verseoftheday

...in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him... ...but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:8-14 ESV Paul has spent the first part of Ch3 looking back.  And then he has this remarkable personal mission statement: "in order that I might gain Christ, and be found in him". Paul is an old man here, in prison no less. If he was in our church we'd be saying enjoy retirement (if we can get you out of jail!) He's met Jesus. He's an apostle. Yet he knows there's more, there's getting closer to, becoming more like, Jesus.  To gain here is a trading term, trading up, getting something better.  To gain Jesus. And be found in him.  At work, at rest, at play, in prison, in joy, in sadness, on Sunday, on Monday, on holiday, may we be found in Jesus. Yes look

Peter answered him,  "You are the Christ" And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things ...be rejected ...be killed,  and after three days rise again. Mark 8:29-31 ESV Peter had the right answer, but did not have a complete understanding of what that answer meant. You don't understand yet how salvation is going to come to people... It's not what you expect. It's not what you want to happen.  There's an old Johnny Cash song with a line  "if I had his money I'd do things my way" What do we want Jesus to fix? I've got a list. Jesus told Peter to just hold your horses, as you don't get it yet. My kingdom is not coming in power. But in suffering In rejection. In death. And in resurrection. The Peter we find in Acts learned what Jesus started teaching here.  Just like Peter I need a reminder that its not the systems of this world that will save, but the upsidedown k

For to us a child is born... Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV It's that time of year when we look back and reflect, and look forward with hope and expectation. Christmas may be just a memory now, but glance back again at Jesus, and reflect on these words from Paul Tripp "Jesus could've entered our world as a strong man, but he entered as a vulnerable infant,  like us in every way, walking all of our pathways, sharing all of our experiences, understanding every season of our struggles. He is then the sympathetic Father, priest, and friend." Why on earth would God do that? To become so small,  so vulnerable. This planet full of mixed up, hurting, damaged, imperfect people, are so valuable to Him, so loved, that what Jesus went thru was worth it. You're worth it. Emmanuel, God with us isn't just for Christmas, but can shape and colour every day, every thought, every interaction, if we allow Him to. #with

There was also a prophet, Anna... She was very old... She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child... Luke 2:36-38 NIV Anna was old. Had suffered personal tragedy. And Anna finished well. She stayed close to God, who knows how many people Anna ministered to in her life, but right towards the end she met Jesus as a baby, talked to Mary and Joseph about Jesus, the Jesus she had met in a lifetime of studying what we call the Old Testament. A lifetime of prayer. A lifetime of worship. I wonder what this old lady had to say to these young people about Jesus. About their baby. (And how did she know? No angel visits or dreams recorded here...) Anna had some priorities, and she finished well. As this year winds down, will we finish well. Anna stayed close to God When we look back on our lives, will we be able to say the same thing? Will I? That my priorities were reflected in

Friday! Proverbs! Chasten your son  while there is hope,  And do not set your heart on his destruction. Proverbs 19:18 NKJV Well this is a fun proverb! What's going on that is so bad that the writer feels he is at risk of wishing his own child's death? Is the son an adult? Or a younger person on a downhill trajectory? And what's with "chasten"? It means to discipline, to instruct, to admonish. There's a lot of talking going on here, so this is not about some 2 year old having a tantrum! I read this proverb as the father. The hero of the proverb. But really I'm the son, who's selfishness is leading to my destruction, my death.  And I need the instruction and the admonition of my Heavenly Father. And more.  I need the redemption that comes thru faith in Jesus. Jesus who's birth we celebrate, who's death we need, and in who's resurrection we have hope. The word for hope in this proverb literally means "cord". Hope is the cord that jo

There was also a prophet, Anna... She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 NIV Where did Anna start? With thanks. Thanks to God. It's so easy for me to forget, but this woman who had spent decades listening to, talking to, and talking about God, starts with thanks. Whether you're Christmas includes painful memories, or dramas, or if it was chock full of joy and goodness, will we start Boxing Day with thanks? Anna was looking forward to Jesus redemptive work, and we have the privilege of looking back on that. Will we follow Anna's example and speak about Jesus and what he is about... Anna saw the hope of the world encased in a baby in his Mum's arms. We see the hope of the world on a Roman cross, and, in the empty space that was his tomb, our Living Hope. #belikeAnna #bethan

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old;  she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. Luke 2:36-37 NIV If you were in church this week or going today it's unlikely that there'll be a sermon about Anna. One of the obscure people in the Christmas story. She was very old. She'd suffered a personal tragedy, if she was married at 15 she became a widow at 22. The text could read she had been a widow for 84  years, which would make her 106 years old. With all the other miraculous stuff going on around Jesus birth this seems quite possible. Maybe this Christmas morning you feel like an obscure character.  On the fringe of God's sight, unseen in the world, maybe like Anna, know what loss and suffering is. But Luke writing about her, the Holy Spirit including this in the text tells us that in God's upsidedown kingdom there is no one obscure. There is no

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 2:8 NIV These guys weren't doing a night shift  They were living out in the fields. With the sheep. They smelt like sheep. No showers. They were social outcasts, no fixed abode, deemed too unreliable to give evidence in court. They were unclean and were not allowed in the temple. They were the least. They were "them". Ever been an outcast?  Looked down on? Judged. Unclean. Yet. God decided that He was going to announce Jesus arrival to these guys.  He didn't ask them to clean up first, to change their clothes, their identity, He sent his advance media team to the least. To "them". Because He's coming for us, the least, the outcast, the smelly, those who feel unclean who live outside the city. He's coming for us all. And even in that we can see a glimpse of the cross, where Jesus is outside the city, judged, outcast, unclean. He went there for us.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son;  and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 NASB We easily romanticise a nice clean barn with fairy lights and a manger that's been reoianted...but think for a minute about this and the reality is a lot less pleasant. A space for feeding animals perhaps attached to the Inn is what they found.  There's no mention of a midwife or any support. As they're looking for a bed it is likely night time, no lighting, Mary and Joseph on their own, Mary in labour, in the dark, in a barn.  And this is how God entered the world? Could the circumstances have been any humbler? Any less royal, any "less"? His name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor Mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace The hope of the world arrived in hopeless circumstances,  so that  we might know Him. #christmas #hopeiscomingforyou

And she gave birth to her firstborn son;  and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 NASB Mary and Joseph had travelled to his home town for the census. Imagine going back to the place you were born and all of your extended family were doing the same thing. You couldn't move but bump into a cousin.  And your in a culture that valued hospitality, especially to travellers. Yet there was no room for Joseph and his pregnant girlfriend. No one offered a couch or made space. Jesus was looked down on, judged and rejected from before he was even born. Maybe those feelings are familiar: Looked down on Judged Rejected If you do, you're in good company then! Already we have a glimpse of Jesus life, and his death. Looked down  Judged Rejected So that we, you and I, no longer have to be.  His life for mine. His goodness for my sin Yes, Christmas points us to the cross... #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #thisisLove

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord , and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17 NIV Does this proverb point us to Jesus? Jesus is the one who is kind, gracious, extends grace towards...he is the one full of grace and truth. Who are the poor then?  The ones dangling by a thread, those in need? That's us. We could not stand before the Lord, Yahweh. Our sin, my sin, taints everything.  I am the poor person of this proverb. Jesus kindness and grace took him from heaven, to the manger, and to the cross.  And in resurrection he is restored. And this is our hope as we gaze back at Christmas to a manger and a baby and God entering into the story in the smallest and most outrageous way, to meet with us, dwell with us, the poor. In our culture that glorifies bigger and more powerful, we look back on Jesus who arrived small and vulnerable. Jesus who made himself vulnerable to death itself, so that, we might have Life! All because He loves. Loves us.  The poor. 

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord , and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17 NIV Picture the wealthiest person you know. They're loaded! And you're going to lend to them.  Our God is the source of all kindness and grace. So he must value our loans in a way I don't quite get. Maybe it's like a small child who asks a gives a special treasure to a big person to hold for them. There's a value there, a trust, an important exchange. Something goes on when we loan to God. Whoever is kind. Gracious. Extends grace towards. Who are the "poor"? The root of this word is "dangling".  lean,  needy,  poor man,  weaker Those who are hanging on by a thread, the weaker than you, the hungry... The writer is asking us to extend grace to those just hanging on. Doesn't say how that should look, because kindness and grace are heart attitudes that are discovered, formed, & reformed, as we express them in lovin

For to us a child is born... and his name  shall be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father,  Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV The Prince: chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince. He's in charge, he's the Boss of Peace Of Peace: Shalom.  Wholeness. Complete.  Welfare Peace This little baby is the Boss of Shalom.  We get tastes of that Shalom, there's moments when we feel complete, whole, safe. Glimpses of how it should be.  And Shalom is snatched away by the pressures of this world, our own choices, our broken thinking, the actions of others, the lies of the enemy. But the promise held in that little baby is that Jesus is the Boss of Shalom. And the way is the cross. Christmas always leads us to Easter.  Resurrection holds the hope of wholeness. Peace. One day all will be made new...and until then we get to see and know glimpses of that Shalom as we walk with Jesus, and love His people. #christmas #wonderfulcounselor #mightyGod #everlastingfat

For to us a child is born... and his name shall be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father... Isaiah 9:6 ESV Eternal Always was. Always will be. It always feels too big a concept to hold. What can I see that will last forever? There's things that last a long time. There's castles and buildings that have been around for 1,000 years, will they do another 1,000? What about 10,000? Or the earth itself.  Its forever.  Then some of it melts. Or shakes to bits. Yet here we're promised an ever lasting person.  A father. Maybe your memory or thoughts of your father are good, or terrible, or somewhere in between, but we know that this ever lasting father is Love. Safe. Wise. He is for us. For ever. And he's wrapped up in this baby.  Christmas is a bit mind bending really! #christmas #wonderfulcounselor #mightyGod #everlastingFather #upsidedownkingdom

For to us a child is born,... and his name  shall be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God... Isaiah 9:6 ESV Mighty God. Mighty. Like a mighty beast. Powerful, raw, dangerous. Untamed. Untameable. God. God among gods. Our "gods" are much more subtle than a temple or an idol or the sun.  Career, business, farm, family, health, beauty, wealth...me... We have a choice of gods too, places, things, people we put our faith in to save, to meet our deep needs. Isaiah anticipates that with the mighty beast God among gods, who paradoxically arrives as a helpless, completely dependent baby. All of the wondrous wisdom of the creator, all of the night and power, constrained, and made small, in a baby in a manger... #christmas #wonderfulcounselor #mightyGod #upsidedownkingdom

For to us a child is born, ...and his name  shall be called  Wonderful Counselor... Isaiah 9:6 ESV Marvelous Extraordinary Wonder Astounding And this word is connected to the Messiah as Counselor, advisor. Isaiah told us that the One who is coming as a baby would give the most extraordinary advice and counsel  Words that will astound. Sprinkled right through the gospels are people's astonishment at what Jesus said, even the professional Bible scholars were amazed. Jesus words today continue to astound...where he came from, why he came, what his upsidedown kingdom is about, what love looks like, what he said to hurting people, what he said to self righteous people, where he was going, and that he is coming back. His words to us, for us, about us, are astounding, marvelous, counsel. In all the noise of Christmas will I listen? #chrstmas #wordsofJesus #wonderfulcounselor

For to us a child is born...  Isaiah 9:6 ESV All of the truth, holiness, justice, compassion, kindness and love of heaven is shrunk into a new born baby. Completely vulnerable. Small. All of the power of heaven is constrained  Made powerless The creator joined His creation in the most remarkable way. The King became a subject. Why would God do that? Why bother with us? Why bother with rebellious people? Because He Loves. He sees us. Sees us in all our brokenness and failings and stuff, and Loves. Sees us in our rebellion and love for other gods and wants to draw us back. Back to Himself. God's heart is for us. Sees us. Loves us.  Sends Jesus. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #Christmas

And He asked them,  "But who do you say that I am?" Peter replied to Him,  "You [in contrast to the others] are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)." Mark 8:29 AMP Peter replied. Why isn't that surprising? He's the guy who always jumps in to action or blurts out what's on his mind (be interesting to compare him before and after Acts 2) Anyhow, what he says is that Jesus is in a different category to who the people say he is. He is not a prophet looking forward to someone or something. He is the thing. He is the One. The Christ The Messiah The Annointed One. Everyone else had been pointing forward, anticipating, looking forward to, and Peter recognised Jesus as the culmination of God's story so far. "Who do you say that I am?" is a question from Jesus that echos through time to us today. Peter blurted out his answer because he knew who Jesus is. This Christmas, what would my answer be if that question came up? Who is Jesus anyway? #gospel

Friday! Proverbs! He who keeps the commandment  keeps his soul,  But he who is careless  of his ways  will die. Proverbs 19:16 NKJV Follow the rules! Don't step out of line or you're doomed! Mmm The word "soul" is our old Hebrew friend "nephesh" Definition:  a soul living being life self person desire passion appetite emotion This is about our emotional life!  The thriving person. The life God intended for you is lost when we don't follow Him, as His instruction is for our good and our thriving. This proverb is not a weapon to keep us in line but a reminder that God is for us, for our thriving and wants us to have that joy of life! Even in a broken world where sin and evil and hurt and loss seem to abound unabated sometimes, our God loves us, delights in us, and wants us to en joy this life. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

They replied,  "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked.  "Who do you say I am?" Mark 8:28-29 NIV I wonder if Jesus unpacked the nuances of why they thought he was John - the cool guy who lived his own extreme lifestyle and attracted heaps of followers, or Elijah who destroyed the Baal priests and called fire from heaven (probs not the Elijah who got scared and depressed afterwards tho) Jesus was not worried at all about what people, the crowd, thought of him. Jesus was interested in what those closest to him really believed. Because his plan was that they were going to be the start of the church and change the world. And what they believed about Jesus was critical. Just as it is for us today. That question helps us cut through the unimportant, what the crowd think, because today Jesus is interested in our answer to that question: "Who do you say I am?" The answer change

