What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.   James 1:27

A story given me…

While I was in foster care, in the home of a minister, my friends taunted me, saying that my mom would never return to get me. But they were wrong. She came for me after proving she could be a responsible adult by holding down a job and securing living quarters for her children.  As I was getting ready to leave his home, the minister spoke to my mom in private. I later found out that he had saved all the money he had received for my foster care. He gave it to my mom to help her get a fresh start. My foster dad was living out the truth of the scripture verse above.

But that verse from James goes much deeper in its meaning. An orphan is someone who has no living biological parents, but in a sense we are all spiritual orphans until we recognize God as our father. If we are to live “pure and genuine religion,” we must care for spiritual orphans by guiding them to relationship with our Father in heaven. My foster dad surely did, and my mom and I are living proof of the power of God to redeem broken lives through those who obey God’s word in scripture.

Thank you, Father, that you make provision through your people to care for the orphans and widows of the world. Amen.

Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go.  Psalm 143:8

Sometimes we try to act as if we are God. We begin to believe we can control our world and what goes on in it. By that I mean we let our vanity and ego take over our thoughts and actions. Sometimes it takes a major change in our lives for us to realize we are not in control. A death in the family, a divorce, or a serious illness shakes us loose from our delusion of power.  For me it was that I had given myself credit for my accomplishments: being able to graduate from college, obtaining a good job, buying a home. But I learned during my illness that I am not in control and that only by letting go and accepting God’s guidance would I truly be a disciple of Christ. I made the decision to live that way, and I now give God praise and credit for my accomplishments.  Life has new meaning for me. I still fall back into my old ways, but I don’t stay there long. My daily reading and time in prayer, giving thanks and seeking God’s will, allow me to “let go” again. I don’t have to try to control the world any longer. I leave that to God.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1-2

Have you ever heard someone say, “There has to be more to life than this”? That statement is generally spawned from those who are struggling to climb the corporate ladder or trying to keep up with the Joneses. Yet, that statement fails to encompass the reality that there is much more to life.  Even if your life is going great, God has a better, more beautiful life out there for you. And it begins when you realize that life is elevated through giving, not getting.  Nothing you accumulate can ever take the place of the excitement and joy that is derived from giving. It is exhilarating and energizing.  When you give generously, you are imitating the very nature of God. You are being conformed into the image of Christ. And you are embracing a quality that has the power and potential to change the world.

Dear Father, I know that there’s more to life than what I have. Please help me to not be concerned about my material wealth or social status. Instead, I want to focus on imitating you, utilizing this life-changing power of generosity, so that I can help others as you have demonstrated to me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Think of John Wayne, Martha Stewart and Hillary Clinton. Isn’t it interesting how a name can conjure up certain associations in our mind? Whether or not these associations are accurate will depend on our actual knowledge of that person. The more we know, the more accurate we   When we think of God, we can come up with all kinds of traits that make up his character. But to be accurate, we really need to see God as he is, and then mimic those traits in our lives. One characteristic that is commonly overlooked is God’s generosity. 

God’s giving nature is evident throughout the Bible. He illustrates his generosity with the ultimate act of giving, which was expressed through the generous gift of his Son for the forgiveness of mankind. And we need to mirror God’s generosity in our life so that by example, others can be brought closer to Jesus Christ.  

Dear God, You are a generous God and you gave me the ultimate gift of all—salvation through your son Jesus Christ. Please help me to be more generous in my life, so that I can be a better example to others as I reflect your generosity. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.  Romans 13:11

AS a pastor, every Advent I tell folks, “Over the ages, Christians have found it a beneficial discipline to simply wait; to wait simply; and while they’re waiting, to take an inventory of their lives.” And then people tell me, “Don’t be such a party-pooper.” Honestly, I don’t enjoy the role of John the Baptist who calls people to repentance. I prefer being Mike the Methodist who attends a slew of Sunday school Christmas parties.  Yet we are called to prepare for Christ’s coming as we wait. We prepare for Jesus’ coming by acknowledging our need for him. Realizing that we need Jesus isn’t very merry. It requires us to be honest about what’s missing in our lives and about what’s wrong with us. Advent calls us to recognize that the void in our soul cannot be filled by gadgets, entertainment, food, alcohol, drugs, sports, busyness, travel, work, religion, or church. We know that because we’ve tried. These do not satisfy because the void in us is a God-shaped hole that only the Holy One can fill.

Advent prepares us to see that Jesus, the baby in the manger, is the Holy One of God. If we do not wake up, our sleepy eyes will not recognize God in the baby who looks more like us than like God.

