verseoftheday

Matthew 26:52-54 NLT "Put away your sword," Jesus told him.  "Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?" Matthew 26:52-54 NLT Jesus connects his team to the Bigger Story and purpose of his life, reminds them that he has all the power, all the authority to change the situation, but chooses not to. There's something way more important than his comfort or his success (he is a Rabbi).  Our culture messures us, and we often feel like we have to measure up or we are failures in some way. As 2024 winds down, how does Jesus rejection of the measures of success of the culture he lived in resonate with us? One of his team has pulled out his weapon and caused harm & havoc & Jesus tells him to put it down, that's not the way of the Kingdom. What do we...

Matthew 26:48-50 NLT The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal:  "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss." So Judas came straight to Jesus.  "Greetings, Rabbi!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Jesus said,  "My friend,  go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.  Matthew 26:48-50 NLT Even though Jesus knew Judas was going to do what he did, knew what would unfold from that moment, Jesus didn't intervene, stop him, or even make it difficult for him. Somehow in the middle of this betrayal Jesus still lived out a life of Grace, compassion, mercy.  This is something that seems beyond our human ability to do. Jesus must've keep holding on to the Bigger Story, the Love Story, that meant that at a human level what Judas did was a big thing, but in the Big Story was just another step to Jesus making a way for us.  Because God so loved the world. Jesus accepted the betray...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 119:41, 45 NLT Waw Lord,  give me your unfailing love,  the salvation that you promised me. ... I will walk in freedom,  for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Psalms 119: 41&45 NLT The psalmist is looking forward to "more". There's more to come.  The Christmas story is full of the promise if more. When we get to the end of the year, we look forward to more, different, putting behind us something from the past, letting something go. And then the psalmist tells us about freedom. Freedom that is found in following our God's way of being in the world, of listening to the designer, of hearing his heart...that's the place of freedom when we discover in God's story His heart for us. His heart for justice. His heart to be known. His heart to love. A story that led to Christmas, and to the promise of "more". The best is yet to come. #psalms #psalm119 #onedayallwillbemadenew  #thebestisyettocome #thereismore #youarealreadyBe...

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Luke 2:21 NLT Jesus parents (Mary was Jesus mum, but what is Joseph? Step-dad?) followed the cultural and religious practices of their time, and they followed the instruction of the Angel, and named him Jesus. And what was going on that first Christmas? Probably ordinary life. Recovery Rest Family  Feeding Sleeping Thinking about all that has happened and wondering about what is next Ordinary life. Ordinary Life was happening all around Jesus.  Do you wonder what it was like for Jesus who was the agent of creation, who saw all that we call reality unfold, to now be completely dependent on others...to be ordinary... God became ordinary.  When we go and visit another country, live in another culture, learn a new language, we take with us our own language, skills and experiences. Yet Jesus was born into our world. He is one of us. Why? Because Lo...

All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  Luke 2:18-19 NLT The shepherds talked about the first Christmas to anyone who would listen, and Mary didn't. She meditated on what was going on, the story she found herself in, and no doubt worked on being a first time Mum, figuring out what their new baby needed, quietly going about being a parent. There's a freedom here for us in how we express our faith, there may be times when being like the shepherds is where we are at, talking about our experiences with God, and other times quiet contemplation, reflection, thought are where we are at.  What do you need today? To express something, talk to someone, quietly consider, or something in between, something else? The first Christmas gives us the gift of freedom to be who we are in the story we find ourselves in. #Christmas  #gift #whatgiftdoyouneed

Luke 2:20 NLT The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.  Luke 2:20 NLT Next day, normal life returned.  Back to work, back to looking after their sheep. But something must have shifted for those shepherds who'd had a supernatural visitation, experienced a real heavenly choir, gone into town and checked it all out and were now heading back to work, praising God. Glorifying Him. Because it was all true. Whether we're back at work, study, back to "normal", on holiday somewhere exciting, relaxing or very ordinary, we get to take with us into today what is true, the Gift that will last, will shift things in us and in our world, the truth that it was just as the Angel had said: Our Saviour arrived.  The Messiah. Lord. And everything changed, because God somehow became one of us. Whether ordinary life returns today, tomorrow, next week or next year, we get to take the Truth of...

They were terrified,  but the angel reassured them.  "Dont 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." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." Luke 2:9-14 NLT The shepherds got a shock, experienced something unexpected, were afraid, and yet it turned out to be the best thing ever. In the unexpected, the shocks, the goodness, the planned, whatever life holds, may we hold the words of the angel, that there is Good News, a Bigger Story, that our Saviour, Messiah, Lord, has arrived.  We don't have a baby wrapped snugly to check out this story, but we do hav...

Matthew 26:42-43 NLT Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father!  If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it,  your will be done." When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldnt keep their eyes open. Matthew 26:42-43 NLT We celebrate Christmas because Jesus entered the Story. God, eternal, larger than Life, The Creator of it all, shrunk himself into the vulnerable form of a baby and became one of us. God with us. The Gift. And here The Gift is let down, alone, and facing what he came to do, The Gift is giving Himself, so that we, his people who can't even keep our eyes open, will be OK. In all our frailty & weakness, we are loved. We are His Beloved.  That's the Story.  Christmas  Easter  Communion Hope Hope arrived as a baby, lived among us, and gave His Life so that we can truly Live. #wordsofJesus #redletterBible #Christmas #hopeishere

Matthew 26:36-38 NLT Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them,  "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me." Matthew 26:36-38 NLT I'm not sure if Peter, James & John were close enough to hear Jesus second request, or if they noticed his distress and went to him, but Jesus is suffering, and in his pain he wants his trusted people there. Close. While our culture paints Christmas as this universal time of joy and family and fun, for many it's not. Family is not a safe place. Christmas is tainted by violence, abuse, abandonment, betrayal, loss, and grief.  Jesus wasn't afraid to tell his trusted people what he needed, & he was OK to express all his emotions with them. Joy and sorrow travel hand in hand in this life.  Jes...

Sunday Psalms: Daleth I lie in the dust;  revive me by your word. I told you my plans,  and you answered.  Now teach me your decrees.  Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,  and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word. Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful;  I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. Lord, don't let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands,  for you expand my understanding.  Psalms 119:25-32 NLT This part, Daleth, has some gems for us: The first one is about sorrow, loss, grief, sadness; "I lie in the dust" "I weep with sorrow" Intwined with choosing to be faithful, following God with all he has, the writer also has this deep sadness.  At the same time. And that's OK. It's called being human. The 2nd gem is this; "Keep me from lying to myself" - I'm good at t...

Matthew 26:33-35 NLT Peter declared, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you." Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter - this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." "No!" Peter insisted. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same.  Matthew 26:33-35 NLT Why do I comnect with Peter's story so much?  Because I'm just like him. Just like the disciples who all agreed too. This is our passionate yet flawed humanity at its best, desperately wanting to do what's right.  And Jesus is up front with Peter and tells him he's going to fail.  The unsaid part is that this is why Christmas, why Jesus entered the Story, and why there's going to be betrayal, denial, death, and resurrection. Because Love. Because God's Outrageous Love sees all our weakness and Loves anyway.  Unfailing Love knows our humanness and ...

Friday! Proverbs! These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Proverbs 1:1-6 NLT It could be helpful if every book in the Bible started with a commentary of who wrote it and it's purpose! These Proverbs come to us with purpose: The learning, the insight, the wisdom gained, or increased, has a "so that" attached - so that we might live disciplined & successful lives - and what does that look like? Doing what is right. Doing what is ju...

Matthew 26:31-32 NLT On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,  'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there. Matthew 26:31-32 NLT Not only have the disciples gone through all this anxiety around betrayal, now they're being told by Jesus that Zechariah's prophecy includes them and they're all going to abandon Jesus. There's no mention of them confronting Judas, so maybe they're all a bit shocked, processing what they're hearing, and now Jesus is not only talking about dying but being raised from the dead & meeting them afterwards...in Galilee...which is 150km away, a 3 day walk at least. Confused? Lost? Angry? Afraid? And yet this thread of hope is always there, resurrection, meeting again. This is the Hope that arrived on Christmas morning, a baby who is Hope, who will h...

Matthew 26:27-30 NLT And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it.  He gave it to them and said,  "Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.  It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. Mark my words - I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.  Matthew 26:27-30 NLT A prayer of thanks. A promise. And a song. In the midst of betrayal Jesus starts with prayer, giving thanks.  He then reiterates his purpose, that our God keeps his promises, and that he is the fulfillment of God's promise, He is The Way. And Jesus gives hope. There's going to be Life after death, Life that includes the good things that we enjoy, and that day is coming. I wonder what song they sang together...what thoughts the disciples had as they sang... Prayer Promise Song Seems like a good way to start...

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying,  "Take this and eat it, for this is my body." Matthew 26:26 NLT The Passover meal has been prepared at the home of someone who super naturally knew that Jesus and his disciples were going to turn up. It seems like they're about to share the meal and after recently reminding the disciples that his death is imminent, Jesus drops the bomb that someone in the group will betray him, and then after letting everyone wonder if it's them, confirms it's Judas.  And then he blesses the food, gives the bread that he has broken to each person, and says "take it, eat it, this is my body"! No one is going to want to eat that bread. There's going to be betrayal and it must have felt like each of them would be part of it.  And yet here is Jesus, blessing this kai and giving it...the thing you don't want to be part of you're being invited...

Matthew 26:20-22 NIV When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you,  one of you will betray me." Matthew 26:20-22 NIV Truly. So be it. So let it be. Amen.  Yes the word Jesus uses is "amen". Jesus drops this bomb onto his team and it lands on all of them.  I wonder if this statement of Jesus to his closest people is a reminder to us of our humanness, frailty, that any of us could so easily be the person who betrays Jesus in some way. Perhaps today with all the noise in our world, all the colour and tinsel of Christmas assaulting our senses, Jesus is making this statement in a new way. Where am I apt to betray Jesus? This statement wasn't made to just one of the disciples, but to all & Jesus words took them all by surprise. Jesus statement was inviting his disciples into a Bigger Story, bigger than them, bigger than Christmas...and He invites us in too... #wordsofJesus #redletterBib...

Sunday Psalms: Psalms 119:16-19 NLT Gimel Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word.  Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land.  Don't hide your commands from me! Psalms 119:16-19 NLT Part 3 of 22 of Psalm 119...and I'm wondering how often I come to God's Word, to church, to meet with an image bearer of God with the psalmist request: "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions" Open my eyes to see. Open my eyes to see. The psalmist places himself as a foreigner in an unfamiliar culture, land, language, environment, place. Like being in another country.  In that unfamiliar place there's more to see, there's hidden things here as a foreigner that I don't quite get, as a traveller I see or hear but don't yet understand. Open my eyes to see. Open my eyes to see. Maybe we can accept the invitation offered here to ask for our eyes to be opened in some place, in s...

Matthew 26:17-18 NLT On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?" "As you go into the city," he told them, "you will see a certain man.  Tell him,  'The Teacher says:  My time has come,  and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.'" Matthew 26:17-18 NLT Jesus is way ahead of his team, has somehow super naturally communicated with a person in the city that the Passover meal is going to happen at his place with at least an extra 13 people. There was a Bigger Story at play here that the disciples couldn't see.  Jesus is way ahead of us too - preparing a place for us. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus birth, The Gift, and yet the people in the middle of that story can't have seen or known fully what they were part of. Yet they kept stepping forward in faith, having been visited by angels and dreams, perhaps just like ...

Friday! Proverbs! She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. ... When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. Proverbs 31: 20, 26 NLT This last part of Proverbs (v10-31) is an acrostic poem with each verse starting with the next letter from the Hebrew alphabet. So it's a whole story, snd plucking individual ideas from it doesn't seem to match the intent of a poem. 1. It's a poem, read it as a poem. 2. It's not a weapon, a set of "shoulds", laws, or ideals, it's a poem. 3. Poems (& proverbs) invite us into something, something deeper. It's a heart thing.  What could this poem be inviting us into? Inviting you into? When I read the whole poem it's a picture of shalom, of thriving, of flourishing - some things to step towards. From a New Testament perspective we, the church, are sometimes  pictured as the bride, so maybe this poem is a pointer to how we can be as the church, God's ...

Matthew 26:10 NLT But Jesus, aware of this, replied,  "Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?" Jesus was just reminding his team that he was going to be crucified. The religious leaders were plotting to have Jesus killed.  The disciples were criticizing an act of generosity and love with some self righteous indignation. They still didn't get what Jesus was up to, they were right there and saw the miracles first hand and still didn't get who Jesus really is.  (It's not surprising we don't get him either) But this woman who entered Simon's home it seems without an invite, she knew what was ahead - it will be a wonderful story to hear of how she knew, what she wrestled with to choose the path she took. Her action of pouring the perfume, announting Jesus was in defiance of her religion, went against cultural norms, and was completely misunderstood by those closest to Jesus.  And yet Jesus praised her.  He saw her. Jesus sees us. Sees our a...

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know,  Passover begins in two days,  and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." Matthew 26:1-2 NLT "As you know..." I've told you before. Remember. This is going to happen. Be prepared. Don't be surprised. And yet it seems that Jesus team was surprised, weren't prepared, almost seemed to have forgotten what he had told them. Trauma can do that to people. Seeing your Rabbi, your teacher, your friend, the saviour of the world, healer of blind and lame and sick who seemed to be able to walk away from trouble when he needed to, is betrayed by his own people, arrested, sent to trial, tortured, and crucified by the government. They must've felt powerless, alone. The hope of a saviour being born seemed lost and gone. Because they couldn't remember, couldn't hold on to the Bigger Story that they were part of. And we're just the same. When faced with l...

Matthew 25:37-40 NLT "Then these righteous ones will reply,  'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?  Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality?  Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth,  when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,  you were doing it to me!'" Matthew 25:37-40 NLT If it was Jesus who was hungry, thirsty, struggling, he knew his people would be there.  It's not always easy stepping towards someone who needs help, but way easier when we know and love them. Jesus seems to be inviting his disciples, those listening, into a way of being in the world that is not afraid of stepping towards suffering, loss, hurt, need, into a way of seeing the small, the least, as seeing Jesus. Maybe that's what Chrismas is really all about. #wordsofJesus #redletterBible  #lovepeopl...

Beth. How can a young person stay pure?  By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you - don't let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.  Psalms 119:8-16 NLT I've heard some of these verses quoted as weapons, "see, you must..." But they're all about relationship first.  Just like the first stanza, read this thru a relationship lens and it makes sense. "I have tried hard to find you - don't let me wander from your commands." This isn't about the commands, but about seeking God. About relationship. The psalmist wants the relationship to be right with God not because of rules, but because of who our God is.  And it s...

Psalms 119:1-8 NLT Aleph Joyful are people of integrity,  who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws  and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations,  I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me!  Psalms 119:1-8 NLT This is a long psalm! It has 22 stanza each one starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet...so this song is not put together by accident, but is carefully crafted. From this first stanza, Aleph, what stands out for you? Two things jumped out for me... 1. Obedience, following God's law includes a seeking of Him, a heart posture that is about getting to know God's heart - it's not ju...

Who can find a wife of noble character?  For her value is far more than rubies. Proverbs 31:10 NET Rubies are not easily found, often aren't on the surface, have to be mined... The "chayil", the strength, the moral courage, the gem that makes up the heart of this person might take some uncovering, just like a ruby. But it's there.  Worth looking for, worth mining for, the heart of the person. Our real gems get buried by life, experiences, the actions of others, the expectations of the world, maybe this poem is an invitation to let those gems in us come to the surface... (Just because something is difficult to uncover doesn't mean it's of no value.) We are Beloved and have value. Worth. Worthy. You are enough.  The gems are there. One day we'll be seen and known in all we were created to be, in the meantime there's gems within to be uncovered... #Proverbs #proverbs31 #poem #itsaheartthing  #somethingtochewon 

Friday! Proverbs! Who can find a wife of noble character?  For her value is far more than rubies. Proverbs 31:10 NET Prov 31:10-31 is an acrostic poem with each  verse beginning with the next letter if the Hebrew alphabet. So, it's clearly meant to be read and understood as a whole, it's a story on its own, a poem, so read the whole piece if you can. Poems invite us in to something, want things to open up for us. The poem starts with a question and an indication of value, a question about character. Some versions translate "noble character" as competent, virtuous, excellent, but the word here is "chayil": Chayil has a range of meanings including physical strength, moral valor, military might, and material wealth. It is often used to describe individuals of great capability or resources, whether in terms of physical prowess, moral integrity, or economic power. It is frequently associated with warriors, armies, and individuals of noble character or significant...

You are my God,  and I will praise you!  You are my God,  and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 118:28-29 NLT This song ends as it began: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Attached to that are these declarations, these choosings to say "You are my God". You are my God. We're invited by the songwriter to join in & declare: "You are my God". As we step into the day with that declaration, maybe some thing shifts a little in how we see today,  see our problems,  see people,  see the world. "You are my God" The One who IS Good. The One who IS Faithful Love. "You are my God". Perhaps the invitation is to see ourselves a little differently... #psalms  #psalm118 #declaration  #YouaremyGod #weareBeloved 

The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Please, Lord, please save us.  Please, Lord, please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  We bless you from the house of the Lord. Psalms 118:22-26 NLT What a jumble of ideas! Sometimes our thoughts and ideas about God, about the world, about ourselves, can be a jumble, and the song invites us to write ours too. To just let the jumble tumble out of our minds and find expression. It's OK if our ideas about God sometimes seem half formed, if there's mysteries, things we can't grasp or understand, just don't "get". It's OK to be in a bit of a mind jumble sometimes. The psalmist downloaded in writing, so finding a safe download place is a thing we can do too. It's OK because we are Beloved. #psalms #psalm118 #youareBeloved 

The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. Psalms 118:22 Peter quotes this verse in Acts 4. He has been challenged because he was involved in healing a crippled person, and he ties this verse in with Jesus. Rejected. And restored. And restored to something important. Perhaps today something is or has been crippling. Abuse, loss, grief, the decisions of others, mistakes, tragedy, the world pushing in...maybe it's rejection, fear, despair...we're in good company not only with the psalmist, with Jesus too.  And he was restored. We will be too. There is restoration, hope, healing to be found, and in the Big Story all things will be made new. We have much to look forward to. #psalms #psalms118 #hope #restoration #restorationofallthings #youareBeloved 

"His faithful love endures forever." In my distress I prayed to the Lord,  and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me,  so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.  I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalms 118:4-9 NLT So we start grounded in the truth that our God's faithful love endures forever. Then we hear about the psalmists broken heart, broken relationships, fears, and betrayal.  Maybe one or more of those os familiar territory for us. Hurt  Broken relationships  Fear Betrayal  And this song gives us some steps to take: - pray - listen - know that His Faithful Love endures forever, and in that truth we can find freedom - take refuge in someone  Bigger. Leave our fears of what people might think, might say, leave those fears with the...

Sunday Psalms; Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever. Let all Israel repeat:  "His faithful love endures forever." Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Let all who fear the Lord repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." Psalms 118:1-4 NLT Before the writer of this song heads off into the things that they want to share, the song starts with these 4 verses: Grounding verses. Grounding in truth. No matter what comes next; "His faithful love endures forever." Whatever we are facing; "His faithful love endures forever." Whatever our worries, anxieties, our fears; "His faithful love endures forever." Grounding in truth; "His faithful love endures forever." Planting ourselves on rock when the storms of life are crashing in; "His faithful love endures forever." Knowing that in the Big Story nothing can wash us away; "His...

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;  ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes,  speak up for the poor and helpless,  and see that they get justice.  Proverbs 31:1-9 NLT Who are the invisible? Those who have no voice. Who are the ones who cannot speak for themselves? Those who have no voice. Having a voice somewhere is what makes us human. It was the voice of God that brought all we know into existence, Jesus was named the logos, the word, he spoke healing and hope. The first interactions of people with God required voice.  We're made in God's image and that includes having a voice. Some of our deepest hurt comes when we believe we have no voice. In this Proverb, King Lemuel's mum encourages us to restore the voice of those it has been taken from. That is the start of justice. This may be the holiest work there is. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtosay #somethingtochewon 

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 31:1-9 NLT The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him. O my son,  O son of my womb,  O son of my vows,  do not waste your strength on women,  on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings,  O Lemuel,  to guzzle wine.  Rulers should not crave alcohol. For if they drink,  they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.  Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;  ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes,  speak up for the poor and helpless,  and see that they get justice.  Proverbs 31:1-9 NLT What does King Lemuel's Mum have to say? 1. Where you have power, use it to benefit those who have less.  2. Don't get caught up in what your culture, your world is trying to tell you to spend your life in o...

"Then the King will say to those on his right,  'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry,  and you fed me.  I was thirsty,  and you gave me a drink.  I was a stranger,  and you invited me into your home. I was naked,  and you gave me clothing.  I was sick,  and you cared for me.  I was in prison,  and you visited me.'" Matthew 25:34-36 NLT Jesus gives his Kingdom manifesto. If we ever wonder what God's will for us might be, what His calling might be, how He thinks His Kingdom will come on earth, then here it is.  Jesus Kingdom is a place where needs are met, physical needs, relational needs, a place where community and people are valued higher than anything else, a place where reaching out, seeing others, being generous, is normal. A place where there is no "them", only "us". #wordsofJesus #redletterBible  #manifesto #kingdomwork #lovewin...

"Again,  the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip.  He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities.  He then left on his trip." Matthew 25:14-15 NLT This story is another installment of Jesus answering the disciples questions about when the Temple will be destroyed & rebuilt, and Jesus gave them stories about watching, being ready, prepared, and now this one about using what they have been given wisely.  Because the Kingdom is not static, it's about things getting done.  Makes me wonder what this means about me - what does this story invite me into? What does it invite you into? If the Kingdom is a heart thing, not some external thing like the temple, a heart that is not expected to remain the same, but change and develop and be invest...

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). Missed Nov 12 this year, but here we are with an annual reminder about worry "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 we don't have to guard our hearts quite so much, because something bigger is doing that - the peace of God. Even Paul has a struggle nailing down this peace, defining it, holding it, but it...

But stay away from the godless myths that are passed down from the older women. Train yourself for a holy life! While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come. This saying is reliable and deserves complete acceptance. We work and struggle for this: "Our hope is set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:7-10 CEB This "holy living" Paul is inviting us to train in is the word "eusebeia", sometimes translated "godliness", and it seems to mean our inner response to God that then finds its expression in the way we are in the world. This is the heart training Paul asks us to step towards. Just like going for a run or any kind of exercise, once doesn't really help, it's the regular practice that makes small gains, small shifts over time. And it's combined with where our hope is: In the Livin...

Sunday Psalms; Praise the Lord,  all you nations.  Praise him,  all you people of the earth. For his unfailing love for us is powerful;  the Lord's faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord! Psalms 117 NLT Is this the shortest psalm in the book? It stands as an invitation for everyone everywhere to join together, for others to join with us, and for us to join with others, to join in in languages we may not be fluent in (or even understand) in places and ways that might be unfamiliar, but joining together with hearts that praise our God. This song gives two reasons to praise our God: Unfailing Love. And Enduring Faithfulness. When our circumstances are tough, when the world seems against us, when our thoughts are difficult to harness, when our emotions are all over the place, when we're calm, when things are good, when our plans are falling into place, praise our God for these 2 things: Unfailing Love. And Enduring Faithfulness. They're always true.  #p...

1 Timothy 4:6 NLT If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.  1 Timothy 4:6 NLT Sometimes it is in the sharing with others, discussing ideas, the teaching, the figuring out our theology together in the world that we live in, that's when the best learning happens, that's when we get nourished the most. So don't let your pastor or Bible teacher or small group leader get all the nourishment, there's enough goodness for all of us. Let's share what we learn, what we discover, how our theology works in this world that we live in. #letters #lettertoTimothy  #itsallaboutsharing

Friday! Proverbs! For as the churning of milk produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. Proverbs 30:33 NET "Churning", "punching", and "stirring up" are actually the same word in the Hebrew: "mits" This word is about extracting juice from grapes, about pressure that inevitably produces what is inside. To make sense of that it is translated as churning of milk inevitably produces butter, punching someones nose inevitably causes bleeding, and the heart that intentionally stirs up anger produces ongoing disputes, lawsuits, issues between people that drag on. Contention. Strife. Anger is such an interesting thing. It tells us that something is wrong.  Anger can be the fuel to motivate us towards change, towards righting wrongs, towards justice.  But just like the milk was OK being milk, and my nose was working fine, anger doesn't need to be stirred up, to be punched, to be brought to life by us...

Matthew 25:13 NLT "So you, too, must keep watch!  For you do not know the day or hour of my return." Jesus disciples, his closest team were asking about the Kingdom, when Jesus would return, and Jesus explains it with stories. This is a story of waiting. Waiting when it seems that nothing is happening. Waiting faithfully. Waiting patiently. Waiting in community. Waiting trusting in the Bigger Story that we are part of. Waiting isn't something I'm good at and being able to access what seems like the whole world via a screen I keep in my pocket sometimes doesn't help me learn how to wait.  Jesus says to his team wait, and trust me.  "Jesus, what do you have for me in this waiting?  Help me, be with me in the waiting. Help me to wait well.  Amen." #wordsofJesus #redletterBible #dangerousprayers #faith #ittakesfaithtowait

Matthew 24:36 NLT "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." Jesus shares all kinds of  mysteries in this dialogue, some which seem clear, and some that don't. This part is though. We crave certainty. And Jesus tells his team, and us, that there are unknowns, mysteries, things yet to unfold in the Big Story, and here we are 2000 years later...and I don't think Jesus would want us sitting around looking at the sky, or bothering to try and figure out all the mysteries, he'd encourage us towards love, justice, faith, doing good, lifting up others, allowing ourselves to be lifted up, becoming the Kingdom. Whatever is in front today, become the Kingdom. #wordsofJesus  #redletterBible  #wearetheKingdom

"Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed.  You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.  And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come." Matthew 24:9-14 NLT Jesus disciples were wanting to know what will happen next, how it all ends. And it doesn't start well. If you're a disciple following your Rabbi and get told the next thing is you'll be hated on and killed and it will seem that the Kingdom dream is dead.  But there's a Bigger Story at work here, a Story where Jesus wants everyone to be embraced in God's Kingdom, that even when the Good News seems to be lost, buried, overcome, it is...

Psalms 116:3-4 NLT Death wrapped its ropes around me;  the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Please,  Lord,  save me!" Psalms 116:3-4 NLT There are days when things can feel too much. And if you can't find the words to express how things are for you, they're usually here in the psalms somewhere. This song covers despair, and losing sight of the future. There's no platitudes here, no "just be positive" but the writer is aware of their emotions, and takes a step towards God, towards someone bigger. Please Lord,  save me. Sometimes that's all we have when we can't see the way forward, when despair threatens to overwhelm, Please Lord, save me. We get to choose to trust God on the mountain tops and in the valleys.  This song is about trusting Him even though we walk in the valley. #Monday #Godsgym #trust #faith #rememberweareBeloved

Sunday Psalms; I love the Lord because he hears my voice  and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen,  I will pray as long as I have breath! Pdalms 116:1-2 NLT The next few verses of this psalm, this song, express how deeply distressed the writer is, yet still chooses to start the song with this beautiful picture of our God who hears,  our God who stretches out,  bends down,  moves towards. Our God's ultimate moving towards was Jesus, God in a person, listening, bending down, leaning in to humanity, to people, to speak to us, to show that we are Beloved. The psalmist knew that before Jesus somehow. Maybe he experienced it in creation, the eyes and hands of others, some kind of connection in his spirit, but he knew: Our God listens. Bends down. Stretches towards. Loves. #truthtorestin #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #weareBeloved 

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you,  O mortal,  what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly  and to love mercy  and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:6-8 NIV We think we can fix things with God, be accepted and acceptable by doing more and more of the right things. But the prophet Micah invites us to see life differently, that you're already beloved, your life is short, so walk humbly with God, and as we do, love mercy, and act justly.  Seems so simple.  Jesus said in Matthew 23:23 that the important things were justice, mercy, and faithfulness, not tasks, but attitudes, ways of being in the world...

Friday! Proverbs! If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. Proverbs 30:32 CSB The things this Proverb is warning about seem easy to spot in others. But not so easy to see in ourselves. And I think that's because our own hearts are so easily self-deceived. We lose sight of what really matters. This is not warning us about being proud of our achievements or planning things, but about a heart that is scheming, lifting ourselves up above others, sees itself as better-than. This proverb is inviting us to check in ourselves, listen to our own words, check in on our own thoughts and what really needs discarding or left to float out of our minds.  Not every thought that pops into my mind has a right to stay there, or find its expression in words. It's an invitation to check in on our heart. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #rememberweareBeloved

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones Gods messengers!  How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me." Matthew 23:37 NLT Jesus is giving the religious and political leaders a massive telling off, and yet he cannot help but love, express love, show his heart of love by describing the Eternal Creator of Everything as being like a hen looking out for her chicks, gathering them under the protection of her wings, wanting to make sure that they're all OK. Jesus is letting these people know that they're miles away from him, yet, His heart is still for them, he just wants to gather them in. When we're furthest away from God, His heart is for us, and wants to gather us back in. Because we are Beloved. #wordsofJesus  #redletterBible  #weareBeloved

"Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father', for only God in heaven is your Father. And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:8-12 NLT Jesus is challenging all the power structures that people have created,  particularly religious ones, but he also challenges here family too, and society structures that put some above, and some as less than. Today in Aotearoa NZ our government is apparently going to apologise for generations of harm caused to people in care of the state. Abuse and harm caused by those with power. The State, religious organisations, those holding power over others. This problem is no smaller today than the one Jesus pr...

Psalms 115:6-11 NLT They have ears but cannot hear,  and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel,  and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. All you who fear the Lord,  trust the Lord!  He is your helper and your shield. Psalms 115:6-11 NLT  The psalmist is reminding those who we think shouldn't need reminding to trust in our God. Those who have experienced the redemption of the nation from slavery. The priests, the religious professionals whose job it is to trust in God. All of us at times need reminding, because of 2 things: Stuff happens. Tragedy, loss, hurt, sadness, things that threaten our faith. Stuff happens in our life that we can't make sense of. And we're human, we don't always get it right, stay th...

Sunday Psalms Psalms 115:2-7 NLT Why let the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak,  and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear,  and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel,  and feet but cannot walk,  and throats but cannot make a sound. Psalms 115:2-7 NLT This song seems to be a bit of a challenge about what we put our faith in. We may not have the household gods or the temples to the gods that may have been the thing when this song was written, but we do put our faith in things: The economy Money  Business  Countries Governments  Democracy  Technology  Our own resilience  Health  What makes your list? This psalm reminds us to return our faith to the Living God, to the Big Story that has and is continuing to unfold, a story of Love. Even when toda...

1 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.  These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.  Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.  1 Timothy 1:4-5 NLT There's a freedom here that Paul is warning Timothy to teach about that is so easily lost. Good things become rules that will supposedly save us.  The rule is, if God has made it, it's good.  These around food whether cultural or religious, as a follower of Jesus you don't have to worry about.  Paul is standing against things that were going on on his day, ...

There are three things that walk with stately stride - no, four that strut about: the lion, king of animals, who won't turn aside for anything, the strutting rooster,  the male goat,  a king as he leads his army. Proverbs 30:29-31 NLT There's some odd things in this chapter, and this seems the oddest.  It seems that these are things that impress us, certainly the power of a lion is impressive, the attitude of a rooster or a goat, these animals are all running on instinct, standing firm in the world in who they are. But the king is different - the crowning of King Charles was certainly impressive for example -  but a king has no power without his army. I wonder why Agur (son of Jakeh) wrote this - and is there a connection with v1, his opening complaint to God about being weary & worn out. Perhaps he's tired of all the posturing.  What do you think? #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon  #oddpassages

But when I am afraid,  I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised.  I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me? Psalms 56:3-4 NLT Are there places in the Bible that you go back to regularly when you feel under pressure, when you need a reset, when the ground feels shakey...this is one of mine... "But when I am afraid..." affirms our emotions, allows us to have them, expects them. "...I will..." There's a choosing here when there's things going on. "...put my trust in You" I choose to trust in someone bigger, a Bigger Story. And them at the end of this piece the song writer reminds me that it's often fear of people, what they think, what I think that they think, that is beneath my fear, so I choose to trust in our God anyway.  Do you have a "go to" passage?  Let God's word and His Spirit minister to you in the places that you need it today. #psalms #psalm56 #firstaid #weareBelo...

Jesus replied,  "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important:  'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question:  "What do you think about the Messiah?  Whose son is he?" Matthew 22:37-42 NLT The religious (& political) elite in their culture were trying to trap Jesus, and Jesus uses the Bible that they knew, taking a verse from Deuteronomy and one from Leviticus and making something new, pointing to the Kingdom that was meant to be, and the Kingdom that Jesus was ushering in. And then Jesus sets his own trap, challenges the Pharisees at their own game.  But that question still stands for us: "What do you think about the Messiah? Who's son is he?" It's all good knowing our theo...

For God loved the world in this way:  He gave his one and only Son,  so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,  but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17 CSB What is it that you need to hear today? Do you need to hear that God loves you? That he made a way? That Jesus is the Way? That it's not about our effort, our doing enough, doing more, but about choosing to believe in Jesus. Faith is enough, because you're aleeady enough. Is it something about Life you need to hear?  Or that Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save.  Not to condemn, but to save.  If Jesus isn't condemning you, then maybe you don't need to either.  Today let Jesus's words speak life to those parts of you that need it most. For God loved the world in this way:  He gave his one and only Son,  so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal ...

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:  Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. 1 Timothy 1 3:16 NLT  If Paul still writes to Timothy about the mysteries of Jesus then it's OK if we don't always fully grasp it all either.  It's OK to have wonderings, questions, things we don't get. And the big thing at the centre of it all is Jesus, becoming a person, and entering the story as one of us. God with us. God in person. God is a person. No matter what we face today, we get to hold faith in the Big Story that there is this Life, and there is More.  More to this story (even if we can't see it now). More to come (even tho we don't know exactly what that is). We get to trust the Big Story of Jesus. #itsOKnottoknowitall #mystery  #letters #lettertoTimothy #faith 

Sunday Psalms: When Israel came out of Egypt - the house of Jacob from a people who spoke a foreign language - Judah became his sanctuary, Israel, his dominion. The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills, like lambs. Why was it,  sea,  that you fled?  Jordan,  that you turned back? Mountains,  that you skipped like rams?  Hills,  like lambs? Tremble,  earth,  at the presence of the Lord,  at the presence of the God of Jacob,  who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a spring. Psalms 114 What a picture the psalmist is painting of a world that has suddenly changed, and come alive. After being colonised, held captive for so long, they were brought into freedom. The freedom of their indigenous language. The barriers that held them were gone, and the world came alive, as God turned rocks and flint into pools and springs...the work that he does in us, and through us in this world, an...

The expert came to him. "Wisdomkeeper," he asked, "which instruction in our tribal law stands first?" Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered him, "'You must love the Great Spirit from deep within, with the strength of your arms,  the thoughts of your mind,  and the courage of your heart.' This is the first and greatest instruction. "The second is like the first," he added.  "'You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves.' The Law and the words of the prophets all find their full meaning in these two instructions." Matthew 22:36-40 FNVNT  #wordsofJesus #redletterBible  #loveGodlovepeople #itsaheartthing  #keepitsimple #Jesussumsitallup

Friday! Proverbs! Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. Proverbs 30:24-28 CSB I wonder why Agur (son of Jakeh) has shared these observations? And why are they in our Bible? Perhaps they are there to remind us that when we feel small in the eyes of the world, that doesn't mean we're of no value, that our wisdom doesn't matter.  In God's economy the small are valued.  Perhaps it's to remind us that unique gifts, ways of being in the world that are a little different to others, to others expectations, are OK and valued.  Perhaps its to remind us there is value in community where all are equal. Perhaps it's a reminder to look for wisdom in others even if the world bypasses...

Jesus replied,  "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead. - haven't you ever read about this in the Scriptures?  Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead." Matthew 22:29-32 NLT Jesus is telling his listeners that when it comes to the Kingdom, heaven, resurrection life, you're asking the wrong questions. Your questions are all about you and what bothers you today, about the rules, how things "should" be. Jesus says that resurrection life is already happening for the people in their whakapapa, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, kingdom life in some way is already a reality.  So, stop worrying...

This saying is trustworthy: "If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work." 1 Timothy 3:1 CSB The word here "overseer" is "episkope" which means to look on or over intently. Oversight that goes on to provide care and attention. Somehow we've turned this into Pastor, Bishop, and created jobs and job descriptions that don't seem to have anything to do with Paul's letter to Timothy.  What he does tell us is that those who take responsibility for others in the church, those who oversee, who care, it's good work.  Important work. And it's probably something we all do at different times and with different people.  Paul then goes on to give some qualities that are important for overseers, but in a community of people following Jesus, we need someone "overseeing" us, someone who sees, knows, cares, loves us, and we can do the same for someone else. See them, know them, love them, care for them. This is good and noble w...

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn't want to come." Matthew 22:1-3 CSB Jesus has been talking with the religious elite, who at the time, while under Roman rule, were also the politically powerful.  They didn't like Jesus, didn't believe he was who he said he was, and Jesus continues with these stories to encourage them to think, to change their minds. There was room for them to change. Here Jesus is offering an invitation; Come to the wedding banquet, I want you here, you're invited. "But they didn't want to come". The king invites you to the celebration he is having for his son's wedding and you don't want to go. It's clear that this is a snub, a rejection of the King and all he stands for.  Yet the King keeps inviting. v4 "Again, he sent out other servants and said, ...

Early in the morning as Jesus was returning to the city, he was hungry.  Matthew 21:18 CEB If you ever wonder whether Jesus felt things the way we do, he did. If you ever wonder if the Jesus who was the agent of creation, who was the catalyst and creator of this planet and all that is in it knows what it's like to be human, he does, because somehow he is both those things: The creator. And. Wandering around as a creature, a person, a person who got hungry just like us.  When we wonder whether our God "gets" us, understands anything of our hurts, our joys, our sorrows, our wins, he knows what being human is.  Because he is.  Does Jesus know what friendship, love, rejection, loss, abuse, hunger, satisfied, sorrow, joy are like? Yes he does. He's not like us, and just like us at the same time. And that's why we can trust him. #hewashungry

Sunday Psalms: Who is like the Lord our God - the one enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash heap in order to seat them with nobles- with the nobles of his people. Psalms 113:5-8 CSB There's a phrase earlier in this Psalm that was part of a popular hymn sung in church; "From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be praised." But I never recall the reason for that praise being because God entered into the suffering of this world, I never heard that our God is about justice, about making things right, about seeing and working to help those without power, without resources, and to follow Him in that work. Yet God's heart for people cannot be missed in this song.  His heart for the hurt, the dispossessed, those who are in the "trash heap" of our world.  If that is where you find yourself today, trash, without voice, then this song is a r...

