Category Archives: God Omnipotent

God is God of All

Discipleship

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 40:21-31

February 1, 2021

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
   Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
   and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
   and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught,
   and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
   scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
   and the tempest carries them off like stubble. –Isaiah 40:21-24

Israel’s big problem seems to have been that they got so caught up in worshipping gods made in to meet their desires that they reduced the Omnipotent God to a lower state. In this poem, Isaiah reminds the people that God is God and that there is no other even close competition. I am sure this issue has been with people from the beginning and that it rises and falls in degrees of influence over time. Just before the Exile, the replacement of the Omnipotent God with lesser gods was out of control. Sound familiar?

We find ourselves in a similar situation. While we may not worship images made of stone or metal, lust after power and greed abounds in our society. Our challenge as Christ-followers is to cleanse ourselves of such transference of faith, reconnect to the God who is manifested in love, and go into the world to help others find the God who is love who created us and loves us completely. As we follow our diverse gods, we become more and more separated from heal love that binds us together. Heal our divisions; make us one.

Prayer: Creator God, forgive us for being tempted by the ways of the world that have no substance and can be carried off like stubble. Rekindle our love relationship with you and reunited us in your love with one another. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

One Nation Indivisible

Epiphany

January 12, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ –1 Samuel 3:10-14

I take hope in the phrase from the above scripture that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’ By specifying two specific forms of expiation, sacrifice, or offering, the Lord does not limit God’s other means of forgiveness. Atonement can lead to forgiveness.

When I read the scripture, I thought of John Newton*. He was apparently not raised with any particular faith influence. He served in the Royal Navy and then became involved in the slave trade industry. In 1748 he was caught in a violent storm and cried out to God for mercy. After surviving the storm, he gave God credit for his survival and turned his life over to God, eventually withdrawing from slave trading. We know him as the author of Amazing Grace.

January 6, 2021, will live on in USA history as the date of an act of insurrection against the nation that occurred in Washington DC with a siege on the U.S. Capitol. Divisive forces have been growing the past few years until it spilled into a riot, resulting in an attack on the Capitol building.

According to the Constitution, one of the USA government’s responsibilities is to form a more perfect union. Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples included his great desire that we all become one.  At this point, I think we all need to seek atonement for any part we may have played in the evil that divides us, seek God’s forgiveness, and invest all our efforts in becoming one in Christ and becoming an undivided nation.

Prayer: Creator of all, forgive us for our sins of divisiveness. Make our diversity one of our most potent, positive characteristics as we seek to become one nation with liberty and justice for all. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hungry Souls

Eastertide

May 28, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 12:9-16b
Let Love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

I usually do not pay attention to those section headings in my Bible. The one for today’s scripture above, however, caught my eye, and I thought it was spot-on: Marks of the True Christian. I also today forwarded a Facebook message that listed one by one many of the problems and issues with which we are dealing right now. Each one was followed by the same solution: Love Your Neighbor.

Of course, loving our neighbors gets all caught up in how we feel about ourselves, the environment in which we were raised, and the propaganda we must separate from the truth. The one thing I might add is we must let God’s Love flow through us before we can transmit it to our neighbors.

I eat healthy food, but one can overdo eating even healthy food. I held out reasonably well through the first few weeks of sheltering at home, eating within my limits. I found a couple of weeks ago that I was grabbing a few almonds in between meals, and I realized I was developing a bad habit. My go-to scripture for reconnecting with God is Psalm 63:1-8. I cannot tell you how many times I have recited it in my head, but a few days ago, the phrase, My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, jumped out to me. My soul was hungry, not my body. So, now when I get the urge for some extra almonds, I recite that phrase and move on to more productive activities.

How often is our inability to love our neighbors driven by the unfulfilled hungering of our souls for God’s Love? God has not moved, nor does God ever stop loving us. We, however, are totally capable of turning to lesser gods to feed our basic needs, particularly when we are caught in stressful situations beyond our control. All we need to do is turn away from those temptations and turn toward our Creator God who is Love.

Over governments at all levels face significant challenges in dealing with the multiple evils that are befalling us. People of faith, including the whole Body of Christ, have an even greater mission to model and share the Love of God to all people so that as one with God, we can live without fear loving one another because Christ has indeed overcome the world. (See John 16:33)

Prayer:
Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole*. Amen

Chorus from Fill My Cup, Lord by Richard Blanchard see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/ns/340

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hope

Living in the Spirit
August 8, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities. –Psalm 130:5-8

I once heard a speaker say that hope is the difference in being poor and living in poverty. He was discussion financial poverty, but I almost think this idea is just as true if not truer regarding the poverty of our souls. What does poverty of the soul look like? Fred Craddock preached a sermon I heard many years ago and taught me the French word ennui. According to Merriam-Webster’s the word means a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction:  languor or emptiness of spirit*.  Know how that feels? It is just not worth the effort to get out of bed and face the world that seems to be spinning out of control.  I sense a lot of followers of Christ are feeling a bit of ennui as we listen to the evening news. It is at times like these that we need to remember we serve a risen Savior whose in the world today** and therein lies our source of hope.

