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First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon Ohio |
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Sunday Schedule
8:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship
9:45 a.m. Christian Education for all ages
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship |
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106 North Gay Street Mount Vernon OH 43050 740-393-1326 Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. M-F |
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June Daily Readings |
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Tuesday, June 1 Matthew 13:53-58 But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” (v.57b) There is a saying: “Familiarity breeds contempt.” I imagine that in the parochial and agrarian society of Nazareth and its surroundings, Jesus, the local carpenter, was familiar and well respected by the town-folk. But then Jesus stepped out of the box! He proclaimed himself as the Son of God! His teachings not only challenged the “old ways” customary to Jewish tradition, but also were supported by his performance of healings and |
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miracles. Those who were more familiar with the “old” Jesus had difficulty with the new; skepticism, anger, offense, and contempt followed, particularly in his hometown. I suspect that most of us, to whom Jesus has come, have experienced rejection from those who knew us in our “old ways” (when we were not exactly saints). But God, through His Holy Spirit, draws us into His family despite the contempt of those who reject us. God wants us to become His Saints. Thus we sing, “The Saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.” Ecclesiastes 2:16-26; Psalm 45; Galatians 1:18—2:10
Wednesday, June 2 Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before, and God will call the past to account. (v.15) That “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) is one of the foundations of my faith. This passage looks to eternal life rather than the temporal existence I presently inhabit. In contrast, today’s reading from Ecclesiastes begins: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven....” Simply put, I am limited (or even enslaved) by time. I praise God that, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men” (v.11). My eternal life will be more beautiful than I can imagine, and as I grow in my relationship with God, in Jesus Christ, I also grow in eager anticipation in God’s promise of the glorious adventure in eternity with Him. Psalm 119:49-72; Galatians 2:11-21; Matthew 14:1-12 |
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Thursday, June 3 Ecclesiastes 3:16—4:3 “All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” (vv.19b-20) The authorship of Ecclesiastes has been attributed to Solomon, King of Israel. He seems to have believed in God, but not to have always believed God. In this performance oriented existence of mine, I, too, can forget God’s presence in my life. Solomon assumes God is there, but that God has abandoned man in the living of daily life of an imperfect world. He has overlooked God’s promise to us of a loving relationship with Himself. Solomon’s own father, David, had such a relationship with God. One of the most familiar of Jesus’ parables is that of the sower, in which Jesus describes various impediments keeping us from responding to God’s grace. The seed is the Word of God, being sown into the hearts of men. Some of the seed fell among thorns, which describes the condition of the man who was beset by, “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22), making his life “unfruitful.” Solomon was like that man! My cynicism (which can be much like Solomon’s) can be avoided as I surrender to God. He is my master and produces within me a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown! Psalm 50; Galatians 3:1-14; Matthew 14:13-21 Friday, June 4 Psalm 40 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (vv.6-8) C.S. Lewis’ book, Surprised by Joy, an autobiography and spiritual journey, depicts the younger Lewis and his conversion to Christianity. The title itself speaks volumes about Lewis. In truth, the Christian experiences many joyous surprises in his life. One of my “surprises” came from the reading of Psalm 40. Many of the themes of Scripture are present in this uplifting cry of the psalmist to God, his Savior. First, he waits patiently for God who hears his cry. Like Isaiah, he affirms that, “those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will rise up on wings like eagles...” (Isaiah 40:31). Secondly, the psalmist responds in thanksgiving and worship of God for His rescue and restoration. Thirdly, the psalmist acknowledges being overtaken by sin and asks for God’s forgiveness, mercy, and salvation. Finally, the psalmist surrenders to God’s will for him as he proclaims, “Here I am! I have come—it is written about me in the scroll.” Isaiah’s calling from God to his prophetic ministry was also compelling. God asks, “Who shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah’s response: “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). May we, as God’s children, wait for, pray for, and respond to God’s call in our lives. Ecclesiastes 5:1-7; Psalm 54; Galatians 3:15-22; Matthew 14:22-36 Saturday, June 5 Galatians 3:21—4:11 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. (vv.6-7) As a new Christian, I was troubled by fears of the devil. My new life, which I had committed to Jesus Christ, was anything but filled with joy and peace. An assistant pastor suggested that counseling and prayers of deliverance would help, and that he would make an appointment with me as soon as he and his family returned from vacation. I had a question! “Wait a minute,” I said, “What do I do while you’re on vacation?” The pastor saw my point. He was able to recruit two others for me from the same ministry to which he belonged. Many prayers were said and many problems addressed. I came away with a much lighter heart and a more joyful beginning to my Christian life. John tells me that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18) and it is that perfect love of God through which He sent His Son to save me and through which His Holy Spirit dwells within me. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). O Lord, let me “stand firm” in your love! Ecclesiastes 5:8-20; Psalm 55; Matthew 15:1-20 Sunday, June 6 Luke 12:32-40 “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!” (v.40 NCV) I have been blessed with quite a few days thus far. I’ve found that with so many of them I keep falling short of mastering true love for my neighbors and obeying what the Lord puts in my heart. I’ve read or heard the scriptures plenty of times—I should know better. Still, I have to keep coming up with excuses to validate my lackluster performance. I can justify just about anything if you give me a moment to think about it. But you know, in those quiet moments, when it’s just God and me, that’s when my heart feels remorse. I am learning to embrace those heartaches for what they really are; the life lessons that guide me toward what the Lord desires for me. So instead of having a pity party for all the wrong turns I have made and how slowly I progress, I’m going to proclaim this: Lord, I love You and I love the way You keep nudging me along—so, ready or not, here I come. Ecclesiastes 6:1-12; Psalms 24, 29; Acts 10:9-23 Monday, June 7 Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. (v.14) Growing up, Mom was my pillar of optimism. When things got tough, she’d say, “Don’t let it get to you, nobody gets outta’ here alive anyway.” Great! I’ll just chew on my mortality while I drink my cup of struggle. Should I quit now and save the hassles? Well, not so fast young man, there’s a good change a comin’. Through the days of my marriage, there have been plenty of difficult seasons. Here’s the good part: those troubles pressed my wife and I closer and closer to an old mutual acquaintance, Jesus. Through him, we found clouds with silver linings and we’ve shared a lot of joy and success. Remember my mom’s gem of wisdom? Life is so very short compared to eternity. If that eternity is with Jesus, there’s a never-ending line of great days ahead. Until then, I will continue to seek the good and endure the bad. I’ll take those ugly stones that hurt me to Jesus. I think he might just knock off the rough edges and polish them up until they shine and bring me joy. Psalms 56, 57, 58; Galatians 4:12-20; Matthew 15:21-28 Tuesday, June 8 Psalm 62 I find rest in God; only he can save me. (v.1) Man, I get tired! Day after day it seems there’s this stupid lion that keeps prowling around seeking to devour me. Maybe he’s not so stupid. He knows exactly how to go after the woes I am susceptible to. Like, when I’m scared about getting my kid through college during a bad economy: “Will I be able to provide for her needs?” Or, when I make poor decisions that hurt someone: “Can God really love me?” Sometimes, I find that the lion is a ventriloquist who can roar at my wife through my own mouth: “Will God forgive me?” The only solace I find is constant and unending prayer. Short and to-the-point blurbs I spurt out during the course of the day. Thank you Jesus… Lord, please forgive me for… Lord, please send Your Spirit to help me with… God, I need you—now! Day in and day out, one thing holds true. I feel His presence and somehow, it gives me the peace and the hope I need to carry on. Ecclesiastes 8:14—9:10; Psalm 61; Galatians 4:21-31; Matthew 15:29-39 Wednesday, June 9 Galatians 5:1-15 We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into slavery of the law. (v.1) Love the Lord with all your heart. Love your neighbors as you love yourself. Those are a pair of slam-dunk, no-brainers. They should handle the whole planet. Then, of course, someone always comes along who wants it all his or her way. They attain a little more power than others, create a few extra rules, and start bending them to benefit themselves and their chosen few. Slowly the scale tilts, little by little, until one day: crackle, hiss, “Uh, Houston, we have a problem.” So who died and left them boss? I’ll tell you who died. Jesus. But he didn’t do it just to leave us shackled to man’s corrupted laws. He did it to free us from them. He died so that he could live in our hearts and guide us with his love toward the naturally righteous laws of God. We should all stand up and shout for joy. We know what is right in our hearts and we need to keep keenly aware of whom we entrust power to. Ecclesiastes 9:11-18; Psalm 72; Matthew 16:1-12 Thursday, June 10 Ecclesiastes 11:1-8 Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops. (v.4) You reap what you sow. I should tattoo it to my forehead to remind me. Let’s see: plant good seeds and then nurture them until it’s time to harvest. That seems simple enough. The problem I have is getting stuck in this little box that I’ve built around myself that keeps me from getting out to my field. I have fallen into a trap—I’ll bet I know who set it. You see, for far too long I’ve been using the excuse, “I’m waiting on God to show me His plan, then I’ll move into action.” I thought I was abiding in His will but, in reality, I was steadily slipping behind. Instead of working out in my field, I found myself staying busy laying the bricks for my box of idleness. So, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m getting rid of the box and I’m going to get back to planting, nurturing, and harvesting. I understand now that this is what God has always intended for me. Psalms 70, 71; Galatians 5:16-24; Matthew 16:13-20 Friday, June 11 Matthew 16:21-28 Then Jesus said to Peter, “Go away from me Satan! You are not helping me! You don’t care about the things of God, but only the things people think are important.” (v.23) How easily Ole Lucifer can dupe me. Often enough situations come along where I’ll have to make some decision or choice. Then, this guy carrying a pitchfork will come along, sneak in through the back door of my mind, and start twisting the issues into a riddle where wrong seems right and vice versa. I should send him packing but I’m fooled by his stealthy and crafty prowess. I plunge headlong into some decision I believe is a good and reasonable solution, only to end up making matters worse. I guess I’m only human and thus, spiritually naďve. I just don’t know what God knows or think like He thinks. Beelzebub knows this and uses me, like a pawn, to suit his purposes. My only hope is to wash my soul in God’s Word, pray often, ask for His forgiveness, seek His will, and give Him a lot of thanks. Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:14; Psalm 69; Galatians 5:25—6:10 Saturday, June 12 Psalms 75 No one from the east or the west or the desert can judge you. (v.6) Naturally we can’t go around judging God—but it seems we often do. Don’t we make a judgment about God when we package Him up in our little bundle of beliefs to try to make Him fit with our way of seeing things? It’s our human nature I suppose. We judge everyone; it begins the moment we meet someone, looking and listening to establish a first impression. The point that I’m meandering around to is this: we can’t and shouldn’t try to use our judgment against God’s. He is sovereign. He’s the one who put this whole ball of wax together and only He understands how it’s really supposed to work. What we need to be doing is following His plan and figuring out to make our set of beliefs fit into His package. It can’t be the world according to Garp, or Dick, or Jane, or any one of us—we’d just mess it up. We must always accept and obey our Lord and Him alone. Numbers 3:1-13; Psalm 76; Galatians 6:11-18; Matthew 17:1-13 Sunday, June 13 Numbers 6:22-27 The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. (v.25 NAS) I started to write about Luke 48: “To whom much is given, much is required.” But then I realized that everything I have been given has come through God’s graciousness. His face was shining upon me while I was yet in my mother’s womb. My life has been blessed throughout my days. I have been given so much that I don’t know what is required of me except to acknowledge God’s generous love. What can one do for God’s face to shine upon you? Nothing! Only bask in His light and share His love with others. I am gradually learning. His blessing is to be received and shared. It is nothing I can deserve or earn but it is something I can recognize and proclaim. Psalms 93, 96; Acts 13:1-12; Luke 12:41-48 Monday, June 14 Romans 1:1-15 That is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. (v.12) As much as I enjoy being alone, I now realize that fellowship with other believers is what fulfills my joy. Paul longed for that fellowship also, that they might share spiritual gifts with each other. Do we know what our spiritual gifts are? Are we eager to share them with others? Sharing spiritual gifts is not really an option; it sounds like a requirement if we want God to shine His face upon us. Nine spiritual gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12. Do we come together expecting to use those gifts? Do we expect miracles? Do we hear prophecy? Do we pray in tongues? Do we know that God will heal our diseases? I wonder how often we miss the light of His face by not seizing the gifts He places before us! Lord, help our unbelief and give us the boldness to receive what You offer. Numbers 9:15-23, 10:29-36; Psalm 80; Matthew 17:14-21 Tuesday, June 15 Romans 1:16-25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (v.25) Years ago as I contemplated the return of Jesus and the good life I was currently living, I asked myself what I was willing to give up for Jesus. The answer was, “Not much.” I liked the natural world around me. It occurred to me that I was not worshiping the Creator but his creation. I knew the order needed to change so I knelt in a chapel and asked God to help me to know Jesus. I expected to receive a deeper understanding about the sacrifice Jesus had made on the cross, or perhaps an intellectual revelation. Instead, I was overwhelmed with a sense of love. It permeated the space around me. It enveloped me. I was unprepared for my emotional response. It changed my life. Love created a relationship that wasn’t there before. Numbers 11:1-23; Psalm 78:1-39; Matthew 17:22-27 Wednesday, June 16 Romans 1:28—2:11 Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. (v.1) A few years ago I was in an inner healing support group that prayed for each other, whether or not we knew what we needed. I came out of one of those “soaking prayers” knowing I had been healed of something. When I asked the Lord what it was the response was “stiff-necked.” To me that meant “arrogance.” “You’re not arrogant!” they all cried, to which I agreed. Eventually I asked the Lord to show me the arrogance. He did! I am still being healed, one layer at a time. Every time the Lord shows me a new arrogant position it is a new revelation, but then I have to work it out of my behavior. What I realize is that I can no longer judge another for their arrogance, a thing I used to detest in other people. That is often the case when we don’t see the log in our own eye, but we see it in others. In essence, we are condemning ourselves. Numbers 11:24-35; Psalm119:97-120; Matthew 18:1-9 Thursday, June 17 Matthew 18:10-20 “And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church...” (v.17a) My church has recently undertaken a “Peacemaker” course, where we learn to listen to each other and to realize that our perception is affected by our life experiences. My usual way to deal with conflict is to avoid it. One of the lessons was titled “The Silence that Stifles True Happiness.” It showed me that avoiding a problem doesn’t solve it. It also doesn’t make it go away. The only solution is to face it squarely with the other person and let God’s love shine His truth into it. If the other person won’t agree to that, try bringing a third person into the matter. If that doesn’t work, take it up with the church. Who would do that? Well, one answer is to have within the church a group trained in reconciliation who can mediate the Peacemaker principles. My church is working toward that goal. Meanwhile, I have begun to see that the deep happiness of full fellowship is hindered by the easy way out—avoiding the issue. I am also seeing that this does not have to be a major conflict; a small splinter can irritate and eventually infect the body. As the Body of Christ we must be willing to pull out the splinters. Numbers 12:1-16; Psalm 83; Romans 2:12-24 Friday, June 18 Matthew 18:21-35 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.” (v.27) Forgiveness involves not only the will but the heart. The master not only forgave the debt, he released his servant from all obligation for it. It was erased. Only God’s compassion in us can allow us to do that! Yet, unforgiveness that we allow to remain deep within us holds us in slavery to itself. We have created our own prison regardless of how “right” we may be. I remember when my husband came home to a jabbering and noisy household and began sulking and behaving poorly. I prayed about it, wondering what was wrong. The Lord said, “Ask forgiveness.” I didn’t understand what it was about but I obeyed. Dan forgave, and when he did my eyes were opened to see the hectic situation he had walked into when what he wanted was rest from a long day at work. Sometimes we just don’t see the problem until we have taken a step in faith to ask forgiveness. Lord, help us to understand the need for compassionate forgiveness. Numbers 13:1-3, 21-30; Psalm 88; Romans 2:25—3:8 Saturday, June 19 Numbers 13:31—14:25 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” (v.31) Caleb saw that the Lord was on the side of the Israelites and he encouraged Moses to move into the land the Lord was giving them. But others who had scouted the land were fearful. Fear forecasts defeat, never victory. Fear enslaves us and immobilizes us to inaction, whether we hide it behind anger or smiles or a brave front. Often the thing we fear will come upon us. We have encouraged its existence. In that desert place it filtered through the ranks creating first dissatisfaction, then anarchy. Faith, on the other hand, will win the battle that God has prepared. Fortunately, the Hebrew people listened to Caleb and Joshua. Otherwise, they might have had to wander in the desert another 40 years. We all have desert places where fear holds us captive and we cannot move ahead to take the high ground God has called us to. Lord, increase our faith and destroy the fear that holds us back. Teach us to proclaim Your victory over our circumstances, and to see with Your vision rather than the darkness that fear sets before us. Psalms 87, 90; Romans 3:9-20, Matthew 19:1-12 Sunday, June 20 Numbers 14:26-45 “Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you...” (v.43b NIV) The bumper sticker’s message startled me. It read, “Stop global whining.” Today’s reading in the book of Numbers continues the story of Israel’s whining. On the verge of ending their desert sojourn and preparing to enter the Promised Land, the people begin to mutter and grumble. Some of the scouts Moses sent to explore the land of Canaan have reported that the Israelites “can’t attack those people, they’re stronger than we are…. The land devours those living in it. The people are giants” (Numbers 13:31-33). The people are frightened and whine once more about their circumstances. Caleb has a different spirit and follows the Lord wholeheartedly (Numbers 14:24). God announces to the people, through Moses, that they will experience what they fear because they have not trusted Him. God doesn’t appreciate whining. Yet, so many of us do our own grumbling and whining against God, especially when things don’t seem to go our way or God hasn’t implemented our plans for our lives. God often shows us that grumbling and whining are their own reward. We need to avoid “global whining.” Psalms 66, 67; Acts 15:1-12; Luke 12:49-56 Monday, June 21 Matthew 19:13-22 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (v.14) One of the joys of my life in the past eighteen months has been watching my grandson encounter the world. Bit by bit, day by day, he is teaching me how to look at everything with the eyes of a child, and what a wonderful world it is. A snowflake is now a mystery and beautiful thing, not just a nuisance that must be swept from the car. He has grown from a little helpless baby completely dependent on others for everything to a rambunctious little boy who runs everywhere, comments on everything (usually in a language comprehensible to none save himself), and expresses his delight in everything from a bug to a dust ball. He has little sympathy for adults who have to work when he wants to play. I am sometimes embarrassed by how much he trusts me. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” My grandson has given me a deeper insight into these words: God delights in those who delight in Him. He loves those who enjoy His presence in their lives, and see His handiwork all around them. He cherishes those who let themselves be touched by Him. Numbers 16:1-19; Psalm 89:1-18; Romans 3:21-31 Tuesday, June 22 Matthew 19:23-30 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (v.29) When I have to preach this passage, I confess I have trouble understanding and explaining to a congregation what Jesus was telling Peter. Was he letting Peter know that calculating the material benefits for following Jesus was missing the point completely? Or was he suggesting that the rewards of following him are incalculable, of a magnitude beyond human comprehension? Was even making the point that rewards are a legitimate consideration in the cost of discipleship? Maybe Jesus wanted Peter, and us, to think about all these things. Yes, calculating the material benefits for following Jesus does miss the point, “Why settle for some things when you can have the Creator of everything?” Yes, the rewards of following Jesus are incalculable, beyond all human comprehension. We have eternal life as co-heirs with Christ, as children of God participating in the Divine Life of the Trinity. Yes, rewards are a legitimate consideration in the cost of discipleship. What does taking up the cross mean if it does not result in resurrection to new life? Peter’s question may strike us as unspiritual, even crass. Jesus didn’t treat it that way and we shouldn’t either. Numbers 16:20-35, Psalms 97, 99, 100; Romans 4:1-12 Wednesday, June 23 Matthew 20:1-16 “Or are you envious because I am generous?” (v.15) The parable of the workers in the vineyard tends to distract those hearing it. Like the workers, they describe the owner’s behavior as “unfair.” They sympathize with the workers who “bore the burden of the work and the heat of the day.” The vineyard’s owner seems more capricious than generous. Reading the story, we suspect they may have a point. We, and the workers, think that the issue is the amount and quality of the work done. Jesus tells us that the amount and quality of the work is irrelevant. What matters is the generosity of the owner. Though we Christians rather glibly acknowledge that we are justified by faith and that we cannot earn salvation, we have a difficult time believing it. We think that the better we are and the more strictly we keep God’s commands, we will gain rewards based on our performance. But what greater reward could there be than eternal life in the presence of God? And how do we earn heaven? We can’t; we are unworthy servants (Luke 17:10). We work in the vineyard by the grace of God, and we receive abundantly from His generous hand. Numbers 16:36-50; Psalms 101, 109; Romans 4:13-25 Thursday, June 24 Romans 5:1-11 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (vv.1-2a) One dictionary (Merriam-Webster) variously describes peace as “a state of calm, quiet and security, freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions, harmony between once-hostile antagonists, or the ending of hostilities.” True peace with God includes all these elements and more. The access into this grace and peace in which we now stand, we have gained through Jesus Christ. Because he died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can now rest secure in the assurance of God’s love and the certainty of His promise of eternal life. We no longer need fear expulsion from His presence, nor what Shakespeare called the “thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.” God, in Christ, has restored us to harmony with Him as befits those created in His image and likeness. Not only do we know and experience harmony with God, we are now co-heirs with Christ, adopted as Christ’s brothers and sisters. All this is ours because we have been justified, made right with God, by faith. We have trusted God and know now that His promises are true. We have peace, “a peace that transcends all understanding, which will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Peace be with you. Numbers 17:1-11; Psalm 105:1-22; Matthew 20:17-28 Friday, June 25 Matthew 20:29-34 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. (v.32) The evangelists tell us that Jesus never hesitated to ask questions which challenged the persons to whom they were directed. Often the questions force them to consider who Jesus is and what they truly want from him. Jesus asks Andrew and an unnamed disciple, “What do you want?” (John 1:38). Though their answer suggests that they may not have really understood Jesus, the question lingered a lifetime. Jesus asks the two blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?” Their reply, “We want our sight,” evoked Jesus’ compassion. Not only did he give them physical sight, he gave them such insight that they followed him. Jesus asks each of us the same questions: “What do you want? What do you want me to do for you?” If we take the questions seriously, we will search our hearts to find our deepest needs and aspirations, our longing for inner peace, our desires for a meaningful and fruitful life, and the often suppressed yearnings for God which can take so many disguises. When we answer, “We want our sight,” Jesus will have compassion on us and touch us. And having received our sight, may we follow him. Numbers 20:1-13; Psalm 102; Romans 5:12-21 Saturday, June 26 Romans 6:1-11 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (vv.3-4) Many Christians like to describe themselves as “resurrection people,” and so we are. But we are also disciples whom Jesus called to follow in the way of the cross. Paul reminds us that our baptism isn’t simply a matter of rising to new life through Christ, it is also very much a baptism into death. The death is death to sin, and death to sin involves death on a cross. Many years ago, a revered teacher, Fr. Augustine Paul Hennessey, brought this home to me in a simple but powerful statement: “A Christian life is a life in Christ. A life in Christ is a life on the cross.” The struggle against sin in our lives requires a constant crucifixion of our impulses to sin and self-indulgence. You and I know it is not easy, but we are also assured that because of Christ’s death, his grace is sufficient for us, for his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Resurrection people need the cross. Resurrection people embrace the way of the cross, the baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Resurrection people are people of the cross. Numbers 20:14-29; Psalm 107:33-43, 108; Matthew 21:1-11 Sunday, June 27 Numbers 21:4-9, 21-35 They spoke against God and against Moses... Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. (vv.5-6 NIV) I have come to realize that every word that comes from my mouth has power; power for good or power for evil. Notice in verse 7 that the people repented for their words (and attitude of heart), but they still had to pay the price for their words (vv.8-9). We must all learn to think before we speak. Today, speak blessings not evil, for the words you sew you shall reap. Jesus said: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63b). Psalm 118; Acts 17:12-34; Luke 13:10-17 Monday, June 28 Matthew 21:12-22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (v.22) If you are born again (John 3:3) and have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you have the same Spirit in you that Jesus had when he healed the sick and raised the dead. You have the same Spirit in you that raised Jesus from the dead. The desire of God’s heart is for you and me to help bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10). Today, use prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. Numbers 22:1-21; Psalm 106:1-18; Romans 6:12-23 Tuesday, June 29 Psalm 123 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. (vv.1-2) Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, wrote in his testimony how he and his wife, Vonnette, knelt before the Lord, at the tender age of 21, and gave themselves to Jesus as slaves. A slave never really sleeps because he is always listening for his master’s call. A slave’s life is dedicated to serving his master. Learning to live in the Kingdom of Heaven requires that we listen to Jesus throughout the day, always ready to help bring his Kingdom to earth. If we are walking with Jesus we will learn to do what he does, say what he says, and pray what he prays. Numbers 22:21-38; Psalms 120, 121, 122; Romans 7:1-12; Matthew 21:23-32 Wednesday, June 30 Psalm 119:145-176 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. (v.147) I love to get up early in the morning, about the same time as the sun comes up. I pour myself coffee and settle down to worship my God. I start with my daily devotional followed by asking God to empower me for the day with His Holy Spirit. I then pray for everyone on my prayer list. I pray for them using the Ephesians prayer in chapter one: “may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, grant each of them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus. I pray that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened that they might know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for all who believe” (vv.17-19). Numbers 22:41—23:12; Romans 7:13-25; Matthew 21:33-46 |