At three things the earth trembles, at four it can't bear up: at a servant when he becomes king  and fools when they are full of food; at a detested woman when she gets married and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.   Proverbs 30:21-23 CEB Yesterday a friend reaponded with these thoughts on this part of the words of Agur, son of Jakeh: "Got me thinking of all the characters of the bible that fit into these 4 categories: 1. Jesus, David, Joseph, Moses 2. King Saul, Solomon, Pharo, Hamen, Judas, Noah 3. Mary, Ruth, Tamar, The women Jesus speaks to by the well  4. Hagar What a cryptic way to draw all those threads together... so Jewish! Love it." It's difficult to put ourselves in the shoes of a reader or hearer of these proverbs 3000 years ago, consider what they knew of God, his covenants, his action in their world, what the culture and language they were embedded in, their life and experience.  It's fascinating when we see the hidden layers in God...

Friday! Proverbs! At three things the earth trembles, at four it can't bear up: at a servant when he becomes king  and fools when they are full of food; at a detested woman when she gets married and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.   Proverbs 30:21-23 CEB There are some strange things in this chapter of Proverbs...and there seems no real connection between these things...although...the first and the fourth are similar, bookends of something. I wonder if this is to get us thinking about what we take as normal (those with power over others, kings and servants) get tipped up, that the world as we know it, the way things are, gets shaken. Is the writer suggesting that the "way things are" is not how they are meant to be? Do I just accept injustice in my world because that's just how things are? Is there a pointer forward to Jesus who did tip things upside down, who's kingdom isn't about the norms and power structures that have developed in our worl...

Therefore,  I want the men in every place to pray,  lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.  1 Timothy 2:8 CSB Whenever there's a "therefore" we need to check what it's there for. Paul is writing to Timothy to stay in Ephesus to stand against false teachers. Paul shared his own testimony, reminded Timothy it's going to be a battle, gives some thoughts on prayer, reminds him of who Jesus is, and then that he is called to teach "gentiles", people who are not Jewish, who haven't had what we call the Old Testament. In these churches in Ephesus there's some things Paul is asking Timothy to address. Seems that the men aren't praying, or when they do theyre making a point about something or they are angry about something. Paul has just talked about praying for others, wanting everyone in the Kingdom, and it seems that some in the church are more about their own agenda. So when we get together do I come with my agenda, or am I there to lift ...

For,  There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.  This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.  1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. Freedom. Everyone. Purchased. The price has been paid, once and for all, we don't have to try and be good enough, do enough, strive to make some kind of payment, our freedom has already been purchased. Jesus was enough. #letters #lettertoTimothy  #freedomishere

For,  There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 NLT Some massive reminders from Paul here in his letter to Timothy: One God. The need to reconcile people and God. The only person who could do that is Jesus.  Biblehub says this about the word "mediator" here: mesites (from mesos, "in the middle") - properly, an arbitrator ("mediator"), guaranteeing the performance of all the terms stipulated in a covenant (agreement). This takes us back to the covenants God made, and all the way back to Genesis, to the last day in the song of creation, where God saw that everything was good, that we, people, were good. Our God is all about restoring what is broken. Covenants. Places. People. And here Paul reminds us that it's in Jesus, it is Jesus, who makes the way, who is the way. #letters #lettertoTimothy  #onedayallwillbemadenew 

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8 NLT James is writing to his "dear brothers and sisters", and while in Ch4 he gives them a bit of a serve about them arguing with one another, seeking their own "kingdom", doing all the selfish things I seem to do, he pops these little invitations in there along the way.  It's like he is saying "beautiful, wonderful people who I love and cherish, some of this arguing is really over small stuff, and while you're doing it you're missing something so much more important. Come close to God, draw near to Him, practice that, listen for His voice in the day-to-day, seek His face in the eyes of those you see today, sit in the Big Story of God's Love and allow that Story to shape who you are today. Draw near. Take the step. And as you do He will be nearer.  It might take putting something down, putting something away, being OK in the quiet, inviting, resting, sharing your heart, waiting, singing...

Sunday Psalms: Praise the Lord!  How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.  Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. ... The wicked will see this and be infuriated.  They will grind their teeth in anger;  they will slink away, their hopes thwarted. Psalms 112:1-3,10 NLT I've read the first part of this song as some kind of promise that if you just do what's right EVERYTHING will work out.  But we all know that is not true.  Know matter how good we are, how much we study God's word, how closely we align ourselves with His truth, awful things can, and do, happen. Businesses fail, relationships fail, health fails, people make hurtful choices. We get tired, worn out, worn down. And at the end of this song the writer gives some context: When good people thrive and flourish, when God's people are goi...

O God, have mercy on me,  for people are hounding me.  My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,  and many are boldly attacking me. But when I am afraid,  I will put my trust in you.  I praise God for what he has promised.  I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me? Psalms 56:1-4 NLT But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. This is an active act, a choosing in the face of our fear. The writer of this song expects us to be afraid. It's normal. The things that happen in this life can be and are fearful. Waiting on those test results, we are afraid of what might happen next.  But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. And in that last sentence the psalmist invites us to challenge some of our fears: if I'm afraid of what I think people might be thinking about me, then just maybe my fear is misplaced, not needed.  Expect to be afraid.  Choose to trust our ...