Climbing sycamore trees ...

Hear and meditate on the word of the Lord:

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner."

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much."

Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Luke 19:1-10 – NRSV

Baptized in tears ...

You’ve heard it before; “Your faith is all pie-in-the-sky religion.”
“I want to live life. I want to live it now!”
Doesn’t that really show how much the Christian faith
Is misunderstood and misrepresented?
Yet don’t we actually behave that way, and
struggle with feeling that way ourselves?
Don’t we forget sometimes that God is here with us.
Now. In the present.
Shouldn’t that change how we live our lives?
Paul thinks so:

Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you,
please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.
God reminds us,

I heard your call in the nick of time;
The day you needed me, I was there to help.

Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped.
Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late,
throwing a question mark over everything we're doing.
Our work as God's servants gets validated — or not — in the details.
People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly
. . .
in hard times, tough times, bad times;
when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard,
working late, working without eating;
with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love;
when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power;
when we're doing our best setting things right;
when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored;
true to our word, though distrusted;
ignored by the world, but recognized by God;
terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead;
beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die;
immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy;
living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.

Dear, dear Corinthians,
I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.
We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you.
Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.
I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection.
Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Did you catch what Paul said? I know that there’s a lot, but here
Are some things that I heard:

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be saved in it;
let God redeem this day for us, and us for this day.

Since God is a just-in-time God, we need to be a just-in-time people,
ever alert to what God is doing in our world and seeking to join in.

Others aren’t watching the big things that we do, but the little ones;
And they’re watching our tough days, not just our victories –
by these they measure our virtues, our vices,
our values, and our character.

You can baptize us in tears, but our Joy in God is what fills us up.

God’s boundaries don’t fence us in; our lack of life imagination does.

May God help us all learn how to live life today.

Grace and peace,

Ron

2 Corinthians 6:1-13 - THE MESSAGE

I'm sorry ...

God, be merciful to me because you are loving. Because you are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs. Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again. I know about my wrongs, and I can't forget my sin. You are the only one I have sinned against; I have done what you say is wrong. You are right when you speak and fair when you judge. I was brought into this world in sin. In sin my mother gave birth to me.You want me to be completely truthful, so teach me wisdom.

Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you crushed be happy again. Turn your face from my sins and wipe out all my guilt. Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation. Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong, and sinners will turn back to you. God, save me from the guilt of murder, God of my salvation, and I will sing about your goodness. Lord, let me speak so I may praise you. You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them. You don't want burnt offerings. The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

Psalm 51:1-17
New Century Version

Jason

For my hope is from him ...

Hear the word of God from Psalm 62:

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person,
will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,but inwardly they curse.

Selah

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,my fortress;
I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.

Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all according to their work.
NRSV

Grace and peace,

Ron

Comforting his people

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 52:6-10 - NRSV

May God bless his people, his community.

Ron

The integrity of community

Luke wrote both a gospel and a history of the early church in his two volumes, Luke and Acts. Not only was he a gifted writer, but he was an earnest student of the Old Testament. That doesn't mean that he had to read Hebrew; like most people in the early church, his Hebrew scriptures were most likely a Greek translation called the Septuagint. Most biblical scholars believe that Luke writes his gospel so as to tell the story while keeping it in parallel with the events that happened in the first five books of the OT (the Pentateuch). He also deliberately uses OT language as he writes his books. But what does Luke have to do with Joshua?

Well, what happens in Joshua? A man named Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew [it means "salvation"], Iesous in Greek) leads God's people into a new, but long promised relationship with God. Sound familiar? In Acts, Jesus (a derivative of Joshua and the same in Greek as Joshua) leads his people through his spirit into a new, but long promised relationship with God. In both cases, community, and the holiness of that community are markers that these people are in relationship with God.

But what happens early on in the life of these new fellowships (koinonias)? Both Achan and Annanias commit an act which undermines the integrity of the fellowship. Both men are supposed to make an offering before God, but that which was supposed to be given to God is held back, and misrepresentations are made. As a matter of fact, Luke uses the same Greek verb in Acts 5.2 and 5.3 for "held back" that the translators of the Septuagint used in Josh 7 (this Greek verb is only used 3 times in the NT, and 2 of them are here in Acts 5). Not an accident.

These stories have in common sudden death: stoning in one case, and becoming as dead as a stone in the other. Their burials were also disgraceful. As for Achan, who would want a pile of rocks over them to remind everyone in perpetuity of their crime? In the case of Annanias, both he and his wife were buried swiftly and without ceremony. This is not typical of funerals of the day, any more than it would be today (the fast funerals may more closely parallel Lev 10.1-7).

OK, so what? The writers of Joshua and Luke/Acts all believe that the koinonia of God's people is so sacred that it requires God's people to passionately maintain its integrity and its unity. We will be severely tested, but we must offer whatever we offer to God with a courageous faith like that of Barnabas. To hold back is an act of faithlessness, of cowardice. Such cowardice affects not just our relationship with God, but for our relationship with the community and the community's with God. It is a unity issue. One of the few places in Acts where church growth is not described is Acts 5, and that, again, is probably not coincidental (the Israelites didn't take any land during Josh 7, either).

Achan is not so far from Annanias, who is not so far from us. Just because no one lately has been hauled to the cemetery after an offering does not mean that God has lost interest in receiving the offering that we claim we are giving.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Thirst on the edge of survival

The original "As the Deer . . ." is a great psalm:

As the deer pants for ravines of water,
So my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God;
When will I come and appear before you, O God?
My tears are my bread, day and night,
They say to me all day, "Where is your God?"
This I remember and I pour out my soul:
For I led the throng in procession
to the house of God,
With a voice ringing with joy and thanksgiving
in the tumult of the crowd.
Why are you downcast, O my soul,
and why do you mutter within me?
Hope in God, for still I will give thanks to him,
my salvation, my God.

(Ps 42.1-6 RB)

Sometimes we have the feeling that the song presents a serene, silvan setting in which this strong, noble stag pauses in his frolic to consider his thirst during the early morning hours. Instead, the psalmist presents a picture of an animal, haggard from a lengthy chase, longing for a sip of water even from a shallow puddle in the midst of the rocks, left over from the last rain. The heart of the deer is about to burst from deep within its chest. The thirst is overwhelming, and the fear is tangible. The confidence and power of this once-noble animal have been poured out.

Only God can fill this thirst.
Only God can calm this heart.
Only God can deliver his creation from its enemies.
God alone is its shelter.
God alone is salvation.

Let him be our Rock;
Let him be our living water;
May the steadfast love of the Lord
never cease to sustain us.

Trust in his grace,
find comfort in his peace.

Ron

Restoration at homecoming

Greg sends these devotional thoughts for today:

The joy of restoration may show up in our loves in many different ways. We may be restored to health, our relationship with another person may be restored, or we may be restored into communion with God. Knowing God as our restorer, as the one who sets things right in our lives, reveals this joy to us. Hear a psalm about the restoration of homecoming:

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
when God returned Zion's exiles.
We laughed, we sang,
we couldn't believe our good fortune.
We were the talk of nations -
"GOD was wonderful to them!"
GOD was wonderful to us;
we are one happy people.

And now, GOD do it again -
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
so those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.
- Psalm 126, The Message

What about God's restoration of our lives, giving us fresh starts? We often miss the joy, and opportunity to praise God, for the second chances we are afforded.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went into the temple courts, walking, and jumping, and praising God.
- Acts 3:6-8 (italics added)

Yesterday we contemplated the joy that accompanies God's forgiveness of our sins and transformation of our hearts. We noted that this transformation erases the distance between us and God, bringing us closer to the joy of Heaven. Today we will focus on the joy we find in the process of restoration by which the gap between God and us is bridged.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles,
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
- The Song of Simeon

Simeon speaks these words in Scripture when he sees Jesus for the first time (as a baby). Simeon has such joy because he has seen God's restoration of all mankind to Himself, saying "my eyes have seen your salvation".

