SUNDAY, THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER & 6TH SUNDAY OF LENT 2025

I am focused on the reality that God deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances.

 

HOW GREAT THOU ART

 

Oh Lord my God When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

 

            Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee

            How great Thou art, How great Thou art

            Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee

            How great Thou art, How great Thou art

 

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze….

 

Chorus….

 

And when I think that God His Son not sparing

Sent Him to die I scarce can take it in

That on the cross my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

 

Chorus….

 

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow in humble adoration

And there proclaim, My God, how great Thou art!

 

Chorus….

 

 

This treasured hymn, How Great Thou Art, is a loose translation of a Swedish Hymn titled "O Store Gud" written in 1885 by Carl Boberg, which he first published March 13, 1886. (The orginal song had nine verses!) The English version was a translation by an English missionary, Stuart K Hine, in 1949.

I recommend checking Wikipedia for more of the story if that is of interest to you.

SATURDAY, DAY 34 OF LENT 2025

John 17:1-5

In +-33 A D, it was late Thursday evening. The disciples had just had their final Passover meal with Jesus - of course, not knowing that it was the last one. He had just told them, "Be courageous! I have conquered the world." and then he moved directly into prayer:

"Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all flesh, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent  - Jesus Christ. I have glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed."

What a powerful prayer. And what a great theological statement! 

First and foremost, Jesus knew that the countdown was already in motion, and in just a short time he would be arrested and the purpose of his life would soon be fulfilled.

And then the statement about eternal life being the culmination of when we will truly know God, and Jesus. Now we "see through a glass darkly, but then face to face." There is so much we don't know, and too often we don't even know that we don't know....

And then, at the end of this brief prayer for himself, he prays to be glorified back in God's presence with the same glory he had before the world existed, before the Triune God created the world and everything in it, confirming what John1:1-3 so clearly states:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has  been created." 

That is an exciting connection that gives us a glimpse into an eternity we cannot fathom. We are parametered by TIME. We vocalize the concept of eternity, but it is impossible to grasp FOREVER. It is a faith journey - and we accept the concept, and look forward with great joy to an eternity in God's presence. Oh what a day that will be!

FRIDAY, DAY 33 OF LENT 2025

John 16:16-33

This morning I realized that all Jesus' teaching recorded for us in John 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17   occurred during and after the final Passover dinner that Jesus celebrated with his disciples in the Upper Room during the evening before his betrayal. That makes these passages even more compelling. 

In our reading today, beginning at verse 16, Jesus tells them, "A little while and you will no longer see me; again a little while and you will see me." 

The disciples question that statement to each other, repeating, "What is this he's telling us: 'A little while and you will not see me; again a little while and you will see me'...."

And Jesus addresses it again: "Are you asking one another about what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, again a little while and you will see me'? Then he adds, "Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy...." 

He relates what they will experience to the pain of childbirth that is followed by the joy of a child being born, with the pain no longer remembered, and then he says, "So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you...." 

Jesus knew what was coming, and he was preparing both himself and them. Having these verses, seeing so clearly how he loved his disciples - and by extension, how he loves us - shows his tenderness and compassion. He was not focused on his pain - but on theirs. What a remarkable model of extreme agape love. 

At the end of Chapter 16, after their declaration of belief, followed by his telling them they will all desert him Jesus tells them, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

Their courage was going to be severely tested, but by telling them all of this in advance, they had his words to comfort them when they looked back - a time in 33 A D that was coming their way very soon. Knowing what is coming adds even more heaviness to my already heavy heart. But I do take comfort in knowing Jesus knows. He knew both his and their circumstances then, and he knows mine now. Thank you, Jesus, for caring so deeply, and for meeting each of us at the level of our needs, when you were denied that in your hour of deepest sorrow.

 

THURSDAY, DAY 32 OF LENT 2025

John 15:26-27; John 16:1-15

Jesus speaking, "When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father - he will testify about me. You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning." And so ends Chapter 15.

John 16:1-3

"I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they haven't known the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you."

John 16 begins with Jesus warning that some truly rotten stuff is about to happen to his disciples, and he is warning them in advance so the coming events will not make them falter in their faith. And interspersed within this litany of the evil that will come upon them, in subsequent verses Jesus reinforces that they will have the Counselor - the Holy Spirit - with them, and also teaching them that the Holy Spirit will actively convict the world.

John 16:13

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come."

It is important for me to remember that in that moment in +-33 A D this teaching made no sense to Jesus' disciples. They were still looking for the vanquishing conqueror who would rid them of the rule of the Romans and become an earthly king. 

It reminds me that Jesus has all of my days in His hands. He alone knows the future, just as he knew theirs. He warned them in advance - and he has done that with me in the past as well. He wants me to trust him, not be waylaid by circumstances. How easy it is to become immersed in our "present" and forget that he holds both out present and our future in his very capable hands. 

I am also reminded that it is John who will later write down the things he is shown that are prophetic for the end of the world in THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION OF JOHN. In the midst of the journey to the cross - and beyond - the reality of Jesus' first coming and his purpose for coming segue in my mind to his second coming and the end of measured time - and the prophecies of John's last book are conspicuously coming true in our present world. It is time to pay attention! Time is short.

 

WEDNESDAY, DAY 31 OF LENT 2025

John 15:18-27 All of this is in red print, so continues to be John recording for us what Jesus said.

What an amazing privilege to have Jesus' words. He is not just alleged to have said them, he actually did, and the words were very likely written down soon after they were heard. It is obvious to me that the Holy Spirit cemented them in John's mind accurately so they could be shared for the future - for us! 

It is interesting that Jesus has just talked about LOVE and segues in this portion of his communcation to hate. 

"If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. ...  Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ... They hated me for no reason."

What a contrast to the prior section. 

There is an aspect that is merely an expression of emotional feelings of love and hate, and in that context they are twins. Someone can passionately declare their undying love for another person, and very soon after spew hate for that same person. People use the 'hate' word when they are just angry or upset  in the moment - but underneath, once the drama of that moment subsides, they can readily once again declare their love. It is an emotional word filled to the brim with emotion and the response to hearing it is definitely emotional and elicits an equally emotional response. That kind of love and hate are rooted in 'feelings' that cannot be trusted.

What Jesus is talking about is a much deeper hate - true hatred that is a contempt for the person that is so extreme it would wish them to be dead. It is not a hatred that is mollified by sufficient communication or cured with an understanding explanation and subsequent endearing hug. (That leads me to a bunny trail I must mention....)

Sadly, what we currently see far too often is hate of the latter kind - the kind of hate Jesus warned about: hate so virulent it would wish its opponents to be dead! It is hatred that is fueled by Satan himself.

If we aren't careful, that hatred will consume us.

I love our country. I love that we have the right to express our views and opinions. When views and opinions become protests those protests must remain peaceful. Not taking over buildings, not burning down buildings, not throwing rocks and other projectiles, not looting or destroying property, not burning the flag or torching vehicles, and certainly not putting others' lives in danger.

Peaceful protest is a right - but what has happened over the past few years with cruel rhetoric becoming cruel and dangerous behavior is not peaceful. 

Peaceful protest should remain truly peaceful - like a debate that has rules of courtesy, knowing that we are against a policy, not a person or people, and focusing on that with our words. 

We have a right to speak up for what we believe - peacefully - but we need to get our facts right before we do, and we need to get our information from reliable sources.

 

 

TUESDAY, DAY 30 OF LENT 2025

Today's reading brings me to John 15, beginning at verse 9:

Jesus words shared here are, "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love."

I am caught there momentarily. God loved His Son so much that He sent Jesus to the cross to die for us. It immediately makes me think of Christians who suffer 'for the Gospel' and causes my mind to wonder about times of deep suffering that people often have to endure in their faith journey...and sometimes because of their faith journey! I know that when we remain in the center of God's will nothing can touch us without God's permission. I know that whatever comes into our path is in God's knowing even if we are Jesus' followers but aren't exactly in the center of God's will in that moment. I know that God appears to use suffering and challenge as a way to nudge His people back to the right path. And I know that sometimes there is no apparent reason for suffering, it just happens. 

I believe that God can use all situations for His ultimate glory, because what I have ascertained is that when people are faithful in the midst of challenge and great difficulty it speaks volumes to others, and when our human condition - whatever that brings - is brought under God's sovereignty God can turn ashes to beauty. It is during those times that most assuredly we must 'keep on keeping on', take one step at a time, combat the darkness with God's truth that He does all things well, He is the potter and I am the clay, and though I can't see an end in sight, He and He alone knows. 

I read those words again and am compelled to see that no matter what the circumstances are that assail me my marching orders are to remain in His love. What if God sends me into difficulty or allows difficulty for a greater purpose? What if it is part of His love for me that will allow me to be more compassionate and understanding so I can reflect his love to others. What if my response to suffering somehow is designed to show his love for others? Today is a grappling day!

Verse 10 says, "If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." 

And verse 12 defines what that command is: "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you." And verse 13 adds: "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends."

Am I willing to lay down my life, my needs, my wants, my desires, my view, for others? Grappling again!

In the subsequent verses Jesus shares with his closest followers that he has chosen them - and that he has appointed them to go and produce fruit, and he reiterates in verse 17, 

"This is what I command you: Love one another." 

It becomes our life challenge to learn how that love is demonstrated as we attempt to follow the Holy Spirit's leading. It is clear the path will not always be smooth or easy, that there will be rough times that are inserted into our journey, but equally clear that even in the rough patches God is with us, is faithful, and will sustain us. After all, we are His vineyard!

MONDAY, DAY 29 OF LENT 2025

John 15:1-8 THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES is the title of this section in my Bible. 

I love that Jesus uses visuals, and that John carefully recorded what Jesus was saying. The people in Jesus' day understood about vines. They grew lots of grapes, and they were familiar with the husbandry required for maintaining those vines. Those responsible for the 'husbandry' of those fields of grape vines had to prune off the dead vines, prune back the healthy ones so they would be more productive, and give them the proper amount of water, nutrition, and care to make it possible for them to reach their highest potential. 

This section of John 15 is entirely in red letters, which means it is Jesus' words. I have excerpted selected verses to address:

"I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit."

"Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me."

God is the gardener. Jesus is the main vine. I am one of the smaller vines connected to him. When there are things in my life that are not healthy or productive God prunes those off. As humans, pruning hurts in the moment, but it is the only way for us to be productive. Pruning has a purpose, and that is one of the messages Jesus is providing here.

If we can visualize how an actual field of grape vines looks when it has not been managed - when the vines just grow unchecked, and get filled with deadwood that slows down their usefulness and effective growth, creating only disappointment when it comes to harvest time when the harvesters can see very little was produced - we can equate that to our lives. 

I don't like being pruned, but I know it is only because God loves me enough to want me to be healthy spiritually, healthy enough to grow fruit. 

In other verses in this portion of scripture it talks about those who don't stay connected to the vine. We can do NOTHING without being connected. Lord, bring on the shears! Prune me! Make me a good plant! And I know that you will feed me, water me, provide all the nutrients I need to be a vine that remains connected to you and then - and only then - will I be able to  produce good fruit!