Author Archives: revjaf

ISN’T THAT SOMETHING!…2 Samuel 17:17, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5

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I was reading 2 Samuel 17:17 and noticed two names mentioned that I knew nothing about.  Jonathan and Ahimaaz.  Jonathan here was not Saul’s son nor mine!  Who are they?  Know very little.  But they’re in the Bible.  There for a reason.

A few years back my wife and I drove east on one of our many cross-country road trips.  I’d always wanted to visit the town and church where I served as a summer pastor between Bible college and seminary.  Had been decades ago.   Was a dream to return to Emmanuel Mennonite Brethren Church in Onida, South Dakota.  Was only there for a brief summer, but the people made a lasting impression on me.

When we drove into town, it all came back.  We discovered that the church had planned a nice reception for us in their fellowship hall.  How humbling.  The pastor such a gracious man.  Sharing and eating went on for about two hours.  I loved all the reminiscing, until it dawned on me that absolutely no one there remembered me at all.  Not one.  They remembered the car I drove, a 1963 Bahama Blue VW Beetle .  The mobile home they rented for me.  But me?   Nothing!  How truly humbling!  I never forgot them.  For them, not even a faint recollection of you-know-who!

Guess who never forgets us?  Good answer…the Lord!  St. Paul writes–‘…my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life'(Philippians 4:3).  And in Revelation 3:5–‘…I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels.’  When we accept Jesus into our lives, our names are written in God’s book of life.  That’s a living book.  One that grows larger with each new name engraved within its pages.

We’re never forgotten.  Never overlooked.  Never loved, then lost.  We can and do forget others, but not the Lord.  Jesus knows His own and we know His voice(John 10:14, 27-30).  Stay close to Him, cherished forever!  Remember– He won’t forget…you!

Prayer:  Lord, to know that we are yours keeps us on your holy path.  Secure and loved.  We want to follow you as your faithful children.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

BREAK OUT YOUR THESAURUS!…Proverbs 11

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We all know people who can’t stop talking.  Yak…yak…yak!  How annoying can they get?  Never seem to take a breath.  So caught up in themselves that they may have no idea if anyone’s even listening.  Oblivious.  Indifferent and clueless.  On and on… about themselves.  An endless stream of words.  Anyone’s face come to mind?  Hopefully, it’s not mine!  Or yours!

When you’ve read Proverbs 11, you’ll have read many words.  But these are ones to pay attention to.  That will make life different for us.  Words to heed.  A life lived for God.  As I read this chapter, I kept writing down all the words that contrast a godly and ungodly person.   Took up half a notebook page.  For years now I’ve made it a personal habit to take notes on the Bible passages I’m reading that day for my personal devotions.  Time with God, noting what impresses me.  Like the Lord looking over my shoulder and pointing out a verse or two,  a word or phrase.  ‘Look at this,’ He says.  ‘Now, don’t miss that’.   A still, small voice within as I spend time in His Word.

Ever try it?  Taking some notes?  Paying closer attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit?  As I was writing down all the descriptive words used in Proverbs 11 for ‘the righteous’ and ‘the wicked’, I almost ran out of ink–upright…trustworthy…gracious…kind…generous…on and on.  Then for the other side–violent…godless…cruel…foolish…and on and on.  Thought I was checking out my two new Thesauri that I bought last Christmas!

What about these words Solomon uses to describe the godly and the opposite?   I know which column I want to be associated with me.  The righteous and godly!  Sometimes I slip to the other side, but no way would I want to hang around there for too long.  So, I confess my sin and God moves me to the right side of the column.  I’m discovering that these are not merely words, but a life.  And a life worth living involves more of godliness than the other side.

Here’s a sobering thought.  Look closely at verse 10– ‘When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness'(ESV).  My life is more than my own.  What I do affects others for a long time.  Can’t sluff off bad behavior as if it only affects me.  Much of what we do, and who we are, lasts a lot longer than we imagine.  That gives me pause.  With resolve… to follow the godly things in my life.  You too?

Prayer:  Lord, we want to stand with you.  To be godly people.  To follow you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

AN ILL WIND IS BLOWING… Mark 6: 45-52

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The disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee after Jesus feeds well over 5000 people having only a small basket of fish and a couple loaves of bread.  Jesus has sent them off so He could get up on the mountainside to pray, spending time with God His Father.  What’s so bad about that?  Sounds fine to me.

But then, all heavens break loose!  ‘Who turned on the sky-fans?  We’re going down!’  Mark 6:48 says that ‘(Jesus) saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.’  An ill wind is blowing!  Friends of ours were visiting Israel near the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Was a nice calm day until the wind changed in the blink-of-an-eye, and a storm came barreling through.  Panic ensued.  People were running for cover.  Our friends were literally falling all over each other to find shelter.  Unfortunately, the wife twisted her body as people fell on her causing one of her hips to shatter, necessitating two major surgeries in two countries.  Certainly an ill wind blowing her way that day.

