"Focus on the children."

That's something an older colleague ingrained in my mind. It was his advice on how to nurture and grow a congregation. Of course, he was repeating something important within our Wesleyan heritage. John Wesley emphasized the church's need to prioritize ministry with children. If we don't, he said, "the present revival will be res unius aetatis; it will last only the age of a man."

Wesley instructed his Methodist preachers to hold a 5-point plan for this ministry. If a preacher didn't feel called to this ministry, it didn't matter. A preacher might say, "I have no gift for this." Wesley's response was, "Gift or no gift, you are to do it; else you are not called to be a Methodist Preacher."

So, childhood education, spiritual and otherwise, was a high priority for early Methodists. And just so you don't think this is about quaint, cutesy lessons or programs, consider something Wesley wrote in his journal. He wrote, "God begins his work in children. Thus it has been also in Cornwall, Manchester, and Epworth. Thus the flame spreads to those of riper years; till at length they all know him, and praise him from the least unto the greatest."

John Wesley had experienced how focusing on the children spreads revival among us in "riper years."

And that is something we also see in Samuel's story. His mother, Hannah, offered him as a "loan" to God. In 2 Samuel 2, as a boy, he's already "ministering before the Lord." As his story continues, you'll notice he stands at the turning point for the people. Eli, the priest, couldn't keep reigns on the evil of his sons. They would have replaced him when he died, but God called young Samuel instead.

Are we so sure God doesn't still call young souls today to ministry among us?

Teaching and leading our children should be one of the biggest priorities in our churches. If you want revival, focus on the children.

Stay blessed...john

After last night's online Bible study, I went to the living room to watch a movie. The kids had already started the first Christmas movie of the year. But they had to leave. So, I looked for a worthy title. I wasn't ready for "Home Alone." Other than that, I can't tell you why I landed on "The Wizard of Oz."

So, I took in the munchkins, the journey on the yellow brick road and the ruby slippers. And I noticed something about the opening scene. Before she's thrust into Technicolor, Dorothy visits Professor Marvel. When she decides to return home, the weather changes. The professor notices the storm brewing and calls it a "whopper," according to "the vernacular of the peasantry." Back home, Hickory calls it a cyclone. Zeke knows it as a twister.

If it was my story, I'd call it a tornado. Whatever you'd called it, there was no avoiding the havoc it brought to everyone.

And so is life. Trouble comes in all forms. Every one of us faces storms that come with all kinds of names. No matter what we call them, we have a choice on how we'll face them.

The opening line to Hannah's prayer offers a confident assertion. She says, "My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God." Hannah has made the choice to trust in God's power. She then recognizes God's activity on behalf of those otherwise stuck in the whoppers of life: the feeble, the hungry, barren, poor and needy. They all face the storms in their own way. But God guards the feet of his faithful ones.

The strength and courage we have and will need is always with us in God. Think of all the names we know of God. God is Father, the Living God, God Almighty and the Lord Our Shepherd, to offer a few. No matter what you call God, you can trust that our lives are in God's hands.

Stay blessed...john

I've always been proud to be from Galveston. BOIs (Born on the Island) love seeing other BOIs "make it." And there have been plenty of notable people from the Oleander City. From pirates to politicians and celebrities to athletes. I haven't done a search on prominent pastors yet.

According to Jesus, though, we'd be leery of welcoming home a prophet.

While there are parallels to their ministry, a prophet is different than a preacher. We look to prophets to tell us what we need to hear to turn us back to God. We want to hear a prophet's word until we don't want to hear it. And if Luke 4 is any indication, we have a low tolerance for what we want to hear from our hometown prophets.

It's a familiar story to many of us. Jesus attended synagogue in Nazareth where he grew up. He stood to read from the prophet Isaiah and sat down to share his message. At first, the people loved what they heard. God is using one of us, they must've thought. The words from his mouth amazed them, until they angered them. Because that's what a prophet will do. All it takes is one sentence.

