Besmirched

"No flesh will be justified before him from works of law," Romans 3:20.

Not a single human being gets right with God on the basis of doing what God's law says. Not in the face of God. Why not? because God's law has this effect on humans, sinners all: it brings knowledge of their sin. Awareness of our slop. Right. It shows that every last one of us looking up from the mud has missed far short of God's shine. So, instead of watching us drown in our mess, God gives, as a free gift to every human being, the right to stand in front of him, in right standing with him. Clean. By his generosity. By his grace. But how can he do this without being besmirched by our slop? Jesus' blood, his pure sacrifice, bought the complete cleansing that we receive by faith in him. God's always right. God makes us right.

We stand with a brother or sister today, justified!, in the presence of God through faith in Jesus. And, together, we praise God from whom all blessings flow. For ever and ever!

Loud

"Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water," Revelation 14:7.

Says who? Well, says an angel flying high in the middle of the sky. Preaching. Yeah. The angel was preaching the Good News. A for ever and ever gospel. With a loud voice. A really loud, loud voice. And that angel called out to all earth dwellers: Fear God! Give God glory! Worship God! (Why was he preaching this? because God's judgment hour had come!) The gospel message judges sharply between those who come to worship the Creator of life and those who prefer death. In that loud voice, Creator God invites every nation and tribe and language and people to life!

As we speak with a brother or sister today, we hear the gospel call to life through Jesus' forever gospel. And, together, we worship in thanksgiving the generous Creator of all grace, of all life.

Already

"O Jehovah, you have examined me," Psalm 139:1.

Lord, you know all about us. You know whether we're standing or sitting at any moment. You know what we're thinking even from a distance. You know where we're headed before we do. You know exactly what we're going to say before we say it. You're in front. You're behind. You're beside. You're all around. You protect us completely. What a wonder you are! We cannot go so far or so fast that your Spirit loses us. If we go up into the skies - there you are already! If we go down into the depths of the earth - there you are! If we chase the sun, if we go into the deepest oceans - there you are! You're there to lead and to guide us home.

We meet with a brother or sister today to praise God that he knows us so intimately, and loves us yet! All praises to you, O God and Father, and to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Imperative

"The God of our fathers appointed you," Acts 22:14.

Who's talking? Ananias, a follower of Jesus. What's he saying? He's saying what God said he should say. Who's he talking to? Saul. Brother Saul. Breather of threats against Jesus' people. (Later aka Paul, Jesus' apostle.) What did God tell him to say? That the Lord elected Saul. For what? For Saul to know God's will. For Saul to see Christ. For Saul to hear words from Christ's own mouth. For Saul to be a witness to all peoples. A witness of what? Of what he heard. Of what he saw. A witness of Jesus, the Righteous One. Of the resurrected Christ. But. Before that happened it was imperative that Saul get up, he's got to be baptized, got to wash away his sins, and call on the Lord's name. Chief of sinners, now chosen by Christ.

We visit with a brother or sister today to praise God for his marvelous grace. And, together, we give deepest thanks for God's free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lady

"The elder to the elect lady," 1 John 1.

It's the elder, John. John, Jesus' beloved disciple. John, one of the 12 chosen apostles. John, now an old, really old, man. Elder John. To the lady. The elect lady. Chosen. By whom? God. So, lady? Yes. Like lords and ladies. She's the female counterpart of the male lord. Not just any woman. Lady. She has power and authority. Just like a lord. Who is she? Is she an actual person, or, is she a metaphor for the congregation? Yeah, probably. So what's the message from the elder? Dear lady: as some of your children do, love one another in keeping with the Lord's first rules. And don't be a loser like people who don't recognize Jesus as God's true man. Keep Christ's teaching, and you've got both God and Jesus. Your elect sister says, Hi!

We greet a brother or sister today as children in spirit of the elect lady. And, together, we give thanks to God who has shown us in our brother Jesus life in his kingdom.

Image

"Whose image is this?" Matthew 22:19.

Well, that's kind of like always Jesus' question, isn't it? Partly about paying taxes, or not. Partly about pledging allegiance. Partly about who owes what. Partly about who owns what. Anyway. It's like asking him if they should pay taxes to Washington. And it's like he asks whose picture's stamped on a dollar bill. And then it's like he says: Pledge to Washington Washington's claim, and pledge to God God's. And then it's sort of like he asks: Whose image is stamped on your very being? Give God God's claim. It's kind of like that. Sky kingdom.

We meet today with a brother or sister deemed by God redeemed through the price of Jesus' cross. And, together, thankfully, we yield to God our lives stamped with the image of his son.

Received

"We know he has chosen you," 1 Thessalonians 1:4.

God has chosen whom? You. You, who? The congregation. The assembly. What assembly? The church in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's who. You. Beloved by God. And how do we know? How do we know that God has chosen this congregation? because the gospel. because the good news. What gospel? What good news? The good news witnesses Jesus sent out told about. (It's about Jesus, right?). The gospel that came in word. It came in power. It came in the Holy Spirit. It came in full conviction. And you received this word. That's how we know. We know he has chosen you.

When we meet a brother or sister today, we share the Spirit's joy with each other. And, in joyful thanksgiving, we bless God through our Lord Jesus for his election.

Instrument

"I equip you, though you do not know me," Isaiah 45:4.

So. Five centuries. Before Jesus. Israel deported and destroyed. God, Jehovah God, elected a pagan warrior-king to become his christ. His messiah. His anointed. (How weird is this?!) This guy, Cyrus, does not know God. Never heard of him. But God strengthened him to defeat all the nations around. Why? So that all peoples would know this God. Too, to teach Cyrus. To teach what? That this God alone is God. That this God forms light. Forms darkness. Creates peace. Creates trouble. That this God makes Cyrus wealthy and powerful. And, that Cyrus is merely this God's instrument to accomplish this God's purposes to restore his dead people. This God, Jehovah, who does all this, is the God of Israel. This God, this God alone, is able to deliver.

We meet a brother or sister today to marvel in reverence to our God who works way beyond imagination. And, together, we give deepest thanks for the wonders he performs in love for us through Jesus, his supreme Christ.

Beside

"I have no need," Psalm 23:1.

Dear Lord, since you are our shepherd you provide for everything we need. There's nothing we need that you haven't taken care of. When we're tired, you grant restful quiet. When we're troubled, you bring us to still waters. When we've lost our way, you lead us in the right path. When danger slips in all around, you walk beside. We have no fear. Your standards and your guidance bring greatest comfort. When surrounded with harmful critics, you show us off as your wealth. Your very own goodness, your mercy come after us every day. You bring us to live in your home forever. Thank you.

Visiting with a brother or sister today, we joy in the grace-ful provision of our God. And, together, we give thanks to Christ for his overflowing love.

Unmerited

"I made you flourish like a plant of the field," Ezekiel 16:7.

(The following is rated PG.)

God did that. He had found a newborn baby girl naked, unwashed, bloodied, umbilical cord and placenta still attached, discarded unpitied in an open field. The Lord stopped by and secured all the care, nature, and nurture she needed to flourish, to grow strong, tall, smart, and beautiful. Then she matured to the age of love. He dressed her royally. He married her! He cleansed her with water. He anointed her with oils. He gave her clothing and jewelry and food fit for the queen she became. The fame of the glory he afforded her went out to the nations. And, that, says the Bible, is what Jesus' death endowed in his vows to her.

We see a brother or sister today and remind each other of our Lord's deep love covenant with us. And, together, we speak thanks beyond measure for his overwhelmingly unmerited generosity toward us.

Mighty

"He could do no mighty work there," Mark 6:5.

Jesus couldn't do anything much? (That's surprising in itself, isn't it?) Why couldn't he? because of their unbelief. Well, to be sure, placing his hands on a few sick people he healed them just fine. So, what's the deal? That Jesus is some fly-by-night faith-healer who tried to heal somebody, but it didn't work, so he blames them for not having enough faith? Nonsense! When Jesus passes by everybody flocks to him. Usually. They believe he can heal. (And he does. Always.) So what's the problem there? This: They don't believe he can. They don't come. No one is touched by Jesus.(Except a few. And Jesus healed them.) And their unbelief really surprises him. They don't come. No hands. No mighty work.

We visit with a brother or sister today believing in Jesus' mighty work at the cross. And having come to Christ, together we give thanks to God for the gospel of his salvation.

Invited

"Many people are invited but only a few are chosen," Matthew 22:14.

That's what the sky kingdom is like. Jesus said it was like a king who made everything ready for his son's royal wedding banquet. Everybody that was anybody got special invitations. But nobody came! They didn't care. The king re-sent royal messengers back with personal invitations, but the guests beat them and killed them. (How more absurd can this get? well, there's more.) So, the king dispatched his army, slaughtered the guests, burned their city down. Then he invited all sorts of riff-raff and filled the wedding hall with them. One didn't bother to put on the provided regalia, so the king dumped him. That's how Jesus explains who gets chosen for heaven. Whoever refuses to answer the call, doesn't get chosen. (There's a lot of these folks.) Those who show up, and get dressed for it, get chosen. Pretty straight forward.

We marvel with a brother or sister today that God's grace includes a personal invitation for us to his son's wedding feast. And we put on the regalia of love for each other and of thanksgivings to him for his mercy and love to us in Christ.

Learned

"It's not that I am talking about being in need," Philippians 4:11.

What's Paul saying in this letter from jail? His brothers and sisters in the town of Philippi had a fund raiser (more than once) and shared their contributions to help in his troubles. Nobody else did. He told them how very happy and grateful he was for their kindness. So, what's he saying now? This: He learned a secret by personal experience. What secret? He knows he can meet anything (anything!) head on, whatever his bank account. He doesn't need wealth or poverty to feel content. Christ powers him in his every life event. Even when he's poor. And. Even when he's rich.

We get in touch with a brother or sister today to share the Lord's bounty with them. And, together, we continually give thanks for his empowering force that gives life.

Champions

"He will swallow up death forever," Isaiah 25:8.

God will. That's who. Jehovah God. And on that day he will wipe every tear from every face. He will sweep away his people's shame from all the earth. On that day, God will swallow up the death-pall that covers all nations. (And how do we know this? The Lord has spoken!) On the now barren mountain the Lord of armies will banquet all peoples richly with his feast and supernal drink. And on that day people will say: This. is. our. God! We waited for him! We waited for his salvation! God's salvation champions our joy!

We visit with a brother or sister today in reminder of the hope we share in Christ. And, together, we give joyful thanks to God in anticipation of his faithfulness.

Escape

"What if Jehovah God had not been on our side?" Psalm 124:1.

Dear God: You are with us even in harsh times. Without you we'd be swallowed up alive. Without you the flood would sweep us away. The torrent would pull us under. Raging waters would overwhelm us. We bless you, O Lord! We praise you! Thank you for delivering us from predators! From snares! Thank you ever for securing our escape! You, O God, Creator of the skies and of the earth, your very name is our help. You, our Savior! Thank you!

We get together with a brother or sister today to praise God for his perseverance with us. And, together, we give thanks to his Christ who prepares us for (and prepares for us) an eternal home.

Tangled

"God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all," Romans 11:32.

God tangled up everybody in disobedience. Everybody? Yep. All. Anybody not caught in that net? Nope. How about the Jews who knew God's law? Nope. How about Gentiles who did their own feel-good, or big bad religion thing with Thor, Isis, Mithra, or etc.? Nope. All locked up nice and tight. Well! What does that mean? It means nobody, but nobody, gets away with their big or little injustices, lies, violences. God's bagged everybody's number. So, now, what? Now. Now, God's mercy is for all. All? Yes. Everybody. Everybody who seeks it, gets it. All. Sky kingdom.

We visit with a brother or sister today overwhelmed by the depth of God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge! And, from all of us together, glory flows to God from Whom and through Whom and to Whom all things are. For ever!

Theatrical

"What you would have gotten from me, I've given it to God," Mark 7:11.

Who's talking? Jesus. Well, actually, Jesus is quoting authoritative Pharisees and scribes. (Pharisees - strict followers of religious traditions; scribes - exacting copiers of the Scriptures by hand). Who's Jesus talking to? to those Pharisees and scribes. What's Jesus telling them? that their theatrical religion is just a bunch of human rules made up to reject the word of God. But God's word purifies, reforms, transforms, conforms human hearts in deed to the will of God. And, indeed, not to a spiritual mask. Sky kingdom.

When we see a brother or sister in need today, we share freely with each other from God's bounty. And, banded together in humble thanksgiving, we aspire upward to love truly as Jesus does.

Thugs

"They knew he was talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him," Matthew 21:45.

Who did? The chief priests and the Pharisees. And who were these people? They were the culture and religion law enforcement authorities. Who did they want to arrest? Jesus. Why? because Jesus told a story comparing them favorably with thugs and mafia-types who displaced God's purposes with their own passions for power. And, too, he had led them into their own self-condemnation as utterly worthless men good for extermination. Jesus promises God's justice. God, and only God, will rule the sky kingdom.

We meet today with a brother or sister to bear fruit worthy of God's kingdom: love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. And, together, we bring joyful thanks to God who is righting all wrongs in Jesus.

Poopy

"As for enthusiasm, I chased down the church," Philippians 3:6.

How curious! When Paul listed his former life's unparalleled credentials for his achievements in religion, education, and culture, he also offered that line above as evidence. He persecuted the congregation Jesus died for. Now, how, pray tell, does that demonstrate some moral high ground? to persecute people who aren't doing immorality, but who challenge held beliefs? Not asking here about having convicted conversations, but about persecution. In the end, turns out Paul was convicted that any advantage he formerly had was just a poopy diaper. (Yep, that's what he said. Well, not the diaper part, but the poopy part.) Compared to what? Compared to the advantage of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord.

We visit a brother or sister today relishing the advantage we have gained in Jesus. And, together gratefully, we place our faith in Christ to find hope of true righteousness in God's power resurrecting him from the dead.

Choice

"I'll now sing a love song for my beloved," Isaiah 5:1.

Actually, it's a song about his first vineyard: My beloved worked backbreakingly hard to prep land on a hillside with excellent gradient and sunshine. He terraced and cleared the field of its stones. He planted choice grapevines. Too, he built a fine watchtower right in the middle of it all. Yeah, and, he even cut out a wine-press on the property. At harvest, finally, he expected very fine grapes. (But all he got was a sour crop. What more could he have done? What will he do with this worthless vineyard?) Jesus speaks, now, of a second vineyard: God, the gardener. Jesus himself, the vine. And his people, its fruit-bearing branches. Jesus' people connecting vitally with him bear lots of good fruit. That great expectation guides God's cuttings.

We meet with a brother or sister today happy in God's discipline to train us for his purposes. And, giving thanks together, we yield the peaceful fruit of his righteousness.

Home

"Christ is himself our peace, who has made us both one," Ephesians 2:14.

Both? Both who? Both Jews and ethnics. Jews and Gentiles. The ins and the outs. Christ brought us all peace with each other. Christ broke down dividing walls, killed hostilities, abolished what held us apart. Christ created in himself out of the many, one new man. Christ, by means of his very real body sacrificed on a cross, reconciled aliens and strangers together in one body. And. Too. Also. Additionally. Christ gave to us, once far away but now together in one Spirit, access to the Father. Access to the presence of God. By his Spirit, Christ builds us together into a singular temple, God's own home. Sky kingdom.

We meet with a brother or sister today reconciled with each other in Jesus' cross, accessing God's presence. And, in peace together, we give all praise and glory and honor and worship to God for his amazing grace.

Clothed

"And to your seed, not to many seeds, but to one seed," Galatians 3:16.

Huh? What's it talking about? There's a nuance here that needs to be caught to get the point. So check it out. Here's the deal: God made promises of blessing and life to two people. (Say that again?) God promised only two people to be his heirs for heaven. He named them by name: Abraham and, his one seed, Christ. Abraham and Christ. God has no other heirs of those promises. So where does that leave all other humans? Without God, without hope. But. Any other humans who get clothed with Christ, by faith they become that one seed of Abraham, Christ. Heirs of God's promises. So when did they get so clothed? As many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, the many became one in Christ Jesus. That congregation is the one body of Christ.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we do not meet as Jews, ethnics, slave, free, male, female, whatever: we belong to Christ. And, one in Christ, we give thanks, wealthy heirs of all God's promises.

Outlandish

"Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do," Matthew 21:31.

Woah! What's this? Who's talking? Jesus. Jesus is talking. And he's saying these worthless people will get into God's kingdom before who? Jesus says bad people will enter before big religious leaders and elders. Why did Jesus say such an outlandish thing? because. because the big religionists said they'd do God's will, but willfully didn't. And these worthless people said they would not do God's will, but changed their minds, and did. The important thing isn't what we say about God's will, but what we do about it. One didn't repent and believe. The other did, and entered. Sky kingdom.

We meet with a brother or sister today to exhort (that means to encourage, not to beat up on, right?) each other to walk humbly with our God. And, together, we give thanks that Christ receives all who repent.

Scaffold

"God is working among you both to will and to work for his good pleasure," Philippians 2:13.

The Good Book says we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling: the line above explains what it's talking about. God is at work within us to help us want to do his will. To have the desire to please him in all things. God is at work within us to give us power to do what pleases him. To be able to do what he wants. And what is God's pleasure for us? that we have the mind of Christ. And what's that mind? Like Jesus, to humble ourselves and to give others greater honor. Sky kingdom.

We visit with a brother or sister today yielding to God's desire. And, together in thanksgiving, we praise God for receiving Jesus' humility as our scaffold for life in him.

Phenominally

"Every living thing belongs to me," Ezekiel 18:4.

That's God talking: All souls are mine. OK. So what's that mean? It means that when God judges, kids don't get blamed for their parents' faults. And, that parents don't get blamed for their kids' misdeeds. It means that the soul that sins, that soul, and no one else's, dies. Dies for its own sin. It means that God calls each person to repent from every sin they've done, and make a new heart, a new spirit. It means that God has no pleasure in anybody's death, but he wants this outcome for all souls: Turn, and live!

Visiting with a brother or sister today, we point each other to God's ways. And, together, we give thanks in hope of God's phenomenally fair judgment.