verseoftheday

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.  James 3:1 NLT This is the very next thing that James has to say after talking about faith in action. Is there a connection? I wonder what problem James might be trying to address here in the new churches filling up with new believers - could it be that everyone wants to be up front as these churches are so different from the structures that they may have been used to or experienced. Everyone has something to say, and these new churches are an opportunity? The Bible as we know it doesn't exist. And who's doing the judging here?  God? The Christian community? The apostles? Or do teachers judge themselves in relation to their teaching? Maybe this lack of clarity is helpful for us as we consider what James' words might mean for us - that teaching others from our spiritual experience and/or God's word should be done carefully and with thought, not

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) smiled at him and said,  "One Who Hears (Simon),  Son of Wings of Dove (Bar-Jonah),  Creator's blessing rests on you, for flesh and blood did not help you see, but my Father from above opened your eyes. For this reason I have given you the name Stands on the Rock (Peter), and upon this great rock I will make my sacred family stand strong. And the powers of the Dark Underworld of Death (Hades) will not stand against them. Matthew 16:17-18 FNVNT Jesus gave Simon a new name. I wonder if that's something Jesus will do for all of us? I wonder what strength Jesus would see in you and the name that He would give you that reflects that strength? I doubt that Simon would ever have named himself "stands on the rock" or anything close to that, yet Jesus saw something in the faithfulness of his answer, in the heart that responded to his question of "who do you say that I am?" that prompted that name. Sometimes it's others who can see t

Sunday Psalms; On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord. He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel. O city of God,  what glorious things are said of you! Selah I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me - also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem! Regarding Jerusalem it will be said, "Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there." And the Most High will personally bless this city. When the Lord registers the nations, he will say,  "They have all become citizens of Jerusalem." Selah  The people will play flutes and sing,  "The source  of my life  springs from Jerusalem!" Psalms 87 NLT  This song written by the descendants of Korah is a beautiful picture of all of us from all over the place, all over the world, being together in a place of life and thriving and flourishing. We will all have citizenship rights in this wonderful city. There'll be no

He said,  "And what about you? Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15 CEB Jesus had been asking his team what others had been saying about him. Who he is. And there's a couple of different answers that Matthew gives us. This little dialogue is sandwiched between healings and miracles and a long discussion about being careful who you listen to, and a shift to talking about what was going to happen in Jerusalem, that he would be killed, and raised again on the third day.  And Jesus gives his team this hinge question, as they answer this question for themselves, the answer  will hold them for what is to come. "And what about you? Who do you say that I am?" Has the answer that you'd give to Jesus question changed? For me it has.  And it may change depending on our circumstances, what's going on right now.  And whatever it is that you are facing, Jesus question is a call to faith, to trust, to follow him in the good, the beautiful, the giving things of this

Friday! Proverbs! The wicked  are snared by their own sin; the righteous sing and rejoice. Proverbs 29:6 CEB I don't think this proverb is about comparing the wicked and the righteous because I know I don't fit into either of those categories - if it was it would set us up for an "I'm better than you" comparison which doesn't help anyone.  I think this is about the snare, the trap. It seems that both the "wicked" and the "righteous"sin, but the righteous can more easily see the trap of their sin, the ensnaring. We'd be naive to think we can see the trap, the ensnaring of sin on our own. That's why we need one another, need community, share where we've been ensared, how we got out, how we avoid the traps of our own sin. Because on the other side of that is singing and rejoicing, a picture of flourishing and thriving and freedom.  The idea of a snare is that once caught you can't get out on your own. We need one another to see

It was now late in the same day, the first day of the week. His followers were all hiding behind locked doors in fear of being captured by the tribal leaders. Suddenly, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) himself was standing in front of them and said,  "Peace be with you!" He then showed them where the iron nails had pierced his hands and where the spear had cut into his side. John 20:19-20 FNVNT Fear. Not only was there fear of the military power of the Empire, there was fear of their own people.  No peace. No peace in the world. And no peace in their internal world.  Jesus came to bring peace.  Yes peace in our inner world, but at this moment the disciples are locked away to keep themselves safe. Jesus came to bring peace in this world.  In all aspects of life.  As we commemorate ANZAC Day here in NZ, we remember sacrifice, the absorbing of evil and conflict in the world in the bodies and lives of soldiers. We consider the cost.  We long for peace in our world.  We still only have p

Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. James 2:25-26 NLT James doesn't let this idea go without a couple of examples, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham is the giant Totara in the forest of faith.  And yet James ends this part of his letter with Rahab.  Abraham in v21 has the label "our ancestor", yet Rahab carries the label of "the prostitute". Abraham's story is famous, covenant, sacrifice, God's miraculous provision, faith... It's all there.  Rahab's story is small. We don't know what happened to her, it was a small part of the bigger story.  And yet James seems to hold these 2 stories as being of the same value when it comes to living out faith. James ends this part of his letter with what seems a small story of faith expressed in life,

Now someone may argue,  "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say,  "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds?" I will show you my faith by my good deeds. ... Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:18, 20 NLT James isn't telling us it's a competition, that the one who serves more, does more is somehow "better". He isn't guilt tripping us into serving the church, or anywhere really.  Seven times we've heard "dear brothers and sisters" from James, this is an invitation to see that faith needs an outworking somewhere, an expression. Faith is something that impacts our thoughts, emotions, spirit, body, and finds expression in the world we live in. The word translated "useless" here is "argos" which means idle, inactive, unprofitable, lazy. Faith without expression is idle.  Just sitting around.  Where and how does our faith find it's expressi

But you,  O Lord,  are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Look down and have mercy on me.  Give your strength to your servant;  save me,  the son of your servant. Send me a sign of your favor.  Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you,  O Lord,  help and comfort me. Psalm 86:15-17 NLT It's almost like David is reminding himself of who God is, coaching himself through a difficult time by reminding himself of God's attributes that he needs right now: Compassion Mercy Slow to anger Unfailing love Unfailing faithfulness Merciful One who saves One who sees me A helper A comforter There's days when we lose sight of God, who He is, so maybe today is a good day to write your own reminder, your own truth coach, your own psalm of who God is.  #Psalms  #psalm86 #writeyourownpsalm #truthcoach

Sunday Psalms: Bend down,  O Lord,  and hear my prayer; answer me,  for I need your help. Protect me,  for I am devoted to you. Save me,  for I serve you and trust you.  You are my God. Be merciful to me,  O Lord,  for I am calling on you constantly. Psalms 86:1-3 NLT On those days when we don't have the words to talk with God then this song of David may be helpful. We can borrow his words written several thousand years ago to cry to God, to call to Him.  This song gives us freedom to ask. Freedom to express what's going on for us, just as David did. As you take a moment to sit with David's heart seeking to commune with God, what comes up for you today? What connects? (Maybe what jars a little?) Our God is not afraid or unwilling to hear all of our stuff. I'm sure He loves to hear the good, the stories of connection and growth and blessing. David keeps it real and we can too, there's also disconnection, disappointment, and disillusionment. Maybe there's an invit

So you see,  faith by itself isnt enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17 NLT The word here the NLT says is "dead and useless" literally means it "lacks life". James is (not so gently) letting his readers or the hearers of his letter know that faith should be life, speak life, create life, engage life, by the things faith prompts us to do, to become in the world.  Faith is a heart thing that finds its expression in the life we live and the life we give. We are embodied souls, and faith is an outworking in the world, embodied.  A requirement of a paper I was studying in 2022 required 40hours of voluntary work with a group and in a context that was new or different to what we might choose to do, or have done before. I ended up washing dishes and making breakfast and doing cafe prep so that the pastor could spend time with the people he was serving. But I had to do it for my paper.  James wants our hearts to be alive to those around u

Friday! Proverbs! A person who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. Proverbs 29:5 CSB Neighbour here is the word "rea" which can mean friend, companion, neighbour, another person in our life.  When we flatter them according to this proverb, something else happens which may not be part of the original intent. A net for the feet is spread.  Something tangles us up, we get caught up in something that can slow us down, hold us in place, trip us and/or our friend, companion, neighbour, workmate, flatmate, employee, boss, student, partner, trip us up. It's the heart beneath flattery that tangles and trips. Because flattery has an agenda, to get something, to achieve something that is not for the good of the other person. Flattery wants to build someone else up to gain something.  And this proverb reminds us that's a trap for both the person who is being flattered, and the one doing the flattering. Yes encourage one another, yes build one another up, but do it f

Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say,  "Good-bye and have a good day;  stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do? James 2:15-16 NLT It's easy to argue about James example - don't worry James, I'd never say that... But let's not skip James question: "what good does that do?" To be close enough to see a person's need, to have resources to help that person, and to speak some words that ring empty because they have no intent, no action, no love in them.  What good does that do? Nice (but empty) words does no good for the person, the community, the systems that have created the place that person is in, or the focus of James ideas here, our faith. It's uncomfortable. And James invites us as dear brothers and sisters to stop in that discomfort, to wait in it. Out of that discomfort over centuries have sprung charities and hospitals and hospi

What good is it,  dear brothers and sisters,  if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?  James 2:14 NLT Round 6 of "dear brothers and sisters"! So let's take James at his word, he's not telling us off, but quietly, gently, asking us what's the story with our faith.  James questions seem particularly relevant for us today where we are quick to separate our mind, body, spirit and can find it OK to make the intellectual the thing.  Even in church we can tend to value a Sermon that gives information over a hug that gives love. What happened in church today? is reduced to 3 points from a person talking, or we think we're being ripped off if there is no Sermon. What good is it dear brothers and sisters, if your faith is made up only of what's in your head and putting in more? Dear brothers and sisters, where are we living our faith out? (my guess is that if I followed you around we would see your faith l

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?  Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor!  Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? James 2:5-7 NLT This is the fifth time James has said "dear  brothers & sisters" in about one page of writing - what does that tell you? James is not telling people what to do, but that we're all in this together, inviting us into ways of seeing and being. And this is what he's doing here, asking his readers if we've got things upside down, around the wrong way in how we see people, how we value them.  In James culture the rich must've been obvious (or made it obvious) and got honoured even though they were known to oppress the poor.  There's honouring and dishonouring going on because of what

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others? For example, suppose... James 2:1-2 NLT It's easy to dive into James example and decide that's not me, I don't do that so I'm OK. I think James has a deeper motive here, to ask us to allow our faith in Jesus to change the way we see people, and to change the way we interact with others.  Our faith in Jesus is the challenge to our subtle biases.  Our faith in Jesus asks us to think again about telling or joinin in the joke at someone else's expense, the disparaging remarks, the piling on.  Our faith in Jesus asks us to see the world through different lenses than what our society and our culture does, and to live differently in it, to choose different careers, vocations, to have different measures of success, to live with a little less fear, a little more love, a little deeper, a little more colour, a little more music, a little more b

Sunday Psalms: His salvation is near for those who fear him,  so that glory will be in our land. Grace and truth have met together;  justice and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs up from the earth,  and justice looks down from heaven. Psalms 85:10-12 CJB This part of the song paints a picture of what the songwriters are hoping for, longing for.  And it's a beautiftul picture.  The land is restored. Grace Truth  Justice  Peace  And yet it sits in a song of "not yet", of "when", of "God when will you bring this to reality". Maybe that resonates with things we are facing, knowing that Grace, Truth, & Justice and will bring about the Peace we are longing for. But it's not yet.  We get glimpses. Moments of how things should be. And it's in that "now and the not yet" that we all live right? In the meantime we're allowed to ask just like this psalm does, when. When is this final restoration going to come? These deep longing

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:26-27 NLT We love to use James as a bit of a weapon to tell people what they should be doing or what they shouldn't. But if we just sit with this passage for a bit something deeper starts to emerge...this little phrase "you are fooling yourself." This is something that we can't fix on our own. How do we stop fooling ourselves?  Listening to our own words.  Loving those who can give nothing in return. Thinking about the impact of our world, our culture on us and insulating ourselves from that (while still living in it). We need a firm place to stand.  (Stand firm in the Truth that you're God's Beloved) We need God at work in us. We seek the reflective instruction from scripture. We

Friday! Proverbs! A just king gives stability to his nation,  but one who demands bribes destroys it. Proverbs 29:4 NLT We don't have to look far to find countries in the world where leaders have started out with good intentions to make things better for their people, but the insidious creep of power has corrupted them. And then I wonder about me.  Where have I let what I want become The Thing? Where have I let what the world around me calls success become my value too?  Who have I hurt along the way? Or allowed to be hurt because of my drive for what I thought was good? Proverbs is not a weapon to use against others but a mirror to allow us to see things in us that we might not otherwise discover. Just like the "just King" in this proverb we all have power somewhere. This proverb reminds me that I'm just as prone to tweak things in my favour as a corrupted king. It also reminds me that I follow The King who gave up His power to make a way for us.  Because Love. Becau

A single day  in your courts  is better than a thousand anywhere else!  I would rather  be a gatekeeper  in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God  is  our sun and our shield. He gives us  grace and glory. Psalm 84:10-11 NLT Perhaps today we just need some encouragement. While the song writers may have been looking to an actual place, they are alluding to somewhere else, somewhere more permanent. A place where there is no more separation between us and God. A place where He will completely be our sun and our shield.  A place where His Grace and His Glory will be known and experienced in ways that we can only imagine.  What's going to be different in His courts, His place? We will be fully known, fully accepted, and completely loved.  The striving, the questions, the insecurities, the not enoughness will be at an end.  Shalom, rest, peace will be ours. We will know we are Beloved.  #psalms #psalm84 #thenowandthenotyet #hopeishere #re

What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,  who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,  it will become a place of refreshing springs.  The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. Psalm 84:5-6 NLT In need of strength. On the journey. The Valley of Weeping. Perhaps these are familiar needs, familiar places.  It's OK not to be OK. It's OK to need strength. It's Ok to be a pilgrim, because while sitting still can be helpful, can be needed, when there's fear, despair, worry, anxiety, grief, loss, the way is through.  It's OK to be in the Valley of Weeping, the Valley of Tears, and the psalmists are giving us the hope, the invitation, that in that valley, in that place, there can be found a kind of blessing, a kind of refreshment that may not be found anywhere else.  While it can feel like nothing will change in the dryness, the drought of the Valley of Weeping this psalm invites us to keep moving,

Even the sparrow finds a home,  and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar,  O Lord of Heaven's Armies,  my King and my God! Psalm 84:3 NLT The picture here seems to be that the smallest, most common, least valued are all made space for in our God's idea of thriving and peace. The small birds are not shooed away or treated as pests, as not good enough, but are welcomed and accepted.  When we feel small in the eyes of the world, not valued by others, not welcomed, not good enough, we can hold this picture that these songwriters have given us of our God who welcomes and accepts and makes space for us, space to flourish and thrive.  When it feels like the world is against you, this song reminds us that our God is for us, no matter how small we are.  #psalms #psalm84 #youareenough #youareBeloved 

I long,  yes,  I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul,  I will shout joyfully to the living God. Psalm 84:2 NLT This song is written by the descendants of Korah who we read about in Exodus 6 and Numbers 16. Korah was involved in a rebellion against Moses, and yet here his descendants have written songs in the songbook. What strikes me about this passage is the whole person worship expression - there's some kind of physical longing to be with God, something the writers feel in their body.  Then there's joyful shouting.  Must be kind of like the shouting when you're in a crowd and your team scores or at a concert and the artist starts your favourite song...it's a shout that encompasses your "whole being, body and soul". It's probably not something we do on our own. Maybe the closest I get in my cultural expression to what Korah's descendants are writing about here is in church when my whole being gets los

How lovely is your dwelling place,  O Lord of hosts! Psalm 84: NRSV How beloved, lovely, well loved is your dwelling place, your tabernacle, Yahweh,  God of hosts, Armies, warfare.  Isn't this a bit of a strange connection of ideas? The beloved dwelling place and some kind of picture of armies? Why would God leave such a place? What could Yahweh possibly have to go into war against? Or is He going to go to war for something, for someone, for us? Our God is going to leave belovedness, leave his armies too, give up his power to dwell with us, to become like us, to make a way, to restore that belovedness in us, between us, and in creation. Not with armies, but with Jesus.  To make his dwelling place, his tabernacle in us.  #Psalms #psalm84 #Godwithus #resurrection  #hopeishere #youareBeloved

But don't just listen to God's word.  You must do what it says.  Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself,  walk away,  and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25 NLT Doesn't it seem odd to look in the mirror and forget what you look like?  Is James suggesting that with you have a look, see your hair is all over the place and go out wondering why people are looking at you strangely? I'm wondering if the key contrast James is making is between a glance in the mirror, and looking intently.  A glance on the way past, a quick look before I head out the door.  James wants us to linger in God's word.  The longer we linger, the more we see, the deeper we will look, and the more profound the

Friday! Proverbs! When the righteous increase,  the people rejoice,  But when a wicked person rules,  people groan. Proverbs 29:2 NASB This word "increase" means to become much, many, great. And it seems that the underlying story of this proverb is about power. When good people are in charge power is held collectively, everyone benefits, when good people increase, goodness increases. The contrast is when power is held by one person, the few, and their intention is to hold that power, use it for their own benefit.  We can see that in countries, organisations, church, and even in families, where one person exercises control, power, their will, their way, over others.  This proverb does make me wonder where i have power and how I use it. And it does remind me that for families, churches, communities, and countries to flourish it's good people who need to work together, band together, share power, consider what is good for "us". This proverb holds a picture of shalo

However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look.  Stooping,  he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings;  then he went home again,  wondering what had happened.  Luke 24:12 NLT Even though Peter had been with Jesus most of the last 3 years. Even though he had seen the miracles. Even though he had heard Jesus teaching again and again about who he was, about what was going to happen...and even though he had a look in the empty grave, saw the linen wrappings, he still didn't get what was going on. And I think I do from a quick read of the gospels and a couple of sermons in church.  It's OK to have doubts. It's OK not to have it all figured out. It's OK that there's mystery. It's OK that there's more to learn, and it's OK to lean into not knowing. I think that's why it's called faith.  #Easter #Sunday #resurrection  #hopeishere #faith #followJesus  #theBigStoryisstillbeingwritten

But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it.  Luke 24:11 NLT A group of women had been to the tomb of Jesus, found it was empty, met angels of some kind who reminded them of what Jesus had said about resurrection, went and shared all of this, and were met with disbelief. What nonsense.  From Jesus disciples. Was it because the first heralds of the good news of Jesus resurrection were women? Does it reflect our scepticism when confronted with things that don't match what we currently know? Do I write off another person's spiritual experience because it doesn't seem like anything I know? Do I miss the treasure in another denomination or cultural expression of faith because it's different to what I know or am used to? Maybe I'm too protective of what I know, what I'm used to.  Maybe just as Jesus resurrection opened up a whole new way of connecting with God, He wants to open things up with us too? What could open up for you? #Easte

It was now sunrise on the first day of the week. The women who had prepared the spices and oils were on their way to the burial cave.  Luke 24:1 FNVNT When did the resurrection happen? It seems that it happened some time, maybe moments before dawn, maybe in the middle of the night, while it was still dark.  Rich Villodas, a pastor in New York says this: "Resurrection happens 'while it is still dark.' Don't let the darkness fool you. The life we are hoping for has already been unleashed." In the Big Story, when it was darkest, resurrection had already happened. In our smaller story, in the dark, it's easy to lose sight of hope, of where there is possibility, of where there has already been some kind of resurrection, of where new life, beauty, goodness has already found a foothold.  And when we can't see it, we need one another to be with us in the dark, and to see where the Light has already been at work. #Easter  #Sunday #hopeishere  #Light #inthistogether

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in,  but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus.  As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked,  "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?" Luke 24:5 NLT In the quiet of the early morning, after seeing the brutal killing of Jesus by Roman soldiers just 2 days earlier, carrying their grief with their spices, they expected to tend to a dead person. Instead they were met by some kind of angelic being.  Quite a tough question to be asked when you're grieving "why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?" Was the expectation from these angels that Mary, Mary and Salome should have known Jesus had risen from the dead? Th