Fan the Flame

“It’s a great day to be alive!” is a phrase a very good friend used to always say. And it’s true, everyday is a gift from God for us to live in thanksgiving for Him.

2 Timothy 1:1-14 is today’s text. The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy recalled the way that both Timothy’s grandmother and mother had instructed him in the doctrine and faith of the Lord. Timothy had had the blessing of growing up in a home where an experience with God was central. Paul considered that to be a vital privilege and responsibility; perhaps this was why he “reminded” Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God…”

“Fan into flame…” is an interesting choice of words. Usually when a flame is going and gradually begins to lose heat, fanning the flame will maintain or increase the heat once again. The Apostle Paul had already commended Timothy for the faith that “now lives in you.” Now, the issue was to continue to live in that faith (i.e. “fan into flame the gift of God”). Throughout his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul gave him words of instruction and encouragement as to how to “keep the flame” going.

In any case, we too need to “fan the flame” in order to keep it going. What are those things that we can be and do to keep the flame of our faith active and strong? Where can we go to the keep the flame active and strong? How can we keep the flame of our faith strong in the midst of the culture pull?

The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he himself was committed to keep the flame of his faith going because “he knew in whom he had believed” and “was convinced” that Christ was powerful enough to guard his faith. Fanning the flame of our faith must be Christ-centered.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithful love to me. Enable me to fan the flame of my faith with those tools that you have provided me with as I trust in your power to guard my heart and mind. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

I Want to See Jesus

Good morning to you! Sorry I’ve been absent a few days, it was just one of those busy weeks.

Yesterday I preached on the healing of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) and noted how his physical healing, among other things, authenticated Jesus’ mission as Messiah. Furthermore, Bartimaeus, although a down and out blind beggar, was able to see Jesus for who he was as he called out to him as “Son of David.” Somehow, this blind beggar, an outcast and marginal person, was able to recognize the Christ, the Son of God – something most of the religious leaders of the first century were unable to do. This the blind beggar acknowledged while being physically blind.

We could conclude, I think, that his spiritual “sight” was restored prior to his physical sight. This way, he had hope in Jesus prior to actually seeing Jesus’ power in action. As a result, when Jesus did perform a powerful miracle, the healed blind beggar began to follow Jesus without hesitation.

There is a popular song that says, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord…I want to see You.” What does it mean to see Jesus? Is it a burning bush? Is it a pillar of fire? Is it sitting through a worship, praise, or prayer service? How did most of the Biblical characters see God?

We concluded yesterday’s service singing, “He lives! He lives!...He walks with me and talks with along life’s narrow way…” We can see Jesus as walks and talks with us – as we pray, read Scripture, meditate on His word, serve God and others, seek to do good to as many as we can, wherever we can, for as long as we can, and as creation itself gives witness to an all-powerful, all-loving God.

Have you seen Jesus today? Look to him as walks and talks with us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your company each day. Help me to see you in all that I seek to be and do for your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

Free!

¡Buenos días!

Today’s text is found in Mark 5:1-20.

This is one of the most fascinating stories to me – what makes it so fascinating is that it is a true story about a true man about a true crisis in need of a true miracle. Nothing short of a miracle would be of any help to this no name man. A man tormented by demons to the extent of physical harm and agony (Mark 5:5).

It astounds me that the man, mainly by impulse of the demons and partly by his own desire for help, ran to Jesus, fell at his feet, and then actually acknowledged his divinity! This evil spirit (demon) actually recognized Jesus for who he really was! It kind of reminds me of the way that James put it, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19). A seminary professor once told us, “Even the demons have better theology than we do sometimes!” While this statement is quite exaggerated, humorous, and a bit of a stretch, the point is well taken – evil spirits recognize the omnipotence of God.

Once Jesus delivered this man from his possession by this evil spirit, the gospel of Mark says that the man was sitting (vs. running around uncontrolled), dressed (vs. naked), and in his right mind (vs. screaming, yelling, and harming himself) (Mark 5:15). However we choose to understand this evil spirit, the fact remains that it was torturing and destroying his life and that Jesus was able to deliver him. The man’s encounter with Jesus made all the difference. Jesus’ intervention in his life made all the difference. So much so that the man returned to his family and community to tell of what Jesus had done in his life (Mark 5:20).

What has Jesus done for you? Have you ever felt yourself in a desperate situation? “Naked”? That is, unprotected or unshielded to life’s harm? Or not in your “right mind”? Thoughts, problems, worries, etc., that cloud your mind to see God’s light? Let us thank God that he can deliver and help us. Give it over to God – He will give us peace of mind.

Prayer: Lord, life’s situation many times try to cloud us to not see your grace at work. Free us from being overwhelmed by life’s uncertainties and help us to trust your wisdom. Thank you for your delivering power. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

P.S. Let us continue to pray for Alicia’s family as they deal with the loss of their son, brother, cousin, nephew, and friend.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

Love Much

I hope and pray that you have gotten off to a great week this Monday morning. I praise God for the wonderful services we had yesterday especially since we had two laity speakers who brought us the message of God’s love and hope.

I ask you to join me in lifting up the young man who died of an overdose Sunday morning and who was a nephew to our sister Alicia. May the peace of Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be near to them in a special way.

Today’s devotional text is Luke 7:36-50. This is the story of the sinful woman who came to anoint Jesus with an expensive perfume. Naturally, for a woman to approach a table full of men was in and of itself radically odd, let alone make her way to one of them and actually touch him! Yet that is exactly what this sinful woman did, she knelt before Jesus as “she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them” (Luke 7:38).

As Jesus illustrated with his parable, this woman was a “heavy debtor” when it came to sin. In fact, Jesus himself declared, “her many sins have been forgiven” (Luke 7:47). It is safe to say that she was loaded with sin. Then, Jesus said, “But he who has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47b). This verse has always perplexed me. I’ve always asked myself, “Who has little to forgive?” It’s kind of like, “Well, mine was a little white lie; at least it wasn’t a BIG one!” Who could be the one who indeed has “little to forgive?” The answer is no one, really. Every day we fall so short and yet are on a daily quest to fall less short and less short each day. But we must come the throne of grace each day.

But the one who really and actually believes that he/she has little to be forgiven, as Jesus implied, is the one who will love little when it comes to God and the things of the kingdom. Jesus was not implying, in my opinion, that there was indeed someone who could make such a claim as much as he was clarifying the end result of a person who was a bit on the self-righteous side.

May we live each day in thanksgiving for the abundance of God’s grace upon us and let us love him more each day as we daily seek to fall less short and less short everyday.

Prayer: Lord, help me to live in the spirit of this sinful woman who anointed your feet in Simon’s house. She gave us an example of how we should express our thanksgiving – bowing down before in you in humility and gratitude. Give us your grace this day. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

Harmony

I hope and pray that your morning is going very well. The last couple of days I was dealing with some sort of upper respiratory condition, but thanks for your prayers and patience.

What kind of thoughts come into our minds when we think about the word “harmony”? Perhaps “accord”, “agreement”, or “unity”. I know that one of the things that come into my mind is music. Harmony occurs in music when two or more notes are played to create a new note or sound. When done right, the result is a beautiful sound. To hear how different instruments play different notes that make up one big sound is truly impressive; of course, the same would be true for a choir singing in harmony. The catch, or course, is for everyone to do play or sing their own part well.

Romans 15:1-13 has two key verses that tie this passage up and puts our Christian faith into perspective: 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of harmony among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).

The Apostle Paul, as he was giving words of advice and direction as to how the church should conduct herself, emphasized the whole idea of living in harmony with one another as we are in harmony with Christ Jesus. When in perfect harmony, the church of the Lord can be a place of worship, fellowship, restoration, and growth. As in music, no one note is identical to the next and yet, when played together they create a harmony. In the same way, when we find our place in church and we play our part well, an atmosphere of love, peace, joy, and service is created.

The result of this attitude and atmosphere of harmony in the church, according to the Apostle Paul, is that with one heart and voice we may glorify God. What a great thing that every church lived and served in harmony with God and one another.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to play my part in church and to play it with all of my heart knowing that if I endure, I will join others in glorifying your name. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

God of Life and Hope

I hope and pray that this day is going great for you. For us in Dallas, we awoke to a cooler start to our day. The change of weather feels good.

Today’s passage comes from Romans 4:13-25. The promise of a many descendents came to Abraham when he was 100 years old – he needed to have some faith! God had made a covenant with Abraham and declared that he would be the father of many nations. How could that be if he was well past his child rearing age, not to mention Sarah. In any case, the odds were against Abraham and Sarah…it would take a miracle.

Have you ever felt down and out? Have you ever felt as though there is no hope? That the odds are against you? With, everything seemed to point towards a hopeless case. Yet, the Apostle Paul declared, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be" (Romans 4:18). Yesterday I reflected upon our need to wait on the Lord – to hope in the Lord and know that He is faithful to His word. Somewhere, and at some point, Abraham had to have had a “faith” and “hope” moment. Who was the God that Abraham believed in?

“He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17)

Abraham had believed in the almighty God who could give life to an apparent dead situation. This was why Abraham was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” And of course, he was witness of this with his own wife who gave birth to a son, although she was barren.

What is our “barren” situation? Where do we need a miracle? A divine intervention? The same God whom Abraham trusted and believed is the same God who hears our prayer. God can “give life to the dead” situations in our lives; He can give us strength and courage to persevere.

Prayer: God of life and power, I offer all that I am to You this day. I offer my thanksgiving to You. And I also offer my “barren” situations that seem hopeless. I pray that You would give life where there is little or no life. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

Waiting

Good morning to all of you! I pray that today will be a day of blessings, peace, and joy to you.

Today's text: Isaiah 40:18-31

How patient are you? Are you the impatient kind? Is it challenging at times to have to wait, wait, and wait? If you're like me (and millions of others), then there are times when it is indeed challenging to be patient and wait. And yet I've heard numerous times when at a dinner, barbecue gathering, or other such event as that, when the meal has been delayed that after the meal people say, "Now that was worth waiting for!"

Today's Bible text reminds us that "those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength..." God calls us to wait on Him at times. In our fast-paced culture (what is often referred to as the "microwave" culture) we want everything now. If we pray to God, we'd appreciate His answer within 24 hours. Waiting requires patience. Patience, it has been said, is a virtue. The Apostle Paul declared, "I have learned to be content..." Can we learn to be patient? That same Isaiah text reminds us of God's almighty power to do all things. Can He help us learn to be patient? Absolutely. The question is whether we want to be learners in order to be patient.

The Hebrews waited 400 years to be liberated from Egypt's stronghold. I suspect that when Moses showed up as the deliverer, the Hebrews thought, "Now that was waiting for!" When we wait on God, He does things right in His time.

Do you need patience to wait on God today? Do you need patience, period? Ask God, then wait on Him...

Prayer: Lord, teach me to wait on You. Give me more patience. Thank You for the times that You have waited on me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Free to Serve

A very good morning to all of you! I feel we had a wonderful worship service yesterday as we had the Emmanu-El youth here to share their presentation along with our own youth. Let us continue to support our youth with prayer and encouragement.

Text: Exodus 3:7-22

When we consider the Exodus experience and how God miraculously delivered and freed the Hebrew slaves out of the powerful clutches of the Egyptian empire, we may often get caught up in the amazing miracles or simply in the fact that the Hebrews were no longer oppressed as slaves. We do (and should) praise God for His mighty acts and we do (and should) rejoice that God set the slaves free. The question I'd like to reflect on is: Why did God set them free? And what for?

We know that God had established a covenant with Abraham and based on that covenant, God was fulfilling His provision and care for His people. He desired that they be a free people. But once free, then what?

And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)

The word in Hebrew for worship can also mean "to serve". When we hear worship many times we think immediately of a worship service or a style of worship. However, taking the Biblical message as a whole, "to worship" and "to serve" God is a daily journey. Worship does not end at noon on Sunday; service to God does not end at 5:00 p.m. It is an ongoing journey. As disciples on the road to a lifestyle of discipleship, we must look beyond the superficial aspects of "worship" and "service". How we conduct our selves at home, school, or work reflects how we worship and serve God. How we speak to our family, friends, neighbors, or strangers can reflect how we worship and serve God. What we set our minds to can also reflect how we worship and serve God.

As we set out to begin the week, let us be ever-mindful of how we are worshipping and serving God, and let us indeed serve Him with whole-hearted devotion.

Prayer: Lord, I come to you in praise and thanksgiving. You are the reason I live. Your faithful love for me is my strength. Give me resolve to worship and serve You in all I am, do, and say. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Obedience

My prayer is that your day has been a productive, peaceful, and blessed day!

How many times have we as Christians on the road to discipleship dealt with the whole issue of obedience? In fact, one of the first lessons most of us have memory of is that moment when we begin to realize that we must obey our parents. We're taught the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and to obey your elders.

Well, in Matthew 21:28-32 we find Jesus' parable of the two sons. One of them, upon receiving an order or command from his father, told his father he would not obey his command. However, later on he repented and chose to obey his father. The second son, also upon receiving a command from his father, told his father he would obey his command but he, in fact, did not obey.

How many times do we say "yes" to something all the while knowing or at least doubting our true desire to indeed follow through? How challenging is it for our "yes" to be "yes"? I suppose that it's always nice to know if someone is going to "obey" and follow through on his/her committment. On the other hand, Jesus said that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turns to God.

Jesus said that the the first son "repented" or "changed his mind" and obeyed the father. What do I need to repent of? What/where do I need to be more obedient in?

Prayer: Lord, I'm sorry for the times that I've told You that I will obey but then turn right around and disobey. Forgive me, and empower me to be obedient to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

A Thought-Provoking Prayer

May God's blessings be with you as you go about your day. Let us continue to be in prayer for Hna. Pauline who is feeling better but is still awaiting test results.

Acts 8:1-8 tells about the persecution of the church and how that triggered a scattering which in turn led to an incredible spreading of the gospel because wherever the believers went, they "preached" the word. That phrase caught my attention, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4). One of the causes of the church's growth in the first century was due to the fact that those who chose the narrow path of discipleship took "Christ" with them wherever they went. Wherever they went, they tried to emulate the life and ministry of Jesus. Wherever they went, they tried to live out the teachings of Christ. Wherever they went, they never left behind their Christian identity.

Do we preach the word wherever we go? St. Francis of Assissi reminded his young preachers to "preach the word, and if necessary, use words." To preach the word wherever we go does not always require words; in fact, sometimes it's just best if we let our actions speak for us.

Let me conclude with this very thought provoking prayer by John Baillie from A Diary of Private Prayer:

Have I today done anything to fufill the purpose for which Thou didst cause me to be born?
Have I accepted such opportunities of service as Thou in Thy wisdom hast set before my feet?
Have I performed without omission the plain duties of the day.
Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.

Have I today done anything to tarnish my Chrisitan ideal of manhood?
Have I been lazy in body or languid in spirit?
Have I wrongly indulged my bodily appetites?
Have I kept my imagination pure and healthy?
Have I been scrupulously honorable in all my business dealings?
Have I been transparently sincere in all I have professed to be, to feel, or to do?
Give my grace to answer honestly, O God.

Have I tried today to see myself as others see me?
Have I made more excuses for myself than I have been willing to make for others?
Have I, in my own home, been a peace-maker or have I stirred up strife?
Have I, while professing noble sentiments for great causes and distant objects, failed even in common charity and courtesy towards those nearest to me?
Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.

O Thou whose infinite love, made manifest in Jesus Christ, alone has power to destroy the empire of evil in my soul, grant that with each day that passes I may more and more be delivered from my besetting sins. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David

"Amputees"

May God bless your day today and every day. I am thankful to the Lord for a blessed World Communion Sunday united service yesterday.

Yesterday's text was one of the "hard" sayings of Jesus. It was one that called for drastic measures. It has often been said that drastic situations call for drastic measures. Jesus said in Mark 8:43-48:

43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where
'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

I shared that obviously Jesus had not meant that as literal amputation, but rather to heighten the mark of a radical discipleship. That is, that may very well be "rooms" in our hearts and minds that need to be cleaned out of any and all anxieties that hinder our faithful walk with Christ. Jesus used the rather extreme image of amputation to emphasize the importance of ridding our lives of these hindrances - in some cases, amputation can be a matter of life and death. As I reflected on this passage I found myself asking, "what did 1st century people know about amputation?" Well, to my surprise, both Plato and Hippocrates wrote about therapeutic amputation of both hands and feet in 385 BCE. So, Jesus' hearers knew, at least, that some sort of amputation was indeed possible, albeit extremely traumatic and painful. Hence, the application that ridding ourselves of those anxieties, fears, worries, etc., can indeed be a traumatic yet necessary experience in order to live the life God has intended for us.

The kingdom of God is full of "amputees", those who have set their hearts and minds on that life-long journey of "cutting off" those attitudes, choices, behaviors, mindsets, etc., that keep us from a full committment. Let us embrace the amputee spirit of God's kingdom.

As we pray today, let us remember Hna. Pauline who was admitted to the hospital this morning, may God's healing grace fill her life.

Prayer: God of love and life, I come to you in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise for who You are in my life. Help this day to begin, continue, or pursue a journey of "cutting off" those things in my life that keep me from enjoying your abundant life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David