Have the winds turned against you?  No longer welcome but wild and ominous.  Then spend a moment in this story.  Jesus sees all that’s happening to His own.  The disciples’ struggles and fears.  He knows all about it.  Why does He allow us to grapple with the elements?  To battle with what appears insurmountable?  I don’t know.  I just know that He has higher purposes beyond my comprehension and understanding.  Answers I’ll not receive in this life.  Things I will need to accept by faith in order to move forward, not getting stuck in the unknown and unknowable.

What the disciples learn that day is, as spooky as life can be(they thought He was a ghost!), that Jesus cares.  He helps us.  Loves us.  We can trust Him even without any decent answers coming our way.  Ill winds will blow but Jesus is there for us. Tough times lose half their heft when we know that someone loves us and is there for us.  Right?

Jesus tells His disciples this–‘Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.  Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down'(vs. 50-51).  See what I mean?

Prayer:  We trust you, Lord.  No matter what, we’re going to believe in you.  In His name.  Amen.

 

TIME FOR A BREAK?…Mark 6: 30-44

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You know the story of the feeding of the five thousand men along with thousands of women and children.  A very familiar miracle story.  But there’s more going on around the edges of this story, which caught my attention today.

Jesus sends out His followers to teach about God’s Kingdom and to heal those in need.  When they return they gather around Him telling about their adventures in those local villages.  With people coming and going, everyone needy and demanding, the disciples had absolutely no time for themselves, not even to grab a bite to eat.   Tired, worn-out, famished,  Jesus tells them to ‘…come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest'(v.31).

Doesn’t that sound good?  Like what the doctor ordered?  What you need at this moment?  Getting away from phones, television, politics(amen!), work, family, money.  Oy vey, already!  ‘Jesus, that’s for me!  Help!’  That’s what I saw around the edges of this story.

Come away by yourself.  Warts and all.  Even that baggage you’ve been carting around on your shoulders, stuff from the past that’s still bugging you.  Bring it all to Jesus.  Time for a break.  Some rest for the weary.  Open your Bible and read a psalm.  Not one about our enemies but more like Psalm 23, or of praise in Psalm 100.  Be comforted and pampered.  Bask in Jesus’ care.  Rest in the Sonshine.

Come away with Him.  To a quiet place.  Can you find one?  For rest and nourishment.  What Jesus did for them years ago, He’ll do for you and me.  Hear Him calling?  ‘…come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’.  Sign me up!  You too?

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for times with you.  Hearing from you in the Bible.  Speaking about our concerns in prayer.  We love you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

THE INCENSE, THE CLOUD AND THE VEIL… Exodus 30:1-10, 33:7-11, 34:29-35

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Remember that gruesome scene in the film, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, where the evil Nazi opens the cover to the Ark of the Covenant, totally melting in the presence of God?  Made quite a mess of himself through his pride and arrogance!

As gripping as that scene is, it tells a tale of warning to all humanity.   Seek to be in the presence of Almighty God?  Be careful.   All hell could break loose.  I’ve been reading the Book of Exodus for my devotions.  Led me to think about three instances recorded by Moses.  The incense, the cloud and the veil.  All three of them keep God’s being at a distance from his people.  To separate us from Him.

Incense fills the air with thick smoke.  The cloud is filled with God’s glory but blocks vision of the Almighty.  The veil was used by Moses to cover his head and face, which glowed and glimmered after he had spent time with Yahweh God.  The people would not see the reflection of the Lord on Moses’ face.  Covered…for none to see.  But why?  What’s the point?

I’ve been mulling over these thoughts in my mind.  Why not see God face-to-face?  What’s so bad, after all?  Could this have gone back to what happened in the Garden of Eden?  Paradise lost.  Eden left behind.  Due to the sin of both Adam and Eve.  We’ll forget the blame-game they played.  The finger-pointing.  The ‘He made me’, ‘She made me’ excuses.  The equality of sin.

The ‘Fall of Mankind’ has left an indelible print of death on each of us.  No mistaking it as we look around at the fallen world we live in.  Or as we honestly gaze in the mirror of our own lives.  What do you see?   Sin-scarred, we are in grave danger if we find ourselves in the presence of God, who is holy and true through-and through.  We would melt away.  Evaporate.   A soul, forever separated from the God who created us.

God knows all about our being made of clay, soil and dust.  Fragile materials at best.  Here’s where the incense, the cloud and the veil come in.  They are His mercy.  His protection from harm that His presence may bring.  What seems unreasonable and unnecessary, is actually His love and care for us.

What God wants is our trust.  I’m going to thank Him today that I can’t see Him directly!  Sounds odd to say.  But it’s true–He’s protecting me.   But there will come a day, in eternity, when we’ll know the truth of 1 Corinthians 13: 12–‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face…'(KJV).  What a day that will be!  Amen?

Prayer:  Holy God, we bow before you in humility.   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

FAVORITE BOOKS!…Mark 4: 1-21

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I read that the six favorite books in the USA have three of mine on the list.  I couldn’t believe it!  ‘Gone With the Wind’ made it.  Then, ‘Moby Dick’, my all-time favorite American novel, which I’ve read three times.  You can guess which one was first.  It’s always number one.  Best-seller of all time!  Yes, of course, the Bible!

Cheered when I saw that.  Most purchased…most read and followed?  What do you think?

The Bible is our tuning fork.  We get out of tune so easily.  We sound flat and shrill due to sin.  It’s time to read that portion from the Gospel of Mark.  Very familiar parable?  About the seed and soil.  All the troubles of getting a good crop.  I know that you and I want to be good soil for the Lord.  We want our lives to mean something for Him.  Not for riches or fame, but to know Him and make Him known.

Can you imagine a better meaning in life?  Jesus says in Mark 4:20 that if you want to be good soil, you must listen to His Word.  Not buy lots of Bibles, keeping them dusted-off in case the pastor stops by unannounced.  Read the Word, chew on it, digest it, make it like ‘daily bread’.  It will become part of you.  Food for your soul that will last all of life.

Jesus promises that He will produce an abundant crop…30, 60, 100 times what we sowed.  Will happen like good seed in good soil.  How big will your crop be?  Who knows?  Don’t worry about it.  That’s God’s business.  I try(sometimes very unsuccessfully!)to not think about how few may be reading these devotionals that I’ve put so much time into.  As I said, that’s God’s business.  I’m doing this because I feel led to.  That’s it.  That’s enough for me.  On a good day!

How about you?  Seed in good soil?  The results?  God knows… and that should be enough for you too!

Prayer:  Lord, help us to put our gifts to work for you.  We ask you to help us be what you created us to be…for you, for others!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE…Read Matthew 5: 14-16

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I heard the story of an atheist who challenged a pastor to debate him about belief in God and Jesus.  The pastor agreed… but on one condition.  What was it?  That the pastor could have 100 people speak about the differences Jesus had made in their lives.   And that the atheist would also have 100 of his own choosing, testifying to what a difference atheism had made in their lives.  An equal challenge.  The pastor arrived at the auditorium with 100 people who would gladly say what the Lord had done for them.  The other side?  How many came to support atheism?  Not even the original atheist!

Jesus says in Matthew 5 that our light will shine, our salt will be tasty, when we know Him as our personal Savior.   We’ll make a difference in this world where we live.  Why?  ‘…so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven'(Matthew 5: 16).

Do good works and give Him the credit.  All to the Lord.  Makes sense really.  Our salvation has nothing to do with how good we are.  We’re not that good.  I’m not.  But Jesus is.  And He is our salvation.  Through faith in Him.

But it doesn’t end there.  As James wrote–‘do not merely listen to the word…do what it says'(James 1:22).  And– ‘You see that his faith and his actions were working together…'(2:22).  Finally– ‘…faith without works is dead'(2:26).  We get the point.  If we have faith in Jesus, it will show like salt in otherwise tasteless food or light in a darkened room.

We’ll make a difference.  Not for us.  But for the glory of God, who deserves it all.  Years ago I hosted a local television program called ‘Person-to-Person’.  It was a testimony show.  People sharing how they came to know Jesus.  All kinds of stories were told.  I loved it.  So interesting how the Holy Spirit works…with no two alike.  In the middle of the show,  a vocalist would sing a Gospel song.  Then, for the second half, we centered on the differences Christ made in their lives.  Those stories were as interesting.  Never had one with a conversion experience, who didn’t have an interesting story about the changes that came into their lives.

Lots to share when we know the Savior!  Your story, too?  If not, then welcome Jesus into your life right now.  Get ready?  Great things are ahead for you!  For sure!

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for giving me salvation in your Son Jesus.  I receive Him into my heart and look forward to all the good changes that will be coming in my life for your glory.  In His name.  Amen.

SO SHARP!…Psalm 64

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My mother complained that a distant family member had quite the ‘sharp tongue’.  Not a compliment!  Tongue–cutting and razor-edged.  Could hurt deeply with only a few words spoken.  Psalm 64 says much the same–‘…who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows’.  We get the point!  Or do we?

Words can cut like the sharpest of knives.  And their pain can linger for a lifetime.  Can you not remember some harsh word tossed your way, and this when you were very young?  I can.  Called a nasty word because I was chubby then and now.  Over sixty years ago now.  I can remember where, who said it, and how much it hurt.  I also remember unkind and cutting words from my mouth that were meant to hurt but did just that.

