Relief

"None who wait for you shall be put to shame," Psalm 25:3.

Really, now? What about all those people who waited fruitlessly? Who waited believing that you, O God, would provide? Who waited, but who died? Some of them persecuted miserably? They didn't get what was promised. What about them? Yeah. This is a problem. Really - it's a problem for us who live today. But not for them. No, here's the deal about them: They refused relief from the harrowing suffering because. Because they anticipated resurrection. Rising again to a better life. Hope. And because. Because God, their God, provided something even better for them than this world's ease. God planned for them not to get complete without you. We, together with them, are part of God's promises. God provided us with them for them to teach us what it means to hope in God and not in earth's comforts.

With a brother or sister today we wait, with the cloud of witnesses who've waited for us, in mutual hope. And, together, giving thanks, we wait for God to fulfill his sure promises.

Encapsulates

"The Lord says: The time is coming when I will do the things I promised," Jeremiah 33:14.

That line encapsulates our times. God promises. We hope. But wait! This hope is not like wishing to win the lottery. No. That kind of dead hope just wishes foolishly against all odds. It fails to tell of the thousands whose odds were exactly that: The house wins; they lose. And they walk away feeling the feeling of fools. No. Our hope rests in a God who does not gamble against our lives. Our hope nests in the God who banks on our sure gain. Who promises faithfully to secure our safety and salvation through Jesus' resurrection. Who's for us, not against us. A living hope.

With a brother or sister today, we talk of God's faithfulness and the guarantee of our hope: Jesus. And, together, we anticipate fulfillment of God's gracious plans. Yeah.

Anticipatory

"My whole being wants to be with the living God," Psalm 84:2.

Yes, O Lord Jehovah! Your home brings beauty all around it. Joy for you, the living God, inspires my deepest self. Even sparrows and swallows find their home in your courtyards, right around your altars, O my King and God! People alive in your palace - these blessed people! They sing your praises forever. They find their strength in you, whoever makes their way to Zion, your home! As we keep getting closer to home, we get stronger and stronger. You change valleys on the way home into refreshing way-stations. We long for you, our hearts, our souls yearn for home. O, what joy we anticipate in your presence, God of our forebears!

As we visit today with a brother or sister, fellow travelers, we point each other ahead, to home, forgoing frontage roads to nowhere. And, together, we sing anticipatory praises to you, our Savior.

Refined

"With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king," Psalm 45:15.

What king? The king whose God anointed him with the oil of gladness. The Anointed one. The Messiah. Christ. The king, Jesus, who rode out victoriously for the cause of truth, of humility, and righteousness. (You know that song, Out Of Ivory Palaces? Yes, well, this psalm is where that line comes from.) Here's the interesting part: Who's being led into the king's palace? The queen and her royal entourage. She's a beauty. A refined beauty. Lavish garments flow around her. What a celebration! She's left her people and family to be with this king. And the King desires her beauty. She bows to the King. He will make her name famous everywhere forever. So what's her name? Bride of Christ. The Church.

With a brother or sister today we speak of the coming banquet feast of the Lamb with his Bride. And, together, always together, his congregation, we give thanks to God and his Christ who cleansed us and sanctified us fit for his kingdom.

Up

"My kingdom is not of this world," John 18:36.

I have a hard time hearing my Lord, so he often has to say the thing twice for me to hear it. So, in this one verse, he said it at the start, then he said it again at the end: My kingdom is not of this world. In fact, in order to be heard, he even provides a contrast sandwiched between the twofold declaration. In between he said: If my kingdom were of this world - then my agents would fight and defend me. The governor grilling Jesus at this point asked, You're a king? Jesus answered, You said it. I was born for this purpose. I came here for this purpose. I bear witness to the truth. Anybody captured by truth hears me. Eking out his meaning, slowly I begin to hear him. Kingdom of heaven. It's really, really different from earth's ways.

We join with a brother or sister today, thankfully, to hear the truth of our King, Jesus. And, together, we give thanks for receiving a kingdom whose roots go up, into the sky.

Uncommon

"In God's love, keep yourselves anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life," Jude 21.

And on what basis should we keep expecting life forever? God's love. Jesus' mercy. We've been waiting a while for this, so what do we do as we keep watch for what's not yet here? Extend mercy. To whom? to doubters. To whom? to those caught in the fire. To whom? to soiled people. (We extend the mercy to others that we anticipate for ourselves, right?). Anything else to do while we wait? Yes. Get built up with each other's holy faith, Yes! Anything else? Pray with each other in the Holy Spirit, Yes! Beloved, we are loved by God. The loved people. Beloved. So we anticipate, we encourage.

We meet today with a brother or sister and share our uncommon, holy faith that we have in common. We pray with each other. And, together, we offer thanksgivings for God's love and Jesus' mercy. All the way into eternal life.

Rapid

"Lord, your kingdom was set up long ago. You are everlasting," Psalm 93:2.

The short psalm makes a brief statement that can be read quickly to its speedy end, moving swiftly through rapid metaphors about rushing waters to tell the bullet points: (bam!) trustworthy decrees, (bam!) holiness, (bam!) infinitude. A fast read. Doesn't waste our precious time. To tell of our patient God who alone owns eternity and waits for his children to visit with him before time's up.

Today, with a brother or sister, we visit, together, with our God and offer thanks for time's gift, and for eternity in Jesus' sky kingdom.

Destiny

"My salvation will be forever," Isaiah 51:6.

But before getting to that, consider your ancestors. Your forebears. Your beginnings. Yes: Where'd you come from? Consider the rock from which you were cut; the quarry from which you were dug. Indeed. Look to Abraham. (Wait a minute! To Abraham? We're no descendants of Abraham! Nor of Sarah!) Yes, indeed. To Abraham. Your father. (Our father?!) To Sarah. Who bore you. (Bore us?!). Exactly! When people who seek the Lord get their new start in Christ, their roots get replanted. Replanted into the heritage God has cultivated for the past 4 thousand years. That's what new birth is about. Getting born again into God's family. The family he started with one man of faith and his offspring. Our past is not our destiny. God's past is. Sky kingdom.

As we converse with a brother or sister today, we reflect on God's work to make us family. And, together, we give thanks for his eternal salvation in Christ, offspring of Abraham.

Dregs

"At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity," Psalm 75:2.

God, God alone, appoints the Day of Accounting. And he will judge fairly. When the earth itself, with all its peoples stumbles, God steadies it - no shaking of the continents will preempt God's set time. He braces the earth until he's ready. He speaks to braggarts, to boasters: Don't. Don't think your clever awards preclude God's timing. God's accounting will give awards and demerits, lifting up and putting down, as he alone discerns with equity. Earth's wicked will drink the cup of God's justice to the last drop of the dregs. Just like Jesus did: condemned, shamed, crucified, mocked, displayed for ridicule. But Jesus drank it for us. So that on that Day, God's equity will grace those who trust him with a pass.

We visit humbly with a brother or sister today, grateful for equity, grateful for Jesus' amazing love for God. And, together, we bow in utter thanksgiving to God who lifts us up like he raised up Jesus. Sky kingdom.

Winds

"He will gather his chosen together from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky," Mark 13:27.

Now that's the End. The end of what? The end of history. And what's he going to do? He's going to collect, to assemble, to pull together every single person he has chosen. But what if they're scattered throughout the world or even in the skies? He'll get'em all. Every single one, from every single direction the winds scattered them. Not one of his elect will be left out. Hmm. So who's doing this? The Son of Man. Jesus. When? when the sun gets dark, when the moon doesn't shine, when the stars fall from the skies. When the Risen Christ shows up in clouds. Blasting light everywhere. So. When? Real soon. Be ready. Salvation comes.

We encourage one another, brother or sister, in preparation of our Lord's appearing. He will collect his chosen. We have chosen him; and, together, we bless the one and only imperishable God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conspiracies

"Do not be alarmed," Mark 13:7.

Says who? Jesus. Says Jesus. OK. Don't be alarmed about what? When you hear of wars. When you hear rumors of wars. When you hear about nations against nations. When you hear about ethnic strife. When you hear about kingdoms against kingdoms. When you hear about earthquakes here and there. When you hear about famines. Don't get troubled about these things. No. These are just things that have to happen, but they're not the end. Not at all. They're just the beginning of labors. On the other hand. Keep watch. Keep watch? For what? For when you stand in front of tribunals. Beaten in meetings. In front of governors. Of kings. To bear witness for Jesus. But don't worry about these things. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say. That's what Jesus said.

We meet with a brother or sister today and will not be alarmed about the conspiracies: We trust, rather, in Jesus' counsel. And, together, confidently, we give thanks to God for the victory of Christ.

Curtain

"He opened the new and living way through the curtain, that is, through his flesh," Hebrews 10:20.

For centuries the priests killed and offered the same daily animal sacrifices over and again. The blood of untold thousands sheep, goats, cattle poured onto the ground, splashed onto the ark of the covenant. Yet, for all that, animal sacrifices could not take away human sin. A mighty curtain blocked us from God's presence. But Christ offered a single sacrifice, once, for all time. Daily, he yielded his body to do the will of God, to go around doing good for people. And at the end, Jesus yielded his body's blood as the one and only sacrifice, a human sacrifice, effective to take away human sin. His body, nailed to a tree, opened up a new way, breaking through the curtain, into God's presence. A living way, for us. Forgiven, we enter the Presence boldly in Jesus raised from the dead, seated beside God. Sky kingdom.

As we speak today with a brother or sister of Jesus' sacrifice for us, we yield our own lives in service to our God and his Christ. And, together, thankful, we speak of grace and power and forgiveness.

Sheol

"You will not abandon my soul to Sheol," Psalm 16:10.

Who's not abandoning? Jehovah. The Giver of counsel and instruction. The Provider of security. God. What's God not forsaking? The soul. Life. Self. (Our souls. Our lives. Our selves.) Not deserting to Sheol: What's Sheol? The Grave. Death. Hades. The Place of the rotting Dead. God will not cast us aside. But first: Before. Way before we faced death and dying. God did not abandon Jesus to rot away. No, not at all! Jesus had yielded his life as sin-offering. To God. For us. Jesus was the Holy One whom God would not allow to rot. God reached down to raise Jesus up from Sheol. And then. And then. And then, He let us know the path to life. He reached out. He grasped our hand in His to our eternal delight.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we tell each other of God's rock-solid security in Jesus: He will not forsake forever. And, together, assured in his promise, we praise the one and only God.

Bright

"Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above," Daniel 12:3.

How bright will they shine? As bright as the skies. And who's gonna shine? The wise. And what makes the wise wise? Ah. Well. That's the tricky part. Doesn't mean that God is tricky, but that God's in the details. And what makes for wisdom here does not fit with just gaining some kind of mystical or esoteric knowledge. So. The wise are those whose names are written in the book. (That's what it says.) Book? What book? The book of truth. It holds the names of the purified. And how did they get purified? When Daniel wrote those words, nobody knew. But the book at the end of the Bible tells how: They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

With a brother or sister today we remember when scarlet stains deadened our lives; but we were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of Christ by the Holy Spirit. And, together, we give thanks in hope of shining forever.

Forged

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us," Psalm 67:1.

Dear God, your generosity overflows favor on us! You bless us! You shine on us! All peoples everywhere can see your ways at work among your congregation. They see your saving power. Your church, scattered throughout the earth, gives witness to you, O God of Israel, God of Jesus, and God of his congregation! Please receive our praises; receive the praises of the whole earth! Receive the praises of all who recognize your justice and equity. You guide us - you guide all peoples! Earth itself produces abundance by your design - you bless us ... and you will bless us. (And how do we know that you will? because that's how you are!). Everybody, everybody in every corner of earth: Fear the Lord! Honor God!

We meet confidently with a brother or sister today, unafraid of foes or worldly troubles. Our God shines! And, together, the congregation forged by Christ, we thank our God.

Pillar

"Know how to behave in the household of God - which is the church of the living God - a pillar and bulwark of truth," 1 Timothy 3:15.

Paul (old, jailed preacher) writes Timothy (twenty-something preacher). About prayer, harmonizing the congregation's actions, new way of life for followers of Jesus, power of the Word, and stuff like that. New life in God's house. God's church. (No! It's not about how to be reverent inside a building called "a church.") It's how to honor each other. How to treat God's redeemed. God's congregation. The church. God's stanchion. God's stronghold. And what are they bulwarks about? Listen carefully: about the mystery of godliness: Jesus. Manifested in flesh. Vindicated in Spirit. Seen by angels. Proclaimed among peoples. Believed on in the world. Taken up in glory. So, behave new.

As we see brothers or sisters today, we see a pillar for Jesus' truth. And, together, we hold up our Lord in thanksgiving for this new life.

Reward

"Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven," Matthew 5:12.

Jesus' words, those. Thus sayeth the Lord. And to whom sayeth He so? To the: poor in spirit; the mourners; the meek; the hungry and thirsty; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; the persecuted; the bullied. To those people who lost the world's rat-race. To those who lost because they held fast to other standards: the Way of Jesus. The Way of the Word. To those who, having lost the world, gained: Kingdom of heaven; comfort; the earth (!); satisfaction; mercy; experiencing God; God's adoption. To those receiving a great reward. To the rejoicing crowd in the vast sky arena victoriously praising their God! To the blessed. To. The. Blessed! 

When we meet with a brother or sister today we remind each other that the Way of Jesus is way more than worth it all. And, together, we give thanks, gladly, for our God's gracious reward.

Pure

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us," 1 John 3:1.

First: Who's the Father? God. Maker of heaven and earth. And of everything in them. Our Father, who art in heaven. You know, that one. The one and only God. Truly. To whom has this God given some kind of love? To us. (To you and me ...). Second: OK, so what kind of love has God given to us? This kind: he calls us his children. In fact, we are (are!) his kids. Yeah ... ok ... and why's that such a big deal? Because when Jesus, God's son, shows up suddenly in the skies, the rest of his children (that's us) will suddenly zoom up becoming like him. Though we don't know right now quite what that'll be like. Except that we get purified when we hope in him. Even now. For real. 100% pure. And, then, his kids get to play in the sky. Forever.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we remind each other whose we are. We anticipate joining the vast congregation of worshippers around the throne. And, together, we give thanks for God's kind of love to us.

Humble

"Hallelujah! Sing to Jehovah," Psalm 149:1.

Who shall sing? The congregation. What congregation? The assembly of all godly people. The holy ones. The loyal ones. All the children of Zion. (All the children made holy by the Lamb, yes!) And what shall they sing? A new song. What song? Song of joy to their Maker. Their King! They praise Him with dancing. With tambourine. With lyre. They burst into song! And why shall they sing so? Because Jehovah's pleasure rests in them. Whose pleasure? God's. God's happy with. Who's God happy with? His people. What people? Humble people. (They confessed Christ as Lord.) What shows His joy? He decorates them. With what? with salvation's jewelry! As He saves them, He also executes His sharp justice (!). As His Word has written.

Today we sing praise with a brother or sister to our God. (Well, if we don't actually sing sing, we voice a praise psalm together, right?) And, together, we give thanks to our God in the joy of our salvation.

Arena

"He who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence," Revelation 7:15.

You know how in the movies there's this marvelous, glorious scene where everybody marches into the vast arena after the unbearable troubles they've been through? Where the vast crowd thunders cheers as the peoples enter? Sure! And if it's a really good movie, even we in the audience feel the impetus to stand and cheer it on, too. Well, that's the Revelation scene - except that it's real, though future to us. And except that it is God who's being cheered on. And who are the immense shouting crowds? It's all the people whom God brought through all the troubles of the world, through death itself. All who washed their dress clothes whiter than white in the blood of Jesus. And what's God doing there? God's sheltering them all.

We speak with a brother or sister today about security in God's handiwork, we speak of Jesus' sacrifice for us. And, together, we raise our hands, our voices, in praise to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.

Changed

"Our guilt overwhelms us but you forgive our sins," Psalm 65:3.

Praise to you, O God! We will be true to you! You hear our prayers, everybody (everybody!) will come to you. You satisfy us with the goodness of your house, your hospitality. Your awesome - righteous - actions answer our pleas. O God: You're the hope of our salvation. Every most remote edge of the earth, most forgotten sea, most unknown craggy height - the whole world finds in you salvation. Your visits water the earth, enrich it, abound crops, bless its growth, flourish wilderness, delight the hillsides, crown the bountiful year. Thank you for your lavish care. Thank you!

When we chat with a brother or sister today, we share God's abundant life in Jesus with each other. And, together, we give thanks for the atonement that changed everything.

Hear

"The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live," John 5:25.

That time's coming. Well, in fact, it's here. Now. So said Jesus. The time when the dead will hear. It's right now. What will the dead hear? Jesus' voice. Who are the dead that hear? Whoever hears Jesus' word and believes God. Wait a minute! How do the dead hear - they're dead!? Well, it's us. Us. Us, who have a sort of life in our own selves, but who have no life (we're dead) to God. This sort of life that we have of our own selves leaves us facing a sure grave. Dead men walking. But we hear Jesus. (Where do we hear Jesus? in the Word. Where's that? Let's be clear: in the Bible.) We hear Jesus' voice in his Word. And, having heard, we live to God.

Today we, brothers or sisters, listen to God's voice graciously imparting life. We get into his Word, we heed him. And, together, we praise our God, in full hope of forever life.

Protest

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed," John 8:34.

It stands a curious development. When we (humans) think of freedom we usually mean it within a political context. Here, however, Jesus speaks of freedom within the spiritual context of sin and release from its enslaving, deadly consequences. So, sometimes, when we (followers of Christ) hear of oppressed peoples in our country and of their protests for political justice, we remind them that true, biblical freedom is a spiritual, not political, thing; they should forbear. A true enough statement. But then (and here's the curious part), when we perceive government encroaching on our own political freedoms, suddenly we may feel the need to take up protest in some fashion or another in that same political dimension. Nonetheless, Jesus' Word continues: If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Not of this world. Sky kingdom.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we return to Jesus' real freedom, to live in the house of God forever. And, together, we give thanks to our liberating God.

Enough

"So that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be accountable to God," Romans 3:19.

That's the purpose of God's Law. It shushes all the bickering of peoples and ushers us, every last one of us, to answer before God's throne. It shows us our fail. Major fail. We all missed God's glory. Sin. Judgment. Condemnation. But God, the just God, the righteous God, shows us something more. God speaks his true character. God redeems us. Why? because he wants to. God makes us right. How? Here's how: God presented Jesus to us. God presented Jesus' bloody death as enough. Enough for our fail. So when we believe Jesus made up the consequences of our sin, God calls us good. God's word. That's grace. Generosity. Jesus' cross nests our faith and God's grace. God is just. And he justifies. Because he wants to. His gift.

With a brother or sister today, we set aside boasting in our accomplishments, and we turn in faith through Jesus to God. And, together, stunned, we praise God for the gift of eternal life.

Cadence

"The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts," Psalm 46:6.

God's voice changes everything. In the midst of rampaging peoples, of mountains sloughing off into seas, of earth giving way to shaking, of tsunamis roaring onto shores, of governments staggering - God's enthroned in his citadel. From his throne a life-giving stream springs through his city. The City of God rests on an immovable foundation. God's Word. And dawn will come. At his voice wars end: weapons shatter, war machines burn to a crisp. His voice: Be still! His voice: Know that I am God! His voice: I will be exalted in the earth!

When we visit a brother or sister today, we listen with ... for God's voice, drinking in its enlivening cadence. And, together, we give thanks for his Christ, living Word.

Thundering

"An eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth," Revelation 14:6.

Right in the middle of the sky, directly overhead (while the Lamb stood on the mountain with his mighty hundred forty-four thousand redeemed, blameless followers, their sound-breaking voices thundering out a new song immediately in front of the Throne and of the four living monsters and of the 24 elders) - while all that was going on, it says - an angel flew over it all shouting an eternal gospel. An enduring gospel. Not optional - ever. And the out-loud message: Fear God. Give him glory. Judgment has come. Worship God, Creator of the universe. No more worship the god of your choice. The god you made up. The god created by your culture. By your people. By your language. By your tribe. By your nation. No longer. Worship the only real God of all who is over all, through all, and in all. The one and only God who made you in his image. Sky kingdom.

With a brother or sister today we bow reverently, humbly before our God and Maker to hear his clear gospel. And, together, we give thanks to God who redeems us and renders us blameless before him.