verseoftheday

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. [37] Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. [38] She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 NLT We don't have anyone live at my church (maybe we should?).  But I wonder how Anna would describe her life? Would she say her life is defined by loss, sorrow? Or by service and dedication, a life that contains suffering and loss? What we do know is that she recognised something important was going on with Jesus - the Rescuer she had been waiting for was here. By our standards we might judge Anna's life as a bit of a waste - yet he...

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.  The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. Luke 2:25-28 NLT Here was Simeon, devout, dedicated, and listening to the Holy Spirit, waiting for Jesus. And because Simeon was listening and moving with the Spirit, he was there. In the temple. When Jesus turned up. Because Jesus parents were following the law. The intersection of the law, the Spirit, listening, obedience, following, moving, and the redemptive threads can be followed... Perhaps today we are being asked to be devout, obedient, to do what is right. Perhaps the Spirit is prompting us to wait, to stop, to move, to reach out, to connect with someone, to be somew...

Luke 2:22-24 NLT [22] Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  The law of the Lord says, "If a womans first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord." So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord - "either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Luke 2:22-24 NLT Kind of crazy to think that Jesus is taken to the temple and His life is dedicated to God by his parents... Leviticus 12 contains the "law" referred to here, and it requires a lamb as the sacrifice.  Unless you can't afford one. Then a couple of small birds are OK. Joseph and Mary have followed the practices required of them, even tho they had to walk 2.5 hours to Jerusalem, even tho they were poor, even tho they were figuring out this parenting thing, even tho the child they were holding was the Messiah, the lamb of God, and they...

Sunday Psalms: Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,  and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.  He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.  His mighty arm has done tremendous things!  He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever." Luke 1:46-55 NLT This is Mary's response to the blessing she received from Elizabeth which ended with "you are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said." Mary's response starts with acceptance and thanks. She connects h...

Luke 2:20 NLT [20] 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 What do you notice in verse 20? Can you see the excited shepherds praising God? Can you hear them going over the details that the Angel had told them and what they saw and experienced? Did you notice that after this massive spiritual, physical, and emotional experience they had just shared, they went back to work. Back to the ordinary. Back to the everyday. And our God is no less there in the everyday.  While the curtain between heaven and earth had been pulled back to let the angels thru announcing Jesus' arrival, he was also just another baby born that day, in a very ordinary village, and the witnesses went back to their very ordinary work. But something had shifted. God is now with us in a different way. The author of the story has entered in to the story, written himself in. Just as the shepherds ordinary ...

Luke 2:16-19 NLT They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  Luke 2:16-19 NLT The shepherds who were working the night shift went and told anyone and everyone about what they experienced. Mary kept things to herself. Sometimes we need to find that place of expression, excitement, passion, & action, especially when we're with others like the shepherds were. And sometimes we need some solitude, quiet, contemplation, mulling things over.  And that's OK. When our world, a parent, pastor, church, tell us we should be more like the shepherds when we can rest in knowing that Mary was accepted for being quiet and reflective.  Sometimes we may need to step out of our comfort ...

Luke 2:1-7 NLT At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  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, David's 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 2:1-7 NLT Just another imposition put on a people group who were seen as "less than". The Romans wanted to count them, so made them go back to a place of origin. Just another couple expecting a baby. Just another ordinary story of lack of choice...

Luke 1:56 NLT Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. Luke 1:56 NLT Luke doesn't tell us why Mary stayed 3 months with Elizabeth- maybe it was to give Elizabeth someone to talk to 'cos Zechariah wasn't speaking! Maybe it was for Mary, having some distance from other members of he family, maybe it was for Elizabeth, an older woman having her first baby...but whatever their reasons, they formed a little community for a time. This need for community and connection is in us, and here it may look a bit unusual: An older couple, one mute, from a long line of Priests, having their first child, and Mary, a single Mum figuring out her part in God's Redemptive Story that she finds herself parachuted into... What we need may be found in unusual or unexpected relationships. Here at the beginning of this new phase of God's Redemptive Story is a little community, for a time. Perhaps today on Christmas Eve there's an invitation to comm...

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." Luke 1:42-45 NLT There's some kind of interesting connection being described here; physical  emotional  spiritual  The interconnectedness of who we are, of the miracle of carrying another life, and the connection between people. Maybe that's one of the things that we are looking for at Christmas with the gathering and the gift giving is connection... And then there is Elizabeth's blessing to Mary: "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." Elizabeth & Mary's story will never be repeated, but this blessing can be: "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." The ...

Luke 1:39-41 NLT A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:39-41 NLT What an interesting part of the story that Luke records for us. Two women, one young, one who thought that having a child was only for others, for the young. Miraculous pregnancies in different ways. A child in the womb who knows something is up. All happening in a small ordinary town, between two women in this small ordinary connection. Unseen. God is at work in the small. The unseen. In a world that seems to value big, loud, spectacular, our God was at work in the ordinary, the small, and the unseen. It's OK to be ordinary. It's OK to be small. Knowing that in God's Love story, His redemptive story, we are not unseen, but Beloved. #advent #Christmas  #redemptivestrands #GodsLove...

Sunday Psalms; I will declare the Lord's decree.  He said to me,  "You are my Son;  today I have become your Father." Psalms 2:7 CSB Some people formally adopt children, others whangai, sometimes people are welcomed in and become part of our lives, intertwined, sometimes forever, others just for a time... In the middle of this song is this declaration from our God of adoption, of giving a birthday, of belonging, of connection. God choosing. We're limited. We have limited capacity to love and connect, but our God is beyond those human limitations and chooses us.  Gives us a birthday.  It doesn't depend on us, whether we think we're good enough, measure up, are enough, He is doing the choosing, the becoming, it's God who Loves and makes a Way. Do you see the redemptive strands? #hopeishere  #advent #Christmas  #redemptivestrands #GodsLoveisEnough #weareBeloved 

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her,  "for you have found favor with God!" Luke 1:30 NLT "Don't be afraid" is not a command, but an invitation. An invitation to connection. An invitation to step closer. An invitation towards something unknown, mystery, opportunity. God, The Creator, The Unlimited, Yahweh, is opening the way to connect, and Mary did  not need to be afraid. She wasn't told to change, tidy up, clean up, fix up, put right, anything, just to put down her fear. It's like something has shifted in the universe, something new is happening, and we have no need to be afraid. Come as you are. Redemption is here. The Angel had something to say to Mary, and if her fear got in the way, she would not have heard it.  What does this story invite us to put down that is a barrier to hearing from our God? What could He be inviting us towards that we can't "hear" because we're holding on to something? What is that thing...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:16-17 CSB The Lord hates six things;  in fact, seven are detestable to him: arrogant eyes... Why does God even care about my eyes? What even are "arrogant eyes"? They're not a colour or a shape, they're the expression of something going on in the heart. And I've had them.  Proverbs is about helping us find a path to wisdom, it's not a weapon to use against others but an invitation to self reflection, to check our own hearts. And I'm familiar with this thing that our God stands against- because He is Love, and an arrogance, a haughtyness in my eyes is not love, it says that there's something disordered in my Love, and in this relationship. Ouch. Jesus turned up in the least haughty, the least arrogant way possible...as a baby. And his reason? Love. Us. Relationship. To redeem. This Proverb invites us to consider our own eyes, my eyes, and what they're communicating to those I meet or see, and to ask our Heavenly Father t...

Luke 1:28-30 ESV And he came to her and said,  "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her,  "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." Luke 1:28-30 ESV Luke doesn't tell us anything about Mary's life, what she has acheived, whether she read the scriptures everyday, went to church... She was probably a teenager, engaged to be married to a nice guy, in a small town that had a poor reputation, living under the rule of the Roman Empire. How did God pick her out? Joseph's family in Luke 3 traced all the way back to Adam. Zechariah was from a long line of Priests. Elizabeth traces her line back to Aaron, Moses brother. Mary's only claim to fame seems to be that she is some kind of relative of Elizabeth... She's young, ordinary, done nothing that Luke knows about or notes, is from a poor, ordinary plac...

Luke 1:26-27 NLT In the sixth month of Elizabeths 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. Luke 1:26-27 NLT Luke weaves together the stories of these two women, Elizabeth, who traces her story all the way back to Aaron, and Mary, who all we know about is that she is going to marry Joseph. Joseph, who is a traces his story back to King David...in Luke 3, all the way back to Adam. While Joseph becomes Jesus Dad, it is by what we might call adoption. Jesus is adopted into his family, accepted, loved. If being adopted is your experience, then you're in good company. Of you've adopted a child, then Joseph is a great role model. And Paul uses the language of adoption to describe us being adopted into God's family, weaving us all together... The redemptive strands go all the way back to Adam, perhaps today to remind us that we're part of the...

John 1:43-46 NLT The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him,  "Come, follow me." Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown.  Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth." "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?' "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied. John 1:43-46 NLT Nathanael was from Bethsaida. Jesus was from Nazareth. Somehow in Nathanael's story anyone from Nazareth got a label, and Jesus was from "there" so he is one of "them". Them. Less than. Not worthy. What happened at Bondi Beach with the killing of Jewish people simply getting together to celebrate starts with a "them".  A label. Less than. Not worthy. The world Jesus stepped into was full of fear, hatred, labels. And he stepped in anyw...

Luke 1:24-25 CSB After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,   "The Lord has done this for me.  He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people." Luke 1:24-25 CSB Can you imagine carrying shame your whole life? Here is Elizabeth as an older person finally putting down the shame she has held her whole adult life. While Zechariah wasn't able to talk he must've communicated in some way with Elizabeth what happened to him with the Angel Gabriel. And Elizabeth's response? To tuck herself away.  And to finally release the shame.  Shame put on her by others.  Expectations, norms, others.  Even in our times of joy and goodness there can be these strands of sorrow, loss, grief, and yes, shame. At Christmas it's supposed to be all joy and tinsel and happiness ('cos our culture says so). Yet for many this time of year carries with it loss, grief, and shame. The redemptive ...

Sunday Psalms; They are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time and whose leaves don't fade. Psalms 1:3 CEB Can you picture a tree that has been replanted, shifted, moved from an environment where it did not produce fruit, where the plant was stressed, when it was unhealthy, and now it is in a place of thriving. Flourishing. Where this tree is free to produce what it was designed to produce. Who's the "they" who shift and are replanted?  People who choose to follow God's ways, who choose to learn about Him, about the Big Story, and the Love that is behind it all. This Story that got a new chapter at Christmas, when Love came down and joined us, opening up the Way. This place of thriving and flourishing is a heart thing. "Lord, Jesus, replant me today, move me closer to that stream that gives Life & Hope, the Life & Hope that you brought into the world.  May I produce some of the fruit you have created me to ...

Luke 1:21-23 NLT [21] Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. [22] 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. [23] When Zechariah's week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.  Luke 1:21-23 NLT I wonder what would happen if our Pastor suddenly couldn't speak! What would we think? "That he must have seen a vision"? How did Zechariah communicate what was going on, what happened? And he didn't go home, take a day off or anything, but kept serving, kept doing the tasks he had come to the temple to do for the rest of the week! Not sure I'd be doing that if an Angel had turned up, told me my decades old prayers had been answered, and when I questioned him, found I could no longer speak... Everything about this story is extraordinary. It seems like it's su...

Friday! Proverbs! What are worthless and wicked people like?  They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.  Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. Proverbs 6:12-15 NLT This is an uncomfortable part of Proverbs to sit with. It paints a bleak picture of a group of people.  Them. And at the same time those traits can be found in me...and at this time of year as we peel back the layers of tinsel, we find beneath all that the birth of a Saviour who not only saves us from destruction, saves us from separation from God, but saves us from those parts of ourselves that harm us and those around us. Jesus came to show The Way of peace with God, and peace with ourselves.  This bleak picture in proverbs is not the whole picture, and it's not the end of the story...there is a way out, a way f...

[13] The angel said,  "Don't be afraid, Zechariah.  Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John." Luke 1:13 CEB Going into the temple alone to light incense expecting solitude and meeting an angel is extraordinary and not surprisingly, frightening. And extraordinary. But the message is not so extraordinary - "your prayers have been heard, and this is what will happen". Answers to prayer can seem ordinary, they can make us face our fears, perhaps take away our fears, invite us to address our fears. Perhaps the thing God is inviting you towards, the change He is nudging you for, the direction shift, the action He is prompting you to take, has fear attached to it. Fear of the Unknown. Fear of Failure. Fear of what others will say, or think. Doubt. Self-doubt. We're in good company with Zechariah today, and perhaps the Angel's words today will be of some help as we face our fears and hear God's...

[13] The angel said,  "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John." ... [18] Zechariah said to the angel,  "How can I be sure of this?  My wife and I are very old." Luke 1:13, 18 CEB I don't know what the angel Gabriel looked like, but his presence was enough to frighten Zechariah. But here Gabriel is, in the temple, in the middle of the incense burning, connection with God moment. And then Gabriel gives Zechariah some specific information- his prayers have been heard. The content of those prayers are known. The prayers (given that they're old my guess is that Zechariah & Elizabeth long ago gave up praying for children of their own) are now going to be answered. Zechariah meets this supernatural creature/person who tells him his specific, very personal prayers from long ago are now being answered...and the first thing he says is: "Really?" It must be p...

Luke 1:5 CEB [5] During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah.  His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.  Luke 1:5 CEB Zechariah is a priest in the line of Abijah, who was a King of the nothern tribes for 2 years (2 Chronicles 12). Elizabeth was a direct descendent of Aaron. Aaron, the brother of Moses, who spoke for Moses when he couldn't, who was called up the mountain with him to receive the 10 Commandments from God. And Aaron who was in the middle of the "golden calf" betrayal. Here he is again mentioned as part of the greatest redemption story of all.  Do you see the redemptive strand here generations later? Our God didn't abandon Aaron, but tied him into Jesus's story. He doesn't abandon us either. The redemptive strands keep being woven and we're included.  You're included. That is the story of Christmas - God's redemptive strands showing up as a person. And we...

Luke 1:5, 8-9, 11-12 CEB [5] During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah... ... [8] One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense. ... [11] An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. [12] When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. Luke 1:5, 8-9, 11-12 CEB Zechariah was from in intergenerational line of priests. Being a priest is a vocation he was born into. This day it was his team's turn to serve in the temple and burn the incense, and from his team, on this day, he was chosen by chance to do something he may have done hundreds of times. But this day something unusual happened, something unexpected, unpredictable, supernatural, and frightening. Zechariah was just ...

Mark 6:30-32 CEB The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.  Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, "Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while." They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place.   Mark 6:30-32 CEB Where had the team been? Off in pairs without any money or food or anything, out for some time talking to people about change. I wonder how long they were away for? Days? Weeks? What did Jesus do while they were somewhere else? How come they all came back at the same time? Anyhow...they're back and they have stories to tell, and Jesus could see what they needed; 1. Time away from the crowds. 2. Some kai. There would be disappointed people as a result. There's days when it would be great to have Jesus here taking us away from "the crowd", the noise, the pressing problems, and feed us. He knew what the Apostles needed. His Spirit dwells...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:1-2, 9-11 CEB [1] My son, if you guarantee a loan for your neighbor or shake hands in agreement with a stranger,  [2] you will be trapped by your words; you will be caught by your words. ...  [9] How long, lazy person, will you lie down?  When will you rise from your sleep?   [10] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to lie down -  [11] and poverty will come on you like a prowler, destitution like a warrior.   Proverbs 6:1-2, 9-11 CEB As a parent it's tempting to use v9-11 as a weapon to get a child to get up, get moving. However these Proverbs weren't written to children, and this interesting piece about a little folding of the arms leads to poverty stands in direct contrast to God's invitation into rest, to sabbath. It seems that these v9-11 are connected to the opening premise of this chapter, where the person has made a mistake, an overcommittment, and needs a nudge to front up and sort it...

Beloved... 1 John 4:1 NASB2020 John chooses to start this next part of his letter with "agapétos", "Beloved". He's writing to people he cares about, but being Beloved, their Belovedness is about a Bigger Love than John can offer. We are Beloved because our God loves us. God's Love is Enough. More than enough to hold us, to hold all our fears, all our hurts, all our tears, all our hopes, all our dreams. John addresses his readers as Beloved, and the invitation is to hear that as a word from God's heart to yours today. You are Beloved. #truthtorestin #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #weareBeloved 

1 John 3:23-24 NLT [23] And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. [24] Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24 NLT Believe in Jesus  Love One Another. Do that and John assures us of fellowship, belonging, abiding, being with Him. And the Spirit lives in us. This can seem quite the mystery. There's no long list on must do, to do, rules, requirements, just believe in Jesus & love One Another. Jesus said the law and the prophets were summed up in 2 things, love God, Love others as yourself, ie love one another. In all the craziness and pressure and must do things and expectations of others and our world, let the simplicity of John's invitation be our guide today... Believe in Jesus Love One Another Rest in the Spirit who dwells within... #lettersfromJohn #testi...

[6] Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Psalms 150:6 BSB The last word from the Psalms...after 150 songs and stories the Psalms ends with this: "Let" An invitation. "Everything that has breath" An inclusive invitation that welcomes us all in. "Breath" This idea of Life, the Spirit, essence. "Praise the Lord" See our God, glimpse Him, and praise, see Him a little clearer, make Him a little clearer to others, boast about Him. Hallelujah. #psalms #psalms150 #lastwords #itsaheartthing  #weareBeloved

Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn;  praise him with the lyre and harp! Psalms 150:3 NLT I was listening to a podcast recently by Matt Brown who was raised in a home awash with family violence and harm. He became a Barber, cutting men's hair, listening to their stories, and sharing hope. He described his Barber's Chair as his "cathedral". Making a noise, praising our God can look different for all of us.  Your "cathedral", your ram's horn, lyre and harp could be your workplace, vocation, art... You may praise by caring for those others miss, for refusing to refuse the refused, by standing against injustice, by sitting with someone who no one else will, by smiling, thanking, blessing, encouraging in the small and every day... Your praise might look like self-care today. Anything we do which points to our God, puts Him nearer the centre... The "noise" we make isn't the important part, it's a heart thing. So praise Him today, in...

Sunday Psalms; Praise the Lord!  Praise God in his sanctuary;  praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works;  praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn;  praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;  praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals;  praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!  Praise the Lord! Psalms 150 NLT This final song we're invited to join in is noisy! It's loud, expressive! There's praise to God where He is, for what He has done, and who He is. And then it's how. All noise! This word "praise" is a verb, an action, "halal" in Hebrew, and carries a range of meanings; - to be clear  - to shine - to boast of - to make a fool of yourself about - to rave - to celebrate  There's a freedom here to praise, to celebrate our God in ways others might see as foolish, outside ...

1 John 3:23 NLT [23] And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23 NLT Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. That's it.  Yes there is complexity in the Bible, in trying to understand God, get a handle on theology, want to know if I'm in God's will, good enough, done enough, am enough for Him...and then John gives us this simple equation on the other side of that complexity; Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. Just do that in the next minute, the next hour, today. See where Believe in Jesus and Love One Another takes you. This is the Plan. Believe in Jesus. Love one another. What does this open up for you? Free you to do?  To become? Free to step towards? Believe in Jesus. Love one another. #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #OneAnothers #believ...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:6-8 NET Go to the ant, you sluggard;  observe its ways and be wise! It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, yet it prepares its food in the summer;  it gathers at the harvest what it will eat. Proverbs 6:6-8 NET There's a couple of passages directed at the "sluggard". I've chosen a version that uses this word because it slows us down from using these passages as  weapons towards others.  This Proverbs invites us to look at, to observe, part of God's creation and see what we notice.  There's been plenty of times in my life when I have been lazy, a sluggard, there's been times when rest has been what I've needed most, injuries, sickness, sadness. Yet on the outside, you may not see any difference. One thing I notice when looking at ants is that there is a lot of following going on. One ant finds a crumb on my desk and then a trail of them appear following the same path.  Lots of following. Some people don't have good rol...

1 John 3:21-22 CEB [21] Dear friends, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. [22] We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.  1 John 3:21-22 CEB Grace over guilt. Grace > guilt It's me, my heart that so often does the condemning, not God's. John is inviting us again and again to find rest and peace in relationship with God that is Grace filled.  Put down the inner critic. Grace over guilt. And as we follow The Way, live out this way of love more and more, we will be able to receive what our God offers... Shalom. Peace. Hope. Freedom. Light. Love. May today His Grace overcome, overwhelm all that needs quieting in us. #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #graceoverguilt #livingoutLove #weareBeloved 

Dear children,  let's not merely say that we love each other;  let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:18-20 NLT I think John knows what it's like to have an "inner critic", that voice in our head that accuses us, tells us we're not good enough, not enough, don't belong, aren't accepted. He's just given one example of love-in-action, and here reminds us that when it comes to Love, compared to God, we're children, learning on the job, following His example. John encourages us to put Love into action, and as we do, know that it is Love that reflects our God's heart, and that's enough. We're like children, trying things, not always getting it right, learning, & growing in living out Love. And that's enough. ##lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light ...

1 John 3:16-17 NLT We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person? 1 John 3:16-17 NLT There are some days when finding compassion is really hard.  It's buried down there somewhere. Buried beneath layers of justification about others choices and all kinds of things. But John is not trying to beat us up here, but to invite us in. Invite us in to seeing again, afresh, anew, how Jesus loves us.  And as we sit in the love we have received, we're invited to see people. In that seeing we get a glimpse of Jesus seeing us: more than a collection of choices, more than a collection of memories, but as a person, worthy of love and connection. What is John's letter inviting you into today? To see someone differently? At work? Where you live? It starts with kno...

Psalms 149:6-9 NLT [6] Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands - [7] to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, [8] to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, [9] to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.  Praise the Lord! Psalms 149:6-9 NLT Wow! There is some wild imagery here in this song! How does praise for God go hand-in-hand with all this? I don't think this is some prescription for military action or violent overthrow of anyone, but a reflection of God's heart for justice, making things right. We have the advantage of reading this after Jesus life and we get to see the things Jesus was here to overthrow; Death. Injustice. Self-salvation projects. So as I sit with this language of overthrow, I'm wondering what in me needs to be put in chains? What thoughts, attitudes, actions are so far from the God we are called to praise tha...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 149:1, 3-4 NLT Praise the Lord!  Sing to the Lord a new song.  Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. ... Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. For the Lord delights in his people;  he crowns the humble with victory. Psalms 149:1, 3-4 NLT Do you feel the freedom in this song? Sing a new song. Sing out loud. Sing with your voice and instruments and your body, a whole person response. There's freedom because Our God delights in you. Delights! And whether we get to experience "victory" in this life, there is a hint here that humility is going to bring something good.  What was Jesus victory over? Death.  It wasn't over someone else, but over death, so that we can have Life. Life is the reward.  I wonder what that can look like today? In all that we might be trying to hold, to keep in balance, the struggle, weight, where is Life found? Where can Life break in? #Sunday #psalms  #psalm149 #praise #...

Mark 6:18-20 NLT John had been telling Herod,  "It is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife." So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod's approval she was powerless, for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. Mark 6:18-20 NLT John's life was all about pointing to Jesus. Here at the end of his life, the Empire has him killed.  For telling the truth. Herod appreciated John, just as Pilate appreciated Jesus.  Yet neither Herod or Pilate was prepared to give up anything to save people they saw as good. John points us to Jesus, who gave up everything to save.  To save us.  People who reject him, forget him, lose sight of him, drift away, wander back, seek restoration, question, challenge, get angry at, wonder about, give up on, and yet Jesus loves us.  He Is Love. L...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 6:1-5 NLT [1] My child, if you have put up security for a friend's debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger - if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said - follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend's mercy.  Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off;  do it now!  Don't rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. Proverbs 6:1-5 NLT If only Herod had been able to follow the advice of this Proverb! We've got it wrong, made a mistake, don't put it off...don't let pride get in the way...step towards the problem and own it. I wonder how many times in my life things would have been so much better if I had followed this Proverb...my pride, my fear of looking like I've made a mistake, got it wrong, what others will think of me, embarrassment...it's so easy ...

Herod's daughter Herodias came in and danced, thrilling Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the young woman,  "Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." Then he swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give to you, even as much as half of my kingdom." .... [26] Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests, he didn't want to refuse her.  So he ordered a guard to bring John's head... Mark 6:22-23, 26-27 CEB This is the part of the story where Herod makes an offer to his daughter who he probably expected to ask for a new horse or a holiday in Rome, but took the opportunity to work with her Mum to get something Mum wanted.  Herod, who had the power over life and death of others, could not seem to be able to overcome 2 things: His rash promise. And his potential embarrassment in front of his guests.  There's been times when I've done the same thing (on a different scale with different consequences), said...

Mark 6:14, 16 CEB Herod the king heard about these things, because the name of Jesus had become well-known.  Some were saying,  "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why miraculous powers are at work through him." Others were saying... ... [16] But when Herod heard these rumors, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised to life." Mark 6:14, 16 CEB This is a sad and tragic story of power and manipulation and the inability of Herod to be able to say "I made a mistake, shouldn't have been so rash". He couldn't or wouldn't see a way to change his promise to give someone whatever they asked for.  To have all the power in the world, and yet no power to change your mind! Herod liked John the Baptist- & now Herod is full of fear- that what he allowed to happen was literally coming back to haunt him! Herod believed Jesus was John resurrected from the dead. Interesting that resurrection was even a thought but here it is,...

This is the message you have heard from the beginning:  We should love one another.  1 John 3:11 NLT John has been unpacking the Father's love for us, about being children of God, about living in the Light, the fellowship we have with Jesus, wrapped up in the message we have heard from the beginning: Love one another. Love one another. This is an outward oriented love that stands on the foundation of: - the Father's love for us - being a child of God - choosing to live in the Light -  being in fellowship with Jesus This is where the strength and courage and heart to love others is founded. Because we are already Beloved. We already belong. We're already accepted. And we're free, free to love one another.  #lettersfromJohn #testimony  #light  #weareBeloved  #freetoloveoneanother

Praise God,  all of you who are his messengers!  Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces! ... Praise the LORD from the earth,  you sea monsters... Do the same, fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind... Do the same,  you mountains...fruit trees, and every single cedar! Do the same,  you animals - wild or tame... Do the same, you kings of the earth... Do the same,  you young men - young women too! - you who are old together with you who are young!   Psalms 148:2, 7-12 CEB Do the same. This song calls all in heaven to praise God. This song calls all of creation to praise God. This song calls us to do the same. Do the same. Heaven is going to be an interesting place because my guess is that in some way we will not only experience and join in the praise of whoever it is that makes up the "messengers" and "Heavenly forces", but all parts of creation too. The rocks will cry out in some way. Maybe we will be able to experience the love...

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 148 Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD from heaven!  Praise God on the heights! Praise God, all of you who are his messengers!  Praise God, all of you who comprise his heavenly forces! Sun and moon, praise God!  All of you bright stars, praise God! You highest heaven, praise God!  Do the same, you waters that are above the sky!  Let all of these praise the LORD's name because God gave the command and they were created! God set them in place always and forever. God made a law that will not be broken. Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all you ocean depths! Do the same,  fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind that does what God says! Do the same,  you mountains, every single hill, fruit trees, and every single cedar! Do the same, you animals - wild or tame - you creatures that creep along and you birds that fly! Do the same,  you kings of the earth and every single person, you princes and every single ...

1 John 3:7 CEB Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous.  1 John 3:7 CEB John gives us a warning and an encouragement or direction at the same time.  The warning is that we are easily deceived, and we need to be aware, awake, on our game, that there are those who will attempt to deceive.  And then the direction or encouragement to look towards those who practice righteousness like Jesus. Those who are living like Jesus.  Yes our world and context is not the same, but in it, in our time and culture, as followers of Jesus, called to live like Him, do what he did. Look to those who live like Jesus, practice His way.  We can really only do that through relationship. Seeing someone's practices can't really be found on Instagram or YouTube- glimpses maybe, but remember how John warns us about how prone we are to being deceived. John's letter is about Light and Love. And...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:7-14 CEB Now sons, listen to me, and don't deviate from the words of my mouth. Stay on a path that is far from her;  don't approach the entrance to her house. Otherwise,  you will give your strength to others, your years to a cruel person. Otherwise,  strangers will sap your strength, and your hard work will end up in a foreigner's house. You will groan at the end when your body and flesh are exhausted, and you say,  "How I hated instruction! How my heart despised correction! I didn't listen to the voice of my instructor.  I didn't obey my teacher. I'm on the brink of utter ruin in the assembled community." Proverbs 5:7-14 CEB This part of Ch5 continues on with this idea of "her" being something that is against what God would have for us, and uses this metaphor of a person, a person who pulls us away from the place of thriving and flourishing that our God would have for us. There is a warning here about the person...

Philippians 4:6-7 CEB [6] Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. [7] Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7 CEB (We revisit this verse - the first one shared - at this time of year & remind you that if you want to unsubscribe that's OK - & to feel free to pass verseoftheday on to others) What hits with these verses today is the idea that embedded in Paul's invitation here is a place of safety. It's OK, safe, to bring what's on our hearts, what's in our minds, to God. He has not and will not reject us. In a world that is full of comparing, of performance, of judging worth and value, the invitation here is just to come as we are, bring all our stuff to God, and not only will you not be rejected, but we might find a little more peace, peace that is from a way bigger source ...

He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick - no bread, no bags, and no money in their belts. He told them to wear sandals but not to put on two shirts. He said, "Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.  If a place doesn't welcome you or listen to you, as you leave, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them." So they went out and proclaimed that people should change their hearts and lives.  Mark 6:7-12 CEB Does this story strike you as a bit strange? The very specific instructions to Jesus team, what to do if they and/or their message is rejected. It's almost like Jesus wanted his closest disciples to know a bit about what it was like to be him. To have the power to not just change someone's life today, but their eternal story too, and to be rejected for it. To be reliant on others to at the very le...

God doesn't prize the strength of a horse;  God doesn't treasure the legs of a runner. No.  The LORD treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love. Psalms 147:10-11 CEB Interesting what the psalmist plucks from his culture about is valued - both of these things are about moving, moving people, moving things, pace, strength. And the constrast with waiting. With honouring someone else.  Waiting. I wonder what the writer of this song would make of our world, the things that we prize? As we step into today, may we choose to honour our God in all that is in front of us. And. Wait. Wait for his faithful love. #psalms #psalm147 #whatGodtreasures #weareBeloved 

[3] God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.  [4] God counts the stars by number, giving each one a name. Psalms 147:3-4 CEB Same God. The same God who names the stars, can count the uncountable, sees the unseeable in the universe he created, stoops down, becomes small and gentle enough, to bind up our wounds. Jesus tells a story of a person beaten and left for dead on the roadside, and he is seen, his wounds tended, and he is put on a pathway to healing. Same God. Same Love. #psalms #psalm147 #reasonstopraise  #weareBeloved 

Sunday Psalms; Psalms 147:1-7 CEB Praise the LORD! Because it is good to sing praise to our God! Because it is a pleasure to make beautiful praise!  The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,  gathering up Israel's exiles. God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. God counts the stars by number, giving each one a name. Our Lord is great and so strong!  Gods knowledge can't be grasped! The LORD helps the poor,  but throws the wicked down on the dirt! Sing to the LORD with thanks;  sing praises to our God with a lyre!   Psalms 147:1-7 CEB The first part of this song is a skim the highlights of why David has reason to praise God: It's a good thing for him, lifts his spirit, improves his well-being. He sees God gathering in the lost, and the intimate closeness of healing the broken hearted, of bandaging up the wounds of those who have been harmed.  Then he jumps to how big and different God is to him, and then back to God's character, His heart for the...

1 John 3:5 CEB You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him.  1 John 3:5 CEB This word "sin" is "harmatia", a missing of the mark, an offence, an offence against God.  This seems to be turned into a weapon to beat people up with, yet this is couched within Love, and our place as Children of God: 1 John 3:1-2 CEB See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God's children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn't recognize him, it doesn't recognize us. Dear friends, now we are God's children... Jesus came to deal with our missing the mark, our rebellion, and there is none of that in Him. We are Beloved.  Children of God. Children who's Heavenly Father made a way, because He Loves Us. And in Being Loved is identity, belonging, acceptance, safety, worth, value.  We are valued and valuable. Accepted and acceptable. Because the One who never missed the mark, came for us. One day we wi...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:3-6 CEB The lips of a mysterious woman drip honey,  and her tongue is smoother than oil,  but in the end she is bitter as gall,  sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death;  her steps lead to the grave. She doesn't stay on the way of life.  Her paths wander, but she doesn't know it. Proverbs 5:3-6 CEB Yikes!  This sounds like someone to steer clear of...but I wonder if this Proverb is really referring to a person? The word here "mysterious woman" is "zuwr" (pronounced zoor) and it's primary meaning seems to be someone (or something) from outside of the Life that God had planned for his people. So maybe it's not a person we're to avoid as much as it is ideas, activities, desires (& people) that want to draw us away from the Life God has for us. This Proverb gives a picture of something interesting, enticing, that draws us in, but in the end doesn't lead to Life at all. What are those things in you...

Mark 6:7 CEB He called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. Mark 6:7 CEB I wonder why Jesus chose to send them out in pairs? Not on their own, not in groups of 3 or 4 or ? What are we to make of this in our lives? Perhaps when Jesus calls us to some task, some work, some mission, we shouldn't step into it alone. Perhaps we're made for community and connection and are better together. We don't know how the disciples got paired up, but my first instinct would be to go with someone I liked, got on with, would be able to smash the mission out. But what would Jesus want me to learn if I was paired with someone who was slower, who I had to wait for, adjust to? What if I am that person? The one others have to slow down for, wait to catch up? While Jesus was sending his team "out there" on a mission, what if the real Kingdom work was being done "in" them? And therefore, in us? What is this picture of Jesus and his 12 team members going off in pairs invite ...

Mark 6:4-6 CEB Jesus said to them, "Prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometowns, among their relatives, and in their own households." He was unable to do any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He was appalled by their disbelief.  Then Jesus traveled through the surrounding villages teaching.   Mark 6:4-6 CEB Even though he was impacted by the rejection of his family and community, even though astounded/appalled at their unbelief, he kept moving. Moved on. Kept walking to the next place that would accept him. Perhaps there's something here for us, there's times when we need to just accept other people's views and attitudes towards us, towards what is important to us and in us, are not going to shift or change, and we need to move. Move on. Keep walking.  Jesus didn't wait around forever for his family and community to shift, to see him.  He moved. Kept walking. Their rejection impacted him dee...

Mark 6:4-6 CSB Jesus said to them,  "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown,  among his relatives,  and in his household." He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief... Mark 6:4-6 CSB Jesus went back home, to his people, family, relatives, the community he grew up in, and he wasn't believed. And it impacted him. Deeply. If Jesus equilibrium is upset because he was not accepted for who he was by the people who he grew up with, if being rejected impacted his ability to do what he came to do, then just maybe, when we're not accepted, experience rejection, are misunderstood, not seen or heard by people who were once on our team, raised us, were part of our life, that might just impact us too. Jesus felt it, it's OK for us to feel it too.  Validation, love, acceptance. To be seen for who we are (not just for who we once were) is important.  It matt...

Psalms 146:6-9 CEB God:  the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,  God:  who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving!  The LORD:  who frees prisoners.  The LORD:  who makes the blind see.  The LORD:  who straightens up those who are bent low. The LORD:  who loves the righteous. The LORD:  who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!   Psalms 146:6-9 CEB At the heart of this song David reveals the heart of God that has been downloaded to him, the heart of God for justice, freedom, sight, resources, for restoration, for safety. In a world that often seems full of the opposite to these things, they are there, glimpses, and they are the things that Jesus came to bring in a new way, and asks us to join him in being part of: Justice  Freedom  Sight Resources  ...

Sunday Psalms; Praise the LORD!  Let my whole being praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with all my life;  I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. Dont trust leaders;  dont trust any human beings - theres no saving help with them! Their breath leaves them, then they go back to the ground. On that very same day, their plans die too. The person whose help is the God of Jacob - the person whose hope rests on the LORD their God - is truly happy! God: the maker of heaven and earth,  the sea, and all that is in them,  God: who is faithful forever... Psalms 146:1-6 CEB A big song of praise! A song that invites us to praise with our life. A song that carries a warning about getting distracted by following a person and not our God.  Another person, no matter how clever, articulate, passionate, charismatic, can save. David brings us back to the Eternal, the Creator, the One who holds the Big Story, who when we look at the vastness of things like the sea,...

My son,  pay attention to my wisdom;  listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you've learned. Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT When we look for Jesus in this Proverb, can you hear him speaking these words? My child, pay attention, listen well. What is Jesus inviting us to pay attention to today? What is he inviting us to listen well to? To let in to our heart? Is it the words of hope? Take courage for I have overcome the world (John 16:33) Or perhaps it's Jesus words of purpose and connection; I have come that you might Life (John 10:10) Perhaps it's Jesus words of direction:  Come, follow me (Matt 4:19). Or maybe it's Jesus 3 part invitation to love; Matthew 22:37-40 Love God with all of you. And just as important to Love your neighbour, & to Love yourself. Jesus had a lot to say to us, to invite us into, what is he calling you towards today? What is Jesus asking you to pay attention to today? #proverbs #wisdom #someth...

Friday! Proverbs! Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT My son,  pay attention to my wisdom;  listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you've learned. Proverbs 5:1-2 NLT The "Pay attention" and repeated "Listen carefully" are the first things that hit here - the kind of wisdom the writer wants to pass on takes careful consideration, it requires our attention, study, reflection, learning. It's let this sink in, apply it, realise that something might need to shift, to change as a result... And the collection of wisdom will change how we speak in 2 ways; What we do say. And what we don't say. Our words come from the heart, and wisdom shapes and changes us, our core, our mind, our will, our heart.  Yes wisdom is shared in Proverbs, in the rest of Scripture, and, in the person of Jesus. Let Him shape our hearts, minds, will, who we are and who we're becoming. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #itsaheartthing #ta...

Mark 6:1-3 NLT Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" Then they scoffed,  "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Mark 6:1-3 NLT If you've ever been rejected by the people who are supposed to care for you, you're in good company.  If you're not seen, judged, looked down on, then your story is also Jesus story.  Seems like there's a cultural expectation here too - if Jesus is such an important Rabbi why are his sisters still living here?  (I wonder about the times I haven't been able to see past my expectations or cultural norms and missed the person...). Even thou...

Psalms 145:21 CEB My mouth will proclaim the LORD's praise,  and every living thing will bless God's holy name  forever and always. Psalms 145:21 CEB OK so this is a song, but I wonder how often I proclaim the Lord's praise unless I'm singing in church? Are there other places? What about other ways? Can I proclaim the goodness of God by the way I work, how I meet people, how I respond to things? Can I proclaim praise of the Eternal, of Yahweh by how I treat the planet, how I use the resources I've been blessed with? Words, actions, thoughts, body, mind, spirit... And what is. This picture David has of every living thing praising our God? People, animals, birds, fish, bugs...every living thing? Heaven is gonna be a whole new level - I think that may be what David is looking forward to, something bigger and more than we can see right now, because our God is Someone Bigger... #psalms #songs #psalm145 #invitation  #invitationintoaBiggerStory #praise

The LORD supports all who fall down, straightens up all who are bent low.   Psalms 145:14 CEB Sometimes in a song there's a line or a phrase that jumps out at you, a line that carries something special  The Lord - Yahweh - the self-existant, the Eternal, notices those who fall down, sees those who are bent low, burdened, weighed down, pushed down, held down, and pulls them up, straightens, strengthens, restores.  This is the hope that we hold, that our God sees us in our struggle and suffering, and bends down. Our place in history is different to David's and we see Jesus as a massive part of our God's bending down. The Eternal became human, less than, small, and entered into the story. And it's Jesus who fell down, who was bent low, for us.  And he was restored, renewed, and that is our hope, our story too. The Eternal is for us.  We are Beloved. We are seen. We are known. And one day, all will be made new, every tear acknowledged and held, and we will know...

Psalms 145:4-9 CEB A psalm of praise. Of David. One generation will praise your works to the next one,  proclaiming your mighty acts.  They will talk all about the glorious splendor of your majesty;  I will contemplate your wondrous works. They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds;  I will declare your great accomplishments. They will rave in celebration of your abundant goodness; they will shout joyfully about your righteousness:  "The LORD is merciful and compassionate, very patient,  and full of faithful love.  The LORD is good to everyone and everything;  Gods compassion extends to all his handiwork!" Psalms 145:4-9 CEB This part of David's song has this beautiful intergenerational listening, speaking, declaring, sharing in, the goodness of God. It's loud. And it includes people, creation, everything that God has made, and finishes with the declaration of the attributes of God. Merciful. Compassionate. Patient. Faithful Love. His hear...

Sunday Psalms; A psalm of praise. Of David. I will lift you up high,  my God,  the true king.  I will bless your name forever and always. I will bless you every day.  I will praise your name forever and always. The LORD is great and so worthy of praise! God's greatness can't be grasped.   Psalms 145:1-3 CEB This psalm, this song seems like a big shift from the last 5, where there have been repeated calls to be heard by God. While David might be a king, who gets praise and honour, he places God as The King, worthy of praise and honour. Human greatness can be grasped and measured, but there's a Bigger Story here that David finds himself part of.  And David's response is to praise His Name every day. To not lose sight of Who God Is in his day-to-day. Perhaps that's the invitation for us too. The last few psalms have been about when things are not going well, and this one seems different. When we have success, when things are going Ok, going well, where th...

Mark 5:42-43 CEB [42] Suddenly the young woman got up and began to walk around. She was 12 years old. They were shocked! [43] He gave them strict orders that no one should know what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:42-43 CEB Jesus seemed to be wanting to damp down the crowds, quite the opposite of our modern culture where the number of views/likes/followers is our measure of success. Don't tell anyone.  You've seen the power of resurrection, of death being defeated, and that's enough. For now anyway. What Jesus was interested in is what the person in the middle of the story needed...food. Get this girl some kai, she's 12yrs old, has been unwell for some time, and has now had this amazing experience, she might need something to eat! Jesus had just pulled her back from death & could've supernaturally provided her with all the nutrition that she needed, but he didn't. He invited those who were there to participate with him in...

Friday! Proverbs! [23] More than anything you guard,  protect your mind,  for life flows from it. ... [27] Don't deviate a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil. Proverbs 4:23, 27 CEB This is the 4th instruction on guarding and protecting our "leb", our mind, our will, our heart, the core of who we are. v24 is about our choice of words v25 is about what we look at, what we let in through our eyes v26 is about the places we choose to go And now v27 is about choice, and about direction. We get to choose.  Yes there's times when we may have been powerless, but you do have power to choose. Those first steps in an unhealthy direction may seem small, harmless, it's where my friends are, my people, it feels good, attractive, easy... Jesus said something about the narrow road being the one that leads to Life. The road that may seem more difficult where we have to watch our step. The road where we might have to work a bit harder to find our people, an...

...and he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her,  "Talitha koum," which means  "Little girl, get up!" And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.  Mark 5:40-42 NLT This resurrection is a taster of the resurrection  to come.  Why of all the people who had died in the region where Jesus could've walked to that day, he went to this girl's house and returned her from death? In this chapter Mark has documented Jesus authority over the spirit that had taken control of one person, healed the chronic physical ailment of another, and here, held this girl's hand and brought her back into life.  Jesus wanted his team, especially those 3, Peter, James & John, to learn more about who Jesus is. Jesus was a Rabbi, and more. Jesus was a teacher, and more. Jesus was human just like them, and mor...

He didn't allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John, James' brother. Mark 5:37 CEB Jesus has been followed by crowds all day. He even got in a boat and crossed the lake and crowds followed him, pressing in. And now Jesus says "no". He's going to Jarius's house, where the report is that his daughter has died. Maybe the crowd knows that or not, but Jesus imposes a boundary here.  Peter, James & John only. The writer of this gospel, Mark, along with the other disciples, is excluded.  Boundaries. Jesus would gap it off into the wilderness to pray. Boundaries. The rich young ruler walked away from Jesus unhappy - Jesus didn't chase him down trying to make him happy. No people pleasing here.  Boundaries. In this case Jesus boundary may have been for Jarius and his family, for Jesus, or for the 3 of his team, for the little girl in the heart of this story, or for all of them in some way. Boundaries are OK, necessary, and just as Jesus put them ...

Psalms 144:11-15 CEB Rescue me and deliver me from the power of strangers, whose mouths speak lies, and whose strong hand is a strong hand of deception,  so that our sons can grow up fully, in their youth, like plants;  so that our daughters can be like pillars carved to decorate a palace;  so that our barns can be full, providing all kinds of food;  so that our flocks can be in the thousands - even tens of thousands - in our fields; so that our cattle can be loaded with calves;  so that there won't be any breach in the walls, no exile,  no outcries in our streets!  The people who have it like this are truly happy! The people whose God is the LORD are truly happy! Psalms 144:11-15 CEB This is David's picture of flourishing, of Life in abundance...where people can thrive, where creation can thrive, where there is justice and safety. Where God is close. Perhaps if we're struggling to write our own song, using David's template here might help: What we wan...