TOP

Brothers and Sisters of Jesus

Nov 18
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Matthew 12:46–50

46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

There is the old adage, “Blood is thicker than water.”  The point being made is that despite appearances, we are closer to our blood relatives than we are to our friends, even our good friends.  Jesus is here saying that he disagrees.  He points to his disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers!”  They are the ones who are doing the will of God, the Father in heaven. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

One Body and Trust

Jun 29
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

1 Corinthians 12:14–21

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

A wise person in my life used this text in a sermon he was preaching.  He suggested that, as the body of Christ, we need an “ecumenical” vision in our world today.  We need to see ourselves in “one house” in which we all belong together.  He pointed out that ecumenical has the same root as words like economy and ecology.  Our one house includes all the people in the world, but it also includes the natural world as well.  The flooding in the northern plains will have an impact on the shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico.  I was told yesterday that it will also likely raise the price of pasta because of crops that cannot be planted up in those states.  Consider the impact on people who stretch their food budget by eating a lot of spaghetti.  We are connected.  We do live in one house. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Diversity in the Body of Christ

Jan 10
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 10:44–48

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentile  46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

We usually think of St. Paul as the missionary to the Gentiles, but in this passage we find Peter in Caesarea, along the Mediterranean sea.  In this port city you would find a mixture of peoples, both Jews and Gentiles (which are non-Jews).  It “astonished” the Jews to find that the Holy Spirit had come upon the Gentiles.  Through baptism they were welcomed into the fellowship of the body of Jesus Christ.  How could one refuse them if God had already blessed them with the Holy Spirit? (more…)

Read More
Tags: , , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Vision and Hope

Dec 15
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Zechariah 8:4–8

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the LORD of hosts?  7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; 8 and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.

Here is a vision of the future that God was promising to ancient Israel, more than 500 years before Jesus.  They had just returned from exile in Babylon, but that did not mean that the Persians were willing to have them be a country on their own again.  There were also empires in the West that could threaten the people.  It had been a harsh existence for the people during their 40+ years in exile.  Rebuilding Jerusalem was “no picnic” either. (more…)

Read More
Tags: ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Worship God!

Nov 23
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Revelation 22:8–9

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

These verses are from the last chapter of the last book in our Christian bibles.  What a two word sentence:  “Worship God!”  Martin Luther in his Small Catechism writes, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above anything else.”  Do we?  Do I? (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

For the Sake of Others’ Faith

Nov 16
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

1 Corinthians 10:23–33

23 All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, 26 for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience — 29 I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks  31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.

Food was sacrificed at pagan shrines in Corinth.  Some of that food was consumed ritually at the shrine, and then much of that food was sold in the markets.  The question that arose and that divided the young Christian church was whether a faithful Christian should eat food that had been offered to idols. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

A New Week for the Body of Christ

Nov 15
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Ephesians 4:25–32

25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

“For we are members of one another,” the author writes.”  That is what God is trying to tell us.  Even the thief is a member of the body of Christ.  How is that for a surprise on a Monday morning?  But the thief must give up their stealing, work honestly, and share with the needy. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)