Life This Side of Heaven

Photographers point out a common dilemma called “focus hunting.”  It's likely you've experienced when you pulled out your camera or held up your smartphone to take a picture. However, it's not just a problem for shutterbugs.  Here in Romans, Paul brings out attention to a spiritual difficulty that's very similar.  It surrounds the issue of suffering. However, what he says next will help to clear things up and keep the big picture before us.

In Psalm 136, says, "His steadfast love endures forever." He states this again, and again – in every single verse, 26 times in all.  Is that too much?  Wouldn't once be enough?  You may be thinking, “I get it.”  But can you ever hear this too often?

Your earth father may not have been loving or caring. You may have even spent a lifetime in vain trying to win his favor and approval. As a result, you may struggle when comes to addressing God in prayer as "Our Father." If this is true for you, then you're going to want to hear what Paul has to say in this text.  It will change the way you pray forever.

Using a familiar, but often overlooked, part of agricultural life, God points out important realities for you and me to keep in mind whenever we share the Gospel. There are days when we may wonder if sharing the Gospel with those we love makes any difference. However, confident that God loves those with whom we share the Gospel, just as much as He loves us, we're blessed to share His powerful Word that is powerfully at work.

The image that Jesus shares with us in this beloved passage may seem detached from the challenges we face in our current situation and what's going on in our lives today.  However, it would be a mistake for you and me to pass off these words as quaint advice for a quieter, sepia tone time in the past.  Our Savior's invitation, here in Matthew, is to all who are weary and worn out.  He's not referring simply to the demands of that time.  This includes all of us whose strength is sapped by the demanding load that's resting on our shoulders today. Episode art by Anna from Eagle, WI, USA, CC BY 2.0

If you're tempted to think of the Christian life as defined only by moments of triumph then chances are good you feel out of place at church and wonder if you really belong. When you stumble and fall, you may even question whether you're a fraud or a failure. But there's a reason that the Holy Spirit led the apostle to record these words in Romans for you and me to hear.

In Psalm 145, David gives thanks that you and I have a God who catches us when we fall and lifts us up.  It's a celebration of God's faithfulness and mercy. It's a useful reminder that this is how God's heart is predisposed toward us. However, that loving response may happen according to our timing or take the form that we expect.

The directions that Jesus gave His disciples for following Him sound counterintuitive.  Losing yourself, or more specifically, losing your life, sounds like the exact opposite of the path to take.  In this section of the Gospel, Jesus was preparing to send out the disciples to the lost sheep of Israel.  What He shared with them, and the warning He passes along to us, sounds shocking but it's important. And it comes with a remarkable promise.

When someone tries to deceive us and blind us from seeing the truth of the situation, they're described as “pulling the wool over our eyes.”  Here in Romans, Paul pulls back the wool back from our eyes, “in order that” as he puts it “sin might be recognized as sin.”  Instead of trying to convince ourselves sin isn't that big a deal, we flee for refuge to His infinite mercy, seeking and imploring His grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When God dispatched Jeremiah to warn that nation against danger, it wasn't because He enjoys delivering bad news.  It's because He wanted them to wake up and take evasive action to avoid the crash to come. Peace doesn't come by barreling through life asleep with our eyes closed to sin.  Peace comes through faith our Savior who has taken our sins away.

“I'm with Stupid."  Who wants to stand beside the guy wearing this on his shirt? In 1 Corinthians, Paul says, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.”  The world wears a shirt which says, “I'm with stupid,” and the arrow points to you and me. That may tempt us to hide who we are and blend in so as not to be noticed. But take a look, instead, at what God has given us to wear and the message He has given us to share!

“God is my refuge and my fortress!”  If you're like me, your imagination soars to images of a medieval castle!  So, why does the Psalmist then describe features here that seem inconsistent with this picture?  He goes on to describe birds, wings and feathers!  At first, it seems like a mistake, a mixed metaphor, a holy hodgepodge of images.  But take a closer look.  There's more here than meets the eye.

Living as a Christian is this fallen world may feel like you're caught between a rock and hard place.  Some may snicker and suggest you're dim for believing in Jesus and going to church.  And, as a result, you may have told yourself that it's easier to simply not make any reference to God in conversation or explain why you're busy on Sunday mornings.  Who needs the grief? But consider that for a moment.  It may not be God that we're having the struggle with.  It may be our understanding of what He's given us to share.

Studies have revealed that the idealized selfies we take, through the filters on our phones, can have a negative impact upon how we see ourselves.  And having an unrealistic image of the disciples can do the same.  But take an unfiltered look at the twelve.  It reveals a clearer picture of our Savior's amazing grace and what it means to follow Him.

What God has done, in sending His Son to be our Savior, is such great news that Paul wants you to know it. There's no hidden catch in the fine print.  Here's why he takes such care in this section of Romans to proclaim it boldly so that there's no mistake about it.

With arms stretched out on the cross, and with His dying breath Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.”  But those are not famous last words.  That's good news. Have a listen to today's devotion and find out why.

When an ambulance pulls up, crowds gather, with folks watching and praying that the paramedics will bring aid to someone in distress. They don't usually ask them why they came? Which begs the question:  “Why did the Pharisees question what Jesus was doing as they found Him in the midst of tax collectors and 'sinners'”?

In Romans, Paul describes Abraham as "the father of us all." However, his purpose in telling this isn't to say, “Take a look at Abraham's amazing faith.”  He's telling us, “Take a look at God's amazing promise.”  He wants us to realize that you and I have a God who keeps every remarkable promise He has made – including our redemption from sin and eternal salvation in Christ. Episode Art courtesy of State Farm, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

There was nothing pretty about Judah and their practices and plight. As you hear Hosea describe God's love for His wayward and unfaithful, the only thing that made it possible was pure grace.  Remarkably, it's the same grace that God has brought to our relationship with Him.

In English, we hear that Jesus has promised to be with us – always.  It's hard to imagine how it could get more comforting than that.  And Greek has a great word for always.  However, Jesus didn't use that word here.  Instead of one word, Jesus actually used three.  Literally, what He said was, “I am with you all the days.”  It means the same thing but take a look at how it sharpens the focus of what Jesus said and makes this promise even more wonderful!

Here in Matthew, Jesus assembled the disciples shortly before His ascension and gave them a now familiar call to action.  It sounds like four commands but it's actually just one – to “make disciples.”  In Greek, it's the only imperative in these two verses.  But our Savior used three participles to explain how it's done. Here's how God grows His Church.  Here's how the Holy Spirit makes Christians.

What's the difference between doubt and disbelief?  Matthew tells us that Jesus assembled the disciples together before blessing them and then ascending before their eyes into heaven, “When they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted.” You and I live in a time in which doubt and disbelief are thought to be the same, but they're actually quite different. As the disciples discovered, while the Good News of salvation in our risen Savior seems too good to be true, they were astonished to discover that it's true nonetheless!

John tells us that “on the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said something which would certainly have drawn a lot of attention.  He described a source of water that was, and is, limitless!  He announced, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” On this day our Savior announced rivers of water – not the kind that bring destruction and flooding, but the beneficial rain of His mercy that brings life.

It's remarkable to hear how Artificial Intelligence is helping with the task of translating God's Word into different languages. It makes you wonder what the folks in Jerusalem, who were present on the day of Pentecost, would think about the advances of AI. God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples and, as they proclaimed what God had done, we hear that "each one heard them speaking in His own language.” However, what took place at Pentecost was more a miracle of translation.  What followed is a miracle that continues to take place even today.

This Sunday, the Church celebrated the Festival of Pentecost.  It's the day that God poured out His Holy Spirit just as Jesus had promised.  It's hard to overestimate the blessings that we've received in this wonderful event. When the apostle says, the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” he's not talking about some impersonal cosmic force or some kind of galactic energy. He's talking about a real person – the third person of the Trinity, who with the Father and the Son is one God – our God whose love and mercy is real and personal.

With Jesus' ascension, it's tempting to imagine that He's far away in heaven.  We may dream wistfully of what it would be like to see Him in a video call.  Like online chat, we may yearn for that day when our Savior is right here with us, in person.  But listen again to the remarkable reminder that Jesus Himself has given to us.  And take a closer look at what took place at His ascension.

Since Mark tells us that “He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God,” it would seem easy to assume that any contact we have with Him now would have to be considered “long distance.”  But if that were true you could be sure the disciples would have been muttering among themselves, crying their eyes out, and looking to restore a lost signal with their Savior.  Instead, Luke tells us, “They worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”  And here's why.

Did you know that this Thursday marks a number of significant historical events?   They're not marked on your calendar and it's doubtful anyone will notice. However, the changes they have brought about in your life cannot be underestimated. And there's one event, in particular, that tops them all. On Thursday, it will have been forty days since we gathered in worship on Easter morning and celebrated the resurrection of our Savior. On that day Jesus took the disciples with Him up onto a mountain.  And after He had blessed them they watched as He ascended bodily into heaven.  All this week we're going to take a closer look at what this means for us and for our salvation.  We're going to see the concrete ways it impacts our life each and every day right now.

When it comes to our sins there are those transgressions where the guilt just seem to linger. They remain deeply embedded in our memories and leave our consciences soiled in guilt and shame.  Even after having confessed them to God, and heard His absolution, we still may struggle to feel completely clean.  Here's why Peter wants you to hear why the washing you've received in your Baptism isn't like the kind that comes with soap.

Where do you begin when it comes to sharing your faith?  And what does Peter means when he tells us, “Always be prepared?”  On the surface it sounds as if he's warning us that a pop quiz is coming and we'd better be ready.  But have a listen again to what he says and the context in which he says it.  It's not as frightening as it sounds.  In fact, it's pretty exciting.

That person with whom you want to share the Gospel, your spouse, the friend with whom you enjoy coffee on Wednesday mornings, your next-door neighbor or coworker, may think that they already know everything there is to know about Him.  They're not expecting you to tell them anything that they haven't already heard.  So, don't be surprised if they seem bored, or even dismissive.  Is that discouraging?  Sure it is.  But it also presents us with a tremendous opportunity that's took good to pass up!

There aren't many houses that have generated interest more than the one Jesus describes here in John. It's hard to imagine a home that has created more buzz and discussion than the one our Savior describes as “My Father's house.” And needless to say, it sends our imaginations soaring …but not always in the right direction.

Did you know that you've been given the opportunity to do something even greater than the astronauts aboard the Artemis II launch to the moon? If that sounds remarkable, then just wait until you hear what Jesus has promised here in John's Gospel. As Jesus was preparing the disciples for the Ascension, and His return to the Father, the sharing of this news was about to be launched to a whole new level.

Here in 1 Peter, the apostle describes our hunger for God's Word, and likens it to thirst for milk.  However, he encourages us to crave it “like newborn babies.”  What's the difference?  While as adults it's tempting to think of milk as a snack, or something to have on the side at dinner, newborn babies make a whole meal of it!

What does Jesus mean to “have life and have it abundantly”?  The Greek adverb our Savior uses to describe it means “surpassing, superior, extraordinary.”  It's life at its very best.  It sounds pretty good!   But, what does this life look like?

When it comes to modern Christian art on the internet, there's almost no end to pictures of our Savior, and images depicting Christian life.  However, many of them can only be described as, well …  “upside down.” Thankfully, in John's Gospel Jesus describes Himself, and has given us a beautiful picture of our salvation, in His portrait of the Good Shepherd. Piet Mondrian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to our church buildings, furnaces to be fixed, roofs need to be replaced and parking lots that need to be paved.  If we're not careful, the emphasis can move from the Word and Sacraments to paint swatches and carpet colors. But when you strip it all away, what matters is what Luke describes here in this remarkable verse in Acts.

During dark times we struggle. And in our weakness, we may feel as if we've been abandoned by God. However, we have a risen and living Savior who comes to us in the midst of our struggles to share the victory of Easter.  Christ isn't simply standing by to greet us in heaven when we die.  He's with us right now and He reveals His grace, strength and presence in two remarkable ways. Episode Artwork: Jan van 't Hoff of Gospelimages.com. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.

Have you ever dumped two jigsaw puzzles into the same box?  What a mess!  Unless you sit down and carefully sort out the pieces nothing is going to make any sense when you try to put it all together. Ultimately, you're left with only confusion, frustration and disappointment.  That's certainly what two of Jesus' followers were experiencing on the after of that first Easter. Trying to mix our own misconceptions with what we think Jesus should do for us often also leads to a jumbled picture of what God actually sent Him to accomplish. In love, Jesus clears up this picture by leading us back to Scriptures and the fulfillment of His promises at the cross and empty tomb of Easter.

Have you ever found yourself disappointed with God?  There are times when the events we experience in life may leave us so shook up that we're left scratching our heads and confused.  A traumatic event may leave us so crushed that it causes us to step back and question what we know about God. If you can relate to these feelings, then you have an idea of what confront the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Their hopes in Jesus appeared to be dashed. Join us all this week as we take a deeper look how our patient and loving Savior directed them to where they could find the answers.

John tells us that on the day of our Savior's resurrection, Jesus showed Himself alive to the disciples.  But then he tells us that, “Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!'”  Imagine Thomas walking into a room full of jubilant disciples and asking, “What did I miss?” All has been recorded so that, through faith, you and I won't miss –even a minute– what a joy and assurance it is to have a risen and living Savior! Episode Art: Andrey Mironov, CC BY-SA 4.0

In recent years, this expression, "according to sources," has become a means of announcing information that may not have been verified but, instead, is based hearsay and unsubstantiated claims.  So, when Paul announces that the news he is sharing with us is, as he puts it, “of first importance,” it's not wrong to want assurance that what he's telling us is based on fact.  After all, our eternal salvation depends on it.  And happily, that's exactly what the apostle does.

If you're like me, you may have enjoyed seeing the successful Artemis II mission. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called the voyage “a perfect mission.” However, it's worth noting how many obstacles stood in the way of the mission's success. We have just celebrated Easter and continue to rejoice in our Savior's resurrection. No matter how great the obstacles in your life, that would make it appear impossible for Jesus to bring His salvation to you, He has overcome them all. Episode Art: William Hole, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Matthew tells us that that when the women saw our risen Savior, alive before them, “They clasped His feet and worshipped Him.”  With all that was taking place this detail may sound incidental but it's not.  It tells us a lot about what it means that you and I have a risen Savior, how we worship Him, and even gives us a glimpse of something to which you and I can now look forward.

“Why are you crying?”  What a remarkable question!  It's the first thing that our risen Savior said as He greeted Mary on Easter morning. Tears are an important part of this narrative. However, this first question finds its focus with the follow-up question that came next, "Who is it you are looking for?” Episode Art: Giuseppe Calì, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Easter! Yesterday, in church, you and I also heard the wonderful news.  Unlike the disciples, we have the blessing of knowing what the disciples would soon discover.  Jesus had risen from the dead.  Nevertheless, staring into the empty tomb, they didn't fully appreciate the magnitude of what it meant that the tomb was empty.  But, as remarkable as it may sound, neither do a many Christians today. And they're missing out on tremendous comfort that our Savior wants us all to have. It's makes all the difference when you visit the cemetery. With sins forgiven and death defeated we have everlasting life with God right now. But there's more, much more!  And Jesus wants you to know it.

Last Christmas, we celebrated the birth of our Savior.  We rejoice to confess that “For us, and for our salvation He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”  In other words, Jesus, the royal Son of God, put on the uniform of our flesh and blood and joined our ranks. And in all the events that followed, culminating with His crucifixion for us on Good Friday, you see not only the reason for it and what He accomplished, but also His unmistakable love for you.

False claims, that Jesus never said He is God, get repeated in the media every year in the lead up to Easter. Coincidence?  I don't think so.  You can be sure the adversary wants you to believe this is all just one big April Fool's joke. But, if Jesus was just another man, another prophet, you can be sure that no one, let alone the ruling council before whom Jesus appeared, wouldn't have been worked up about it.  And if Jesus was just another wise teacher then there would no reason to celebrate Easter at all this coming weekend. But the great joy that's ours is that God Himself has come down from heaven, to redeem us from our sins and bring us eternal life. Episode Art from VideoBible.com as distributed under Creative Commons via FreeBibleImages.com)

Can you tell the difference between a parade and a protest?  That question may sound silly.  Even small children can tell one from the other.  Were there some among the crowd who misunderstood this truth?  Sure, just as there are those today who seek to co-op the message of the Gospel and turn it into little more than a political statement. But this was a festal parade!  This was worship. And on this day, we join with that happy throng that greeted Jesus knowing that God had sent Him to rescue them from their sins.

It's an unexpected scene that comes at the end of a movie … the very end.  It comes after all of the credits have rolled. All of a sudden, the screen lights up and there's one more scene.  And in that scene is the set up for a future story line, a sequel, an eye-opening glimpse of what's coming next.  With the raising of Lazarus, God gave Martha, and us, a joyous glimpse of what's to come.

In a criminal trial, the jury is charged with determining a defendant's guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.  It's the kind of trial made famous by such characters as Perry Mason on TV.  It's the type of trial where the judge then asks the foreman of the jury,  “Have you reached a verdict?”   Here in Romans, a verdict is about to be read.  However, in this case, we're not seated on the jury.  We're the one whose life hangs in the balance.  But before we get to that, let's back up and review the case. Episode Art:  Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons