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Speaking of Life 5053│The Why of Praise
Jeff Broadnax
Many people are familiar with Psalm 100. It’s called a “psalm of thanksgiving,” and it encourages the entire earth to “make a joyful noise.” That sounds like a good time to me! But what I want to focus on today is the why – why should we “make a joyful noise?”
Let’s set the stage by reading what we should be doing:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.Give thanks to him; bless his name.
Psalm 100:1-4 (NRSVUE)
Notice all the things we “should” be doing – making a joyful noise, serving with gladness, singing, knowing that God is our Creator, and giving thanks and blessings to the Divine. While these verses can be instructional, if you’re like me, you often want to know “why” you need to do something. And by knowing why, it connects the head with the heart. Our actions become linked to heartfelt emotion, and what might have been routine, mindless acts suddenly become infused with meaning.
Let’s look at the last verse of Psalm 100 to understand why we would even consider making a joyful noise, serving with gladness, or any of the other actions the first four verses tell us we should do:
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100: 5 (NRSVUE)
The reason we respond with a joyful noise and thanksgiving is because God is good, but verse 5 does more than leave the definition of “good” up to our human imaginations. It defines God’s goodness as “steadfast love” and “faithfulness.”
The phrase “steadfast love,” can be more expansively defined as “kindness or love between people” or the idea of giving yourself fully to another. God gives steadfast love fully to each one of us, and we know this by Jesus’ crucifixion, where God’s Son endured the hatred and mistreatment of humankind so that we could be brought into the triune relationship. We also have evidence of the fullness of God’s steadfast love through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Comforter, who lives in us.
The word “faithfulness,” refers to trustworthiness in relationships. God’s way of moving in the world reflects his loyalty and commitment to humanity. This trustworthiness in relationships was demonstrated by Jesus’ commitment to people who were often marginalized in his culture, like women, children, and Gentiles. Jesus went out of his way to encourage, hang out with, and even heal those who had no power or money to offer him. This is God’s way of showing his trustworthy commitment to people while pointing out the problems with man-made systems and cultures.
God’s complete commitment and loyalty to all of humanity is what inspires our praise. When we make that “joyful noise,” it’s because we understand the goodness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
May we make a joyful noise, knowing the fullness of our triune God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5052 | The Heart of the Father
Greg Williams
Do you ever notice how often we are drawn into the negative rather than the positive? You give a presentation and several people comment on how helpful it was, but one person tells you it was a waste of his time. Which comment do you spend the most time thinking about? For many of us, we allow the negative to outweigh the positive. We can look at Scripture the same way. Rather than see the blessings of what is being said, we focus on what we perceive as the negative. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is a good example of this.
In this parable, Jesus talks about a man who is preparing to go on a journey. He calls his servants in and entrusts part of his property to each one. To one servant he gives 5 talents, to another he gives 2 talents and to the third, he gives 1 talent.
When he returns, the one who had 5 invested wisely, doubled the value and now has 10 talents for the owner. Likewise, the one who has 2 doubled it and now has 4. But the one who had one talent didn’t do anything with the talent, he buried it and simply tried to return it because he implied he was afraid of the owner. I’ve heard many sermons focusing on the unprofitable servant – and certainly, there are lessons there. But we fail to see the good news in this parable. Note how the man responded to the other two servants.
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’Matthew 25:20-23 (ESV)**
Jesus is showing through this parable that God wants to bless us. He wants us to enter into his joy. He gives us gifts and talents so that we can use them, investing them into relationships, service, and loving others. The result is greater blessings and living in his joy.
What is the Father’s joy? Among other things, being with us, listening to us, walking with us, and loving us because we are his beloved children.
Jesus uses this parable to show us the Father’s heart. He will never force us to love him or use the gifts and talents he gives us, but when we do, he multiplies them beyond our wildest dreams. That’s the heart of the Father.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5051│You Don’t Have to Be a Girl Scout
Michelle Fleming
I was involved in Girl Scouts when I was younger. Maybe you were a Girl Scout or Boy Scout, too. The motto for Scouts is “Be Prepared.” This reminds me of the way Christians have been warned to be prepared for Christ’s return. One example that’s often cited is the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids where Jesus is telling his disciples what the kingdom of heaven is like.
The story goes like this:
Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:1-13
Passages like this one have often been plucked from scripture without thinking about them in the context of other direct commandments Jesus said or the way he behaved in the world. This story sounds out of character for Jesus who told us to love and serve others and put them first.
We don’t base theological doctrine on a parable because a parable wasn’t meant to be used that way. It’s a story that offers us the opportunity to consider truth from the point of view of different characters. In this parable, we see that the five bridesmaids who had plenty of oil believed that being self-reliant was more important than helping others. The five bridesmaids who didn’t prepare believed they deserved help from the ones who prepared. I mean, they had fallen asleep, waiting. But what if the parable isn’t about what the bridesmaids should have done or shouldn’t have done? What if it isn’t about the bridesmaids at all? Let’s consider a different perspective.
We assume that the five bridesmaids who ran out of oil are called foolish because they ran out of oil. But what if the reason they’re called foolish is because they listened to the other bridesmaids who told them to go buy more and then ended up missing the wedding? Maybe they were foolish because they forgot who the Bridegroom was and what he was capable of. This bridegroom was The Light of the World, and he didn’t need their lamps. They were foolish because they allowed their shame over running out of oil to drive them to try to fix it, and thus they missed the wedding banquet.
When the Bridegroom says, “I don’t know you,” he’s also saying that they didn’t really know him. And this is part of the lesson of this parable. When we focus on Jesus, we know he is the one who makes us enough. He is the light we need when our own lamps run low. He is sufficient.
May we be blessed with the understanding that we are made whole and enough in Christ.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5050 | Expect the Unexpected
Greg Williams
We typically don’t like the unexpected. We don’t like it when our car unexpectedly refuses to turn over, or our computer unexpectedly crashes. Worse, an unexpected loss of employment creates great turmoil and loss of personal confidence. And we certainly don’t like unexpected health difficulties. But these are the realities we face, and we quickly learn to expect the unexpected along with all the frustration and heartache it can bring.
However, not all things unexpected are bad. An unexpected gift or raise can turn a sour day around in a hurry. I’m sure we can all remember with joy some unexpected blessing that came our way, large or small.
So, here’s a question. What should we expect from the Lord? Is he full of unexpected surprises?
The biblical witness seems to present… well, an unexpected answer to that question. We are presented with a God who is unchanging, yet, at the same time, full of unexpected surprises.
Listen to Psalm 107 the paradox of God’s unchanging nature described by images of unexpected natural events.
“Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield.”
Psalm 107:31-37 (ESV)
It’s interesting how the psalmist refers to the Lord’s steadfast love but then equates that steadfastness with images of great reversals. It appears that the Lord is steadfast in bringing the unexpected. But did you notice the direction of the unexpected? It was always for blessing. We can expect the rivers of evil to run dry, while also expecting the deserts of his children to become fruitful.
With God, there is always good news ahead. Rivers run dry, but he refills them. Deserts become springs of water. Sinners become believers and followers of Christ. It’s easy to look around and get discouraged at the state of the world, so Jesus tells us to lift our eyes and gaze upon him. He is the restorer of all things. He is the one who works his blessings in unexpected ways.
As we wind down the season of Ordinary Time and enter the season of Advent, let’s continually look to him and learn to expect the unexpected. Ordinary Time ends with Christ the King Sunday – and no one expected the King of kings to enter our world as he did. God loves to surprise with the unexpected – it’s part of the mystery of who he is.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5049│CliffsNotes About Love
Jeff Broadnax
You may have used CliffsNotes as a student to help you get a better grasp of your coursework. They are study guides that summarize different subjects, like organic chemistry, US history, and classic works of literature. If you had three classic novels to read in a short time, you probably used CliffsNotes to help you understand the most important points. You may have even unsuccessfully tried to get away with using CliffsNotes as a substitute for actually reading those classic works of literature. Guilty!
Distilling the most important concepts into easy-to-remember bites can help us learn. We read in Matthew 22 that the Pharisees were interested in what Jesus considered the most important points of the law, though their motives were to test him rather than to learn from him. Jesus’ response helps us to understand the role that love plays in the keeping of the law, and in our relationship with God and other people:
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:34-40 (NRSVUE)
Jesus’ response comes from two sources, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Leviticus 19:18, and it highlights that the law is based on our response to God and to others. Jesus said all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments; they are the CliffsNotes to how to respond to God and how to respond to others – with love.
Jesus added to this in the Upper Room with his disciples when he told them he was giving them a new commandment – to love others as he loves us. In this case, it’s not about the law and the prophets, it’s about relationship.
This is another of God’s CliffsNotes; this one summarizes how to be in the right relationship with others.
Where does this love come from? From the author of all love – God himself.
In another passage we are told, God is love. We can love because he first loved us.
Jesus’ new commandment, “Love others as I have loved you.” Moves beyond the law and the prophets and tells us to love without expectations. To walk alongside people, to encourage them, to provide healing and comfort for them, because we are connected to the Source, a God who is love. When we put others first – just like Jesus did for us – we are fulfilling the two great commandments and the new commandment.
As we feel the love from God, for God, for others, and even for ourselves, may we be blessed with a greater understanding of Love’s embrace as we pursue a deeper relationship with the triune God and other people.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
The post Speaking of Life 5049│CliffsNotes About Love appeared first on Grace Communion International.
Speaking of Life 5048 | No Exception to the Rule
Greg Williams
The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B band best known for their hit song, “Everybody Plays the Fool.” Although the song is about unrequited love, its refrain alone speaks to us all.
“Everybody plays the fool sometime
There’s no exception to the rule”
That’s hard to argue with. I’m sure we can all remember some scenario of being played a fool. It comes with a feeling of shame and embarrassment along with the real cost we had to pay for falling for some deceitful scheme. An experienced con artist or unscrupulous salesperson has claimed many a victim with their devious tactics. Sooner or later, the song will prove to be true, “Everybody plays the fool sometime.”
However, for the Christian, we know the song is not completely true. There does stand among us one “exception to the rule.” And that exception is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus knew we would be no match for the deceit and fraud of the devil. So, he stands in for us as the one who does not play the fool.
One Gospel story illustrates this with Jesus being put in a no-win spot. It begins with the Pharisees and the Herodians conspiring together; these are two groups who are typically opposed to one another. They device a trick question about paying the Roman tax that will put Jesus walking a tightrope between the Roman authorities and the Jewish people.
After an attempt to butter Jesus up with flattery, they lay out their trick question. Let’s listen in to see how Jesus answers:
“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.” Matthew 22:17-22 (ESV)
Notice first that Jesus was not tricked. He was aware of their intent to trap him. We often only become aware by hindsight. He then calls them out for who they are, “hypocrites.” Jesus is not afraid to call out those who yield power and influence.
Jesus has answered in a way that avoids being accused of subversion to the Roman empire, while at the same time affirming the Jewish belief of the allegiance that only belongs to the One in whose image they are made.
And he does all this while presenting us with the choice we must all make. Do we give ourselves over to the manipulating, and deceitful ways of this world, or do we give ourselves to Jesus, God’s own Son who is our High Priest?
In the end, we can trust that our High Priest will walk back all the former times that we played the fool, redeeming us and leaving us in amazement as well. And on this note the song rings true: There’s no exception to the rule.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5047 | Acknowledging God’s Faithfulness
Cara Garrity
Last year I adopted two golden retriever puppies, Bumi and Zuko. One of the most endearing things they do is greet me with all their excitement when I return home. They’ll run up to me wagging their tails, then run around looking for toys to bring me. Sometimes I’ll even let them be a little naughty and jump on me in their excitement.
On the flip side of their warm welcomes home, they struggled for many months whenever I left. Sometimes they would bark for up to ten minutes after I left the house before they settled down. Bumi would even start whining and barking if I walked into the other room. They became anxious when they couldn’t see me. It took them some time for them to learn that I would always return – I will never abandon them.
There is a story in the book of Exodus where Moses goes up to Mt. Horeb to meet with God. It seems to the Israelites that Moses is taking his sweet time and so they start to grow restless. Perhaps, something has happened to him, they wonder.
In the 106th Psalm, the psalmist writes a song about this, highlighting the failure of the Israelites to trust God, despite all that he had previously done for them.
At Horeb they made a calf and worshipped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. Psalms 106:19-22
Rather than waiting for Moses to return, the Israelites decided to take matters into their own hands. They created a false image of God and his character rather than trusting in God’s unchanging continual care for them.
In times of uncertainty, we can become anxious. We may be tempted to trust in things that we find around us to give us comfort. We look to created things rather than to our Creator for hope and meaning but our true comfort comes from Christ and his continual commitment to us.
Have you possibly fashioned idols in your life while growing impatient in seeing God work in and through you?
Remember when God has shown himself faithful to you. Where you have seen his provision, his grace, and his deliverance from difficult circumstances.
Return to these altars as memorials that the Father sees you, he sees Christ in you, and you in Christ. You never have to fear his return as he has promised to never leave you in the first place, but promises to live with you, and in you, by his Spirit.
Go ahead, feel elated, and jump up on the Master of your soul. Let him know how glad you are to know that you can trust in his continual faithfulness.
I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5046 | Trash and Treasure
Greg Williams
You’ve heard the phrase, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There are numerous stories of people purchasing something at a rummage sale that proved to be quite valuable. I collect coins, and I’ve been fortunate to find a few coins that someone else has discarded because they didn’t see the value in the coin.
Jesus tells a parable to a group of chief priests and Jewish elders about people destroying something valuable because they didn’t know its worth. In this parable, the thing of value is a person. The parable is in Matthew 21 , and Jesus talks about a landowner who built a vineyard and then leased the vineyard to some tenants. When harvest time came, he decided to send some servants to collect his portion of the harvest. The tenants killed the servants. He sent more servants, and they killed them as well. Finally, he decided to send his son, saying, “They will respect my son.” But the tenants killed the son as well. Jesus then asked these religious leaders the following:
Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits.
Matthew 21:40-43 (NRSVUA)
Jesus’ parable, of course, is a summary of God’s relationship with Israel and Judah. He sent a number of prophets to his beloved people to encourage them to return to him, and these prophets were often tortured and killed. The religious leaders were quite familiar with their history. Jesus was letting them know that he knew his future, that he would be killed by the very people God chose so many generations before. And shortly after delivering this parable, the Jewish leaders did just what the parable predicted, they killed the one sent to deliver them.
And the rest of Jesus’ words also came to pass. Killing Jesus did not bring them the victory they might have anticipated, instead, it started a kingdom work that is still going and still growing.
Beginning with Abraham, God gave the opportunity to a few to participate with him in showing others who he truly is – a Father who loves his children. Later he chose the nation of Israel and told them they were chosen to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We know the history. They continued to rebel and disobey God to the point that they rejected the very Son of God and crucified him.
In this parable, Jesus is telling them they are no longer the ones God entrusts to share his kingdom’s message of mercy and grace. Now the message has been entrusted to those who believe – Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female – all who believe and follow Jesus.
Others may look down on us because of whom we follow; they don’t see the value of being a believer. They might see what they consider trash. But God sees treasure, and he has invited you and me to participate in his kingdom work – sharing the love and life of Jesus with others. May we live as the treasured of God and bear the kind of fruit that brings glory to him.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5045│ Undercover Jesus
Michelle Fleming
There’s a TV show called Undercover Boss. Maybe you’ve watched it before. The show revolves around a high-ranking executive or business owner who goes undercover as an entry-level employee in their own company, taking an alias, changing their appearance, and making up a back story. These undercover bosses work in different locations with their unsuspecting employees, and they learn a lot about their own business and their employees.
If we think about Jesus’ incarnation, we might compare it to God showing up in an unexpected way. No one would suspect a craftsman from Nazareth with his questionable parentage and birth story. In Matthew 21, an altercation between the chief priests, elders, and Jesus shows us that they almost blew his cover:
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Matthew 21:23-27 (NRSVUE)
It might be more accurate to say that they did figure out he was the Son of God undercover, but if they acknowledged that, they might lose their power and authority over the people. Undercover Jesus was not the Messiah they had expected. He didn’t look rich or powerful, and he certainly didn’t exert his authority over the common person as they did. Jesus went out of his way to disrupt their authority. So when Jesus asked them where John got his authority to baptize, they lied and said they didn’t know.
Jesus learned a lot about his people that day, just like undercover bosses learn what it is like to walk a day in their employees’ shoes – their joys and their struggles. The chief priests and elders let their expectations blind them to the Son of God standing right in front of them. Jesus taught that those who repented and turned back toward their Father would be first in the Kingdom of God, while those who stubbornly resisted divine love wouldn’t understand the peace and joy that was theirs all along.
Think about the expectations we have for the way God shows up in the world. Do we resist the peace God wants us to have because we think God should show up in our lives in a certain way? Holding fast to expectations doesn’t allow for the mystery of God to unfold in our lives in the way God deems best. We need to let God do his work in our lives because we can trust that whatever he is doing is for our good. God may be working undercover in ways that are far beyond anything we could imagine.
May we let go of expectations that keep us captive to unhelpful thoughts about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Instead, may we be open to the mystery, love, joy, and peace of God.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5044 | God’s Generosity
Greg Williams
I grew up in apple country. My grandparents and my parents owned apple orchards, and each year we would hire laborers during harvest time to pick and pack apples. We paid a fair wage, and we rarely had trouble finding laborers. Sometimes a worker had to leave early or start late for some unforeseen reason, and I sometimes saw my dad or my grandfather pay them a full day’s wage anyway. Still, I’m not sure I ever saw them do the practice we read about in the book of Matthew.
In chapter 20, Jesus tells an interesting parable to illuminate the kingdom of God. He spoke about a landowner who sought to hire workers to labor in his vineyard. Similar to when I was young, day laborers at that time would gather at a central location and wait to be hired. The landowner hired his first batch of apple-pickers early in the morning, around 6:00, and agreed to pay them a denarius, which was the typical daily wage for work like this. He went out and hired workers at 9:00, 12:00, 3:00, and 5:00. When evening came, the landowner decided to pay all of the workers, starting with the last hired. Seeing that the landowner paid those hired at 5:00 a denarius, those hired first expected to be paid more. When they also received a denarius, they began to complain. Those hired at 5:00 only worked one hour yet were paid the same wage as those who worked for 12 hours in the hot sun. In Matthew 20, we read the interesting response of the landowner in Jesus’ story:
But he answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.
Matthew 20:13-16
A lot is going on in this story. The one central lesson is that God, the landowner is good, gracious, and generous to all of his servants. This is the triune God’s nature, all the time.
The concept of human fairness is brought into question. How can a laborer who worked just one hour get the same pay as a laborer who worked 12 hours? The story is not really about labor laws and fair wages. It is about a personal God who offers grace and salvation to all.
Let me ask a strange question – “Are grace and salvation better for me than they are for you?” There are no degrees of separation, and Jesus’ teachings always deflate the notion of a competition or contest.
The landowner has space and rewards for all. As Jesus assured his followers, “In my house are many mansions.”
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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This story of the merciful king and the unforgiving slave, shared by Jesus, illustrates the nature of God’s forgiveness. It shows that despite our human doubts and fears, we can trust in the reality of God’s grace and love, which Jesus came to reveal to humanity. This revelation empowers us to extend forgiveness and love to others, just as we have received it from God, without doubting that such goodness is too good to be true.
When our world feels divided, it’s good news that Jesus can help us in our relationships, especially when we argue or hold grudges. He can be with us when we try to make peace with someone who hurt us, and with God’s help, we can see others as Jesus does, treat them kindly, and heal our broken relationships.
Speaking of Life 5041│Christ, Conqueror of My Soul
Cara Garrity
The English poet, William Ernest Henley, was an avowed atheist. You might recognize his name from his famous poem entitled, “Invictus.” Invictus is Latin for “Unconquered.”
Several generations of high school and college students have had this poem quoted to them at their graduation ceremonies around the world.
The last line of this poem boasts this:
It matters not how strait the gait,
how charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.1
Many have risen to their feet with applause upon hearing this inspiring declaration. I wonder how these words fall on your ears. Do they make you want to go out and conquer the world?
While we mortal beings do possess great power and can achieve a great many things, are we truly the masters of our own fate, the captains of our own souls?
In his gospel, Matthew records Jesus’ stinging rebuke to one of his closest disciples. After hearing from Jesus that he was going to suffer and die, Peter challenged Jesus to be the master of his own fate, the captain of his soul.
Jesus stopped that train of thought and informed Peter in no uncertain terms that he didn’t have the things of God in mind. Following those words, Jesus clarifies where true life is found – by following him.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it do for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Matthew 16:24-26
Jesus makes it clear to his disciples, and to us, that as his followers, we must die to our self-will. Entering into life with Christ, opens us to experience his love and the greater reality of his kingdom. Captived by Christ we realize that our longings and desires are met through participating with him in drawing humanity into the Father’s loving embrace. We trade our self-generated ideas of glory in for giving him the glory trusting he is working for our good.
We must die to the very idea of being the masters of our own destinies. Someone else is in charge, and that someone is Jesus. He is the One who entered into our suffering, conquered our souls with the Father’s love, and who through the leading of the Holy Spirit brings us into a destiny that is far greater than one who we could ask for or imagine.
In response to Henley’s “Invictus”, Dorothy Day penned her poem, entitled “Conquered”. The opening line states:
Out of the light that dazzles me,
bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be,
for Christ-the conqueror of my soul.2
Captivated by Christ may you trade your self will for the glorious destiny he has in store for all of humanity.
I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
1) Invictus by William Ernest Henley | Poetry Foundation
2) www.desiringgod.org/articles/invictus-redeemed
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Jesus shows us what it means to be a whole person, restored for relationships, and living in harmony with God’s intention for his beloved children.
Just as James Clear’s tragic accident led him on a path of growth and resilience, Joseph’s trials and hardships eventually placed him for greatness and allowed him to be a blessing to many. In both stories, God is present. We are reminded that even during our difficulties, we can trust that God is working for our good and that he can bring beauty out of our pain.
When we forget God’s presence and what he has done for us, we experience fear and anxiety. Through constant reminders from the Bible and our Christian community, we can find peace and joy in remembering that Christ is always with us even in our darkest days.
Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32 shows how God humbly engages with us, allowing us to boldly wrestle and be transformed. By surrendering ourselves to be molded and transformed by God’s unwavering love, we fulfill the intimacy desired by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Just as we can demonstrate stubbornness in our unwavering love for our family or friends, God’s faithfulness and love towards us are characterized by an unyielding commitment that nothing can separate us from His love. In Romans, we are assured that nothing in all creation can hinder or break the relationship of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, giving us hope, courage, and the assurance of His unwavering affection.
In our mission to engage with the world, we must remember that we don’t “take” Jesus to places. Rather, we join Him where He already is. Just as God was present in Jacob’s ordinary place, Jesus is already at work in our neighborhoods. Knowing all this, we can confidently love our neighbors and bear witness to the greatness of our Lord, knowing that He is with us wherever we go.
As we reflect on how short life can be, from a Christian perspective, we can shift our focus to the reality that “death is short” compared to the eternal life we have in Christ. By trusting in God’s faithful word and the resurrection life found in Christ, we can live each day fully, knowing that death no longer has the final word, and eternity with Christ awaits us.
Even when we struggle keeping resolutions, the apostle Paul reminds us that our own efforts often fall short. Instead, our hopes and answers lie in Jesus Christ, who brings us true change and delivers us from sin, offering us peace and the power to live transformed lives. He is the ultimate resolution we need, this year and every year to come.
The word “therefore” in the Bible indicates that God’s commands are rooted in important truths or promises, and are for our good and based on his love for us. In Romans, Paul reminds us not to let sin dominate our bodies because of our union with Christ, which frees us from sin’s bondage and allows us to live in righteousness.
When Christ died on the cross, our old sinful nature died with him. This means we are free from the captivity of sin and can live a new life in Christ. We can live a life of love by helping, loving the people around us, and seeing the world through Jesus’ eyes.
Just as we rely on an emergency number like 9-1-1 for immediate help in serious situations, we depend on the Lord to answer our cries for help. The Psalmist expresses this trust, reminding us that we can call on the Lord in times of trouble and be confident that He hears us and responds with the right answer at the right time.
The story of Yogi Berra’s quote “It ain’t over ’til it’s over” is used to illustrate the power of hope and belief in the face of adversity. Similarly, as Christians, we are called to believe in God’s promises, even when our circumstances seem insurmountable, just like Abraham did. Through Christ, all of God’s promises are fulfilled, and we can trust that God will never go back on His word.
Speaking of Life 5028 | Trinity Sunday
Greg Williams
Today marks the midpoint in our annual Christian worship calendar, all of which points to Jesus. The first half of the calendar is made of several seasons of celebration starting with Advent and ending on Pentecost. The second half of the worship calendar falls under one continuous theme called Ordinary Time. Essentially, the first half of the calendar focuses on the significance of the life and ministry of Jesus and the revelation it gives us. And the second half focuses on living out the implications of what was revealed in the first half. A deep understanding of who Jesus is – his nature, his salvific acts, his manner of interaction with others … this all informs and empowers us to better participate with him in the world today.
Appropriately, the first Sunday that serves as the transition between the first and second half of the liturgical calendar is given a special name—Trinity Sunday. As a recap, we begin the year celebrating the coming of Jesus with Advent and Christmas. Then we celebrate the Father’s love for the world revealed in Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection during the Easter season. Finally, we conclude the first half of the year by celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on Pentecost. It’s a good lead to Trinity Sunday, where we are reminded that the God we worship is not the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in isolation from each other. Rather, the God we worship is the triune God who exists in the perfect communion of all three, Father, Son, and Spirit. So, on this special day, we do more than celebrate a doctrine. We celebrate the beauty and mystery of the God we come to know in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.
There will be much to unpack in the second half of the Christian calendar. But for now, we can conclude the first half of the calendar with the same words Paul used to conclude his second letter to the Corinthians.
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 (ESV)
This, my friends, is a good way to conclude the first half of the Christian calendar – rejoicing and aiming to live out the grace, love, and fellowship of the triune God revealed and given to us in Jesus Christ.
Happy Trinity Sunday, and may the next few months of Ordinary Time be extraordinary!
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5027 | Cooperative GamesJeff Broadnax
Have you ever played a cooperative board game? Cooperative games have become a popular alternative to the common competitive board games like Monopoly, Clue, or Risk. Competitive games have multiple players, but everyone competes against one another to be the sole winner at the end.
A cooperative board game works differently. Cooperative games also have multiple players, but instead of competing against one another, everyone works together to achieve a common goal or to survive a shared crisis. Games like solving a Murder Mystery, beating the clock in an Escape Room, or completing a big puzzle. Everyone either wins together or loses together. Players must work together and strategize by using the different tools, skills, or powers that are assigned to each player. Each participant is vital, and their distinct role is necessary to complete the mission. Even if you lose in the end, the shared experience is usually more rewarding than being the sole winner of a competitive game.
If the church were a board game, it would be a cooperative board game.
Here is a passage in 1 Corinthians that leads me to that conclusion:
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (ESV)
According to the apostle Paul, each member of the church, like players in a cooperative game, are given unique gifts by the Spirit that add up for the good of all. The common good of the church, which will contribute to its worship and witness, is impeded when lone competitors try to come out on top. In a healthy church, everyone works together, in community, sharing with one another their gifts, in order to participate in what Jesus is doing as the head of his church. No one is considered dispensable or interchangeable. Each plays a vital role as a member of the body of Christ.
The gifts of the Spirit all come from the same source and are given to accomplish the same ends—to grow up into Christ, participating in what he is doing in the church for the sake of the world.
Imagine how healthy a church can be when we all bring our gifts together for the common good. Our journey together will be far more rewarding and far more productive. Who’s ready to play?
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5026 | Reaching out to the LonelyGreg Williams
Are you a fan of the Beatles? If so, you may remember their well-known song, Eleanor Rigby. In the chorus they sing, “…look at all the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”
Despite the many tools we have to stay connected, younger generations in western culture have been described by mental health professionals as the loneliest generation.[1]
Wrestling with feeling alone is an experience most of us can identify with and it brings us to ask the same nagging question posed by the Beatles – where do I belong?
Thankfully God supplies an answer in a wonderful scripture, Psalm 68 tells us that God is for us and with us:
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him – his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.
Psalm 68:4-6a
Where there is a need for relationship, we see our loving Father in heaven ready to step in and bring healing and an end to the loneliness. In the church, we are blessed to join in our ministry of inclusion. God sets the lonely in families, and we can be those families: ready to accept, love, and encourage the lonely souls God sets before us.
Lend an ear to the chatty person on the bus in desperate need for conversation, not just once or twice, but whenever you are able!
Make a point of speaking to the quiet individual often ignored in the back corner of the room – and not just about the weather – find out what they enjoy talking about!
Keep your eyes and ears open so you can see those who are feeling lonely, and you can reach out to them.
If someone seems like an outsider, then help them feel the belonging that can be found in a loving community that shares the love that God has given them.
The ways in which we can join in God’s ministry of inclusion are many, and often require us to be ready to step out of our own social bubbles, or out of our own state of loneliness so that we can truly engage with those in need of relationship and care.
Let Jesus’ love in you reach out to the lonely around you. Show them they matter. As the doors open, share God’s love with them and help them see they are included among those God loves. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll end up in a new relationship that God has prepared for you.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-case-connection/202208/3-things-making-gen-z-the-loneliest-generation
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Speaking Of Life 5025 │ Not An Orphan
Michelle Fleming
When I was growing up, I remember reading several books that had an orphan as the main character. Maybe you did, too. Remember Cinderella, Anne of Green Gables, and even Harry Potter? The children in these stories were left without parents, and their plots revolved around how well they fit into another family’s dynamic. Often, they felt like outsiders – unwanted and alone.
At the Last Supper, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was coming: his betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He reassured them that while things would be different without him present, they would not be alone. Let’s look at John 14:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
John 14:15-20 (NRSVUE)
Notice that Jesus refers to “another Advocate,” the “Spirit of Truth,” who would always be with the disciples. Jesus was their first Advocate; now the Holy Spirit would be another companion who would always be with them. The Spirit’s goal is not to replace Jesus, but to share the presence of the Father and the risen Son to those who trusted them.
Since the Bible often refers to people as the “children of God,” it makes sense that Jesus would use the word “orphaned.” We’ll have the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, and because of the triune relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit, we’re brought into their fellowship. We’re not like Cinderella who was mistreated and forced to become a servant. Instead, we’re welcomed into the family of God as cherished members, never to be left on our own again.
By sharing with the disciples about the Spirit of Truth, Jesus is telling them that life will go on after the heartbreak of the crucifixion. He says, “You will see me; because I live, you also will live.”
The resurrection was not the end of the story but the very beginning, thanks to the Spirit of Truth who will never leave us as orphans. May you know how completely you’re loved and accepted by the Father, Son, and Spirit, and may you trust that you’re never alone.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5024 | Describing the IndescribableGreg Williams
Have you ever tried to describe a moment so wonderful that it defies your best efforts? How do you describe the feeling of watching the sunset over the mountains or the moment you held your child for the first time? Trying to share the things that fill us with such awe that can leave us at a loss for words.
Sharing the gospel can be like that too. We struggle with the task of sharing such a momentous message. We convince ourselves that if only we were filled with God’s grace and power if we could work miracles or were gifted with Spirit-guided wisdom so impactful that no one could argue against us: Maybe then, people would listen when we proclaim the Gospel.
In the book of Acts, we’re told that Stephen had all these things going for him. He performed wonders and described a spectacular vision of Jesus at the Father’s side.
Luke shares with us Stephen’s final impassioned message. It’s filled with relevant references and helpful comparisons for his listeners and concludes with a convicting call for accountability. The response of those who heard Stephen’s skilled oratory was one of anger, rage, and violence. At this point it might seem like the story of Stephen was included as a cautionary tale about a man who chose poorly his moment to become confrontational and inflammatory.
But this is no cautionary tale, Luke makes this clear when he begins and ends the account of Stephen by stressing that Stephen was Spirit-led. This is a story of encouragement, meant to remind us of how to share the Gospel both powerfully and graciously.
Before he was dragged out of the city to be stoned, Stephen described his vision of Christ’s glory:
Look… I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 7:56
This was neither eloquent nor deep in theological exposition – this was a simple declaration of the Gospel so powerful that those present gnashed their teeth and blocked their ears!
Stephen was not the problem; the problem was who he was talking about – Jesus.
In the midst of being stoned to death, Stephen shows his godly love for his assailants by asking God to forgive them – imitating Jesus to the very end.
People will oppose us when we preach Jesus. Nevertheless, let’s be like Stephen, Spirit-led even unto death.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5023 | Empty Tomb and Open GateJeff Broadnax
A few weeks ago, we celebrated Easter Sunday, one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar. Many of us likely spent a lot of time hearing about and meditating on the Empty Tomb. This is good because the Christian faith is based on the fact that Jesus is not dead — his tomb is, indeed, empty. Jesus is alive and we are reconciled to God and each other because of it.
The Empty Tomb means that our sins have been forgiven and that humanity has been made new in Christ. As Christians, we should give a lot of our attention to the empty tomb. The empty tomb helps us understand Jesus referring to himself as the open gate.
In the tenth chapter of John, Jesus describes himself as the gate by which the sheep can find pasture. In the parable, those who follow Christ are his beloved sheep. The passage says:
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:7-10
In this season of Easter, let’s focus on what it means to live in the reality of Christ’s resurrection. In other words, we have an opportunity to give our attention to why we were saved, and how we are being invited to respond to God’s gift of grace. According to this passage, part of the reason that Jesus rescued and redeemed us is so we can experience a full, abundant life in him.
Jesus is depicted as the gate that leads to life and because of his sacrifice, the gate is wide open to all. No matter our current circumstances, abundant life is available to us in Jesus. This does not mean that our lives will be perfect once we start following him, however, it does mean that in every situation, Jesus will be with us and our relationship with him is the richest of blessings.
It also means that one day believers will experience eternal life — an existence where there will be no more pain or suffering and there will be rejoicing without end. We have been saved by Jesus to live an abundant, full life in Christ — a life where Jesus fills all our moments with his life-giving presence. The gate to this life has been opened wide by Christ when he left that tomb, so what are we waiting for? Let us not hesitate to run away from things trying to steal our joy and into Christ’s wide-open arms. There he is offering us an abundance of forgiveness and love.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5022 | Born AgainGreg Williams
As a Christian, you are probably familiar with the metaphor of being “born again.” Jesus used it when talking to Nicodemus to try to explain the radical difference that one must undergo to enter the kingdom of God. Peter later used the same image to encourage a church that was being treated as exiles because of their faith in Christ.
The image of being born again works on both fronts. Certainly, entering the kingdom of God is like being born again as one becomes a new creation filled with life. But have you ever considered that this metaphor also speaks to the experience of believers being exiled from their old way of life?
Peter did. When he began his letter to a church that was being ostracized because of their faith, he chose to use the “born again” image to encourage them not to conform to their former ways of living.
Let’s read how he uses this image in these verses.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)
Did you catch the picture? Being “born again” involves being born into something – “a living hope.” It also includes being born out of something – “from the dead.” Like a newborn baby, the new life it has after birth will be completely different than the life it had in the womb. Can you imagine a baby trying to live as if it is still in the womb? That would be nonsensical.
But, as Christians, we live with the constant temptation to return to a life that conforms to our old ways of moving and breathing. Especially since we are surrounded by a culture that resists and even persecutes those that live in such a way that challenges and calls into question the status quo. Being a Christian in this world is to live in exile. We are no longer at home in the womb of this world.
But that does not mean we do not belong. We belong to our heavenly Father, and we belong to a new family of brothers and sisters who live together in his love. Our new life of freedom lived in the light is beyond compare to the dark and restrictive life we once had.
So, if you sometimes feel like an exile in this world. Take courage and live in hope. It comes with the territory of being born again.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking Of Life 5021 │ Stop Doubting and Believe
Michelle Fleming
Have you ever heard someone being referred to as a “Doubting Thomas”? If you have, then you were probably aware that this was not meant as a compliment. It is typically used to describe someone who is a skeptic. Someone that is known to utter, “I’ll believe it when I see it!”
Shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples locked themselves away in fear that the Jewish officials might come for them next. But Jesus appeared to them in their locked room. To prove that he was real, he showed them his nail-scarred hands and feet.
One of the disciples was missing, however, and here is where Doubting Thomas comes in. John shares the story:
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:24-29
We can relate with Thomas, can’t we? As excited as the other disciples were that they had seen Jesus, Thomas was skeptical. For whatever reason, he was not present when Jesus showed up and he got quite specific about what it would take for him to believe.
A week later Jesus reappears, and this time Thomas is there. Jesus tells Thomas to go ahead and touch him. Then he tells Thomas to stop doubting and believe. With the exclamation, “My Lord and My God!”, Thomas becomes the first to acknowledge who Jesus really was and is.
Like Thomas, we all have those moments of doubt. Moments where we wonder if God can hear us, or if he sees what we are going through. Does he really care about me? We want to believe, but doubt enters in.
In another place in Scripture, a distraught father of an afflicted child blurts out, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This is beautiful because it describes us so well. We believe, and we ask Jesus to help us where we doubt. He can be trusted to answer that prayer. Because he is the one who has perfect belief, and believes on our behalf.
Thomas didn’t stay a doubter. Tradition says that Thomas was the first missionary to India. In 52 A.D. he sailed from Palestine and arrived on the Kerala coast. He was martyred twenty years later, but not before founding seven flourishing churches. In India today, there are nearly 70 million believers.
Doubt did not have the last word in Thomas’ life, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it will not have the last word with us either.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5020 | Visiting Our Tombs
Greg Williams
Happy Easter!
As you know, each of the four Gospels recounts the story of Jesus’ resurrection, each from the author’s perspective. The general story is the same, but some accounts include details that are left out in others. However, one thing each story has in common is how it begins. All four Gospels begin the story of the resurrection, ironically, with a visit to a tomb.
That tomb turns out to be empty of course, setting the stage for the rest of the story. But I’m glad the Gospel writers were inspired to include the visits to the tomb. Because even though I know Jesus has been raised to life, I still feel the need to visit some tombs.
I think we all visit our tombs in one way or another. Many will literally visit a particular tombstone as part of grieving and honoring a lost loved one. There are two specific graveyards in the community where I grew up where most of my relatives are resting. I typically go with my mother a couple of times a year to freshen up the flowers and dust off the dirt, but we know in our spirit that it is more than a maintenance visit. Some choose to never visit a grave but find other ways to deal with their loss. In one way or another, we all visit our tombs.
But why? Is it not to grieve what we have lost? Do we not need to recount the cherished times we once had with loved ones? Well, I believe so. Tombstones are concrete symbols of memories we want to be restored.
There are other losses we also want to be restored that may not be marked by a tombstone. Maybe some of us are recounting times of good health or companionship that now seem unattainable. Or perhaps you are recounting freedoms that you no longer have. It’s probably safe to say that most of us have a few tombstones we visit every day.
But Jesus’ empty tomb changes everything. He rose from the tomb, and he lives. Because of this, our visits to our tombs are intertwined with his resurrection, which gives us hope. He doesn’t walk past our tombs, but he visits them with us to restore what we have lost. Because of Jesus, we can visit our tombs to grieve in hope. Like those visiting the tomb in the Gospel stories, we too come to find that all the tombs we visit are empty. Our tombstones now mark what the Lord will restore and redeem. We can visit them, not just to recount what we have lost, but to recount what the Lord has done through his resurrection.
Here’s a Psalm to remember for your next visit to a tomb:
“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.”**
Psalm 118:14-17 (ESV)
The resurrection we celebrate today is one of the glorious “deeds of the Lord.”
I hope your Easter celebration will be a time of hope and joy as we are reminded once again of our Risen Lord and his steadfast love that endures forever. He is risen. Indeed, he is risen!
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking Of Life 5019 │ Always At Your Side
Michelle Fleming
When we’re faced with a difficult next step, whether it’s our health, our job, or our family situation, we often feel alone. How can we approach difficulties, including suffering, with courage and hope? We can look to our Elder Brother Jesus and how he entered into our suffering during Holy Week – enduring what none of us could.
Today is Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday. While we typically focus on Jesus riding on a donkey’s colt and being welcomed with cries of “Hosanna!,” another important aspect of this day in the liturgical calendar is Jesus’ purpose as he entered Jerusalem. In fact, the word passion means “to suffer.”
Jesus was resolute and steadfast, knowing the suffering that lay ahead of him. We can learn more about his desire and the reason for his courage and hope by studying the suffering servant poems found in the book of Isaiah. Though these poems were written to encourage the Israelites in the Babylonian exile, we can see parallels with Jesus’ suffering during Holy Week. Today we’ll focus on the third poem in Isaiah 50:
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
Isaiah 50:4-9 (NRSV)
The first part of the poem shows us that not only did Jesus have his ear attuned to what God was saying, but he also took time to “encourage tired people.” In other words, Jesus noticed others around him were tired, maybe suffering, and in need of comfort and inspiration. Even though he knew what he was facing, Jesus used his “well-taught tongue” to help others. Let’s continue reading:
The Lord has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
Isaiah 50:5-6 (NRSV)
Jesus knew his suffering was only part of a bigger story; it wasn’t the whole story. Notice that when he was taking the next difficult step, the poem doesn’t say he wasn’t afraid. It says that he did not turn backward, and did not hide his face from insults. This is the definition of courage: being afraid and yet taking the next right step. Where did Jesus’s courage come from? Let’s find the answer in the last few verses:
The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
Isaiah 50:7-9a (NRSV)
As Jesus faced the events of Holy Week, we can learn from Isaiah’s third servant poem that the Lord God, never left his side. “Look!” Isaiah says. “It is the Lord God who helps me.” Jesus had courage and hope during the most difficult week of his human life because God never left his side.
Isaiah’s servant poems give us a behind-the-scenes look at the Son of God’s desire as he faced suffering beyond what we can imagine. We can understand how Jesus was sustained by God’s presence and endured the cross because his compassion compelled him to take on suffering and bring it to redemption.
When we face adversity ourselves, we can be assured the Lord God will be with us. Whether you’re facing difficulties, or in a peaceful place, may you be confident of the Father, Son, and Spirit’s constant presence right here, right now, always at your side.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5018 | Two Kinds of People in the WorldGreg Williams
Have you ever heard someone say, “There are two kinds of people in the world”? This is usually followed by a joke or some oversimplified statement about people.
Here is one that does both: “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who put everyone into two groups… and those who don’t.”
Well, I guess that was someone’s attempt to make fun of the idea of dividing people into two groups. But it’s no laughing matter when people are depersonalized by such groupings. Surely there is more to being an individual than the generalizations often attached to group labels.
Some group labels do have an element of truth to them: “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who live as if they belong to Christ, and those who don’t.” This is similar to a “two kinds of people in the world” statement found in the Bible.
Although it is not worded exactly like that, let’s notice how Paul puts it in the book of Romans.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.Romans 8:6-9 (ESV)
Unlike many “two kinds of people in the world” statements, this one is not depersonalizing. In fact, it is intended to do just the opposite. Paul can make this division between two groups because he is basing it on reality. When God came in human form, he chose all of humanity. All people were created to belong to Christ and have abundant life in him.
But not everyone believes that or wants it yet. However, there is no other option left for us. We either live by the truth of who we were created to be, or we choose to live a lie, which amounts to no life at all. So, Paul is encouraging us to embrace the life we have in Christ and live it out. That is a personalizing life. That is a meaningful life that carries forward into eternity.
Paul reminds us that no matter how many kinds of people there are, there is no life outside our life in Christ, who is continuing to pursue, draw, and embrace all of humanity to himself. Embrace the one who has embraced you.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5017 | He Sees the HeartJeff Broadnax
I once saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said, “I don’t know why judges get paid so much. I judge everyone for free!” Unfortunately, this funny line has a lot of truth in it. Human beings are often quick to judge others and place labels on them. If we do not see a person as part of our group, we can be tempted to overlook his or her wisdom, experience, personality, value, and ability to change and we place them into a little box whenever it is convenient.
We can disregard another’s humanity, dismissing them with labels like liberal, conservative, millennial, boomer, vaxer, anti-vaxxer, not to mention racial and ethnic labels. Many times, we do this unconsciously and without even thinking. Other times, we may consciously harbor bad feelings towards others because of how we were taught or how we interpret our life experiences.
God knows about this human tendency; however, he does not share it. In the book of 1 Samuel, God sent Samuel the prophet to the house of Jesse with an important task. One of Jesse’s sons was to be anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel, but God did not tell the prophet which son to anoint. Jesse brought seven impressive-looking sons before Samuel, yet God rejected them all. Eventually, God chose David to be the next king — the youngest son who was almost forgotten and looked the least how Samuel imagined a king should look. As Samuel viewed the first seven sons, God spoke these words to him:
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
We can often be like Samuel and incorrectly judge a person’s value by superficial things.
Like Samuel, none of us can see others clearly because we cannot see what lies in a person’s heart. The good news is that Jesus Christ can. As Christians, we must learn to rely on Jesus and see others through his eyes, which are filled with compassion, empathy, and love.
We cannot hope to have healthy relationships with our neighbors by relating to them without acknowledging Christ’s relationship with them. When we see them as belonging to him, we seek to love our neighbor as Christ loves them. This is the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples in the Upper Room.
Jesus loves each and every one of us. This is our most important label. To him, this is the identity that defines us. He does not judge us by one aspect of our character, but by who we are becoming in him. We are all beloved children. While that might not make a funny t-shirt, it is the truth by which Christ-followers live.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5016 | Busy WorkGreg Williams
Have you ever been assigned “busy work?” I despise doing “busy work?” It’s the type of work that doesn’t have a purpose except to keep you…well…busy. Sometimes this happens on a job where the boss feels like he needs to keep the employees working even though there is nothing left to do. I understand some busy work was necessary to keep employees employed during the pandemic, but I am easily frustrated with busy work – I want to be productive.
Suffering can sometimes seem like busy work; it can take up a lot of our time and keeps us from accomplishing the goals we have. And there is no getting around suffering; it is something we all face. And for someone like me, I get can get frustrated at the lack of productivity that suffering can induce. But perhaps during those times of suffering, there is a different way to be productive.
We know we will suffer, Jesus himself told us we would. He doesn’t bring suffering to us, but he wanted us to be aware it would come. Then he told us he came to take our suffering upon himself. And he did. He took (and continually takes) all our suffering, including our self-inflicted suffering, to the cross, and redeems it for his own good purposes toward us. The totality of our sufferings are now his which he took through death into resurrected life.
Because of this, our sufferings are now Christ’s own sufferings which we can endure with hope, knowing they will be used to contribute to the ultimate purpose he has for us. But what does this have to do with feeling like suffering is busy work – keeping us from being productive?
Paul addresses this in a rather shocking manner. He speaks of suffering as a point of rejoicing. He tells us that suffering, because of what Jesus has done, can actually produce something important:
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)
Suffering is a part of our broken world. Paul doesn’t mean we will enjoy suffering or that we should go looking for it. But, when it comes our way, which inevitably will, we can be assured that Jesus will meet us in our afflictions. This is why we can rejoice. Because our suffering is not lost, through Christ our suffering is redeemed. We can anticipate the good work the Lord is doing in us, through all our circumstances. It’s not a time of busy work – where we are just waiting for the suffering to end – it’s a time of God producing good fruit in us.
Just as Christ learned through his suffering, we too are formed more into the image of Christ through our suffering.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5015 | Blessed to Be a BlessingCara Garrity
There is a popular old hymn called “Count Your Blessings”.
The chorus simply says:
“Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
A friend of mine shared a story of how he was reminded about counting his blessings while stocking greeting cards at grocery stores. In one store, the greeting card section was right near one of the checkout lines and he could hear the checker give a compliment to every person that went through his line. My friend also noticed there were several people in this checkout lane, and not many in others.
He decided to buy something and the checker quickly complimented him on his new haircut. My friend then asked the checker how his day was going. The checker responded by saying, “Oh man, I am blessed!” To which my friend responded, “Yeah, I’m doing good as well.” The checker then said, “I didn’t say I was doing good. I said I am blessed.” My friend appreciated the reminder, smiled, and admitted that he was also, indeed, blessed.
In Genesis 12, we see a story of blessing-happy God. This story is the pivotal moment in the history of the nation of Israel and would become equally important to the whole world.
TheLordhad said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s householdto the landI will show you.” “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”Genesis 12:1-3
In this passage of scripture, we see the word “blessing” five times, making God’s intention to bless both Abraham and the whole world abundantly clear to Abraham. Although God had the power to accomplish his will, because of who he is, he invited Abraham to participate to follow where the Spirit led. And where he went, he went with the blessing of God and the promise that through him all people would be blessed.
This promise has been fulfilled in the person, and work of Jesus Christ. He took upon himself the consequences for the sin of mankind. He has taken our darkness and has restored us to fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
Paul says this in his letter to believers in Galatia:
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”Galatians 3:14
We have been abundantly blessed in Christ Jesus, whom we follow by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every day is a walk with God to leave behind our old ways and walk into a life that is blessed beyond measure.
Like Abraham before us, we have been sent out into this world to make a blessing-happy God known to others. It’s so much easier to be a blessing to others when you know how much you have been blessed.
Like the hymn reminds us, let us count our many blessings and see what God has done.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5014 | Consulting the Physician
Greg Williams
I recently went to an oil change station to have my vehicle serviced. As I was waiting, a lady came in and approached one of the technicians and told him that her car stopped working. Thinking she was in a full-service garage, the technician had to turn her away because they only did oil changes. It’s always good to know that we’re consulting with the right person.
As people who face problems every day, there are times that we might feel like that lady. Looking for the right person to help us with our problems.
Sin is like a spiritual sickness, and there’s a single qualified physician, Jesus, the only one by whose wounds we are healed and restored. When we wrestle with the problem of sin in our lives it is often made worse because we take it to the wrong person or ignore the symptoms.
