Good morning!

I wrote this blog several years ago before I retired and want to share it again today. It speaks to what can happen to us when we let worldly things, activities of the season to deflect us (just as satan would like us to be distracted) from the real focus of this season - celebrating the birth of our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Here it is:
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Warning – today’s blog may seem to you to have lost the Advent focus. But, this sharing today seems to be the Holy Spirit moving within me (and maybe more for me than for you). Let me explain.
 
Yesterday was a really good day. Until I forgot who I am in Christ…. I was getting all wrapped up at the office about 4:30 pm knowing I was taking a vacation day today. Cleaning up my in-box and just wrapping up lose ends. And then it started to happen – my neat organization of my late afternoon and evening started to come unraveled…a phone call with a to-do attached, last minute emails detailing with follow-ups needed. I started to feel tension build…. I finally got out of the office around 5:30 pm. Not bad but feeling my plans for the evening start to fray. Anxiety is starting to grow. Even this email is weighing on me – I do not have anything to share at this point, with nothing in sight to inspire me…
 
I get home as it is nearing 6 pm knowing that Kathy and I are going to see each other this evening for maybe 15 minutes in a week that has had us missing each other a lot. I grab the mail, a huge pile, a package on the front porch, feeling the pressure of having to sort through all of this to get it off our plate. My anxiety starts to irrationally build. Feeling overwhelmed going into a vacation day, how is that even possible, right?
 
Then Kathy arrived home for our quick 15 minutes together awake and with each other - for the entire day. She is so good and thoughtful, yet she had something for me to add to my list for my day off – maybe I could think about how we go about remodeling the laundry room…along with thinking about the 2nd full bathroom project. Not intending me to feel the need to think about these at all…but if I wanted something to do…I could choose to think about those projects…
 
Now, satan has me on overload, as I add to the list all the Christmas activity that has not happened- cards for family…and of course wife…gifts, concerts, volunteering…now I am truly breaking under the mental strain of thinking about all of this…
 
Have you ever had this happen to you?
 
I literally apologized to Kathy for being overwhelmed as she left for her commitment and then cried out to God, to Jesus, literally Yeshua…
 
At this point, I need to have you read the story of the prodigal son (click Luke 15:11-32). A few of you know, I see my past self (prior to Christ crashing into my life) as the young son, so wayward.
 
Not all that long ago, in my car through the Holy Spirit I had an encounter with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was at a point of hopelessness, where addictions and other sins dominated my life – a life gone amok. I was ready to collapse and give up.
 
I still have a complete memory of those moments in the car. Vivid, able to feel remember the thoughts and smells and location and awe and amazement. The Holy Presence of God. My personal miracle involved forgiveness beyond my imagination, removal of addictions and a new birth in Christ…a peace washing over me leaving me with a peace that is beyond understanding…God did this. God alone.
 
In that experience, I knew the depth and breadth of God’s love – John 3:16 kind of love (I recommend you read further beyond just 3:16 because the following verses are almost as amazing.). God, as the Father in the prodigal son is running to welcome me home, embracing me – this experience still leaves me without the true words to describe how that changed my life.
 
Even as I write this I become aware that God, through the Holy Spirit, is using this writing, to bring back to me that experience of His love from that moment in the car, for me to remember who I am in Christ, a child of God, a son that he will always run to, and embrace, if I turn to back to Him. And God does not wait for me or you to get all the way back – he races out to meet us.
 
How does that relate to last night? In my cry to God through His Son and the Holy Spirit, God chose that moment of overwhelming to help me overcome Satan’s piling on, to refresh my memory, to know the truth of His love for me and the peace we will find in Him.
 
In the minutes after that crying out, peace washed over me, as I remembered, I belong to God through Jesus Christ. Last night before bed I continued reading a short book by Henri Nouwen called the “Return of the Prodigal Son, A Story of Homecoming”. In a section titled Searching Where It Cannot Be Found, Henri poses the questions – “To whom do I belong? To God or the world?” God reminded me, I belong to Him, not the world.
 
In what experience have you had God open your eyes and heart to know the fullness of His love?
 
So, maybe this blog indeed is about Christmas? For the hope that has saved me came incarnate as a baby human name Yeshua, our Christ Jesus. I have that hope and salvation every day, in every circumstance because of Lord Jesus.
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​My prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that as we continue in this Advent season, preparing ourselves, our hearts for celebrating the birth of Jesus, that in the stress our culture puts into our daily lives, that we remember the love God so richly blesses and shares with us with at Christmas! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

We are officially into Advent…are you preparing your heart as you anticipate our Christmas celebration of our Savior’s birth? How are you preparing?
 
By now most of you are thinking about the upcoming holiday of Christmas. In our home decorations are up but pruned down as we get older. Odd but in some other ways, this season is coming alive without all the extra trappings - we are not missing what has been left out and put aside.
 
For me, Christmas and Easter are seasons of pondering, pondering the life of our Savior Jesus Christ – birth, death and resurrection.
 
Our culture jumps on the gift aspect of the Christmas season, as it feeds our economic engine. The Hallmark Channels and now other channels pump the airwaves with endless Christmas movies trading the birth of Christ for some other mystical goodness. And yes, I watch these movies too – as do most everyone.
 
This often gives me pause. Stepping back, I believe it is clear that culture misses the most important parts of this season.
 
--- Which I strongly suggest is tied to understanding the depth and significance of the gift of the Son of God, Jesus Christ becoming man and then His death and resurrection for us.
 
What is important to you as we enter this season of Advent leading up to the celebration of the birth of our Savior?
 
I have a thought or word that I treasure as we near Advent. That word or thought for me this advent – humbleness.
 

• Luke 2:11–12 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

 

• Philippians 2:6–8: “Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant [note here added from a Desiring God article - starting his life lower than servants — in a feeding trough] . . . he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 

• 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

 

• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 
Even from the beginning of the New Testament with the arrival of our Savior, humility was a part of the circumstances of that arrival. We think of the manger as a building structure – and it is a structure – but actually a manger is the feeding trough for the animals. If you have spent time on a farm and in the barn you might have seen a feeding trough.
 
A humble entrance into this world.
 
And here are some reminders of the specialness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ…these are truths about our humble Lord -
 

• Revelations 5:11-13 “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

 

• 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

 

• Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 
For many of us our story isn’t necessarily one so humble. However, for many of us who are reading this, our work, retirement or even personal experiences have led us to meet people who either are living or have lived a humble life.
 
This time of year reminds me to ask myself “how humbly am I living?”.
 
In service to others; in pouring myself out for others; allowing God to use my weakness so His glory shines; remembering how Jesus came into this world in the most humble way and then carried that humility through His life to the cross for me – and you – and the rest of the world.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that as we walk from Christmas to Easter we pause to consider the enormity of those two bookends that encompass Your story of rescue and what you did for us and use that knowledge to live humbly with those around us! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

I think the last several years which have at times seemed surreal, dreamlike at times and even nightmarish at other times, have driven me deeper into my faith. My desire to know my Savior, Lord Jesus, to walk with him, has been a constant drum beat in my life, getting more intense as each day passes. Maybe, just maybe, it is the ticking of the clock, my getting older…LOL, but I don’t think so.

God has placed on my heart the consuming desire to know Him, to know Him through His Son, Jesus. Part of the process of knowing Jesus is allowing His sanctifying work in our lives to transform us more and more into His likeness.
 
So with that as a back drop, here are some past thoughts on what it means to be a Christ follower:

• “A Christian is: a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks, and a hand through which Christ helps.”

                 Saint Augustine
 
I saw this quote as I was writing down these thoughts and it just resonated with me. It seems to speak to the idea that living as a Christian is being a person that produces fruit in living, fruit that flows out of faith founded in God’s gift of mercy and grace, leading us to surrender our lives to Christ, laying our lives down, picking up our cross to follow Jesus, living for Him and His glory, not for ourselves.
 

• A mind through which Christ thinks – see Philippians 2:5-8 – “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 
Other related verses - 1 Corinthians 2:16; Luke 19:10; Luke 5:16; Matthew 9:36. A commentary from one person about what the mind of Christ means – “Having the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan in the world—to bring glory to Himself, restore creation to its original splendor, and provide salvation for sinners.”
 

• A heart through which Christ loves – see Matthew 11:29 – “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” In just reading this verse , I can almost sense the gentleness of Jesus and His deep and abiding love.

 

• A voice through which Christ speaks – as we study the Word (see John 1:1-5 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ), we become equipped by Christ to actively share the Good News – both that we are all sinners, not one of us has our own righteousness (Romans 3:9-11), and then that indeed, through Christ’s perfect sacrifice we can be saved (John 3:16-18). We are a voice that Christ can use.

 

• A hand through which Christ helps – see Matthew 25:34-36 – “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” Our hearts ought to be so full of Christ’s presence through the Holy Spirit, that we bear this kind of fruit of service to others, putting ourselves aside to see to the needs of others. In this we do need to remember that our motive in this work is not earning salvation, but rather an outpouring of the love, grace and mercy we received when we became children of God (see Ephesians 2:8–9). Other related scripture references include: James 1:27; Mark 1:40-41;

 
The St. Augustine quote evokes the idea of transformation and sanctification – the change that happens when we are reborn and become children of God. We are dependent on Christ through the Holy Spirit to live transformed lives, lives that reflect the light of Christ. We become a tool, servant of Christ when we surrender our lives to him. The more we trust and are fully surrendered the more our lives look like that of Christ.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that we each can open up ourselves to know Jesus more deeply and then to let Him, through the Holy Spirit, to fully use us – mind, heart, voice and hands – to share Him with the world, to shine His light! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

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Good morning!

I continue working through issues with a pinched nerve in my neck - I am making progress but much slower than I would like. This causes me to feel stress and anxiety. Now in times of high stress and life challenges I more frequently am sent to my knees to pray or seek quiet time in His presence. So I am pondering the heart, specifically my heart today.
 
Where is your heart today? We know ultimately, we will be judged by what is in our hearts. There is so much in scripture around our hearts (over 800 references).
 
Here is just a little bit of the scripture around the heart:
Matthew 5:7-9, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 6:19-23, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 12:34, “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
 
Reading these verse, leaves me asking myself where is my heart at? Often, sitting in reflection, more often than not after some interaction where I am questioning my side of the interaction, the focus is on what is going on in my heart.

Do you ever look inside and ask that question?
 
Are there specific circumstances that cause you to pause and take inventory of your heart?

I believe I need to do this more frequently than I do although as noted above circumstances are driving me to this activity more – maybe this should be a daily check-point.
 
For me, it seems that when my heart is in the right place, centered in the love of Christ, there is more peace in both physical and spiritual challenges, more productivity and more positive interactions, even in the most difficult of situations.
 
These scripture versus speak directly to this idea –

• Seeing God, our Creator, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, becomes possible with a pure heart. (A pure heart might be defined like this - Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."). Our knowledge of and relationship with God is made deeper.
• Our hearts are seen in what we value, hold close and treasure. It is so worth stepping back and reflecting on what things or people mean the most to us. We might find we hold something or someone in this life in a higher position than Jesus Christ our Lord.
• When our hearts are right in Christ, “abundance” comes from our mouth – abundance of appreciation, abundance of support for others, abundance of wisdom through the Holy Spirit, abundance of love as shown to us through Christ…and…if we are conscious and intentional (vigilant) in keeping our hearts focused on and in Christ.
• Proverbs says that the springs of life will flow from our heart…springs – I am not sure about the word springs but would suggest two meanings are worth consideration – spring as in the time of year – time for new birth, new growth, new relationships, new gifts, new generosity, new love or… springs of water – as Christ promised the eternal water of life, again the abundance of growth, gifts and generous acts..

 
Our hearts then it seems are part of or the source of Christ’s life in our lives, the light that others might see. For each of us, does your daily reflection allow you to see the light of your heart focused in Christ  - reaching out to those around you?
 
Where is your heart today? Is your heart emanating Christ’s Light?
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer is that we each go into this weekend taking time to ask God to recharge, refill and ready our hearts for His work, in whatever work or activities that we do – so from abundant hearts God has given us through You, Lord Jesus, that we are shining Your light glorifying God to those around us. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

The good news about God is that He is constantly transforming us, sanctifying us. As I reread the reflections below I praise God for His work in my life to change me, to bring me back to the creation He intended me to be.

So yesterday, despite anxiety over all that is going on in the world and in our lives, there was a lot more a) peace in the waiting; b) ability to stop and pray to God about what was going on as it was going on; c) capacity to trust God with the timing and outcome; and d) need to just rest in His presence. 
 
