In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.  “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned.  “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted.  But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you.  Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.   I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.  On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”  So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt.  In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us.  What have we done that you should complain about us?”  Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him.  What have we done?  Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.”  Then Moses said to Aaron, “Announce this to the entire community of Israel: ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’”  And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness.  There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.  Then the Lord said to Moses,  “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints.  Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want.  Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”  That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp.  And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew.  When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground.  The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it.  “What is it?” they asked each other.  They had no idea what it was.  And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat.  Exodus 16:2-15

The Israelite tribes complained bitterly that they were on a “fool’s errand”; they complained God had gotten them out of Egyptian slavery, only to die of hunger and thirst in the desert.  After 400 years of bondage, they’d gotten pretty comfortable in Egypt; none of them had ever known freedom.  They didn’t have a clue how costly freedom was to obtain, nor how much self-sacrifice and work it would be to maintain it.  As a nation they were infants facing Goliath.  Spiritually they were like naïve children; they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have known that twice in my life and ministry.  In 1981 I was ordained as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The battle over women in ministry had reached a boiling-point with a conservative “takeover” in the Southern Baptist Convention.  It was a contentious time, and ten years later the denomination split into Southern Baptist and Cooperative Baptist groups.In 2005 I was drawn into the serenity of the United Methodist Church as a pastor.  Nearly two decades have been overshadowed by a fragmentation of leadership between far left progressives and far right conservatives.  Of late the parting of ways between the UMC and Global Methodists has been sometimes peaceful, even amicable; at other times, World War III.  In some ways I sense I’ve been struck by lightning twice during my 40+ years of simply trying to follow God’s leadership in the midst of a tornado.  The daily cares of pastoral work seemed diminished, overshadowed by strife and hot tempers.  My ministry began in Florida where they say it’s hard to remember you’re draining the swamp when you’re up to your eyeballs in alligators.   

It does not take a rocket scientist to compare the divisions between two large denominations with the sordid unbelief of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness.  Anyone with even a slight understanding of Scripture can picture the evil in failing to trust God.  And the shorter leap is knowing if we can’t trust Him, it’s hopeless to think we have a shot at trusting each other.

For You Today 

There is a sense of hope that abounds in even the wrongest of places at the worst of times…Jesus didn’t come to bring anger, confusion, and death; He is life!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  

 

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Images without citation are in public domain.   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

 

An Invitation to the Imperfect

with much thanks to Rev. John Strother

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

Hello I’m the body of Christ, but you may know me by my other name - Church.

I'm sure you've heard a lot about me. I have no shortage of critics. Perhaps you have heard that I am...Boring, Shallow, Irrelevant, A waste of time

Maybe you've heard that I am full of:

Hypocrites, Greedy people, The self-righteous

Maybe you have visited me before and discovered:

Music you didn’t like, Passionless singing, Dry preaching, Rude congregants

Maybe you needed me and I was: Too busy, Too "righteous", Too broke, Too blind

Maybe you joined me and found I was:  Distant, Demanding, Dull, Preoccupied

Maybe you tried to serve in me but were caught off guard by:

Business meetings, Committees, Interpersonal Conflicts, Bureaucracy

Maybe you left and were surprised that nobody:

Called, Cared, Or seemed to notice, And invite you back

Perhaps your experience has driven you to:

Speak negatively of me, Swear to never come back to me,                                   Proclaim that no one needs me,

Believe you're better off without me

If this is true, I have something to say to you:

I'm sorry, I was wrong, I blew it,

I made a huge mistake

But remember, I never said my name was:

Perfect, Flawless, Complete, Arrived

 

My name is church. Or, more accurately, the Body of Christ.  At my best I welcome the:  Hypocrite, Dry, Self-righteous, Shallow

I also welcome the Sincere, Passionate, Forgiving, Selfless

I cannot shut my doors to the people who make you:

Angry, Uncomfortable, Impatient, Self-conscious

But I would remind you that we couldn't always worship in the same room

because of division between:  Gentiles, Jews, Men, Women

In order for us to all worship in the same room Christ was:

Shamed, Beaten, Killed, Resurrected

Which is far worse than being:  Bored, Uncomfortable, Embarrassed, Ignored

So why not come back to church and let all of these other sojourners:

Challenge you, Sharpen you, Strengthen you, Humble you

I can't promise you that the people will be great. This is church. It's not:

Heaven, Paradise, Beulah Land, The Celestial city or whatever else you might call the Great Beyond

But do come back, or join us for the first time.

God wants you here.  The body needs you here. 

The world needs your witness.  You belong here.

Hello, my name is church.

I miss you.    I love you.     I'm sorry.      Can't wait to see you.

For You Today 

This is evangelism, reconciliation between siblings, and the humility Christ offered to each of us.  This is what the church (all of us) needs to offer to the world today.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  

 

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

 

Body Parts

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.  

Genesis 2:7

An adult human body consists of slightly more than 200 bones and 78 organs.  Five of the organs are considered vital to life, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, and brain.  Now, those are the rudiments of biology, the basics of structure and function.  However, life is not all biology, just the physical mechanism of the species; there are also the metaphysical (abstract) body parts, without which we could not exist.  There is spirit and soul to go with those body parts, and let us not back-shelf what gave life in the first place, God breathing His own breath into Adam’s assembled body parts.  Then, and only then, did he become a living soul.

God made humankind.  God also revealed to Apostle Paul the analogy that, as a human body functions in concert with all the bones, organs, and resident breath of God, so the human race, with all its different and unique parts, is to function inter-dependently, working together for the good of the body. 

Applying that principle to the “body” of Christ (the church), God’s intention is that the differences that form us into groups, male/female, nationalities, social strata, religious sects, etc, fade into the background.  As in Adam, Spirit supercedes flesh.  As a species, we have light years more in common than that which divides us.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  So it is with the body of Christ.  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.  But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.  

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

In the Gospel accounts we find Jesus under attack by (supposedly) spiritually-wise religious teachers.  They accused him of being satanically-inspired, because Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man.  Jesus, ever the master of logic, as well as truth, told them their diagnosis was ridiculous…Satan casting-out Satan?

A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.  Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.  Mark 3:24-25

For You Today 

Our human bodies were created to have bones which support and protect the inner body parts, and those inner parts strengthen the bones.  All of that structure was formed to cooperate with the breath of God inside our spirit and soul.  We were created for better than feuding and dividing into camps. 

The smallest bone in the human body has a great responsibility to the rest of the body’s health…the stapes bone, which is commonly called the stirrup.  Located in the inner ear, the stapes bone is the link which connects sound waves to the auditory nerve.  In short, without this bone’s function our brain is cut-off from sound.  Without that little bone’s service, our communication with others is drowned in a sea of silence.

So, here is a word to hear; gird-up your stapes bone and let it sink-in:

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  John 13:34-35

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   Out of the Dust  and  Trans-Creation

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

The Body of Christ

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

You are reasonable people.  Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.  When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ?  And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?  And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.  1 Corinthians 10:15-17

If you’ve ever said something you immediately regretted, even as the words rolled-out of your mouth, it proves you’re a member of the human race.  I had one of those moments this past Sunday.  It was during communion, celebrating the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, so our sins could be forgiven.  It’s arguably one of the most sacred acts in worship, but also a source of deep,  viscerally-felt joy – a veritable fountain of eternal happiness to be part of the forgiven, the body of Christ, the church.  I often find myself during this holy mystery (as Charles Wesley put it in his hymn[1]) lost in wonder, love, and praise. 

I ask our communion stewards to always leave the loaf whole.  When serving this holy meal I prefer to break-off a piece for each person who comes, signifying what Paul wrote about one body.  In the church we are all a part of Christ’s body. 

This Sunday everything went smoothly…until it came to the bread.  The loaf was as fresh as ever, but the crust decided it wanted to stay intact.  As the line formed to participate, I stepped forward, loaf in hand, ready to break off a piece of the body (to serve a piece of the body).  I struggled for a moment, but the crust wouldn’t yield.  It took two more yanks on the loaf before it tore loose.  I now had two loaves, one in each hand.  Looking up at the congregant standing in front of me, with her hands palms-up, waiting, I stammered:  It seems this body of Christ doesn’t come apart easily.  She smiled; I almost laughed out loud! 

Solemn and sacred moments are a necessary part of engaging worship.  However, at times the lighter moments can point out some deep truths (albeit in a somewhat absurd and uncomfortable way).  I immediately regretted saying what I did, but nearly as quickly it hit me that was a deeper truth that had tumbled out of my lips…the body of Christ IS tough…Jesus said it would be strong enough with the power of the Holy Spirit to storm the gates of Hell[2].  That kind of body does not come apart easily.

After some further reflection Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, I concluded that God was speaking more to my heart in that humorous, uncomfortable moment, than I’d realized.  If you add up all the stories you’ve heard of churches being torn-apart by a fuss over trivialities like color of the roof or carpet, or what table the cakes should on at a fellowship meal,[3] those tales are only an ugly tip on Satan’s lips.  The church has withstood Nero’s persecution, the Dark Ages with false doctrine, the greed of false prophets on TV and radio, physical assaults like Covid and countless other viruses of human frailty. 

And the church, the body of Christ, still stands!  And will stand!

For You Today 

Yes, Jesus did say HIS church would storm the gates of Hell, and those gates wouldn’t be able to stand.  He also said HIS words would never pass away…ever![4]

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:  Mem Tsade Hey  and  Bread in the Cup      

Title Image: via Pixabay.com    Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Charles Wesley, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, United Methodist Hymnal, p.384

[2] Matthew 16:18

[3] Irony definitely intended!

[4] Isaiah 40:8

A Light to the Nations

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

“Listen to me, my people.  Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations.  My mercy and justice are coming soon.  My salvation is on the way.  My strong arm will bring justice to the nations.  All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm.  Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below.  For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing.  The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever.  My righteous rule will never end!  Isaiah 51:4-6

In yesterday’s post I shared some of the popular culture’s opinion about how the “organized church” is boring, out-of-touch, antiquated, and without a hope of continuing.  The look of things on the landscape of the 21^st century would appear to validate that, with less attendance or support, a lower sense of commitment, and cultural norms aimed at whatever pleases the individual.  Community has been reduced to social media clicks, and wokeness for the “rights” of individuals, without the slightest nod in the direction of Heaven.  The 21^st century is a heathen paradise, self-absorbed, inflated, and very angry.

That’s not a pretty picture, or flattering in any way; truth can be quite startling, often harsh on the ears.  But truth cannot be made to be a lie.  We have returned to the days of Noah, where it broke God’s heart he had ever created us![1] 

And truth is why the church matters. 

The truth of our moral collapse, and sin’s great offense in Heaven, is the reason the church exists, to worship God, AND to proclaim His great mercy and love (His light) to the nations.  This is so well declared in Ernest Nichol’s great hymn,   We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations:

We've a story to tell to the nations, that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light, a story of peace and light.

We've a song to be sung to the nations, that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil, and shatter the spear and sword, 

     and shatter the spear and sword.

 We've a message to give to the nations, that the Lord who reigneth above
has sent us His Son to save us, and show us that God is love, 

     and show us that God is love.

We've a Savior to show to the nations, who the path of sorrow has trod,
that all of the world's great peoples may come to the truth of God, 

     may come to the truth of God!

For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth, the kingdom of love and light.[2]

For You Today  

Those who believe the church is “done” have misread, or misunderstood history and the nature of God.  He loves the church, his creation, and He also loves every human who has ever drawn breath.  And He has given the church the song of His love to be sung to each generation. 

The Kingdom of Christ is coming, and nothing less than the absolute rule of Christ will count for anything when that happens.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Consider the Rock  and  I Am; You ARE!

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Genesis 6:5-6

[2] We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations, The United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville, UMC Publishing House, 1989) 569

God Blindspots

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree.  I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’  But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this.  She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery.  But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution.  Israel treated it all so lightly—she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone.  So now the land has been polluted.  But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me.  She has only pretended to be sorry.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Then the Lord said to me, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!  Therefore, go and give this message to Israel.  This is what the Lord says:  “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful.  I will not be angry with you forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt.  Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree.  Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.  I, the Lord, have spoken!  “Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord, “for I am your master.  I will bring you back to the land of Israel—one from this town and two from that family—from wherever you are scattered.  Jeremiah 3:6-14

Even the most dedicated believer has God-blindspots.  We fail to see how we slip off the narrow pathway of following as a disciple.  Distractions, failure to act on the urging of God’s Spirit, unconfessed sin, idleness, lust, greed…virtually just any of the Seven Deadly Sins can be the culprit that leads to backsliding.  When it comes to being a disciple there are only three possibilities:

1.    you are in a closer relationship, growing by learning and serving, or…

2.    you are farther away, because you choose to walk away, or…

3.    you aren’t aware that no change or growth is happening, and that you are slipping away from fellowship with God.

Now, that can happen with anyone….ANYONE!  Jeremiah said God put the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (including Jerusalem) in that second category, willfully turning their backs on God, and in danger of the third category, getting further down the path to hell with each passing day.  He added insolent pretentiousness to the charge against Judah, calling them worse sinners for pretending to be sorry for their insult to God’s holiness.  In short, their God-Blindspot had become their focal point, treacherous faithlessness towards their Lord, a comfortable mantra of self-content you hear quite often today.  It sounds like this:  Well, I’m very spiritual…I’m just not religious…organized religion turns me off.  How very deep.  It takes a very special kind of spiritual blindness to subscribe to dismissing everything God’s Word says about faithful worship and service.  To give just the CliffsNotes outline of what Jesus said…we are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength…and our neighbor in the same way.  To neglect the body of Christ (what He said we would be as we join together for worship and carrying the message and mission to the world) is to move farther away from Jesus.  No amount of claiming “spirituality” comes across as genuine in that feeble excuse.

For You Today

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ…be just that…every day, all the time.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

The Voice of the Lord and Words Matter

[1] Images:  Pixabay.com     Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©