Love...it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV Been thinking about these words not in relation to others, but how they sit with me. I'm the one keeping a record of my wrongs. I'm the one that allows those things to pop into my brain and I respond in ways that really are not helpful for me or those around me...and that becomes a pattern... And then a habit. An habitual way of thinking based on my own record keeping. The place where my wrongs were dealt expunged was the cross. Jesus paid the penalty, so, I can let those things go.  That was Love in action. It can take a bit of reflection to see my own faulty thinking pattern and let the Spirit renew. Maybe you're like me, and you're the only one keeping that record of wrongs alive.  Love in action in us can be the erasing of those faulty habits of thinking and responding based on our own record keeping. #loveinaction

"Who do people say I am?" "Well,"  they replied,  "some say John the Baptist,  some say Elijah,  and others say you are one of the other prophets." Then he asked them... Mark 8:27-29 NLT Mark, bless him, has compressed a 10 hour 6 minute road trip into about 3 sentences... What is it that Jesus is doing here? He listened. We don't get a rebuke or a "don't be stupid" or even a "really?!?" Jesus listened. Perhaps as we ask that question in this advent season, "who do you say Jesus is?", or perhaps "what's Christmas all about for you?" would we listen. It's hard sometimes to be genuinely interestedly in an opinion or thought that I might not agree with. Jesus listened. Jesus extended grace in this way, then maybe I need to do that too. #listen #Godsgym #gospelofmark #whatischristmas

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi.  As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" Mark 8:27 NLT According to Google Maps this is a 10 hour and 6 minute trek. 47km A marathon plus a 5k. Solid day. Can you imagine the disciples...Peter has been up for an hour ready to go, charging on ahead, Judas is looking for a shortcut, Thomas is wondering if they'll ever get there... And there's only 2 questions that Mark records from that 10 hour day. The first is "who do people say that I am?" I don't think that this was an information gathering exercise by Jesus.  Just as they're walking towards their destination, Jesus question is taking them somewhere.  Today the question is just as relevant - especially at Christmas - who do people say that Jesus is? Who does our culture say Jesus is? Who do the people around us say Jesus is? How would I answer Jesus question? #monday #Godsgym #gospe

Your path  led through the sea,  your way  through the mighty waters,  though your footprints were not seen. Psalms 77:19 NIV This Psalm takes us on a journey with a person filled with sorrow. Despair. The person's perspective is changed when they choose to remember who God is and what He has done. To remember that He is the Redeemer, that He has not changed, and as a result, will know that they are not rejected, unloved or forgotten, but accepted, loved, and known. The end of this Psalm is all about remembering what God has done and points back to the community crossing the Red Sea and the destruction of the enemy. And then these words: "but your footprints were not seen" Sometimes I just want footprints to follow. Obvious, unmissable, unmistakable. But God chooses to reveal  Himself in small. Design. Beauty. A man walking the ancient paths of country ruled by another. By a person born in a barn because the hotels were full. His way requires faith. Faith when nothing mak

Jesus sent him home, saying,  "Dont even go into  the village." Mark 8:26 NIV Thanks Mark. Couldn't you have told us why Jesus said that? Was Jesus just tired and need some space? Sometimes that's what we need too. The world just gets too noisy and it's OK to pull back a bit. Jesus regularly took off on his own to pray. Did Jesus not want to make a big deal of the healing? Perhaps he was concerned that people were missing his mission by focussing on the signs and wonders. I can miss Jesus in the hype of church sometimes. Or maybe Jesus knew something about the blind man. Remember he walked him out of the village to the quiet. Maybe Jesus knew there were toxic people in the village, or that the best thing for the now-seeing man that day was to go home, to breathe, to rest in what Jesus had done, to understand who had been at work. What do you think? #gospelofmark #upsidedownkingdom #Jesuslovesyou #lovelikeJesus #breathe

Friday! Proverbs! Slothfulness casts  into a deep sleep,  and an idle person  will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15 ESV Well this is fun. Not! This proverb has been used as a bit of a weapon to get people to work, but there's a couple of interesting things here: The word translated "idle" here is most often translated as treacherous or deceitful.  What is it that the deceitful go hungry for? And what's with this "deep sleep"? "figurative for insensitivity of spirit" Seems that this proverb is not so much about the externals and the physical, but the heart.  Not sure if laziness of the heart is a thing but when I don't care about the things God does, his creation, people, that laziness inside makes me selfish and do what's good for me regardless of who gets hurt. Treacherous. Jesus comes with bread that satisfies that soul hunger. He is that bread. Broken for us. It's Jesus who wakes us to the world as He made it, as He sees it, and it'

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes  were opened,  his sight was restored, and he saw  everything clearly. Mark 8:25 NIV I wonder if Mark is trying to tell us something here as the man's eyes were opened, and then his sight was restored,  and then he saw. Can we be looking but not really see.  Not see the world through the Creators eyes. Not see people as God does (dearly loved, chosen, adopted, precious, image bearers etc) Not see ourselves as God does (dearly loved, chosen, adopted, precious, image bearers etc) It's with Jesus help, His healing that this man could see clearly again.  Because I'm blind to it there's areas where I don't realise it.  Has God ever changed your heart in an area, opened your eyes to something? If He could, what would that be for you? I wonder what would happen if I asked people "what is my blind spot? Where can't I see?" What if I prayed that prayer? Let's let Him walk with us outside the

Once more  Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Mark 8:25 NIV There's a gentleness here.  Jesus led the man by the hand. Led him away from the crowd, out of the village, to a quieter place. Have you ever tried to touch someone's eyes? You've got to be gentle. This is Jesus, with the power to bring worlds into existence, pulls back, slows down, and quietly walks with a blind man and reaches out and touches his eyes. Again. This is how we are to see people and walk with them. This is love in action, being prepared to walk away from the crowd and the noise and minister to the one person.  While the big sweep of God's story is about nations and the whole world, Jesus shows us he is interested in one-at-a-time, in small, in gentle. Today he sees you and me, and gently reaches out again to touch our eyes, to bring a bit more healing.  Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes.  #gospelofmark #Jesuslovesyou #lovelikeJesus

Once more  Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Mark 8:25 NIV In v 23 Jesus led the man by the hand, and when he'd spat on his eyes Jesus put his hands on him, and now he puts his hands on his eyes again...when Jesus touched the first time he must've touched his eyes.  And now again  I wonder how long Jesus was there. Close  Touching his eyes. His eyes that represent what is lost. What is broken. Jesus comes close to our broken ness. He does not shy away from that.  As Jesus calls us to follow Him, to touch those who feel untouchable, to bring healing in the broken ness, to stand beside those who have lost. This man wasn't healed in an instant. With Mark everything seems to take about 30 seconds then he's jumped to the next thing. But Jesus is in no rush. Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes.  #gospelofmark #Jesuslovesyou #lovelikeJesus

When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked,  "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said,  "I see people;  they look like  trees walking around." Mark 8:23-24 NIV Jesus must have stepped aside and be standing next to him. He's blind so maybe Jesus is holding is arm to let him know he's still there, and maybe they're looking back towards the village. "I see people" This gives a clue that this man could see and then lost his sight for some reason. "they look like trees walking around" They're not clear. He couldn't see them for what they really were. Jesus, standing next to the man who could see, who went blind, and could now partially see. It's like a tiny picture of God's Big Story! Creation. When everything was good. The Fall. When we could no longer see, when darkness entered. Redemption. Where it was Jesus was who spat on, so that we could be restored. And He is standing with us lo

When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him,  Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" Mark 8:23 NIV Jesus had stepped aside and asked the blind man a question.  I wonder if this question is here for us as much as it was for the blind man.  "Do you see anything?" Do you see the goodness and beauty of creation? Do you see my hand in that? Do you see people, image bearers of me? Do you see injustice? Do you see lost people, like sheep without a shepherd? Do you see hearts that need binding up, people who need grace, forgiveness, compassion, care... Love  Do you see love in action and celebrate it. Do you see the transforming goodness of the Father's love in people's lives. Do you see Light shining in the darkness. What do you see? Will you and I allow Jesus to ask that question of us today? #gospelofmark #wordsofJesus

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.  When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him... Mark 8:23 NIV When he had spit on the man's eyes! What is with that? Maybe he's back in Numbers 12 where spitting in someone's face sent you outside the camp for 7 days in shame. And here was Jesus outside the village, redeeming that by using his spit to heal. Maybe he's thinking if Isaiah 50 where the suffering one is spat upon and he takes that, absorbs it, because God is with him and he won't be disgraced. Looking forward to Jesus being spat upon as he is taking away the sins of the world. Maybe it's a mini version of shedding his blood to bring healing for all, that he spits on the man's eyes to bring healing. There is no shame that he cannot redeem, nothing so broken that he cannot heal, he is outside the camp making all things new. And in the process it's personal. You can't spit in someone's eyes from a dis

Friday! Proverbs! Houses and wealth  are inherited from parents,  but a prudent wife  is from the Lord . Proverbs 19:14 NIV Sometimes we need some better English words! This Hebrew word translated as "prudent" carries these meanings: consider expert instruct prosper deal prudently give skillful have good success teach So a "wise, teacher who's sharp" may be a better description. And even the word for "wife" here is first used in Genesis to differentiate the woman from the man. So. The meaning of this becomes a bit clearer in a society where woman were treated as chattels, as less than men, where they could be used and discarded or replaced, this proverb is saying people and stuff are not the same. Women are not to be used, discarded, replaced.  They're sharp, wise, & can teach you. #metoo is not a modern thing, but it's here in this ancient proverb. The message here from God is that your girls and your women are important. Way more importan

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Mark 8:23 NLT I wonder how far they walked? What did they talk about? And can you sense the compassion...Jesus could've said to the man's friends or family to just bring him along, but he didn't.  He could've healed him right there, but he didn't. Jesus reached out, Jesus stepped towards him & took him by the hand. Jesus reached out to him and met him in his infirmity. Took him by the hand and they walked out of town together. I wonder if he was thinking of the blind man, and just how dramatic it was going to be to be able to see, that he was taking him somewhere quieter, more private, where he could process his new sight slowly. Privately. And maybe he was sending a message to those watching...this is how you meet people where they are at and walk with them. Maybe it was something to do with the marginalised being kept outside the camp, and he was going with the man back outside the camp. Jesu

Then they came to Bethsaida; and some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged Him to touch him. Mark 8:22-23 AMP No mucking around with Mark, he's straight into the next story.  Feed 4,000. Done. Next town, blind guy. I wonder who the "they" are who brought this blind person to Jesus? Being blind probably meant he had to live outside of normal society, dependent on others for support. Living on the margins. Yet "they" saw him. "They" wanted to help. "They" were on his team. Maybe someone checked in on him every day or so, made sure he had water, food, maybe someone had him stay in their house... And he had to choose to trust his team.  Trust them to lead him to Jesus. His team had not given up hope for him, and walked with him to find Jesus. Sometimes we're like the blind guy, we literally cannot see the way forward, the present and the future is dark. And we need to trust others to walk us towards Jesus. When we have lost hope, to

Then I thought... "...I will remember the deeds of the Lord;  yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? Psalms 77:10-13 NIV In the middle of this song in the of the Bible is this pivot. Asaph is in despair.  He cannot see a way out. He's stuck. And then he changes his thinking! He deliberately turns his mind away from his own situation, his despair and discouragement and chooses in that to think about who God is. And in that choosing things shift inside. God is who He says He is. He has worked in my life in the past.  No matter what it feels like I am not abandoned, forsaken, lost. My situation doesn't change, but I do. Just a small nudge at the core, that (re)orients me back to God, gets me looking outward a little more. This Psalm doesn't end where everything is resolved or fixed, but does give us a gift that maybe you or someone you

The people ate and were satisfied.  Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. Mark 8:8-9 NIV Leftovers. The feeding of the 5000 there were leftovers. Here there were leftovers. A little later in the chapter Jesus expects the disciples to see a lesson in the numbers of the leftovers. Today the lesson for me in the leftovers is this: I want to wait til I've created something, a surplus, a result, and give that to God.  To give Him the leftovers. The fruit. He's been nudging "give me what you have, no matter how small it seems, and I'll use it, I'll work the miracle, and make the leftovers." But. I'm too small. I'm incomplete I'm not good enough I'm damaged I'm bruised I'll have something better to offer later. Jesus says I see you,  I know you I love you Just bring what you have. My kingdom is the upsidedown kingdom, where the small is valued, the hurt are lo

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven", they replied.   ....The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Mark 8:4-5, 8 NIV Love is patient.  Love is not easily angered. Love is kind. These words are easy to say, but Jesus lives them out in real life. I'd be sarcastic, impatient, roll my eyes...here we go again... Jesus patiently asks the question "how many loves do you have?" Feeding 4,000 people is way too big a problem to solve. I go looking for the big answer, the big miracle, Jesus patiently asks "what do you have?" Let's start there. And we'll feed people one by one. How many loaves do you have? What do you and I have that speaks into whatever is in front of us? Maybe it seems small.  Too small to make a dent. How can my giving make a difference? How can my prayers change anything? All I can do is listen, visit, include, invite, ask, feed,

A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. Proverbs 19:13 NASB What does a wise son do then? The antonyms for destruction are; Creation Building Reparation Construction Restoration Those words point us directly to one person. Jesus was the agent of creation. It was Jesus who made the reparation, paid for, made amends for, my sin. It's Jesus who is all about building up and construction of his kingdom, the Kingdom of the heart  And it's Jesus who is all about restoration. Restoration of the lost. Restoration of what has been lost, broken, hurt. He calls each of us in some small way to be the same. Creators Builders Givers Restorers To be part of our Heavenly Father's restoration project as his children. #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #lovelikeJesus #seetheperson #create #build #give #restore

Friday! Proverbs! A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. Proverbs 19:13 NASB The second part of this proverb is often used in disparaging ways regarding wives, but is it? If someone repeats to you the same thing is a problem and you do nothing, maybe your hard heart is really the issue. Where is your love response? A constant dripping implies water is dripping somewhere and may well be an indicator of a bigger problem. That is simply being ignored. And what of the first part? If as parents we are ruined by the choices our children make, maybe we're putting them in the place of God.  What's ruined? My reputation.  The family reputation. What makes our reputation, our name, more important than the person? We lose sight of the child trying to protect our reputation.  Jesus was always about the person.  If he cared about reputation, he would not have been born in a stable, or been born at all. Jesus was always about the pe

