For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Continue Reading »

For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Continue Reading »

Matthew 17-18 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 17:1-18:35.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4).

That’s the same question I keep asking today. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Oo, Oo, is it me? Is it me?” How do I get to be the greatest in the kingdom? Do I need to write the best blog? Preach the best sermon? Give the most money? Sacrifice the most fun? Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.

Wait! What?

Be humble? Like a child? What’s the point of that. I don’t want to be humble. I want to be great. I want everyone to know how great I am. I want everyone to see that I’m the smartest, I’m the holiest, I’m the brightest, I’m the best, I’m the greatest.

The amazing thing is the greatest among us will have no knowledge of being the greatest. In fact, the greatest among us won’t even care about being the greatest. The greatest among us simply aren’t concerned about being the greatest among us.

I guess today I need to quit being so focused on being the greatest among us.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 10-11 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

I need to read this every day. How easily I want to boast in me. I preached a sermon. I wrote a post. I put together some class material. I led a study. I baptized someone. I, I, I, I, I. Me, me, me, me, me. Someone complimented a sermon or class. Someone told me a blog post meant something to them. My head begins to swell, I start checking my stats. I start thinking I’m something.

God? Who is God?

Of course, I would never say that out loud. I would never even consciously think that. Instead, I would just not consciously think about God and His involvement. I just sometimes tacitly forget about God in my fervor to make sure you’ve heard about me. Have I told you about me yet? I’m pretty cool.

But then I remember that I am nothing. I think about where I’ve actually ended up when I was doing things my way and on my own. It wasn’t pretty. Anything I may accomplish for good is totally and completely by the grace of God. If I preach a sermon, it is because God gave the opportunity. If I actually say something meaningful and helpful, it is because God granted the words. If I get to baptize someone, it is because God caused the growth. I’m just a servant. I just go where I’m told and do what God says. Have I told you about God yet? He’s pretty cool.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 4-5 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Wordle above really says it all. Who is important in 2 Corinthians 4-5? Not me. Not you. God. Look at how small “self” is in that picture. Can you even find it? But look at how large “God” is. Look at how large “Christ” is. Look at how large “Jesus” is.

God has granted us exceeding great treasures through His ministry of reconciliation. We are growing from glory to glory. We can be ministers of reconciliation. We can accomplish amazing things in God’s kingdom and plan. How easy it is to get puffed up. I study with someone and think I’m special. I convince someone of the truth and I really think it was me. I baptize someone and I begin to think I saved them.

And yet, here we are still stuck in these earthly jars of clay. We still struggle and stumble. We still have troubles. We still lose jobs. Our bodies still get old and frail. Why? This is our ever-deepening reminder that the real power behind this ministry of reconciliation is God. Not us. God’s gospel is the power of God for salvation, not me. The surpassing power belongs to God, not me. I need to remember that.

Whenever I begin to think I’m starting to be pretty important in God’s eyes and plan. I need to come back to today’s Wordle and remember this is about God, not me. I can’t do anything apart from Him. He is the real power.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking here.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 19-20 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Luke 19:1-20:47.

“Beware the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts…” (Luke 20:46).

I needed to read this today. I understand that a scribe in this context was a copyer and student of the Law. But I can’t help also think about writers today. Namely, me.

Really it was a great thing to be a scribe. They were preserving and passing on God’s law for the present and coming generations. Scribes were needed. However, apparently many of the scribes lost sight of their purpose. Instead of glorifying God, they just wanted glory. They wanted to be noticed, so they wore special clothes. They wanted to be known, so they loved greetings. They wanted to be honored, so they longed for the best seats at the feasts. Being a scribe had ceased to be about God and begun to be about them.

I love to write. I love doing this blog, my other blog, and posting sermons on my congregation’s page. I love writing books. But there is a danger (and I’m sure it can be present in any profession). Why are we blogging? Why are we writing? Why are we preaching? Do we do it to be well-known? To receive credit for our own greatness, cleverness, wit, ability? Do we long to receive the greetings when we walk into a congregation’s assembly? Do we hope to be the one asked to lead the prayer? Do we seek the places of honor?

Writers, beware the danger. Readers, beware the writers whose writing is about them and not about God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can give your input by clicking here.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 9-10 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Luke 9:1-10:42.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Luke 9:58).

How easy it is to judge a man by his clothes, his car, his house. How easy it is to dismiss someone as less than because he doesn’t measure up to my idea of success. How easy it is to elevate myself as better than because I think I’ve got something someone else doesn’t. How easy it is to think some people cannot add value to me because they live on the fringes, in a different world from me.

Yet here was Jesus. Homeless. A lazy bum? A pathetic loser? Riff raff? Pitiful? Should we just toss Him a dime and thank God we are better than Him? Or, better yet, should we sniff our noses at Him and mutter, “Get a job”?

What can I learn from a homeless person? I don’t fully know. But perhaps what I should learn from this Homeless Person is that I can learn from even the homeless.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

—————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Matthew 23:1-24:51.

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:9-12).

I understand these are not absolutes. As a description of a role in the family or in learning, being called a father, an instructor, or a teacher is not wrong. Jesus isn’t talking about using these terms as descriptives of roles, but in the since of greatness. Don’t set anyone on a pedestal. We are all brethren. None of us is a Father. Only God is the Father. None of us is the teacher, only Christ is the teacher.

But this struck me differently today and I needed to hear it. Too often, I want to be seen as “THE TEACHER.” I want folks to praise me for my skills and abilities. I want others to set me apart as if I’m special because of my gifts and abilities. Not only must I not call others Father, Instructor, Teacher, I should not seek that kind of honor. This isn’t about me. It is about Jesus. It isn’t about me. It is about the Father. The more I strive to be exalted, the more I will be humbled.

Today, I need to exalt God. May He be praised. Look to Him for guidance, not me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 19:1-20:34.

“He said to them, ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father’” (Matthew 20:23).

I once heard someone share, and have often repeated since, the two greatest lessons I’ve ever learned is 1) There is a God and 2) I’m not Him. What that means for me is I need to let God do His job while I focus on mine instead of trying to do God’s job. Jesus sets the perfect example for me. He understood that even though He is God, He is not the Father. The Father has His job; Jesus has his. Jesus wasn’t about to try to do the Father’s job. He was only going to focus on what the Father had given Him to do.

My life goes so much easier when I don’t try to do God’s job. When I quit trying to make sure the world runs according to my plans and instead simply work on doing the next right thing, I have so much more peace.

Today, I’m just going to do my job, the next right thing, I’ll let God do His job of handling the outcomes.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 12:1-13:13.

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1 Corinthians 12:18).

This is great to know. The nose is exactly where God wanted the nose. The hands are exactly where God wanted the hands. The eyes exactly where God wanted them. So to the feet, the knees, the elbows, the head, the ears, the neck, etc. God designed our bodies and put everything exactly where He wanted them.

But Paul isn’t really talking about bodies is he? No. He’s actually talking about congregations. How easy it is to get bogged down because I think someone else does something better than me. How easy it is to think I don’t really belong. Not so. I don’t have to despair that I’m useless in Christ’s church. God has placed me in the body exactly where He wants me. There is something I’m uniquely suited to do within this body that is necessary and important.

I can have joy today knowing God has me where He wants me to accomplish something that I can do. He is not interested in me accomplishing what I can’t. He is not interested in me accomplishing what you can do (necessarily). He has put me here to accomplish what He has made me to do. Instead of quiting, giving up, or despairing because of comparisons, I can glorify God by doing what I can and knowing God has me here to do just that.

Praise God for His confidence in me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?