God is…Patient…
 
I am not!!!
 
Truth.
 
My fuse is short. I get frustrated easily, and even angry at times as a result…
 
Truth is, God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, has been shaping me, teaching this old “dog” new ways of living. And this is an area that God has, flat out, been molding me and testing me in for a long period of time – I see the fruit of the Spirit in this area.
 
Everyday there are people, situations, and circumstances that require patience. And I now have come to a point that I can turn to God in response rather than to my default response of frustration.
 
Yet, the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit is not yet done. I can see that too.
 
God as patient is related to God as faithful…God desires even that the absolutely evil and wicked turn to Him. God waits…patiently…and I think it is reasonable to say waits faithfully - you can see it here in Ezekiel 33:11: 
Say to them: 'As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
 
Or here in Romans 2:4:
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance?
 
Here we see God is generous in His patience - Revelation 2:21:
Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.
 
God gives us time to return to Him, to surrender our rebellion and give our lives to Him, through the very death of Jesus Christ, His Son, on the cross. No human measure of patience can compare. Here is some scripture that speaks to God’s willingness to wait on us:
 
Numbers 14:17-18 (Similar to this verse found here - Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:16-17; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2. These verses and more can be found here):
17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’
 
1 Timothy 1:15-17:
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 
2 Peter 3:8-9:
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
 
2 Peter 3:14-15:
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
 
God’s patience is significant in that His interest is He is for us (and we need to know, He is doing work in us while being patient with us) – that through His patience, we may have the opportunity to return home – to see the truth of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, conquering death, ripping the curtain wide open, so we can ultimately stand in joy before our Father…woe to me if our God was not a patient God.
 
My reaction to this revelation of God’s character is one of awe and gratitude, for if He were not patient, I would not be saved. What do you think? How does God being patient impact your life?
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that we appropriately recognize and appreciate how God is patient with us in our lives – AND – that we share that kind of godly patience with all others who intersect our lives. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick
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Good morning!

Several years ago, I focused on reading Proverbs. More recently, I had been re-reading Psalms as a part of my evening prayers before bed. I have found these two books to be powerful as so much applies to living in a way that helps me walk with Jesus. Here are a couple verses from Proverbs for you to consider…
 

• Proverbs 3:18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.
• Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 
I had very little knowledge of Proverbs other than this scripture came from Solomon after God granted him his request for wisdom, discernment and right knowledge. So it was interesting that I ran into a short devotional that focused on a couple of the Proverbs I have recently read as seen above.
 
How often do we in our work (paid or volunteer) and life pray for wisdom and discernment – God’s wisdom and discernment?

So how can or do we become wise – wise in the sense of having access or understanding of wisdom in a godly sense, from God, through the Holy Spirit?

In the first verse above, wisdom is referred to as a tree of life to those who embrace her – who hold her tightly…interesting but what is underneath that?
 
I was impacted by this thought as shared in the short devotional I read. There is an old Jewish saying that says when you read the Bible it becomes “a tree of life to those that lay hold of it.”. Scripture, the Word of God. This ties to the second Proverb. The Lord gives wisdom – from His mouth…scripture, the Bible, the Word of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. All wisdom comes forth from our God.
 
So is there a formula for becoming wise? Having wisdom and discernment?

As believers there is if you trust scripture, God’s Word. Right here in Proverbs we are told – if we commit, dive deep, spend time, hold the Word tight, listen as we read scripture, follow the connections that scripture provides between then and now, allow the voice of God to be heard…wisdom and discernment will be in us – we will have knowledge and understanding.
 
And not only that, we will be happy or maybe better yet happy is understood as we will have joy. Are you joyful this morning?
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that for each of us we realize that spending time in God’s Word is worth the investment of time, time that God has given us, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into wisdom and discernment. In our daily lives. In our work purposed by God. In everything we do and say or do not do and do not say. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

This blog is based on the scriptural references that come from the fifth video called Do You Know What God Has Done for You? in a series of six by John Piper called the Good News of Christianity.
 
This blog doesn’t focus on necessarily the content of this video or the series (although I recommend – links provided above), but rather on my thoughts on some of the scripture shared in this fifth video. This video and the four previous have impacted my understanding of my relationship with Christ – from the standpoint of understanding the depth of what has been done for us.
 
I am sharing this today because of how rich and frequent the assurances and promises are provided by God of what He has done on our behalf. None of this is possible through our own self-reliance. And this just scratches the surface of His love for us, shown through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
 

• Do you ever ponder, in moments of reflection, the depth of God’s love?
• Do you ever think about what it really meant for Christ to take the walk to the Cross?
• Is it possible to understand how much God wants us to come home to Him?

Read these verses below – what do you hear God sharing with you? After each set of verses I give a thought or two…

• 1 Timothy 1:14-15 “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

 
Here Paul is sharing how rich the gift he received acknowledging that this is a gift he did not deserve. Paul considered himself the worst when it came to being a sinner. He is clear though that God’s grace, through love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the reason we have salvation – Jesus came to save sinners – and I am one of those sinners He came to save…wow!

• John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

 
Again, we get God’s confirmation of the reason Christ was sent – to save the world through Him. But not only that we hear the depth of His love – He so loved the world, He gave his only Son. Amen. And the love continues – if we believe – we do not die, we live. In eternity. With Him – all of Him – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

• Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 
Jesus Christ came not to be King in our worldly conception of that idea. He came to serve us. And that service was special almost beyond belief (I say almost, because I believe)…He gave His life for many, He paid for me, He paid for my sins, He loves me so much, He is saying I am worth it – I am priceless. And, that is not all. As He is seated at the right hand of the Father, He continues to serve us, to serve me – as an intercessor on our, on my behalf!

• 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”

 
Here we get an understanding of what Jesus did for us, why He did it and what / how He did it… why – for our sins (which only He could atone for); what / how – He died, a terrible death on the cross, isolated from the Father, nailing our sins to the cross, only to be raised on the third day to the right hand of the Father finishing the work that makes our salvation possible. Would we sacrifice ourselves for one person, let alone many, so that they could live? How deep is our live for others?

• Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

 
In this prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God through the prophet Isaiah, clearly shares the pain of what Jesus will take on our behalf – if you doubt God’s love just consider this passage which also includes the promise of our healing through Jesus Christ.

• 1 Peter 2:24 ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.””

 
With a reference to Isaiah regarding our healing we see both the depth of His love for us and the promise of healing.

• Galatians 3:13-14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

 
Over and over we see, hear and read about what Christ did for us, the depth of the love. If that doesn’t cause you pause, to think about the path God is painstakingly creating for our way home to Him then maybe we need to read scripture some more, spend time with faithful friends, spend time in prayer and quiet reflection. If it does give you pause and joy sing in praise to God, for He has truly blessed you!

• Ephesians 2:4-7 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

 
Such rich truths – His great love for us, makes us alive in Christ (when we come to know Him), despite our sinful pasts, showing God’s mercy and grace, giving us salvation, so we can join Him and Christ in heaven…

• Romans 6:22-23 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 
More truth and promises – we are set free from sin, we get the benefits in this of holiness and eternal life – not by ourselves – that would be of little value J - but to live in the presence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit…

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 
This one is interesting – Christ’s perfection, required to provide the saving sacrifice, takes on our sin which allows us to become the righteousness of God. Me interpreting here – but I think our salvation through Christ, glorifies God (which is how I read become the righteousness of God) – our surrender, our accepting of the gift of salvation – glorifies God.

• Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

 
We are no longer condemned but are made right before God through Jesus Christ. We are free – not in the way the world understands free – but free from the dark, to live in the light.

• 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”

 
Did you get a sense for your answers to these questions?

• Do you ever ponder in moments of reflection the depth of God’s love?
• Do you ever think about what it really meant for Christ to take the walk to the Cross?
• Is it possible to understand how much God wants us to come home to Him?

 
These references just underlines the significance of the what Christ did for us (there are so many more) – His life, death and resurrection made us right with God and alive again, through the Holy Spirit when we knelt down and accepted Him as our savior.
 
    Love, sacrifice,
         longing for us to come home.
             To Him.
                 Forever.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is that in our quiet times of reflection each of us might find God’s truth in the presence of His love in our life, gaining a complete understanding that through the Your sacrifice, Jesus Christ, God is showing His deep desire for each one of us to come home to Him! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

​

Good morning!

Here it is the second half of October with this 2025 passing by quickly. It has me thinking about new birth and a birth that is celebrated on Christmas that occurred over 2000 years ago.

“Never be afraid of being a broken thing… Unless a seed breaks, there is no life. – No new life, no rebirth, no transformation happens without being broken first. When you’re in over your head stressed, you can touch the depths of God.” (from a devotional blog post – do not remember which one but this truth struck me)
 

• I do not know about you, but I am a broken man, made new in Christ.

 

• I do not know about you, but 2025 has been a broken year – broken in maybe more ways than we can count, like most years we live out.

 
So do you think God has been present or absent in 2025? Is he at work bringing new life out of all this brokenness of has He just walked away from us?
 
If God is unchanging and we can trust His Word, then I walk away from this year filled with renewed HOPE – not that things are going to be better and less broken in the here and now – my HOPE is in Jesus and that He still is walking with me, still in me, still transforming me, still sanctifying me – regardless of what has happened so far in 2025.
 
If I take my eyes off of Jesus and spend all my time marinating in the brokenness of this world, my brokenness, my pain and suffering, I make myself vulnerable, exposed to the father of lies, to Satan, who would love for me to never turn my eyes back to Jesus.
 
Satan would like for me fall off the narrow path, to lose sight of the Light.
 
I choose to see Jesus in all the brokenness I see this year. The more I see brokenness the more I know Jesus is present – Jesus works in the messes and brokenness. He is not hanging out in sterile, perfect and clean places – He is with us in the difficult, suffering and dirty situations we can find ourselves in.
 
So there is HOPE and His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He was with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the beginning and “all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”. See John 1:1-5.
 
So God is with us (Emmanuel) to bring new life and HOPE:
 

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

 

• Ephesians 4:24 “… and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

• John 3:3 ‘Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”’

 

• 1 Peter 1:3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

 

• 1 Peter 2:24 "He Himself [Jesus} bore our sins in His body on  the tree [cross], that we might die to sin and live [be reborn] to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed."

As I ponder the coming of Christmas, I spend a lot of time thinking about the amazing birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – what sweet thoughts these can be. This year is no exception.

However, we know the story does not stop here. AND that is really good news for each of us. For Jesus Christ in His incarnate birth as a man, came so that each of us could have rebirth, bringing us into His loving presence, made possible through His death and resurrection – and for us this makes possible, out of our brokenness, God’s transformation of us and our brokenness for His good purposes (see Romans 8:28 referenced below).
 
The birth of Jesus Christ reminds all of us that we have a Savior, we have Hope, we have Good News. Additionally, in that belief, choosing the path to follow Christ, allows God to take our broken lives, our weariness, using it as a tool to create beauty that shines the Light into the world.
 
We are promised by God that we are reborn, a new creation. Without our brokenness as used through Christ there is no newness.
 
So as the quote suggests, let’s remember God is in all things, allowing our lives to glorify him – in our lives trials it is possible to get a sense of God’s depth – His amazing love for us. This thought points me to remember Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
 
As we transition towards Christmas then into the new year it seems perfect to reflect on the miracle of rebirth, new life, transformation at the hands of God through the Holy Spirit…not our work but God’s work if we let Him…He is the one in control – of this year, next year and eternity.
 
My prayer for each of us this weekend and as we look forward to Christmas and the new year is that we remember that as the calendar page is turned, we, each of us, remember the truth of God’s hand in our rebirth, that we are new creations in Christ Jesus…! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick
​

Good morning!

A few years ago I did a series on God’s attributes. One in the series was on God as gracious. The idea of God offering the grace He did through Jesus Christ in order that I (all those that receive Him) might live in eternity with Him is almost heart-stopping – it is truly beautiful.
 
So I am revisiting this attribute this morning - this one in particular shines a beautiful light – the light of having been made new – and right before God. So this attribute is an action word – we mostly treat it as a noun – we received God’s grace when we were saved…but this attribute – gracious – implies action, something that involves effort, pouring something valuable out of oneself to another…personal, really personal!
 
If any of you believe you are saved and now are a child of God through His Son’s death on the Cross and His resurrection three days later, you know God’s graciousness. I know God’s graciousness. And since that saving moment in my life, God’s graciousness continues to grow. It hasn’t been a one-time thing.
 
And graciousness is a relationship building attribute. Relationships flourish when covered in grace – when we are gracious to each other – pour ourselves graciously into each other’s lives, strong relationships are built.
 
Graciousness, as an action, breaks down walls, opens doors for us to nurture and build bridges to harder to know and love people or taking steps to loving our enemies…
 
That brings questions to mind – in that God takes an active doing role in bringing his graciousness into our lives –

• Do I see God’s graciousness present in the world?
• Do I see it in my life?
• Is God filling my life – pouring out His graciousness into me?
• If the answer is no, maybe I should ask myself - what steps can I take to build bridges using this godly attribute – using it as an action not a noun – to SHARE God’s grace with others?
• Might living graciously in relationship to others open my eyes to God’s graciousness. If the answer is yes, how can I take that graciousness I am receiving and pour it back out into others’ lives?

Gracious

Most of us are familiar with the idea that grace is unmerited mercy / favor from God which we received through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Put another way, mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.
 
So as commented above, do I pass on this blessing actively as a verb into the lives of others around me?

• Psalm 84:11-12 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”
• Comments: You can see parts of how God is gracious described in these verses – God s gracious providing warmth and protection, giving the gifts of favor and honor – not withholding anything good for those whose walk is blameless…our walk becomes blameless before God when we were/are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. This expression of graciousness is ours when we trust our God. How do I use the graciousness God is giving me in relationship to others?

 

• John 1:12-14 “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
• Comments: Part of God’s graciousness is that when we received Jesus Christ, and believed on His name, it was an act of adoption by God. Graciously we have been made children of God. As we see here, Jesus came full of grace – grace and graciousness from God made available to all of us through Christ’s death and resurrection on the Cross – He came to save with grace – not to condemn.

 

• 2 Timothy 1:9-10 “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
• Comments: Paul shares here that God’s graciousness belongs to Him – that we receive it and it is His doing not ours or of our effort – and we receive it through Jesus Christ – which was God’s plan before the beginning of time…but we are then called in the great commission to share this immense gift – not that we can bestow God’s grace or graciousness – but we can imitate that graciousness in our lives with those around us whoever they might be…so the light of Christ shines into the world – because showing grace or acting graciously is wrapped up in loving others - with God's love and truth.

 
I saw a YouTube video a few years back of Penn Gillette (of Penn & Teller fame). Penn was sharing that he was given a Bible and had the Good News of Jesus shared with him by, I believe it was Ray Comfort, a Christian evangelist. Penn is an atheist, but his comment in the video was this (a paraphrase) - If you really believe eternal life is available through belief and living for Jesus Christ, how much do you need to hate someone not to share this with others.

Not sharing would be an example of not being gracious (as an action word) as God has been gracious to us, an example of not loving others by sharing the truth that God has shared with us and has been demonstrated through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that we turn from just being the recipients of God’s grace into being His givers of graciousness to all those around us, to all those we encounter, so they too have a taste of God’s grace which we received through You, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

Often in scripture God exhorts His people to be strong, to be courageous, promising us that he will be present – for His people to trust Him and not be afraid. For example:

• “Be strong and courageous! God Himself will guide you and be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8

 
And - because of the sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection, because of His promise of the Helper, when we have received Jesus as Lord we have these promises for example:

• John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

- Or-

• 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

 
Each of us are in that unique place that God has placed us. We have challenges in our daily life and all that is going on around us. Things that make us afraid, anxious, unnerved, things that are painful and hurtful.
 
Of course, if you are like me, you might think that if I am in the right place, things will be easy and simple…and we know that is far from the case.
 
Here we can see in the old testament, the promise of God the Father walking with us, guiding us as we live in this world encountering the challenges that entails…And then we see this promise of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior, which is that He will walk with us through the Holy Spirit, giving us His strength and presence – providing strength we do not have in of ourselves that we might walk as light to those around us – and we can do this without fear and with His courage, a gift of the Spirit within us.
 
Be humble, yet stand tall in Christ and God will be with you.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that as the world closes in on us, as we face daily difficulties and pains, that in it all, we know your strength and courage that we receive through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us – and there we find the peace You promise us! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick