Disembodied

"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," Exodus 3:6.

God's talking. To Moses. At the burning bush. When God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery to freedom. Yeah. And that's the verse that Jesus quoted a thousand five hundred years later to show that in fact God resurrects dead people back to life. There was a Jewish religious denomination (Sadducees) that did not believe God resurrected any dead people to life. The conversation is not about disembodied souls or spirits. It's about raising to life what was dead. And Jesus said: Sure he does! Haven't you read what God told you in Moses' book? The dead have not God. The living have God. To God, all are alive. See? God resurrects.

We meet with a brother or sister today and marvel at God's living memory. And together we praise the God of all for remembering all so as to raise them back to life.

Alive

"In Sheol there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom - that's where you're going," Ecclesiastes 9:10.

All the dead go to Sheol, to the Grave. So the Preacher (he wrote Ecclesiastes) preaches to alive people: Enjoy your wife's love and do your best work while you live, because all you get is in life. And then you die. And then it's over. So. Oh, brother! So. How depressing. So. How underwhelming. So. We get it. So, then. Then, the Good Book tells about God. About God's love. About God's mercy. About God's forgiveness. About Jesus, man of God, born of woman, son of God, son of man, lamb sacrificed in blood. About God raising up Jesus from the dead. About God raising up from the dead any human who trusts in Jesus. Good News! That's the context for eternal life. Confident life now, and living hope to hearty eternity.

When we get together with a brother or sister today we speak of quickening assurance in Christ. And together we give thanks to God in preparation for alive forever.

Sheol

"He brings down to Sheol and he raises up," 1 Samuel 2:6.

(Wait - what's Sheol? Hades. The Grave. The place where dead people go.) So who brings down and raises up to and from Sheol? Jehovah God does. God takes dead people there. And God, God alone, raises up dead people to life. The dead have no capacity to raise themselves! (Nor does any fool zombie virus or drug or cryogenics.) The dead rot away into dust - that's why it's called death. Dust does not reintegrate itself into a living being. Dust hopes nothing. But! While he lived, Jesus professed to God: You will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let your holy one see decay. So in him, we, the living, hope.

As we visit a brother or sister today, we express our deepest hope in the power of our God. And together, we offer joyful thanksgivings that God raised Jesus up from Sheol.

Cannot

"In death there is no remembrance of you," Psalm 6:5.

No remembrance of whom? of the Lord God. Sheol has no one to praise God. (what's Sheol? this: the grave. the place where dead people go.) No one praises God in the grave. Why not? because they don't remember. because they're dead. This is not easy stuff to hear, is it? But let's get this straight from the Good Book: Sheol does not give thanks to God. Death does not praise God. Dead people do not hope in God. We who live, we praise. We who live, we trust. In God. We who live, we hope. Hope in God. for what? For him to call his own from Sheol and resurrect the dead who cannot raise themselves. Like Jesus called dead Lazarus back to life. This is the only hope of the living. The dead have none.

When we, the living, meet with a brother or sister today, we encourage each other to believe in God's power for salvation. And together we give thanks to God for our hope in the Good News of Jesus' resurrection.

Dust

"What happens to the man's son and what happens to the beast is the same," Ecclesiastes 3:19.

And what is that same fate they all have? They die. Oh, man! Ecclesiastes does not let up on this depressing notion. The Good Book wants us to understand clearly what doing it our own way rather than living in God's love has gained for us: Nothing. People have the same breath as beasts. People have no advantage over animals. All, humans or beasts, go to the same place. Made of dust, they all return to dust. Who knows, asks the Good Book, whether the spirit of humans or of beasts goes up or down? As long as they breathe, humans can only seek satisfaction in doing it their own way, because that's all they get. No kidding. And then it's over. Except: God's love shows when he raised the son of man to life and gave us hope.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we speak of God's eternal comfort and good hope. And together we praise God for his grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

No

"What do you want me to do for you?" Mark 10:36.

It's really amazing that Jesus listens to our requests, isn't it? But he does. Even when the requests arise from arrogance and ignorance; James and John asked if he would let them ride shotgun beside him in glory. Jesus answers them, No. He can't do that. Why not? because such prestige is not his to give. Highest position in his government goes to whomever it's been prepared. (And who is this? Perhaps somebody we in the know will never hear about in this world. But God tracks his loyal servants even in the deepest backwaters of this passing age.)

As we visit with a brother or sister today we turn our hearts to hear the will of our Lord. And together we offer thanks that he deems even us worthy to participate in his purposes.

Culture

"On the way up to Jerusalem, they followed amazed even afraid as Jesus went ahead of them," Mark 10:32.

Who followed? Well, his twelve apostles did, and a large crowd, too, all headed up for Passover. What's so amazing about that? Astounded that Jesus set his face toward his deathly trial. Scared? For what? Fearful for the end of culture. The end of hope. For the end. So Jesus told the twelve that he would die. And, too, that three days later he would rise.

We meet with a brother or sister as we follow our Lord on the road to the cross. And united in Christ's death we give thanks that God will raise us up to eternity united in his life.

Shocked

"Then who can be saved?" Mark 10:26.

Words that describe the state of mind of Jesus' followers are these: Astounded. Way beyond measure. Shocked. What are they so disturbed about? This: How hard it is for rich people to go to heaven when they die. Now, it seems odd that they, who are hardly rich, get so upset over this, right? It's as though they think, If people God favored with riches don't get in, what does that say about the rest of us whom God has not so blessed? Jesus agrees with this assessment: It's impossible. People can't. Good News: God can. All things are possible with God.

We meet with a brother or sister today and look up to God for our hope of life. And, together, we give thanks that he realizes our salvation in yielding all to Christ.

Puzzle

"A camel goes through the eye of a needle easier than a rich person enters the kingdom of God," Mark 10:25.

And ever since Jesus said that, all sorts of people have sought cleverly how to get camels through needles' eyes. Or how much money doesn't count toward riches. Like Jesus had set out a riddle, right? Right, religious rich people have worked really hard on the puzzle. Most especially, rich preachers. Still, Jesus had said to that one rich guy: Sell off all your stuff. Give it away to poor people. Follow me. That's how you get rich in heaven. But, yeah, it's hard. Really hard to get into the kingdom of God that way.

We share the rich bounty God has given us with a brother or sister today. And thankful together, we lift up Christ who became poor to give us all his wealth.

Not

"Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not, not, enter it," Mark 10:15.

When Jesus uses a double negative he does not mean for the second negative to undo the first one. No, no. Not at all. He means, rather, to double down on his point. Do we wanna enter the kingdom of God? Then, we've got to receive his kingdom like a child. Why? because the kingdom of God consists of these kinds of kids. Jesus fumed against righteously religious adults who found children a hindrance to their spirituality. Jesus takes kids (of all ages), and only the likes of kids, into his arms and blesses them.

We receive a brother or sister today trusting our Lord. And together we give thanks to God for receiving every child into his own presence.

Lawful

"From the beginning of creation God made them male and female," Mark 10:6.

God made them whom, male and female? Human beings, that's whom. Since when? Since the start. So. Hmm. What's that got to do with anything? Well, that's Jesus' answer to: Is it lawful for a man to divorce a woman? Jesus then said for a man and a woman to join together means the two fleshes now become one flesh. He warned: Do not break what God has joined. But we look around and wonder how we got into the gender mess we live in. Hardness of heart, says Jesus. The hardness of men's hearts who throw away their women when they're done with them. That's how. No wonder.

We visit with a brother or sister today to remind each other that Jesus is our Master. And, giving thanks, we praise God for the healing he brings to broken lives and softening of hearts.

Unquenchable

"Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another," Mark 9:50.

That's how Jesus finishes a longest discussion about the immeasurable value of entry into the kingdom of God against utter loss in hell's unquenchable fire. Which conversation continued from the utter demise of whoever causes little ones who believe in Jesus to sin. Which, in turn, came from a comment he made about the reward of whoever gives a cup of water to people belonging to Christ. Which, itself finally, arose from his followers' attempt to stop people (who don't follow their righteous group) from advancing the name of Christ. Be at peace, Jesus says, don't lose your hot saltiness.

We meet with a brother or sister today and encourage each other in the peace of Christ. And together, we give thanks to God for giving us entry into his kingdom of life through Christ.

Encounters

"Whoever is not against us, is for us," Mark 9:40.

Wait a minute, Jesus - remember that other time when you said: Whoever is not for us is against us? Actually, No. Jesus did not say that exactly. What he did say was: Whoever is not with me is against me. Too, he had said: Whoever is not against you is for you. So, what's the diff? This - If people align themselves with Jesus even if they're outside our rightful group, Jesus says they're not against us (so, he says, leave them be). But when people ascribe to Jesus devilish motivation instead of divine power, they oppose him, Jesus himself. Whoever ascribes demonic power to the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven now or forever. That's the diff.

We meet with a brother or sister today sobered by encounters with Jesus. And together we give thanks to God for having empowered his Christ with his Spirit for our eternal forgiveness.

Arms

"The Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of men and they will kill him," Mark 9:31.

Jesus also also taught his disciples that three days later, after he had been killed, he would rise up. This teaching made no sense to them. They just couldn't get it. They were scared to ask Jesus about that. Instead, they argued quietly with each other about who was the greatest. So, Jesus taught them greatness by lifting up a little child into the crook of his arms. Whoever lifts up a child in Jesus' name receives Jesus, indeed, receives God himself. The greatest serves the least.

In humility, we meet a brother or sister today and encourage each other in the arms of God. And giving thanks together, we praise God that Jesus would die even for the likes of us.

Intractable

"This kind cannot be driven out by anything except prayer." Mark 9:29.

This kind of what? Of spirit. Of unclean spirit. This kind of unclean spirit cannot be driven out of a boy except by prayer. So. What's the problem? This: Jesus had already given the twelve apostles authority over unclean spirits and diseases and to preach repentance all over the place. In fact, they had already gone through the country doing just that. But now this boy with an unclean spirit stumped them. Too thorny a problem. Why? Because they didn't pray. Not because the spirit was so intractable. No. They thought the power was theirs. (Why couldn't we do it?) Yeah. They forgot. They forgot the Source. The One able to do all things.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we remember the Lord's authority and sovereignty. And together we give thanks to God for his healing and forgiveness of our own spirits.