Home

"I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there," Deuteronomy 34:4.

So said God to Moses. Under God's guidance, Moses led the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt, to freedom at Mt. Sinai, through 40 years, to the brink of the promised land on the east bank of the Jordan River. And now, Israel's poised to cross the river westward to possess the land. Moses, a very old man, stands atop Mt. Pisgah overlooking the plain where the people encamp. He gazes longingly to that land he had been bound for, but would never enter. That's kind of like us in this world. With God's leading through life's struggles and joys, we're making our way to a forever promised land. Though not there yet, we can just make it out through the haze of time. There's just one more river to cross. A prophet like Moses, Jesus, leads us. But unlike Moses, Jesus will bear us through the river into life.

We meet today with a brother or sister and speak words of hope and assurance because Jesus leads us all the way home. And as we share with each other, together we offer the sacrifice of praise to God: we confess, together, Jesus Christ is Lord.

Supersaturates

"I will praise your greatness, my God the King," Psalm 145:1.

Dear God - You deserve blessing and praise forever! Your greatness rests beyond understanding. Your wonders, your works demonstrate your glorious majesty! One generation tells the next, parents commend your awesome actions to the children. Yes! We tell the glorious splendor of your kingdom. We declare your greatness! Even so, your glory overtakes your mighty works. Your brilliance infuses your grace, polishes your abundant goodness, shines your righteousness. You, O God, are gracious. You are merciful. You are slow to anger. You overflow with faithful love. You are good to all. Your mercy supersaturates your creation. You are famous to us. And we bless you. We sing out loud, How Great Thou Art!

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we sing to each other God's goodness to us. And, together, we praise him for creating us into a kingdom worthy of his son, Jesus!

Chase

"The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," Romans 14:17.

And it's not the pursuit of good food and drink, nor about the other fine comforts and pleasures of life. Do we want to find what God finds acceptable in us? Of course we do. Well, here it is: right living, peace, joy. Who doesn't want that? Practically everybody wants these. So, says the Good Book, pursue these. Follow after them. Seek eagerly for. Speed on toward these. Toward what? toward what makes for peace. To what makes for mutual upbuilding. Chase after what edifies. After what builds up each other. That's the meat and potatoes of the sky kingdom. That's what life in the Spirit of God is about. Righteousness, peace, joy.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we seek out ways and words to build each other up. And, so encouraged, we give thanks for living right toward God, for his peace, for his joy.

Because

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you," Luke 6:27.

This is a hard saying. Yeah, because Jesus talks to power here. Not to the weak or powerless. (What kind of nonsense is that, to tell powerless people to yield?) No, he's addressing command and control. The strong. The able. But it gets harder. He hasn't finished. He goes on. Bless whoever curses you. Pray for your abusers. Turn your other cheek. Give to beggars. Don't demand pay back. Do good. Lend. Be kind. Be merciful. Why? Why? Why? Because! Because! Because! God, All-powerful, Creator of worlds, is kind to ungrateful, bad people. And the business of God's children is to do what he does. And he will reward the children yielding to his will. A great reward. Anyway, that's what Jesus thought.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we commend each other to be about our father's business. And, together, we praise him for teaching us by doing: loving us and doing good to us.

First

"But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits," 1 Corinthians 15:23.

God created time. And for that matter, timing. So, when ancient humans first polluted themselves, and with them the earth, God, by his divine being, already set in motion timely events to purify them. When ancient Israel handcrafted a punk god to credit with their earthly formation, God, creator of worlds, handcrafter of human dust, willed a plan for when the time was ripe, to form them into an unearthly kingdom. It took a man to introduce death in human time. It took another man, the Chosen One, to introduce resurrection from death. Just in time, in time's maturity, willed by the one and only divinity. God's plan. God's order: first in time, Christ. Then in time, everybody belonging to Christ. When? When Christ next appears. Not a minute earlier. God's timing. When in time? at its end. When's that? When God says it's time.

With a brother or sister, today, we wait for Messiah to appear at the end of the age. And, together, we fellowship with each other in thanksgiving to our Creator greatly anticipating his good time.

Handiwork

"Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love," Psalm 103:8.

That's not to say that God never gets mad about our stupid stuff. Redemption's not cheap. Not at all. About three months after freedom from Egyptian slavery, remember when Moses went up the mountain to get God's Law? Gone not quite six weeks. When he got back he saw his brother Aaron's handiwork, a gold calf idol, and the whole nation in its worship, an orgiastic mess. God didn't say, I'll just forgive them in my sloppy justice. No. Moses had to talk God out of cursing, hanging them out to dry, destroying, and abandoning them wholesale. Twice. And even at that, terrible consequences resulted. It's mostly in Exodus, the book of liberty. And even more mostly, it's in the Gospel where it tells about Jesus, hung out to dry on a tree, accursed. For them. For us.

So, when we visit with a brother or sister today, we remember together the cost of redemption. Of liberty. And, together, we bow deeply giving thanks for God's unfathomable mercy, grace, and love.

Detail

"God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth," Genesis 45:7.

Perspective. Point of view. Frame of reference. Vantage point. Interpretation. So how do we see the vagaries that have taken place in our lives? Lots of people know the story of Joseph in the Bible: a father's openly favored child of a dozen boys, sold into slavery by those older brothers, his master's wife's lies about his advances to her, thrown in prison and left there to rot. Forgotten. Years pass. Next scene, second-in-command to the king of Egypt. Joseph recasts his whole life's melodrama from a brat's self-centered it's-all-about-me world, to a God-ward view of providence and grace. It's about God's deep work in a deeply broken world.

We, brothers and sisters, develop perspectives away from sheer survival conceits in life's chance events, to mature recognition of an intimate God preserving his people for a kingdom. And, awestruck together, we confess anew God at work in the detail of our histories.

Scolding

"O Jehovah God, I call to you - come quickly!" Psalm 141:1.

Please let my pleas to you count like sweet aroma. Please let my praises count as sacrifices to you. Lord, I need you to stop my mouth. Keep me from saying stupid stuff. Stop the plans of my heart to do harm. Keep the intent of my mind from leaning into evil actions. Block me from entering a fellowship of up-to-no-gooders. Yes, Lord: A good person's discipline would serve as kindness to me. A good person's scolding would pour over me like a blessing. I don't want to join in the outcome of evil deeds. No, Lord: I keep looking to you! I look to you for refuge! I seek you for safe passage through treacherous traps. Only you can defend me.

Today, when we meet up with a brother or sister, we share God's speedy vindications for our common life. We tell each other the story of Jesus. And, together, we give thanks to God that he hears us with compassion.

Constraints

"The old is good," Luke 5:39.

So said Jesus. Anybody whose palate has developed a taste for aged wine prefers it over new wine. Why does Jesus suddenly talk about wine connoisseurs? Oddly enough, because people criticized him for not doing religion like connoisseurs of religion prefer. You know, gimme that old time religion, good enough for gramps, good enough for me. Jesus had already discussed the kingdom of God. He healed sick people. He forgave sins. He consorted with known sinners. His followers didn't pray according to the old traditions. They tended to feast rather than to fast. (Even they noted he hadn't taught them to pray properly like others.) No. Jesus puts old timey religion back into its old constraints. Instead, he and his are about a new thing on earth: the kingdom of God. About God dwelling among people born anew, from above. Sky kingdom.

When Jesus' people visit with each other today, these folks recognize a new way to relate and serve. Jesus lives and reigns among them. And, together, we give thanks to God who reigns through human hearts. His church.

Specifically

"Jesus looked up at his followers," Luke 6:20.

And then he started to speak. So what do you do after you've been in the inner sanctum of the king of the ages? That is, after you've fallen on your face (so to speak) and been filled with shock and awe? What do you do then? Well, hmm. It sort of depends on what he does, right? Right. So, what did Jesus do to them? He looked up. At them. (Specifically, it says he raised up his eyes into his disciples.) And then he spoke a word. So, back to the question: What do you do after you've worshipped all amazed and stuff? You pay attention. We listen. You learn. We yield to his Word. We walk his Way.

As he provides opportunity for us to visit a brother or sister today, we learn from him how to lift up our eyes to each other, not down our noses. And, together, we give thanks to him who beckons us into his sky kingdom.

If

"There is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised up," 1 Corinthians 15:13.

If people don't pay attention to missing words, then we don't get the message. If context means nothing, then the message means nothing. If Christ has not been raised, then all the words contrary are shoddy. If Christ has not been raised, then any faith is worthless. If Christ has not been raised, then preachers claiming otherwise have misrepresented God. If Christ has not been raised, we are still dead in our sins; dead. If Christ has not been raised, then every believer that died is dead; stone cold; no hope. If Christ has not been raised, then believers should be disdained. If the missing word above is If, then what a difference! Well, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. And that changes everything. No if about that!

When we visit with a brother or sister today, we pay attention to all the words of the Good Book, and in their truth find the salvific Word. And, together, we give thanks to God for Jesus, hope of resurrection to forever life!

Psalmy

"Blessed is the man," Psalm 1:1.

What man? Whoever loves God's law. Whoever ponders deeply about God's law. What blessing? Producing fruit every season. Prospering in everything. Just like a tree planted by a stream. What man? The one that does not, does not (!): listen to the counsel of the wicked. Does not (!) take the paths of sinners. Does not (!) join scoffers in their tauntings. No. Not at all: bad people become chaff lost in the wind. Fail on judgment day. Disappear from the righteous congregation. Their way dies. But God frames the way of goodness. And the people on that path. Thus saith God's psalmy Word.

In visiting a brother or sister today, we ponder with each other on God's life-engendering Word. We note the warnings. We walk toward life. And, together, forgiven, we give thanks for safety in the arms of Jesus.

Streams

"Its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought," Jeremiah 17:8.

What's this? What leaves stay healthy when there's no water? These: the leaves of a tree on the banks of a stream. Well, what's that got to do with the price of tea leaves in the far East? Here's what that's got to do with: A human being who trusts God in the middle of an unprecedented royal mess flourishes just like those green leaves. In the middle of plague. In the middle of rebellion. In the middle of chaos. Compared to what? Compared to the human being who turns to human power, human ingenuity, human machinations. That human-trusting human, but not God-trusting human, will snap like an old dried-up twig.

When we visit with a brother or sister today, we discover anew the blessings of life together beside God's desert streams. And, together, yes, together, we give thanks for the blessings flowing from his kingdom in the sky.

Hallelujah

"Standing in Jehovah God's house, in the courtyard of the house of our God," Psalm 135:2.

Who's standing there? God's people. What are they doing? Praising God. Hallelujahs singing! Why do they sing? Because God is good. Why do they sing hallelujahs? Because it's fun! Why do we sing praises to God? Because he chose us as his very own. Why did he choose this people? Because Jehovah himself made his servants worthy. Why did he vindicate us? Because he felt like it. He had compassion for us. No idols, no spiritual forces of darkness heard our cries, saw our distress, breathed the Spirit of life into us. But God, true God, only God overwhelmed every foe. His Messiah bore our every sin. And redeemed a people worthy to stand in his own house.

We meet with a brother or sister today so that we may give heart for each other in the courtyard of our God! And, together, we shout Hallelujah! for God is good. All the time. Praise you, God!

Magisterial

"I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy," Revelation 5:4.

That's what John said. When? when he saw himself thrust into the immediate presence of God's throne room. Lightnings flashed, thunders roared, the seven spirits flamed, the twenty-four elder council surrounding the throne on their knees. And yes (of course!), monstrous dragons encircled, swooped, watched, day and night, bellowed out: Holy, Holy, Holy! And no one, not even one person, was worthy to open the magisterial book in God's right hand. But a lamb. A slaughtered lamb. Indeed, the conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. This mutilated lamb walked up to the throne and took the book from the hand of God. And all heaven broke loose! Worthy! You are worthy to take the book and open it. Because the blood of your death ransomed a people from every tribe and language and people and nation and made them a kingdom, priests worthy to our God.

So, visiting a brother or sister today, we commune, made worthy, in the kingdom of the living God. And, in this together, we join the thunder of praises for the lamb and for the one seated on the throne. Worthy art thou!

Beginning

"Get away from me, Lord! I am a sinner man!" Luke 5:8.

When Isaiah found himself suddenly in God's presence, he, too, felt overwhelmed by his sin, a man of unclean lips. When Moses found himself before God's fire, Moses asked, Who am I?, a man of dull speech. When Peter found himself with Jesus' catch of fish, Peter sank at the Lord's feet. When we find ourselves, we, likewise, recognize ourselves hopelessly unworthy. Indeed. There is no other beginning worthy of God's service. When God calls the unworthy to serve (and he does. all the time.), he, their creator, renders them worthy. He created, and creates, their lips, their mouths, their very selves. He washes them, cleanses them, purifies them. He renders them adopted, brothers and sisters to his son.

Meeting today with a brother or sister we find ourselves re-created from alien nobodies to family of all-worthy God. And, together, joined at the cross, we honor the work of Christ thankfully.

Array

"Strive to excel in building up the congregation," 1 Corinthians 14:12.

And this is the thing about the church. We meet Jesus here. (We're talking about the group of people who belong to Christ. The assemblage of Christ. The array of Christ. The church of Christ. The congregation of Christ. We won't get confused by denominational double-talk.) We, humans, want our religion a personal affair between self and God: to commune with God in private language. To be served. But this is the thing about his congregation: Jesus develops this assemblage of multiple people carefully, intentionally, deliberately. He expects his people to congregate. When we congregate, Jesus expects each one to build up the other. To speak words of life, not to cryptic agendas. So that we all grow up in the face of Christ.

As we see each other today, brother or sister, we speak words that draw our minds to the focus of our fellowship, Christ. And, together, to God, we say Thank You for continuing to mature us. Patiently.

Rightly

"Being way up high, God pays attention to the lowly," Psalm 138:6.

That's the thing about God. The amazing thing. I mean, the utterly astounding thing. God, who exalts his name above everything, who elevates his word over anything else, who demands that we praise him over any other god, who lives in blinding light, who calls every knee to bow before him and him alone ... God, before whom monstrous creatures shout Holy Holy Holy day in and day out, before whom every person ever to have lived (true believer, poser believer, non believer) will bow prostrate with whole hearts, before whom every ruler of earth will give thanks ... this God gently places persons of no account into the palm of his hand. Mercy.

When we visit with each other today, brother or sister, we rightly bow in astonished wonder to this God who loves so. And, together, we thank him from the bottom of our hearts also because we want to.

Red-hot

"Woe is me for I am lost!" Isaiah 6:5.

That's what Isaiah said. When? when he saw the Lord. Well, actually, when he saw himself thrust into the immediate presence of God's throne room. God up, up high on the throne, where God's robe filled the whole temple, where monstrous dragons flitted about hiding their faces from God, where these creatures thundered out to each other, back and forth: Holy, Holy, Holy is Jehovah, God of armies! Back and forth, where dragon songs shook foundations. Where smoke filled the whole place. Yeah. That's when. That's when Isaiah saw himself: unfit to see such things. Unclean. Unworthy to speak what he saw. Then a dragon hand seared Isaiah's mouth with a red-hot atoning coal plucked from the altar. And then God's voice told the prophet to tell what he saw. And he did. Word.

When we check in with a brother or sister today, we have a healthy fear in God's presence. But we remember Jesus in whom we were water-baptized. Jesus, who baptized us in Spirit and fire. And, together, we praise the grace of our God who declared us worthy.

Abyss

"Your rules give me pleasure," Psalm 119:24.

O God, you do good to us and that lets us live! To be alive gives us opportunity to obey you. You open our eyes to see the wonders of your teachings. We know we're foreigners on this earth, and that's why we need your commands. We want to study your laws so that we're not scolded for lack of knowing things. We don't want at all to be like people who ignore your directives. That's just spiraling into the abyss. But even when people make fun of us for obeying your rules, we'll still ponder your word. Your demands give us good direction. Excellent instruction. Most excellent counsel.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we point each other to God's Word for secure guidance through this foreign land. And, together, we praise our God, wise counselor for strangers.

Prey

"Our little ones will become a prey," Numbers 14:3.

Reasons to ignore God's instructions arise from all sorts of quarters. Just so, at the cusp of the promised land, a half-million strong men, only recently set free from slavery, poised to bring in their families (a couple million), refuse to obey God's directive to enter. Why? Because the promised land, filled with abundant harvests, also fills with giants. And these men fear that, if they obey, God cannot protect their children. God, incensed by their stunning insult to his gracious protection and care, forbids them to enter. Forty years' wandering later, after they're all dead, but not their little ones, their children enter to enjoy the fruitful land. (And yes, Caleb and Joshua and fams also make it, having sought to obey the Lord.)

We encourage one another today, brother or sister, in recognizing God's care and love for us. And, together, we give thanks for the hope of God's faithfulness, promises for whomever remains faithful to the end.

Father

"You are the son of God!" Luke 4:41.

Words whose speakers Jesus scolded and shushed. Words spoken by demons. And why wouldn't Jesus let them speak? because, it says, they knew that he was the Christ. Words which, when Peter spoke them later, Jesus said were revelation from God. Words confessed by every believer in the two millennia since. Words giving rock-solid foundation for Jesus' kingdom. Yes, even demons believe, but they tremble too late at the Word of the Christ who casts them out of people. And out of heaven. Jesus will not abide identification by pathological liars. Whose child he is will become evident by his own character, by his obedience to God, by his good work, not by demon-induced miseries, by destroyers of human lives.

When we speak with a brother or sister today, we affirm together the base from which we rise to life: the Lord Jesus Christ. And, together, we express inexpressible thanksgivings to God, his father.

Child-like

"When I was a child I reasoned like a child," 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Child-like faith has great teaching value for adults challenged to trust in God. However, Jesus, despite many lessons to the contrary, does not extol child-like faith. He highlights, rather, children's humility. To have child-like humility is requisite for adults to enter the kingdom of God. It requires receiving the kingdom like a child. The sky kingdom calls its citizens to humble service just like Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. So, child-like speaking, child-like thinking, child-like reasoning, all appropriate for children, need to grow into adult maturity. And this means to mature faith, to mature hope, to mature love. To love others truly, like Christ loves us. Truly.

Visiting with a brother or sister today, we remind each other to mature in the way of Jesus, to love and good works. And, together, we give humble thanks to the one who served us to death.

Commute

"From my youth, you, Lord Jehovah, my hope, my trust," Psalm 71:5.

The plea for deliverance arises from the heart of a youth who's cast his lot wholly with God. Depends upon God as refuge. O God, deliver! rescue! save! From shame. From evil. From injustice. From cruelty. From men's damaging grasp. The youth ever returns to his Rock. His fortress. His hope. His trust. He started leaning on God before his birth: God delivered him from the womb. So he always praises God. He asks for God's protection into old age. When his strength's spent. To what end should God protect? So that the maturing man may tell God's wonderful care to the next generation. O God, revive! Lift up again! And the youth will sing God's praises all the way to old age and gray head.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, young or old, we share God's wonderful works of deliverance in our lives. And so, together, we trust God alone able to deliver from evil and commute into his salvation.