on social media of fathers who seemingly aren’t paying attention catching a falling child, or grabbing something  that would either hurt the child, or that the child knocked over. The old standby for this is the father holding the bike up and running alongside while the kid learns how to pedal and balance the bike. Then, of course, there is the father that taunts or coaxes his ch...

                 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.   For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18-25) Ve...

            For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17) So, the Spirit gives us life. But wait! There’s more! God doesn’t say, “OK, you’re alive, now you’re on your own.” God doesn’t say, “Kneel, slave.” He says, “You are now My child.” We get to answer with “Abba, Father.”  Can you imagine? Let’s put it in more human terms. What if Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or some other very wealthy, powerful celebrity you like shows up on your door and says, “You’re now my child”? For the sake of argume...

                   And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of [ a ] his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. (Romans 8:11-12) So, we conclude this piece of Paul’s argument: if we live according to the flesh, we’ll die, but if we live according to the spirit, we’ll live. So, let’s apply some logic. If you knew that having a relationship with someone was going to result in your murder by that person, what sense of obligation would you feel to that person? Would a relationship with that person be wise? Healthy? When it comes to our relationships with ourselves, is it any wiser or healthier to behave as if we are obligated to do what our flesh tells us to? Think about it. Our flesh pushes us to do things that aren’t goo...

                 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:9) “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness— (Habakkuk 2:4) This alternative sounds wonderful. If we have the Spirit of Christ, we have life, even if our bodies are subject to death. The Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies. Of course, this begs the question of whether or not we are in the realm of the Sp...

                 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8) Yesterday’s point was that we and the Law are too weak to save us. That’s because we have a fleshly nature. How could we not? To complicate things further, it’s broken. The flesh wants what it wants. It can only perceive reality with itself as the source. All that the Law can do is say, “That’s wicked!” That doesn’t change what the flesh wants. This is precisely the role of religion. It’s also precisely what society wants to do. It wants to pass laws that will, suppose...

                    For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)                 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6) “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness— (Habakkuk 2:4)             Today’s verses say exactly what I’ve been saying. Most religions – perhaps all other religions except Biblical Judaism and Christianity teach that if we are good people and do all the right ...

                 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:1-2)                 I know I’ve opined on Romans 8 before, but it’s one of the passages that has come to mind to revisit. Backing up to the end of chapter 7, we are told that God has delivered us through Jesus Christ, making us both a slave to God’s law and a slave to sin. Naturally, we will hate one or the other, but if we (as Paul did) desire to follow God’s law, we will be progressively set free from sin. The no condemnation part isn’t universal. That addresses the “Therefore.”                 One of the next three words is vital: now . There’s no waiting until we ge...

            Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) You know the type. You can’t hold a 2-minute conversation with them without the conversation turning to their (current) obsession: the kids, grandkids, great grandkids, health, spouse, pet, job, current favorite sport, current book, calling, more recent sighting of a ____,… Whatever the topic is, it’s boring to you. You have your own list. As difficult as those lists might be, there are also the people whose lists include matters of public policy, advocacy, or compassion. They have an agenda and they don’t seem to understand that their burdens aren’t the priority for everyone else. How could you not care about the well-being of these people, those animals, or the climate? How could you not drain your bank account or spend all your waking hours focused on the thing that has their focus? Never mind if you happen to be as intense about your own...

                  A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! (Proverbs 15:23)                 Oo. An apt reply! It’s the perfect response to what that person said. Just perfect. Too bad it came to mind three days later. Of course we find joy in them. They’re like that one out of 1000 puzzle pieces. It has to be there, it fits perfectly, and it makes the whole picture make sense (or so we think at the time.)                 “So why didn’t you tell me this four days ago!” A timely word is just as valuable. It prevents the rush to do “the impossible” tonight before bed because this is the first we’ve heard about it. Or, its failure is that comment dropped in the middle of a conversation at a major family dinner. “Oops. Why does ...

                  I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart. ( Psalm 40:8)                   So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)   Yes, it’s a good Sunday School answer. We honestly want to do God’s will. Until the dishes need to be done, and the kids are arguing, and we’re tired and really just want...

                 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12) If you look in a regular dictionary, you’re likely to find joy defined as great pleasure, great happiness, or delight.  Prof. Dallas Willard defined joy as “a deep, abiding sense of satisfaction and delight that comes from being in right relationship with God, rooted in the presence of Christ and the practice of spiritual disciplines.” Rather than being an emotional high, it was a foundational feeling that didn’t change due to circumstances. In Desiring God , John Piper defined Christian hedonism as “the belief that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, meaning that the pursuit of joy and pleasure is fulfilled through delighting in God.” So what is the joy of our salvation and why might we need it restored? Salvation refers to being saved, either eternally (as it is usually used) or in...

              Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)                 I’ve written about this verse before. If you delight in the Lord, than the Lord is the desire of your heart. If you delight in the Lord, He will give you Himself. This isn’t a “sing a worship song” and get rich, powerful, and famous verse. But we’ve discussed all that before, so let’s change the approach.                 What does delight mean? According to the dictionary, it means to be pleased with or take pleasure in. To take delight in the Lord is to be pleased with Him. What does that mean? It means feeling or showing pleasure or satisfaction. It probably won’t help to go down that rabbit trail any farther. A picture might help. When I think of a delighted child, this is the pict...

                   Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)                 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)                 One way you might get a clue that God is trying to teach you something is to find yourself receiving the same message from different sources, at different times, and in different ways. Over the past several days, I’ve started a book that talks about trusting yourself and trusting your audience. The past couple of days of verses of the day on BibleGateway.com seem to me to focus on trusting God. It’s a recurring theme in my life, and a recurring theme in Scripture. The second verse above may be the most ...

                 The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare. (Psalm 25:14-15)                 A person can walk into a bank, get nodded at by the security guard and greeted by the tellers but not really make much of an impression. If the same person draws a gun and starts shouting orders, everyone will start paying attention. In the same way, it seems that when God “speaks” in a casual, relaxed tone, we don’t notice. If He makes it dramatic and forceful, people notice, and usually complain and turn away from Him. Who wants to be around a bully?                 But we tend to think of God as a bully. According to the definition, a bully is  a “one who is habitually cruel...

                   May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)                 There are few prayers that we should pray more often than we do this one. Too often, we seem to think more about what we are about to say than about what God would think of what we’re about to say.  Sadly, that’s part of human nature. To some extent, it is the result of our limitations. We can’t read God’s thoughts, except when He has them recorded for us. He can speak to our minds, our hearts, our souls, and even our bodies, but that is access limited to His choice. If we could read His mind, or the minds of those around us, we might not struggle so with seeing everything solely from our perspective, but as it is, the best we can do, most of the time, is play detective with what others t...

                 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 16:25) Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.                                                 Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken                 Most of us don’t intend to go wrong. The road we take is paved, is natural, is popular, is not popular, is narrow, is wide, is windy, is straight, is level, is hilly… whatever it looks like, it looks like the road we should take. We’ve even prayed about it. Everything says it’s better than the other road.  Aft...

              Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will . (Romans 12:2) Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22) When we read Romans 12:2, we tend to think it requires us to live differently from the people around us in the world. And it does. But as I thought about it this morning, Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis) came to mind. In that story, Lucy sees Aslan when none of her siblings do, and she doesn’t follow him because her siblings don’t believe her and won’t cooperate. Aslan later chides Lucy for not following even if it meant going alone. I’m not suggesting that The Chronicles of Narnia be consider equal with Scripture in teaching us how to relate to God, I am suggesting that there are times when, as Christians, we are...

                      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)                 The Jews had flirted with Babylon. It was a powerful nation. Too late, they discovered that the very things that made it exciting were the toxins that would be focused on them. They had imagined prosperity, hope, and a future as a worthy consort. Things didn’t turn out quite as they’d planned. How could God not only allow, but orchestrate this? Everyone just ignore the fact that they’d flirted. They’d made it clear that their dreams were what they wanted, even if their dreams weren’t aligned with reality. God gave them what they thought they wanted.                 What can I tell y...