What got to Jesus' hometown people that day? The reminder that God doesn't need us like we think God needs us. We are God's beloved. We are God's people. But God is not limited by any sense of entitlement we think that brings. The Lord moves among people we try to avoid. God uses people we'd rather dismiss. Even people we despise. Sometimes, what God does through them is more meaningful than what we've allowed God to do through us.

Someone from little Nazareth had finally made it, but who does he think he is now! Interestingly, the people had a familiarity with Jesus and the text. They knew him and they knew the biblical stories. But they let what they knew blind them from what God was doing.

The lesson for us today? Be careful with your familiarities. Don't let them quell your passion or dull your zeal for God. And listen to your prophets, no matter where they're from.

Stay blessed...john

In my pastoral experience, the more money available, the less people worry about details. When it's short, though, everyone wants to know how everything gets spent. Now, I'm not sure what the budget was, but there was a concern on how to take care of a particular group of people. 

A widow is a widow if we say she's a widow. At least, that's how you can read the passage before us today. We take 1 Timothy to be an older pastor instructing a younger pastor how to lead his congregation. In previous chapters, it was important to rundown the qualities of who could be a bishop, an overseer of the church. Today's passage aims to secure an accurate listing of women who were truly widows. 1 Timothy 5 includes a section outlining who real widows were. 

Whoever wrote the epistle wants to ensure only women with no access to care otherwise get included on the widow list. Even in a previous verse, the writer says, "Honor widows who are really widows" (5:3). 

Apparently, there were many women claiming widow status. At one point, Roman law dictated all women (and men) between twenty and fifty years old marry. If they didn't, they were denied certain rights to inheritances. Were these women looking for the church's help because their government forced them?

The church wanted to "assist those who are real widows." Not filtering who the widows were created a burden for the church. Sounds harsh, doesn't it? Unfortunately, today, our churches face the same kinds of decisions. 

People often look to the church for all kinds of help. Hopefully, we are willing to help. Of course, we also have to determine how far our help will go. And how do we determine who is worthy to receive that help, whatever form of help it is?

These can be tough conversations that need to be rooted in compassion and a desire to care for one another. How well does the church today take care of those who cannot take care of themselves? 

Stay blessed...john

Abraham was 140 years old in Genesis 24 when he set out to find a wife for his son, Isaac. We know this was more than important for Abraham for several reasons.

First, he sent someone else, but not just anyone. Although nameless in Genesis 24, tradition says the servant was Eliezer. We learn his name in Genesis 15 after Abraham first assumes he will be his heir. Whoever it was, though, the servant "had charge of all that he had." He was Abraham's major leaguer.

There's also the specificity of the assignment. The servant was to return to Abraham's home to find someone from his "kindred." It would have been easier to find someone from among the Canaanites where Abraham now resided. Easier isn't always best. And Isaac was not to go there himself. These details call back to God's promises to Abraham. So far, God hadn't backpedaled on the patriarch. Now, Abraham was ready to see more signs of his promised descendants.

Finally, Abraham doesn't merely send his servant on an errand run. He makes him "swear by the Lord" to fulfill this task. You've heard of a pinky swear? Well, an under-the-thigh swear is much more serious. There are plenty of interpretations of what exactly this kind of oath symbolized. Most of them euphemistic.

So, why did Abraham take this so seriously? The text reminds us God "had blessed Abraham in all things." I imagine Abraham wanted to ensure he returned the blessing to God. He did so by offering the best of himself and doing the best for his family. This endeavor wasn't going to be easy or even for sure. But it would be the most appropriate response.

And hasn't God blessed us?

Then learning to offer God the best of ourselves is still our best response. The best of what we plan and what we do. The best of how we worship, how we give and how we serve.

How important is it to you to offer God your best?

Stay blessed...john

It's unclear whether ancient Israelites observed any of the sabbatical year commandments. Resting every seven days is one thing. One thing many of us still struggle to do today. Deuteronomy 15 highlights another kind of rest. A rest Israel was to give each other.

The seventh year remission of debts was a way to ensure no one would accumulate too much land, money and power. Especially at the ongoing expense of others. Every seven years, your debtors forgive your debts. And you forgive the debts you have against others.

What kind of banker was God? Of course, none of my credit card companies have fulfilled that commandment. So, what can we take from this ancient tradition? Especially knowing there's a real chance no one's ever made it happen?

I have an idea for today.

Can we give each other a break? Give some of the contemptuous attitudes a rest? 

As a nation, we've muddled through another (another!) contentious election. That didn't bring out the best in most of us. And that brought us to the start of the holiday season. As holly and jolly as that might sound, it's actually a depressing time for a lot of people. Pain and loss are a real part of the holy days. That's not to mention the busyness of the next couple of months. There are parties to attend and plan, gifts to buy and even volunteer work to do. Oh, there's church, too. Plus, for a lot of us, the end of the year tends to be a busy and stressful time at work.

So, can we give each other a break?

This could be a time to forgive someone for what they've said or done. After all, unforgiveness is a debt that favors no one. Be mindful of what you say to each other. Maybe you don't have to have a demeaning, sarcastic comeback every time. Maybe you could let one stupidly said thing go unheard. Or, even if you need to speak up, do so in a way that honors the image of God within each person.

Give it a rest and see how God might heal us.

Stay blessed...john

When I read Psalm 127, a Sunday morning conversations comes to mind. A member asked me about another church in town. What did I know about what they were doing? The question came because, apparently, the church was growing. I didn't know the specifics of that congregation. But I knew of their denominational heritage. So, I offered my input. To me, their tradition focused on prayer and other spiritual disciplines. There was a high expectation of that kind of participation from everyone.

I don't recall word for word what the member's response was. But it was something along the lines of, "That can't be it."

In other words, emphasizing the holy life was not an impetus to church growth. There had to be some kind of marketing campaign or otherwise secret recipe to success.

I've long believed you can get people to show up to church pretty easily. If showing up is the main goal, spend the right amount of money and fine tune your message. But then what? Well, then you should retune your message to keep the money coming. To keep the people coming, of course. Plenty of churches do that cycle well.

I'm not a fan of that model. In all the retuning, it's easy to lose the simple command of holiness. Not impossible, mind you. Just easy. And in that ease, we start building our own way.

Psalm 127 is a song of ascent. It was, most likely, used as people ascended to God's holy temple to worship. That's pretty close to a Sunday morning talk. So, the psalm can be a reminder to build our worship on what God desires from us and for us. If we build church and ministry our way, we labor in vain. Seeing only what matters to us. But refocusing on God's holiness is a sure way to grow as God wants us to and to see the transformation God desires.

Stay blessed...john

I have a nice drum set at home. It was my dad's set he used when he was younger. He gave it to Brittani some time ago and she used it to play some gigs. We've even used it for worship at our church. But for the last several years, it's sat in my garage.

I see it every day collecting dust. I've moved it around plenty of times to make room for others things we've put there.

But I have it.

Last week, I acted on something I've had in my mind for quite a bit. It's a project that'll take me a while, but not nearly as long as I've been thinking about doing it. I've got the polish rags, cleaner and handheld buffer ready. And I'll order new drum heads soon. I'm going to clean up the set and get it looking new. Who knows, I may even buy a new snare drum or cymbals as a personal reward. Either way, get ready, neighbors, for some noise.

Because what good is having the set if it's just there?

Week in and week out, Christians gather to worship. As part of their worship, congregations hear a word from the Lord. This week it may be about prayer or serving. Some churches need to hear again the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. We all need reminders about gratitude and generosity, sacrifice and humility. All these messages find their way to the hearts of God's people every week. No matter what the message is you'll hear this week, it should be rooted in the love of God.

That's where our word comes from.

But Christians must also understand love is not a thought experiment. It is no whimsical feeling or theory. Love is more than theology. Therefore, God's love must not sit dusty and idle in the minds of those who sit in the pews. As someone once said so well, Love is a verb.

Living our love for God is the best way to thank the Lord for the gift we've received. The gift of faith. The gift of salvation. The gift of love itself. Our Father has gifted us with so much. And so, every day is a new chance to dust off what we've left stagnant. Today is always the day to let the love of God shine through everything you do and everything you are.

Stay blessed...john

Moses was sure his excuses would work. The Lord called him to go to Pharaoh, but Moses had his song and dance ready. Most times, we look to his experience at the burning bush as a lesson to skip the excuses and follow God's leading. That's not a bad lesson, of course. But if you've ever thought Moses was a little too quick to get out of his mission, remember Stephen.

Stephen stood accused of being against the faith of Moses (Acts 6:14). The council gave him a chance to speak for himself. So, he recalled the historic faith of his people, including Moses' story. His point was to show he wasn't rejecting his tradition. Instead, he saw it fulfilled in Jesus' ministry.

As part of his retelling, he reminded everyone of Moses education and life in Egypt. One day, upon seeing the ill treatment of one of his people, Moses acted. It wasn't a good act, mind you. An Egyptian was now dead. But notice Stephen's extrabiblical explanation of why Moses decided to act. Of Moses, Stephen said, "He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand" (Acts 7:25).

We assume Stephen included that bit of commentary to illustrate his audience's inability to understand what God was doing that day as well. Or their unwillingness to understand.

Apparently, before the burning bush, Moses convinced himself the Israelites would listen to him. Why wouldn't they? He was one of them, after all. But they didn't because they didn't understand. And since they didn't, Moses spent the next forty years building a new life in the desert. So, can you blame him for looking for a way out of God's plan all those years later?

Maybe, then, another lesson is about our failures. Moses was wrong in what he did to the Egyptian. He was wrong about how he thought the Israelites would respond. But God wasn't that concerned about his failures when he called him from the burning bush. Maybe we shouldn't be overly concerned about ours when God calls us.

Stay blessed...john

'Twas the night before the Election and tensions were high.

Fear lingers and there's an anxiousness that blankets our conversations and thoughts. If you-know-who wins, well, you know what will happen. This is, after all, the most consequential election of our lifetime. Or, I forget, was that the last one?

We need to acknowledge the division amongst our neighbors. It's foolish to act like people don't have sincere and strong differences of opinion. Still, I remain convinced we're not as far apart as some people want us to believe. Offense and animosity get ratings. Ratings get money. Outrage becomes an industry. And so many of us buy right into it.

I keep catching myself saying, "I'll be glad when the election is over." But what then? Will people start respecting one another? Will the lies and half-truths suddenly stop? The day after Election Night will be like most Wednesdays. Certainly online: Rude and derogatory memes, insulting comments and outlandish suspicions.

There are two things that frustrate me about that. For one, statistics tell us our politics displease most Americans: 87% are tired of political division and 87% think political polarization is a threat to the nation. So, why don't we demand something better? Something better from our leaders and from each other. The second thing that gets to me is how so many Christians participate in this supposed hatred. It's impossible to be the light of the world or the salt of the earth when we blend so easily within the vilest aspects of the culture.

Who will be the sensible voice in all our chaotic conversations? It should be the people of God commanded to live peaceably with all. While others seek to sow division, the Christian call is to feed and care for our enemies. Is that hard work? It can be. Many Americans claim to be overwhelmed by our politics. So, can we Christians heed scripture's cue to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with God?

I believe we can. So, be mindful what you share. Choose your words wisely and faithfully. Bring light and love to your conversations. See other people as the child of God they are. That might be the most consequential thing you can do.

Stay blessed...john

How do you feel about chance or happenstance? I'll gladly affirm the power of pot luck over good luck. But sometimes things just seem to work out in unusual ways. In the moment, it can be hard to see how something should work out. Plus, our interpretations about how and why something happens can be wrong. Often, only hindsight helps us make better sense of our experiences. Better sense. Not always perfect sense.

"As it happened," Ruth ended up in a field belonging to Boaz (Ruth 2:3). Knowing how the story ends, that sounds like a lucky draw for her. She could have ended up at anyone's field. Naomi even later instructs her to make sure to stay with Boaz. Otherwise, "someone might bother you in another field" (2:22).

It just so happened Ruth ended up somewhere that could be advantageous for both her and Naomi. It just so happened Boaz is someone who could end their misery. As it happened sounds like luck and that doesn't feel all that spiritual. But some things feel like lucky breaks or mere bad luck.

This is where I reflect back on the idea of the will of God. The idea is that not everything that happens to you is the will of God. But there is the will of God in everything that happens to you. That has brought me much comfort over the years. 

Maybe God directed Ruth to that field. She's a part of Jesus' genealogy, after all. So, God must've been directing her path, right? But wouldn't that mean God, too, took Ruth's family from her? That's more difficult to reconcile.

For now, I'll admit to you my shortcoming, using Dora Greenwell's words:

I am not skilled to understand
what God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know that at his right hand
is One who is my Savior!

I'm okay with the "as it happened" moments in my life. Whether God made them happen or not, I trust the Lord's promises. We will not be forsaken. God will be with us. Somehow, God will make our paths straight.

Stay blessed...john

Naomi saw a nagging determination in Ruth. Ruth was not going to leave her mother-in-law to fend for herself. You may recall, both women lost their husbands. Naomi lost two sons and her husband. One of her daughters-in-law already left for home after her husband died. Naomi's charge to them both was to leave because she had nothing to offer them. They were still young enough to build a new family.

But Ruth was not having it.

Once Naomi realized this, she "said no more to her." She accepted her companionship. Still, her heart was empty.

The two women journeyed to Bethlehem, where Naomi was from. When they arrived there, the town recognized her. And yet they weren't sure they did. "Is this Naomi?" they asked. It probably wasn't her years away from Bethlehem that made her almost unrecognizable. Instead, her loss and deep grief had taken a toll on her. While her people were happy to see her, she had a different response.

Naomi's name means 
pleasant. But she told her people to now call her Mara, which means bitter. Remember the bitter waters from Exodus 15?

While Naomi saw Ruth's determination, it hadn't changed her feelings much yet. I wonder how much she paid attention the "beginning of the barley harvest" (Ruth 1:22). Even if it meant anything to her, she would have no idea what it foreshadowed. The rest of Naomi's story centers around the attempt to connect Ruth to Boaz. That new marriage would redefine their family. It would even shape Jesus' family (Matthew 1:5).

What I'm reflecting on today is Ruth's determination to stay with Naomi. She had every right to return to her home and rebuild her life. But she chose Naomi. She walked with her through the darkest time of her life. Both of their lives.

Ruth's name comes from the root word for friend. As we see, her friendship would be a strong encouragement through Naomi's bitterness.

By God's grace and mercy, may the same be said of our friendships as well.

Stay blessed...john

In Noah's story, depending on your sources, millions or billions of people died (Genesis 6-8). Those who opposed Daniel and his three friends were "torn limb from limb" or didn't last long in the lion's den (Daniel 3, 6). And just about everyone in Job's life died. All that to say, death surrounds these biblical heroes. A lot of death. In one of Ezekiel's visions, death would still follow them.

The prophet's message was that of God's coming judgement. God's people had not been faithful, taking "their idols into their hearts" (Ezekiel 14:3). So much so, the impending consequence could not be avoided. Not even if Noah, Daniel and Job showed up together in one place! No ark, no lion's den and no dung heap would halt God's coming judgement. Humans and animals would be "cut off" from Jerusalem (14:21).

But a remnant would remain. What a glorious reminder repeated in scripture!

This remnant would offer consolation and hope to those who withstood God's judgment. I can't decide how Ezekiel saw this happening. It could be their previous unfaithfulness would be clear. That would demonstrate God's just cause and the need to repent. Or their repentance would be obvious. That would show the necessity for a renewed repentance. Either way, don't miss repentance.

Bringing together the stories of Noah, Daniel and Job, Ezekiel offers a faith lesson. In the midst of sorrow, sin and injustice, our call is to remain steadfast in our trust in God. Don't take that to mean we must be silent or out of the way. Noah built, Daniel prayed and Job complained. But it is God's promise to carry out justice. Whatever judgment is coming is God's, not ours.

Often, we're too good at and too willing to pick at the speck in our brother's eye. I wonder what damage the log in our eye does to those around us.

Instead of trying to be judgement makers, let's be a faithful remnant. We can't doom or save the world, but we can show the world how good God is.

Stay blessed...john

Many of the "acts" of the apostles were miracles that brought healing and restoration. I'd love that every prayer would bring immediate power like that today. Some would say I can't or won't see that because I haven't believed strong enough. I don't know how to pray for such a thing to happen, apparently.

Well, if that's true, it's not for a lack of desire! Oh, how I wish we would see more miracles. I trust God has the power for them. And I'm convinced God desires our wholeness. Still, many prayers find their answers apart from the healing we might pray for. That seems to be how prayer "works."

In Acts 9, the immediate healing of Aeneas is a short story--three verses. People had known Aeneas bedridden for several years. Peter told him to get up and make his bed, and he did. From there, "all the residents...saw him and turned to the Lord" (9:35). His healing (and Peter's prayer?) was a testimony for other people to see.



Since we don't always experience healing like that, there's a question to ask. What do people see? What do people see in us if there is no dramatic turn of circumstance? What will they see from us and what kind of faith will they see in us?

As we seek the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, we can show the world what love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control look like (Galatians 5:22). Yes, we can teach what those things are and what difference they can make in the world. But our true witness is how we live by the fruit. I'm not sure how many people experience God through first learning theology, as important as it is. I suspect more often God uses your witness to be the miracle people need to see.

Stay blessed...john

Most of us can probably relate to Moses.

God showed up in a burning bush and told Moses he had a new job. Moses either realized the absurdity of the call or felt the pressure of his insecurities. Or maybe a little bit of both. For anyone who has ever doubted themselves, this story hits home.

Don't think you're the only one that's ever tried to convince God to pick someone else. We come from a long line of excuse makers. So, you might as well forego the temptation to negotiate with God.

Just listen to the call!

As much as we might relate to Moses, though, we actually connect more with the rest of the Israelites. There was only one Moses. While he may have battled with self-doubt, he was sure the people of God wouldn't believe or listen to him. Why would they? Who was he to lead them? He had no eloquence or, seemingly, real confidence. And if you know the Exodus story, you know the constant struggle between Moses and the Israelites. They followed his lead, and they didn't. They thanked God for him, and they didn't. Moses was right to question whether the people would believe him.

And we do well to acknowledge our unwillingness to hear people like Moses. No, we shouldn't give anyone a free pass because they say they're speaking for God. That's where spiritual abuse comes from. But we Christians should consider how we let eloquence, prestige or preference determine what we're willing to hear. God speaks through whom God wants.

The first time I really learned this was during a reading in worship. The pastor had arranged for several people to read parts of a call and response prayer. Several adults read various prayer calls and the response sections were God's response. The pastor chose a little girl to read each of God's responses. Her frail, squeaky voice shocked me at first. Shouldn't God's voice be booming? Maybe. Unless God needs another voice to speak.

The lesson, then, is to learn how to hear what God is speaking, no matter who is talking.

Stay blessed...john

Nehemiah 8:10 is an important verse for me. You may remember Nehemiah's words to the people as they wept: The joy of the Lord is your strength. That was his response as the people mourned their sin. They had just heard from God's word. And there were those who explained what they heard. The people, then, knew they had transgressed. So, they wept. Nehemiah, though, shifted their sorrow.

I've long since traded my sorrow for God's joy. It's the reason I'm annoyingly hopeful and cheerful. Some might say joy is the only thing I take seriously. I'd be okay with that.

Just know the joy of the Lord isn't superficial. It's not an escape from what is really happening in the world. Joy is the conviction of God's goodness despite life's cruelty. Nehemiah wasn't asking the people to forget their sorrow. He was showing them how to hold it in perspective.

Remember this: the scene where Nehemiah shares that encouragement started someplace else. In the first chapter of the book that bears his name, Nehemiah inquired about "the Jews who escaped, those who had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem" (1:2). The news was horrible. Nehemiah "wept and mourned for days" after he heard that. Their trouble and shame were his. He fasted and he prayed day and night for God to hear him. He remembered God's promises of redemption.

Now, there's a lot of the story to fill in from that moment. Suffice it to say Nehemiah's grief kindled an idea that would lead him to the scene in Chapter 8. I'll say Nehemiah relied on the joy he knew from God. That's how he walked through his grief. That's how he rebuilt Jerusalem. And that's why he knew it was something the people needed to hear later.

Choosing joy doesn't mean you don't know or experience pain. You do. Your own and that of others. But choosing joy is a way of affirming God's goodness and power to come.

Stay blessed...john

We know little about Melchizedek. Most of what I've ever read about him is a repeat of what's written in Hebrews 7. He's an important figure in Hebrews because, in part, of his appearance in Genesis 14. If you recall, he met Abram, bringing bread and wine to celebrate the patriarch's victory. Then he blessed Abram. That's when Abram gave the priest a "tenth of everything." Abram's tithe came from the spoils of defeating "Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him" (Genesis 14: 17). Four different kings, if you're keeping score.

For Hebrews, Abram's tithe to Melchizedek illustrates the priest's superiority. Abram's offering is no small act and Melchizedek is no small figure. As important as he was, though, Jesus as our high priest is greater. Though Melchizedek's priesthood remains forever, it is now unnecessary because of Jesus' priesthood.

Melchizedek stands out because of one act. We remember what he did--he received Abram's tithe. But we have a priest now who isn't remembered for just one thing. Yes, there is one thing Jesus did that stands out from all other things. He gave his life as an offering, once and for all, for all people. No priest ever needs to make a sacrifice to atone for our sin. And no priest could ever even give the kind of offering Jesus did. That one act is sufficient for all things.

Still, whereas we remember what Melchizedek did, we now also see what Jesus is doing. Jesus the high priest is active. He relates to our suffering and accepts our lives the way they are. I don't know how it all works, but I know the Lord hears our praying. Jesus receives our confessions and comforts our worries. He gives strength to the weary and hope to the down-trodden. Jesus gives peace and rest to our souls.

What has Christ done for you today?

And because Jesus' work is active, we can keep trusting him. We can keep offering him our lives with the full assurance we are in God's care. May our trust and faith in him be as active as he is.

Stay blessed...john

There's some knowing and not knowing happening in John 13.

Jesus knew his hour had come (13:1). He also knew "the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God" (13:3). Peter didn't know what Jesus was doing washing the disciples' feet. But Jesus knew which disciple would soon betray him. After the foot washing, the Lord asked the disciples, "Do you know what I have done to you" (13:12)? Finally, blessings come to those who "do" the things they know Jesus taught them.

I'm going to give the disciples a little more credit than we tend to in this story. At least Peter, since he's the one mentioned. Jesus has had time to reflect on the outcome of his ministry. He understood what things were probably going to happen leading up to his "hour." That hour, of course, isn't a specific time. It's an event. And Jesus had spent time in prayer about all this. He had reflected on what this would mean for himself and even his disciples.

Peter hadn't. This was all still so new to him. Yes, Jesus had taught the disciples about this hour. But they didn't understand him. Or they misunderstood him. Can you blame them for not getting that someone was going to die and pop out of a grave?

Perhaps they understood a little more when Jesus washed their feet. At least they had a lesson that would stick with them. But we know later they would fully understand all Jesus taught them.

I'm reflecting on our later. How many things have we learned from the Bible that we didn't understand in the moment? We heard something we thought was important, but that didn't mean it made complete sense. It wasn't until later, through prayer and reflection, that things became clear. While there are some lessons you'll learn quickly, there are many more that won't connect for a while. Be patient with yourself and excited about what else you might learn later.

Stay blessed...john