Day 61: A Fallen Family

2 Samuel 12:1-4

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

Comments

This parable was told to King David by Nathan the prophet after David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his cowardly act of sending her husband, Uriah, to certain death in battle.

David failed to see himself in the parable, but reacted with an angry denunciation of any man who could do such a terrible thing.

Nathan responded to David’s wrath with blunt words: “You are the man!”

Reflections

David’s “family values” were terribly distorted by his own lust and sense of entitlement, and yet God forgave him fully. How fully are those who are divorced or have committed adultery welcomed into your church family? Are not those who have lost their family through bad choices the ones who most need to be part of a new family?

Prayer

Help me, Lord, to extend your grace to those who need it most.

 

Day 60: An Adopted Family

Ruth 1:15-18

 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Comments

Naomi was going back to her homeland, a woman filled with despair and bitterness after the death of her husband and both her sons. She was convinced she had absolutely nothing to offer her daughter-in-law.

Ruth saw things quite differently. She was devoted to her mother-in-law and wanted nothing more than to be part of her family in every way and for all times.

Ruth’s faithfulness led to an unexpected result: her marriage to Naomi’s relative, Boaz, produced a grandson, David, who would one day become king and be an ancestor of Jesus.

Reflection

Do new people who come into your church forever feel like outsiders, or are they warmly welcomed and fully assimilated into God’s family?

How likely is it that those who are most in need of a new family are the ones most likely to be excluded and made to feel like perpetual outsiders?

Can you think of an example in your church of someone who came as an outsider and ended up as a blessing?

Prayer

Help my church, Lord, open wide its doors and its arms to receive even the most unlikely and unexpected outsiders.

 

Day 59: A Strange Family

Matthew 1:2-6

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

     Isaac the father of Jacob,
     Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
     Judah the father of Perez and Zerah,
          whose mother was Tamar,
     Perez the father of Hezron,
     Hezron the father of Ram,
     Ram the father of Amminadab,
     Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
     Nahshon the father of Salmon,
     Salmon the father of Boaz,
          whose mother was Rahab,
     Boaz the father of Obed,
          whose mother was Ruth,
     Obed the father of Jesse,
     and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon,
          whose mother had been Uriah’s wife

Comments

The genealogy of Jesus contains several people who were far from perfect. Among them were the women highlighted above:

· Tamar, who pretended to be a prostitute in order to become pregnant by her father-in-law

· Rahab, a prostitute who saved her life by committing treason against her government

· Ruth, a Moabite woman, from a people whom God had forbidden to ever step on holy ground

· Bathsheba, whose adultery with King David led to the murder of her husband

Reflections

Are there people whose flaws and flagrant sins keep them from being welcomed into your church family?

Prayer

Help us, Lord, extend grace as widely as you have.

 

Day 58: A Big Family

Genesis 15:1-6

After this, the word of the Lord came in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield, your very great reward.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Comments

God came to Abram in a vision with wonderful news of blessings to come, but Abram wasn’t ready to hear it.

Abram saw himself as a man with no children and thus no future. Protection and prosperity mattered little to him because he was convinced his legacy would impact no one but his servants.

Abram didn’t yet understand that God was about to do a new thing: in their old age, Abram and Sarai would have a child—and that would be the beginning of something amazing!

Reflections

Have their been times in your life when you were not ready to hear God’s good news?

Have you experienced the joy of welcoming someone into your family, or the joy of being welcomed into someone else’s?

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for making us part of a family in which we can find a future and a hope.

 

Day 57: A Sabbath Check-In

Take some time today to consider how God has spoken to you during the first two months of the "Love Your Neighbor" adventure:

• Have you looked at someone differently, seeing the image of God in them even when what they have done (and what has been done to them) has tarnished that image?

• Have you been led by God's Spirit to listen to someone in need, hearing their cry and discovering that God is working in their life?

• Have you practiced love in action, caring for someone in a tangible way that let you see Jesus in them as you served them?

• Have you reached out and touched someone, offering to pray with them as you cared for them in tangible ways and learned their story?

• Most importantly, has God spoken to you during these past two months, and have you responded in faithful obedience, putting into practice what God has shown you to do?

I would love to hear what has happened to you during these past two months. Send an email to me at dnich1803@gmail.com to let me know what God is doing in you.

Day 56: Reach Out and Touch

The following Prayer Challenge is an essential part of the “Love Your Neighbor” Adventure. Without it, you might be tempted just to take a few minutes each day to read the Bible Study and then do nothing else with it. This program is not about changing your mind or even your heart; it’s about changing your life and your world!

Pray as you begin, “Lord, show me someone each day this week who needs a special touch from you.” Then be faithful in contacting those God brings to mind.

· A hug or a handshake—or at least a smile. :-)

· A word of affirmation—telling someone how much you appreciate them just for who they are

· A card or letter—there is always someone who needs a “Hallmark moment”

· A phone call—sometimes it’s nothing more than “God brought your name to mind and I want to tell you how special you are.”

Afterward write down your thoughts and feelings. Send an email (dnich1803@gmail.com) letting me know how God touched your life through this. 

 

Day 55: Now Is the Time

Mark 1:14-15

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Comments

The story of Jesus doesn't really begin at Christmas with his miraculous birth because that is essentially a preview of what was to come. The story of his life, ministry, death and resurrection covers only a three year period that began when Jesus was 30 years of age.

After Jesus was baptized by John and tempted by Satan, he began to proclaim that the long-awaited kingdom of God was finally at hand. Because this kingdom did not begin with the overthrow of Rome as the people expected, they would have to do two things to experience what God was offering them: repent and believe.

Reflections

Many people wrongly imagine that repentance essentially consists of feeling sorry for our sins. The biblical understanding of repentance is quite different because it involves a change of mind, a change of direction. Repentance means turning from whatever we have been doing to begin going in the direction God is calling. Are you already moving in the direction God is calling you or is there a need for "repenting" in your life?

Many people also wrongly imagine that believing has to do with what we think about something. The biblical understanding of belief or faith is much more connected to obedience. Jesus said the one who "hears my words and puts them into practice" is the one whose house is built on solid rock. Are you living by faith, letting what you believe shape the way you live your life? If not, what changes would need to be made for you to do so?

Prayer

Give me the courage and wisdom I will need, Lord, to not just hear what you say, but to do what you ask.

Day 54: Just a Touch

Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Comments

Leviticus 13:45 specified that lepers were to cover their upper lips, avoid contact with all people and shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn people away from them.

“If you are willing” was not an expression of doubt about the compassion of Jesus, but an expression of the man’s profound sense of unworthiness.

The remainder of Matthew 8 shows that physical contact was not required for Jesus to heal someone. In the case of the leper, though, the touch of Jesus brought more than physical healing.

Reflections

Who is frequently thought of as untouchable in our own world? Do you think of them the same way? Is it possible your touch could bring healing to them?

It must have taken courage and faith for this man to approach Jesus and kneel before him, even though Jesus was known for being approachable. How much courage does it take for people to approach you?

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the healing touch of those who care. Help me be ready to give and to receive that comforting contact.

 

Day 53: Such As I Have

Acts 3:2-8

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Comments

The beggar hoped a few people entering the temple might give him a coin or two. He dared look no one in the eye lest he make them uncomfortable and less likely to give him something. Few people noticed that he was even there; no one spoke to him.

Everything changed when Peter and John came along. Peter had no money to give, but he gave this beggar his full attention and brought healing that changed his life dramatically.

Reflections

It is easy to argue that throwing money at problems doesn’t fix anything, and then to use this as an excuse to do nothing. How ready are you to give what you have?

 

Could you give your full attention today to someone in need and pray for God’s kingdom breakthrough in their life?

Prayer

Help me focus, Lord, not on what I lack, but on what I have that I could give to others through you.

 

Day 52: Do Something

James 2:14-17

 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Comments

God never intended faith to be mere intellectual assent, something that happens in our head, but never reaches our heart, our hands, our feet or any other part of our lives.

From the Bible’s point of view, to have faith, to live by faith, and to be faithful are interchangeable ways of describing the nature of our relationship with God.

Sometimes the above passage from James is thought to be at odds with the Apostle Paul’s insistence that “the righteous shall live by faith.” Paul, however, clearly believes our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus should shape the way we live, and James never suggests we can work our way into God’s favor.

Reflection

Have there been times in your life when the way you lived was out of sync with what you believed? How did that happen? What ultimately changed: the way you lived or what you believed?

What are some examples of the tangible way your faith has impacted your life, and particularly your relationship with others?

What is a recent example of living out your faith?

Prayer

Forgive me, Lord, for ever thinking that what I believe could possibly be separated from how I live. Grant that my faith may increase, and my faithfulness as well.

 

Day 51: Help Wanted

Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Comments

 

Jesus didn’t wait months or years for his disciples to be prepared for ministry; he sent them out quickly because of the great need he saw.

 

Psalm 23 speaks beautifully of sheep having green pastures and still waters, and of a shepherd with a rod and staff to protect them from predators. With these things, sheep have everything they need; without them, they are harassed and helpless.

 

Jesus used this image to emphasize that inside God’s kingdom there is “shalom” (safety and abundance), while outside the kingdom there is neither.

 

Reflections

 

The disciples expected to follow Jesus, but they were probably surprised to be sent by him on a mission. Do you assume that God’s call comes to some (like ministers and missionaries), but not to you?

 

Many who attend church each Sunday could best be classified as spectators rather than participants, and consumers rather than producers. To what extent does such a description fit you?

 

Prayer

 

Fill my heart with compassion, Lord, for those who are harassed and helpless. Call many to carry out your mission, beginning with me.

Day 50: A Day to Remember

There have been times in my life when I have glimpsed the kingdom of God.

I'm not just talking about times when I've grasped what Jesus meant when he said, "The kingdom of God is like..." I'm talking about times when I've seen the kingdom of God lived out in real life.

One week ago today a family of five that we had known for barely a week moved in with us because we felt a clear leading from God to offer them a place to stay. What we did was neither heroic nor saintly; it was a simple matter of glimpsing God's kingdom.

It has been a wonderful week, with many good things happening and no problems beyond a teething baby that was inconsolable for a couple of hours. The entire experience has felt like a wonderful visit by old friends.

I've been thinking this week about other glimpses of God's kingdom I've been privileged to see during my life. I thought back over the years and quickly came up with a list of twenty-five times when I've seen God's kingdom break into this world and into my life. No two instances have been alike, though all have shared similar themes of the "shalom" of God's rule bringing peace and joy, love and mercy, brokenness and healing. 

There is something biblical about this kind of remembering. Throughout the Bible, we find people recounting stories of how God has broken into their world. When you read the sermons of Peter, Stephen and Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, it is hard not to be struck by the fact that these are not abstract messages about the nature of God, but concrete recitations of what God has done.

 

What glimpses of God's kingdom have you been privileged to see? Today is a good day to remember those times in your life when you were embraced by God's people, felt God's presence, experienced God's power, or grasped God's purpose for your life.

Maybe this week God will give you an opportunity to share one or more of these remembrances with someone. If you want to share them with me, my email is dnich1803@gmail.com

 

Day 49: Prayer Challenge #7

The following Prayer Challenge is an essential part of the “Love Your Neighbor” Adventure. Don’t be satisfied just to take a few minutes each day to read the Bible Study and then do nothing else with it. This program is not about changing your mind or even your heart; it’s about changing your life and your world!

The Seventh Challenge:

Offering to Pray

Pray as you begin: “Lord, lead me today to someone who is in need. Fill my heart with Your love and let me see this person as You do. May Your love flow through me as Your Spirit fills me and leads me.”

Remember it is not your responsibility to either fix people’s problems or make them feel better by saying the right thing or quoting the right scripture.

Instead, offer to pray for them, lifting them up to God and asking God to wrap His arms around them and pour out His love upon them. Don’t wait until you get home to pray for them; pray out loud right where you are. If you are talking to someone on the phone, pray for them on the phone.

Afterward write down your thoughts and feelings. Send an email (dnich1803@gmail.com) letting me know what happened. 

 

Day 48: Set Free

Luke 13:10-14

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

Comments

Prisons come in many forms, not all of which are made by society to hold those who have run afoul of the law.

Here was a woman held captive for eighteen years by a crippling infirmity that would not allow her to stand up and live her life.

The synagogue leader was an unknowing captive as well, imprisoned by a religion in which rules and regulations took precedent over people’s needs.

Jesus set the woman free; the religious leader chose to stay in his confinement.

Reflections

Are you held captive by the opinions of others, desire for success, anger, alcohol, lust or anything else? Have you chosen to remain imprisoned rather than reach out to God for freedom and new life?

If God has set you free, have you offered hope and new life to others who are still imprisoned?

Prayer

Give me courage and wisdom, Lord, to find freedom in you from the things that confine me.

 

Day 47: Imprisoned

Matthew 25:37-40

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Comments

Jesus knew what it meant to be imprisoned with no one to visit him. His closest friends abandoned him when he was arrested; he faced his trial all alone.

God has a history of setting prisoners free. Joseph was set free from Pharaoh’s prison and many years later the Israelites were set free from slavery. Acts 16 tells how God used an earthquake to set Paul and Silas free from prison. Isaiah prophesied that prisoners would be set free as the power of the Lord came upon the Messiah.

Reflections

In the musical, Les Mis, Jean Valjean is told that he must forever wear a badge of dishonor designating him as a criminal. What are some barriers today’s prisoners face after they have served their time and been released?

Jean Valjean says to his jailer, Jauvert, “I am a man like any other.” Do you see criminals as being somehow different from “normal” people? What personal interactions have you had with anyone who has spent time in prison? Have you ever visited someone there?

Prayer

Forgive me, Lord, for those times when I imagine that the sins of those who are in prison are so very much worse than my own.

 

Day 46: No More Tears

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Comments

Christians often operate as though their ultimate destination is heaven, but this is not what the Bible teaches. Certainly, at death we go to be with God, but that is not the end.

Jesus will return one day as the king of kings, and the kingdom of heaven will come to a new and restored earth in the culmination of all history. On that great and glorious day, we will be given our resurrected bodies and there will be no more tears, no more suffering, no more death.

In the meantime, as we wait for God’s kingdom to come in its fullness, we celebrate those times when God’s kingdom breaks into our world even now.

Reflections

Are you waiting for God to take you away from this world or are you looking to see God break into it daily with healing and other outpourings of grace?

Prayer

Help us, Lord, to catch glimpses of your kingdom day by day as we follow where you lead us.

 

Day 45: Afflicted

Matthew 25:37-40

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Comments

Jesus knew what it meant to suffer physical affliction. He may never have had a tension headache, but he felt terrible pain as the crown of thorns was pressed down upon his head. His body was like ours; his suffering was no less than our own.

God delivers those who suffer from pain and illness. God’s kingdom is one in which there are no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering, no more death. Everyone who turns to God finds healing, some in this world and all in the next.

Reflection

God has created our bodies with incredible capacity for self-healing. When something is wrong with your body, how do you decide when to let nature take its course, when to turn to God in prayer, and when to seek medical help?

Are there times you have felt you had to choose between these courses of action?

When healing doesn’t come, do you attribute it to a lack of faith on your part, a lack of care on God’s part or something else entirely?

Prayer

When pain and suffering come into my life, Lord, help me know that you are not my adversary, but my ally, in all these matters.

 

Day 44: New Clothes!

 

Colossians 3:12-15

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Comments

Paul here speaks of a new wardrobe, one that will never go out of fashion.

The elements in the wardrobe are each designed to enhance community; none is of value for those who live their lives in isolation.

The purpose of each element in the wardrobe is not to make the wearer look good in order to impress others, but rather to do good by devotion of self to the needs of others.

Reflections

There are eight elements listed in this wardrobe: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness and love. How would members of your family or others who know you best rate you on these characteristics?

These wardrobe elements are not the kind of things that can be either bought or earned: they are gifts from God received as we abide in Christ. How are your quiet times going these days?

Prayer

Help me, Lord, not to live in the shame of nakedness, but in the splendor and majesty that come from being clothed with your love.

 

Day 43: Another Sabbath Celebration

Today is a day to pause and remember what God has done, and to give thanks for every blessing that has come our way. Yesterday was a crazy, wonderful day of blessings for me in two churches where God's transforming love is powerfully evident.

The day started in Royal Oak at the funeral of Nobu Shimokochi, one of the most remarkable men I have ever known. At the age of 13, Nobu, his family, and others of Japanese descent were removed from their homes and imprisoned in a Wyoming concentration camp for the duration of World War II. This happened without due process and with no accusation of any wrongdoing; their only crime was their ethnic heritage.

Nobu's home and his father's business were taken from them; when the war ended, they were told they would be attacked and most likely killed if they returned to California and tried to reclaim their property. The First Baptist Church of Royal Oak heard of their plight and invited them to come to Michigan where a job as church custodian was available for Nobu's father.

Nobu stayed in Royal Oak for the remainder of his life and I had the privilege of being his pastor for nearly ten years. Linnea sang "On Eagle's Wings" and "In the Garden" for the funeral service and I drew attention to Nobu's indomitable spirit, tender heart and vital faith. I continue to stand in awe that someone who was the victim of such ugly prejudice in his early years could become such a model of God's love and grace.

As soon as the funeral was over, Linnea and I rushed back to Sawyer for a wedding. Jamie and Eric, the homeless couple I wrote about in last Sunday's blog (see "Day 36: A Sabbath Celebration") were married in a beautiful service at Harbert Community Church, with a reception following. I am so proud of the tangible ways the church has shown love and grace to this family. Today Jamie, Eric and their three children will move in to our home and stay with us until they can save up enough money for a place of their own.

I find no greater joy in life than those moments when I am privileged to see glimpses of God's kingdom breaking in to our world. Yesterday I was doubly blessed and had the bonus of sharing both of these experiences with my wonderful spouse. I feel very blessed indeed.

Day 42: Prayer Challenge #6

 

The following Prayer Challenge is an essential part of the “Love Your Neighbor” Adventure. Without it, you might be tempted to take a few minutes each day to read the Bible Study and then do nothing else with it. Love Your Neighbor is not about changing your mind or even your heart; it’s about changing your life and your world!

The Sixth Challenge:

Learning to Listen

 

Look for an opportunity to have a conversation with someone from a different faith tradition or someone who has no connection to any religion. This is not about changing their mind, but hearing their heart. Only then will you be able to see where God is already at work in their life drawing them to Himself. If the person becomes argumentative or angry, move on until you find someone who is open to sharing with you.

Pray as you begin: “Lord, let me see your image within this person. Help me look past beliefs and opinions that are different from my own to see what is in this person’s heart.”

Afterward write down your thoughts and feelings. If you are comfortable doing so, send an email (dnich1803@gmail.com) letting me know how God touched your life through this.