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Don't Do the Math!

9/15/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
By Dorette Saunders
 

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most recited prayers of the Christian faith.  Jesus taught his disciples this model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4)) to guide them in their quest to approaching God. Perhaps, like us, the disciples would later repeat the prayer, not stopping much to savor the words of each petition.
 
“Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others…” (v. 12, CEV), we say, oftentimes tripping over the word “trespasses” or “debts” found in some translations.
 
Forgiveness is such an integral part of a Christian’s life that it is mentioned again in the two verses that follow the traditional Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel.
 
Like a N.B. (nota bene) that’s attached to the end of a letter, or a coda in a musical piece, we cannot finish without it. It seeks our attention:
 
“If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15, CEV).
 
 
So when Peter questions Jesus as to how many times he should forgive someone who has wronged him (Matthew 18:21), directly after Jesus gives a lesson on how to treat those who offend us (Matthew 18:15-17), perhaps Peter had come to the end of his rope with a repeat offender. But if Peter had expected Jesus to agree that “seven times” was enough, he was mistaken.
 
Pause for a moment for a “forgiveness” selfie.  What do we say about someone who has pushed all our buttons?
 
“They’re getting on my last nerves!”
 
As a rule, do we rush to forgive that individual? Answer, and take the selfie.
 
 
It is amazing when we examine these teachings of Jesus in light of our own behaviors.
 
When Jesus teaches, he is not looking at us as seminary students taking notes for their next preaching session. He looks at us, just as we are, everyday individuals who are subject to passions of anger and jealousy, spite and resentment.  He sees us in a world rife with temptation to dogmatically refuse to forgive those who hurt or offend us. So Jesus tells Peter:
“Not just 7 times, but 77 times!” (Matthew 18:22, CEV)
 
In essence, Jesus says, “No, Peter, stop counting.  No need for Math here. Go back to Lesson One. Love God, and love your neighbor.”
 
To reinforce the lesson, Jesus relates a parable. In it, he tells of a man whose huge debt was totally forgiven by the king, but who, after receiving such grace, goes after someone who owed him far less. When the king hears, he orders the man, whose debt he had forgiven, to be tortured until he could repay the debt (Matthew 18:23-34).
Then Jesus gives this warning.  
“That is how my Father in heaven will treat you, if you don't forgive each of my followers with all your heart” (Matthew 18:35, CEV).
 
Yikes!
 
Being human we crave forgiveness, but often do not offer it; we are legalistic and reject calls to show compassion. That’s why Jesus came to die for us, to show us how to live, and how to love. That’s why when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, God makes us a new creation in Christ.
 
 
We must strive to model God’s loving ways with those around us. Jesus teaches us that in another lesson.
 
 
“You have heard people say, ‘Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’  But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.  Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:43-45, CEV). 
 
Our ability to act like God, and forgive others, comes no less than from the heart of God. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches and transforms us into the kingdom people God wants us to be.
 
 
PRAYER: God, remind me how deeply you love me, and how you have forgiven me of much. Create in me a forgiving spirit. Help me to be generous in using in it, especially when my patience is being tested. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
 
                                                               ©M©dytations 2023
 
 
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The Stone and the Rock

9/6/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 
When I was a child I was always fascinated by Bible stories and the songs that we sung in Sunday School to help us remember the lesson. One of my favorites was the story of David defeating Goliath. In my young mind, Goliath was really very big and I was quite afraid, while the story was being told, that the little boy, David, with only a slingshot, would be crushed by this huge monster. But singing the song put all my worries to rest.
 
Here’s an abbreviated version:
 
Only a boy named David, only a rippling brook,
Only a boy named David, and five little stones he took.
And one little stone went in the sling
And the sling went round and round,
One little stone went through the air
And the giant fell to the ground!
 
Growing older, I found out that David was most likely a teenager, and not a young boy as I had imagined. Nevertheless, the account, found in 1 Samuel 17:1-53, shows God at work in the heart of a young man who was willing to stand up to the enemy to avenge God’s name.
 
 
As we read about the life of David in the Scriptures, we find that he was subject to many of the same failings that plague us today—covetousness, adultery, poor parenting habits, and even murder. Yet, despite his character flaws, the Bible says that David was a man after God’s heart (1 Samuel 13,14; Acts 13:22).
 
 
 
How could that be? David desired to live a holy life. He confessed his sins and sought God consistently. Despite the many trials he experienced, David worshiped God passionately. Read through the Psalms, most of which were written by David, and notice how the boy who hurled the stone became the man who clung to the Rock.
 
God was David’s rock, his strong defense, his hiding place. When jealous King Saul threatened David’s life, David found shelter in the promises of God and encouraged himself that God was indeed working things out for his good. Listen to his song to God:
 
 
Every day, you are kind,
    and at night
you give me a song
as my prayer to you,

    the God of my life.
You are my mighty rock.
                               (Psalm 42:8,9, CEV)
 
 
Indeed, God is our Rock. We sing about God being a shelter in a time of storm.  Yet, we need to know and trust God long before that storm comes along.
 
 
Jesus himself told a parable about building our lives on the Rock that is immovable.
 
“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall” (Matthew 7:24, 25, CEV).
David understood this and so he says:
You alone are God!
    Only you are a mighty rock.
You are my strong fortress,
    and you set me free.
                         (2 Samuel 22:32, 33, CEV)
 
For all the giants in our lives…illness, depression, shaky faith, poor finances, bullies, dysfunctional leaders…we don’t have to come against them with a stone in our hand. Instead, we can depend upon God, the mighty Rock, to fight our battles. God, our refuge and our Rock, is always present, always faithful.
 
PRAYER: God, you are the Rock of all ages. When I think of your wonderful goodness, it makes my heart rejoice. Thank you for making me know that I can trust you, the Rock, to deliver me from all my troubles. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
 
                                                                   ©M©dytations 2023
  
                        
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Living Right

8/30/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 

Do you sometimes read scriptures in the Bible and wonder if God literally expects you to obey that command? Case in point:
 
“But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you” (Matthew 5:44, CEV).
 
(Perhaps you didn’t read that right…but here it shows up again.)
 
“Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them” (Romans 12:14, CEV). 
 
What??!!
 
In a portion of his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul lays out some guidelines for Christian living.  It’s a blueprint for our behavior as Christians who are called to live in an imperfect world (Romans 12:9-21).
 
Whether we have been Christians for many years, or brand new converts, the Bible tells us what God expects of us. And while being a Christian is a badge of honor, it should not make us smug as we interact with those around us.
 
So, in the event that we think we have this “Christian” thing down pat. In the event that we think the command to love our enemies isn’t really about us. If we have mistakenly put on holier-than-thou outfits instead of garments of righteousness, Paul tells us clearly, “Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people” (Romans 12:16, CEV).
 
Paul’s in-your-face, “no room to hide” definition of how Christians ought to live, and to treat other people, is enough to make one squirm. Why? Because, if we are honest, we would rather just love God and ignore those “others” who don’t fit neatly into our world.
 
Yet, being a Christian means imitating Christ. It means doing what he would have done, and what he calls us to do. Think love, sacrifice, forgiveness, service. The hard things.
 
“Be sincere in your love for others…. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself” (vv. 9,10, CEV).
 
So our motivation matters, and half-heartedness is thrown out the window as we are called to embrace others in the same spirit, and with the same love Christ embraces us.
 
This is challenging. But it calls into question if we can live out the verse that many of us claim is our favorite: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). 
 
It is important that we depend upon the Lord if we are to live in ways that please God. The apostle further states, “Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11, CEV). It is the Holy Spirit who will both guide and enable us to carry out our Lord’s commands.
 
Living and loving as a Christian is called to do is no easy feat. Worldly distractions and distortions of truth are all around us, making our walk in the “narrow way” a daily challenge. But here’s the good news. We never walk alone. Jesus is always with us.
 
Here’s more good news:


 “We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness” (2 Peter 1:3, CEV).
 
Praise the Lord!
 
 
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, empower me in areas where I feel I am not living like a Christian. Remind me always that my strength is in you, and that my justice comes from you. Help me live in such a way that brings glory to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
 
                                                                ©M©dytations 2023


 
 
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Anchored

8/9/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 
It’s strange how the most unlikely things can turn one’s mind toward the gospel. Recently, the increased chaos of wars and threats of nuclear proliferation, of people from neighboring countries and faraway lands seeking asylum, of political upheaval fomented by those who have lost their moral compass, caused me to turn to the stability of God’s Word. Like a ship without a rudder, our world seems to be heading at a frenetic pace toward a calamitous end.
What we need is an anchor.
Somehow the thought of an anchor brought back memories of a seven-year-old child singing at a Sunday School concert. If I lacked anything in vocals, my mother and grandmother made up for it in creativity as I held tightly to a large, freshly-painted, blue cardboard anchor.
“Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock,” I sang.
Back then, although I went on to sing the next line, “This Rock is Jesus,” I did not know him. That would take another 10 years.  So, as we read the account of the disciples in a boat battling a storm (Matthew 14:22-33) I can certainly understand how these men who had been with Jesus for only a few, short years, did not fully know him. When Jesus approached them walking on the sea, their fragile minds caused them to scream in fear. Even bold Peter who begged Jesus to let him come to him on the water, eventually lost his nerve and began to sink.
Truly knowing Jesus involves being anchored. It is by no means an easy task. Winds of opposition blow. The situations which you believed you had nailed down forever often lift, without warning, like a roof being pummeled by a tornado. Sometimes you may even wonder if Jesus is in the boat with you (a thought most Christians would not admit to entertaining).
But he is. Always.
The thing about being anchored is this: We must put our complete trust in God. Once we do, we must leave all the consequences to God because we can never be anchored in our own strength. Our ability, and stability, comes from the mighty power of the Lord.
The apostle Paul describes it this way: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord…” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV).
Let nothing move you…
Furthermore, God gives us this promise of divine protection:
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.

                                          (Isaiah 43:2, NIV)
 
Notice it does not say “if” but “when.”
Jesus tells us that Christians are not immune to being tossed around in our chaotic world. Yet he reassures us, as we make him the captain of our souls, he will anchor us through every storm.
 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).
It’s time to check if you have an anchor. Not a flimsy imitation, but an anchor which is Jesus himself. Then, as you emerge from your storms, you will praise Jesus as the disciples did, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33, NIV).
 
PRAYER: Be my anchor, Lord.  Help me hold fast to your Word even when I’m scared, and when it seems that life has counted me out. Keep me moored to your side; let me know that the tug and pull of the world can never dislodge me from your faithful arms. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
                               ©M©dytations 2023







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Changed!

8/2/2023

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Wednesday’s Word
by Dorette Saunders
 

Usually in our cadre of friends, we have an inner circle. The others are like names on a chart, important and loved, yes, but we choose two or three as our confidants. The ones we share our heart with. Jesus was no different. Among the twelve disciples, he chose Peter, James, and John.
A reading of Luke 9:28-36 relates the awesome mountaintop experience these three men had as they accompanied Jesus to pray. (Bible students may remember what happened when these same men went with Jesus to pray at a most agonizing time near the end of his life. See Matthew 26:40-45).
Many factors could account for the line in the Luke narrative which tells us plainly, “Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep…” (v.32). Weariness had overcome Jesus’ right hand men. Perhaps the trek up the mountain, the weight of discipleship, the intensity of Jesus’ prayer, or the length of time they were there.
No matter. If we are honest, sometimes we have fallen asleep during our own prayers! But Jesus had brought them with him for a reason, and they woke up to find that “his face changed, and his clothes became shining white” (v.29).  
There, in their midst, Jesus was glorified. Imagine seeing Christ in all his glory. Changed!
Glory! Glory! Glory!
Appearing with Jesus were Moses and Elijah, discussing the significance of Jesus’ impending death. They, too, had been changed as well. Awestruck, Peter blubbered, “Master, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters…” (v. 33)
Suddenly, the disciples were covered in a cloud. They heard a voice declaring:  “This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!” (v.35).
The disciples had caught a glimpse of the glory of heaven. It was once again a confirmation of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. God, the Father, proclaimed it, just as he did at Jesus’ baptism.
And yes, it was good for them to be there.  It is always good for us to be in the presence of a holy God.  But no, we cannot contain God’s glory with structures we build! The human mountaintop experience does not last forever. One day we will shed our mortality and be clothed in immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53-55). But until that day when we, too, are changed from glory to glory, into God’s likeness, we have work to do (2 Corinthians 3:18).
God the Father has asked us to heed the words of Jesus, and carry out his commands to share the gospel with the world. We have all the evidence we need. We were given the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah). However, the fulfillment of them all is found in Jesus. Speaking of Jesus, John the apostle tells us:
The Word became
a human being
    and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son

    of the Father.

                      (John 1:14, CEV)
 
Jesus Christ changes us, and his Word equips us to go, to do, to be—world changers.
PRAYER: Lord, change me in all the ways I need changing. Write on the walls of my heart the names of those whom I need to embrace for your sake. Remove from my grasp the things I need to release. Light my life with your glory so that I will be a true reflection of your love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
                                ©M©dytations 2023
 
 
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    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

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