King David knew the source of spiritual strength and healing:
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaningall day long. For day and night your hand was heavyon me; my strength was sappedas in the heat of summer.Then I acknowledged my sin to youand did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confessmy transgressionsto theLord.” And you forgavethe guilt of my sin.”Psalm 32:3-5
Doesn’t that sound great? The benefits of turning to our Lord Jesus – No more guilt of unforgiven sins. Our lives redeemed from the aches brought on by the tension of sin. Freedom from the heaviness and sense of doom.
The Apostle Paul described the liberating power of grace over sin and death in his letter to the Romans, promising us that we will receive “God’s abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)
Freed from guilt we can rejoice in the life he has bought for us upon the cross.
Do not let spiritual pain linger or the guilt fester. You have access to the greatest physician. He’s the right person to consult for your deepest needs.
Come to Jesus and be healed.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5013 | The Father is Pleased
Heber Ticas
Think back to a time in your childhood when your mother or father was pleased with something you did. Maybe it was when you accomplished something great. Perhaps you received an A in a difficult class at school or maybe you scored the winning goal for your little league team. How did it feel knowing that they were pleased with you? For a child, there is almost no better feeling in the world.
Despite the challenges of online education during the pandemic, my son, Cristian, was able to graduate college with a degree in engineering. Even as far back as elementary school, he had been granted awards for his character and integrity. My heart swells with pride over all that he has achieved.
But even more than his achievements, I have always been pleased with Cristian’s demeanor, patience, and care for others. My love and admiration for him have never been dependent on what he has accomplished, but on who he is.
As a parent, you would shudder at the thought that your children might have received the message that there was a cost involved in earning your pleasure for them.
The gospel according to Matthew records one of the most remarkable events in the New Testament. The Transfiguration of Christ. What we witness is a special moment of great fatherly love. A moment where we see the prototype for all parental pleasure.
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Matthew 17:1-6
The three disciples were understandably impressed and overcome with awe over the sight of Jesus’ transfiguration as well as the appearance of Moses and Elijah. But the Father wanted to communicate to them something far more important than the spectacle they had just witnessed.
The Father’s message to the disciples was about how he felt towards his Son. Not just that he was proud of him, but well pleased. This goes beyond a normal sense of pride where a parent says, Yep, that’s my boy or that’s my girl! The Father wanted the disciples to know what kind of love existed between him and his son. Moses was there representing the law, Elijah was there representing the prophets. One to tell you what to do and the other to inform you of what happens when you don’t do what you are supposed to do.
But they disappear, and only Jesus is left with the disciples. “Listen to him,” the Father tells us. “Follow the One in whom I am well pleased.” In other places we learn the Father is pleased with those who follow the Son and in whom the Son lives. That’s us.
We didn’t just die with Christ, but we rose with him and we are included in the Father’s love for him. Jesus tells us the Father loves us just as he loves him. What belongs to the Son also belongs to us. That includes the Father’s good pleasure.
May the Father’s great love for us take root in our hearts today and may we see ourselves as the beloved children in whom the Father takes great pleasure.
Mi nombre es Heber Ticas. Hablando de Vida.
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Speaking of Life 5012 | Chosen by Life
Greg Williams
Life is full of difficult decisions. Sometimes you can make it through by consulting with your spouse, close friends, or coworkers. But sometimes difficult decisions have to be made for you, such as in serious health issues, or when you are unreachable, or unable to make a decision. Whether it’s the challenge of weighing up your options, or the worry you might not be able to make the right choice – there is a palpable relief when a friend or loved one steps in to help you with that burden.
The good news is Jesus has come to help us with the most important decision of our lives.
Thousands of years ago God put a choice before the Israelites that defined the essence of what it means to be human.
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life…”Deuteronomy 30:19
This phrase from Deuteronomy, “Choose life,” is a powerful phrase that has been lauded by Christians across the world as the appropriate response to God’s grace. Heaven and earth are watching, so to speak, eager to see the decision we will make.
A literal-minded reading of this passage might cause one to envision a courtroom where heaven and earth are sitting upon the stand as witnesses against us as we pull at our shirt collar in despair. Yet the language here is so much more. It is a way of showing God’s omnipotence and omnipresence — there’s no hiding place from our great and gracious God. Nor need there be.
We have an advocate who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He can counter any damning witness of heaven and earth with his judgment of grace. Jesus chose us and he chose to lay down his life for us so that we might share eternal life with him. We are encouraged to “Choose Life,” to choose the way of living in that grace. To choose to live as forgiven and loved sons and daughters of God. To choose to live in the freedom to love others as Jesus loves us. To choose to share God’s love and life with others because we love them. To choose to be a Great Commission, Great Commandment denomination, congregation, and person. To choose to love the One who loves us.
Today, we can indeed choose life because Jesus, who is the Life, has chosen us. Hallelujah, praise God that decision was made for us.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5011 | Better Well Done…
Cara Garrity
There is a saying that goes, “Better well done than well said.” This phrase wisely reminds us that words can sometimes be empty, and our actions often say much more about who we are. As believers, we can say we love God and our neighbors, but what is the evidence of that love? Have we created spaces for our neighbors to feel the love of Christ through us? Or do we offer them words without the actions to back up those words?
When Paul was used by God to share the gospel with the people of Corinth, he took an unexpected approach for a preacher and teacher. Notice what he says:
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Instead of using flowery words or trying to say the right thing, Paul shared his own testimony and tried to demonstrate God’s power and love. Paul trusted in God and the power of the gospel, rather than in his own ability to convince others. He was his full, authentic self and was unashamed before God and other people. We might say that Paul practiced “better well done than well said” by relying upon Jesus’ ‘well done’ rather than his own ‘well said’.
You see God is not a God of empty words and promises. In the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, every word and promise of God is fulfilled. In him is also humanity’s perfect response to God. When we put our confidence in the perfect word and deed of Christ rather than our own, we are invited into a faith that is more than empty words.
Instead of trying to say the right words to convince others to believe in the gospel, we are free by the Spirit, to authentically share our stories and invite others to experience the kingdom alongside us for themselves.
While human wisdom may fail and human words may turn up empty, Jesus – the Word of God made flesh – both well said and well done – will never fail or turn up empty. We are invited to depend on and point one another to his Word, and not our own. It is then that we testify of God instead of ourselves.
Ray Anderson wrote, “The test for truth in a Christian is what the world sees in us of Jesus Christ, not what other Christians see in us as a Christian.” Let us be led by the Spirit in living authentic lives that glorify Jesus.
I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking Of Life 5005 │ Best-Laid Plans
Michelle Fleming
Those who know me know that planning is one of my love languages. I love the feeling when a perfectly laid plan comes together. And my love tank is filled when someone considers what I like when planning a night out. But life experience has taught me that plan A is not always guaranteed to turn out. This might remind you of the common saying, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
This saying was adapted from the poem “To A Mouse” written in 1785 by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. In the poem, Burns apologizes to a mouse whose nest was destroyed when Burns plowed the field the nest was in. The poem makes the point that regardless how well human beings plan, those plans can be overturned in an instant.
We often base our plans on expectations we have for how things are usually done. If we’re planning a trip, we expect the airline to leave at the specified time, and when it doesn’t, our plans are upended. We’re left unsettled and sometimes frustrated.
In ancient times, the Jewish people expected God to provide a Messiah who would deliver them from their Assyrian oppressors and usher in a time of peace and plenty. They yearned for deliverance and had expectations for the way that deliverance would take shape. The prophet Isaiah spoke to their concerns and assured them that God saw their suffering. But the scripture verses from Isaiah 9 talk about a Messiah who would be much more than they expected or planned for:
The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darknessa light has dawned.For to us a child is born,to us a son is given,and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Of the greatness of his government and peacethere will be no end.He will reign on David’s throneand over his kingdom,establishing and upholding itwith justice and righteousnessfrom that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almightywill accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (NRSV)
Isaiah’s audience expected a political and military leader to rescue them. But the prophecy pointed to more than just a military leader, or to Israel’s rescue – it pointed to the Messiah and the rescue for all of humanity. The Israelites didn’t know this, neither did the Jews in Jesus’ day. They had plans for their rescuer – their Messiah, but God had different (bigger) plans.
In similar ways, we make plans and expect God to operate in our lives in a particular way, and sometimes nothing turns out. When our plans are upended and our expectations overturned, we can feel unanchored or adrift. How can we trust that things will be OK?
Isaiah’s prophecy helps us remember that God plays a long game. He has a bigger plan and our sign for that plan is Jesus. Consider all the ways that Jesus’ birth, life, and death overturned human expectations. Here are a few.
- People expected the Son of God to be born in royal conditions; Jesus was born to a poor Jewish couple in a barn.
- People expected the Son of God to behave according to the cultural norms of the time; Jesus often defied cultural norms, choosing to eat with tax collectors and women and healing those considered unclean.
- People expected the Son of God to be above suffering; Jesus experienced suffering and grief to the point of death on a cross.
The “best-laid” plans we have will never be better than God’s plans, and though we don’t understand all of life’s twists and turns, we can trust that “a child has been born for us,” and the Prince of Peace will always be by our side.
As we celebrate his birth, may all who live in deep darkness see the great light of Jesus, and may your “best-laid” plans always be trumped by the love of God.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5004 | The Might and Light of a Saving Love
Greg Williams
If you were sick to the point of death, three things would be needed to restore your health.
First, you would need someone willing to heal you. Second, this person would have to be capable of doing the healing. And third, you would need to know you need healing in the first place.
This can serve as a metaphor for our need for a Savior from our terminal diagnosis of sin. Only, part of our spiritual illness involves a blindness to the fact that we are indeed ill. That blindness would need to be healed in order for us to even call out for healing. That presents a major obstacle to ever being saved from sin and the ultimate death it brings.
Advent is a time to be reminded that we have a savior whose love overcomes all obstacles.
Notice the first three verses of Psalm 80, which anticipates Jesus’ coming and therefore is a classic Advent Psalm. Here we will see God’s perfect provision of salvation in Jesus, who overcomes all obstacles to our being healed and made whole.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:1-3 (NRSV)
The first verse of this Psalm uses language that is distinct in all of scripture. The title “Shepherd of Israel”—with the description of one who leads “Joseph like a flock”—is meant to convey compassion, tenderness, and one who is intimately involved. This points to the coming of Jesus who is our True Shepherd, one who is willing to save us. Our first need for salvation is met in Jesus.
Then the Psalm presents us with images that come from Ezekiel about One who is “enthroned upon the cherubim.” This challenges the imagination with concepts of power beyond human comprehension. This transcendent image is the background of the psalmist’s call for God to “stir up your might.” This God is not only willing and available like a Shepherd, but his might is more than capable to save us from any foe. Our second need for salvation is again met in Jesus.
Finally, the Psalm records what this mighty Shepherd comes to do—“shine forth.” It’s the light of his face shining on us that heals our blindness and brings us out of the darkness.
In this light of love that comes to dwell among us, we are enabled to confess our sins and receive his healing and restoration. In this way, all of salvation—even our need to confess and repent—is a gift of grace that comes to us in Jesus Christ. So even this final obstacle is overcome in Jesus.
On that ground we can join the psalmist’s refrain that calls out three times “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” As we continue to celebrate Advent, we can be reminded that God’s love has made all provisions and overcomes all obstacles to save us and make us whole.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5010 | The Who QuestionHeber Ticas
Psalm 15 seems to be obsessed with a “who” question. Namely, who can be in God’s presence? That’s a big question and the psalmist explores the answer with a series of “who” statements.
Remarkably, the Psalm is able to repeat some form of the word “who” thirteen times in only five verses. That’s a poetic feat for any person in my opinion.
See if you can count all the “who’s” as I read Psalm 15:
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
*Psalm 15:1-5*
Were you able to count all the “who’s?” Clearly, the writer of this psalm wants to answer the “who” question. But his answer does not give us any names of who can be in God’s presence. However, he does give us a lot of descriptions of the heart and character of the “who” in question.
When we read this psalm, we may wonder if we fit the “who” descriptions and qualify to be one who can be in God’s presence. If we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we do not measure up to the psalmist’s descriptions. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of “who can be in God’s presence” would be, “Not me?”
However, that doesn’t answer the question of who can. We must read beyond this Psalm to find the ultimate answer to the “who” question. The only one who fits all the descriptions perfectly in this Psalm would be the person of Jesus Christ found in the Gospels. Like Psalm 15, the entire Bible is concerned about answering the question of “who?” Even Jesus asked us the same question when he asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
The answer to that question ends up being very good news for us who know we do not qualify to be in God’s presence. Jesus is the one who has always been in God’s presence as God’s very own Son. He has come as the answer to Psalm 15, standing in for us so we can stand in God’s presence by the Spirit, enjoying the Father as the Son does.
I’m glad the psalmist asked the who question. And more so, I’m glad the Father sent Jesus as the answer.
Mi nombre es Heber Ticas. Hablando de Vida.
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Speaking of Life 5008 | More Than I Can SayGreg Williams
Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison wrote a song called “More Than I Can Say” back in 1959. And it went on to be performed by Leo Sayer, who rode the song to the top of the billboards back in the 80s.
The lyrics were simple and repetitive. Here are the opening lines:
I love you more than I can say
I’ll love you twice as much tomorrow
Oh, love you more than I can say
Set to a catchy tune, this song will get stuck in your head for days. In addition, we can all identify with the experience of loving someone or something “more than we can say.”
Or, maybe it’s more than that. Perhaps this little ditty resonates with us at a far deeper level.
After all, praising comes quite easy for us does it not? Have you ever been startled by a streaking star shooting through the night sky that made you shout, “Wow! Look at that”? Or maybe the sighting of that rare double rainbow after a storm that turns everyone’s attention skyward with utterances of “oohs” and “ahhs.” It seems praise comes naturally when we are encountered with something amazing or beautiful.
“More Than I Can Say” may have been written back in 1959 but this is not the first time a songwriter has attempted to praise someone beyond words. Look at this lyric in Psalm 40 which is a thanksgiving Psalm:
You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. Psalm 40:5 (ESV)
When we come to know God for who he truly is, we too will be compelled to praise him “more than we can say.” That’s the blessed life we are created for. Praising God for all eternity means we are in the presence and in a relationship with One who is praiseworthy beyond words. We come to know this God only in Jesus Christ, who reveals this Father to us by the Spirit. The more we come to know our Triune God, the more our praise will naturally pour forth. And scripture indicates that this song of praise will get stuck in our heads for all eternity. After all, God is good…well…more than I can say.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking Of Life 5009 │ Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Michelle Fleming
As a small child, I was a little afraid of the dark. This is a common fear for most young children, and experts attribute it to a toddler’s growing cognitive abilities—including the development of the imagination. The dark becomes a place where monsters live, and fear creeps into a child’s mind.
As adults, we know we need the dark for good health, and light exposure at night can affect our bodies’ internal sleep rhythms and hormones, like melatonin. Children, though, have to develop trust that darkness can be good for us.
In scripture, God’s presence is sometimes referred to as light and God’s absence as darkness. This can give us a mistaken impression of what the faithful Christian walk looks like. We can mistakenly think that when we experience doubt or difficulties, we are in darkness and God has left us. One biblical passage that shows the wide range of the Christian experience is Psalm 27. It begins like this:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; who shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27: 1 (NRSV)
This is what we think of when we define faith in God. We believe that in this world of great beauty and great suffering, God is with us, and we don’t need to be afraid. But the truth is, we often are afraid or worried. Does that mean our faith is weak?
Let’s consider some other verses in the same Psalm:
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ‘Come’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Psalm 27:7-9 (NRSV)
These verses seem to be a sharp contrast to the over-the-top faith of the first verse. Here, the psalmist speaks of his pain and his fear, but he isn’t worried that his lament will drive God off. Instead, the psalmist helps us understand that part of faith is believing in God’s faithfulness even when that faithfulness doesn’t feel present. Even in the midst of doubt.
Trust in God doesn’t prevent hardship or keep us from experiencing times when God feels distant. We can find examples in the Bible, like this one, or in the lives of the early church fathers that illustrate how we can experience what has been called “the dark night of the soul.” God understands that faith and doubt are not opposites. In fact, questioning our faith can often lead to growth and transformation. Like light and dark, faith and doubt need each other.
When we were small children, we had to learn that the dark would not hurt us. We had to understand that we needed darkness to sleep and to be healthy. Similarly, as Christians, we learn that doubt and questioning can be our means toward growth in our relationship with God.
“Being afraid of the dark” is a normal part of faith. Let us continue to grow in our understanding that the Light of our Salvation, our living Triune God, is always there to lead us from darkness into his light.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5007 | Jesus is Our Hope
Cara Garrity
Have you ever felt soul-weary with the state of the world or the state of your personal corner of the world? With news of war, disease, scandal, division, and suffering it may feel too easy to be disheartened in this world. To be sure, there is beauty and joy all around us – just catch a sunset, children at play, or the waves upon the shore to be reminded of this. Even so, on our most weary and suffer-saturated days, we may find ourselves questioning if the despair outweighs the beauty.
Even when it seems like solutions to our problems are clear or easy answers are promised over and over again, we find that our willpower falls short of making things right. We’ve been disappointed in our leaders—political, business, even religious—who we expected to lead us towards brighter futures. We’ve been disappointed in ourselves when we’ve failed to contribute to a better world. The truth is, at one point or another, human beings let each other down. If we are honest with ourselves, we might admit that sometimes we lose hope in one another and in this world.
The good news is, there is one in whom we can securely place our hope. There is one who will never let us down. There is one who makes all things right. His name is Jesus. He is our hope.
Let’s look at what is written in the book of Isaiah about Jesus:
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.
Isaiah 42:1-4a
Our hope is secure in Jesus. While we may experience and witness despair in this world, we know despair will not have the last word because Jesus will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on Earth. He is making all things new. While we will not see the complete restoration of all things until the kingdom of God comes in its fullness, we can trust Jesus’ proclamation that the kingdom is here and bear witness to the aromas of Jesus’ kingdom and present ministry in our midst even now.
Next time you feel as though despair is outweighing the beauty of this world, look to Jesus – the one who gives us beauty for ashes. Know that even when our hope falters, he never will. Jesus is our hope, and he will not let us down.
I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5006 | The Least of These
Greg Williams
In my travels locally and around the world, it is devastating to see the different forms of poverty that I encounter. On a recent trip to South Africa, a young boy came knocking on the window asking for money while we were stuck in traffic. I wanted to help but I didn’t have any local money. One of the people inside the car gave me a few coins to pass on to the young boy. As soon as I gave the money, a crowd started to form surrounding our car. If you helped one, everyone else came and asked for help. As we drove away, it broke my heart that I couldn’t help them all.
In his humanity, Jesus experienced this too. In his earthly ministry, Jesus healed people that he encountered but he couldn’t heal them all. Healing them was only a short-term solution. Jesus couldn’t devote all of his time to healing people rather he was devoted to preaching the good news about our loving Father who invites us into a relationship and Kingdom where one day every need will be met and all will be made well.
Every day we are confronted with the reality that there is a world full of endless needs. It can get overwhelming just thinking about all the problems that exist in our own tiny part of the planet. We know we cannot solve the world’s problems nor meet all the needs that we constantly see around us, but we can do our part to participate in the work that God is doing in the environs where we inhabit.
In Matthew 25, Jesus lists a group of people who are in dire situations. After mentioning their circumstances, He equates our service to them with meeting his own needs.
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:35-40
The situations that Jesus mentions in this passage of Matthew’s gospel are practical needs, which, if we are honest with ourselves, rarely present themselves to us when it is most convenient. Further, these needs may involve sacrifice on our part. And that’s his point.
Participating in Jesus’ kingdom will often involve sacrificially doing something practical for someone else. This list Jesus presents in Matthew 25 was not meant to be comprehensive. He wants us to look around and see the needs of those around us.
Who are the “least of these” in your own life? Who is God placing on your heart? Have you asked him? I find that the Holy Spirit is oftentimes nudging me, and I am growing to respond more readily.
Here are a few basic ideas to consider. What if you called that friend who is struggling emotionally? How about providing meals to the person in your neighborhood who just went through surgery? What if we walked across the street and took a plate of homemade cookies to a new neighbor? One of our churches in the Philippines has an active program called “Good in the Neighborhood.” I think this is what Jesus had in mind.
Notice that some of the people on Jesus’ list were probably responsible for the predicament that they found themselves in. Does it matter? Let’s remember, it is not our job to weed out the least of these by those we deem as worthy of our help. God’s grace is extended to all.
The idea of a God who is distant and unable to empathize with his creation disappears when we understand that God feels what we feel. That when one of the least of these is cared for, he feels cared for. When one of the least of these feels relief, he is relieved. Caring for others is caring for Christ.
We cannot meet every need we can encounter – and it can be heartbreaking. But we know the One in whom every need is met and we can make a difference when we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to see and meet the needs of others around us. We can’t help everyone, but we can be a blessing to those to whom God directs us to. And that’s making a world of difference.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking of Life 5002 | The Full Package of Peace
Greg Williams
The second Sunday of Advent carries with it the theme of peace. It’s a wonderful reminder of yet another Christmas gift we can anticipate in Jesus’ coming to us. And the gift of peace is certainly a gift that needs to be received in our day and age.
But the gift of peace Jesus brings does not stand alone. Peace is the nature of Jesus’ rule and reign as the true Lord and King of his creation. You cannot separate Jesus’ person as King from his reign of peace. Jesus is not just our source of peace; Jesus is our peace. Peace does not come to us from any other source. That means to receive Jesus’ gift of peace is to receive him as our Lord and King.
When we do, we are receiving the full package of peace. Let me explain.
Peace has a foundation. It is built on righteousness and justice. These three, righteousness, justice, and peace, were the model by which ancient Israel’s rulers were measured. Unfortunately, they often fell short.
Let’s look at all three.
First, Righteousness is a word best understood as an orientation of the heart that seeks truth, compassion, gentleness, goodness, and overall wholeness in all relationships. “Righteousness,” biblically defined, could be rephrased as, “right-relationship.”
Second, Justice is then understood as a working out of these inner qualities within human communities. Therefore, justice comes from individuals whose hearts beat with righteousness in all their relationships. On this basis, justice is not an external law to govern people’s interactions, but an internal reality working out towards others.
Thirdly, Peace, then, is simply the result of communities living in righteousness and justice among one another.
So, these three, righteousness, justice, and peace go together. Listen for the repetition of these three words in Psalm 72 that are desired and sought in a king:
Give the king Your judgments, O God,
and Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
and Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
and the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
and will break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear You as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
like showers that water the earth.
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
Psalm 72:1-7 (NKJV)
No doubt, this Psalm finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our Lord and true King. He is the reason we celebrate the Second Week of Advent with a focus on the theme of peace. Jesus comes to us, bringing to us as gifts of grace his own righteousness, justice, and peace. If your heart is yearning for abiding peace, Jesus comes to you with the full package.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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Advent is a time to remember the coming of Jesus Christ and anticipate his return. It is a season filled with joy, new beginnings, and forgiveness. We celebrate that we have a savior! Jesus is our one true hope, the light of the world that tramples all darkness.
As the year ends, let us remember to give praise to the One who conquered death, the One from whom all blessings flow, the name above every other name, Jesus. A King worth celebrating!
Jeff shares a personal family story, that reminds us that in that sorrow and joy are not mutually exclusive. Even on our hardest days, we will experience God’s faithfulness in weaving a story of redemption in our lives.
False assumptions can lead to awkward moments. When it comes to God, we don’t have to assume his intentions. We can be assured that he is faithful to his word, guiding us in his way, truth, and life.
A simple sentence can crush someone’s dreams or it can inspire someone to be a better person for a lifetime. Words are powerful. God inspired Paul to write to the struggling early churches to encourage them that they are seen and loved. Has God empowered you recently to encourage someone? May we always carry God’s love in whatever we do so others may know who he is through our actions and our words.
Greg shares the time he met someone and mistakenly identified him as someone else. It is important to know who you’re talking to. This same lesson can be applied to prayer. How well do we know our loving Father? The Book of Psalms is a beautiful collection of praise and prayers giving a small glimpse of how and who God is. God invites us to know more about him. He knows who we truly are and what is in our hearts. Get to know God today and have a conversation with him.
Have you ever bought something online or from a vending machine, it takes your money, but nothing comes out? It’s frustrating, right? It could feel like that sometimes when we pray. The truth is prayer is a way for us to know God more. Let us learn to seek God daily, to know him more, and hopefully recognize what he wants best for us and His glory.
Our loving Father is generous, and the goodness we experience is a gift from his hand. Although it is always a joy to receive material gifts, let us always be reminded that the greatest gift God gives us, through his son Jesus, is himself.
We can easily feel down or discouraged when we try our best to plan something and it doesn’t go the way we wanted it to or not a lot of people have shown interest. Timothy had a similar feeling when he thought he was too young to work with the mature elders of the church. Paul encourages Timothy that through the Spirit we are empowered to minister with Christ. God is not looking for perfection but for our participation. In Christ, we already have every good and perfect thing we need.
Giving into desires fore can fuel an appetite for greed, that will never be satisfied. In Christ, we receive every blessing we need for a life of contentment.
If you like doing jigsaw puzzles, there is no greater satisfaction than putting in the one last piece that completes the puzzle. But what happens when that last piece is lost? A similar story in the book of Luke talks about a woman who lost her coin and looked insistently until she found it. Just like the woman, God will continue to seek us until we are found and back in his everlasting arms.
“Forgive and forget”, is a lot easier said than done. In Jesus, we have a reconciler who carries us through the process of restoring relationships.
“Don’t settle for less!” A phrase that we usually hear when we try to aim for the best. But the question is, are we settling for what we think is best for us? Or do we entirely trust the One who has created everything in existence? Jeremiah tells us that Christ is the fountain of living water. The water from which all blessings flow. The water that quenches every thirst. If you ever think that you’re not living the best of life, know that in Christ we have every spiritual blessing.
We’ve all had the experience of forgetting something important at home. Everything can get chaotic when we’re preoccupied thinking about the pile of tasks and deadlines that we still have and want to do. King David reminds us that if we ever feel buried in problems we have an awesome God who will carry us out of that pit and restore us with his everlasting love and compassion.
Have you ever experienced where you were the only one headed in the opposite direction where everyone else was going to? Our journey could be like that sometimes when we are confused, lost, or afraid. Because we have Jesus, we don’t have to worry about tomorrow and completely trust him where he leads us next.
If you’ve never seen a tree, it would be very difficult to comprehend what it is even if it was described to you. Similar to this illustration, Jesus reveals to us who the Father, Son, and Spirit truly is. Even when we cannot fully grasp what is happening in our reality, let us continue to live with faith in Christ and experience his full glory.
What treasures or valuables do you work to keep safe? Jewelry from a grandparent? Your dream car or home? Or the latest smartphone with all the bells and whistles? Whatever it may be, these things can easily become our idols and distract us from what is important. In Colossians, Paul tells us that we never have to fear losing the true treasure—Christ. The treasure of having a relationship with Jesus is beyond any worldly desire.
In one way or another, most of us have experienced financial debt. Whether it be borrowing money to buy groceries or getting a loan for your education, debt can haunt us. But there is another type of debt that cannot be paid off by any currency, goods, or services. Sin. But through Christ, our debts are completely wiped clean. Through him, we are forgiven and restored, free from all bondage!
Mrs. Fidget from C.S. Lewis’ book, The Four Loves, demonstrated a warped expression of love leaving her supposed “loved ones” miserable. Her “love” was more about love for herself. Have you experienced this? Like Martha and Mary’s story, we sometimes miss what’s important because we are focused on the wrong thing. May we focus on the correct thing, setting our eyes on the One who gave us life. Let us learn to love others as Christ has loved them.
“Is the glass half empty or half full?” In other words, are you pessimistic or optimistic? In the struggles we can face, it’s tempting to see the glass as half empty. Paul reminds us that whenever we feel empty or lost, we have a good Father who completely fills that void with love and understanding.
Dealing with sickness can become expensive very quickly. Even for the characters in the Old Testament, health care was expensive and unpredictable. Listen to Greg as he shares the story of Naaman, a prideful man who becomes sick. Eventually, he realizes that there is only one true Healer who can fully restore him inside and out.
Have you ever been so focused on a problem that you lose sight of everything but your desired solution? Heber reminds us that God’s faithfulness to us in the past can fuel our hope for his goodness to us in the present, even if shows up for us in unexpected ways.
We’ve all experienced moments of loneliness, anxiety, or darkness and doubt, believing we are alone in our journey. The prophet Elijah felt the same way and thought he was the only prophet left. Even when we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, God reminds us that he will never leave us.
This Trinity Sunday, we celebrate our union and relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit, growing our wisdom and finding delight in the joy of God’s creation.
Has someone made a promise to you, only to take a very long time to fulfill it? How easily do we forget the commitments that we’ve made and break them? When everything else is meant to break and decay, let us learn to trust God’s promises that never fail.
Have you ever felt empty inside? Have you ever felt like life is one problem after another? Even when we feel like we have everything that we need, nothing can satisfy the void that only Jesus can fill. He is the true Living Water that even when we are in our deepest darkest moments in the wilderness, he refreshes our soul and keeps us whole in his loving embrace.
Have you ever settled for less in your relationships? Healthy relationships are not easy to maintain and require intentional hard work. David reminds us in the Psalms that our loving Father is inviting us into a relationship with him. Even when we’re tired and ready to give up, he continues to pursue us with love and compassion.
Differences often become excuses for us to exclude and separate. We even do this unconsciously, based on someone’s appearance, language, or outfit. This Easter season, let us be reminded that Jesus invites us into his kingdom, no matter our differences. He came to restore all of humanity with his love and peace!
Correctly interpreting scripture can be challenging. Yet, like a shepherd, Jesus’ voice guides us when we read the word of God. Even when the world says differently, may we find peace knowing that he is the Good Shepherd who will bring us into the light.
There is no shortage of examples, today and in history, of individuals using their influence and power to control and harm others. But Jesus’ power is different. Jesus displayed his power by laying down his life and overcoming evil with truth, love, and light. His name is above any other name!
Jesus invites us to participate in his upside-down kingdom. He disrupts our broken systems, takes us out of our comfort zones, and ushers in peace while healing our broken world.
As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, let us remember that Jesus’ resurrection is not only about hope for life after death. Because of the life that we have in Christ, we are united with him and invited to join him in healing the world. He is risen and he is with us!
When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, people were celebrating because they thought he came to end the rule of the Romans. Hardly did they know that they were giving him a going-away party. A celebration that is worth praising til today! Jesus didn’t come to conquer an oppressive government. Jesus came to overcome death with light and love!
Have you ever felt like you were alone in a wasteland? Maybe during a break-up, financial crisis, or losing someone dear to you. Even in the wastelands, when all is hopeless, Jesus continues to meet us wherever to restore us and make us whole again.
Labels make the grocery experience so much better by giving us an idea of what’s inside a product. For us humans, it might be difficult for us to express to the world who we are inside. It’s easy to get labeled by people for how we look, say, or what we even wear. Society might fail to understand us but Jesus fully accepts and loves us for who we are beyond our flaws and mistakes.
Have you ever broken a promise? Or maybe the other way around, has anyone broken their promises with you? It’s easy to lose our faith and trust in someone who will always be fallible. Just as God blessed Abraham, God’s promises of faithfulness, mercy, and love will always be available to us, in every circumstance.
From social media to the articles that we read, it’s easy to be confused with what’s true. Amidst the lies that we face every day, let us stand firm in the never-changing truth of God’s love for us that is personified in Jesus.
**Speaking Of Life 4014 | Having an Epiphany
Heber Ticas**
The phrase “having an epiphany” is meant to convey that some reality that was once hidden is now seen. When you have an “epiphany” it is often accompanied by some significant change in how you go about life. Have you ever had an epiphany?
My friend tells a story when he had an epiphany as a young man. He was traveling south from Los Angeles to attend a weekend basketball tournament held in San Diego. After the tournament, my friend got on the interstate, set his cruise control, and headed home. There was little traffic so he knew he should be home in a few short hours. Then he had an epiphany. It came to him in the form of a big green sign on the middle of the freeway that read, “International Border”. Suddenly, he realized he was headed for Mexico. Before that, he was completely in the dark to the reality that he had been driving in the wrong direction.
Well, that may not be a life-changing epiphany, but for that short journey, it meant a complete turnaround.
The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, does speak of a life-changing epiphany that also results in a complete turnaround. It comes to us when we see God face-to-face in Jesus Christ. Listen to the change that comes about for those who see the epiphany we have in Jesus.
***“They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (MESSAGE)***
Like that green sign that became an epiphany for my traveling friend, Jesus is a living sign who shows us our way home. More than that, he is our Way and our Home. Seeing Jesus will result in changes that will be needed in our life. But they are changes towards living out the freedom that comes with being home with the Father.
Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.
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**Speaking Of Life 4013 | The Boy from the Well
Greg Williams**
Have you ever felt completely powerless? Have you been in the unenviable place of having no recourse—no action you can take that will change your situation? Imagine being stuck in the bottom of a well.
You likely recall the story. Joseph was the favorite of 12 sons, whose father had given him a coat of many colors. Joseph’s brothers—jealous of his gifts and favor with their father—threw him down a well in a fit of rage. At the bottom of the well—perhaps this one or one like it, he lay helpless, unable to scale the walls, completely dependent upon others to release him. Of course, we know this was just the beginning of his journey of helplessness, which included slavery, imprisonment, and mistreatment.
But we also know that years later, after being released from prison, Joseph became the 2nd highest authority in the land of Egypt. And during this time, he and his brothers met.
The land was in the midst of famine and Joseph’s brothers had traveled to Egypt to ask to buy food for their family. They were now totally dependent upon others. They had no idea the Egyptian official in front of them was their brother Joseph the boy they had thrown into a well so many years before.
At first, Joseph wasn’t sure about revealing himself to them and seemed to toy with the idea of revenge—even seeming to threaten their youngest brother. But mercy wins out. He can’t keep up the ruse anymore, he blurts out his name. But they don’t get it at first.
[Look Down]
***And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45:3-4 (ESV)***
They are so shocked to see him he had to repeat himself. You can only imagine what is going on in their minds. The power dynamic has completely reversed. Now it is them at the bottom of the well as he stands over them. They are trapped in famine and under the mercy of Egypt. He has the upper hand by any measure. But rather than take the upper hand, he informs them of his plan to take care of the most vulnerable member of their family, their aging father.
This is grace. Grace can mean walking away from our rightful revenge, holding back when we want to restore our human version of “balance” to the world.
Grace tells us that God doesn’t work by our weights and measures. In Joseph’s world, the abusing brothers are forgiven and taken in. In God’s world, the weak become the strong; in God’s world, the sinner is given the place of honor. In God’s world, the boy from the well becomes the man on the throne; the boy stripped off his robe provides for his family.
I am Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4012 | If No Resurrection…
Cara Garrity**
Have you ever had a hard time believing something the Bible says about Jesus Christ? The virgin birth. Healing the blind. Walking on water. Raising the dead. There are many things about Jesus’ story that challenge our reason. As a result, sometimes we try to force-fit our big God into a box of our own understanding or suspend our logic and reason to be a Christian?
The apostle Paul had to address the resurrection of Jesus. A good number of the members of the Corinthian church did not believe in the possibility of the dead coming back to life. Ironically, Paul used the style of writing popular with philosophers to make a logical argument proving the reality of the resurrection. He began by quoting evidence—including eyewitness testimony—of Christ being seen after his death. In his conclusion, Paul stated:
***But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. … But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:12-14***
Paul saw the resurrection as foundational to our faith and a reason for our hope. Yet, he also understood it was a hard thing to believe. This was why he was so meticulous in putting together a logical argument for the more skeptical Christians in Corinth. Apart from God, resurrection is illogical. But with God, it is possible, because God can do all things. Resurrection still stretches the imagination, however, we serve a supernatural God who is powerful beyond description.
Paul did not want his audience to disregard their logical minds or try to fit God into their pre-conceived notions of logic, rather he wanted them to use their minds to explore a greater reality. In this season of Epiphany, we are challenged to see and encounter the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The truth is Jesus disrupts our belief because he is greater than we can possibly imagine. We cannot wrap our minds around his love, his power, and the lengths he is willing to go in order to redeem humanity.
I pray that you would allow God to renew your mind and awaken you to the ways of his reality. I am Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4011 | The Story Since Day One
Greg Williams**
Do you ever have a commercial jingle or a theme song from a tv show that you can remember perfectly years later? Decades might pass, you will have forgotten libraries of information, but you can still flawlessly recite the opening song. For example, the jingle from the old TV show, The Brady Bunch… “Here’s a story, of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls…”
Stories draw us in, they make us pay attention, they help us remember.
We see Paul using a story for the same reasons. Though, his story is much more meaningful. In his first letter to believers in Corinth Paul wrote:
***For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (ESV)***
At first glance, this may look like more of Paul’s theological writing—abstract concepts in the early formulation of faith. But scholars have looked more closely at the language in the last hundred years or so and they saw an intrinsic rhythm and meter of the words: “that Christ died…he was buried…he was raised.” What they found was an ancient credal formula—a compact, memorizable statement of faith that was probably around long before 1 Corinthians was written.
Notice how Paul set this up: I delivered to you what I received. He was sharing something he had received—this creed, this jingle, this poem—something that was already in place and most likely part of his discipleship process.
We are seeing here some of the first “hymns” the church ever sang. Remember there was no internet and a significant part of the first audience was illiterate. This would be the way new believers learned faith, similar to a memory verse or a simple song, or a creed in today’s churches.
Just like we can sing some of the words to The Brady Bunch jingle, so the early believers could tell the story of Christ in song, or poem form. The story was circulated in such a way that people could remember it and share it. We still tell the story today—Jesus is of first importance. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension are the story we share each year as we worship our way through the Christian Calendar. Each year the calendar reminds us of the story of Jesus—the same story that has been shared since day one.
I am Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4010 | Hitting Too Close to Home
Heber Ticas**
Have you ever uttered the words, “That hit just a little too close to home?” It’s a familiar phrase we use when something is said that makes us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed because it touches on a sensitive or personal subject. The words spoken may be neutral or even positive, but if it connects in a personal way, we may try to put distance between us and what was said. So, we say something like, “That hits a little too close to home. Let’s talk about something else.”
Have you ever considered that hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ may have the same effect? The Gospel is the good news that God’s grace and love, forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation have been given to all in Jesus Christ. We may at first hear such a proclamation with warmth and joy but then some implications for us personally come to mind.
For example, if God has forgiven my worst enemy, I may have to forgive them too. Or, if God has reconciled all to himself in Jesus, then I may be expected to seek reconciliation with certain people I rather not have anything to do with.
Or, more personally. If Jesus is Savior of the whole world, then I will have to trust him as my personal savior. I’ll have to admit that I need saving and that I cannot save myself. In short, I’ll have to turn around and trust in this one who has saved me. You may want to respond with, “That is hitting just a little too close to home. Let’s talk about something else.”
Or the Spirit may be breaking in to form in you a different and better response. Perhaps a response like we see in Psalm 71:
***In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
Psalm 71:1-6 (NRSV)***
If you feel like God’s Word is hitting a little too close to home today, consider this response of trust, and take refuge in him. In his love for you, the Father never takes back his Word. He means to “hit close to home” because our true home is with him.
Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.
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**Speaking Of Life 4009 | Practicing Christ in the Kitchen
Greg Williams**
In the summer of 1642, a young disabled veteran named Nicolas Herman took vows to join a religious community in Paris. He described himself as a “great awkward fellow who broke everything,” and was acutely aware of his humble, flawed stature.
He took the religious title Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, or Brother Lawrence as he’s widely known. He joined the monastery and was given a task to perform, and he did what he was asked. But he was soon seen to be a man of wisdom and he became sought by many visitors for spiritual counsel. Over time, even famous thinkers and powerful church leaders came to listen to him.
But they had to go to the kitchen to find him. Brother Lawrence washed the dishes.
This giant in the spiritual wisdom tradition, this sought-after guide in faith, was the cook who spent his days in the kitchen steam, among the pots and pans. And that was the key, he practiced the presence of Christ there in the smallest of tasks. Every plate he washed, every dish he prepared, he did so as if Jesus were right there with him.
One of his most famous quotes describes this:
“The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.”
Brother Lawrence washed dishes until his health no longer allowed it and then he became a sandal-maker. And that was his life; though he was one of the wisest of men at that time, he never left the kitchen or the workbench. Shortly after he died his letters were compiled into the enduring classic Practicing the Presence of Christ, and it’s been read and reread by millions of people.
Brother Lawrence’s story reminds us that God works through people we might never expect. And it helps us see how God uses every part of the body. As Paul wrote:
**For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)**
The body of Christ—interconnected, mutually supportive—needs every part to be whole. If this back kitchen cook had been ignored because of his humble position, we would have missed out on his message and edification for the whole body.
Brother Lawrence, like so many forgotten, “insignificant” people, turned out to be a light that shines through the centuries. May we continue to shine the light of Christ in whatever we are called or asked to do.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4008 | No Comparisons
Michelle Fleming**
Comparison is a trap that is so easy to fall into. It’s a cheap and easy ego boost to notice when we are bigger, better, faster, stronger than someone else we know. It can also be brutal, when we come across someone who effortlessly exceeds our abilities.
Human beings tend to compare themselves whether we know it or not. We compare our appearance, our intelligence, our personalities, and our perceived success. Comparing yourself with other people leads to dissatisfaction and poor self-esteem. The issue with comparison is that we are our own point of reference.
The wonderful truth is that we are made in God’s image. Our identity is not based on our performance or how we measure up to others. God created each one of us as his unique beloved child, with our own talents and gifts. Notice how Paul addressed this in his letter to the believers in Corinth.
**God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful. … All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
I Corinthians 12:4-11 (The Message)**
And this is why comparing ourselves doesn’t make sense, because God isn’t holding out on any of us. He created you uniquely, on purpose, with a purpose. Each person has been given spiritual gifts that are intended to reveal God to others, and God decides how every person can best reveal the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the world.
Comparing yourself to others, or trying to be like someone else is ignoring the special gifting God has given you, and robbing the world of those gifts. In fellowship with one another, we reflect God’s love and glory into the world around us. And everyone benefits.
May you embrace your unique gifts from God as you share the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with the people in your world.
I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4007 | God’s Whistle
Greg Williams**
I can still hear dad’s whistle or mom’s call from the back porch when it was time to come home from spending the day outside. It’s a sound from a simpler time—when we worked and played outside until the sunset and were back out in the morning to watch it rise. That sound always meant it was time to come home.
Every child who hears that call knows which home to go to. We recognized the call because we knew who was making the call.
I see a similarity in the book of Isaiah. Here I see God calling to his children—not only reminding them where they are from, but whose they are. Reinforcing that they are part of his story.
Note Isaiah’s words in chapter 43:
**But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV)**
You are mine, he says, and I will always be with you—even walking through fire with you. And when you go out on your own… Notice this next part when he says he will whistle them home…
**Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
Isaiah 43:5-7 (ESV)**
Israel did not stay true to God’s covenant and was carted away from home. They came to exile in Babylon. There they settled and became somewhat comfortable in exile. But true to his word, God called them to remember who he was, who they were in him, and to leave Babylon and come home.
Like a parent’s voice that reminds us who we are and where we’re from, God reminds them of their story. He whistles for them to come home.
Do you hear the echoes in this story? This is creation itself—he created you, he formed you. Then the next story—”when you pass through the waters, I will be with you,”—this is the exodus story.
God is reminding them who they are and calling them back home from the four corners of the earth.
Has God called to you like this? He is whistling you home. He’s calling you to come out of this disorienting, scattered world and return home to your story. Back to the story, he’s writing for you.
He’s calling you to be who you truly are—the beloved royal child of God. It’s time to respond to the whistle and come home.
This is Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4006 | Already a Good New Year
Cara Garrity**
This week, we are blessed to celebrate the coming of another year with fireworks, parties, and cheers of “goodbye” to 2021 and “hello” to 2022. At the start of a new year, many people use the opportunity to take stock in their lives. They make resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, save money, and stop procrastinating. There is nothing inherently wrong with making a New Year’s resolution, however, have you ever noticed that resolutions are often focused on self-improvement?
Why do we often base our New Year’s resolution on things we do not like about ourselves or things we think will make us whole? Why, when reflecting on our lives, do we tend to look at what we do not have versus what we have?
The truth is, God wants something different and better for us. While we do actively participate in the work to become more like Christ, our Triune God invites us to be focused on the blessings we have already received and how we are being transformed by the goodness of God. Paul writes:
**Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:3-6**
The reality is that if we are in Christ, we have already been blessed beyond imagination. It is God’s pleasure to bless his children and he does not withhold his best from us. What would happen if we made our New Year’s resolution in light of what we have received in Christ? What if we saw ourselves as overflowing with blessings? What if we saw ourselves as already chosen and adopted in Christ?
For this new year, I challenge us to rest in the truth of what God says about humanity. Through Jesus Christ, we are holy and blameless in his sight. I pray that we will experience every spiritual blessing in Christ, no matter what this year has in store.
I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.
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Speaking Of Life 4005 | Just Like Mom Used to Make Greg Williams
One of the sweet memories I have of my college days was the care packages I got from my mom. I would show up at the student mail counter and get that much-anticipated box filled with fudge, no-bake cookies, a loving note, new socks, and a surprise or two—just a touch of home. As a young college student, I didn’t realize how important this kind of interaction was. My mom was connecting me with my family and the story I came from—the disorienting experience of young adulthood was relieved for a moment. This is who you are—not just words, but they gave me a taste and feel of home.
We can only guess, but the young prophet Samuel may have felt the same way. The high priest’s sons, who were supposed to be learning the arts of the temple, were distracted and sin-addicted. Samuel, at a young age, was already doing some of the priest work, as we see in this brief touching account of his mother’s visit:
**Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
1 Samuel 2:18-19 (ESV)**
Samuel’s mother Hannah had prayed for a child for decades. When Samuel was finally born, she dedicated him to the Lord—to live at the temple and assist the priest. She visited once a year and brought him the “care package” of a new robe she made for him every year. She only saw him once and she had to guess carefully how much he grew that year.
Hannah joins the great tradition of biblical women—powerful elegant ladies who are vital to the narrative of the gospel. In the ancient world where women were often disregarded, these heroic females stood out as examples of courage and rugged love.
Hannah knows that her boy is destined for great things and serves in the very presence of God, but she also knows he’s her boy. That he needs the touch of home and that God only calls real-life, momma-needing people to bring in his kingdom.
Has God ever used someone—be it your mother or someone else—to remind you of your frailty, but also to remind you that he cares about you? That he cares about your need for comfort and your need for love? Does he use those who can see right through us and yet still love us, like mom does? This “for-us,” unconditional Godly love is what our amazing Triune God wants for us all, and finds unique ways to provide—often through unexpected care packages.
May you experience the care packages he sends your way.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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**Speaking Of Life 4004 | The Witness of Christmas Music
Heber Ticas**
Can you imagine the Christmas season without Christmas carols? The music of Christmas is one of my favorite parts of the season. And I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like Christmas music because it is virtually impossible to avoid as Christmas approaches.
In fact, I would imagine, if you never went to church and never looked at a calendar, you will still know when Christmas was close. Even in its commercialized ways, Christmas music has a way of announcing to the world that something exciting and celebratory is coming. As Christmas day approaches, the airwaves become saturated with the distinctive sounds of carols and music that pave the way for celebration. You can hardly turn on the radio without being greeted by some familiar Christmas jingle. And in the Church, music takes a deafening turn during the Advent season to usher in the celebration of the birth of Jesus. What an amazing witness Christmas music provides to the entire world of the coming of Jesus Christ, her rightful King.
Admittedly, some Christmas songs are better than others and not all reflect in their lyrics an accurate portrayal of what Christmas is all about. Some songs have nothing to do with Jesus. But this does not stop the witness that something in our world is about to change. The change in music anticipates the change that Christmas is bringing.
Did you know that this witness in music was also part of the first Christmas celebration? The Gospel of Luke in the first two chapters makes this very clear. There are five songs, two by men, two by women, and one by a host of heavenly angels. Each in their own way anticipates and announces the coming of Jesus. The witness is clear. When Jesus breaks in, worship breaks out.
Here is one song sang by Mary, as she awaits to give birth to Jesus:
With all my heart ***I praise the Lord,
and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
He cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him. Luke 1:46-50 (CEV)***
Mary’s song anticipates and celebrates the wonderful changes that are coming with Jesus’ birth—changes for her, her people, and the whole world. We too can lift up our voices in praise and worship, joining with Mary, the angels, and others, as we witness in song to each other, and to the world, the glorious good news of the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.
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**Speaking Of Life 4003 | The Myth of Instancy
Greg Williams**
Most of us remember the dial-up internet of the past—and by past, we don’t mean very long ago, maybe a couple of decades ago. The website scrolled down the page at an incredibly slow pace. It was so frustrating to use, most of us kind of ignored the internet.
And good luck if anyone answered the phone and shut you down—you had to redial and start the whole thing over!
Now the target speed for a website download is two seconds. Information goes from our living room to a satellite and across the world as fast as light fills a room. We live in an instantaneous world. We can watch thousands of tv shows, several 24-hour news programs, and millions of hours of bad movies with just a click on a remote.
Unfortunately, it’s too easy to take this instantaneous attitude into our spiritual lives. We tend to think that Christlikeness will follow conversion, like some kind of simple equation. It’s almost like we want to download the character of Christ into our lives, and if it doesn’t happen right away there’s something wrong.
We might look at famous passages like this and see immediate spiritual gratification:
**Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:4-6 (ESV)**
A look at the language here helps us out:
“Rejoice in the Lord always… do not worry about anything…” These phrases are a grammatical construct called the present imperative. They point to prolonged habit, discipline—or as one theologian called it “a long obedience in the same direction.”
In other words, it takes time. The shifting and shaping into Christ-centered maturity doesn’t happen immediately. They aren’t meant to. The power of the Holy Spirit works in amazing and surprising ways, but so often it is the slow erosion and reshaping of day after day and year after year. Learning, relearning, and going deeper.
The point is, we don’t want to let the myth of instancy dictate the way we pursue Christ. Let’s stay in step with the Spirit, trusting that he will get us where we need to be, even if the journey is long.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
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