My father used to say that his mother embodied the idea of praying without ceasing that Paul puts forth in 1 Thessalonian 5:17. My parents prayed on their knees kneeling by the side of their beds each evening. As a child, I envisioned my grandmother in that constant state all the time. I now realize that was not what my Dad or Paul meant. I think of it now as being in constant communion with God. We often pray publically like I was taught to write letters in school. It was all very formal and started with a dear someone and ending with a proper closing. Prayer without ceasing, I think, is more like the thread on a recurring email. Me: Interested in lunch today. Friend: No, I have a late morning appointment. How about Friday. Me: Sounds good. Meet at the Deli? Friend: 11:30 am? Me: OK. This is a conversation between people who are well acquainted. Our goal is to become so well acquainted with our Savior such prayers are woven through our daily routines. For me, driving in a car is a great time to update my life with God.  Watching the news provides much material for communion with God. Reading scripture and quietly contemplating it each morning nurtures my soul. I spend some time doing restorative yoga and other exercises that also seems to get me ready for a full day. Find and practice your hope-building disciplines.

If these spiritual disciplines do not restore your hope, Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. When hope seems gone and ennui begins to fill its space try loving someone else. Help a homeless person, visit a prisoner, tutor a child. Give someone else hope and I promise your hope and faith will be restored.

Prayer: God of Hope, restore our souls so we may bring hope to the whole world. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/ennui

** First line of the hymn I Serve a Risen Savior see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/503

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Finding Common Ground

Christmas
January 5, 2018

Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

I do not believe in coincidences, but my Sunday school class discussed Acts 19 this week. I enjoined hearing others describe interacting with people with viewpoints different from theirs. We talked about the diverse ways Christians perceive Christ even today. And we talked about finding common ground on which we can strive for oneness. I think it is time we set our disagreements aside and identify the things on which we can agree working on them with all our hearts, souls, strengths and minds. There may be instances when we agree on the problem but not the solution. My guess is we need all the solutions possible to deal with some of the major issues of our day. Poverty, for example,  may be addressed by .clothing, and shelter; ending discrimination in all forms. Surely we could all identify our niche among such a diversity of responses that are all desperately needed.

I wonder whether we disagree because it is easier to differ than to deal with the differences. I wonder if we struggle with divergences in faith because our faith is thinly based on what we perceive to be right rather than on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, show us how to love one another and grow together in our love for you and all your children. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

 

Our Time is God’s Time

Living in the Spirit
September 21, 2017

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:21-30

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. –Philippians 1:21-26

Christ calls us to disciplined, purposeful, and productive action. We need never be busy just for the sake of being busy to win favor with God. Brownie points are unnecessary; grace takes care of that. Using our time wisely toward the realization of God’s Kingdom is our thanksgiving for God’s love and our way of telling others of its wonder.

I have about equal doses of Mary and Martha* in my persona. One does not grow up on a farm without learning how to work. Yet, I have no problem at all reading a good book, listening to music, or sitting around talking with friends about faith or whatever. God mysteriously uses us at times always with purpose. We need to be open to those opportunities and not shy away from them even when they may seem out of our comfort zone at the time.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the full measure of your leadership to use our time wisely for our development and our service to others. Amen.

*See the story of Mary and Martha’s dialogue with Jesus at Luke 10:38-42.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

 

Christ as Judge

Living in the Spirit
September 14, 2017

Scripture Reading: Romans 14:1-12

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. –Romans 14:1-6

I guess the reason we have denominations is that “birds of a feather flock together.” People have different ways of addressing the spiritual or for that matter various aspects of life. A problem arises when we think our way of being or doing is the only way and we try to enforce it on others.

Argument arises with the degree of importance some beliefs or practices are related to the authenticity of the faith. Believers baptism vs. infant baptism, immersion vs. sprinkling, communion every Sunday or once a month or once a quarter were each historical areas of fervent discourse. Who indeed are we to pass judgment? Jesus said,

‘Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Matthew 7:1-3

The problem becomes more pronounced when we try to use our faith as a means of approving bigotry or hate such as we see in racism, ethnic cleansing, or discrimination related to sexual orientation, all human contrivances, each designed to set people apart. In Matthew 25 Jesus outlines the actions by which he will judge us: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, restoring those in prison, and welcoming the stranger. All these actions are in direct contradiction to bigotry and hate.

Prayer: God of Love, help us simplify our lives by accepting that you do the judging while we care for all your children in whatever situation we may find them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.