Month: January 2019

Wednesday Morning: 16 Jan 2019 – John 4:27-45 ~ Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

Wednesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 4:27-45 (NLT)

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”

“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

Many Samaritans Believe

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
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Morning Reflection:

Today’s reading is a continuation of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. The disciples are shocked; the woman is excited; the villagers see for themselves; and many believe that Jesus truly is “the Savior of the world.”

What speaks to me is Jesus’ response to the disciples –

“Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” – John 4:35b

God’s word to me is – “I need to develop a harvest mindset.” What might that look like?

  • Look everywhere – including where I might least expect an openness to Jesus’ saving grace.
  • Take joy – in the work God has given me; whether it’s sowing seeds, or reaping a harvest.
  • Remember – God is “Lord of the Harvest” – I may work hard planting without seeing the fruit of my labor, or I may reap someone else’s harvest.

Questions for consideration:

+ Where can I begin looking today for a harvest field around me?
+ What common ground do we share, so that I can begin?
+ What do I expect as a result of my efforts?
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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Your Spirit is continually moving to renew the face of the earth. Open my eyes to the people and groups you have already prepared to receive the Good News of your love with joy and faith-filled obedience. Show me the part you want me to play, and release the fountain of your Spirit within me, that I might go about my assigned tasks with confidence and enthusiasm. I ask this in Jesus’ name – the Savior of the world. Amen.
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“The Savior of the World Has Come” – The Isaacs

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning: 15 Jan 2019 – John 4:1-26 ~ a wellspring of eternal life

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 4:1-26 (NLT)

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

He had to go through Samaria on the way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”
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Morning Reflection:

Jesus offers eternal life to everyone,
even the most unlikely people.

The Samaritan woman was surprised when the Jewish man resting by the well asked her for a drink of water. For all the reasons described by John – geographical, historical, religious and cultural – it was a most unlikely encounter between two people living worlds apart. And yet, it changed her life.

Jesus began the conversation with a simple request for water. And, when she responded with her own questions, he gently moved the conversation from physical thirst to spiritual thirst. And then Jesus zeroed in on her real problem – her unmarried cohabitation with a man after having five previous husbands. This was a women living in sin, on the margins of her own society.

“Although we thirst throughout our whole life, yet it is certain that we have not received the Holy Spirit for a single day, or for any short period, but as a perennial fountain, which will never fail us.” – John Calvin (Commentary on Psalm 63:1)

Jesus used the metaphor of “living water” to describe what he was offering her – “a perennial fountain” of eternal life. A wellspring of the Holy Spirit that would connect her with God “in spirit and truth.” What was the catch? Believing that Jesus was who he said he was – the longed for “Messiah” who had come to save her.

Questions for your consideration: Are there people around you who seem like unlikely recipients of the Good News of eternal life offered by Jesus Christ?

+ What barriers would need to be overcome to engage them in conversation?
+ Can you think of a natural point of contact to begin the conversation?
+ What metaphor could you use to describe Jesus’ offer of eternal life?
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Morning Prayer:

Loving and Merciful God: You want everyone to receive the gift of eternal life offered by your Son, Jesus Christ. Uncap within us the wellspring of the Holy Spirit that we received when we first believed. And give us the ability to recognize the endless possibilities for engaging others – even the most unlikely people – with the Good News of eternal life. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“Mighty to Save” – Hillsong United

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Monday Morning: 14 Jan 2019 – John 3:22-36 ~ I must become less and less

Monday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 3:22-36 (NLT)

Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.

At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. (This was before John was thrown into prison.) A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”

John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
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Morning Reflection:

I am filled with joy at his success.
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
~ John 3:29-30 ~

Have you ever served as a best man / maid of honor at a wedding? How did you approach your role?

+ With joy – making it the very best day possible for the bride or groom.
+ With indifference – doing what’s required, but you’d rather be someplace else.
+ With resentment – going through the motions, wishing you were getting married instead.

John chose joy. Why? Because he recognized –

+ Jesus’ greatness – the Word of God who made his home among us.
+ Jesus’ testimony – first hand, what he had seen and heard in heaven.
+ Jesus’ authority – believe, obey and receive eternal life, or not.

John chose joy in response to Jesus’ success. And it’s a choice I face every day, not publicly, but privately in my heart. In order to experience a full, satisfying life, I must decrease and Jesus must increase.