Jesus’ half -brother James wrote this–‘…the tongue is a fire, of world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, straining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell'(ch 3:6).  That makes you sit down for awhile.  Gives pause…to what we say.  Recently, I heard that a childhood neighbor had died.  A bunch of us juvenile rascals would scare him at night, knowing he was terrified of ghosts.  I wrote his mother and widow saying what a fine man he was.  And that I was sorry for words from my mouth aimed to hurt him.  They graciously forgave me  as he had years ago.  Still can’t take those words back, however.

I’m more careful what I say these days.  More careful but far from perfect, sad to say.  Have learned that my non-stop sense of humor needs boundaries, fences and walls at times.  And never to make fun of others.  Never.  Laugh at myself.  Puck fun at me.  Be the brunt and fall-guy.  Taking myself lightly eases the potential danger of humor.  Poking fun at others is no fun at all, especially for them.  I know.  I’ve tried it.  It’s happened to me, too.

Put away the swords and arrows.  Keep the knives in a drawer.  Have fun.  Laugh.  Speak kind and loving words to each other and to yourself as well.

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for loving words meant for us your children.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON!…2 Samuel 14:14

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Do you find it difficult reading the Old Testament?  Books like Samuel, Kings and Chronicles?  I used to feel that way until I decided to spend more time in the Old Testament neighborhood.  Not avoiding it, but roaming down some back alleys and darkened corners.  Even dusting off my old Princeton Seminary Hebrew language texts!

Today I was reading 2 Samuel 14:14–‘But God does not take away life; instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him.’  What a great verse.  The context is King David estranged from his son Absalom.  Others mount an effort at reconciliation between father and son.  It seems to me that there’s a larger issue to deal with in this verse.  Beyond the familial one, we have our need to be reconciled to God.  ‘…not remain estranged from Him.’

Being reconciled to God.  Peace with God.  What we all long for.  Not only for ourselves.  We agonize over family who do not know Jesus.  Who have not experienced reconciliation with the Lord.  Salvation.  It hurts personally as I realize that my own witness for Jesus has been so poor and ineffective.  Have I done my best?  I only wish.

2 Samuel 14:14 gives me great hope.  I’m not off the hook.  Neither are you.  We must share the Lord Jesus with our own.  But what’s paramount is not my effort, but God’s.  This verse says that God never, ever stops searching for ways to reach people.  He’s ‘devising ways’.  Never stops seeking a way in.  Never stops reaching out.  Never stops knocking on the doors of hearts.  Never.

You can depend on it.  No, HE is the One we can depend on.  Something you can hang your hat on!  We’re not off the hook.  Pray…share.   But know that the Lord works in all kinds of ways to bring our loved ones to Him.  Thank you, Lord!  Thank you…

Prayer:  Dear God, we praise you for loving our loved ones even more than we do.  We pray that each one will come to know your Son Jesus for salvation.  Each and every one.  In His name.  Amen.

NOT SO BAD AFTER ALL…Psalm 119: 71

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Aren’t you glad I didn’t ask you to read the entire psalm, the longest of all?!  Only one verse today.  Psalm 119:71–‘It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.’  I read that verse at night and it kept rolling around in my head all the next day.  Take a look back on your life.  High hills and low valleys.

Kick myself for quite a few forays into forbidden areas of life.  Like dangling my big toe in liberal theology only to find the water way too cold and shallow for my taste.  Wasted precious years of early ministry trying to find my way back to the Bible.  The Lord led me through the fog of my old pipe smoke, and now I can sniff out a Bible-doubter at fifty paces!  Got a good nose for subtle heresy!   Not sure I would have without traveling into that far country.  Maybe not so bad after all.

What about having polio?   Left me with a tender heart for children in need.  Can’t wait to lead another child to Jesus, the best thrill of all.  Those early experiences of abandonment and insecurity were not for naught.  Not so bad after all.

Leaving the ministry to become a financial planner was a gut-wrenching experience, to say the least.  How does one lead to the other?  Well, they did… and I did fine.  As a result of our own financial planning, we’ve retired early and could afford to take a minimal salary for fourteen years serving part-time at our last church.  Some Sundays I gave our weekly salary back for a mission project that grabbed our hearts… and wallets!  A detour in my profession was not so bad after all!

I get the feeling that you could say much the same?  As if Romans 8: 28 is still true?  ‘All things work together…’  Paul doesn’t say that all things are good.  But in God’s hands, He can work them, craft them, mold and polish them into something for His glory.  Do all things make sense to me?  Hardly.  May have to wait for heaven to find out.  Fine with me!

For now, I’m looking forward to less treks off-track, and more following Jesus on His straight and narrow.  Room to join me!  How about it?  Let’s go…

Prayer:  Lord, we want to follow you.  Give us your strength and mercy.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.