October 5, 2022 — Jesus is the Light

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Psalm 91:1-8

“The psalmist understood the connection between fear and darkness, but he also knew that God is greater than those fears. He wrote, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness” (Ps. 91:5-6). Neither terrors of night nor evil in the darkness need to drive us to fear. We have a God who sent His Son, the Light of the World (John 8:12).” “Our Daily Bread” devotion for July 6, 2015

Several years ago there was an internet sensation that came in the form of a dress. A woman had posted a picture of a dress she had purchased for an upcoming wedding, and instantly it caused some confusion, if not some intense arguments. Some people, when they looked at the dress, well they see it as white with gold stripes. Others see the dress as blue with black stripes. Why, so many people argued, did we not all see the dress the same? How could this be? In one afternoon, as I read an article about the dress and this interesting phenomenon, one moment I saw the dress as blue and black, and the next, it looked white and gold. The inconsistency suggests that the dress is a new type of perceptual phenomenon previously unknown to scientists.

The answer to this conundrum seems to come in the discovery of a new problem — the brain’s color-processing mechanisms which may vary from one person to the next and can depend on prior experiences. And after more studies, it was also determined that the dress can look differently in the context of shade versus direct sunlight. In other words, more light changes things.

This is true with the light of Christ. The more we live in the light of Christ, the more our lives are changed — changed for the better. If we stay away from the light of Christ, then our lives are changed for the worse, not the better. But when we live in the light of Christ, then we can see how things are supposed to be — and then do something about it.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, help me to live into your light – the light that shatters all of the darkness of this world. Amen.

Pastor Dave

October 4, 2022 – Is Jesus’ Bread Gluten Free?

“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:45-51

“When Jesus offers himself as the Bread of Life those who are listening find it difficult to eat. Over the next four chapters of John (6-10) the opposition to Jesus grows. The world is not ready to change its diet even if their diet only makes them sick. Jesus proclaims that he is Israel’s food and all of the needs and longings of God’s people can be found in him. “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The problem is that “Jesus Bread” is difficult to eat. If Jesus is the bread of life, which provides for our ultimate human needs, then why does it leave us so hungry or why is it so difficult to take a bite?” “Is Jesus’ Bread Gluten Free?” August 5, 2012 (“The Hardest Question” website) by Roy M. Terry IV

Why is Jesus’ Bread so hard to eat? Of course, we must define “the bread” of Jesus. When Jesus says “I am the bread of life” — he is referring to himself — his teachings, his ways, his love, his mercy, his grace. It is so hard to eat because it seems so simple and so radically different at the same time. It is so radically different because it redefines how G-d wants people to treat one another, to love one another, to serve one another, to accept one another, and to love and serve G-d. No longer are we supposed to put people outside of community if they are different from us — we are to love them. No longer are we to judge others unless we welcome the same judgment with which we judge others. And we are to love all people — all people — not just the ones we find easy to love.

The teaching of Jesus is also simple because it comes down to two words — love and serve. Love and serve others — love and serve G-d. Simple, right? Love and serve G-d and love and serve our neighbors — putting G-d and everyone else in front of our own needs. Not so simple when we look to live into this reality — when we look to eat the bread of Jesus and then show others that this truly matters in our lives. This is why Jesus’ bread could be so hard to eat — because once we do we should live as if it really matters to us. And if it really matters, then let’s show it.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, I need your bread every day – the word that fills me and gives me life. Amen.

Pastor Dave