God's restoration is good news, joyful news, because it signifies that things have been set right. Disability, disease, captivity, broken relationships, and sin may threaten to overwhelm us, but God will restore us. We may walk through the valley now for a time, but we will be restored to God, and thus completely restored when we pass from this world to the next. None of these factors has the last word on our lives, because God is a fixer, someone who makes things whole again. We cannot ruin our lives forever, because God will take us back, and will restore us if we depend on him whole-heartedly.

In fact, the joy of restoration is, at is heart, the joy of being made whole. God makes us whole again by healing relationships, mending broken hearts, saving from sin. He brings us back to what we originally were - what we were intended to be. This is causing for rejoicing!

May you know the joy of healing and of restoration today.

The joy of forgiveness

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me

- Psalm 51:7-12

One of the deepest sources of joy in this life is God's forgiveness, and the work that He does in our hearts to purify us. This joy is unquenchable, insatiable, all-consuming. We experience joy and thankfulness because God's transformation of our souls changes us. It permeates us completely, down to the very fabric of who we are. Our identity becomes one of joy and gratitude to Him who makes us pure, clean, and holy.

Lord and Source of All Gifts,
we rejoice in the fullness of your holy generosity.
We thank you especially now
for the gift of change,
the gift of newness
that opens doors closed by habit and routine.
...

We thank you, O End of all Longing,
for the capacity for change in our lives
for without change
there can be no real growth
and no true life.

- excerpt from Edward Hays

God's process of remaking us into new people is a fountain of joy and hope. This transformation brings us into a closer relationship with Christ, which brings us nearer to the greatest joy of all: dancing in the presence of our Father for eternity in Heaven.

There's nowhere else that I'd rather be
than dancing with you as you sing over me
There's nothing else that I'd rather do,
Lord, than to worship you

- song of worship

What joy is evident in these words! Having cleansed us and made us pure, God welcomes us to His home, where we find our ultimate fulfillment. There is nothing else I'd rather do ... Just think on that.

Thank you Lord
for shaping and molding us
for refining us by fire
into what you made us to be

Thank you for washing us
with your blood
in order to renew our hearts
so that we may spend eternity with you
knowing joy without end

We rejoice because you have saved us
We sing for joy because you have rescued us out of our pit
We shout jubilantly in thanks for your awesome works
Thank you for changing us, O Lord,
Our Rock and our Redeemer

Smile and be glad today, because you are not who you once were. God has purified our hearts, so that He could wrap us in His arms forever. May you have joy in the knowledge that God has remade you!

Wickedness and holiness

This week, Greg Steele has prepared our devotional thoughts.

I wish now to review in memory my past wickedness and the carnal corruptions of my soul--not because I still love them, but that I may love thee, O my God. For love of thy love I do this, recalling in the bitterness of self-examination my wicked ways, that thou mayest grow sweet to me, thou sweetness without deception! Thou sweetness happy and assured! Thus thou mayest gather me up out of those fragments in which I was torn to pieces, while I turned away from thee, O Unity, and lost myself among "the many."
- Augustine, Confessions

Guilt, and the confession which it brings forth, are means by which we come to understand God's commitment to us in the context of our sin. Admitting and examining our own iniquity points us directly to God's long-suffering love, which welcomes us back in spite of our wrong-doing.

Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes - the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.
- Nehemiah 9:32-33

Confession, the admission of guilt, draws us to God. Recognizing our stains pulls us toward the only one who can wash them. Rather than trying to avoid or downplay our guilt, we identify it and call out to God to rectify it. Being drawn to God, we depend on the faithfulness of His commitment to us. We have done wrong, but His word still stands.

Guilt is not something to be afraid, but rather an integral part of the transformative process of salvation. Guilt, articulated in confession, recognizes who God is and who we are in relation. Confessing the sin that separates us draws us closer to our Savior, and enables us to become more like Him.

Lord, we have sinned, and betrayed you
We have wandered from you, but you have never left us
Forgive us, Lord
We have dug our own graves, apart from you
But please remember your covenant of forgiveness and of love
Do not leave us to our mistakes
Rather, please rescue us, that we may know your love
Your love, which is greater than all our mistakes Amen

Let us be drawn to God even in our struggles, that we may also participate in His holiness. May Christ move you today.

Greg