Tender

"Let the rich one glory in his being lowered," James 1:10.

God's new society on earth: his kingdom, the kingdom of the skies. A new value system. So, for example, a brother in low position is lifted up, a brother in higher position is brought lower. But that's not the new value system - not yet anyway. Worldly revolutions and rebellions do that all the time. A sort of might makes right thing where everybody strives for their own prideful advantage. Instead, here's the new deal: both brothers glory in God's work in their lives. The one glories in God who imputes high value to downtrodden hearts, the other glories in God who receives none but humbled hearts.

So, as we meet with a brother or sister today, we glory in our God who recreated in each of us new, tender hearts. And, together, we give thanks to God for Jesus whose broken heart healed ours.

Provision

"Plead the widow's cause," Isaiah 1:17.

Everybody wants to plead the wealthy widow's cause. In doing so, perhaps, she will then provide grateful reward out of her great provision. Yeah. But Jesus cursed men and their pretentious prayers who devour widows' houses: these men, he said, will receive the greater condemnation. And Isaiah's talking about backing the powerless, like forgotten orphans and unimportant widows. Instead of what? Instead of pursuing gifts, advantage, even bribes, from the world's wealth. Indeed, the sky kingdom's economy roots in God's heart: mercy and justice.

As we visit with an unimportant brother or sister today, we attend to the sky kingdom's affairs. And, together, we give thanks to God for having visited with us, too, when Jesus came by.

Listen

"They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them," Luke 16:29.

And with this line, Jesus unequivocally sets up the Bible (specifically the Hebrew Bible, that is, the Old Testament) as adequate to bring people to faith in God and his will. If a person refuses to learn from Moses' law and from the prophets' writings, neither will that person come to believe God's warnings if someone rises from the dead to teach the same. I mean, that's what Jesus taught, anyway. But why did the discussion even come up? Because a guy, formerly enjoying the good life (but now dead and in torment) wanted another dead guy, formerly really bad off (but now comforted in the good life), to warn the formerly rich guy's brothers back home to share their good fortune with poor folk. The response: They've already got all the warning they need.

Visiting with a brother or sister today, we share with each other from the wealth of God's storehouse. And, together, we praise God for the adequate provision of his sufficient word.

Penury

"We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world," 1 Timothy 6:7.

Now, we humans speak of a few folks as born with silver spoons in their mouths, meaning, some people are born into wealth. Quite so. Some are. Nonetheless, the Bible speaks clearly: ya came to the planet with nothing, ya leave it with nothing. Sure, everybody wants a little more. Or a lot more. But it never was how much stuff a person had that made for a life worth living. It never has been so. Desiring the wealth of this world only yields forgotten memorial stones. Jesus had no home to lay his head, yet, his poverty made us worthy heirs of unimaginable wealth. His penury realized for us that food and clothing remain enough for worthwhile service to others.

As we speak with a brother or sister today, we look up, away from this world, into the heavens for real riches. And, together, we give thanks to God for showing us true treasures in Christ. Sky kingdom.

Relentless

"But are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph," Amos 6:6.

Who are not grieved? The cream of the crop of the nation: the best people of the best nation on earth. And who's Joseph? Well, it referred to Joseph, one of Jacob's twelve sons. Jacob's other name was Israel. So, here, Joseph stood for the kingdom of Israel. OK. So, what's the problem? Israel's best of the best luxuriated in wealth and position careless that godless injustice ruined the rest. So, God judged that the elites would be the first into slavery and exile. God undoes all nations through justice and equity. Kingdoms of earth pass into oblivion, but God's sky kingdom ever advances.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we mourn for the state of earth's injustices. But, together, we give joyful thanks that God works his relentless will through Jesus, Lord and Savior!

Down

"Praise Jehovah God!" Psalm 113:1.

Praises to you, O God, from your people! Praises to your name! We bless your name from this moment, right now, into all eternity! Your people praise you from wherever the sun rises, eternity east, to wherever it sets, eternity west. You, O Lord, rule from your throne over all peoples - your glory shines from beyond the skies! You look way down to see the skies we look up to see! We cannot imagine your equal! And then. And then, you reach down to pick up the poor out of the dust. You reach down to lift the needy out of the ashes. You fill the home of a childless mother with kids. And, wow! You lift us all up as princes of your people. What an awesome God you are!

When we visit with a brother or sister today we tell of God's wonder. And, together, we give thanks for God's amazing compassion and mercy.

Said

"I did not come to judge the world but to save the world," John 12:47.

That's Jesus. What he said. What he also said, in the very next line, was: Whoever rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge. Wait! Who's that judge of the last day? The very word that Jesus spoke. The judge is his word. Jesus, light of the world, shows us God. The one and only God sent Jesus out into the world to shine into the darkness of human lives so that people could see the God who sent him, and hearing Jesus' words, could hear the words of the God who sent him. And so that people seeing him and hearing him, and receiving him, that is, believing in him, would have life. Life that goes on and on into unimaginable glory. Sky kingdom.

So, when we receive a brother or sister today, we do share Jesus' sure word and see God. And, together, we give thanks for this savior, bearer of light, of word, of salvation, of life. The eternal kind.

Details

"Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God," Hebrews 4:13.

God created the whole cosmos. God keeps the universe going by his powerful word. God knows it better than artists even know their own artful work. The details of creation, for example the universal constants, hold by God's design. God is in the details. (That other saying has got it all wrong.) God knows his creation better than draftsmen design their nuts and bolts. And so, we can know that his son, the master builder, understands us. Entrusted with the details, Jesus also controls for the whole magnificent operation. So, we serve with the more diligence trusting him to judge fairly.

Today, when we visit with a brother or sister, we spur each other on to love and good deeds. And, together, we give thanks that God saw us in distress and detailed Jesus' life for our hope.

True

"Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with large things," Luke 16:10.

What's the small stuff? Money. Yeah. That's pretty much it. Well, it and other resources that belong to this world. And he goes on to say that if a person can't be trusted with small stuff, then, he says, they won't be entrusted with real wealth. Hmm. And here we thought real wealth was the bank account and stocks and bonds and lands and such like. So, how do we get true riches? Well, what he said was, use worldly wealth making friends so that when the worldly resources are all gone (that happened when we died) the friends, now in heaven's home, will welcome us. Sky kingdom. A totally different value system.

Visiting with a brother or sister today, we share God's provisions with yet others, too. And, together, we give thanks to God who gave us heaven's true wealth in Jesus.

Between

"There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and people," 1 Timothy 2:5.

And who is that mediator? The man, Christ Jesus. OK. So what's a mediator? Somebody who goes between two enemies and smooths the way for friendship. Somebody who makes peace between warring factions. Somebody, a man, who gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. A man, a ransom. Somebody, who presented God to men as a faithful lover and not as an oppressive slave master. Somebody, a man, whom God designated his son by resurrecting him out of dead people. Somebody, a man, who presented us to God as righteous and holy. Somebody, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God received. And in receiving that man, received us. Sky kingdom.

We meet with a brother or sister today reconciled with each other and with God. And, together, we give thanks for the selfless work of our one mediator who made us friends with God.

Deeds

"I will never forget their deeds," Amos 8:7.

Who won't forget? The Lord, Jehovah, won't. At times it feels like life never gives a fair shake. But consider: What deeds will God not forget? He will not forget privileged people who oppressed the humble. And what made the privileged, privileged? These could not wait until holidays were over in order to lord it over the others again. These swindled the others with unfair balances. These saw humble people as cheap commodities, rungs on a ladder, to step on toward materialistic valuables. These privileged ones returned their leftovers instead of food for others. We need not despair. God's justice will be vindicated, in spades.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we encourage each other to bank on God's promises. And, together, we give thanks to Jesus who gave up unimaginable privilege to humble himself with us.

People

"We are the people of his pasture," Psalm 95:7.

You, O Lord Jehovah, are the great God! You're the emperor king over all gods. You sustain the abyss of the earth in your hand. Everest and Denali belong to you. You own the Mariana Trench. Your very hands fashioned the tectonic plates. And you made us. You made people your wealth. You made us the dearest treasure of your hand. You amaze us. When we hear your Word, today, we soften our hearts toward you. We learn your ways. We will not test you in our dead wanderings. We will recognize you. We will sing to you! We'll yell, Hurrah! You are our rock! You are our salvation. We praise you!

When we find a brother or sister today, we will praise God who found us first. And, together, we give thanks to God for having sought us, dying sheep, and made us his living people.

Good

"I am the good shepherd," John 10:14.

Says who? Says Jesus. So, what makes a good shepherd good? Consider a hired hand, for example. A hired hand's just looking for a job when he finds this one. Has no vested interest in the sheep. And here's the deal: Not only do sheep wander off mindless, but the wolf prowls in the background looking to feed his face. So. The wolf comes. The hired hand sees the wolf ... and puts the sheep between himself and the wolf. And the wolf snatches the sheep. And the other shepherd? Same scenario. But the other shepherd puts himself between the sheep and the wolf. And offers his life to the wolf for the sheep's safety. That's what we call vested interest. And, Yes. That's what makes him good.

When we meet up with a brother or sister today, we tell of our shepherd, the good one, who gathered us and laid down his life for us. And, together, we give thanks to God for his goodness.

Beauty

"Like sheep we all have gone astray," Isaiah 53:6.

Who have? Us. We. How many of us? All. We all. What did we do? Go astray. Followed our own lead. Went where we wanted. Ended up where we headed. In grief. Sorrow. Regret. In a ravine. Lost. In a pit. A grave. What about him? He had no majesty that we saw. No beauty that got our attention. Nothing about him notable to us. We despised him. We turned away from him. We considered him like plague. And yet. His wounds were ours. His crushing belonged to us. His chastisement brought us peace. The beatings on his back healed us. His death redeemed us. All us. God charged him with our arrogance. He went to the slaughter without complaint. The shepherd of our souls went out like a lamb. And found us.

We visit with a brother or sister today remembering Jesus sought us out, each of us. And, together, we say, Thank You!, gratefully, for a redemption we don't begin to comprehend.

Smelly

"There is joy before the angels of God," Luke 15:10.

Says who? Says Jesus. What makes for such joy, for much joy in heaven? This: One sinner human changes their life. One sinner who repents. One lost person now found. Why did Jesus say that? Because lots of lost people flocked around him, and religious experts found that rank. The religious experts criticized Jesus for getting his hands smelly with smelly people. But, then, that's what shepherds do, isn't it? They develop an aroma like sheep. Yes. The Good Shepherd starts to smell, like us. So we trust him. And we change to be like him. We become incense. The aroma of Christ.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we share in the found happiness of heaven. And, together, we give joyful thanks that heaven counted us worth Jesus' effort. Praise you, God!

Limitless

"I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent," 1 Timothy 1:13.

Who was? Paul. Whom did he insult so violently? Jesus. The apostle Paul did. The man who persecuted God's church violently. Tried to destroy it. The foremost of sinners. But he received mercy. And why did such a man receive the Lord's grace? So that Jesus would show the rest of us his limitless patience with us as we come to believe in Christ. This same man, now a follower of Jesus, became the Bible's outstanding missionary of Christ to the nations, wrote much of the New Testament. But before all that, the Lord sought him out. And ordered him to snap to. And he did.

We visit with a brother or sister today and reflect soberly on our own former disobedience to God. And, together, we give deepest thanks that the Lord sought us out and received our faith as sufficient for his grace.

Leads

"Like a tree planted by streams of water that produces fruit in season," Psalm 1:3.

Who's like that tree? The happy people who love the Lord Jehovah's teaching. That's who. The people who think about God's teachings as they work throughout the day. When they wake at night they turn to it, too. They're not like the people who go where sinners go or do what bad people do. They've given all that up. Yes, Lord, we set our minds on you and on your ways. We hear your Word. We ponder over it. We figure out ways to practice it. And you bless us! Oh, yes, you do! You make us stand tall through judgment. You lift us up in the great congregation at the end of time. You do show us the way that leads to eternal life. Bless you, O God!

When we speak with a brother or sister today, we remind of God's fruit-filled word of life. And, together, we express unutterable thanksgivings, mediated by his Spirit, for our God's care.

Submit

"God is treating you as his children," Hebrews 12:7.

Sure, there are many lines that tell of God blessing his kids. We might think this line, too, concerns happy gifts from a doting father, but not here it doesn't. Here, instead, it turns our attention to Jesus who held on patiently under hostile, sinful men. The Good Book's encouragement at this point calls us to hold on patiently, too, when we're undergoing trials in this old world. This correction from God prepares us for his kingdom in the sky. In fact - and here's where it calls for heart-testing trust - God's discipline proves us to be his children. Otherwise, we'd be bastards. (Yes, that's what the Good Book says!). So. We shall (Yes. We. Shall.) submit ourselves to the Father of spirits, and in doing so, live!

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we encourage one another to press on, trusting God just like Jesus trusted God with his very soul. And, together, we give thanks to be God's kids indeed. Sky kingdom.

Ahead

"Be happy that you are sharing in Christ's sufferings," 1 Peter 4:13.

Followers of Jesus give up what messed them up beforehand - possessions, position, even dear relationships. When they do this to obey Jesus, well, this can be very hard. Obviously! To do so, though, brings a share in Jesus' sufferings. We do so while changing our view, away from present death, upward, to a bright shining glory sharing in Jesus' coming life. Obedience to Christ brings temporary insults and other trials. But then it yields a glory in the sky that just throws the scale entirely off the balances. Worth it. So. Whoever suffers by continuing to do right: these entrust their very lives to God. Who else has the words of glorious life? Sky kingdom.

We visit joyfully with a brother or sister today so as to share in each other's life in Christ. And, together, thankful to God, we look ahead to a stunning glory that comes very soon.

Everything

"You must give up everything you have to follow me," Luke 14:33.

Who said this? Jesus did. Who was he talking to? The large crowds that went along with him. Jesus went on to say: If you don't, you cannot be my follower! Wow. These are tough words. Not tough to understand - they're pretty plain. So, what's Jesus doing here? Jesus separates out his disciples from people who're just there because it's the popular thing to do. Jesus does not call people to a cause (though there is one). Jesus does not call people to take over the government (though there is another). Jesus calls people to take up their own crosses to follow him. Crosses. And follow him. Serious business. Not your everyday religion. Sky kingdom.

We make time today to meet a brother or sister, remembering Jesus is Lord. And, together, we give thanks for the honor of giving up all to follow him into the sky.

Welcoming

"I write to you knowing you will do even more than I ask," Philemon 1:21.

Who's writing? Old man Paul. What's he confident about? That Philemon will obey even more than what Paul's asking him. Why is he confident? Because Philemon's a fellow worker with Paul - a local gathering of God's kingdom meets in his house. Because Philemon loves the Lord Jesus. Because his faith anchors in Christ. Because he loves the Lord's people. Because he shares his living faith. Because he has refreshed God's people. OK. So what's Paul asking him to do? To receive a useless, runaway slave back as a brother in Christ. Yes, to welcome that slave hospitably as though he were welcoming Paul himself. To obey the Lord. Sky kingdom.

We visit with a brother or sister today, obedient to our Lord in whatever he asks. And, together, we give thanks that he changes us continually from glory to glory.

Feelings

"Choose life that you and your offspring may live," Deuteronomy 30:19.

Sounds like a good plan! So. How do you choose life? I mean, what does that mean? Hmm. Well. Here's what the Good Book says: Love the Lord God, Jehovah. OK, got it! But. How does one do love? Is it, like, get warm feelings about God? Like, generate good thoughts toward God? Well, maybe, yeah, OK. But here's what the Good Book says: Obey God's voice. Hold tightly to him. Obey his commandments. Walk in his ways. Keep his statutes. Keep his rules. It also says: Don't turn away from him. Don't stop listening to him. Don't worship anything else. And that's how we choose life. That's where God's blessings, not curses, are.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we remind each other of life's choices. And, together, we give thanks that God has made his blessing way clear to anyone listening.

Marvels

"O Jehovah, my heart is not proud," Psalm 131:1.

God, dear God, you're teaching us humility. You're teaching us not to look down on others. You've made it clear to us that we cannot do great things or work marvels. But your teaching has instilled in us calm souls. Yes, you have placed a serenity into the center of our hearts. You have brought secure assurance deep within. Joining into your humility brings thanksgiving, joy, peace that passes head knowledge, and keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

We meet with a brother or sister today in the meekness of Christ. And, together, immeasurably blessed, we say: Thank You!

Nulled

"He gave up his place with God and nulled himself," Philippians 2:7.

Who did that? Jesus did. What did he do? He released his hold on being like God. Not at all like his predecessor who chose self-rule thinking to become like God. What did Jesus do instead? He emptied himself. He took hold of slave-likeness, became man. He humbled himself. He became obedient. To God. Yes. He was born like humans are. He obeyed God to death. Jesus obeyed God to the cross. And God filled him up with life and made him King, Lord. Different rules. Different rule. Sky kingdom.

When we look at a brother or sister today, we see another ruler filling up each other's lives: the Lord, Jesus. And, together, we give glory to God who teaches us his love and others' welfare.

Beg

"And they began to beg him to leave their area," Mark 5:17.

Who begged his departure? The people who had witnessed a phenomenal healing. Who had been healed? A crazed, fearsome, demon possessed strongman howling among the tombs. Who's being begged to leave? Jesus - the one who healed the scary man. Why do they beg him to leave? Because they're scared. So what did Jesus do? He left. With such power available at his mere word, Jesus humbly got back in the boat that brought him there and left. But he didn't leave himself without witness. No. He also left the healed man, now quieted in spirit, clothed, in his right mind, to tell God's story of mercy among fearful people. It's a different kind of rule. Really. Sky kingdom.

Today, when we meet with a brother or sister, we share Jesus' healing power in our own lives. And, together, inviting him to stay and dwell among us, we give thanks for God's mercy and unimagined grace.