An incident in my workplace caused a misunderstanding between me and one of my colleagues, and we argued. She at once stopped talking to me. My first thought was to treat her the same way, but then I remembered the verse, “A soft answer turns away wrath.” I prayed silently, asking God to give me grace in this situation. I continued to talk with her and offered her help whenever she required it. Slowly she started speaking with me in her usual cheerful manner, and soon the small tiff was forgotten.  I was happy that I listened to the Spirit’s guidance and applied the words of scripture to my life. Whatever our circumstances, if we trust in God and put the wisdom of scripture into practice, the Lord is able to work everything out for our good. God can give us grace to be loving even in times of disagreement. Treating others kindly also sets an example for those around us. Perhaps by doing so we can help them realize the true meaning of Christianity. 

Lord, give us grace to live in Christ like ways so that we bring others to you by our example. Amen.

“Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Joshua 3:4a

Do you have a fear of the unknown? If so, then you know how nerve-racking it can be. Fearing the unknown can cause us to live on pins and needles as we spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear: 

1.      The future is not here.

2.      The future is not ours. 

While the future may be out of our hands, it’s not out of the hands of an adequate and trustworthy God. When we face a worrisome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example.  It’s recorded in the first chapter of Joshua that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land—the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants.

Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God’s direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God’s Presence abided) to follow it because they had “never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). In essence God was saying, Follow Me and I’ll see you through this unknown territory.

 That’s not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence ever faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them?

You see, friend, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you’ve never passed through before and you’re afraid. It may be the first time you’ve been without employment. Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. You’ve never been down this road before and you don’t know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way.  Joshua’s life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me too. When we come to a place we’ve never passed through before, God is always present to help us.  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:2,3b).

Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances. 

Dear Lord, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknown in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in [Jesus] because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  John 4:39

Sometimes I hesitate to talk about God with those around me. Feeling inadequate, I wonder how I can explain that Jesus is alive and loves us deeply. Arguing will not persuade them of the truth. Today’s reading showed me how one woman successfully shared the good news about Jesus.  Quite simply, the woman at the well could not hide her excitement. “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did,” she exclaimed, eager for others to get to know him, too. Instead of a clever argument, she enthusiastically described her meeting with the Savior, making him real to those who listened. Because of that woman’s testimony, many Samaritans in her town believed in Jesus.  So when I struggle to find the right words, I think of the Samaritan oman and remind myself that I can simply explain that God knows all about me — the good and the bad — and still loves and accepts me. Why would I make sharing the gospel more complicated than this? No amount of clever arguments will win hearts as much as will our communicating the joy of knowing God — and the joy of God’s knowing all about us and loving us anyway.

God of all knowledge, so fill us with joy that talking about you is easy and natural. Amen.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.  I Samuel 16:7

Most people spend time each morning diligently preparing for the day. Our routines generally consist of picking out the right clothes, brushing our hair and teeth and then analyzing ourselves in front of a mirror. And some spend more time than others.  As well put together as we may be (or think we are) when we look in the mirror, our appearance adds nothing to our true value. The quality of our shoes won’t make a difference at all if we walk past someone in need. The price of our wallet doesn’t do a thing for our personal worth if we aren’t generous to others.  There’s a danger when we rely on our outward appearance to determine our worth, because it gives us a false sense of what God wants us to reflect to others. What we should do instead is realize that when people look to us, they need someone of true value, someone with a ready heart, someone who is willing to look to their needs and not just a reflection in the mirror.

Dear God, It can be so easy to rush through my morning routine without also preparing my heart. Instead of being consumed with how I look each day, help me to also have a heart for those in need and to look for ways I can add value to their day. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.   James 2:1

Most of us, at one time or another, have had mental lists of the people we like to hang out with and those we don’t. And everyone, it seems, falls into one of two categories: the counts or the no-counts.  Some of us would prefer to rub shoulders with the wealthy, while others have a tendency to resent the rich. But no matter what our socioeconomic status is, chances are that we have found ourselves on both sides of the list—the judging side, and the side that’s being judged. 

In the verse above, James says that this type of attitude is a sin. It does not honor God, nor does it help us become a mature and authentic follower of Christ.  Jesus never showed favoritism. He sought the downtrodden, the prostitute, the tax collector, the sinner. Why? Because we all need a Savior. And because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection being for all people, God is adamant that we reflect the same attitude. Everyone is equal and everyone is to be treated as a part of the royal family of God.

Dear God, I know that there are times when I show favoritism to certain people. I ask that in those moments, you remind me of the selfless work that Jesus Christ did. Help me to look to his example of equality and show that same equality to everyone I meet. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen