Mission Faithwalk

  Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.   For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,   but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.   (I Peter 1:17-19)   “It’s my life…my body…my right!” “I can do what I want, with whom I want, when I want, where I want, in the manner that I want, and as much as I want…as long as I don’t (think I) hurt anyone.” People talk about Narcissism as if it’s either someone else’s problem or a problem for them only if someone else is the Narcissist. But Scripture has been pointing out the folly of vanity since the days of Solomon, and probably much longer. In fact, our word, vanity comes from a Latin term meaning “empty.” So when Peter says that “it was no...

  Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.   As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.   But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;   for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:13-16) Returning to the theme I used on Sunday, you know how so many of the horror/slasher movies work. A bunch of people explore some old house or other forbidden or forbidding place. Some stereotypical dumb blond (whether blond or not) goes up the stairs, or down the stairs, separating herself   (or himself) from the rest of the gang, and you just want to shout “Don’t do that you stupid (insert unkind label of your preference.)” That’s the sort of thing the prophets and angels probably shout as they watch us bumble around like blithering idiots, though I hope the...

            He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.   It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” (Isaiah 44:14-16)               This morning has been a morning of some welcome clarity both for my writing and for my life. As I walked the dog, it came to mind that I can tuck my clothes and toiletries in around things. I really don’t have a huge number of toiletry items that have to go with me. I will have to get rid of some food, but my big cooler would f...

  Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,   trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.     It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (I Peter 1:10-12) You know those movies you watch and books you read that make you wish you had a life as exciting as your favorite characters do? I know I’ve told the story before, but years ago, someone at a motivational meeting said “Someday, you’ll be up here telling your story.” I wept all the way home because, in my mind, I didn’t have a story to tell. Now...

              Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,   for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:8-9) Are you filled with inexpressible and glorious joy because you’re receiving salvation? My immediate response is, “Um, no.” I’m not even doing a computer chair dance, let alone whooping it up. But then I remember that the first task in any discussion or argument is to define the terms and that the worst possible place to look for a definition of a term is to the world. To the world, joy is whooping it up. Even to an extrovert or a person who processes information more through their feelings than through the mind, joy is probably dancing. But for me? The extreme of emotion usually results in my doing the “twist” in my chair, with the chair going back and forth maybe six inche...

  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.   These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.   (I Peter 1:6-7) Back in 2012, in one of President Obama’s campaign speeches, he said, "If you've got a business, you didn't build that.” He was right in his observation. If you own a business, chances are good that other people have been involved in integral ways. The same is true of celebrities we like. Most of them would not be as impressive without the set people, the makeup artists, costumers, choreographers, and entrepreneurs who provide a venue for them. Think of sports figures. They have coaches, sponsors, and a host of others who make their performance possible. Can you imagine your football star going back for a pass, t...

  Trust in the  Lord  forever, for the  Lord , the  Lord  himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:4)           Today’s passage comes from the Bible website I use. I decided to go with it because I struggle so much with the issue of trust. If you are of a certain age, the phrase the Rock eternal might being to mind a logo of an insurance company. It’s the Rock of Gibraltar. Now, if you’re like me, you may have thought Prudential chose this logo because it’s a huge rock and rocks are strong and steady. I learned this morning that’s not why.           Toward the end of the Revolutionary War in America, Spain decided to “help” American independence by joining France in a war against England in Europe. The blunt truth of the matter was that they wanted to take some real estate away from the British who had occupied it. Helping the Americans, well, that was just anoth...