You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled  that I cannot speak. Psalms 77:4 ESV Imagine singing this song in church! I can't sleep at night I'm so overwhelmed I can't even speak,  I have no words. Sometimes we're asked to check our week in at the door and leave our troubles "out there" somewhere, but this song, these words from the middle of our Bible tell us to bring our most difficult, most heart rending things, the things that disturb our sleep, the things that seem too big, and bring them with us into church, into community, into His light. Jesus always meets us where we are.  He doesn't say "come back when you're smiling", or command us to look happy, He welcomes with open arms. Always. The song writer here was not OK.  It's OK for us not to be OK. That this song is in the Bible tells us that our God understands the difficult times, and that there is hope. Our hope is not in our circumstances or things but in a person. The person wh

Will the Lord reject forever?  And will He never be favorable again? Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?  Has His promise come to an end forever? Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?  Selah. Psalms 77:7-9 NASB Ever felt like this? 6 questions 3 pairs of questions 3 key words Rejected Unloved  Forgotten Imagine singing this song in church...yet some days it is how we feel, and how we see God. And if it's OK for the psalmist to feel that way, and OK for God to have it published, then it's OK for us to wrestle with these deep questions. And yet at the same time he recognises God's character: Lovingkindness Grace Compassion It feels sometimes that we are alone. Jesus echoed these questions with his cry to God "why have you forsaken me" In that moment he truly was rejected, unloved, forgotten, so that, we never will be! And resurrection happened. Nothing can separate us from God's love, along the way there are glimpses o

I cried out  to God  for help;  I cried out  to God  to hear me. Psalms 77:1 NIV The writer of this Psalm is in a tough place.  This word for crying out was used to describe Abel's blood cried out from the land to God after his brother had killed him (Gen 4:10) The people cried out to Pharaoh to let them go from slavery (Exo 5:8) He's crying out to God, from the deep part of who he is. Crying to God. For help. He really needs help. And then, it's to be heard. Have you ever been with someone who really listens? How did that feel? Known, important, loved.  Here the psalmist shows he is just the same as me. He's at the end of his resources and  cries for help And cries to be heard. And he gives us permission to do the same ...cry out to God. It's OK. It's OK to be in that place sometimes, and to want to be heard.  And if we all have this need to be heard, then I can become a better listener.  #bealistener #psalms #psalm77

And his disciples answered him,  "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" And he asked them,  "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." Mark 8:4-5 ESV Just two chapters earlier this same team had been part of the miraculous feeding of 10,000+ people. In between they'd seen Jesus healing people and here we are with another massive crowd of 4,000. In a desolate place. Hungry. Wouldn't your question be something like "Jesus, we're in the same boat (haha) as last week/month with this crowd. We were there when you miraculously fed them then.  Can you just do that again?" Did they just forget? It's Monday...have I forgotten the joy of worshipping together yesterday? Have I forgotten already the grace by which I've been saved? Have I forgotten already the love that brought Jesus into our world and that compels me to love others? The disciples question was "how can I fix this?" How can

Beloved... Jude 1:3 ESV "Agapetos" Jude is greeting his readers as dearly loved, and more. Divinely loved. In this one word he tells  his readers that he loves them, and, they are divinely loved.  This is the word God used when Jesus was being baptised, my beloved son. This word carries the weight of the universe, and it's directed today towards us. Me. And you. You are beloved. And it's a status. A marker of our identity. It's who we are. Beloved. Divinely loved. To be loved is to be seen. To be known To be accepted To belong Beloved. This word echoes down the centuries from Jude's pen, and it speaks from the heart of God to you this morning. Beloved. We can put down the heavy bags we're carrying. There's nothing to prove or to be done to be beloved.  You're there.  And it's who you are. Beloved. It's God's heart for you, and your place. Rest in that today, breathe that in today, worship in response to that today. Beloved. #dearlyloved

At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said,  "This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat..." Mark 8:1-3 MSG If there's one thing we consistently learn about Jesus is that his heart is for people. We've just had 2 healings of individuals and now this massive group that are his concern. And yes he's been teaching them, but his heart is aching for them because they're hungry. For food. Ordinary food. And Jesus calls his team together and reminds them that there are hungry people here. We don't know if they didn't notice, or were too busy, maybe they had noticed, but Jesus pulls them together anyway. "My heart aches for these people. Here's what I see" I wonder, if Jesus turned up at my church, and said "my heart aches for these people, here's what I see" who would he be looking at? Who w

Friday! Proverbs! A king's wrath  is like  the growling of a lion,  but  his favor  is like  dew on the grass. Proverbs 19:12 ESV This is written by a king, so an interesting viewpoint.  If I insert "the powerful" into this in place of the king, it does reflect how I operate in the world. The CEO's favour is good, but that person has the power to end my job. Who are the powerful in your world? It can feel like they have power over our life, just like getting up close to a lion. But when we peel this back to The King, yes He has that power, but constrains it. Humbled himself. Walked among us. To be the dew on the grass, the refreshment in the morning, the bringing of life to a parched land. By faith we are adopted into His family and come under His favour. Let the morning dew of His love settle on our hearts as we step into this Friday. #proverbs #wisdom #dearlyloved #childoftheKing

May  mercy,  peace,  and love  be multiplied to you. Jude 1:2 ESV Peace. "Eirene" (i-ray-nay) "To join, to tie together into a whole, wholeness." Peace that comes from wholeness, when there's nothing missing. When we don't feel at peace we are not "whole", something is missing. Jude's blessing to his readers is that this sense of wholeness, of peace would be yours...and multiplied, to increase to maximum capacity. The mercy of the covenant loyalty of God The peace of wholeness The agape love, the love that is big enough to absorb our sin, that is not afraid of our pain, love that is strong enough to bend down, to become small, to wait, to walk alongside... May that mercy, that peace, that love, be maxed out in you today. Now that's a greeting and a blessing: who needs to hear that from you today? #mercy #peace #love #dearlyloved #greetings #maxedout

May  mercy,  peace,  and love  be multiplied to you. Jude 1:2 ESV What a greeting! Mercy. This is expressed in the covenant loyalty of God. God stepping towards us, making a way,  becoming smaller, slowing down, restricting himself, becoming a baby, vulnerable, one of us. Mercy that says I'm not giving up, but stepping in. Standing with you. Joining you. Mercy that says I'll bear what you cannot  Mercy that says I'll be crushed so that you don't have to be. Mercy come alive in the person of Jesus, the covenant promises of God in a person. May that mercy be ours today. Be yours today. And may you and I in some small way choose to be Mercy in the life of someone else.  How could we do that today? #mercy #dearlyloved #greetings #maymercybemultipliedtoyou

I, Jude,  am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James,  writing to those  loved by God the Father, called  and  kept safe by Jesus Christ. Jude 1:1 Msg Loved Called Kept safe This is who Jude is writing to, and this is our position. Loved. Agape. Aroha nui. Dearly loved. Sometimes that's easy to believe, sometimes it may not be. Right now you might not feel loved. Jude says you are. If today's circumstances were all we had, maybe we'd be wondering. The cross tells me something else. The cross tells me the lengths our heavenly father went to in love. Called. Invited in, called in. He knows your name, knows your story, and calls you in. Kept safe. Nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing. I mess up all the time, but there is safety in belonging through grace. Loved Called Safe #jude

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. Mark 7:33 NIV Jesus had just healed a small girl without being in the same building, maybe not even in the same town. And here, Jesus is close. Touching. Touching the broken parts of this person's body, and bringing healing.  To put your fingers in someone's ears you're close. Your breath is mingling. Jesus spits and touches his tongue. Jesus DNA is in his saliva. The man who has not heard, hears. And as he does the only thing he sees is Jesus face  The man who cannot speak clearly suddenly can...what does he say to Jesus? This is a glimpse of heaven. We will be face to face with Jesus, the broken parts of us will be unbroken, we will hear for what seems the first time, and what will we say when we're up close with Jesus? #onedayallwillbemadenew #livinghope

And taking him aside from the crowd privately... And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." Mark 7:33, 36-37 ESV Not only did Jesus take the man aside to heal him, but he was very clear that the healing was not talked about. Maybe Jesus was sending us a message too that in caring for others, in ministry, that it's good thing to do that in private, in the quiet.  You don't need a crowd. Maybe he knew that the adulation of the crowd, fame, importance in the eyes of others is intoxicating. It's too much for us. Followers. Likes. Streaks. You don't need a crowd. What got the crowd captured? The healing. But Jesus is so much more than that, and if we get lost in the noise of the healing and the crowd we miss who Jesus is, his mission. We miss the lamb. Stripped, beaten, cruci

And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment,  and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately... Mark 7:32-33 ESV Wherever Jesus went the news traveled and there were people. And there was this man's crew. Deaf Unable to speak clearly. The reasonable assumption is deaf from birth or from a young age  Jesus takes him aside privately. Why is that? There's nothing to stop a deaf person finding Jesus on his own yet his team brought him. Were they more enthusiastic about this than the man was? If he had been deaf his whole life maybe he was OK with it.  It was who he was. The deaf guy. And change was scary If you don't know what not being deaf is like. Maybe he understood the man needed the one on one attention. Some privacy. Maybe Jesus didn't want the first thing that this man was going to hear to be the noise of crowds of people, but his voice? For the man who only knew quiet, he wanted to gently introdu

Friday! Proverbs! Good sense  makes one  slow to anger,  and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11 ESV This has the "don't sweat the small stuff" feel to it...if someone steals a car length off you by cutting in front of your car in traffic, let it go :) It's a bit different if they steal your car! Let go the stuff that doesn't really matter.  But it does not say don't be angry about anything. Keep being angry about what God is.  Injustice. The dark. The counterfeit gods I chase after  Our God is Light. Let His light shine into our hearts, and spill out into our world. And when someone cuts in front in traffic, it's an opportunity to love  #proverbs #wisdom #dontsweathesmallstuff #somethingtochewon

"Good answer!" he said.  "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. Mark 7:29-30 NLT Good answer.  When Jesus asks a question he doesn't need more information, it's about checking the person's heart... this person responded in faith. She knew who Jesus was. If Jesus had a question for me today, I wonder what it would be? What would he be checking in my heart? And would my response be one of faith first, no matter what the outcome? To plead her case, and to have Jesus question her she had to get close. Close to Jesus  How often do I just want Him to fix things from afar without getting close? When I'm close, He might ask me a question... #goodanswer #lessonsfromtheleast #getcloser #gospelofmark

But Jesus said to her,  "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Mark 7:27 NKJV At first read this seemed really harsh. A bit like reading a text message and missing the heart of the person writing...I think Jesus knew what her response would be to this "test", that he was checking that she really knew what she was asking, and who she was asking. He was highlighting to the people in the room that he was there for more than the children of Israel, he was there for everyone, including those the Jews treated and saw as beneath them, as less than. And today, Jesus words are a gentle chiding that I expect blessing ahead of others, I forget that his heart is for the lost, sick, marginalised, the children...who do I look at as "less than", as undeserving? Jesus is here for all. #outrageousgrace #Godsgym #gospelofmark

And she kept pleading with Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:26 AMP Pleading Begged Beseeched Implored She was at Jesus feet pleading for her daughter... Do I spend 30 seconds making my case? Once. And, I expect the God of the universe to bend to my request...this seems to be one of two tests that Jesus used with this person.  Persevering.  When we have to persevere we generally learn something. Something about ourselves and/or what's really important to us.  This woman was steadfast in her request on behalf of another. Her heart was for another, and her request was to Jesus.  Her faith did not weaken or waver, but remained firm. Persevere  I wonder about the times I've just stopped. Was it my lack of faith, or did I just not care enough? It must have been exposing and vulnerable being a stranger, from a different ethnic group, pleading at the feet of a rabbi.  Perservere in faith, and praying for others. #gospelofmark #Godsgym

...And as Gods grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.  That is why we never give up.... So we dont look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen... the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:15-16, 18 NLT One of the great things to have come out of the rugby world cup has been the story of hope that has flowed from the South African team. The hope that their win would be a catalyst for change, the hope that their example of playing together for each other would change a nation for good. And with that hope they did not give up. Paul talks to us about that bigger picture, that bigger hope, about where he's fiixing his gaze, about never giving up. When the battle is on its hope that sustains The challenge for me is to keep my hope on what is "unseen", the things that will last forever... #lovepeople

...but that the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 ESV As I watched the aftermath of the rugby world cup, the SA team were rejoicing together. I felt sorry for the English, not because they lost, but that they all wandered around or stood alone. Alone in their loss. When people in our community are hurting from a loss, abuse, grief, live out this verse  It's easy to celebrate a win together, but takes effort, a stepping towards those hurting, entering in to their suffering with them, because when one suffers we all do. And we have a great example to follow...Jesus left heaven, and entered into our mess and hurt and suffering, wept, got angry, cried out, moved with compassion, spoke, touched, acted. #belikeJesus #lovepeople

He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter. Mark 7:24-26 MSG Love this picture of this young woman's concern for her child... she crossed social boundaries, she crossed racial boundaries, she was pleading, prepared to do anything for the life of her child. Just like the person who's feet she was looking at. He crossed every possible boundary including stepping from life to death, nothing was going to stop him, humbled himself, made himself small, for his hurt & hurting children. You and me. #thisisourGod #dearlyloved #childrenofGod

Friday! Proverbs! Luxury is not fitting for a fool;  Much less for a slave to rule over princes. Proverbs 19:10 NASB I've been staring at these words for half an hour. Surely this doesn't condone slavery! Or the monarchy. And what's the problem with having nice stuff? Difficult to understand. The fool does not appreciate what is translated as "luxury" (daintiness, luxury, exquisite delight) The time, effort, craftsmanship is ignored by the fool. As I've tried to contextualise slaves and princes as employees and business owners and how as an employee I think I know it all and could sort everything if I was just made the boss. In charge. How my boss seems like the fool. If I'm the "fool" in this proverb, where am I so arrogant that I think I should be in charge, or just take things for granted in my life...where am I missing that "exquisite delight" because I'm in too much of a hurry or miss that because I'm not looking. In creati

For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him  is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem  Israel  from all his iniquities. Psalms 130:7-8 ESV To redeem: deliver,  by any means,  ransom,  that are to be, let be redeemed,  rescue, surely By any means. The psalmist is looking forward to redemption that is to come. We get to look back. The ransom, the price, for our freedom, has been paid. Yes our iniquity, our sin, is still with us, we can't entirely shake that off, but the weight of it, we no longer have to carry.  We can step into today knowing the price, the ransom was paid. By any means. That means was the person of Jesus. The holy one The one in who there was no sin. By any means. Our heavenly Father decided that we were worth the ransom.  Was there even a decision?  He paid.  Because He Loves. Us. #psalms #psalm130 #byanymeans #dearlyloved #childrenofGod

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. Psalms 130:7 ESV This song is a cry  From the depths From the soul And it's a personal  Journey of forgiveness And waiting  And hope Here at the end the song broadens and gets expansive and says there's room here for all. For you. No matter who you are. Redemption is plentiful. Sometimes we think God's grace is enough for others, but if God in knew my heart, my stuff, well, He'd walk away. His redemption is plentiful.  More than enough. If God only saw the real me he'd walk away. He does. And His love is steadfast. Locked in. Unchanging. This song includes the nation, all the people in the writers world.  The New Testament makes it clear that the mandate is bigger. It's all people. Our hope,  Is in the one  Who's love is steadfast And who's grace is plentiful #psalms #psalm130 #hope #hopeforall

my soul  waits for the Lord  more than  watchmen for the morning, more than  watchmen for the morning. Psalms 130:6 ESV Waiting part 2. Why does a watchman wait for the morning? What does the dawn represent? A new day perhaps, when the danger he's been on alert for is over  The sun rising, speaks of hope after the dark night perhaps. Maybe he gets to go home. And someone else gets to stand guard, someone else keeps him safe, and he gets to truly rest. What is it that our soul longs for like that? For the psalmist it's the Lord  Yahweh He's the only one that can hold the weight of our longing, truly meet those deepest needs.  In Him, we get to truly go home  To find rest To be safe #psalms #psalm130 #goinghome #hope

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,  and in his word  I hope; Psalms 130:5 ESV This song, starts with crying out to God from the depths of who the psalmist is. Then there's the recognition of his own sin, and knowing God's forgiveness. And now waiting. Waiting. I wait  My soul, the essence of who I am, my thoughts, my feelings, me. I wait. Waiting on God. How can I be OK with waiting? Our world says you don't have to wait for anything or anyone.  The clue here is that the psalmist trusts the One who he is waiting for.  I wait for the Lord. In his word I have hope. Waiting tests our faith. Waiting tests our trust. Do I trust God. Do I trust God even when I don't hear, when I don't get, when I wait. If my God is small enough to do what I want, when I want, then He's not worth worshipping.  I know that my heart cannot be (fully) trusted, but God can. I dislike waiting because I see that waiting is all about me, my kingdom come. Waiting does not come easily for the

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,  Lord,  who could stand? But  with you  there is  forgiveness... Psalms 130:3-4 NIV These songs that David has written are so personal, a glimpse into the heart of someone aware of his own sin. And yet he knows: If God measured any of us with our own goodness we would all come up short, not even close to being holy enough for a holy God. And he knows that our God keeps no record.  It's like He doesn't even know. And David knows forgiveness.  And this is before Jesus. Before the cross. We can drop the weight. We can "not see" the stain. We can not worry about not being holy, sufficient, enough, because we have One who is. Holy Sufficient Enough And His death made us Holy  Sufficient Enough There is no record of my sin, because it's on Jesus record.  Forgiven. He alone is worthy of our worship. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #psalms #psalm130 #loveisHisdna

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord,  hear my voice.  Psalms 130:1-2 NIV Hear my voice. Do I really matter? Does my voice matter? If my words Are going out To an impersonal Universe Devoid  Of meaning If there is  No Ultimate  Light Does my voice matter? There is Light And He  has revealed  Who He is A loving father running towards a returning rebel A gentle rabbi blessing children A shepherd seeking the one lost in the dark A compassionate forgiver who shows the way forward when there seemed to be none. A washer of feet. A perfect Yet suffering Saviour Yes  To Him your  voice  matters #psalms #psalm130 #thisisourGod #yesyourvoicematters

Friday! Proverbs! A false witness will not go unpunished,  and he who breathes out lies will perish. Proverbs 19:9 ESV Breathing is something we (usually) do without any concious thought, it's like automatic. There is one who constantly breathes out lies, and he is the enemy, the father of lies. And one day, we will no longer be concerned with his constant stream of fake news. But for now we do. And some days I have to fight not to be like him, and breathe out lies that make me look better, that hide secrets, that obscure truth I don't want to face, that justify my behaviour or choices...I am at times my own fake news generator that I happily believe... I need God's Word to challenge my thinking, chip away at the bits of my heart that are, well, rotten is probs the only word that fits. Lord, help me today to walk in the light, the light that you shine into the dark places of my heart. May I live in,  and breathe out,  your Truth  today.  Amen. #proverbs #wisdom #fakenews #f

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord ;  Psalms 130:1 NIV Our world doesn't want us to go there.  To the depths. To the deep. It doesn't want to hear you.  Even church can feel like that sometimes. Put on your happy face. Don't bring anything from the depths. But the psalmist doesn't care about putting on a mask, he's keeping it real with God (& with us) And in that, allows us to do the same.  To visit the depths. To go to the core of who we are. And from there cry out. To. To the Eternal. There's days when I wish God would just do what I want. But when I visit the depths, that would be a god who's too small to cry out to, a god of my own making. If I could fully understand Him, why would I need Him? God would be smaller than me. At the depths I cry to the Eternal, to the Mystery, to Yahweh. And yet He has revealed himself in a way we can (at least partially) grasp.  God made flesh. Jesus too cried out to the Father from the depths. It's OK  Our God c

And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. Mark 7:24 ESV I wonder some days if someone came to my house how well would Jesus be hidden. If someone met me, asked me about my life, how well would Jesus be hidden. How long would they have to probe before they found Jesus. And if they did discover Jesus there, would they be surprised? Why do I keep Jesus hidden? Is it so I don't have to do things that take me out of my comfort zone? Is it because I just don't live or respond in ways that are consistent with my faith in Him? I don't have to rewind the tape of my life very far to see where I've kept Jesus hidden, where I could've done or said something differently. What would today look like if I just didn't hide Jesus? If my place, my life, was a place, a life where "yet he could not be hidden". #somethingtochewon #Godsgym #gospelofmark

And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know... Mark 7:24 ESV This very human Jesus who just needed some space, who needed to get away from the crowds and the noise. This human Jesus who wept at his friend's grave. This human Jesus who got angry and over turned tables in the temple. This human Jesus who sweat drops of blood, was humiliated, beaten, stripped, spat upon, disregarded, discarded, despised, rejected. This happened to Jesus the person.  He knows. He knows. He knows the physical impact of abuse, and the mental and emotional impact of hurt and loss and rejection. He suffered for us. The human Jesus. And somehow he suffers with us. But never without hope! Yes there's the cross. And there's the resurrection. Both. And we get glimpses of that resurrection in our own lives and in the lives of others, glimpses of the Living Hope that is Jesus #gospelofmark

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. Mark 7:24 ESV This doesn't sound very God like.  Did Jesus not want the pressure, the drama...did he just want some downtime?  Was he just tired? Maybe he just wanted to be treated like a normal person... Just for a day. Just for a couple of hours. This is a glimpse of the human Jesus. And in this little glimpse we get the OK to feel tired, overwhelmed by our circumstances, what's going on. When it all feels a bit much. Jesus knows. He's just like us. It's OK to not be OK. It's OK to be human. #gospelofmark

O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. Psalms 131:3 NASB Here's the end of David's song, he's the king, and who does he point to? We've all got a little bit of power and authority somewhere, maybe you have a lot, just like David. Where do you point people to? Israel was called to represent God to them world. And David, the king, reminds them again, and reminds himself again, just where their hope really lies.  Hope in the Lord. Today. Right now. With what's pressing in on you. Hope in the Lord going forward.  Jacob in Gen 32 was given this name Israel after seeing "the face of God" yet surviving it.  God had something for him to do. A future. From this time forth. He has something for you to do. Step into that. And forever. We have this forever hope of restoration of the broken, of unhurt, of renewal. This hope is not in the power structures of this world, but in the now and coming, upsidedown kingdom of Jesus. Our Living Hope. #psalm

But I have calmed  and quieted  my soul,  like a weaned child  with its mother;  like a weaned child  is my soul within me. Psalms 131:2 ESV What's the picture here? A child with it's Mum, (a perfect mum) The child: quiet content not hungry not looking for what mum can provide sitting with close communing without speaking knowing knowing you are loved known touched acknowledged The mum: sees hears the child's breathing touches thinks about dreams about its future hopes for longs for is fiercely protective of loves My soul, the real inner me seen known longed for hoped for loved by the Living God #psalms #psalm131 #songs #wordpictures

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever gets sense  loves his own soul;  he who  keeps understanding will discover good. Proverbs 19:8 ESV This is a bit odd. Who "gets sense"? The words here mean to get or to acquire. What is it we are to get or acquire? The "leb", the inner you, the heart, mind, will. It's like he is saying get hold of the real you, discover what's at the heart of who you are, and discover the good there.  Love that person. And I get the sense that's the person God wants to know and commune with. When we've dropped the face we show the world, drop the baggage we often carry, there's an image bearer of the Creator there at the centre of who we are, there is goodness at the centre of who we are, there is a person who God misses, longs for and loves, and wants to connect with.  #somethingtochewon

O Lord,  my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;  Nor do I involve myself in great matters,  Or in things too difficult for me. Psalms 131:1 NASB In our age of self promotion and making ourselves look bigger, better, more successful, this song, this private reflection between David and his God, starts with humility. Who's eyes are haughty? Someone who looks down on others, who thinks they've "made it". David says I'm not that person.  My heart is not proud.  Because he is talking to Yahweh! To God. There's things that we do and achieve that we should rightly be proud of, but when we stand before God, well, our perspective certainly shifts.  And this is what leads to the stillness in David's soul that's in V2. That stillness of the soul that our world and our hearts crave for, David found that by humbly meeting with God. There's some stuff about God that's hard to understand, but we can step into today confident in the things that are clear:

But I have calmed and quieted my soul... Psalms 131:2 ESV Our world can be full of noise, activity, expectations, drama, pressure. We have apps that clamour for our attention, incessant marketing telling us what we need, what will change our lives, and we have the constant chirping of our own hearts about what isn't right, what's not satisfying...and sometimes this nagging doubt that I'm not good enough, not something enough, and surely I need to do or be something to be important in the eyes of others, and of God. And in the midst of that The psalmist gives us these words: I have  calmed and quieted my  soul This short song starts with speaking to God, and ends with hope in God, and in the heart of that is a deliberate quieting of the soul. What does that look like for you today? How can you and I quiet and calm our souls today? Orient towards God Speak to Him Hope in Him #psalms #psalm131 #calmyourfarm

He replied,  "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:  'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" Mark 7:6 NIV Jesus doesn't get grumpy about much, but he certainly does here. Hypocrites who teach about God but for their own gain, make their own rules more important. Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29 which is all about God's judgement, and Jesus is not being subtle at all...he's saying "I'm judging you now on this because I am God" Jesus is really grumpy at them. For me, the words "honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me" jumps off the page.  Jesus was after their hearts then, and He's after our hearts today...the whole story of the Bible is about that. What's the opposite of a heart far from God? One that is close. Our heavenly Father's arms are open wide to welcome us close, to hold us close, to walk with Him. Arms of acceptance Arms of fo

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. Mark 7:1-2 NIV Rules are important. Just imagine driving without any rules... Put a bunch of children together and they'll create a game with rules. We like rules These guys loved the rules so much they kept making more, and the keeping of the rules became more important than anything.  And they missed Jesus. Wash your hands so that you are clean enough, worthy enough, good enough for God. And He is right there. I can't wash my hands enough, do enough, be good enough, but Jesus is right here. He is enough. And it's by grace that I am clean. Purified. That once and for all sacrifice of the Holy One is enough. So now I try to follow God's rules, but not to make me right with Him, but because I'm right with Him. Jesus is right here.  His scars tell the story of what he did to make

The guards replied,  "Never [at any time] has a man talked the way this Man talks!" John 7:46 AMP Never. There's never been anyone who talks like Jesus. Never.  Not before  Not since  His are the words of life because He is the Word of Life. In Him is Life Life that is Love Love for the whole of humanity And love that is so personal that it reaches from heaven directly to your heart.  Never before. When he said "it is finished" I believe him. What he did on the cross was enough. Enough to cover, no not cover, absorb my sin.  Never before. He is God in a body. Shrunk and humbled and living as a servant.  Washing feet.  Forgiving with a word. Healing with a touch. And one day He is coming again to restore all that is hurt and broken in this world, and in me, and in you. Unbroken. Today as the guards did, listen for His voice, his words of love, forgiveness, hope and restoration... #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #hope #onedayallwillbemadenew

All the brothers of a poor man  hate him; How much more do his friends  abandon him!  He pursues them with words,  but  they are gone. Proverbs 19:7 NASB Can you see glimpses of Jesus? Abandoned by his friends. Rejected by his family. Hated by so many that they had him crucified. He pursued his Father with words...why have you forsaken me? Forsaken, so we are not Abandoned, so we will not be Rejected, so that we never will be. Hated. So that we can forever dwell in God's love. Resurrected. And we live with glimpses of ressurection and the hope of the fullness that is to come. Jesus became the poor man. For us. He stooped down, bent low, chose, to become poor for us, to become a servant...& he calls us to follow him... #upsidedownkingdom #followJesus

Friday! Proverbs! All the brothers of a poor man  hate him; How much more do his friends  abandon him!  He pursues them with words,  but  they are gone. Proverbs 19:7 NASB What are the words that you're hearing? Can you help me? Would it be OK if...? Why...? "Poor" here means poor, or to be in want. Someone I know needs something, has the courage to make their need known, and I'm walking away... The powerless The marginalised The lost The lonely Those who don't fit in with me, and I'm walking away. All his brothers hate him, turn against him.  Why does his family abandon him?  The only info we have is his status.  Just because proverbs says this is a reflection of our hearts (mine anyway) doesn't mean we have to accept it, we need to flip this. Listen to the words of others (even if it's uncomfortable to hear their story) Walk with rather than walk away, (even if we have to change our direction) Accept (not abandon) #proverbs #somethingtochewon #itdoes