Christian daily devotionals

Psalm 95 The Promise

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s lectionary passage is the beautiful Psalm 95. Hebrews 4:7 attributes this psalm to David. It is filled with both promise and warning. Today’s reading will focus on the hopeful aspects of David’s writing in verses 1-7a. Be sure to log on for the next devotional, which will delve into the warnings found at the end of Psalm 95 in verses 7b-11.

As I read this psalm today, my thoughts immediately went to the many and varied worship experiences I have participated in over the years. I was raised Methodist (we did not become “United Methodist” until I was about 9 years old) and so of course most of my experience has been formed by my denomination. But I have also worshipped in a “black box” non-denominational church where a fog machine and heavy metal guitars were dominant. As a kid I attended services in camp settings, where church was outside and we sat on logs and scratched bug bites on our ankles. And then there was that transcendent Christmas Eve service in Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral where the service was in French. And Catholic. Of course we have all done church online thanks to the pandemic, and as I travel, I either visit nearby churches or log into my home church in Kitty Hawk to worship there.

Of all the ways I worship, I honestly have to confess that online is my least favorite. I am grateful for the fact that online is available to us when we can’t physically get to a church and for many folks, it is the only option. So while it enables me to stay in touch with my church family at home, something is always missing, and that “something” is the community of people around me, singing, laughing, shaking hands, smiling, making eye contact … things I can’t get at home on my couch.

David begins his psalm with a tender invitation to come and sing out loud to the Lord. See, that’s the problem with online worship. I have never sung with my computer during a church service. Even though the words are on my screen and I can hear the congregation singing, I can’t bring myself to sit on my couch in a quiet room and burst out in song. Maybe it’s just me, but singing has got to be communal. Raising a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation from my living room seems weird and unappealing, not to mention how much it might startle the neighbors.

Psalm 95 (Common English Bible)

Come, let’s sing out loud to the Lord!
    Let’s raise a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let’s come before him with thanks!
    Let’s shout songs of joy to him!

David recognized that singing allows us to express our thoughts emotionally, especially as we experience joy. And the songs of joy are sung to God, not for the pleasure of the gathered people. We are reminded that when we gather, God is present and it is his presence that deserves our thanksgiving. When worship becomes performative and when worships leaders focus attention on themselves, everyone loses the real purpose of worship: To come before God and God alone. This cannot be pleasing to the Lord.

Pure worship directs our attention to God’s attributes. God is great. God is greater than any other god. God’s mastery of creation is to be celebrated. God’s ownership of his creation, including us, is to be remembered. Nothing around us came from human ingenuity or hard work. Everything and everyone comes from his hands and belongs to him.

In the Hebrew language, verse 3 highlights three aspects of God’s nature. God is EL, great, mighty, and strong. God is JEHOVAH, the great I Am through whom all things are made. And God is ELOHIM, expressing the covenant relationship to humankind as something that belongs to him.

3 The Lord is a great God,
    the great king over all other gods.
4 The earth’s depths are in his hands;
    the mountain heights belong to him;
5     the sea, which he made, is his
        along with the dry ground,
        which his own hands formed.

The invitation continues with a call to humility. Worship in essence is a bowing down to the Lord. By submitting to a prostrate position, whether physically or just in our hearts, we signal our acceptance of our place before the Lord. We kneel in acknowledgment that we are but frail sheep in his hands. We depend on his care. We exist because he keeps us safe, fed, and nurtured in the pasture. We are his, and he is ours.

6 Come, let’s worship and bow down!
    Let’s kneel before the Lord, our maker!
7 He is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the sheep in his hands.

We will tackle the warnings that follow in verse 7b next time, but for now, take a moment to worship God wherever you are. Sing, pray, kneel, and bow down. The Lord is here, even online.

The Lord is Here by Becca Ziegler

Old School Lent

Posted on by Betsy

Over the last few Sundays I have worshipped at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Orlando, Florida. This magnificent church boasts a large and well-rehearsed choir and a full orchestra every Sunday at their traditional service. I find myself being drawn to tears by the music at least once every service. I hope and pray that if you are ever in that area, you will make a plan to go there. I am a music geek/nerd and music speaks to my soul in ways that words can’t. But be assured that every spoken word of prayer, liturgy, and sermon in that church Is spellbinding and as moving as the music.

I am such a nerd that if a hymnal is available, I reach for it. Yes, the words are displayed on two huge screens at the front of the chancel area, but this girl likes to do it old school. I can read music, so part of the attraction is to watch the notes and see where they go. Sometimes I sight-read the alto just to hone my rusty skills (apologies to those who sit near me!). Another advantage of using the hymnal is that you can see the theology build through the entire hymn. You can’t do that with screens. Songs like “Lord of the Dance,” which so beautifully tell the story of Jesus verse by verse, aren’t nearly as effective on the screens. Next time you’re in church, pick up a hymnal and see what I mean.

The selection for the first Sunday of Lent was “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” found on page 269 of the United Methodist Hymnal. This hymn is five verses of perfect teaching about the meaning and purpose of Lent. While we all know that Lent is the 40 day season of preparation (or, as the preacher put it, “rehearsal”) for Easter, we tend to forget the nuances of what Jesus did in his forty days in the wilderness. We focus on our own disciplines, and hopefully grow closer to God through our fasting, praying, repentance, and study, but it is easy for us to be me-centered instead of Jesus-centered in this season. While focusing on our spiritual growth is truly part of Lent’s goal, we miss out on the deeper and richer story that surrounds us.

“Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” reminds us of the truth at the heart of Lent. Jesus fasted and prayed for us in his forty days. He calls us to mourn our sins and remain close to him. He contended with Satan in the wilderness and won that battle, enabling us to also withstand the temptation to sin. He was hungry and thirsty, setting an example for us to die to self as he did for our sake. He lived by the Word of God so that we might live by the Word. He abides with us through our penitence, our life, and our death. And thus when Lent has fulfilled its purpose, an Easter of unending joy will be ours.

Look, Easter is coming regardless of your participation. Easter is a force beyond anything our obedience or disobedience can control. Ignore it and it will still come. But will you experience unending joy? Or will that day just be filled with bunnies, eggs, and candy and then it’s all back to life as normal?

Lent is an invitation to rehearse and prepare for unending joy. But you have to be all in for it to work. I pray that today you resolve to finish these forty days as you started, with serious contemplation and dedicated time spent in repentance, fasting, praying, and immersion into God’s Word. And if you haven’t started any Lent practices, start now. When we do this, Easter will usher in the unending joy that Jesus died for.

Read it and weep

On the Basis of Grace

Posted on by Betsy

I had a conversation with a young woman last week who was unsettled by a sermon she had recently heard. The preacher recounted his cancer journey and made several statements that led the listeners to believe that he was cured because he was a preacher, and that if you pray hard enough, God will heal you. Thus, if you weren’t healed, it is because you didn’t pray hard enough. This rankled the woman, also a cancer survivor, because she doesn’t think God works that way. She does not believe that God arbitrarily chooses to heal one and condemn another to die. She does not believe her healing came from any action on her part. Many prayers were offered during her treatment, but that is not why she was healed. She believes God healed her through grace and good medicine. She believes that things just happen as they happen.

What do you think?

Understanding the concept of grace is fundamental to understanding the concept of God. Many faith practices emphasize righteousness by following a long set of rules, complying with the Law, or performing enough good deeds to “get in.” But we know that it is only by grace that we are saved.

Let’s take a look at Paul’s thoughts on righteousness, following the law, earning things on your own, and grace. This passage does not answer the question of how healing happens but helps us understand the basic issue of grace.

Romans 4 (Common English Bible)


4 So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy? 2 Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God. 3 What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  4 Workers’ salaries aren’t credited to them on the basis of an employer’s grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve. 5 But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don’t work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous.

Paul was clearly in the camp of those who believe that one can’t claim to be able to work for their righteousness. No, he contended, faith is the result of the righteousness credited to us by the gift of God. Read how Eugene Peterson described it in the Message:

Romans 4 (The Message)

4-5 If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

“Sheer gift.” In other words, you can’t earn it, you can’t work hard for it, you can’t be entitled to it based on your status or profession, you just have to be willing to receive it as a sheer gift. No strings attached, nothing to do on your part, money back guarantee with no questions asked gift. Our salvation and our inheritance as children of God are grace-based offerings that are freely given to all.

Romans 4 (Common English Bible) continued

13 The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn’t come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith. 14 If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled. 15 The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn’t any law, there isn’t any violation of the law. 

16 That’s why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham’s descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us. 17 As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don’t exist into existence.

You see, the preacher was wrong. He was the blessed recipient of something he couldn’t earn and didn’t deserve just because he is faithful to his calling. He is a walking example of the sheer gift of God’s unmerited favor and love.

May we all embrace this wonderful gift.

Sunrise Gift by Dustin Daniels

Relentless Love

Posted on by Betsy

The word relentless conjures up so many images. The helpful salesman at the car dealership. Athletes preparing for the Olympics. Perfume-sample people at the mall. Wrestlers. A two-year-old. The pace of the music in Hamilton.

To be relentless is to “show no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace: To be unrelenting.” Relentless people have a stick-to-itiveness that others lack. Relentless people get the job done. I often think that if I had been relentless in my piano practicing, I might actually play the piano today. I do not. Somewhere along the way, other things crowded in and I lost my momentum. Has that ever happened to you?

One thing that is completely relentless is God’s love for you.

Romans 8 (The Message)

31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger?

The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing…

…None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.

It doesn’t matter who you are.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve gone backwards.

It doesn’t matter how deep your sin is, how high your disobedience gets, how wide your lies are, or how narrow your hope is.

It doesn’t matter.

God’s love for you and his relentless forgiveness will follow you to the depths of hell and bring you back. Nothing can get between you and God’s relentless love because of the way that Jesus has embraced you.

So the next time you fall flat on your face and can’t get up, remember that God put his life on the line for you, and nothing … not trouble, not hatred, not hard times, or hunger … nothing can separate you from the great love of God through Jesus Christ, our relentless savior.

Key Largo Sunset

Stubborn Mules

Posted on by Betsy

Consider the poor mule. Through no fault of his own, he has gotten the reputation of being stubborn. Truth be told, mules are highly intelligent animals who are cautious and act out of a sense of self-preservation. Unlike the horse, whose first instinct is to flee, a mule will carefully consider his options for safety. If an instruction seems illogical or risky, he will refuse it. Unlike Yellow Labs, who just truly are stubborn for stubborn’s sake, the mule is a considerate thinker. We need to change our cliche to “stubborn as a Lab.”

It is amusing to see David use that phrase about mules in today’s lectionary passage. He tells us not to be like the “senseless horse or mule” that has to be led by a bridle.

Read the first two sections for clues on what David says we are being stubborn about.

Psalm 32 (Common English Bible)

2 The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!
2 The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty—
    in whose spirit there is no dishonesty—
    that one is truly happy!

3 When I kept quiet, my bones wore out;
    I was groaning all day long—
    every day, every night!—
4 because your hand was heavy upon me.
    My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. Selah

David asserted that keeping quiet about sin is an unnecessary burden that leads to great unhappiness. Refusing to confess and repent led him to groan all day and left him feeling wasted away. There is a simple solution to this, said David. Simply admit guilt, reveal your sin, and God will remove it.

5 So I admitted my sin to you;
    I didn’t conceal my guilt.
    “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord, ” is what I said.
    Then you removed the guilt of my sin. Selah

6 That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times,
    so that a great flood of water won’t reach them.
7 You are my secret hideout!
    You protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of rescue! Selah

Many decades ago I had an opportunity to minister to a woman whose guilt had wasted her entire life away. We sat under a piano in a church’s Fellowship Hall until 3:00 in the morning as she poured out her life story to me. As a very young wife, she had an affair with a man of a different race. The affair resulted in a pregnancy that she was sure she could not pass off as her husband’s, so she had an abortion. Her deep guilt over the whole thing led her to self-medicate with alcohol and eventually drugs. One addiction fed another and she eventually lost her job, her marriage, and custody of her children. She met me after twenty years of this wasting. A church had reached out to her to attend the retreat I was leading, and she was working hard to live a clean life. But one thing was missing. She had never received Christ’s forgiveness, so she had never forgiven herself. Her new church had taught her about Jesus, but she was convinced that she was unworthy.

I began to talk about what happened on the cross. She was familiar with everything I said, but still stubbornly refused his forgiveness. The hour was late, the floor was cold, and the pastor was exhausted. Finally I asked her if she thought that she was so special that the redemption of the cross didn’t apply to her. I asked her if she thought that she was really so extraordinary that the power of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection was good enough for everyone but her. Did the power of her sin defeat the power of the cross because it was stronger? Then she broke. God broke that chain of being addicted to her past and set her free. The next morning she was a completely new woman. I ran into her years later and she was remarried, had finished her degree, and was a successful banker in her town.

Lent is about learning that you aren’t stronger than God. Lent is about understanding the damage of sin and how confession and repentance are the only things that will heal you. Lent is the time to uncover long-buried guilt and get rid of it.

8 I will instruct you and teach you
    about the direction you should go.
    I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you.
9 Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule,
    whose movement must be controlled
    with a bit and a bridle.

Don’t be anything like that!
10 The pain of the wicked is severe,
    but faithful love surrounds the one who trusts the Lord.
11 You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad!
    All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!

So let us repent and move on. Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us sing out in joy.

And let’s stop being as stubborn as a Yellow Lab.

Playing Keep Away by Ashten Ree Avery

God Laughs

Posted on by Betsy

They say that laughter is good for the soul, and I think that is true. I had an opportunity last weekend to spend time with my daughters as we celebrated the eldest’s birthday. The days were filled with their childhood memories, jokes and silly stories, cleverly snappy retorts, and a lot of giggles. I realized at the end of the weekend that I was quite tired and quite satisfied. We had laughed our way through the hours together and my pulse was lowered, my blood pressure had stabilized, my shoulders were relaxed from their usual taut position of sitting around my ears, and I slept really well.

Did you ever wonder what makes God laugh?

I imagine God laughs at things that make us laugh: Pandas who tumble uncoordinated around their habitats, puppies scampering after their siblings, children flying high on playground swings, etc. But God is actually quite serious in his laughter. He laughs at the futile attempts of people who seek to scheme against him and band together to defeat his Anointed One. He laughs at our stupidity. He must be rolling in the clouds right now.

Psalm 2 (Common English Bible)

Why do the nations rant?
    Why do the peoples rave uselessly?
2 The earth’s rulers take their stand;
    the leaders scheme together
    against the Lord and
    against his anointed one.

Ever since the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, humans have tried to band together to outwit, outthink, and outsmart God. Legend suggests that after this event God scattered the peoples and separated them by language so that this would never happen again. Yet here in David’s time, we see once again a coalition of schemers trying to take a stand against God.


3         “Come!” they say.
        “We will tear off their ropes
        and throw off their chains!”
4 The one who rules in heaven laughs;
    my Lord makes fun of them.
5 But then God speaks to them angrily;
    then he terrifies them with his fury:
6         “I hereby appoint my king on Zion,
        my holy mountain!”

God’s laughter comes from a place of holy righteousness and the strength of his love for us. Like parents who set rules and boundaries for the good of their children, his warnings and derision come from a place of compassion.

7 I will announce the Lord’s decision:
    He said to me, “You are my son,
        today I have become your father.
8 Just ask me,
    and I will make the nations your possession;
    the far corners of the earth will be your property.
9 You will smash them with an iron rod;
    you will shatter them like a pottery jar.”

This future-forward look at Jesus’ Second Coming gives hope to us as we are heart-sick and wearied by the world’s leaders who turn their backs on God and perpetrate unthinkable crimes against humanity. Hold on, David is saying. When Christ returns, the evil among us will be shattered like frail pottery jars and Jesus will reign with equity, compassion, harmony, and love.

10 So kings, wise up!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the Lord reverently—
    trembling, 12 kiss his feet
        or else he will become angry,
        and your way will be destroyed
    because his anger ignites in an instant.

But all who take refuge in the Lord are truly happy!

Happiness is found in taking refuge in the Lord. Only there can we be truly safe and protected from the horrors of this world. And that, my friends, is something to smile about.

Path to the Moon by Wende Pritchard

snOBX

Posted on by Betsy

Last week’s massive snow storm hit the Outer Banks like a Super Bowl linebacker on cocaine. Upwards of 12 inches of snow were dumped during hurricane force winds, leaving homes without heat, power, internet, or even a way to get out of the driveway. Down in Buxton, four more beach houses fell into the ocean due to incredible storm surges and flooding. This makes twenty houses claimed by the sea since September. Highway 12 and the northern part of Ocracoke were closed. It was an Armageddon in real time, serving up challenge after challenge to our frail barrier islands. And the challenges remain, as we are a beach area with minimal snow removal equipment.

Outer Bankers are hearty people who are used to storms, and it was inspiring to see the community reaching out to support one another. An older couple in my church went without heat for hours. Once that was posted on Facebook, another family in the church quickly opened their home to the couple and their cat. Immediately, another church member offered transportation with their four-wheel drive vehicle. The local Stack ‘Em High Pancakes and More restaurant delivered hot meals to the Dominion Power workers who risked life and limb to restore power to the blacked out neighborhoods. The owner of the restaurant risked life and limb to deliver the food during the worst of the storm. Churches quickly pivoted to online worship services. The fire station where I serve as a volunteer chaplain was staffed overnight by volunteers who sheltered in the bunk room so that they could immediately respond to emergencies. Suddenly all of our political differences and arguments fell by the wayside, and we became one united community. Why, oh why, does it take a disaster for us to come to our senses?

Paul was no stranger to a community divided.

1 Corinthians 1 (The Message)

10 I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

Paul had to deal with divisions and arguments in the church at Corinth. People had taken sides and claimed that their conversions were superior to other people’s conversions based on who it was who had converted them. In other words, they had fallen into personality cults and thought their leader was so worthy of their loyalty and worship that they then had the right to look down on anyone who didn’t follow the same person.

Sound familiar?

Paul stepped in and urged them to drop their faux followings and follow only Jesus, the Master. He demanded that they learn to be considerate of one another. He required them to cultivate a life in common, much like we do when disaster hits and we reach out to a neighbor.

The people of the Outer Banks set a beautiful example of selfless community response during this recent weather event. That’s what we do and who we are.

Now if only we could all learn to do this without the storm.

Stormy Weather by Kristine Kiousis

“Got It.”

Posted on by Betsy

The new Alexa voice is sassy. Suddenly this appliance with which we have grown so comfortable has now become a petulant teenager who rolls her eyes, stamps her foot and exhales an exasperated “Got it!” in place of her former soothing “Okay.” A month or so ago we were pestered by old Alexa to try her new version, Alexa Plus, but we resisted. Alexa, you were fine just the way you were. Leave us alone. But somehow, without bidding, her tone has changed and now we get flippant Alexa whenever we politely ask her to turn on the lights. Got it! For real, Alexa?

Tone is everything isn’t it?

Having survived the nuclear winter that is raising teenage girls, I stand battered and bruised but still breathing in full assurance that tone is everything. When your once sweet little girl suddenly becomes Satan’s spawn and a simple inquiry about her breakfast preferences results in a scorched-earth reply, you realize that both your tone and her tone are important. Fortunately teenagers eventually grow out of their recalcitrant phase and parents eventually grow back their singed eyebrows. But inflection, timing, and word choice still matter.

Paul knew something about this.

Colossians 4:6 (Common English Bible)

6 Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person.

In his letter to the church in Colosse, Paul addressed the issue of public witness and the impact the church was making on non-believers. There was an issue of internal heresy going around the church and Paul was trying to address that while also reminding them that everything they said and did on the street was a direct reflection of their Christian walk. The community was watching and the witness of the gospel was suffering. He reminded them that their speech must be both grace-filled as people who have received the grace of God and gracious as people who have been sent forth to tell of that grace.

Christian conversation must be both filled with charm and sprinkled with wit so that it might be winsome to those who don’t believe. Sanctimonious declarations that sound dull and preachy will not convert the world. Neither will Christians who engage in hate speech or blatantly support hate groups and hate agendas. One of the greatest challenges of this generation of witnesses is to be careful not to post or proclaim anything that contradicts the teachings of our gentle Savior. People are watching! Jesus is watching.

How are you revealing the risen Christ in your conversations? Does your tone reflect his unconditional love for everyone? Are your posts something Jesus would be proud of ? Will they know you are Christian by your love?

Words matter. Tone matters. Intention matters. Your witness matters. If you can’t say something nice, maybe shut up.

Got it?

Morning Conversation

Sidelights and Stern Lights

Posted on by Betsy

Sunset in Colington Harbour brings all of the boats back into port. Stately masted sailboats and little junkie pontoons all turn away from their day-trippy cruises and head back for the safety of secure slips and backyard docks. The ones who stay longest on the sound until the very last vestige of sunlight has slipped over the horizon have to return by the illumination of their boat’s running lights.

Running lights are regulated and have to comply with local guidelines. For example, port sidelights are red, starboard sidelights are green, and both shine from dead ahead to 112.5° aft on either side. Stern lights are white and shine aft and 67.5° forward on each side. This means that stern lights and sidelights form a complete circle of light around the bottom of the boat.

Running lights help us find our way home in the dark. So does Jesus.

Matthew 4  (New International Version)

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

    Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people living in darkness

    have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

    a light has dawned.”

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The people living in darkness have seen a great light. This prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled by Jesus’ birth. In this passage, Jesus has just left the desert where Satan has tempted him three times, and he is now beginning his ministry on earth.

There is a connection between the “great light” reference and vs.17. The great light we are invited to see is the kingdom of God that Christ is ushering in. He brings the kingdom of God to earth with his incarnation, and the shadow of death is forever gone.

But don’t miss the point. Repentance is the point. Jesus’ first-ever sermon was a call to repentance. It wasn’t about forgiveness. It wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about eternity, or how to treat people, or giving to the poor. It was about repentance.

How often we would prefer to skip that step! Repentance is hard, because it means a complete turning away from the sin you have been committing. It is not just being sorry, but a total reversal of that behavior or practice that has broken you away from God and others. If you go back and repeat that behavior again, you didn’t really repent. You may have felt bad, but you didn’t repent.

Christ calls us to true repentance so that we can be cleansed and made new. With true repentance, we are freed of the chains of our sinful behavior and can walk unencumbered toward the cross. When we confess and repent, a new creation is born in us, and our slate is wiped clean.

Where is God calling you to repent today? What horrible thing have you been carrying around like a millstone on your neck for way too long? It is time to be set free. It is time to be ransomed. Repent, for the kingdom of God has come near. 

It is time to come home from the dark.

Colington Sunset by Stacy Murphy

Shipwrecks and Survival

Posted on by Betsy

Littered every five to seven miles along the coastline, the Outer Banks’ famous Lifesaving Stations stand tall as reminders of a long ago era of shipwrecks and survival. Known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” this area of the North Carolina coast is particularly hazardous for ships. The confluence of the warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico mixing with the cold Labrador Current makes the sea here particularly turbulent. Add the hidden sand bars, rough shoals, and unpredictable weather, and you can see what makes this part of the coastline treacherous.

In the days before electronic communication and GPS navigation, ships depended on the efforts of coastal lighthouse keepers and rescue surfmen stationed at these places to stay alive. The Outer Banks has a rich maritime history that includes famous shipwrecks, pirates, Civil War activity, World War II German U-Boats, sunken ironclad ships, and the like. Many people died off this coastline, but many others were saved.

Take a look at this passage from Paul where he reveals part of his own lifesaving strategy:

1 Corinthians 9 (NIV)

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I have always loved how Paul used all the facets of who he was to woo others to who Jesus is. To the Jews, he was a Jew, to the Gentiles, a Gentile, to the Romans, a Roman citizen…..all in his attempt to live in and serve a culture in order to preach the gospel of salvation and be heard.

This scripture reminds us that Lifesaving Stations look different depending on the people who need saving, but they all perform the same function.

Some look like houses of worship.

Some look like rehab centers.

Some look like inner city homeless shelters.

Some look like pastors’ and counselors’ offices.

Some look like dorms that house addiction recovery groups.

Some look like AA, NA, and AL-ANON meeting rooms.

Some look like prayer ministries.

Some look like Bible Studies and small groups.

Some look like home.

God is in the lifesaving business and his opportunities for helping you are endless. Most of the challenge is to admit that you need saving. Getting to a Lifesaving Station is the next step. It can be scary, humiliating, difficult, embarrassing, expensive … and can heal you and make you whole.

There is a Lifesaving Station near you that is ready to help. How much longer will you drown?

Save yourself and get to one today.

Dare Challenge’s Life Saving Station via Facebook