In step

[RiverOL]

The Power of Tears
"As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.'"1

Walter Wangerin in his book, The Manger Is Empty, "has a wonderful story, called 'Matthew, Seven, Eight, and Nine' about how he tried to stop his son Matthew from stealing comic books. He tried various uses of the law over several years and continued to fail. Finally, he resorted to something he rarely used: a spanking. He did it deliberately, almost ritualistically, and he was so upset when he finished that he left the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went in to Matthew and hugged him.

"A number of years later, Matthew and his mother were doing some general reminiscing, and Matthew happened to bring up the time when he kept stealing comic books. 'And you know why I finally stopped?' he asked. 'Sure,' she said, 'because Dad finally spanked you.' 'No!' replied Matthew, 'No, because Dad cried.'"2

When Jesus' friend, Lazarus, died, the Bible records that Jesus wept.3 And, today, when you and I suffer, and when people reject him, Jesus still cares and grieves deeply just as he did over the death of Lazarus, and as he did over the people in Jerusalem in his day when they rejected his offer of eternal salvation.

Frank E. Graeff, the hymn writer, asked, "Does Jesus care when my heart is pained / Too deeply for mirth and song / As the burdens press and the cares distress / And the way grows weary and long? O yes, he cares; I know He cares / His heart is touched with my grief / When the days are weary, the long nights dreary / I know my Savior cares."

Yes, dear reader, Jesus cares about you and longs that you will come to him with all you heartaches, and especially that you will come to him for the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. If you have not received God's forgiveness and his gift of eternal life, for help be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian—without having to be religious," at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you know and understand me more than anyone else ever could, and that you care deeply for me. Please help me to grasp the fullness of your love and concern and learn to trust in you implicitly no matter what. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

The Time of your Life
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
As we continue this month’s theme of simplicity, we focus this week on simplicity in how we use our time. We are each given seven twenty four hour periods in which we will sleep, work, eat, play and do all kinds of other things in between. This week we will look at how we can manage our time, be generous with our time and make the most of the time we have. You might want to use this as an opportunity to reflect on how wisely you use the time you have. Here are two good questions to help you think about time:

1. What you should do less?
2. What you should do more?

Reflect on these two questions in the context of your work, home and family commitments, social life, recreation and service to others. You might be drawn to making some specific changes to simplify your time.

Read:
Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.
You have always been God—
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.

At your command we die
and turn back to dust,
but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.
You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.

We are merely tender grass
that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.
Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
Psalm 90.1-6, 12

Reflect:
Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, reflects on the grandeur of God and eternity, and our limited time on earth. Moses wrote in an age that was more willing to put life into perspective and discuss themes like death and eternity. This Psalm was often read at a burial. It addresses big questions about how we will use our time wisely, where our priorities lie, what is really important and worthwhile.

Respond:
Take time to reflect on this Psalm. In the light of these words, what is most important to you? How is God inviting you to use your time? What is necessary? What might be unnecessary?

Midday Meditation:
“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.”
(Dallas Willard)

Evening Reflection:
I am bending my knee
in the Eye of the Father, who created me,
in the Eye of the Son, who purchased me,
in the Eye of the Spirit, who cleansed me.
By your own Anointed One, O God,
bestow upon us fullness in our need.

Love towards God, the affection of God, the smile of God,
the wisdom of God, the grace of God, the fear of God,
and the will of God to do on the world of the Three
as angels and saints do in heaven;
each shade and light, each day and night,
each time in kindness, give us your Spirit.

 

[RiverOL]

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
"When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come. But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused. Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out"1

"Douglas Bernstein, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, recently asked faculty members for the 'most unusual, bizarre and amazing student excuses' they had ever heard. He got dozens." Following are a few:

"An old favorite, but one professor's class established some sort of record when 14 out of 250 students reported their grandmothers' deaths just before final exams. In another class a student reported that he could not take the mid-term because his grandmother had died. When the instructor expressed condolences a week later, the student replied, 'Oh, don't worry. She was terminal, but she's feeling much better now.'

"I had an accident, the police impounded the car, and my paper is in the glove compartment."

"I can't be at the exam because my cat is having kittens, and I'm her coach."

"I need to take the final early because the husband of the woman I'm seeing is threatening to kill me."2

Excuses go all the way back to Adam and Eve who said when they blew it, "The devil made me do it." Yeah. Right!
Sir Walter Scott put it realistically when he wrote, "Oh, what tangled webs we weave / When first we practice to deceive."

Of one thing we can be sure. God sees all and knows all. We can never deceive him. There will be no excuses when we stand before him on our final examination day, "As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."3 To make sure you are prepared for your final exam be sure to read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" online at: http://tinyurI.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please deliver me from the self-deception of excuses. Help me always to tell the truth and accept responsibility for my foul-ups. And above all, help me to admit and confess to you all my failures and sins and seek your forgiveness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Chasing the Wind
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I said to myself, “Have fun and enjoy yourself!” But this didn’t make sense. Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do? I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself. I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards. I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees. And I had pools where I could get water for the trees. I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves.

I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem. Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure. I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise. I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work. Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
Ecclesiastes 2.1-11

Reflect:
In Ecclesiastes, the author reflects on big life issues. Here he experiments with trying to find satisfaction through various pleasures – some of them sensual (alcohol and women) and some of them achievements and possessions (buildings and livestock). He concludes that pleasure does not satisfy and life is meaningless apart from God. Without God, nothing fulfils, nothing satisfies, nothing delivers. Our time on earth without God will be simply restlessness.

Respond:
As you reflect on these ancient words, do they resonate for you today?

Midday Meditation:
Apart from the Apostles and other New Testament writers, no other writer has affected the lives of Christians as much as Augustine of Hippo. Before his conversion, he experienced a desperate search for fulfillment and meaning. Later, as a Christian, he was able to pen these famous words:
“Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”
(Augustine, Confessions)

Evening Reflection:
You, Lord, are the light
that keeps me safe.
I am not afraid of anyone.
You protect me,
and I have no fears.

Brutal people may attack
and try to kill me,
but they will stumble.
Fierce enemies may attack,
but they will fall.

Armies may surround me,
but I won’t be afraid;
war may break out,
but I will trust you.

I ask only one thing, Lord:
Let me live in your house
every day of my life
to see how wonderful you are
and to pray in your temple.
(Psalm 27.1-4)

 

[RiverOL]

Grabbing Some Solitude

. . . he would withdraw to desolate places and pray—Luke 5:16

Why are we men so bad at solitude? Our king did it quite well. As a man, Jesus knew his limitations. He understood his need to connect with his father—to his guidance and power. He knew how good that connection was. He wants us to know too. If it’s so good, though, why do we struggle? Well, it’s a little because we’re busy. Solitude is hard when you’re working and/or married and/or have kids and/or have friends. And, it’s a little because we’re not well practiced. Our culture trains us for motion and multitasking—not for slowing and simplifying. And it’s a little because, deep down, we know solitude means confrontation. You see, solitude removes distractions and leaves us, for a few minutes, alone with God the Holy Spirit. Solitude is sometimes defined as being alone, but we aren’t. The Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). God’s right there. And we never know what might happen when we’re alone with God. He might ask us to stop something we don’t want to stop or start something we don’t want to start. He might. He does that (Hebrews 12:5). But if we avoid his confrontation, we’ll miss his companionship, counsel, comfort, restoration, and rescue. So, we must take courage. We must not worry that we don’t yet do it well. And, we must make solitude a priority, just as Jesus did.

Start small. Find something that works for you. Turn off devices and take a walk at work—at lunchtime or during a break. Get some air in your neighborhood after dinner. Slip outside just before bed and sit quietly in the dark. And, if you’re ready for more, take a half-day or full-day or overnight solo trip into the outdoors.

 

[RiverOL]

The Need for Speed
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honour me.”
Psalm 46.10

Reflect:
In other translations of this Psalm we are invited to ‘be still and know that I am God.’ Stillness is a problem for us. Stillness amounts to time wasting. Stillness is unproductive. We are obsessed by a need to be busy and hurry. We so easily cram too much into our lives and rush from one task to another. In the process we miss the moment. We can’t love people in a hurry; we can’t connect with God in a hurry. We need moments in our day to ‘calm down and learn that he is God.’

Respond:
Find ways to slow down today. Walk more slowly, do one thing at a time, schedule in breaks between appointments, drive in the slow lane, listen and engage in conversations, eat slowly. Perhaps tonight you could read, listen to music, or enjoy conversation rather than watch TV, skim Facebook or catch up on all your texts?

Midday Meditation:
‘If superficiality was the curse of the modern age, then distraction is the curse of the post-modern age.’
(Richard J. Foster)

Evening Reflection:
Spend some time in silence. Just sit still for ten to fifteen minutes and reflect on your day.

 

[RiverOL]

The Impact of One Faithful Witness
Jesus said, "You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere."1

You may have read about "layman Edward Kimball who gathered the nerve to witness and win the soul of a young shoe salesman named D.L. Moody to Christ. D.L. Moody went on to become one of the greatest evangelists of his day. But, do you know the rest of the story? D.L. Moody went to England and worked a profound change in the ministry of F.B. Meyer. F.B. Meyer, with his new evangelistic fervor, influenced J. Wilbur Chapman. Chapman helped in the ministry of converted baseball player Billy Sunday, who had a profound impact upon Mordacai Ham. And Mordacai Ham, holding a revival in North Carolina, led Billy Graham to Christ. And the man who started it all was a layman, Edward Kimball, who took seriously Christ's commission to be a witness in his world."2

And we all know the incredible way God has used Billy Graham to reach millions of people worldwide with the gospel.

You and I are not too likely to ever become a Billy Sunday or a Billy Graham, but every single one of us can be an "Edward Kimball" witness for Christ.

As the hymn writer so eloquently said, "When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus we'll sing and shout the victory." And how wonderful it will also be to meet the ones who are in heaven because of your and my witness for Jesus. Only heaven will reveal who these ones are.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available for you to use … please make me usable and use me today and every day to be an effective witness for you and to be 'as Jesus' in some way to every life I touch. And grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Keeping Company with Jesus
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Each morning you listen
to my prayer,
as I bring my requests to you
and wait for your reply.

Every day, you are kind,
and at night
you give me a song
as my prayer to you,
the living Lord God.
(Psalm 5.3 & Psalm 42.8)

Reflect:
Throughout Scripture, we see people praying throughout the day - Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6.10), David prayed seven times a day (Psalm 119.164), Jesus and the Jewish people of his day prayed at set hours throughout the day. The practice of praying at set times throughout the day quickly became part of the early church’s rhythm. Let’s not be intimidated by this: few of us are able to pray at all these different times throughout our days. But let’s be encouraged to try and spend more of our time with God during this day. Even if life is busy and time is short, try to keep company with Jesus.

Respond:
In addition to any usual prayer routine, try and connect with God throughout the day. Set your alarm if that helps to remind you. You may want to read the Bible, you might just want to close your eyes and be quiet for a couple of minutes. But try and do it as often as possible today.

Midday Meditation:
‘This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.’
(Martin Luther)

Evening Reflection:
‘The gospel life is something we become as God does his work of creation and salvation in us and as we accustom ourselves to a life of belief and obedience and prayer.’

 

[RiverOL]

Overcoming Fear
"But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?"1

Fear is unquestionably a problem common to all. Somebody has said that there are 365 "fear nots" [or the equivalent thereof]* in the Bible—one for every day of the year!

Healthy fear is a God-given emotion. Without it we would get into all sorts of dangerous situations. We rightly fear, or should fear, driving through a red light or walking alone at night (or in broad daylight) in a dangerous area. If we don't, we're out of touch with reality.

The fears that give us problems are those that cause anxiety, sleepless nights, give us ulcers, cause us to fail in our relationships and in our work, etc., etc.

On the surface these fears may seem to be irrational. Usually they're not in the sense that they have their roots in past frightening or traumatic experiences. Even a dog, if it has been abused by a human in the past, will be afraid of humans—so will people.

So how do we overcome our fears?

First, like David, we need to trust in the Lord and seek his guidance to find the help we need to resolve our fears.

Second, if our fear is caused by a traumatic experience in childhood or in the past, very often skilled therapy is needed so the root cause can be resolved and trust restored.

Whether God heals us directly or through a counselor doesn't matter. The important thing is that we choose to trust God and ask him to give us the courage to face our fears-and lead us to the help we need to overcome them. As King David said, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."

When I am afraid, I keep quoting David who also said, "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do unto me?"2

May our trust be stronger than our doubts and our love greater than our fears—for the God who brought us this far will not desert us now.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the courage to get in touch with and face all my fears so I don't set myself up to fail. And please lead me to the help I need to overcome them so I can honestly say with David, 'I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.'2 Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT).
2. Psalm 118:6 (NIV).
3. Psalm 34:4.

 

[RiverOL]

Time To Give
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Remember this saying,
“A few seeds make
a small harvest,
but a lot of seeds make
a big harvest.”
Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.
2 Corinthians 9.6-8

Reflect:
Whilst this chapter in Corinthians focuses specifically on money – the principles here also apply to all of our resources, including our time. In the kingdom of God, we recognise that everything we have belongs to God and we are simply stewards of our resources, called to share the gifts we have been given. Many people give regularly to their church and other charities financially, but struggle to give their time.

Respond:
Is it harder for you to give time than to write a cheque? How can you be generous with your time for the benefit of other people and for God’s kingdom?

Midday Meditation:
‘If you give God your time, he multiplies it. If you give him your money or energy, he multiplies those, too. As I’ve mentioned here before, it’s like planting seeds. Farmers know that seeds must be sacrificed by being buried in the ground; they must be given away to do any good.’
(Rick Warren)

Evening Reflection:
‘Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous ones. And for all your love's sake. Amen.’

 

[RiverOL]

What You Love to Do? Do That!

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life . . . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace—Matthew 11:28-29

We’re all built by the same creator. And we’re built by him to “come home,” every so often. This coming home is integral to the lives we're meant to live. God’s built us to need, and to receive, his loving care. He’s built us to be restored, by him. (Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 11:28). The thing is, many of us men don't know how to come home. We’re each designed to do it uniquely, so it takes some discovery. Few of us do that. If we do discover how, though, and if we begin to come home regularly, we live in a condition of abundance. We get filled up—and are able to overflow onto others, onto spouses, children, friends, people in need. We are able to give, for we’ve first received. We’re able to love and serve as we were meant to. We’re able to be who we were created to be and to do the work we were created to do. If we neglect the task of discovery, if we fail to learn how to come home, we operate instead in a condition of depletion. We tend to try to pull what we (think we) need from other people. We tend to try to take from them, rather than overflow onto them.

Make a list of ten to twenty things—things you truly love doing. Avoid obligations or things you “love” because other people might think you’re cool for doing them. List things that move your heart, calm your heart, or make it beat fast. List things that restore you, excite you, connect you to God, things that allow you to truly worship him in the doing. Once you have your list, commit to inserting your things generously into your daily, weekly, monthly calendar.

 

[RiverOL]

Time Out
Morning Encounter:
Read:
After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught. But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.” They left in a boat for a place where they could be alone.
Mark 6.30-32

Reflect:
It’s a hugely busy time for Jesus and the disciples; they are surrounded by crowds of people who have vast needs. Jesus sees the need for time alone to rest instead of constantly giving out. Jesus could have spent all of his time with the sick, the poor and the outcasts and yet we read of his commitment to time apart, alone with his Father. Jesus had boundaries with people and time apart from people; time for work and time for rest.

Respond:
Do you need to introduce some boundaries to help you manage time? Perhaps today you need to say no to some things. Reflect on your current lifestyle – is there something you need to do less of (for example, social commitments) or something you need to do more of (like sleep)?

Midday Meditation:
‘Every human being must have boundaries in order to have successful relationships or a successful performance in life.’
(Dr Henry Cloud)

Evening Reflection:
The Jewish day begins at sundown. There’s something profoundly accurate about starting out with winding down. If we are to take our part in God’s story, we must first begin with the full-being dependence of him which is signaled by surrender to our need for sleep. If we are to act in God’s Kingdom, we must first stop being active. If we are to “go and do,” we must also develop the habit of treating our bodies according to how God has made us.’

 

[RiverOL]

Guilt Be Gone
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."1

The story is told about the old-time circuit-riding preacher who was visited by three men. They came to confess to him that twenty years before they had loaded his horse and buggy with a load of heavy rocks and hidden them so he wouldn't see them. They wanted to apologize because they still felt guilty about it for all these years. To which the preacher replied, "You have carried these rocks for twenty years. I only carried them for a day."

Simple story. Profound truth. There are three things we can do with guilt. We can bury (repress) it from conscious memory and deny it. We can suppress it; that is, be consciously aware of it but not do anything about it. Or we can confess and resolve it.

To repress or suppress guilt can and does affect one's health and often one's relationships. But to confess it and put things right brings great freedom and healing.

As David said after he confessed to God his sin with Bathsheba, "There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess them to the Lord.' And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone."2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, if there is anything in my life that is hindering my relationship with you and/or others please bring it to my remembrance so I can confess it and, wherever possible and applicable, help me to right any wrongs I have done. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 5:16 (NIV).
2. Psalm 32:5 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Sabbath Time
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.
Exodus 20.8-11

Reflect:
As we approach the end of our week, we are reminded in the Ten Commandments about a specific period of time where we are to step back and remember that we belong to God. He intends for us to follow the pattern he established during the creation of the world and rest one day in seven. It’s a day to worship and delight in God and to practice gratitude. If we don’t honour this period of time, then we lose our balance and we risk losing our soul. Sabbath should be a time for joy, celebration and reconnecting – with others and with God.

Respond:
Spend some time today resting even if only for a short time. Get away from your usual patterns of work, make this day different – refreshing, restful, a time of gratitude. Enjoy music you like to listen to, food you like to eat, the company of good friends, exercise and fresh air – this is a good way to spend time today!

Midday Meditation:
‘The spiritual rest which God especially intends in this commandment [to keep the Sabbath holy] is that we not only cease from our labour and trade but much more- that we let God alone work in us and that in all our powers do we nothing of our own.’
(Martin Luther)

Evening Reflection:
‘Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.’

 

[RiverOL]

What If God ...
"Pray without ceasing."1

Have you ever had one of those days when you had a very important phone call to make and you received a "voice mail" machine answer that after a brief recorded message you were put on hold … then you got the run around … put back on hold … seemingly ad infinitum until you got a real live person to talk to? I'm sure you have. I did this morning.

As a friend of mine suggested, "What if when we called on God in prayer we got the following answer: 'Thank you for calling Heaven. Your prayer is very important to us. Please stay on the line and your prayer will be answered in the order it was received. Or, if you would like to leave a prayer request, press '2', and after the sound of the harp state your message clearly, the date and time of your call, your prayer-phone number, and we will reply to you as soon as it is convenient. Have a 'God' day!'"

Thank God it isn't so. As God's Word says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you are always available to all who call on you—to all who are sincere and call on you in truth—and that you always hear and answer these prayers. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
2. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Number One
Morning Encounter:
For most of us, the least simple aspect of our lives is our relationships with other humans. I am sure we have all entertained fantasies of becoming a hermit and never dealing with another person again - perhaps after a particularly fraught family Christmas, or in the midst of a messy dispute over bush-height with the neighbours. But as Christians, we can’t opt out of the commitment to love even when it is hard, because how we love others has everything to do with how we love God.
This week we’ll be looking at ways to exercise the Discipline of Simplicity in our relationships, and in so doing, deepen our understanding of the One who is Three - a perfectly harmonious community.

Read:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.
Worship and obey the Lord your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him.
Don’t have anything to do with gods that are worshiped by the nations around you. If you worship other gods, the Lord will be furious and wipe you off the face of the earth. The Lord your God is with you, so don’t try to make him prove that he can help you, as you did at Massah. Always obey the laws that the Lord has given you and live in a way that pleases him. Then you will be able to go in and take this good land from your enemies, just as he promised your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 6.4-5, 13-19

Reflect:
No one is immune from desire for attention, approval and affirmation; some of us struggle with serious addictions to these things. If we aren’t anchored in the knowledge that God’s opinion counts above all others, those desires will lead to idolatry and disloyalty (6.14).
God demands we love him with heart, soul and strength. He deserves this kind of love because he is the only true God (6:4). But he also knows that this kind of love will bring us freedom; freedom to relate to him and to others in the way we were made to. The way to shalom, wholeness and peace, is to love God first and most.

Respond:
I’m sorry Lord for sometimes caring more about what others think of me than what you think. I’m sorry that I don’t love you above all else. Please take hold of my heart - take all of me. I am yours.

Midday Meditation:
'External or interior, chosen or not, the desert is characterised by a soul suffering from withdrawal symptoms, a mind and body deprived of false securities and therefore left to explore the mystical terrain of personal willpower and divine grace…it is a testing ground where faith and love are tried by fire. And with grace, the desert can become a furnace of real repentance and purification where pride, complacency, and even some of the power of attachment itself can be burned away, and where the rain of God’s love can bring conversion: life to the seeds of freedom.'
(Gerald G. May)

Evening Reflection:
'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh…But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream' (NIV Jeremiah 17.5a, 7-8a)

 

[RiverOL]

When Success Leads to Failure
"Then he [Jesus] said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'"1

"Saul DeVries was a billionaire who made his fortune during the great depression. Born of immigrant parents, he grew up in poverty. But as a young adult he had an idea, a vision of how he might become a rich man. Realizing that in the depression years, people were unable to buy new appliances or to remodel their kitchen and bathrooms, DeVries decided what was needed was a single product that would clean appliances and keep things sparkling. So, he invented an all-purpose cleaner, the 1st of its kind, called Spic and Span®. It sold well throughout the depression years and continues to do so today. Saul DeVries made billions from his vision and literally cleaned up!"2

I also read that, when he died, in accordance with his will his body was cremated and the ashes were poured down his kitchen sink. Although Saul DeVries was a billionaire, because he didn't know Jesus Christ as his Savior, his life went down the drain, as it were. He is said to have died a miserable man.

There is nothing wrong with becoming a billionaire as long as money is not the controlling factor in one's life, and providing one's money is put to constructive service. As God's Word, the Bible, reminds us, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"3

A sobering thought indeed? The same principle applies not only to the rich and famous but also to so many athletes, movie stars, some political leaders, etc., who have reached the pinnacle of success in this life, but have never committed their life to Jesus Christ and received God's forgiveness for all their sins and God's gift of eternal life.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please help me to keep my priorities straight and in harmony with your purpose for my life, and help me to invest my life in a worthwhile cause that will bring glory to you. And please help me to be absolutely certain that my sins are forgiven and that I will spend eternity in Heaven with you forever.* Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Part of the Whole
Morning Encounter:
Read:
The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God’s Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit.

Our bodies don’t have just one part. They have many parts. Suppose a foot says, “I’m not a hand, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the foot still belong to the body? Or suppose an ear says, “I’m not an eye, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the ear still belong to the body? If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn’t hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn’t smell a thing. But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.
A body isn’t really a body, unless there is more than one part. It takes many parts to make a single body.

That’s why the eyes cannot say they don’t need the hands. That’s also why the head cannot say it doesn’t need the feet. In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, but we don’t have to be modest about other parts.
God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honoured, the whole body will be happy.
1 Corinthians 12.12-26

Reflect:
Being a Christian not only means belonging to God; it means belonging to everyone else who belongs to God. It means being a part of a whole: a body (12.13), put together by God himself (12.24). We have no choice but to engage with the rest of the body.
There is glory and joy in this - we benefit from the abilities and gifts of others; we are cared about, we are needed. There is also pain and difficulty - we feel the wounds of others, and we are bound up in a huge and complex organism we can’t control.

Respond:
Are you playing your part in the body of Christ? Are you happy when part of the body is honoured, and do you feel the pain of a part that is hurting? Spend some time reflecting and praying about your level of participation in your faith community.

Midday Meditation:
“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Evening Reflection:
It is truly wonderful
when *[God’s people] live together
in peace.

It is as beautiful as olive oil
poured on Aaron’s head
and running down his beard
and the collar of his robe.

It is like the dew
from Mount Hermon,
falling on Zion’s mountains,
where the Lord has promised
to bless his people
with life forevermore.

(Psalm 133.1-3 CEV)

 

[RiverOL]

Changing Needs for Changing Times
"Jesus told him, 'Stand up, roll up your sleeping mat and go on home!' Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking! But it was on the Sabbath when this miracle was done. So the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, 'You can't work on the Sabbath! It's illegal to carry that sleeping mat!'"1

Imagine that. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders "tried all the harder to kill him" (that is, to kill Jesus)!

As we've noted before, tragically, the religious leaders of Jesus' day loved their programs more than they loved people! They were expecting the promised Messiah but because he didn't come the way they expected him to come, and didn't do things the way they wanted them done, they wouldn't believe in him and refused to change.

It goes without saying that we live in a world of rapid change. Yes, we need to hold fast to that which is permanent and eternal, but in other areas of life if we don't change, we, too, may miss out and get left behind.

Here's a classic example from the business world: "From 1900 to 1967, the Swiss were the leading watchmakers in the world. In 1967, when digital technology was patented, the Swiss rejected it in favor of the traditional ball bearings, gears, and mainsprings they had been using to make watches for decades. Unfortunately, however, the world was ready for this advance, and Seiko, a Japanese company, picked up the digital patent and became the leading watch manufacturer in the world almost overnight. Fifty thousand of the 67,000 Swiss watchmakers went out of business because they refused to embrace this new technology. It was not until years later that the Swiss caught up and regained their position in the marketplace with the creation of Swatch watches."2

This principle also applies to each of us in today's marketplace—if we don't keep up our training with the needs of today's changing marketplace, again, we may be left behind.

In serving God, while our message never changes, our methods of communicating it need to change with the changing times and the changing needs of people or, again, we may get left behind—as many a business, church, and organization has. By way of interest, as the Internet began to grow, our gospel literature sales began to plummet even though our literature had done extremely well for three decades. This is why here in our US office we changed from hard copy print to the electronic media. We never changed the message—only the way of communicating it. Had we not made this change, we never could have continued to successfully preach "the gospel to every creature"3 as Jesus commanded.

Suggested Prayer: "Dear God, help me to hold fast to that which is eternal, but be flexible and willing to change where change is needed. And above all help me to be willing to change where you see my need for change and growth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John 5:8-10 (TLB)(NLT).
2. Cited in Bits & Pieces.
3. Mark 16:15.

 

[RiverOL]

Keep No Accounts
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you. Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, don’t stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek. If someone wants to take your coat, don’t try to keep back your shirt. Give to everyone who asks and don’t ask people to return what they have taken from you. Treat others just as you want to be treated.

If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them. If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them. If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all back.

But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel. Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you.
Luke 6.27-36

Reflect:
Have you ever had your wallet stolen? Or lent someone a book and never got it back? Has someone you thought was a friend spread false gossip about you, or a colleague taken credit for your work? I wonder how you felt, and how you wanted to respond, whether or not you acted on that first impulse. A natural reaction to being hurt or mistreated is to hurt or mistreat back.

Jesus had a different blueprint for the way his followers were to conduct themselves. They were to love against all the odds; give without counting the cost or the worthiness of the recipient; refuse to exact revenge for wrongs done against them.
And in so doing, they would be blessed beyond measure.

Respond:
Ask Jesus to help you as you seek to behave according to the principles of his kingdom and not the world’s.

Midday Meditation:
“…when we are personally injured our world does not suddenly become our injury. We have a larger view of our life and our place in God’s world. We see God; we see ourselves in his hands. And we see our injurer as more than the one who has imposed on us or hurt us. We recognise his humanity, his pitiful limitations (shared with us), and we also see him under God. This vision, and the grace that comes with it, enables the prayer: “Father forgive them, for they do not really understand what they are doing.”
(Dallas Willard)

Evening Reflection:
'The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger, abounding in love….
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
Or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is his love for those who fear him…
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
And his kingdom rules over all.'
(From Psalm 103 NIV)