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Darkness and the Light

Dec 23
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 13:11–14

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The days are getting longer now.  Did you notice?  The winter solstice is behind us, and we are heading toward spring.  Okay, it is only one day, and we won’t start gaining much more daylight for a while.  Darkness and light have long been images to describe our state of living. (more…)

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Our Response to Grace

Nov 14
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 2:1–4

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 2 You say, “We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.” 3 Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

“Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”  That is the sentence that caught my attention this morning.  Whenever I speak or preach about God’s forgiving love, someone will ask me if there isn’t something we have to do.  The correct answer is “No, except to receive it.”   But I try to speak about God’s hope for us and our lives. (more…)

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Following the Law

Oct 27
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 2:17–29

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18 and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19 and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21 you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  25 Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29 Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart — it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.

This is a long scripture reading for today, but I did not know where to cut it.  The message is pretty straightforward.  St. Paul is complaining about people who teach others to follow the law, but do not follow the law themselves.  He is also pointing out that outward signs of faithfulness, for example, circumcision, are nothing if the heart is not changed. (more…)

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For the Sake of Another

Sep 13
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 14:13–17

13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

‘Clean and unclean foods’ was an issue in the early Christian church, especially when Jews and Gentiles came together as followers of Jesus Christ.  Jews had many laws about what they could eat (clean foods) and what they could not eat (unclean foods).  St. Paul was clear that the laws about foods no longer applied to believers.  But, for some new believers it was hard to give up the old ways.  St. Paul makes the point that if his eating of unclean foods is a problem for another believer, he will refrain from eating those foods.  He will do so for the sake of the other believer. (more…)

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Grafted into the Tree

Aug 16
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 11:17–18

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.

It was during my first year at Trondhjem that Sandy Valek made me an honorary Norwegian.  My grandparents’ names were Rumberger, Dornblaser, Shoemaker, and White.  That should be a clue that my ethnic background is German and English.  As far as I know, there is no Norwegian in me.  But, I was grafted into the Norwegian heritage of Trondhjem.  Sandy used a coffee can (or was it a coffee pot), had me place my hand on it, and declared me a Norwegian. (more…)

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Hope and a Prayer

Aug 09
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 12:12

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

I had to look for a text for today.  The “assigned” texts were about judgment, including God’s judgment and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  That was all too depressing for me.  The modern news is bad enough, most especially the deaths of 30 Americans in Afghanistan.  I did a word search for “rejoice,” and Romans 12:12 is one of the verses that came up. (more…)

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God as Seen in Nature

Jul 05
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 1:20–22

20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

God’s power and nature is invisible, but through the world of nature we can see God at work.  I may have turned around the words to make them more understandable by us, but that is what St. Paul is writing to the Romans.  We can see God, experience God, and know God through the world of nature.  (more…)

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It is Hard to be Good

Jul 01
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 7:20–21

20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

Have you ever been in a tense conversation because of a conflict or a dispute with another person?  In the midst of that conversation you think of something you could say, but you know you should not say it because it would hurt the other person too much.  You think to yourself, “I will not say it,” but then you do, and you immediately regret having said what you said.  If you have ever been in that situation, you understand what St. Paul was writing to the Romans. (more…)

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Ancient Rulers and Modern Democracy

Jun 30
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 13:1–7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them — taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

This seems to be an appropriate text to consider on the day before the government “shutdown” in Minnesota.  It seems appropriate given the discussions going on in Washington DC over increasing the debt limit.  And finally, it seems appropriate as we prepare to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. (more…)

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God’s Spirit and Our Spirits

Jun 10
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 8:14–17

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The book of Romans is regarded as Paul’s final letter and as a summation of his thoughts.  Paul was a very religious man even before his conversion experience.  Before his conversion he could claim credit for his religious works.  After his conversion experience he understood that it was God at work in him.  It is through God’s Spirit’s presence that we are what we are.  It is God who has adopted us and called us to be God’s children. (more…)

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