Scripture Nugget 6.11.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.11.2017

Scripture Read Galatians 4-6

Nugget Galatians 5:22-26

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.”

Devotional Thought: How am I (are you) living? How am I (are you) seen by others? This is a much different question than how do I (you) feel? Living by the Spirit may not always “feel” good. Helping repair a neighbor’s roof in the middle of summer is a loving, generous, and kind act; but when one is hot, thirsty and dehydrated from the work, it might not feel good. The fruit that we show, that other’s see is often a product of self-sacrifice, it may in fact be a burden. Christ’s love for us didn’t “feel good” as He hung on the cross. The quality and depth of our relationships isn’t measured by how I (you) feel but by what others see me (you) demonstrate.

Scripture Nugget 6.10.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.10.2017

Scripture Read Luke 9-10

Nugget Luke 9:13-17

“But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.”

Devotional Thought: Those of you who know me and about my vocational history, know that I have a lot of experience with organizing logistics to ensure an event or an operational plan is carried out to its fullest. While I don’t like to begin a project without assurance of proper resources this passage points out that in mission and ministry sometimes we just need to get started and operate with faith. Being with Jesus, we can be assured we are operating in His will; operating in His will He will provide. The hungry (physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological) will always be around us. If we send them away, while we gather supplies, we miss an opportunity. If we continue to gather, even after we have more than enough to get started, we’ve lost focus. Notice, all were fed and there was a basket of pieces for each apostle to continue the mission. Baskets of abounding grace to be shared with others ….. am I/are you looking for those opportunities? Or do we send “them” away to find their own food? Jesus encourages us, “You give them something to eat.”

Scripture Nugget 6.9.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.9.2017

Scripture Read Lamentations 1-5

Nugget Lamentations 3:19-33, 40-42, 55-58

“The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one would wait quietly for the salivation of the LORD. It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth, to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it, to put one’s mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope), to give one’s cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; fore he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.” … “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven.” … “I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my pleas, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ You have taken up my cause, O Lord, you have redeemed my life.”

Devotional Thought: “Wesleyan Core Term, Convincing Grace – Many understand grace as God’s assistance or comfort in times of trial or need. But salvation requires more than a warm smile from the Divine. A basic prerequisite is the necessity for a person to realize that he or she stands in need as a sinner before God, as seen in Lam 3. Unless a person recognizes that condition, there is no real hope for salvation. When we don’t recognize sin as a basic reality in our lives, the message of God’s salvation falls on deaf ears. God’s presence and power (grace) is not just a comforting thought. When Jesus says, ‘Remember I am with you always’ (Matt 28:20b), the implication is that one cannot escape the presence of God, even on occasions when one thinks, says, or does things that are sinful. Christ’s presence (convicting/convincing grace) helps us recognize such sinfulness, which is often called the conviction of sin. This recognition of our sinful condition is a necessary prerequisite to repentance.” (Wesley Study Bible, pg 978)

Read the whole of Lamentations corporately applying to the Church, then read it applying to self. Sin is a life taker, sin separates me/you/us from God. Selfishness, self-centeredness (individual and congregational); prophets – sent to lead and correct, who shy away or are not listened to over a long period of time end up promoting that separation. Spiritual death occurs and we lament, asked how, and why? “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled.” (Lam 3:40-42a)

Scripture Nugget 6.8.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.8.2017

Scripture Read Proverbs 2-3

Nugget Proverbs 3:13-18

“Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy.”

Devotional Thought: “The proverb most often cited by Wesley in his journals is 3:17: ‘Her ways are ways of pleasantness, / and all her paths are peace.’ Wesley repeatedly preached and taught that he peace that comes from surrender to God casts out fear. … Such an experience is central to one’s religious identity, ‘Who is a Methodist?’ Wesley asks, His answer in part” ‘A Methodist is one who has … “a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” and “overflowing his soul with peace and joy.” “Perfect love” having now “cast out fear,” he “rejoices evermore”’ (‘The Character of a Methodist,’ 1742, P6).” Let us all search for, find, accept and live with God’s wisdom – ways of pleasantness and paths of peace sure sound much better than individuals all demanding that things go “their” way. As members of the Body of Christ we are to work together, each one’s purpose combined with others to produce Spiritual Fruit for the glory of God – ways of pleasantness and paths of peace. Let’s be people of God’s will, choose that my/your/our will be that which God desires.

Scripture Nugget 6.7.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.7.2017

Scripture Read Psalms 66-68

Nugget Psalm 66:1-5; 68:6, 9-10, 19-20

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.’ Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.” … “God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land. … Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished; your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. … Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.”

Devotional Thought: O how I needed this word today! One of the congregations I presently serve held its final worship service on Sunday. That same day a dear parishioner’s brother died. Monday and Tuesday of this week have been consumed with tasks concerning the closure of the church; the past weeks full of having to answer demanding questions of why - asked by some who abandoned their UMC membership covenant (prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness). This morning I learned that two of my dearest friends and fraternity brothers from college have been diagnosed with various cancers, one for the second time. Later today I have sinus surgery. How awesome is God? God’s great power causes God’s enemies to cringe! How awesome is God? God is a God of salvation, ongoing salvation that causes reversal; captives are freed, rebels are banished and God leads us to escape death. Blessed be God who daily bears us up! Blessed be those who look to God to be borne up, to accept and live out salvation on a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day basis. Salvation is a gift, living it out is a responsibility not a privilege.

Scripture Nugget 6.6.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.6.2017

Scripture Read 1 Kings 5-9

Nugget 1 Kings 9:1-9

“When Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build, the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The LORD said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your plea (read 8:22-61) which you made before me; I have consecrated this house that you have built, and put my name there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time. As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statues and my ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David, saying, “There shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.” If you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut Israel off from the land that I have given them; and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a taunt among all peoples. This house will become a heap of ruins; everyone passing by it will be astonished, and will hiss; and they will say, “Why has this LORD done such a thing to this land and to this house?” Then they will say, “Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, worshiping them and serving them; therefore the LORD has brought disaster upon them.”’”

Devotional Thought: Solomon’s prayer in today’s reading 8:22-53 anticipates the people of God sinning against God and pleads for God to hear and forgive when the people pray toward the temple, confess the name of God, confess their sin and turn from it. Whether individuals or corporately. God’s response? If you will walk before me with integrity of heart and uprightness … I will establish your throne forever; however, if you turn aside from following me, then In will cut you off. I God’s grace we are given a choice, we are given the freedom to choose to love God and be obedient to His will or go another way. The choice is important, the choice has consequences. Not just for ourselves but for those generations who follow. God is full of grace and mercy – we see it when God refers to David’s integrity of heart and uprightness – God forgave and erased David’s transgressions, as God will each of ours. But that forgiveness is not cheap, it comes at a price, a price God paid for us – it is a gift. Yet we must accept the gift. What choices have I/you/we made in the past, are in the process of making, or will make in the future; and how will they affect future generations? Let’s choose wisely my friends….

Scripture Nugget 6.5.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.5.2017

Scripture Read Exodus 37-40

Nugget Exodus 40:12-15; 34-38

“Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water, and put on Aaron the sacred vestments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put tunics on them, and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests; and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout all generations to come. . . . Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the could by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.”

Devotional Thought: Aaron and his sons were brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, washed, dressed, anointed and consecrated to serve God as priests. A perpetual priesthood for all generations to come. To serve God as priests – Yes, they were priest of the people they were to serve God, to lead the people in serving God. Worship. In this priestly role as servants of God, they were to watch God. When God moved they moved, when God stayed still they stayed with God. To serve God we must move with God. “The presence of God creates not a static community but a movement that exists to mediate God’s presence to the world.” (Wesley Study Bible note, pg 120) Jesus calls us to go and make disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (here, there and everywhere). Yesterday was Pentecost, we like the disciples and other followers in the Upper Room that day, have a decision to make. Will we stay in the room or hit the streets? Will we stay still or move? What is God doing? That’s why we need priest to serve God, to keep an eye on God’s movement so they can exhort the people to move with God, to serve God, to worship God. Aaron and his sons were consecrated priests to serve God and lead the people, not serve the people and lead God. Let’s pay better attention to the presence of God, and move with God as He leads.

Scripture Nugget 6.4.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.4.2017

Scripture Read Galatians 1-3

Nugget Galatians 1:3-10

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Devotional Thought: Does my life demonstrate the Gospel, The Good News of Jesus Christ, the grace and redemption that is the salvation Christ offers? “The early Wesleyans were zealous, passionate, and focused. They had a sense of gospel urgency, an intense desire to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land, and re-center church practice in the grace of the redeeming Lord. Paul opens his letter to the Galatians with the same sense of urgency and focus.” (Setting Priorities, Wesley Study Bible, pg 1424) Do I/you/we possess the same sense of urgency – to spread scriptural holiness, not our personal agendas, throughout our community and beyond? It is not about left or right, liberal or conservative but God’s holiness as defined by His Holy Word. If only the people of God were as passionate about spreading the Good News of Jesus as they are about fighting to get “their” way!

Scripture Nugget 6.3.2017

Scripture Nugget 6.3.2017

Scripture Read Luke 7-8

Nugget Luke 7:20-23

“When the men had come to him, they said, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.’”

Devotional Thought: How much do I/you/we expect/trust that God is transformational – that God overcomes brokenness in all its forms? John the Baptist, his followers and the scribes and Pharisees all asked for a sign, asked Jesus to prove that He was the One. Jesus’ response – “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.” Do I/you/we even notice all that God had done, is doing and do we believe God will continue to do? It’s not that we need a sign, we need a new outlook.

Scripture Nugget 6.2.2017

Scripture Nugget 

6.2.2017

Scripture Read Jeremiah 47-52

Nugget Jeremiah 51:15-23

“It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and he brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. Not like these is the LORD, the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name. You are my club, my weapon of battle; with you I smash nations; with you I destroy kingdoms; with you I smash the horse and its rider; with you I smash the chariot and the charioteer; with youI smash man and woman; with you I smash the old man and the boy; with you I smash the young man and the girl; with you I smash shepherds and their flocks; with you I smash farmers and their reams; with you I smash governors and deputies.”

Devotional Thought: God is sovereign and all powerful. God created and ultimately controls the outcome. His will be done. Yet we have a choice to be obedient or not. Those who choose to create their own gods, cast idols out of gold (or any other product of God’s creation) are declared “stupid and without knowledge”. Those who create them are put to shame by their false, lifeless creations. Maybe nice artwork, but what a waste of time to worship them and expect deliverance from something one creates – while the Creator God continues his work. Part of that work is to use loyal followers and believers to destroy all that is against God. Yes we are to love God and others, but God makes it clear that those who fight against Him and His will are to be destroyed (smashed). They have a choice in how they will be destroyed – choose God and life abundant – redemption offered through Jesus or choose to disobey, create and worship idols and therefore be smashed because of disobedience. Ultimately, every knee will bow to God.