Lent is Not a Diet

Posted on by Betsy

I read an article somewhere recently that stated “Lent is not a diet.” The writer went on to discuss how we sometimes use Lent to correct poor eating habits, focus on exercising more, and try to lose weight by giving up or fasting from the things that caused us to gain it over the winter. As a colleague mentioned in his sermon, Lent comes just in time for “beach body preparation.”

Boy, when you combine a typical winter with a pandemic, you can end up with a lot to “give up!”

But of course the focus of Lent is to fast from something that is distracting you from God. Many people have given up social media. Some have pledged to stop arguing with their spouse. Others gave up Netflix or the news channels. What have you given up?

One year I gave up complaining. I didn’t have much to say for six weeks, much to my husband’s delight. We laugh about now, but I have to confess that it was a STRUGGLE. It was a good exercise in learning how much complaining I do on a regular basis. What an eye-opener!

So yes, Lent is not a diet … but today’s Scripture calls us to consider that we have made our “stomach our god” and we can easily become too focused on filling ourselves up with earthly things:

Philippians 3 (Common English Bible)

17 Brothers and sisters, become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models. 18 As I have told you many times and now say with deep sadness, many people live as enemies of the cross. 19 Their lives end with destruction. Their god is their stomach, and they take pride in their disgrace because their thoughts focus on earthly things. 

Paul boldly challenges us to imitate him in his righteousness (if not his humility). He makes the clear point that we are enemies of the cross if we continue to pursue earthly wealth, status, achievements, etc. at the sake of the cross-life, which calls us to a life of sacrifice, obedience, and service.

20 Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there—the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform our humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself.

Our citizenship is in heaven! Ponder that for a moment. That means that the “rules” for our lives here are the same rules God establishes for those who live in the heavenly realm. This passage makes us question our motivations. Are we too focused on earthly things?

Stand firm in the Lord

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.

Paul encourages us to stand firm in the Lord. We can forsake the pulls and pushes of secular life and keep our hearts in tune with God. Where is God calling you to change? Are you using this time of giving something up for Lent to fill the void with Jesus? What are you learning?

Paul reminds us in this Lenten season and in our Lenten disciplines to stand firm. You belong to the kingdom in heaven!

Act like it.

Heaven on Earth by Michelle Robertson

Called to Pray

Posted on by Betsy

A few years ago, I attended a prayer vigil for a missing child. After the pastor gave a homily, we were invited to form groups of ten people to pray. The pastor gave very explicit directions and said that if people felt uncomfortable praying aloud, they were welcome to remain silent. I was in a group of folks from different faith systems, including a man who described himself as an atheist. I was surprised that each person elected to pray when it was his or her turn. I think my favorite prayer came from the atheist. He simply said, “God, I don’t know what to say. But hear every else’s prayer.”

That might have been the best prayer of the night. 

Matthew 6:5-6 (Contemporary English Version)

5 When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

6 When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. PRAY TO YOUR FATHER in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Our focus on prayer during this season of Lent brings us to this passage in Matthew. Jesus is warning against the hypocrisy of praying loudly for the sake of praying loudly. I think we can stretch this a bit and consider that it warns against all kinds of hypocrisy in the church. If our intentions grow beyond serving the Lord with humble gladness, we have lost our way. You and I have seen preachers who parade around the stage calling attention to themselves. We have sat beside the matriarch dripping in jewels who seeks to bar “others” from participation in the church. We have watched the soloist sing a song for the sake of performance and adulation, not worship. We’ve watched the fog machines that defined “contemporary worship” go in and out of style. Pretense is not worship. Pretense is not worthy of our Lord.

Prayer is a calling to “get naked” with God. This certainly is an activity that should be done in a room alone. God invites us to strip off all pretense of faux righteousness and come clean. I have a friend who invites God to do “heart surgery” on him when he prays, and the analogy is good. Lying under a hospital sheet and exposing our hearts to the great Physician’s scapel is a Lent-worthy endeavor.

As we continue to move through this Lenten journey, I challenge you to set aside all your facades and just be real with God. Ask him to reveal any unconfessed sin that remains hidden deep, and be willing to be searched and known by him. I promise you that God will hear this prayer and heal you of everything that stands between you and him.

Use this beautiful verse from Psalm 139 as you pray:

Psalm 139 (New Revised Standard Version)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

Amen!

Hear Our Prayers, Oh Lord by Michelle Robertson

Fear Not

Posted on by Betsy

Last week, my friend and I were walking our dogs on a beautiful day on my beautiful street bordered by beautiful canals when a bicyclist passed us from behind. Our chatter continued, mostly along the lines of the warmth of the sun, the promise of spring, and when the ospreys might return to their Colington nests. The bicyclist returned, facing us this time, and I noticed that his neon green teeshirt bore an important message:

Fear Not.

“Fear not” is a phrase found often in the Bible, spoken by God to the people of Israel in times of great distress, and by Jesus to his followers as they encountered opposition, storms, and confusion. “Fear not” are the words often spoken by angels and messengers to the people they startled and terrified when they appeared.

Fear not. What does that say to you today?

As the war in Europe enters a second week, it is a message I wish we could send to the bold people of Ukraine. The images coming out of that region are horrific. Over one million men, woman, and children are now war refugees. Countless lives have been lost, there is massive destruction of property, and Putin’s evil agenda seems to have no stopping point. When will it end? How will it end?

Into this moment, Psalm 27 appears. It is a long one. As you read it, offer God your fears. Offer God your worries. Offer God your troubles. And pray for the people in Ukraine and Russia who are caught in this madness.

Psalm 27 (Common English Bible)

The Lord is my light and my salvation.
        Should I fear anyone?
    The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
        Should I be frightened of anything?
2 When evildoers come at me trying to eat me up—
    it’s they, my foes and my enemies,
    who stumble and fall!
3 If an army camps against me,
        my heart won’t be afraid.
    If war comes up against me,
        I will continue to trust in this:
4     I have asked one thing from the Lord—
    it’s all I seek:
        to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
        seeing the Lord’s beauty
        and constantly adoring his temple.
5 Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
    during troubling times;
    he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
        he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

6 Now my head is higher than the enemies surrounding me,
    and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent—
        sacrifices with shouts of joy!
    I will sing and praise the Lord.

7 Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out—
    have mercy on me and answer me!
8 Come, my heart says, seek God’s face.
    Lord, I do seek your face!
9 Please don’t hide it from me!
    Don’t push your servant aside angrily—
        you have been my help!
    God who saves me,
        don’t neglect me!
        Don’t leave me all alone!
10 Even if my father and mother left me all alone,
    the Lord would take me in.
11 Lord, teach me your way;
    because of my opponents, lead me on a good path.
12 Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies,
    because false witnesses and violent accusers
    have taken their stand against me.
13 But I have sure faith
    that I will experience the Lord’s goodness
    in the land of the living!

Our hope is in you, and you alone, Lord.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

14 Hope in the Lord!
    Be strong! Let your heart take courage!
        Hope in the Lord!

New Day by Michelle Robertson

Help Me, Jesus

Posted on by Betsy

Several years ago I experienced a “Help me, Jesus” moment that I will never forget. My youngest daughter was home from college for the summer and she worked long shifts at a local department store. Jamie had just gotten home from a double shift and we immediately got into our pajamas for a “girl’s night.” Since our dog Georgia is also a girl, we took her out to the dock so that she could swim in our canal and we could skip walking her in the heat.

She is a yellow lab and a strong swimmer. We have two docks, a ladder, and a dog ramp at the far end of the long dock. As Georgia swam and Jamie and I chatted in comfy chairs on the dock about our dinner and movie choices, I noticed that Georgia seemed to be disoriented and getting tired. Our large boat was tied up alongside the larger dock and this seemed to be suddenly confusing to her. Sure enough, she grew frantic out in the middle of the canal and could not seem to find her way back.

I was terrified.

We were able to call her over to the side of the dock where she was floundering, which unfortunately was on the opposite side where the dog ramp was located. By this time, she was very fatigued and panicky. We had a quick conversation and realized that one of us needed to get in the water to push her out while the other one pulled her up on the dock.

Did I mention that this dog weighs over 100 pounds?

So Jamie jumped in the water and I crouched down on the dock and reached over and grabbed Georgia’s collar. She panicked and we struggled. It was a pure “help me, Jesus” moment, which I said out loud several times. At one point, both Jamie and Georgia’s heads went under water and I knew in an instant that I might have to choose which one to save.

Thankfully we are able to push-pull her out of the water, and the three of us laid on the dock for a very long time just dripping, panting, and trembling.

So much for a relaxing girl’s night!

Our Scripture today reminds us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved:

Romans 10 (Common English Bible)

8 But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the message of faith that we preach). 9 Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Paul is deliberate in laying this out as a two-part invitation. We are invited to embrace both sides of this coin. Faith is on one side; witness is on the other. Heart is coupled with mouth. The message must be both believed and proclaimed.

10 Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation. 11 The scripture says, All who have faith in him won’t be put to shame. 12 There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all, who gives richly to all who call on him. 

Yesterday, a friend posted on Facebook that her cousin has beaten pancreatic cancer, which typically has a 9% chance of survival. She started her post with this:

”When you have the privilege of witnessing a miracle and seeing God’s mercy … you have to tell others.”

Amen, Julie. You have to tell others.

This makes me wonder how many times we believe with our hearts but fail to profess with our mouths. Does that speak to you today?

13 All who call on the Lord’s name will be saved.

The Lord saves all who call on him. How did God save you? Go out and tell the world!

Jesus Helped Me

The Ash Wednesday Storm

Posted on by Betsy

In 1962, a stretch of five hundred miles on the East Coast was battered by a horrific Nor’easter that resulted in 40 deaths and over $500 million dollars in damage (in today’s dollars). The storm resulted in the destruction of Atlantic City’s Steel Pier, Ocean City’s famous boardwalk, and thousands of coastal homes, roads, bridges, and businesses. This storm is known to this day as one of the ten worst storms of the 20th Century.

The storm arrived without warning on Ash Wednesday and lingered for three days. Here on the Outer Banks, heroism and sacrifice resulted in no loss of life. Brave men and women worked tirelessly for days rowing small skiffs around their neighborhoods to take people who had been stranded on their rooftops to safety. Over 60 buildings were destroyed and 1,300 structures were heavily damaged. The southern part of Hatteras Island was cut off as the storm created a new water inlet, and food had to be ferried to the residents until the inlet could be filled. Winds of 70 mph battered homes and businesses all along the Banks, and waves up to 30 feet were recorded.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and we recall the devastating effects of the clouds and thick darkness as we read Joel’s warning of a storm of a different type:

Joel 2 (Common English Bible)

Blow the horn in Zion;
    give a shout on my holy mountain!
Let all the people of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is near—
2     a day of darkness and no light,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament. He warned of the devastation that continued apostasy and disobedience to God’s law would bring to the people of Israel. The day of the Lord would be a day of reckoning, bringing a blackness of punishment for the corporate sin of the nation.

Like blackness spread out upon the mountains,
    a great and powerful army comes,
        unlike any that has ever come before them,
        or will come after them in centuries ahead.

But much like the Ash Wednesday Storm, help is on the way. There is a Rescuer who will brave the high seas and strong winds to fetch you off the roof of your home. Will you be wise enough to get into his boat?

Yet even now, says the Lord,
    return to me with all your hearts,
        with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow;
13 tear your hearts
        and not your clothing.
    Return to the Lord your God,
        for he is merciful and compassionate,
        very patient, full of faithful love,
            and ready to forgive.

Lent begins today, and of all the things that Lent is, it is truly a season of rescue from the storm. God invites us into the safe harbor of repentance and forgiveness, where we will find his mercy, compassion, patience, and love.

God invites us to return to him.

14 Who knows whether he will have a change of heart
    and leave a blessing behind him,
    a grain offering and a drink offering
            for the Lord your God?

Ash Wednesday should come in like a storm. It should blow us out of our complacency and flood us with clarity. It should level the idols we have erected on our shores and raze our temples of self-sufficiency and arrogance. It should linger long enough to erode all of our wantonness and allow a righteous wind to take its place. It should create inlets that cut us off from our sin.

A holy Lent involves returning to God with repentant hearts and spending time in prayer, study, fasting, self-denial, worship, and service. God offers us the blessing of renewal in this stormy season. Will you come aboard?

Save yourself!

Darkening Skys by Michelle Robertson

Wilderness Days

Posted on by Betsy

We come together this morning on the precipice of yet another Lent. Lent is a forty-day season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. During this time, we are called to reflect, repent, examine our souls, and take God’s call to discipleship very, very seriously.

If I’m honest, there have been seasons in my life where I have been wearied by Lent. The call to fast from things that distract me from God has sometimes felt like a call to abstain from joy. Even the music for Lent is written in a minor key! Of course Lent isn’t a call to abstain from joy, as we all know, but it still has a spirit of solemness and silence which needs to be respected. Lent appeals to the Eeyores among us. I, unfortunately, am a Tigger.

Lent is an invitation to return to the practices of worship, prayer, self-examination, repentance, fasting, Scripture study, and service. Each of these things are designed to draw us closer to Jesus’ heart, where our joy is made complete.

We start this journey on Ash Wednesday, and so today we get ready by remembering a forty-day period where Jesus experienced a wilderness of temptation as he was challenged by Satan:

Luke 4 (The Message)

4 1-2 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

This is the difference between me and Jesus. I can guarantee that after forty days of not eating, I wouldn’t just be hungry … I would be hangry. I love how Peterson calls this time ”forty wilderness days and nights.” Just as Jesus was in a physical wilderness, he was in an emotional-support wilderness as well. There were no friends to listen to him, no disciples to offer comfort, no followers who would come along to mop his brow, and no one to bring him food. Have you ever been there? With no one nearby to console you, talk you through a rough time, hold your hand, or offer a tissue until you felt better? If you have experienced that, you know how Jesus felt. Just think of it: Jesus chose these wilderness days for our sake.

3 The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”

4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.”

This is a striking reminder of why we need to be in God’s word every day. Jesus rebuked the Devil with Scripture. You can, too … if you know it.

5-7 For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”

8 Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

If you could distill the purpose of Lent into one sentence, it might just be verse 8. Lent is a time to return to serving God with “absolute single-heartedness.”

9-11 For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”

12 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’”

13 That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

And of course that opportunity came on the night that Jesus gathered his friends in the Upper Room and one of them betrayed him. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. For now, may we commit to making this a holy, transformative, and significant Lent season by giving God our single-hearted attention, obedience, and love.

All Their Splendor by David Jones

Pray for Your Enemies

Posted on by Betsy

Before we get to today’s Scripture, which ironically commands us to pray for our enemies, we need to pause for a moment to pray for Ukraine. Waking up yesterday to the realization that we are watching a war in Europe begin was a shock. We sat stunned as we witnessed the merciless invasion of the peaceful people of Ukraine by Putin’s armies. Europe hasn’t seen an invasion of this scope since Hitler took over Poland in 1939 … and he didn’t stop there. Never in my lifetime did I think I would see what may end up being a Third World War. But I never expected to live through two years of a global pandemic, either.

And so we join our hearts with brothers and sisters in the British Methodist Church, who published this prayer yesterday on social media. As a European denomination, this situation is much closer to them than it is to us. All of Europe trembles today.

I pray for all people all around the world this morning. I pray for bold Russians who risk arrest to protest by the thousands in Russian cities. I pray for the orphans in Ukraine who, even as we sip our coffee, are hunkered down in dirty subway tunnels. I pray for peace.

If you are tired of worrying about all of this and want to do something practical, please consider donating to the orphanage. I have friends who have traveled for years to do mission work there, and this is a legitimate cause with a legitimate and urgent need: https://www.fathers-care.org

And now to our devotional.

Do Good

Think of someone who has really, really hurt you. Someone who has wronged you so wrongly that you want to wrong them back with a vengeance. We all have people on that list. From the girl who gossiped about you in Middle School and made your life miserable, to someone who has abused you on some level, it is natural and normal to have enemies. I have them. I know you do, too.

What does the Bible say about how to treat our enemies? Get ready for the bitter pill:

Luke 6 (Common English Bible)

27 “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. 31 Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.

Lawdy. Of all the teachings of Jesus, this may be one of the hardest ones to swallow. I confess that I would so much prefer to salt the wounds left by my enemies by recalling ad nauseam EVERY INSTANCE OF HURT they inflicted on me. Over, and over, and over. And then I want to hit back. But Jesus calls us to a higher response. Jesus commands us to love them. Jesus commands us to do good to people who have hurt us. Jesus calls us to a response that reflects the way we wish they had treated us.

Is Jesus asking for the impossible?

32 “If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. 

Yes, this calling is hard. But he states his case beautifully. Should you be commended for only showing grace to the people who love you? Will you get a pat on the back for being good to those who are good to you? Nope. That is the easy way out. Being good to your enemies takes a lot more work. But when you do, you are acting just like Jesus.

36 Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.

And there it is. Being God-followers means we have to respond like God … with kindness and compassion, even to the ungrateful and wicked people.

37 “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”

I don’t know about you, but in the end, I would much rather be like Jesus than my enemy. Lord, bring on that good portion to us! And may we bring it to others in your name and for your sake.

Frolicking Fins by Michelle Robertson

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Posted on by Betsy

At some point in your life, you will endure a break-up. It is as inevitable as death and taxes. It might be a romantic interest, a friend, a co-worker, a family member, or even a spouse. We know the pain that ending a close relationship can bring. The classic rock song, ”Breaking Up is Hard to Do” speaks truth into that pain. A bad break-up can leave a scar that lasts a long time.

Breaking up with someone who has wronged you is even harder. It’s hard enough when a relationship has run its natural course, but when the other person betrays you, strays from the relationship, undermines you, or is downright evil in their dealings with you, that scar can be permanent.

Our Psalm today is a lovely reminder that when we have been left in the dust by someone who has done us wrong, we don’t need to fret over it. God will take care of us in that situation by taking care of the evildoer. Our job is to let go, “let God,” and commit our way toward the justice, righteousness, and healing that only God can offer:

Psalm 37 (Common English Bible)

Don’t get upset over evildoers;
    don’t be jealous of those who do wrong,
2     because they will fade fast, like grass;
    they will wither like green vegetables.
3 Trust the Lord and do good;
    live in the land, and farm faithfulness.
4 Enjoy the Lord,
    and he will give what your heart asks.

I have a friend who is going through a terrible divorce. Another friend is struggling with a rebellious and sullen teenager. Another is dealing with an ex who is trying to change their custody agreement. All of these situations are hurtful. What can we do when people let us down so terribly? David suggests that we should do good and ”farm faithfulness.” I love that phrase. We should commit to God, trust him, and WAIT.

5 Commit your way to the Lord!
    Trust him! He will act
6     and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
    your justice like high noon.
7 Be still before the Lord,
    and wait for him.
Don’t get upset when someone gets ahead—
    someone who invents evil schemes.

And in your waiting, look only at God. He will deliver you.

8 Let go of anger and leave rage behind!
    Don’t get upset—it will only lead to evil.
9 Because evildoers will be eliminated,
    but those who hope in the Lord—
    they will possess the land.
10 In just a little while the wicked won’t exist!
    If you go looking around their place,
    they won’t be there.

It is normal to feel weak in those times when someone is getting the better of you, especially when that person is acting from evil intentions while you are remaining steadfast in your righteousness. It can be tempting to be underhanded in your response, because feeling weak is so debilitating. But God calls us to a higher standard.

Remember that when you are weak, God is strong.

This battle is his.

11 But the weak will inherit the land;
    they will enjoy a surplus of peace.

May the peace of Christ surround you today as you watch what God is doing.

Watching and Waiting by Michelle Robertson

Take the Beach Road

Posted on by Betsy

On the Outer Banks in North Carolina, there are two main roads for traveling north to south. Highway 12 (a small two-lane road known as the Beach Road) runs parallel to the ocean and is a picturesque route featuring rustic beach cottages, small mom-and-pop venues, beach access points, sea oats, and stunning ocean views. The Bypass (Highway 158) runs parallel to the beach road and features five lanes of rushing traffic, crowded strip malls, touristy establishments, too many traffic lights, grocery stores, and more chain drug stores than you would think a place with such a small permanent population would require.

The speed limit on the Beach Road is 35 and on the Bypass it is 50. (Unless it is a crowded Saturday in the summer, in which case the functional speed on both roads is 35 or under.) That is when locals turn to one another with a confidence born of experience and say, “Take the beach road.” Local wisdom figures that if 35 is the fastest you will be able to go anyway, you might as well enjoy the view.

Actually, there are many reasons to take the Beach Road. The charm, the salty ocean breeze, the views, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore all serve to calm the spirit and refresh the soul. And you won’t encounter people not knowing how to navigate the tricky middle turn lane as you would on the Bypass.

“Take the Beach Road” has become a metaphor for making life choices that slow down your pace, help you to breathe, focus your attention on the glory around you, and relax.

You remember how to relax, don’t you??

In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he addresses a choice that they are facing. Will they continue to live under the law of Moses, with its multiple red lights, its complicated turn lanes, and its lack of freedom, or will they choose the glory of the Beach Road that is freedom in Christ Jesus?

2 Corinthians 3 (Common English Bible)

12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ. 15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 

The law of Moses can only take you so far. But when the veil of that law is removed, freedom of movement is available through the opening of the veil by Christ’s actions on the cross. Remember when the curtain in the Temple was torn in two pieces from top to bottom at Jesus’ death? Come on in.

You can be forgiven.

You can be redeemed.

You can move forward in hope and confidence.

16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Through repentance and confession, we are invited to turn back to the Lord and experience the glory of forgiveness and redemption. And so we never need to be discouraged, because mercy is always just ahead at the next intersection.

4 This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. 2 Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth.

Whatever road you are on right now, don’t get discouraged. Take a moment to breathe. You can find hope in the Spirit and have confidence that if you are staying in a lane that leads to Jesus, you are on the right road. And if life’s troubles and complications have you exhausted today, pause for a moment, breathe deeply, and take the Beach Road.

Just Breathe by Michelle Robertson

Shaking and Quaking

Posted on by Betsy

Last week I sat in the living room listening to a two-year old and his grandfather as they were playing. Using magnetic pieces of plastic and a lot of imagination, they were building things. A structure was built and then the two-year old would yell, “Layne runned over it!” and suddenly the structure they had put together was demolished. Then the process would start over again. With Godzilla-like power, buildings fell under his tiny but mighty foot, and the grandfather laughed and laughed.

Our Psalm today talks about the power of God in similar terms. God is strong. The Lord is great. The nations shake and the earth quakes in his presence:

Psalm 99 (Common English Bible)

The Lord rules—
    the nations shake!
    He sits enthroned on the winged heavenly creatures—
    the earth quakes!
2 The Lord is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the nations.
3 Let them thank your great and awesome name.
    He is holy!

4 Strong king who loves justice,
    you are the one who established what is fair.
    You worked justice and righteousness in Jacob.

We see a different aspect of God’s power now, as the psalmist extols God’s love for justice and righteousness. These are qualities of strength that we need in our leaders. God is our strong king, and no human power can compare.

5 Magnify the Lord, our God!
    Bow low at his footstool!
    He is holy!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel too among those who called on his name.
They cried out to the Lord, and he himself answered them—
7     he spoke to them from a pillar of cloud.
They kept the laws and the rules God gave to them.

In recalling the leaders of the past, the psalmist points to the covenant relationship of a God who rules through designated people. The laws and rules of God allow the covenant relationship to flourish when both sides adhere to God’s will and God’s rule. You can see the admiration the psalmist has for a God who speaks to his people from a pillar of cloud and answers them when the cry out to him.

8 Lord our God, you answered them.
    To them you were a God who forgives
    but also the one who avenged their wrong deeds.

Are you crying out to God today? Do you need the benefit of his power, the gentleness of his forgiveness, the satisfaction of his vengeance, and the swift relief of his answer? Our psalm today reminds us to cry out to him, and he will answer. When we submit our situation to our mighty God, he comes to our aid. It is time to bow low before him.
9 Magnify the Lord our God!
    Bow low at his holy mountain
    because the Lord our God is holy!

Magnify! by Michelle Robertson