Questions for consideration:

“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom,
consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”
– John Calvin

+ Jesus’ greatness, testimony, and authority: What stands out for you?
+ Humility: What must decrease in your life, so that Jesus might increase?
+ Joy: Where in your life can you choose joy over indifference, or resentment?

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: I believe in your Son Jesus Christ, help me overcome my pride, my prejudices, my foolishness, my fears, and my outright rebellion. Expand my understanding of Jesus’ greatness and bend my will to his will. And fill me with joy when I choose to obey him, regardless of the circumstances. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“Less Of Me” – Roy Fields

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Baptism of the Lord – 13 Jan 2019 – Luke 3:15-22 ~ You bring me joy!

The Baptism of the Lord

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

Open the heavens, almighty Father, and pour out your Spirit on your people. Renew the power of our baptismal cleansing and fill us with enthusiasm for good deeds. Speak to us once again, that we may joyfully follow your beloved Son our certain hope of eternal life. Grant this through Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the splendor of eternal light, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Down In The River To Pray” – ALISON KRAUSS

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Gospel Reading: Luke 3:15-22 (NLT)

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

The Baptism of Jesus

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
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Prayers of Intercession:

Loving God, whose Spirit renews the face of the earth: send your Spirit to us today. We pray especially –

+ For all who have been baptized into your family, fill us with your Spirit that we will faithfully follow you….
+ For newly baptized believers, that they will grow in faith and understanding as they discover the gift’s of your Spirit….
+ For all baptized believers, that our lives will bear witness to your loving-kindness, mercy, and grace….
+ For all newborn babies, that their parents will shepherd them into a baptized, saving relationship with your Son, Jesus Christ….
+ For expectant mothers, and parents hoping for a baby, that their dream of a happy, healthy child will become a reality….
+ For leaders of tribes and nations, that you raise up people of faith and wisdom who will help them face the challenges of today….
+ For our friends and loved ones who have gone before us in faith, that they will rejoice as eternal citizens of your Kingdom….

Loving God, your creative Spirit renews humanity and sustains us always: hear our prayers and continue to support us by your mercy and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Baptizing my son in the Jordan River. No greater joy!” – Andres Bisonni

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Blessing –

Almighty God: Send us out in the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may follow in Jesus’ footsteps – going around doing good, healing the sick, and bringing the Good News of your great love for all people everywhere.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Saturday Morning: 12 Jan 2019 – John 3:1-21 ~ You must be born again.

Saturday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 3:1-21 (NLT)

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
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Morning Reflection:

“You need the new birth
so that you can understand and respond to spiritual truth.”
Steven J. Cole

In today’s reading, two words jumped out at me – “see” (vs 3), and “enter” (vs 5). As much as Nicodemus may want to know Jesus and the Kingdom, he remains blind to both, and is prevented from understanding, or entering, the Kingdom of God because he has not yet been “born again.”

Why? Because there is a fundamental divide between physical birth and spiritual birth. And that divide is only spanned when we are “born again,” i.e. by believing and accepting Jesus (John 1:12-13). That’s when we become “children of God”; and that’s when we become citizens of the Kingdom of God, with concurrent privileges and responsibilities.

I have sometimes quipped: “I sat in church for years, but it wasn’t until I surrendered my life to Christ that the preaching improved.” That’s when I began to understand what I was hearing and was hungry for more. That’s when I became a new creation through the power of God’s Word and Spirit.

Questions for Consideration:

+ Have you experienced new birth in Christ? If so, what has changed in your life? If not, why not? What’s preventing you? (Check out the website PeaceWithGod.net)

+ Do you have loved ones and friends who just don’t understand spiritual truths? God loves them and Jesus died for them; will you pray for them? List your top three and ask the Holy Spirit to make them new creations in Jesus Christ.
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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on us today. Continue to unfold your eternal truths to us – your unfailing love, your endless mercy, your transforming power. Open our eyes that we might recognize the reality of your Kingdom presence around us. And transform us into worthy citizens and ambassadors.

We pray today for family and friends who can’t see or understand the wonder of your love for them expressed in the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. (If someone comes to mind, mention them by name.) Have mercy on them and open their hearts to the life-giving power of your Word and Spirit.

Shine the light of your truth and grace on our lives, that we might continue to repent of our residual sins and receive your gracious forgiveness. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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“God So Loved the World” – The Choir of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen