The Loving Father

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” - Jeremiah 31:3

At the beginning of the Parable of the Prodigal Son neither son knew the Father’s love - even though the Father loved them.  At the end of the parable one son experiences the depth of the Father’s love and the other son stiff-arms the Father’s love.

What about you?

Do you believe your Father in Heaven loves you?

I mean - really loves you?

Read this letter slowly.  Meditate on these words.  Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your heart to love the One who loves you.  Run to the Father.  He is waiting for you.

A love letter from God to you

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in my image. (Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being. (Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16)

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. (John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. (1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect father. (Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. (Revelation 21:3-4)

And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.  (John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being. (Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. (Romans 8:31)

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (1 John 2:23)

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15)

My question is … Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)

I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)

Love, Your Dad.
Almighty God

May we be those who receive the Father’s love through Jesus Christ our Lord.  May we be those who “rise and return to our Father.”  May we feel His robe around us, His ring on our finger, His sandals on our feet.  May we celebrate because we were lost and now we are found, we were dead and now we are alive again.

See you Sunday,

Steven

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Lessons I can learn from the parable of the Rich Fool

• Do you know what a fool is? If you’d asked me to define what a fool is I probably would have said: “someone who acts silly or does something without thinking of the consequences.”  But if we look at the Bible we see an expanded definition.  The bible says a fool is “reckless and careless” (Proverbs 14:16), lacks knowledge (Proverbs 14:7), ignores instruction (Proverbs 15:5), walks in darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:14a) and does not know God (Psalm 14:1).  Our parable this week about the “Rich Fool” (Luke 12:13-21) tells the story of a rich man who God called a fool. The rich man became a fool when he failed to acknowledge that all good things come from God (James 1:7), when he lived as if he were the only one, having no concern for God or others.  His business may have been flourishing but spiritually he was bankrupt.  I don’t want to be a fool.

• Rich toward God.  The parable of the Rich Fool would be the antithesis of rich toward God.   The rich man never gave a thought to the things God values. Jesus tells us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And he continued, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-38)   If we are to be rich toward God we must not spend our time and talents on the accumulation of material possessions or wealth for selfish pleasures, but use those God-given riches to serve Him and our neighbors.  Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours…”.  God blesses us so we can bless others.

• Life is knowing God NOT things.  If I would spend the same amount of time in the Word of God that I spend researching a future purchase, how much better would I know God? Instead of going to Pinterest twenty times a day to see what I should make, bake or buy I would be better served going to the Bible app and seeing what God has for me.

What have you learned from the parable of the Rich Fool?  

-Brenda Wooff

Jesus Calls Him Good

If you were to use the phrase “good Samaritan” to describe someone, what would you mean by it? Maybe you’re ascribing to them some great act of heroism or just a small act of kindness. Let’s think about what the Jewish hearers of Jesus’ day would’ve thought about when they heard that phrase. Most likely, they would’ve thought that is an impossible pairing of words because they would associate Samaritans with the worst kinds of people.

In our text this week, Jesus uses this parable of a good Samaritan to answer the questions of an expert in Jewish law. The parable speaks to the heart of the man asking the questions. Through this parable, Jesus reminds the man how sincere love for God is reflected through mercy and compassion for one’s neighbor. The parable emphasizes the kind of love that originates from the heart of God for His people and that He wants the world to know.

So often when I read this parable of the good Samaritan, I see myself in the characters of the parable. But as I read it this time, I’m convicted about being the one to whom this parable is directed. Jesus gives this parable in response to the legal expert’s question. That man is looking for the qualifying actions that will allow him to be with God now and forever. Jesus’ response in this way of calling the Samaritan “good” is striking both then and now to anyone who is literally trying to be in good standing with God.

God alone has the ability to qualify us to be good with Him now and forever. To show mercy in deep and meaningful ways, each of us must know how mercy is shown to us through the covenant God has made with His people through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Like the Jewish legal expert, you and I are only qualified by God’s say so that we are good with Him.

Somehow, by God’s miraculous work, the knowledge of God’s mercy towards us must reach our hearts in a way that moves us to want to live and love like him. May it be so for us as His chosen ambassadors for His Kingdom in the world today. God please help us by the power of your Spirit to know your love deeply and show your love meaningfully to all people – especially those most despised! Afterall, you have given bad people like me a new identity in your Kingdom as you are calling us “GOOD” to the praise of your glory!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Rooted

I once had a garden set back by the woods. Over the years, it yielded a profuse variety of weeds but little edible produce. I dreaded preparing the soil each spring. Under the surface of the garden grew thick, yellow, vine like roots. I don’t know precisely what they were, or which forest tree they originated from but they became my nemesis. For the sake of my garden I knew they had to go. But those roots held on as though their lives depended on it. It was a battle between roots and zucchini. Dear reader, I’m sad to say, the roots won. Those squash didn’t stand a chance. I lost out on some home grown veggies but I really did respect the tenacity of those roots.

Jesus told a crowd of people a parable about a sower who went out to sow seed. His disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” Jesus explained it to them in terms of seed and soil. The seed is the word of God. The different types of soil are representative of how the word is received. Some seed is snatched away before taking root, some lands in rocky soil with roots that never go deep, and some are choked by thorns. In Luke 8:15, Jesus says “But the seed in the good ground-these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring produce fruit.”

Once we receive the word, how do we hold on to it? We need to develop roots; roots that go down deep. Colossians 2:6-7 says “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

The Spirit of Jesus works in us to cultivate the soil of our hearts. When the seed lands on good soil, it dies. And yet something new springs forth- something that can produce much fruit as we continue to grow in Christ. Friends, growing deep roots takes effort on our part. It doesn’t just happen.

As we prepare for Sunday, consider: Is the soil of your heart prepared to receive the word? Are your roots growing deep as your faith flourishes? What does Jesus want to prune in you? Do you know that he will work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure? He wants us to yield fruit, a hundred fold! Let’s continue growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior all the days of our lives.

Natalie

Prayer of Deliverance

Psalm 42 and 43 are linked poems whose author is unknown, but perhaps it’s David. Some think Psalm 43 is an appendix to Psalm 42 or as one poem in the ancient manuscripts. The poem offers counsel for the disillusioned and depressed with three stanzas, and three repeated refrains of hope including one as the ending for Psalm 43:

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why are you disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

The Psalmist is disheartened and overwhelmed with disillusionment and despair. The low point of the poem is verse 2, where he mourns his personal state of affairs with God and his relationship with others who he thinks are ungodly and deceitful. In a downtrodden season in life, I too learned one tends to ask T.S. Eliot’s lament, “What happened to life while living,” where disillusionment leads to cynicism and a shrunken kingdom of one — me.

The Psalmist shows us the way forward out of the fog of despair and an inward gaze of the cynical self starting in verse 3. He says a prayer that turns the whole poem and renews and lifts his perspective, “O send out Your light and Your Truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to your dwelling places.”[NASB] He then vows to go to God’s altar and praise Him in joy.

To deal with the despair, the Psalmist made three choices we can learn from in Psalm 43, which will help in overwhelming times when life is out of tune. He prayed to ask for God’s light and Truth; he chose to be with the people of God (church) by going to “Your dwelling places” and bringing himself to the altar of God, and the Psalmist joyfully praised God. Prayer. Participation. Praise.

Centuries later, Boethius wrote The Consolation of Philosophy under duress while sitting in his jail cell awaiting execution. Boethius imaginatively used a muse of Philosophy who consoled Boethius with questions, answers, and explanations that offered important arguments regarding human suffering. Philosophy told Boethius, “Fix your gaze on the extent, the stability, the swift motions of the heavens.”

The Psalmist, in the end, also did that very thing in Psalm 43 by fixing his gaze on the hope in God and the stability of divine guidance through prayer, participation, and praise to make spiritual progress while dealing with personal despair.

-Dan Nickel

911

I have always had trouble sleeping at night, whether from nightmares or sleep paralysis, or the fear that no one was awake to warn me of possible dangers. Sleeping during the day was easier, and even more so when basking in the warm sun. I shared my fear of sleeping with a good friend of mine, and she introduced me to the 9-1-1 verse. She told me to read it at night before going to sleep to remind myself that I dwell in the shelter of the Lord Almighty.

Since then, Psalm 91 is the verse I go to when I am afraid. It’s a reminder that God has me, no matter how frightening my circumstances. Those circumstances may not be removed, but He is my shield and fortress even in the trial. Sometimes we endure God-sized trials that threaten to overwhelm us, but in those trials we learn to see Him, rely on Him, and know Him. Sometimes God shields us and lifts us out of it and sometimes we are to endure it, but we know from Psalm 91 that God is there with us, providing shelter and refuge.

God says in verse 14 "Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name." We can have trust in the words of this verse that when we love God, God will be with us. He’s calling us to take up permanent residence in His presence, and we will have His power, protection, and provisions.

Yet we don’t deserve any of it. We get to speak to God by the righteousness of Jesus. Through the sacrifice of Christ, we can stand forever in the presence of God, and thank God for the ways he takes us under mighty feathers and places Angels to watch over us so that we may be safe from all harm. 

Beyond Please and Thank You

“I maintain that people—truly born-again, genuinely Christian people—often do not pray simply because they do not feel like it. And the reason they don’t feel like praying is that when they do pray, they tend to say the same old things about the same old things.”- Donald Whitney

Thank you and please. For a season of my Christian life, my prayers followed a pattern: Thank you for this day, this food, the hands that prepared it, the one who worked for it, and for Jesus. Please help me with this, heal someone I love from that, guide us in this decision, and bless this food to our bodies. Done. Signed, sealed and delivered with a hearty amen.

Prayer started to become boring, rote, and a tedious task. After all, I wasn’t telling the Lord anything I hadn’t already said before. It was like a long marriage. He knew all my stories, and I knew His. Prayer was only a formality on my part, exercised because that’s what good Christians are expected to do.

“To pray the Bible, you simply go through the passage line by line, talking to God about whatever comes to mind as you read the text.” One day I picked up the book Praying God’s Word by Donald Whitney. His words convicted my heart and led me to begin the practice of using whatever I read in the Bible to guide my prayers. No longer could I skim a passage to check a box for my daily reading. I would need to meditate on the words, in silence allow the Spirit of God to speak to my heart and only then, pray, as Whitney suggested, about whatever the Lord brought to mind. For years, the Father had daily spread a feast before me, and I had spent years merely grabbing a cup of coffee on my way out the door. Now, I was finally ready to sit down at the table. When you pray God’s Word, Whitney went on to say, “What you are doing is taking words that originated in the heart and mind of God and circulating them through your heart and mind back to God. By this means his words become the wings of your prayers.”

Whether your prayer life feels stagnant, or only a tiny bit dry, I commend this practice to you. I can think of few places in the Word easier to begin than the Psalms. Using this week’s sermon text as a template, spend time reading, meditating, listening in stillness, and praying God’s Word.

“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.

Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” Psalm 20

Can you relate to David’s feelings of distress? In what areas do you need His protection and support? Most importantly- what do these verses reveal to you about the nature and character of God? What are you tempted to trust in other than the Lord?

Using these verses to guide your prayer can be as simple as inserting your own name in the Psalm. But perhaps you’ll be inspired to write your own. I’m eager to hear how this habit revitalizes your prayer life!

As Christ’s people, called by His Name, may we ever be those who humble ourselves in prayer and seek His face.

Natalie

God Speaks

God speaks. In fact, He has always spoken. To some he spoke audibly. Through the person of Jesus, He spoke publicly. In Psalm 19, David rejoices in the way God speaks through nature and His law. Theologians refer to these respectively as general revelation and special revelation.

Without using any words at all, God’s creation sends a message to the world. Without speech or words, the expanse of the sky proclaims there is a Creator. The light of the sun that warms the earth is dim in comparison to His radiance. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” From the flowers that break forth in spring clothed in splendor, to the intricacies of a snowflake, to the power of the ocean, creation testifies that there is Someone greater than us. And all are accountable before Him.

But creation alone is insufficient. Creation tells us He IS, but it can’t tell us WHO He is. To know Him, we need special revelation. Nature doesn’t tell us the story of the One who spoke it into existence. The One who created people, and then went to great lengths to show His love and mercy to them…that’s only found in the pages of Scripture.

Most of us are more than willing to revel in nature’s beauty and bask in God’s presence. Listen for His power as the waves crash? Sit in awe gazing at the vast heights of a mountain range? Yes, please! But read His Word, day in and day out, waiting for the Word to do its work in us? That seems far less thrilling.

David’s psalm reassures us that it’s worth it. His instruction renews our lives, makes our hearts glad, lights our eyes and makes us wise. It’s in the word of God that we find Him- and knowing the Creator is supremely better than viewing even the most stunning creation.

As we begin this new year, dreaming dreams, setting goals and making plans, will we make knowing God and the study of His word our highest aim? His ordinances are more desirable than an abundance of pure gold and sweeter than honey dripping from the comb. Do you believe it? Let’s find out together in 2024!

Trusting,

Natalie

Redeeming Love

The song says, “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”  We give gifts this time of year to express love for each other.  

What have you gotten?  Anything you really needed?

Another song says, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”  Each of us has different ways of expressing love toward each other so it doesn’t always feel so sweet and sometimes can feel like something wholly other.  

How have you been shown love?  What’s sweet about it?

In our text for this Sunday, we’re reminded of the true love expressed in Christ Jesus – love that drives out all fear.  We’re reminded that this redeeming love is shown and known through Jesus.  The love He demonstrates is sweet but also much more encompassing as it is a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love.  The Bible teaches that Jesus wants His followers to know and show this same kind of sacrificial love toward God, our neighbors, and our world.

I like to remind people that there are twelve days of Christmas beginning on 12/25.  We can still make the most of it by remembering that God loves us perfectly and demonstrates perfect love through the person and work of His Son.  That kind of love is transformational for us and the world!  That kind of love is what all of us really need in order to be wholly secure!

While the holiday season will soon pass, the Spirit of Christmas is evermore before the church and leading us to love like Jesus as we proclaim the good news of great joy for all people through our words and deeds.  May it be so for you and me through Jesus Christ our True Redeemer.

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Bowing Out Gracefully

During Rembrandt's last year, he painted his renowned painting Simeon In The Temple. The painting differed from Rembrandt's first Simeon painting when the painter was 25 years old, making a name for himself with burgeoning success. His last painting had no pageantry, the glitz and glamor, the panoramic scene with Simeon at the center bathed in light and luxury. Older, wiser, and nearing death, Rembrandt instead paints a more gritty-toned Simeon, frail, weathered, his aged face aglow, with a child-like awe-struck gaze as he held the Christ child in his arms with open hands. The new met the old at the intersection of life. It is a painting showing incomprehensible joy and, above all else, humility. Simeon's years-long wait was over, and a Holy Spirit promise was fulfilled before he died. The Savior of Israel and the world arrived.

In his Gospel, Luke details in 2:25-35 Simeon's Spirit-led encounter with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus as they came to the temple. The Holy Spirit was with Simeon and revealed to him before the birth happened that Simeon would see Jesus Christ before his death. Simeon's patience was rewarded, holding the mystery of God Incarnate in his arms — the beauty of the Divine and earth within this baby. In verse 29, Simeon states, "now," which indicates the long-awaited Messiah had arrived with mercy for all mankind that lies within the heart of this child.

Holding Jesus, Simeon proclaims praise now traditionally known as Nunc Dimittis ("now dismiss"), where he speaks of Jesus as the source of salvation, a light to the Gentiles, and a source of glory for Israel. It's a prophetic praise of the Lord's redemptive purpose and salvation for all people. We were bought with a price for our sins through the life and death of Jesus Christ, who breaks sin and death for all.

Advent is a season of joy, chorals, get-togethers, and the lighting of candles, but not discussed often is Simeon's warning to Mary "A sword will pierce through your own soul” (v.35). It was a warning that Jesus would cause polarization and conflict with people and the world. And in doing so, during His ministry, Jesus will also reveal a person's state of their heart. Mary will become the suffering mother as Jesus dies before her on the cross in the great exchange of His life for our sins and salvation. It's the last words recorded from Simeon. We know nothing about his life or death after this encounter when he said God was letting him depart in peace.

I do not know who wrote the following, but along with Rembrandt's capturing of the child-like wonder and hope Simeon possessed and Luke's account of Simeon’s encounter, it nicely sums up a faith and life lesson:

Simeon’s words are a promise to all whomever yield to the temptation to wrestle their destiny out of the hands of the sovereign and merciful God. I, like Simeon, will come to the end of life with pride behind me, love around me, and hope ahead of me. That is bowing out gracefully.

Merry Christmas!

Dan Nickel

Oh, come all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant. Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem!

I recently gathered with a group of about 60 women, all dear to one another, to fellowship over dinner, worship and hear the story of Jesus' birth. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much I needed this time with my sisters in Christ. Even more so, I needed to hear the birth story, told by a teacher with a vast understanding of Biblical culture, so much so, it was as if a time machine took us all back to Bethlehem, to see the birth of Jesus.

When I think of the Christmas nativity and Jesus’ birth story, I always interpret it as sad and lonely. Two people traveling alone, one pregnant on a donkey, through the desert at night. Finally, they reached a town and went door to door, with no one letting them in for no one had room for a woman who was about to have a baby! What kind of town is this? Forcing her, with no other option, to give birth in a barn surrounded by animals.  

Yet what I learned as we traveled back to ancient days, to a foreign country, is that Mary and Joseph were not alone, but traveling in a caravan of 200 or more people on their way back to their hometown where everyone had to register for the Roman census in their home provenance. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the two-room homes were all full. However, each home had a cave cut out, where they would keep their flocks at night. 

During the reunion of visitors, they moved the flocks outside so there would be room for all the family members. There in the manger, in the basement of their family’s home, Mary gave birth to Jesus with Joseph by her side, not alone, but surrounded by family- and more of their family than they would have been around had they been anywhere else. Can you picture all the aunties and uncles, cousins, and distant relatives side by side celebrating the birth of Jesus?

This birth story sounds more like God’s character. For God created family. God created a God-sized family as we are all adopted in Christ! God does not desire anyone to be left out of the celebrations and joy He has prepared for us. For on that night, even shepherds in the fields were invited to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

In Luke 2, shepherds were in the fields nearby tending their flocks. Now there is some debate on who these shepherds are. Some say due to season they may be shepherds who were preparing the flocks for the Temple in Migdal Eder, but they also could have been those who had moved the sheep out of the mangers so that there was room for the many travelers back to Bethlehem. We may never know exactly who the shepherds are, but, we do know, an Angel of the Lord delivered them a message. 

God does not leave out anyone! Shepherds were considered unclean and not allowed in the Temple, yet an Angel visited them.

God’s character is revealed- He invites the unclean to be clean. No one is forgotten by God! Not only that, but the Angel tells them that this is their sign, that a baby will be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God gives them the play-by-play to the gamebook! Faithfully the shepherds run to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby just as the Angel had described.

When I arrived at dinner, my heart was heavy. Faithful women around me stood to worship and began to sing, encouraging my soul. I listened to the voices praising God around me and as we sang "Oh come all ye faithful", I stopped, took it all in and saw God’s faithful.

As the world buzzes around us, may we continue to be God’s faithful and may our hearts be joyful and triumphant with the knowing that Jesus is our savior!

Love you my dear Church family!

Nikki Fiedler

Mission Impossible

How do you respond when God asks you to do something totally outside your comfort zone?  Do you run away like Jonah did when God asked him to go to Nineveh? Or maybe you’re like Peter, who, while attempting to walk on water, started to see all the potential problems and lost his faith that the Lord would provide.  Or do you have the “May it be” courage of Mary, mother of Jesus?   

What does it take to have her “May it be” courage?  Was Mary some kind of superstar teenager who possessed special abilities?  No.  By worldly standards, Mary was hardly the ideal candidate to be the mother of Jesus. She was an ordinary, young, unmarried girl with no experience in bearing or rearing a child.  We do know that she had a relationship with God (“O favored one, the Lord is with you!” [Luke 1:29 ESV]) and knew him as her Savior (“and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior.” [Luke 1:47 ESV]).  If we want to have “May it be” courage we must know the One who provides it.

When Gabriel told Mary about her mission, she didn’t run, she didn’t start thinking about what people would think, she didn’t worry about the gossip and the unkind things people would whisper as she passed.  She merely wondered how the process would work. Once Gabriel explained, Mary was quick to accept her mission.  “And Mary said, Behold I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 ESV).  Are you quick to follow the Lord in humble obedience?  Because Mary had a relationship with God, knew his Word and the things he had done for His people (Luke 1:50,53,55 ESV), she could trust that God would take care of all the details.  She was willing and available to be His servant.  Are you?

A courageous faith is not always comfortable.  Jesus didn’t say if you want to follow me, pick up a feather.  He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross …” (Matthew 16:24 ESV).  A cross is not easy to carry, it’s heavy and burdensome.  If we are to have Mary’s “May it be” courage to carry our cross and answer "Yes!" when He calls us to do the impossible mission we must remember it’s not our skills God is after, but our love, devotion, a humble obedience, and a willingness to serve Him.  

Brenda Wooff

A Hope Delayed

How long do you pray for something you desperately want? As seasons fade into years, and prayers remain unanswered, what then? Does your faith waver as your prayers wane? Is this how hope filled hearts become bitter?

I’ve prayed earnestly and for so very long for things my heart aches for; desires I believe are in accordance with God’s will, and yet the Lord does not answer me. The trite response, I suppose, is to tell myself that anything God does not say yes to, He must be answering with a no or not now. This, my friends, is no consolation to me. Because it certainly feels as though more of my prayers have been ignored than answered. Do I just not know how to pray?

Zechariah’s story doesn’t get much airtime apart from the Christmas season, and he’s most often remembered for being rendered mute by disbelief that the Lord was giving him a son. As we look more closely at his life, recorded in Luke 1, we read he was a priest, and both he and his wife were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. Surely, if anyone’s prayers were to be heard and answered, it would be theirs!

Except, they weren’t.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children because she could not conceive, and they were well along in years.

“Hope delayed makes the heart sick…”

Zechariah continued to serve the Lord as a priest, and I wonder if by the time we meet him, his dream of being a parent had shriveled to a tiny shred of faith. Did he wonder if the God who Sees had seen him? By the casting of lots, Zechariah was chosen to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. Before the altar, in the most holy place, a priest could perform this duty just once in a lifetime. It’s here, in this sacred space, that Zechariah’s prayer is answered. “Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John.” John- the Lord is gracious.

Sometimes I think the answer to my prayer should be my request fulfilled. But what if the thing I’m really seeking is God himself? What if in my praying, my yearning, my tears, and beseeching, He never gives me what I ask Him for, but He gives me more of Himself? What if I see His heart and nature more clearly, when He leaves my hands empty? Is it worth it?

“Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Our greatest desire, and deepest longing has already been fulfilled in Jesus. One day, we will have our share in the tree of life and the holy city because of Him.

In the meantime: in the silence, and in the waiting, when you feel unseen, unheard, perhaps even forgotten by the One who sees and knows all, I pray you will not find your faith dependent on answered prayers, but on a faithful God. I’m praying He fills our empty hands and aching hearts with the eternal hope found only in Him.

Natalie

To the Saints of The Bridge Church

I had the chance to hear Jackie Hill Perry speak last year at The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference and she greeted us with a “How are you doing Saints?” I must say, it took me by surprise to be called a saint. I don’t see myself that way because well, I’m no Mother Theresa, right?

When I think of a saint, I think of Mother Theresa, a Catholic nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity, Nobel laureate, and a woman whose entire life was dedicated to serving the poor and serving God. Her title was Saint Mother Theresa. How can Jackie address me and the audience members as saints? Because the Bible tells us so.

Romans 1:7 “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:12 “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” By the righteousness of Christ, we have been called saints. Not by our good works and not because we were nominated. We are called saints by God when we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, our kinsman-redeemer.

It is important to know what God calls us, for, if we don’t, then we will believe what the enemy calls us. The enemy would have us believe that we are not saints, leaving us to miss where our prayers show up in Revelation chapter 5.

“They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Someone once told me that praying was like a beautiful fragrance to the Lord, and because I think in moving pictures, I imagined beautiful bouquets of flowers popping up in heaven every time we prayed. God hears our prayers, and they are kept in golden bowls. They are kept prayers, not flowers that wilt over time, only to pop up again with the next prayer. All the prayers, prayed for all times, are in these bowls and are incense to the Lord. Our prayers are important!  We are important to God. Don’t let the enemy belittle what Christ has given. We all are saints and God keeps and holds our prayers. 

-Nikki Fiedler

Holy

“What comes into your mind when you think about God?” In her book, Holier Than Thou, Jackie Hill Perry writes, “The answer, if not restrained by self-deception, would tell you a lot about yourself. And potentially, how much of yourself is in love with a lie. What we think about God and what we believe about God don’t always resemble, although we’d like them to.” We forget we humans are made in God’s image, and imagine He is instead made in ours. But we are wrong. By nature, God is holy, and of all the attributes of God, this is the one we may be most prone to forget.

In the opening scene of Revelation, John is given a vision of Jesus Christ and told to transcribe letters to seven churches. Now, in chapter four, he sees an open door to heaven before him, and Jesus beckons him to come. Immediately, in the Spirit, John finds himself in the throne room of heaven. Just as when he first saw Jesus, John once again can only use similes to describe his experience. What John sees is not heaven as it one day will be, but heaven as it is. In heaven- yesterday, today and forever- the cherubim surround the throne and never stop saying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is and who is to come.”

God’s holiness, is not a single attribute, rather it defines who He is. R.C. Sproul says “The word holy calls attention to all that God is. It reminds us that His love is holy love. His justice is holy justice. His mercy is holy mercy. His knowledge is holy knowledge. His spirit is Holy Spirit.” None of His attributes are stained by self-interest. Because He is holy, we can wholly trust in His goodness, His faithfulness, His Word, and His salvation. Because He is holy, we can wholly depend on Him. Friends, do we wholly trust Him with our lives, our loves, our futures? Is there anyone other than a holy God in whom we could safely trust?

In light of a God who is holy, holy, holy, is it any wonder the angels spend all of eternity ascribing worth to Him? He is worthy! He is so very worthy! May we find refuge in the holiness of God, and worship Him today and always with the whole-hearted devotion He deserves.

Natalie

I highly recommend reading a book about God’s holiness. You will be changed! My two favorites are The Holiness of God by R.C Sproul and Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry.

No Spit Take Here

As the King of your heart, Jesus is seriously concerned about you and exemplifies that in all of His effort.

Are you serious about His Kingdom?  Does it show in your effort?

I’ve often repeated the phrase, “Ignorance is bliss.”  I believe we don’t really need to know everything that is going on in the world or it would be too heavy for any one person to handle.  But what about when it comes to our personal lives?  Is it a good thing to be unaware of our true spiritual condition?  One thing is for certain, Jesus knows all and is serious about saving this broken world from itself.

In our text for this week, Jesus gives a stern warning to the church in Laodicea, citing their ignorance saying, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”  Those are very direct and seemingly rough words from Jesus unless you go on to hear the rest of what He has to say.  He counsels His church to find their riches, confidence, and power in Him.  Jesus says that he reproves and disciplines those He loves which is a reminder for the church that when He speaks to them it is a serious marker of His great love for them.  And most of all, this message from Jesus announces the most serious invitation you could ever receive to eat and drink and commune with Him!

Our Heavenly Father is serious about our soul care.  He’s given us serious assets through His Spirit, His Word and His people around us.  Without these things in our lives, we can be easily fooled to believe that everything is alright with us when in reality there is chaos brewing in our souls.  Jesus speaks to us out of a deep and loving concern for each one of us.  Will you listen to what He says?  Will you run after Him like He has run after you?

May we be a people who believe that knowing Jesus intimately is serious for our lives and the rest of the world.  May we find Him consistently at the door of our hearts and meet Him in fellowship.  Jesus wants to bestow so much to us and through us as His gospel works in our hearts – may we be a people that are aware of such things and find our greatest bliss in Him!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Encouragement For The Faithful Church

I like to imagine Jesus dictating the letter to the church at Philadelphia to John with a smile on His face.  Unlike many of the other letters we’ve been studying in Revelation, this letter had no condemnation.  Their letter was filled with hope and encouragement because they had remained faithful to God. 

Encouragement can be found in almost every verse of this letter starting with verses 7 and 8 when Jesus, the keeper of the keys explains that only He can open and shut the door.  What door is he referring to?  Is it the door to the Kingdom of God or is it referring to ministry opportunities as referenced in 1 and 2 Corinthians (see 1 Corinthians 16:9, 2 Corinthians 2:12)?  Maybe both?  For the church at Philadelphia knowing they were welcomed into God’s Kingdom even though they were not welcomed at the synagogue had to be a huge encouragement.  For the church of today, perhaps the door relates to ministry opportunities and the encouragement lies in the fact that it’s God who opens the door, it’s God who saves and our part is to remain faithful and steadfast in good times and bad so that everyone can see God’s light shining through us.  This may be the most encouraging piece of this letter for me. A reminder that it’s not about my strength or my abilities or who I know as long as I know the keeper of the keys and remain faithful to Him. 

The encouragement continues in verse 9 when Jesus says, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan … bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.” How encouraging must it have been for those persecuted to know they will be vindicated? The people who worked so hard to exclude the church of Philadelphia from every part of society will learn that Jesus loves those who are faithful to His name and Word.  In verse 8 Jesus says he “knows their works”.  He knew they were staying true to Him under difficult and stressful circumstances. What a joy it is to be known and loved!

If Jesus wrote you a letter today would he be smiling? Are you faithful through trials and sorrows?  Are you relying on God’s strength to accomplish what only God can do? My prayer for us today is that we all remain faithful and true to “He who is holy”, that we encourage others as Jesus encourages us and that we utilize prayers and His Word to strengthen, encourage and sustain us while we run the race of life.

Brenda Wooff

Made For This

Have you had one of those life-shifting moments where you realize with a start, “this changes everything”? I was 18, life stretched before me, every ambition possible. Looking back, I’m still unsure why I agreed to go. The whole week was miserable, and the legalistic rules of camp a reminder of why I had decided Christianity wasn’t for me. Yet on the last night, while singing some 90’s praise chorus I’ve long since forgotten, wind blew sparks from the campfire and the Holy Spirit set my heart aflame. In one moment, every plan I had for my life was derailed, for not one of them had involved following Christ.

Growing up I was in church every time the doors were open, and I’d heard Ephesians 2:8-9 quoted so often I knew it by heart. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Years later I learned verse ten, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”.  For a young (exhausted) stay at home mom of many kids, these words were a balm for my calloused heart. As I changed diapers, read stories, cleaned up messes and did laundry for days, I mourned the dreams I let die when I chose to go where Jesus led. Ephesians 2:10 cleared my vision. God opened my eyes through His Word, to show me that all along, this family, these kids, and the hard, mundane work was what I was called to in that season. While I hadn’t been saved by any good works, I had surely been saved to do them. Even more, this was God’s plan for my life all along. I just didn’t know it when I was 18.

We asked some of the Bridge youth “What thought or feeling or word comes to your mind when you think about the truth of Ephesians 2:10”. Here are some of their responses.

“I think about God knowing all in advance. It makes me feel known.”- Amelia

“It gives me hope knowing God knows the plan and knows what I am going through.” -Everett

“He knows my path and I should trust in him.”- Anna

“God created us for the purpose to exalt his name and follow him, to do as he teaches us to and to spread his name to people unaware, to be fishers of men.”

-Benny

“This makes me feel like I have a purpose, and that I was made to do something special. I feel at ease knowing that I will do great things, and it has already been planned.”- Lily

“It gives me the feeling of being complete and wanted.”- Brooklyn

“That’s AMAZING!!!”- Sophia

“I feel calm, because everything is planned out.”- Will

“Important”- Fletcher

“It makes me think of an old kind man who makes beautiful pieces from wood by hand. I feel special.” -Ira

“It is comforting to know that even if I have no idea where my life is going, God has good, good plans for me and is working everything out for my good and His glory.” -Hannah

Friends, you are God’s workmanship. His hand is on your life! As we witness the students at The Bridge leading us in worship this Sunday, I pray we will be inspired by their faith and stirred to action. No matter our age, it’s never too early or too late to walk in the good works we were created for and called to.

Natalie

Words Promised For Those Who Are Victorious

I hear my own voice reading Revelation 3 out loud and I come to the words promised for those who are victorious. “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels.” My heart is filled with such love and tears form in my eyes as I picture a time where Jesus stands before God the Father and says my name. He doesn’t blot me out, or discard me. 

Many times I have been discarded, discounted, pushed aside, picked last, told that I am unlovable, unworthy, I have dirt on my hands and face. But when everyone else passes me by, Jesus calls me, washes me clean, intercedes for me and stands before Almighty God to say that I, Nikki Fiedler, am His. Never could anyone on Earth bestow on me such love, peace and worth.

Yet Satan sings me a lullaby, and at times I drift asleep. Do I really believe what scripture says? Do I actually believe what Jesus has spoken to me? In and out I go, drifting here and there, numb at times to the compassion Christ connects me to. Heavy eyelids, block out God’s glory, His voice sounds distant as I begin to slumber under the desires of my flesh. The enemy composes a melody meant to confuse me, designed to pull me away from my Creator, my Father. 

“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” Jesus’s voice compels me to wipe the sleep from my eyes, and take action. Satan has cast his spell, but we must wake from this sound sleep. We’ve been lulled to complacency but Christ tells His church our deeds are unfinished. 

He is coming back like a thief in the night. Will we stay awake, alive in faith and spirit when we are surrounded with the enemy’s lullaby? When Christ returns will he find us faithful, or only as dead men walking? God, give us ears to hear the voice of your Spirit, who calls us to life and records our name in your book where it will never be blotted out. 

Grateful,

Nikki

I Have a Bone to Pick With You

The Garden Lounge at The Bridge has unofficially become Eddie’s office, which is just across the hall from mine. When he’s in the building, I’ll sometimes hear a sound and when I look up, Eddie is peering in my office window with some kind of look on his face. I’ll motion for him to come in and he will dramatically throw open my door and say “I’ve got a bone to pick with you!” In fact, he does not have a bone to pick with me, but that’s his excuse to meander over and raid my candy dish.

Jesus has a bone to pick with the church at Thyatira and it’s over no trivial matter. This church, whose love and faith, service and perseverance are increasing is tolerating a false prophet- a Jezebel- in their midst. In other words, they are not interfering with or trying to stop her from leading others away from the faithful pursuit of Christ and into “Satan’s so-called deep secrets”.

Sometimes our love for a person can lead us to look the other way and excuse their sin. We tolerate what Jesus died to atone for. But God’s love for His people demands that sin be dealt with.

Church, what are we tolerating that Jesus would not?

Judgement can seem like an unfair thing. “What right do you have to judge me”? “Who made you the judge?” These are retorts quickly made when we feel judged. And it’s true, we are not The Judge. We can never know the fullness of a person’s heart, but there is One who does.

Jesus is the Righteous Judge. He is long suffering and abounding in mercy. He gave the false prophetess at Thyatira time to repent and delayed punishment. The One who searches hearts and minds knew she was not willing to do so, and for the sake of those who were being deceived He began to execute judgement. And amazingly, even that judgement could be stayed by repentance.

A day is coming when judgement will come- finally and fully. Until then, Jesus stands at the door and knocks, waiting to see who will hear His voice and open the door. What Jesus offers us is infinitely better than the Dove chocolates in my candy dish. He gives us Himself- the Morning Star.

Do you hear Him knocking? Church, do we hear Him knocking? Will we heed His knock as a call to repent and beckon others to do the same?

May we hold on faithfully until He comes again!

Natalie