In step

[RiverOL]

Encounters with Jesus - Day 7
Morning Encounter:
Read:
When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?” Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said. Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him. Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honour to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”
(John 21.15-19)

Reflect:
Here Jesus specifically calls out Peter to re-commission him. Jesus may have given him three opportunities to express his love for him because of his three denials. The call to ‘feed my sheep’ was a call to pastorally care for and provide spiritual nourishment to believers. To ‘hold out your hands’ was a familiar illusion to crucifixion. Peter was to literally take up his cross and follow Jesus.

Respond:
Read this story slowly and as often as you are able. How might God wish to speak to you today?


Midday Meditation:
What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far county. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.”
(Brennan Manning The Ragamuffin Gospel)

Evening Reflection:
Jesus, thank you for blessing us with Your presence today. You are our peace and our joy, Lord. Thank you for inviting us into a life with You. We are so quick to look for our significance and identity apart from You. Help us to continually remember that we are citizens of Your kingdom! Our identity is not in our jobs, our personalities, or our past. Instead, we find great joy and rest when our identity is rooted in You and what You are doing in us. Continue to transform us, Lord. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Begin to Pull it All Together

. . . ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you—Luke 11:9

You can move, brother, into “an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:20-24 MSG). We can all be remade into new selves, true selves—but God won’t force change upon us. He wants us to ask and listen and learn and work with him. He wants us to do so continually, because he also won’t reveal those true selves all at once. Rather, he’ll teach. He’ll guide. And he’ll reveal identity iteratively, in a progression, in a process that builds on itself throughout our lives. How this actually happens will be different for each of us. We’re new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). But, we’re unique creations too (1 Corinthians 12:14-26).

So, when God gives us something, just for us, when he allows us to discover something about ourselves, we’ve got to treat those things with extraordinary care. We mustn’t allow them to be lost or forgotten in the rush and charge of life. We must collect and revisit them—so we can always have the best, most complete picture possible of who we really are and whom we’re really meant to become.



Get a notebook or create a document, one dedicated to this purpose. Record what God’s revealed already. Recall moments when you just knew he was speaking—maybe a trusted friend pointed out something true about you; or the story of a particular person in the Bible stood out from all the rest; or you sensed God showing you something about yourself, in prayer. Collect and compile these things. Add more as you get more. Protect and preserve them, so you can return to them . . . and return and return and return.

 

[RiverOL]

Love for God's word
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
Many of us are shamefully passionless about the Bible. We might hold it in high regard, enjoy reading certain parts, even have snippets quoted on tea towels or stitched into tapestries. But do we treasure it? Do we love it? Do we prioritise reading it even when other commitments press in on us and time is short?
This week we will be working through sections of Psalm 119, which is a celebration of the place Scripture has in our spiritual formation. The Psalmist refers often to the law, but also talks about statute, promise, word, command and precept. What’s being referred to is the entire cannon of Scripture, not just the rules.
Let’s pray that the writer’s delight, reverence and trust in the word of God will infect us and cause us to read, study and live Scripture with a renewed sense of the precious gift it is.

Read:
Our Lord, you bless everyone
who lives right
and obeys your Law.
You bless all of those

who follow your commands
from deep in their hearts
and who never do wrong
or turn from you.

You have ordered us always
to obey your teachings;
I don’t ever want to stray
from your laws.

Thinking about your commands
will keep me from doing
some foolish thing.

I will do right and praise you
by learning to respect
your perfect laws.
I will obey all of them!
Don’t turn your back on me.

Psalm 119: 1-8

Reflect:
As children of the New Covenant, we can sometimes be a little wary of talk of law. We are under grace after all. When the Psalmist talks about the Law here though, he sees it as nothing but the doorway to blessing. It shows him how to live in a way that pleases God and as the best way to live, leads to fullness of life. We have the law written on our hearts (Romans 2:15), but we also have access to the Old Testament, the only Bible available when the Psalm was composed. God has shown us how to live in a way that brings him honour. Let’s learn to respect and obey his perfect laws (Psalm 119:7).

Respond:
Heavenly Father, you are the creator of all things. You are holy and powerful and loving. Forgive me for resisting your rule in my life. Give me a right attitude towards your Law, and help me live in a way that pleases you. Amen.

Midday Meditation:
“Kingdom obedience is kingdom abundance. They are not two separate things. The inner condition of the soul from which strength and love and peace flow is the very same condition that generously blesses the oppressor and lovingly offers the other cheek.”
(Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy)

Evening Reflection:
Do you follow God’s commands from deep in your heart (Psalm119:2)? If not, think about where your resistance comes from. Ask God to show you the goodness of his word, and to help you see where you might have misunderstood or missed his purposes in the Law.

 

[RiverOL]

Creative Solutions

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."1

Ideas can come from the strangest places. Creative genius comes to people who are open to new ideas and seeing different ways of doing things.

For example, in 1964 the freighter Al Kuwait, which was carrying 6,000 live sheep capsized and sank in Kuwait's harbor. The sunken ship with its decomposing cargo was presenting a serious threat to the country's water supply through its desalination processing plant.

To overcome the problem the ship had to be raised and moved to a safe place without falling apart and dumping its poisonous contents into the nation's water supply.

Karl Kroyer, a Danish engineer working in Kuwait came up with a novel idea. He pumped 27 million ping-pong balls into the freighter's hull which slowly raised it to the surface.

And where did he get this idea? From a Donald Duck comic book. Somebody sank Donald's boat and he and his feathered friends raised it by filling it with ping-pong balls!

When it comes to creative and meaningful living the most valuable resources are found in the Word of God, the Bible (not always in a comic book), It pays to know what it teaches and hide its truths in one's heart.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a greater love for your Word, the Bible, and help me to live by its principles so it will truly be 'a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

NOTE: The above illustration is a cute story but this might be a more realistic report of how the ship was raised at: http://www.starch.dk/isi/kroyer/schrooge.asp

1. Psalm 119:105 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Comfort
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I am at the point of death.
Let your teachings
breathe new life into me.

When I told you my troubles,
you answered my prayers.
Now teach me your laws.

Help me to understand
your teachings,
and I will think about
your marvelous deeds.

I am overcome with sorrow.
Encourage me,
as you have promised to do.
Keep me from being deceitful,
and be kind enough
to teach me your Law.

I am determined to be faithful
and to respect your laws.
I follow your rules, Lord.
Don’t let me be ashamed.

I am eager to learn all
that you want me to do;
help me to understand
more and more.

Psalm 119: 25-32

Reflect:
Life can sometimes feel like a painful ordeal. Suffering comes to us in many forms and few avoid all of them. For those who don’t believe in, know or trust God, hope is frail. For us who do, the Bible is a source of strength, help and comfort. Notice though how the psalmist recognises both God’s part and his part; he does a lot of asking (teach me, help me, encourage me), but he is playing an active role here too (I will think about…, I am determined to…, I am eager to….). When we are immersed in the word of God, it will be a life raft for us to cling to, and through it, God will hold us steady.

Respond:
Do you read and absorb enough of the Bible for it to be in you, shaping your thoughts, actions and reaction, there in times of trouble to show you the way ahead? How could you make the Bible more of a part of your daily routines? Take a few moments to think through any ideas that come to mind.

Midday Meditation:
“[the] circumstantial wilderness is a terrible, frightening, and dangerous place; but I also believe that it’s a place of beauty…In the wilderness we’re plunged into an awareness of danger and death; at the very same moment we’re plunged, if we let ourselves be, into an awareness of the great mystery of God and the extraordinary preciousness of life.”
(Eugene Peterson, Leap Over a Wall)

Evening Reflection:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in our troubles… just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1: 3, 5 (NIV))

 

[RiverOL]

Who You Are
"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.'"1

Rev. David Tinney tells how Rabbi Marc Gafni recalled "one of the first bar mitzvahs he ever performed. It was for a boy named Louis. Louis was awkward and sad. His insensitive parents did little to encourage his self-esteem. They implied that he was too dumb to learn the traditional Hebrew passages a boy recites for his bar mitzvah.

"Rabbi Gafni was determined to bring out the best in Louis. He spent extra time teaching him the songs and prayers. He discovered that Louis was smart, and had a fantastic singing voice. On the day of his bar mitzvah, Louis performed beautifully. At the end of the ceremony, Rabbi Gafni stood and spoke directly to Louis. He said, 'Louis, this morning you met your real self. This is who you are. You are good, graceful, talented, and smart. Whatever people told you yesterday, and Louis, whatever happens tomorrow, promise me one thing. Remember … this is you. Remember, and don't ever lose it.'

"A few years later, Louis wrote to Rabbi Gafni. The boy whose parents predicted that he was too dumb to perform a traditional bar mitzvah was studying for his medical degree at an Ivy League university. He was also engaged to be married. Louis ended his letter by saying, 'I kept my promise—I always remembered my bar mitzvah morning when you said that this is who I am. For this, I thank you.'"2

Dear Reader, no matter what you have ever been told in the past, or what you have come to believe about yourself, always remember that God loves you totally with an everlasting love. He believes in you absolutely and wants you to come to him and believe in yourself in a healthy and helpful way so that you will, with his help, become all that he has envisioned for you to be, and to achieve all that he has planned for you to do.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, as you told the ancient Israelites that you loved them with an everlasting love thank you that you say the same to your followers today. Help me to experience your love and affirmation at the very core of my being so that I will be a better servant of yours in all that I am and do, and so that my life will bring glory and honor to your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Delight
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Show me your love
and save me, Lord,
as you have promised.

Then I will have an answer
for everyone
who insults me
for trusting your word.
I rely on your laws!

Don’t take away my chance
to speak your truth.
I will keep obeying your Law
forever and ever.

I have gained perfect freedom
by following your teachings,
and I trust them so much
that I tell them to kings.

I love your commands!
They bring me happiness.
I love and respect them
and will keep them in mind.

Psalm 119: 41-48

Reflect:
Sometimes we read the Bible in the same way we eat vegetables; without much pleasure and because we know it is good for us. We can see it as a discipline and a duty. But the Psalmist claims the Bible is a source of happiness (119:47). If we look again at the verses that precede that slightly surprising statement, maybe it will make more sense.
The Word of God reminds him of God’s love and promises (v.41); he can trust it and rely on it (v. 42,3); by living in accordance with its teachings, he has experienced freedom (v.45). His love and respect for the Bible is understandable.

Respond:
What has been your experience of reading the Bible? Make a list of the ways it has shaped, enriched, or changed your life. Ask God to increase your enjoyment in his word.

Midday Meditation:
'He knew that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” which is precisely why he commanded his followers: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:21, 19). He is not saying that the heart should or should not be where the treasure is. He is stating the plain fact that wherever you find the treasure, you will find the heart.'
(Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth)

Evening Reflection:
Lord, thank you for your Word, through which you reveal yourself and your good purposes for your creation. Thank you for the wealth of wisdom, truth and experience available in its pages. Give me joy when I come to read the Bible, and let it be my greatest treasure. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Call Out or Call In?

. . . and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free—John 8:32

We cannot mature in our faith without community. We just cannot. The process of maturing isn’t simple, isn’t smooth. It’s one of getting off track and getting on again—again and again. We need help with that. We’re designed to be together. We’re built to need one another. To “grow up healthy in God, robust in love” we need community (Ephesians 4:14-16 MSG).

To help, though, our communities must actually be capable of picking us up and getting us on track and encouraging us on. Our communities must be places where we’re willing to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Speaking that way requires moving beyond simply being polite to one another—and ever ignoring or excusing sin. It also requires moving beyond just pointing out sin or shortcomings or what bothers us or what we think might bother God.

Speaking the truth in love doesn’t require us to call each other out. It requires us to call each other in—into true identity. It requires us to call each other away from sin (e.g., “you don’t need to do that anymore . . .”) and into the identities God had in mind when he designed us, built us, and set us in motion (“. . . because this is who you really are”).



Do you have a sense for the true identities of your brothers in community? Get serious about learning. Get intentional about allowing God to show you. When you meet next, have each man bring a favorite story or verse from Scripture. Read them. Talk about them. They’ll point to something true. If a man loves the story of Caleb, for example, it’s likely he’s designed and built to be brave and bold and faithful like Caleb. And his community must help him do just that.

 

[RiverOL]

Timeless and Enduring
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.

You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.

All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.

If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.

I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.

I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
so keep me safe.

Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
but I obey your rules.

Nothing is completely perfect,
except your teachings.

Psalm 119: 89-96

Reflect:
The earliest parts of the Bible were written well over three thousand years ago, and yet here we are, reading it today, taking it as our primary insight into God’s nature, searching it for guidance on how to live, finding it speaks to our concerns and issues across all those years, languages and cultures. As the psalmist writes, ‘the laws you made are still in effect today.’ How absolutely extraordinary.
Our emotions are strong and changeable. The orthodoxies of our culture are fickle, and our minds are fallible. If we allow ourselves to reinvent God according to our context or mood, we will soon be lost. The Bible has proved itself reliable. It has shown itself timeless, lasting ‘as long as the heavens’ (v. 89). It has gone the distance.

Respond:
“Our Lord, you are eternal! Your word will last as long as the heavens. You remain faithful in every generation, and the earth you created will keep standing firm. All things are your servants, and the laws you made are still in effect today. I won’t ever forget your teachings, because you give me new life by following them. Amen.” (Psalm 119: 89-91,93)

Midday Meditation:
'Even though the Word was originally given in a concrete historical context, its uniqueness is that historically given and conditioned Word is ever a living Word…We have two tasks: first, to find out what the text originally meant…Second, we must learn to hear that same meaning in the variety of new or different contexts of our own day.'
(Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stewart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth)

Evening Reflection:
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1: 22,23 (NIV))

 

[RiverOL]

What Is the Gospel? Part 1
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."1

In the first century AD, in a time of severe persecution of the early church and Christians, the Apostle Paul, being anything but politically correct, stated unequivocally that he was not ashamed of the gospel.

But what is the gospel that Paul was not ashamed of, and was so convinced of its reality that he was prepared to face persecution and death? As Webster's Dictionary explains, the meaning of "gospel" is "godspell, God story, or good news." It is the good news about God's story of his salvation plan for mankind. Specifically, as another has said: "The gospel is a message about God, a message about sin, a message about Jesus Christ, and a summons to faith and repentance."

First, the gospel is a message about God. The gospel is not a message about religion. It's about having a right relationship with God. Religion tends to want to fix us from the outside in. God wants to fix us from the inside out. The first can become an impossible, legalistic burden. The latter is what brings freedom. Neither is the gospel a set of rules and regulations. It is experiencing God's divine love, divine acceptance and divine forgiveness—and learning to communicate these to every life we touch.

It helps to realize that God isn't out to zap us for the wrongs we've done. In fact, no matter what we have ever done or have failed to do, God loves us with an everlasting love and has a wonderful purpose for our lives—for this life as well as the next! As Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."2 And again, "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."3

Second, the gospel is a message about sin. Many people understandably ask, "If there is a God and if he is a God of love, why does he allow so much suffering, sickness, and sadness in today's world? Without sounding too simplistic, this is because we have all sinned and separated ourselves from an infinitely holy God.4 It's not that God left us, but rather, we left God and separated ourselves from him—and, in so doing, we separated ourselves from his protection. Furthermore sin has its own natural consequences that, as a human race, we have brought upon ourselves.

Another misconception about God is that he is out to punish us for our sins when, in fact, we bring sin's punishment on ourselves because sin has its own natural consequences. If we try to break the universal law of gravity, for instance, we can't. It will break us. Neither can we break God's universal moral law. When we do, it breaks us, and besides its painful effects in this life—suffering, sorrow, sickness, and physical death—its ultimate and tragic consequence is spiritual death, which is not the cessation of life; that is, the life of our soul, but rather eternal separation from God, the author of all love and life, in the place where God's Word, the Bible, calls hell.
To be continued …

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for loving me so much that you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place on the cruel Roman cross, to pay the penalty and punishment for all my sin, so that when I receive Jesus as my Savior, I will be freely forgiven and receive your gift of eternal life, knowing that when my life on earth is finished, I will spend eternity with you in Heaven forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Nourishment
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.

I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.

I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.

I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
Psalm 119: 97-104

Reflect:
Our minds and souls need nourishment in the same way our bodies do, and yet while most of us at least pay lip service to the need to pay attention to what we eat, how conscious are we about what we feed our inner selves? There is a lot of junk on offer- the internet is good for unlimited access to time wasting and unhealthy trivia- but there’s also poison, and quite often we’ll willingly ingest it.

As Christians, to survive, grow, and thrive, we need to be nourished by the word of God. The psalmist says he meditates on it (v. 97,99). He chews it over, he savours it, he absorbs it slowly and consciously, getting the very most from every word. He knows what is good for him.
Respond:
Meditate on verse 103: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

Midday Meditation:
'Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus’ name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.'
(Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book)

Evening Reflection:
'The purpose of meditation is to enable us to hear God more clearly. Meditation is listening, sensing, heeding the life and light of Christ. This comes right to the heart of our faith. The life that pleases God is not a set of religious duties; it is to hear His voice and obey His word. Meditation opens the door to this way of living.'

 

[RiverOL]

What Is the Gospel? Part 2

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."5

Yesterday we had noted that the Gospel is a message about God and, second, it is a message about sin.

Third, the gospel is a message about Jesus Christ. God is not only a God of absolute holiness, but also a God of perfect justice. Because of this, all sin has to be judged, the just sentence of which is spiritual and eternal death, which is not the cessation of one's existence but eternal separation from a holy God5—the creator and author of all love and life—in the place the Bible calls hell.

However, the gospel is also about how God is not only a God of absolute holiness and perfect justice but also a God of infinite love. Because of God's infinite love for us, he gave his own Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth in the form of a man and willingly died in our place on the cross of Calvary to pay the just penalty for all our sins. Because Jesus was without sin, he was the only one qualified to die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. Had there been any other way to save mankind, Jesus wouldn't have had to die for us.

Fourth, and finally, the gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. The really good news is that God's gift of forgiveness and eternal life is available to all who will accept it. Here's how to do this:

1. We need to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died in our place to pay the penalty for all our sins. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved"6 states the Word of God.

2. We need to confess our sins to God and ask for his forgiveness. God's Word also says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."7

3. We need to repent. That is, we need to turn from sinful and selfish ways to follow God and his ways. Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news."8 That is, we need to turn from sinful and selfish ways and make a commitment of our will, with God's help, to follow God and his ways.

4. We need to receive Jesus as our Savior. God's Word says, "To all who received him [Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."9 God's Word also said, "That if you confess 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 confess and are saved."10

Admitting and confessing our sins, believing that Jesus died to pay the just penalty for all our sins, inviting him into our lives as Lord and Savior, accepting God's forgiveness and turning from our sinful ways to live God's way is what makes us a real Christian. This is what godspell—God's good news is all about!

To be continued …

If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior and would like to do this today, the following prayer will help you to do this:

"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and have fallen far short of your standard of holiness. Thank you for loving me so much that you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place to pay the penalty and punishment for all my sin. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me for all my sins, and grant to me your gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Priority
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I pray to you, Lord!
Please answer me.
I promise to obey your laws.
I beg you to save me,
so I can follow your rules.

Even before sunrise,
I pray for your help,
and I put my hope
in what you have said.

I lie awake at night,
thinking of your promises.
Show that you love me, Lord,
and answer my prayer.

Please do the right thing
and save my life.

People who disobey your Law
have made evil plans
and want to hurt me,
but you are with me,
and all of your commands
can be trusted.

From studying your laws,
I found out long ago
that you made them
to last forever.
Psalm 119: 145- 152

Reflect:
Most of us have more things to do than time to do them, living at a speed that is not conducive to mental, social and spiritual health. But, as the old truism has it, when something is really important, we will find time for it: we will fit the rest around it.
The question is, how important do we regard it to have daily biblical input?

As someone who loves their sleep, I find it deeply challenging when I hear of someone who will get up early to make sure they start the day with God (the psalmist is up before sunrise, even after a broken night! v 147, 148).
Putting a high priority on time reading the Bible makes all kind of sense, even (or perhaps especially) when the pressure is on. It reminds us of where our ultimate hope lies (v.147), it keeps us focussed on the love of God and puts our fears and stresses in perspective (v.149-151), and it helps us live out our days in a God-honouring manner (v. 152).

Respond:
Consider where reading the Bible fits into your daily priorities. Do you need to rethink the shape of your day to give it a more sizeable space? Think through the reasons why it would be a good use of time.

Midday Meditation:
'Authentic Christianity is not learning a set of doctrines and then stepping into cadence with people all marching the same way… It is a walk- a supernatural walk with a living, dynamic, communicating God.'
(Bill Hybels, Too Busy not to Pray)

Evening Reflection:
'The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.'

 

[RiverOL]

What Is the Gospel? Part 3
"Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door [of your heart and life] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."11

Yesterday and Monday we explained what God's Good News—that is, the gospel, is all about. It is a message about God, a message about sin, a message about Jesus Christ, and a summons to faith and commitment.

Sad to say, some churches give a good presentation of God's gospel message but never give listeners the opportunity to make a commitment to accept Jesus as their Savior. I believe there are many church members who understand the gospel and are ready to accept Jesus, but have never been invited to do so. I say this because it is my understanding that so many of the people who made their commitment to Jesus at a Billy Graham crusade were church members.

It isn't enough just to believe in our head that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for our sins. The devil knows and believes that. True, we need to believe this, but we also need to accept God's offer of forgiveness and gift of eternal salvation to come into our heart and life as Savior and Lord. It also involves making a commitment of our will to follow Jesus.

Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door [of his/her heart and life], I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."11

Again, if you have not yet opened the door of your heart and invited Jesus to come in and asked for God's forgiveness, and made a commitment of your life to Jesus, I would like to give you that opportunity again today. The following prayer will help you to do this:

"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin for which I am truly thankful. Please forgive me for all my sins, and I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life and will to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be and to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

The Word-Shaped Life
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Please, Lord, hear my prayer
and give me the understanding
that comes from your word.

Listen to my concerns
and keep me safe,
just as you have promised.

If you will teach me your laws,
I will praise you and sing
about your promise,
because all of your teachings
are what they ought to be.

Be ready to protect me
because I have chosen
to obey your laws.

I am waiting for you
to save me, Lord.
Your Law makes me happy.

Keep me alive,
so I can praise you,
and let me find help
in your teachings.

I am your servant,
but I have wandered away
like a lost sheep.

Please come after me,
because I have not forgotten
your teachings.

Psalm 119: 97-104

Reflect:
What is life all about? Humanity shares a common longing for meaning, for their existence to be a coherent narrative not a series of unrelated fragments, for who we are to matter in some way. As Christians we locate ourselves in God’s great story, and that gives us identity, purpose and security (the 'understanding of God’s word' v.169). But we are still caught up in the moment by moment mundanity of work, domestic chores, childcare, finances, paperwork, and food shopping. Discipleship does not mean brushing aside these lesser activities to focus on 'spiritual occupations' like reading the Bible. It means living every aspect of life in a Christ-like, Scripture-shaped way.

Respond:
'Listen to my concerns. Let me find help in your teachings. Lord, your word is my lifeline. Speak to me through it today. Amen.'

Midday Meditation:
'So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.' (Isaiah 55:11 (ESV))

Evening Reflection:
'All the persons of faith I know are sinners, doubters, uneven performers. We are secure not because we are sure of ourselves, but because we trust that God is sure of us.'

 

[RiverOL]

Keeping Fueled & Aflame

Take your everyday, ordinary life . . .
and place it before God as an offering—Romans 12:1

The author of Hebrews laid down a challenge: “. . . let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Eugene Peterson translated it as, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out” (Hebrews 10:24 MSG). What a great challenge for us men, today. It dares us to engage our God-given capacities for imagining and inventing. But, it also dares to direct these capacities toward good purposes, toward God’s purposes.

Too often we use our imaginations to envision prosperous futures for ourselves, futures of comfort and materialism and separation . . . or . . . we use them to envision worrisome futures, futures where our worst fears come to pass. And too often, we use our inventiveness to build our own prosperity . . . or . . . to build barricades around our lives to protect ourselves from our fears.

What if we stopped doing that so much? What if, in faith, we were to refocus these imaginative and inventive capacities? What if we put them toward the task of keeping ourselves, and keeping those around us “fueled and aflame” (Romans 12:11-13 MSG)? What if we dedicated a few moments―every week, every month―to look at ourselves, our families, our friends, our communities, and allowed ourselves to dream and create? We wouldn’t be alone. God the Holy Spirit would be right there, in those moments, guiding us, inspiring us.



It’s not easy to change how we think and how we act. We need help. Take a few minutes to pray and listen for the Holy Spirit. Be still. Consider the question of how you might encourage “love and good deeds” in your family, among your friends, in your community. Whatever comes―if it fits within the principles of Scripture―trust it and make it happen.

 

[RiverOL]

Forgetful Hearts
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
If you are above a certain age and grew up going to Sunday School, chances are you will have a fair few verses of the Bible committed to memory. But the practice of memorising Scripture seems to have fallen out of fashion. We need to bring it back!
You may feel your memory is unreliable, over-stretched, unable to retain even the simplest sequence of numbers (I have been known to forget my phone number and bank PIN…) but there are strategies and techniques to help, and once we are convinced this is important, I feel sure we can manage it! So this week we will be looking at why memorising the Bible is so vital, and each day we’ll have a chance to practice.

Read:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.

The Lord promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you this land. Now he will take you there and give you large towns, with good buildings that you didn’t build, and houses full of good things that you didn’t put there. The Lord will give you wells that you didn’t have to dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you didn’t have to plant. But when you have eaten so much that you can’t eat any more, don’t forget it was the Lord who set you free from slavery and brought you out of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 6: 4-12

Reflect:
The people of Israel were living in significant times. In living memory, they had escaped slavery by walking through a parting in the sea; they had been fed by heavenly food and led by pillars of cloud and fire through the desert. They are about to enter a land that will become their home, and life is going to get easier.
Moses knows they are forgetful and fickle. When he was up the mountain talking to God, they made themselves a new god, a golden calf (Exodus 32). We too are forgetful and fickle. Memorising Scripture is a way to ingrain the stories of God’s faithfulness into our hearts, so we remember in times of comfort and hardship.
Moses even gives creative ideas about how to remember: teach it to your children, talk about it to your friends, copy it down and put it up around your house, make it part of your bedtime and morning routine. We are forgetful by nature. We have to work at this.

Respond:
Copy out Deuteronomy 6: 5: “The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” Put it somewhere you will see it frequently today, and read it as many times as you can.

Midday Meditation:
I bind unto myself today
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;

his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

(St Patrick)

Evening Reflection:
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbours, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.”
Jeremiah 31: 33,34 (NIV)

 

[RiverOL]

The Way It's Always Done
"If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."1

In his book, Mind Your Own Business, Murray Raphel shares the following story. "Years ago, in Russia, a czar came upon a lonely sentry standing at attention in a secluded corner of the palace garden. 'What are you guarding,' asked the czar. 'I don't know. The captain ordered me to this post,' the sentry replied.

"The czar called the captain. His answer: 'Written regulations specify a guard was to be assigned to that area.' The czar ordered a search to find out why. The archives finally yielded the reason. Years before, Catherine the Great had planted a rose bush in that corner. She ordered a sentry to protect it for that evening.

"One hundred years later, sentries were still guarding the now barren spot."

The application is obvious.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the wisdom to know what to guard carefully—especially that which is imperative and eternal—and forget continuing to guard that which is no longer relevant. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Mind Food
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.
(Philippians 4: 4-9)

Reflect:
What we think causes our behaviour and our feelings, so keeping our minds on godly thoughts is vital to living the Christian life. Memorising the Bible means we are steeped in truth, hope and instruction that will literally change our lives.
We live in a world where we have unprecedented access to the Bible - wherever and whenever we want it through the internet, in multiple translations of our own language, in a plethora of font sizes and styles. The danger of this is that we assume we know it better than we do. It is not enough to be able to get hold of a Bible passage when we feel like it. We need it inside us, imbedded in our brains.

Respond:
Repeat this sentence ten times: “keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper.” (Philippians 4:8). At your next mealtime, see if you can recite it from memory.

Midday Meditation:
“Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.”
(Colossians 3: 1-4)

Evening Reflection:
Our concentration on Jesus will be strengthened by memorization of great passages…
This practice of memorizing the Scriptures is more important than a daily quiet time, for as we fill our minds with these great passages and have them available for our meditation, “quiet time” takes over the entirety of our lives.

 

[RiverOL]

Rising Above Discouragement
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy."1

"These boys won't make it. Go back to Liverpool, Mr. Epstein, you have a good business there." This is what a recording company executive told the Beatles' manager at their first audition! Can you imagine that?

"That kid can't play baseball. He can't pull the ball" is what the manager of the Brave's Triple-A team said about Hank Aaron in 1952. Aaron went on to hit 755 home runs, the most ever in the history of baseball.

Remember, no matter what the critics say, in God's economy everybody has a purpose and everybody has something of value to offer. Never give up until you know what your God-given talent is, or talents are, sharpen them, dedicate them to God, and give them all you've got. Take courage. Nothing you do for God will ever be in vain.

If what you are choosing to do is in harmony with God's will for you, then dream big dreams, work hard, trust God and in time you will reap what you sow—and will be richly rewarded. Know your God-given dreams and keep hope alive. In due time you will be rewarded if you "faint not."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to know my God-given life purpose and dream. Help me to be faithful to this calling and keep hope alive so that I will receive the reward that comes from you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."