NOBODY TOLD US

And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When His family heard it, they went out to restrain Him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” Mark 3:20

 

I have a hard time picturing this scene from the third chapter of Mark. Wait, what?! Jesus’ own family came to restrain Him? Did this include His mother Mary? She of all people should have known Jesus wouldn’t do anything crazy…didn’t she? I thought she knew where He came from. The Spirit let her in on the Grand Plan from the very beginning, when God’s Son was conceived in her womb. So how could she possibly think He needed to be protected from Himself? And what other “family” came to haul Jesus away, to stop Him from proclaiming things that some people didn’t want to believe? Was the family just embarrassed that Jesus was creating a scene?

 

What’s really puzzling about the whole situation described here is that the ones who do “get” Jesus are the “fringe dwellers,” the marginalized, the downtrodden, the sick and the self-proclaimed “sinners.” The ones who rejected Him were supposed to be the leaders of the day: the priests, scribes, Pharisees, teachers of the law, and Roman officials. They were the ones who eventually executed Him.

 

What’s so different in today’s society? If Jesus were to return today, which ones of us would fully embrace Him, believe Him, follow Him without question? Would I be the one to turn away in shame or disgust because Jesus was creating a stir? Would I want to be a part of that, or would I take the path less controversial? Would I say, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons” (Mark 3:22)? Would I declare, “Nobody told us what to expect, when Jesus came!” What a copout!

 

As I ponder these questions, I think the key may lie in how we prepare our hearts while Christ is not here in the flesh. If we are truly “walking with the Spirit” (Romans 8:4), that same Spirit will convict us to believe in Christ not only now, but for all eternity. Nobody had to tell us. We would just know.

 

Engaging Lord, kindle in us the fire of Your Spirit that we may never doubt Who You are. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and war veterans.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

 

FEAR VS. LOVE

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear. 1 John 4:18

 

“Is it possible to truly love others without knowing God? Is it possible to truly know God without loving others?” If you are like me, you find these questions difficult to answer. As a small group leader for a Bible study on 1 John, these questions tied my brain in knots. How was I to lead a discussion on something I just wasn’t grasping myself? Luckily, the Book of Faith Series study (Augsburg Fortress, 2009) had a leader’s guide. And this leader certainly needed some guidance.

 

The explanation in the leader’s guide detailed how there is “language of the law” and “language of the gospel.” The law says “If…then….” If I break a law, then—if I get caught—I probably have to pay the consequences. But the Gospel—Christ come alive in God’s Word—says “because…therefore….” The most obvious example of this is 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.” There is no transaction in this statement: we don’t need to do anything for God to love us. He just does. And it is precisely God’s love for us that renders us capable of loving others. We can certainly choose not to love others, but God places the love for others in our hearts for us to act on, or not. (Remember, God is a Gentleman and gives us free will.)

 

Go back to the questions in the first paragraph. One can argue that there are lots of people who love others who don’t “know” God—but are we sure they don’t know God? People talk about “finding” God, but He never went anyplace. Anyone who says they have “found” God actually just “saw” or acknowledged a God Who was already there. And how would it be possible to “know” God and not love others? If we indeed acknowledge that God is present—in the universe, this world, our lives, and especially in the lives of others—then we are automatically filled with His abiding love. The writer of 1 John said, “Perfect love casts out all fear.” So what have we got to lose by just loving others as God would have us do?

 

Lord, this life is full of fears we may not understand. Thank You for Your love which casts out all fear. Amen

 

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and war veterans.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .

LET US PRAY

Guest Blogger: Gloria Van Demmeltraadt*

Jesus said, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11: 22-25:

We are called by God to pray, but this is easier said than done. How do we pray? Is there a right way and a wrong way to pray? For what purpose? Can we persuade God with prayer? Do we actually encounter God in prayer? The Bible references all of these questions. However, we’ll look at one small question that gets to the heart of the issue; what is the proper way to pray?

Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us to pray without being anxious, to pray about everything, and to pray with thankful hearts. God will answer all such prayers with the gift of His peace in our hearts. We are to express our love, gratitude, and worship to God in prayer without worrying about having just the right words to say. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our words.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray in the words of what is known as The Lord’s Prayer. Prayer doesn’t hinge on our performance. Prayer is part of your relationship with God. Developing that relationship is what we should focus on, and not be worried about whether we’re doing it like someone else might expect us to.

We don’t pray alone. Jesus always prays with us and for us. We pray to the Father with Jesus.

Gracious God, we ask you to accept our prayers as each of us strives in our individual way to pray. May we also hear your voice. We give you thanks that our brokenness is not a barrier to relationship with you. We ask that you remind us of your promise that no matter what, you love us. In the name of your risen Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

*Gloria VanDemmeltraadt is the author of five books: Musing and Munching, a memoir plus cookbook; Memories of Lake Elmo, a collection of remembrances of a charming village; Darkness In Paradise, a biography of her husband Onno VanDemmeltraadt’s childhood in Indonesia during the Japanese occupation in World War II; Capturing Your Story: Writing a Memoir Step By Step; and Danger In Deep Lake, a “cozy” mystery. Her books are available at Amazon.com. Gloria may be contacted through her website, www.gloriavan.com .

SHOW LOVE

^“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-19

 

“He is faster than a speeding stroller, more adorable than a kitten, and able to get a stranger’s attention with a single courtesy. This is America’s latest superhero — and the only superhero with the power to feed the homeless.” Thus starts the Steve Hartman news article on CBS about a four-year-old named Austin Perine, who prefers to go by the name, President Austin. “That’s his idea of what the president is supposed to do,” said Austin’s father TJ.

 

Austin’s dad tried to explain the concept of “homeless” to the boy. Austin said he wanted to put all of his allowance and gift money towards feeding the homeless in Birmingham, Alabama, where they live. He donned his “super hero” cape, and he and his dad began picking up chicken sandwiches and delivering them to people on the street who could use a meal. The boy follows his small gift with the tag line, “Don’t forget to show love!” Enter Steve Hartman of CBS News, and the story went “viral.” Now, Burger King has offered to give Austin all the chicken sandwiches he needs. Others have donated money too. So much money that Austin’s new plan is to build a rehab center for the homeless. “I want people…to have a second chance…to be successful…and be able to take care of themselves.” All this from a four-year-old “super hero,” who adds that he happens to be the child of “super parents.”

 

I can imagine Jesus smiling down on little President Austin and being pleased. This 4^th of July, while we are busy shooting off bottle rockets and grilling our burgers and brats, let’s take a moment to reflect on how much we have to be grateful for. We know that God cares for each and every creature He has created. Jesus said it was, “to such as these (little children) that the kingdom of God belongs” (Luke 18:16). “President” Austin is proving that in spades.

 

Thank You, God, for those like Austin who deliver the Kingdom of Heaven to our point of need. Amen

Meg Blaine Corrigan is the author of three books: Then I Am Strong: Moving From My Mother’s Daughter to God’s Child; Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist; and Saints With Slingshots: Daily Devotions for the Slightly Tarnished But Perpetually Forgiven Christian. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of New Mexico and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and war veterans.  Her books may be purchased through her website, www.MegCorrigan.com or from www.amazon.com .