verseoftheday

Since you really listened to him and you were taught how the truth is in Jesus, change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires.  Ephesians 4:22 CEB The end of the "year", another circuit around the sun, is marked by different cultures at different times, this one we get a day off work (or time+half + another day off). Whether the year end is something to celebrate, be thankful this one is over, perhaps reflect on the wins, losses, ups, downs, or if it's just another day for you and all that reflection is a bit naf, Paul here does encourage us to take stock of what's really important; Since the truth is in Jesus, what have you learned from him, and what needs to go? Paul's focus isn't what needs to go on the outside, but the inside.  What thoughts need to be booted out? What leanings of my heart need to be let go of? What would Jesus want me to be free of? I love the way the FNVNT version puts it: "T...

Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance.  ... "A cry was heard in Ramah - weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead." Matthew 2:16-18 NLT This is the heartbreaking part of the Christmas story, a version of which seems to happening this year in Israel and Gaza.  Children paying with their lives for the choices of those with power.  It must've seemed that day, that week, that month, that year, that life for those whose babies had been killed by the forces of Empire, that evil had won.  It must've felt like God had abandoned them, forsaken them, turned his back on them.  In the midst of this horror story, hope is right there.  So small and tucked away that it's easy to miss, easy to lose sight of. And that's ...

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  "Get up!  Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said.  "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herods death. Matthew 2:13-15 NLT This is as much a part of the Christmas story as the gifts, the shepherds, no room in the inn.  Joseph has another disturbed sleep and does not hesitate to follow the angel's instruction. He packs up his little family and runs.  They're now refugees.  Perhaps they could only have run because of the gold that had been gifted.  What would've happened if they hadn't run that night?  Would Evil have won? It's no wonder the people were looking for, hoping for, waiting for, a saviour, a Messiah, to rescue them from the world in which they lived.  But that night, the ...

This gave full meaning to the words of Creator spoken long ago by the prophet, "A young virgin will be with child and give birth to a son. They will call his name Immanuel, which in our tribal language means Creator Is with Us. Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story (Matthew) 1:22-23 FNVNT  All these orchestrated events leading up to Jesus birth are meaningful in themselves, in the now of Matthew's time, and meaningful for us today.  And they carry forward meaning from the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 7:14) The First Nations version captures something here for us, "Creator is with us". How does this work that the Creator of all we can see and know and discover is now with us? With us as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy, with us as the hoped for Messiah to bring freedom from the oppression of the Romans, to be God-with-us in 2023, and with us as our hope of a new earth, of shalom restored, of every-tear-wiped-away, our hope that the glimpses we have of how things sho...

And Joseph named him Jesus. Matthew 1:25 NLT Joseph could've walked away, and didn't. Yes he had a dream, but even the most vivid of dreams can be dismissed.  Joseph didn't just stay with Mary, he did what today we would call "adopted" Jesus.  He can't have really grasped all that was going on here but he stayed with the people God had placed in his orbit, placed in his care.  Stick with those God has placed in your care, they're part of God's Bigger Story. We all have a part in God's Bigger Story. We can't always see it, understand it, or grasp the significance of today, but we can be assured that our commitment to one another, our smallest acts of care and kindness will echo into eternity, in God's Bigger Story. The thing with Joseph was that he was just asked to be a husband to Mary and Dad to Jesus, he didn't have to save the world, that was Jesus job.  We don't have to save the world either, just love the people who we can, sti...

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.  "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:20-21 NLT More angels, but this time not a terrifying "in person" visit, but in a dream.  Lesson: God connects with people in different ways.  The first thing the angel does is remind Joseph of who he is, the ancestors who he belongs to.  Lesson: our whakapapa matters. The angel seems to know Joseph's plan to break up with Mary. What's implied but not said is that Joseph is needed, he's got an important part to play in Mary's life and Jesus' life, and the angel is asking him to change direction, not to walk away as his culture might allow and even expect him to do.  Lesson: sometimes our family is formed in ways ...

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.  They were terrified,  but the angel reassured them.  "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12 NLT More angels, terrified people, & signs. Not sure why God sent angels to see a handful of shepherds and not wake the whole town! But Luke is sharing with us all these strands, Zechariah the Priest, Joseph of King David's line, shepherds guarding their sheep just like David did, the wise arriving with gifts for a king, Angels giving an unmissable message that the person their people were ...

All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, Davids ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:3-7 NLT According to Google Maps the shortest route from Nazareth to Bethlehem is 145km. And it's not flat.  And Mary is pregnant.  And there's no cars.  And why are they making this trip? Because the Romans said they had to.  And when they got there, they didn't know anyone who would put then up even though this was where Joseph's family came from.  I wonder if Mary's pregnancy had anything to do with that.  There's zero ti...

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary.  She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said,  "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.  Luke 1:26-29 NLT  Gabriel is back with more news, this time not to a priest in the sanctuary, a place where if you were going to meet an angel it would seem more likely, but this time to Mary.  Mary who's only qualification that Luke's investigation has noted is that her fiance Joseph is connected to royalty.  I wonder where she was, what she was doing? She was really upset by Gabriel turning up.  The word used is "diatarasso" and this is the only time it's used in the Bible (From Luke's medical training maybe?) It means "acutely distressed" in every part of her, her though...

Friday! Proverbs! A murderer's tormented conscience will drive him into the grave.  Don't protect him Proverbs 28:17 NLT Wow, could Proverbs have thrown up a more inappropriate message at Christmas? Maybe Proverbs is just keeping it real.  There's still war in Ukraine, Gaza, and many other places around the world. The news is full of tragic stories. Christmas doesn't stop violence and abuse in our homes, for some it makes it worse. Christmas doesn't stop our memories of harm, of loss, of grief.  Let's not tinsel over the reality of today, nor that first Christmas. We romanticise a young couple unable to find a place to stay and a baby being born in what may have been a stable.  Reality is that's a really difficult situation.  This proverb is about facing reality, not tinseling over it, the reality we sometimes find in our own hearts, and in the hearts of others.  And Christmas reminds us that Hope entered the story in a whole new way. Love entered the story...

Meanwhile,  the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. Luke 1:21-22 NLT The people outside had no idea what was happening with or to Zechariah.  Yet he was having a profound encounter with Gabriel.  Waiting.  Waiting for people is not something we're good at. We're often not patient with ourselves, with others, with the world around us.  Zechariah was going to have to wait and see when the promise made to him would be fulfilled, wait for John to be born, wait for him to speak, to prepare the way for the Messiah, wait for the Messiah, wait for him to act in this world. Waiting. Waiting to get his voice back.  The people were waiting, and now instead if getting an explanation they got some signs.  When we wait on others we don't know wh...

Zechariah said to the angel,  "How can I be sure this will happen?  Im an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." Then the angel said,  "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God.  It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time." Luke 1:18-20 NLT Nothing in Zechariah's life had prepared him to come face to face with Gabriel.  He was a priest, in the holiest place where God is met, on his own, and an angel has appeared with a prophecy spoken over him and he's having trouble believing it.  Because it would take a miracle. It would take something beyond his comprehension for this old infertile couple to have a baby. And I'm just like Zechariah. I go to church, and here about God entering the world as a baby it's beyond me.  When He says that I am His bel...

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.  He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people." Luke 1:15-17 CSB The angel Gabriel is telling Zechariah about his future son's. How to bring him up: the discipline of no alcohol. God will already be with him from the womb. He's got a massive task ahead because Gabriel is bringing a stinging indictment on God's people here; They've turned away from God and need to turn back. They're not living in line with God's instruction for people's flourishing, and a key way that is found is that they have become selfish;  Gabriel's task for John is to turn the hearts o...

Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said,  "Don't be afraid, Zechariah!  God has heard your prayer.  Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John." Luke 1:12-13 NLT A few things for us to wonder about; When God is giving us a nudge it can be scary. He might be asking us to step outside our comfort zone, towards someone or something that is not what we would choose.  It's OK to be overwhelmed. When what God has seems too much for us.  He also knows us.  The angel didn't say "Don't be stupid" or "toughen up", he said "Don't be afraid". There's no need, God has heard you. How long had Zechariah been praying that prayer? V7 says they were both old and Elizabeth couldn't conceive.  I wonder what it was that kept Zach praying? Or was God responding to a prayer from long ago, a prayer prayed and long ago all hope seemed lost in having an answer, a prayer tha...

Sunday Psalms Please,  God,  rescue me!  Come quickly,  Lord,  and help me. May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace... But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout,  "God is great!" But as for me,  I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid,  O God.  You are my helper  and my savior;  O Lord,  do not delay. Psalm 70 NLT This song starts with David's expression of how things are for him.  He is feeling desperate.  It's OK to express how things really are.  He then turns to those who have harmed him, that he wants consequences, justice, something to be done.  It's OK to want justice. He then turns his mind to God. Even in his distress, he is reminding himself to keep seeking God even in these circumstances. It's OK to remind ourselves of what is ...

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.  Luke 1:8-12 NLT Zach was going about his normal duties, chosen apparently at random that day to enter the sanctuary.  An ordinary day.  And on that ordinary day, the extraordinary happened. With the noise of the crowd outside praying and the smell of the incense and the smoke swirling, heaven entered earth.  We don't know if it was the surprise, the form of the angel, but this was not subtle, but an act full of drama.  And yet it was personal.  The crowd outside praying had no idea what was going on for Z inside....

Friday! Proverbs! A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people,  but one who hates corruption will have a long life. Proverbs 28:16 NLT So we have a ruler, someone with power, who doesn't understand and so tolerates, uses, promotes corruption, and oppresses those with less power.  As we look around the world we can see people in power like this, and at times it seems in our own country.  But proverbs is about getting to the heart and so I'm wondering where I have power, in the relationships where I have some authority, how well do I understand those affected by my decisions? Where do I move things in my favour? Sometimes it's really tricky to even see where we have power because we're so used to the "way it is". When Jesus turned up he'd already left most of his power behind. At Christmas he was so small he had to be carried around, fed by his parents, held. He grew up a refugee, a tradesman, from a poor place in a country dominated by another Em...

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations.  They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. Luke 1:5-7 NLT This is where Luke starts the story, with a beautiful old couple who have long religious traditions, they love God, serve, and they have no children.  They're both infertile and old.  Luke is setting us up here for a miracle on the edge, one step removed from Jesus.  In fact Jesus isn't even here yet, and is breaking in in an unusual place, an unexpected place.  Zechariah and Elizabeth never gave up serving God even though they lived under Herod's rule, and the one thing they dearly wanted, children of their own, wasn't happening and was now a forlorn hop...

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. Luke 1:1-4 NLT Luke the analyst, the stand back, take a while to process everything, look from a different perspective, do the research, big picture guy.  It's easy to get caught in this idea that Christmas is the end. There's this big drive in our culture to make it a big thing, it arrives at the end of our year and we (quite rightly) make a big deal of Jesus turning up. And Luke starts with events surrounding Jesus' arrival, but that's not the end of anything (except maybe the end of the beginning of this new story). Jesus arrival is the beginning of something new.  It's the beginni...

All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah. Matthew 1:17 NLT All those people just living their lives, some famous, powerful, some ordinary, unknown, some who were looked down on, judged, some who parts of their lives are recorded for us, some who are just names in a list.  None of them were perfect. Yet here they are, part of a Bigger Story. Fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen to the exile, and fourteen more to Jesus, the Messiah. This is not an accident, and isn't this the way when we look back we can see where God has been at work, where heaven has broken through, and we can see we're part of a Bigger Story.  But when we're in the middle of it, most of the time we're just living our lives in the best way we can.  Yet we are part of God's Bigger Story.  We are enough.  We are Beloved. #christmas2023

Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn't steal. Psalms 69:4 NLT  Do you get the idea that it all seems too much for David? Have you ever been expected to fix something, make something right that wasn't your doing?  Instead of the blame, the shame falling on the perpetrator, somehow it's falling on you? And yet, David keeps coming back to God "But I keep praying to you, Lord,  hoping this time you will show me favor.  In your unfailing love,  O God,  answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mud;  don't let me sink any deeper!  Save me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters." vv13-15 When it feels like we're walking in mud, when we're sinking, it's OK to express it.  David did.  Even while he was describing his despair, he still cries out to God.  Even in the middle of his situation he sti...

Sunday Psalms Save me,  O God,  for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper  I sink into the mire;  I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water,  and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted  from crying for help;  my throat is parched.  My eyes are swollen with weeping,  waiting  for my God to help me. Psalm 69:1-3 NLT Maybe David's song resonates with you.  I'm reading this listening to Tuis and birds waking to the morning and smelling the coffee brewing.  And the discord between this and David's words are stark.  This time of year when our culture is talking tinsel and gifts and our churches are preaching baby Jesus and the hope of the world arriving, we get David's reality check.  Because for some, this is exactly how they are feeling, and for some it's because of Christmas.  So today if it helps to know that your voice is in the Bible, here it is in this Psalm, this song.  If it helps to kno...

Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan.  Matthan was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph,  the husband of Mary - of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ.   Matthew 1:15-16 CEB There's a long list here at the beginning of the Christmas story.  A long list of people.  The story of Christmas, Jesus entering the world is a human story.  It's couched in his human history.  There's a long list behind me, and there's a long list behind you.  Jesus story is God entering in, and at the same time it's a human story.  Jesus was one of us.  And...this is Joseph's line, the Joseph who was Jesus "adopted" Dad.  It's like Joseph's whole family line and heritage was adopted by Jesus.  Follow Jesus this Christmas, do some adopting, check in on that workmate, classmate, colleague, neighbour, friend... do they need a fam to gather with, a Christmas meal to share? Christmas is a human story...

Here is the record of the ancestry of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One,  a descendant of Much Loved One (David)  and of Father of Many Nations (Abraham). From Father of Many Nations (Abraham) to Much Loved One (David), his ancestors were: Matthew 1:1 FNVNT  Where we come from matters.  Our stories, our whakapapa, matters. The New Testament doesn't open with Jesus birth but with a record of who he came from, who he belongs to, and connects him to the stories of the lives that have gone before him.  Christmas has been captured by a different story, different images, and the heart of the real story is so easily lost in the hollowed out story that our culture promotes. Matthew's gospel doesn't let us get away with that, but anchors us in the story that begins at the beginning.  This new story of Jesus (Creator sets free) started long before.  I wonder what Jesus would make of Christmas in 2023?  Where would he be found? #christmas2023 #whereyo...

Furthermore,  because we are united with Christ,  we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance,  and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11 NLT Your inheritance is already in place.  You can't lose it, it's set.  No matter what this world, other people, the spiritual world throws at you, you have an inheritance from God. It's a picture of something, something of value and worth. You're chosen, are in the "royal" line, a child of God, with something of immense worth prepared for you.  God has a plan, and we're part of it. Part of His redemption story.  It's easy to lose sight of that in the everyday, in the ordinary, when chaos seems to reign, when there's despair, when things are not what they should be or how we believe God would want them to be.  Yet, He can still be found in our trouble. And in His Big Story (that we have a small part in) there will be restoration, all will be made new, our in...

Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said to me,  "My grace is sufficient for you,  for my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore,  I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses,  so that  Christ's power may reside in me.  2 Corinthians 12:8-9 CSB Paul's letter to the church seems to be addressing an issue where people are "boasting" about spiritual experiences and the implication is that there were "better" Christians as a result.  He essentially tells them to stop it.  And to actually stop him "boasting", he has some kind of disability, pain, or what we today might call a mental illness. He doesn't describe it or explain it, but it's debilitating and painful in a significant way.  Jesus said to him that the things people are boasting about, their abilities to speak or teach or lead or play or how much they give or their spiritual experiences, while good things, are a...

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told them,  "Go back to Gift of Goodwill (John) and tell him about the things you have seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears. The blind can see again, the lame can walk,  the ones with skin disease have been cleansed! Ears that cannot hear have been opened,  the dead have come back to life again,  and the poor are being told the good story! Creators blessing and goodwill rest on the one who does not stumble and leave the path because of me." Matthew 11:4-6 FNVNT John (Gift of Goodwill) was in prison and was looking for reassurance that Jesus is the real deal.  That he is who he said he is. John who in chapter 3 baptised Jesus, who at the time said it was Jesus who should be baptising him, who must've heard God's voice from heaven, seen the Spirit descending like a dove...and yet here he is questioning. Our circumstances can make us question.  Question God, our faith, who Jesus is.  And Jesus's response is for us...

Sunday Psalms; Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God,  whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families;  he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:5-6 NLT This Psalm, this song, has some great lines; "But God will smash the heads of his enemies..." Ps 68:21 Not sure if we're going to be singing that in church this morning... There are parts of this song of victory, of enemies being subdued, because of God's power. That's what the writer has valued in the past and wants to see again.  And yet in these verses we see God's heart exposed; Father to the fatherless Defender of widows He places the lonely in families Sets those imprisoned free Jesus did not exercise power the way David visioned it, wanted it to work out. Jesus enemy was death, and the things that separate us.  And he calls us to follow him, to follow his heart, to stand in the gap with those who need...

Happy the person who is never without fear,  but he who hardens his heart will fall into misfortune. Proverbs 28:14 CJB The Jesus we meet in the garden at Gethsemane is someone who is facing their fears, wanting to have a different future, but facing it anyway.  He did not harden his heart. He did not harden his heart towards the Father, or towards us.  This little proverb reminds us that how we stand here matters. Jesus faced death alone, so that we don't have to. The things we're most afraid of, He has gone before us. Hardening our hearts is not the answer, that's one thing this proverb reminds us.  And we can get a glimpse of Jesus, facing his fear, and we can too, but we don't have to do that alone. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #inthistogether

Friday! Proverbs! Happy the person who is never without fear,  but he who hardens his heart will fall into misfortune. Proverbs 28:14 CJB This word "fear" is the word "pachad" which has the meaning of dread, or to be in awe.  So happy, or blessed, is the person who has a sense of dread! Or awe! And what is this person compared to? Someone with a hard heart.  Not just someone with a hard heart, but who also trips up, falls into trouble.  This sense of dread, of trouble, and of awe, can do two things.  Keep us from trouble. And keep our heart soft.  Our soft heart knows that we're not in control, that terrible and tragic things happen, that this world can be full of grief and hurt and loss, and at the same time, we are not in this alone, not without hope, not without the One who Saves. This proverb tells us to keep it real about the world, and not to get hard hearted in it. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.  Ephesians 1:7-8 CSB Some days we just need reminding of what Jesus did for us.  If today is one of those days for you, then here's a glimpse of the truth that you can grab hold of today... We have redemption. Jesus has paid the price for our freedom, from the things that we have thought and done that have separated us from God, had us heading away from Him. We have forgiveness.  We are not met with a stony face, with terms and conditions, but with the arms of love opened wide.  And Jesus knew exactly what he was doing, and who he was doing it for. We are known and loved.  Rest in that today.  #truth #truthtorestin #redeemed #forgiven #youareBeloved

"The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he's righteous will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward." Matthew 10:40-42 CSB Jesus is aligning himself with the mission of the 12, and aligning them with him.  And he seems to be sending a message about discerning and welcoming.  And who else is there? Have some children gathered as Jesus was speaking? Whether he is referring to the 12 as "little ones" or someone else, it's like Jesus is saying the people you come across, can you see me in them? At the very least give them the minimum hospitality that your culture requires, because when you give a "little one", someone...

"If you love your father or mother more than you love me,  you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me,  you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me,  you will find it." Matthew 10:37-39 NLT This is not some kind of competition about love, but part of Jesus message to the 12 before he sends them out. Out without any resources, out into a hostile world where some people will reject them, persecute them, harm them. Out as sheep among wolves. Going out with a message announcing that the Kingdom is near, the Kingdom people have been waiting for, but announce it from this place of powerlessness and weakness.  This is an incredibly difficult assignment, and if their family is front of mind, they'd give it up and go home.  If the life they had before meeting Jesus was so import...

May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us Selah so that your way may be known on earth,  your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth. Selah Psalm 67:1-4 CSB David's grand vision (or is it God's grand vision expressed by David?) is that God's blessing, his face shining, will not be a private thing, something to be held by him or his people, but a rolling out of God's fairness, justice, joy & salvation around the globe. Everywhere.  And when we get glimpses of that, we want it everywhere.  For everyone.  The way we represent our God matters.  How we live matters, how we stand here, the choices we make, every act of compassion, every word of kindness, every act of creation, every smile, every time our heart is moved for justice, fairness, these things all matter a...

Sunday Psalms; May God  be gracious to us  and bless us;  may he  make his face  shine upon us. Selah Psalms 67:1 CSB  This first part of this song is almost an invitation to our God, a corporate asking from God's people for his blessing. To see his face. There's days when we so desperately want that too, God can't you just step in here, make this injustice just, heal this brokenness, put right this wrong.  Perhaps our circumstances make us question God's care, or even his existence.  This Psalm, this song, recentres us, asks that we would recognise Him again in his world, his people, in our own spirit.  In between when this song was written and now, God made his face shine upon us in the face of Jesus.  He entered our story with grace and blessing, and became the way for us to see our God in a new way.  As we wait and work towards that day when we see Jesus face-to-face, may we not miss His blessings, His grace, His face shining up...

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  John 14:3 NLT Last night an email from Richard Rohr arrived (no doubt thousands of others received the same one!) and in it he shared a summary of the thoughts of 13th century Franciscan theologian Bonaventure: For him there were 3 great truths: Emanation:  We come forth from God bearing the divine image, and thus our inherent identity is grounded in the life of God from the beginning (Genesis 1:26-27) Exemplarism: Everything, the entire chain of being, and everything in creation is an example and illustration of the one God mystery in space and time (Romans 1:20). No exceptions.   Consummation:  All returns to the Source from which it came (John 14:3). The Omega is the same as the Alpha and this is God's supreme and final victory. What a wonderful way to hold the Big Story, who we are, where we've come, and where we're going. In times of trouble, when our thought...

Friday! Proverbs! The one who conceals his sins will not prosper,  but  whoever confesses and renounces them  will find mercy. Proverbs 28:13 CSB In this world those who do conceal their sins does prosper.  They do succeed. Yet there's another story at play here, a larger story at play here, one where mercy is needed.  If there was no need for mercy, if there was no Bigger Story, then there would be no sin, there'd just be one person prospering and another not. And this proverb gives us two steps: Confession.  And then Renouncing.  The word used here is "azab" and it means to "leave, forsake, loose".  So we are called to leave our sin, to walk away, take another path, change direction. To forsake it. Discard it. Turn our back on it.  Loose it. Loose it and don't go looking for it again.  We confess and renounce. That's the path to mercy.  There's a prospering that happens in the story of this world, and there's a prospering in the B...

"Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth!  I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!" Matthew 10:34-36 NLT Jesus is sending his 12 out on a mission and this is part of the instruction. The mission is to those who are lost. The mission is to tell people that the thing they've been waiting for, looking for, the kingdom of heaven, is right here.  That Jesus is who he says he is.  And that mission is going to get them accepted in some places, rejected in others.  That mission is to go as sheep among wolves - rejection could get really bad - you're heading into places with a message people will not like.  And here Jesus is letting them know that the message of the kingdom that they're taking may divide even the closest and strongest of relationships: family.  Some may remember t...

"Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33 NLT I'm wondering if Peter remembered these words of Jesus when he denied knowing who Jesus was during Jesus' trial? Have you ever had someone who you thought was your friend drop you, ghost you, deny your friendship?  It hurts right? Even though Jesus has made this tough statement, he made another way for Peter, made another opportunity, invited Peter back into fellowship even after he'd stepped away. I'm wondering if Jesus feels it just like we do when people turn away, cross the street when they see us coming, avoid us in the supermarket, make that they didn't see us.  And even though he takes our relationship with him seriously, and is hurt by our actions and choices towards him, he continues to make a way for us to return, to turn back, to cho...

Come and listen,  all you who fear God,  and I will tell you  what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen!  He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God,  who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:16-20 NLT The end of this Psalm, this song, speaks to something we all experience at some time, or multiple times in our lives, that we're not enough for God, not good enough, not doing enough, that what we've thought or said or done disqualifies us from God's love.  "But God did not withdraw his unfailing love from me". David knows He could have, but didn't.  And when God hears from us, hears our stories, our fears, our sins, our desires, our hearts, He doesn't turn away, doesn't say you're not enough, but listens, pays attention. Because we are Beloved.  #Psalms  #psalm66 #knownh...

Come and see  what our God has done,  what awesome miracles he performs for people! He made a dry path  through the Red Sea,  and his people went across on foot.  There we rejoiced in him. Psalm 66:5-6 NLT David in this song remembers.  He holds the memories of when God acted, stepped in, made a way.  There's been times when God has made a way, remember them, hold those stories, because there's days when we need the reminder, there's days when it's easy to wonder if God cares.  David goes back to the escape from slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, God making a way. In my church we have a cross. Its always there as a reminder that God stepped in and made a way.  In our lives there are reminders where God made a way, remember them, remind yourself that even when the world isn't for you, doesn't care, our God does.  He is for you.  #Psalms  #psalm66 #remember #Godmadeaway

Sunday Psalms  Psalm 66 Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name!  Tell the world how glorious he is. 66:1-2 NLT This song has a bit of everything, starts with this call to shout, to sing, and to tell.  Not shout at others, each other, those who aren't listening, but shout to God.  This is a call to "all the earth" so just maybe the "shouting" is a way of being that praises God.  A way of standing here.  Yes what we do matters, but how we do it praises God. Then David asks us to sing.  Sing about the glory of his name. Music, singing, does something in us. Singing connects with us in every way, in our body, mind, emotions and spirit. What we sing matters. Then it's tell. Tell the world how glorious he is.  Tell the world what your life was like without God. Tell the world how you met Jesus  Tell the world how your life has changed. Tell the world your story.  Shout Let your life join creation and shou...

When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge,  people go into hiding. Proverbs 28:12 NLT Do we get a glimpse of Jesus here? When he was wandering around, did people go into hiding? Zacchaeus was out looking for Jesus, and he invited himself home for lunch. The woman at the well was out doing her everyday thing when Jesus went looking for her.  Others sought him out for their own sake or the sake of others.  Some sought him out from fear. Fear of losing their power.  Some wished that things Jesus exposed had remained hidden, some went away disappointed, but no one went into hiding.  With the benefit of knowing Jesus, this proverb encourages us to be people around who others don't have to hide.  We can be people who where hiding, putting on a mask, being someone we're not, isn't needed.  Jesus was all about being real, getting to the heart. He's the one who does that completely for us, the place of no hiding and true gladness....

Friday! Proverbs! When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge,  people go into hiding. Proverbs 28:12 NLT Another proverb about power right? When the godly have power, people are OK to come out of hiding.  When the godly have power everyone benefits.  In the places where I have power I wonder whether people go into hiding, hold back, wonder whether it's safe for them, or is it a place of thriving for everyone? In the places where I have power is everyone glad? When I look at my life, it seems that both have been true. Perhaps the question is what direction am I heading in? Towards that person who people go into hiding from? Or towards that part of me that is more selfless, more interested in justice, more interested in seeing the hungry fed, the sick looked after, the prisoner visited, the widow, the orphan, the marginalised cared for.  The Bible talks a lot about justice, and this proverb quietly asks us where we stand... #proverbs #wisdom ...

"Do not despise these small beginnings,  for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,  to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." Zechariah 4:10 NLT At the centre of this story is not something shiny, something new, but the damaged, broken down ruins.  Jesus met people where they were, in the brokenness, in their hurt, in the mess. That's where he was.  We can tend to hide away the damage, sideline it, perhaps feature it only when there's been restoration.  But this story says something different.  Jesus life tells us something different. God is delighting in the small things going on in the broken down temple. He isn't saying "when it's all fixed up and looking good then I'm interested".  No, He is invested now.  Right now.  Right where we are.  Come as you are to church, to community, to fellowship, to friendship. Jesus never sidelines the hurt parts, never says they don't matter, and we don't need to either... #smallbeginnings #t...

"Do not despise these small beginnings,  for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,  to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." Zechariah 4:10 NLT There were dreams and messages from angels and all kinds of things going on in this chapter, but tucked in there was this message from Yahweh.  Our God sees our small steps, small choices.  He delights to see us choosing to work on what's important, even though it might seem small.  Maybe today is a new start, a reset. God delights in that. Maybe there's work going on that doesn't seem to be producing anything (the plumb line isn't actually building anything) but it's important work for the building to stand. Keep doing that work anyway. Yahweh is in the rebuilding business.  What's the small step we can take today in the right direction? Where do I need to hold the plumb line of God's word in my life to check that my wall is standing true? Where do I need reminding that God delights? Delights i...

"Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  What is the price of two sparrows - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid;  you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 NLT As Jesus is sending his team out to face physical danger, he isn't threatening them with anything, juat reminding them of two things: Only God has the power over real death. And they are dearly loved by Him. So they don't have to be afraid, even if they lose their life they won't lose their Life.  Jesus is telling his team that even if the world is against them, they are seen, they are known, they are valuable, they are loved.  You are seen. You are known. You are valuable. You are loved. Whatever you are facing today, good or bad, w...

"Therefore,  don't be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won't be uncovered and nothing hidden that won't be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light.  What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops." Matthew 10:26-27 CSB Jesus is sending out his 12 key people and this intriguing word picture is part of their instructions. They're being sent into towns and villages in Israel expecting opposition, expecting rejection.  And Jesus says "don't be afraid" because darkness will become light, covers will come off.  Is it now? Or later? Is he referring to his own resurrection?  Or something else? "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light" I don't think Jesus is telling them this at night and that they get to talk in the morning.  Something is going to change. Jesus experiences ultimate rejection, the rejection of family, friends, society, and is then killed by the Empire.  And he comes back ...

Don't worry about anything, but in everything,  through prayer and petition with thanksgiving,  present your requests to God. And the peace of God,  which surpasses all understanding,  will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 CSB This was the first verseoftheday and each November 12 we revisit it (& remind you that it's OK to unsubscribe anytime). "Don't worry about anything" just seems too difficult.  The stuff I have, the concerns, the fears, the hurts, the burdens, the unknowns, the knowns.  Yet Paul doesn't just tell us to stop worrying, he invites us into an alternative. A place where we are heard.  A place where what matters to us, matters. A place where new perspectives may be discovered, a place where change can happen, patterns and habits can be shifted, chains can be broken, a place where glimpses of peace can be found, and added to and built on. We're invited in. Jesus is called the word, the logos, and we're i...

A rich person  is wise in his own eyes,  but a poor one who has discernment sees through him.  Proverbs 28:11 CSB  Can we catch a glimpse of Jesus in this proverb? One of the things that Jesus stood against was those who believed that their own righteousness was enough, perhaps these are the "wise in their own eyes". And Jesus walked in the shoes of the poor.  He was born into a poor town, in a country that was under the rule of a military empire, he had been a refugee, he had known rejection from his own people, his own family, abandonment from his friends, and abuse at the hands of the powerful.  He used borrowed transport, couch surfed for accommodation, and when he died literally only owned the clothes on his back which were taken from him.  And he could see through people, discern their hearts and motivations.  He sees through me. Discerns my heart. Knows my motivations. And still loves me.  Still seeks me out. When I'm lost, still comes...

Friday! Proverbs! A rich person  is wise in his own eyes,  but a poor one who has discernment sees through him.  Proverbs 28:11 CSB  This proverb is not anti-wealth or rich vs poor, it's about the effect of wealth. The only clue we have about the first person with the trait of being "wise in his own eyes" is wealth. The implication is that their wealth has shaped their view of themselves, others, the world they live in, and God.  What shapes us? What's the lens through which I see myself, others, the world I live in, and God? The other person in the proverb has discernment. Is the implication that this comes from being poor? Without the wealth lens? Or has this discernment come from outside of the person? This second person certainly "sees" in a different way, is not "wise in his own eyes". That would indicate that this discernment is from outside the person, from others, the world around, from God.  This proverb places us in a binary, wealth/wise ...

If I must boast,  I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him. 2 Corinthians 11:30-33 NLT There's something going on in Corinth that Paul keeps going on about boasting.  And he says if you really want to hear my stories it'll be about my weakness not how big, strong, intelligent, victorious I was. And then he gives us one. He didn't face the governor, win with his arguments or authority as a Roman, he didn't "man up" and beat anyone or even leave in some glorious escape. He got lowered down in a basket and gapped it.  I'm wondering if this is where God often meets us, in our weakness, where we aren't strong, where we don't have power. When we first meet Paul he ...

When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master.  And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! Matthew 10:23-25 NLT If we expect that being a christian is a kind of free pass to acceptance in our culture then maybe think again...Jesus is warning his team to expect persecution, to expect to be called the exact opposite of what they are because they're aligned with Jesus. Jesus called us; To be peacemakers  To love our neighbours To welcome the stranger To serve the least To feed the hungry To forgive If we're doing those things and get a hard time for it, are rejected for it, because we're aligned with Jesus...

Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Three times I was shipwrecked.  Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.  I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, besides all this,  I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.  2 Corinthians 11:25-28 NLT Paul hasn't gone through all this to build a following, to become famous.  He went through all this because he loves God, and loves people...

But as for you,  be strong and do not lose courage,  for there is reward for your work. 2 Chronicles 15:7 AMP Author Mary DeMuth posted this verse on X (used to be Twitter) with these words: "Friend, there is reward for your work. Keep going.  Persevere." The prophet Azariah encouraged King Asa with these words, Mary DeMuth shared them and encouraged others, and now you have them.  Be encouraged. Work can be difficult, draining, defeating at times.  Whether that's the work of being a friend, supporter, parent, employee, manager, teacher, boss, student, pastor, farmer, or wherever you find yourself today. Whether that's physical, emotional, mental, spiritual work or some combination, it isn't always easy, joyful, or fulfilling. There's days. So bear with.  Don't lose heart.  There is reward (I wonder if we miss that sometimes, what's the reward that you skip past, don't see or acknowledge?) So be encouraged beloved. And just as Azariah encouraged Ki...

Sunday Psalms; Praise is rightfully yours,  God, in Zion... Iniquities overwhelm me; ... How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts!  We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house... You silence  the roar of the seas,  the roar of their waves,  and the tumult of the nations. The wilderness pastures overflow,  and the hills are robed with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks and the valleys covered with grain.  They shout in triumph; indeed,  they sing. Psalm 65:1-12: CSB  This song of David is a journey from the personal to the community, from turmoil to peace, from despair to hope.  This song is short, just 12 verses, starts with his own sin before God, in the middle is this phrase "the tumult of the nations" and isn't that true of our world today with war and suffering in and between nations. And then David paints these beautiful pictures of peace. Peace connected to the land, to place, to creatio...

"Brothers and sisters will hand each other over to be executed.  A father will turn his child in. Children will defy their parents and have them executed. You will be hated by everyone because of my name.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:21-22 CSB There's some things that Jesus says that just seem weird, hard to understand, just want to skip past to the good parts.  But Jesus is warning his team that there's terrible things that happen in this life, and at least some of them because of your faith.  We don't have to look far in our culture at the way siblings have harmed one another, parents harmed children, children harmed parents. We've seen waves of hatred and distrust and the differences of culture, religion, ethnicity, being held in some way as being wrong.  So these things that Jesus was warning the 12 about as they went out in his name are all around us.  And it's not how it should be.  Yesterday I was at the fune...

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever misleads those who do right  onto an evil path  will fall into their own pit,  but the blameless  will inherit good things. Proverbs 28:10 CEB Who do we find in this proverb? One who misleads. Those who do right.  The blameless. The one who misleads is not making an innocent mistake, they know what they're doing.  And they've pulled someone down a path that they wouldn't have chosen for themselves.  They've deceived.  And then there's the blameless, who by implication are not deceivers, and for them someone is preparing an inheritance. The blameless are held in tension with the misleader, the deceiver.  So where does the one "who does right", who is deceived sit?  It seems that they sit with the blameless.  The blame sits with the deceiver. The shame of falling into their own pit sits with them, not with the one who has been deceived. How do you see it? #proverbs #wisdom  #somethingtochewon  #itsa...

I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord.  But our authority builds you up; it doesn't tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority. 2 Corinthians 10:8 NLT Corinthians is a letter, and when you read a letter you only read one side of the conversation, we only get to guess what's going on. Seems that at least some people in the church in Corinth weren't happy with Paul and the way he was using his authority, his power.  And he's defending himself here.  Lesson#1 where we have power everyone isn't going to like it, see what you're doing, complain or oppose.  Lesson#2 even our best efforts, where our heart is for good, that can be misunderstood. Lesson#3 it's good to reflect on where we do have power (position, knowledge, social, physical, emotional, spiritual, language/words, financial, age, mana...) that we really do use it to build others up, not to tear down.  Perhaps ask a question like this: "How...

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV Love this picture of taking our thoughts captive.  Can you imagine declaring a thought illegal, putting it in prison for a while where it can't do any more harm, perhaps starting a rehab programme with that thought to show it the error of its ways... We take some thoughts captive because they're doing us harm.  We're invited to become our own thought police.  We're not powerless when it comes to our thoughts. I wonder what making that thought obedient to Jesus means? When that thought, that one that pops in,  you know the one,  the one that says something about you,  to you,  that thought that is the cause of hurt and harm,  that thought that holds you back,  holds you down,  what happens when that thought meets Jesus? When that thought meets Jesus' love,...

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD;  let them take refuge in him; let everyone whose heart is in the right place give praise! Psalm 64:10 CSB David in the verses before his conclusion here does see God bringing some form of justice on those who have been against him. And we can leave that with God, that somehow He is going to bring about justice for those who have hurt others, hurt us, and somehow for the hurt that I have caused too.  David leaves us with this invitation; An invitation to rejoice in the Lord, in Yahweh. That may be a singing and dancing rejoicing, but it may be something much quieter, much more contemplative. There's an invitation to rest. To take refuge in Him.  To be in rest.  And there's an invitation to let our hearts shift and adjust as we bring our offering of praise, may we know the rest and refuge that only Yahweh can give in this world.  May we have a taste of what is to come.  #Psalms #psalm64 #rejoice #rest #refuge #onedayallw...

They encourage themselves with evil words.  They plan on laying traps in secret.  "Who will be able to see them?" they ask.  "Let someone try to expose our crimes!  We've devised a perfect plot! It's deep within the human mind and heart." Psalms 64:5-6 CEB I'm not sure how popular this Psalm would've been as a song, but David does capture something of the human heart here: The ability to deceive ourselves.  I'm not quite sure how David has such insight into the inner workings of his enemies hearts and minds...unless he can see these things in himself... We all have this ability to deceive ourselves, and that's why we need one another, not just people who agree with us, but those who will discern, challenge, encourage, meet us in God's word, provide perspective and care and love... We need those people, and we need to be those people. #Psalms #Psalm64 #keepingitreal

Sunday Psalms; O God,  listen  to my complaint.  Protect my life  from my enemies' threats. Hide me  from the plots of this evil mob,  from this gang of wrongdoers. Psalm 64:1-2 NLT Listen, protect, hide.  David was a King, had all the power of this world, yet he still cried out to God. To listen. To protect.  To hide.  Because even he felt powerless.  When we feel powerless, we can ask our God for the same things: To listen To protect To hide And what was it that was troubling David so much? "They sharpen their tongues like swords  and aim their bitter words like arrows." Psalm 64:3 NLT Words. Ideas. That's what David wanted God to hear about, to protect him from, to hide him from.  Our words have power, so we  have an obligation to wield them with care and compassion, and when they are used against us it's OK to let God know, it's OK to want to hide, to be protected.  #Psalms #psalm64 #keepingitreal #ourwordsmatter

Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law - even his prayer is detestable. Proverbs 28:9 CSB Where do you have to be to "turn your ear away from"? Right there.  Close In listening distance.  This is not about someone who doesn't know God, but someone who is close and chooses to turn away.  And what is the law? Jesus said it is summed up in two things: To love God To love your neighbour. And Luke Ch10 Jesus answers the question of who our neighbour is: A person. Jesus asks us to look past our biases, our religious training, our cultural constraints, beyond the labels, and see the person. And then he calls us into the domain of action, of stepping towards, of meeting needs, restoring justice.  Our stories may not be as dramatic as the one Jesus tells, it might start with smiling as we pass strangers in the street, being kind to the shop assistant, treating our team, classmates, teachers, parents, children with respect...this is "not turning our ear away from t...

Friday! Proverbs! Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law - even his prayer is detestable. Proverbs 28:9 CSB Just when I get a handle on grace, this proverb clangs. It jars. And yet if I turn away from the law, God's revelation of His design for my good, my flourishing, for our good as a community, if I refuse to hear and respond to that, then aren't I refusing, turning my back on God? And if I'm doing that, then why am I even praying?  Why would I expect my prayers to be accepted with grace? This proverb was written maybe 1000 years before Jesus, at a time when the sacrificial system was in place, when not bringing the first fruits or the best was "detestsble" - it says something about the heart of the offerer. And we find our way to the heart. When our heart has turned away from God our offerings are tainted.  It's always about the heart.  Our hearts.  Jesus overwhelmed the sacrificial system with grace by becoming the sacrifice, but this proverb ...

"Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware!  For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.  You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers.  But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don't worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking - it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:16-20 NLT Jesus instructions to the 12 Apostles take a bit of a turn here - it's one thing going out with no money or resources, quite another expecting arrest, torture, imprisonment, just so you can talk about Jesus.  However consider the attitude Jesus asks them to walk in as they go into enemy territory - smart yet peaceful. Consider the resources Jesus is providing wh...

"Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.  When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.  If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.  I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day." Matthew 10:11-15 NLT This is a continuation of Jesus' instructions to his team, the 12 Apostles.  I'm keen to know what the blessing is like, and what happens when it's taken back.  Jesus is clear about one thing tho, that's the importance of welcoming the stranger.  Rabbi Jonathan Sacks quotes the rabbinical writing from the 2nd centrury: "When a human being mints many coins in the same mint they all come out exactly the same. God makes every human being in the sam...