Tuesday: Ephesians 2:11-19, Fellow Citizens in Christ

Today's text is: Ephesians 2:11-19.

As I have lived in the US for years as a Resident Alien (that is my official residency status) I have always had a fondness for this text, especially for verse 19: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household..."

I am always delighted to hear God say, "Martin, you are no longer a foreigner or an alien...you are one of the family...welcome home!"

God has love for the outsiders...God welcomes all into the family!!

Texts for this week...

Monday: Zechariah 8:1-8,14-23, The Lord is jealous for Zion

Tuesday: Ephesians 2:11-19, Fellow citizens in Christ

Wednesday: Romans 4:1-12, The faith of Abraham

Thursday: Acts 6:15 – 7:8, God’s call and promise to Abraham

Friday: Hebrews 11:8-12, Abraham acted by faith

Saturday: Psalm 105:1-15, God remembers his covenant

Sunday: Luke 13:1-9, Parable of the fig tree

Monday Hebrews 2:9-18 Jesus was tempted as we are

If you don't have a Bible handy read Hebrews 2:9-18 online.

As I read this passage the phrase, "How can it be?" (from the song "Every move I Make") came to mind.

How can it be that God would do such a thing as to allow Jesus to suffer? How can it be that one can "make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering"? This is an amazing God!

I hate to suffer and what's more, I hate to see my kids suffer, but God allowed Jesus to suffer and die for us! And, by doing so God makes Jesus that much more real to us as Jesus can better to relate to the pain and suffering of humanity. Jesus can relate to my pain and suffering.

In this season of lent we can lay our sin on to our loving Jesus and we can lay our pain and suffering on Jesus. Jesus has "been there and done that" - he now offers heavenly strength and power for daily living in the trenches of our humanity.

Thank you Jesus for coming to us!

Texts for this Week

The texts for this week are:


Monday Hebrews 2:9-18 Jesus was tempted as we are

Tuesday 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Be careful that you don’t fall

Wednesday Luke 22:39-46 Jesus on the Mount of Olives

Thursday James 1:2-17 Trials and temptations

Friday Genesis 39 Joseph resists temptation

Saturday Psalm 119:1-16 The word of God

Sunday Luke 13:31-35 A hen gathering her brood

Feb. 24, Saturday: Psalm 51:1-17, Have mercy on me, O God

Take a moment to read Psalm 51:1-17

The famous psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Meninger, asked the best question when he said, "Whatever became of sin?" He wondered out loud, and even write a book with the same title, as he saw sin being labeled as "inappropriate behavior." In our culture it is politically incorrect to hold an absolute, and yet King David, after being confronted by the prophet Nathan, is convicted of his sin and returns to God with the beautiful words of Psalm 51:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. "

Our holy God takes the reality of sin very seriously, so seriously that Jesus lived, died and rose again to conquer sin.

May David's prayer be our prayer. May we daily come before our holy God asking to be re-created. God promises to restore us!

Feb. 23, Friday: Joel 2:1,2,12-17, A Call to Repentance

A call to repentance... return to our compassionate God of grace!

If you don't have a Bible handy you can read the text online: Joel 2:1,2,12-17.

The date of Joel's writing is undetermined. Maybe in the 9th or 6th centuries BC. Either way, the prophet Joel is God's mouthpiece calling for God's people to own up to their unfaithfulness and return to God. I suspect that today any pastor preaching Joel's message of gloom and doom would be ignored or ridiculed. However, Joel has a great message for us.

Joel/God is not subtle at all! He presents a very real sense of urgency to return to God. Joel envisions the coming of God at the end of time...so, we are urged to return to God in full - with our whole heart. Are there parts of our heart that we are withholding from God? Are there areas of our life that God longs to come and dwell but we hold God at a distance?

God invites us to open our lives wide to the indwelling presence and power of God, and this is something that we do not need to fear, but rather, this is a God who is "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

God is not out to beat us up because of our sin, but rather, God is longing and waiting for us to return to God's loving arms. The grace of God invites us to return to God. Let us turn and run from our sin into the arms of our compassionate God of grace!

Feb. 22, Thursday: Zechariah 7:4-10, Justice, Mercy and Compassion

Don't have a Bible? Read Zechariah 7:4-10 online.

In this text God is really challenging us to give up some things for Lent (and for all time!). God first spoke these words through the prophet Zechariah, to a people who had refused to listen to God. God's people had neglected to be obedient to the covenant that God had made with the people at Mt. Sinai.

God says in Zechariah, "'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."

In this Lenten season in what ways is God calling you to:

• Administer true justice;
• show mercy and compassion to one another.
• not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.
• not think evil of each other.

How is God calling you to repent, confess and return to the God who died for us? In what ways is God calling you to action rather than just words?