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Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Friends,
What would you do if I said, "Today's devo's are based on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read those real quick."
My guess is that within 13 seconds you would slide the ol' mouse/arrow/hand thing on your screen up to the Delete button! And I probably wouldn't blame.
Seems like a lot to read I realize. And sometimes when there is a lot to take in, a lot more can overwhelm us and push us right over the edge...even when the latest allotment of a lot is a lot of good stuff!
So let me share a brief thought with you today from the Psalmist: You are my God. Psalm 118:28
I just helped lead worship in our community here in Clarence Center (which we'll do again at 7pm this evening) and all we did was slow down, read a few passages of Scripture, pray for extended periods of time, sing an easy song or two...and I could actually hear God! By slowing down. By taking my time. By listening more. And talking less.
I guess less is more in our faith lives sometimes too.
So if this was a tough day for you, if "a lot" has been dumped on you, if things are spinning, if you are hurting from "too much too fast," if others have tried to reach out and it just seems to spin things faster...hear the brief words from the Psalmist: You are my God.
Say it over and over. Say it slowly.
And in your hurting, your worry, your pain, your wondering, hear God say: You are my child.
Lord, you are my God. Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
Pastor Steve Biegner
Monday, 22 February 2010
Friends,
"The Lord was my stay." 2 Samuel 22:19
Stay?
Linguistically...I don't get out much. So when I first read this passage early this morning without enough coffee in the veins, I thought it was a misprint. So I read the surrounding verses about a person going through tough trials and rough spots of life. And what he found was that the Lord was his place to rest and be protected - his stay! (The other definition of the word)
Made a lot of sense to "stay" in a place that is the presence of protection and love and becomes a "stay" in the rough times.
I thought back to Luke Chapter 4's story that we read in church this weekend...about Jesus entering the wilderness...encountering the Devil...and beating the temptations because the Lord was his stay.
I ran into this YouTube video yesterday that I wished I would have found earlier, so I'll share it with you now. It's a cartoon (Steve's favorite artistic format) that shows the story of Jesus making the choice to walk out into the wilderness, spending 40 days of loneliness, contemplation and battling with the Devil's presence. You might want to read the story in Luke again as you watch it too. It shows the Devil offering those three temptations to Jesus and Jesus' response.
My favorite part is the end...exhausted...spent...and worn down...Jesus is carried. The Lord was his stay.
Whether you walked into the wilderness yourself today or were dragged there kicking and screaming...whatever day you are on...no matter how much/little energy you have left...please never forget, the Lord was...is...your stay.
Lord, thanks for carrying me. Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
Pastor Steve Biegner
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Friends,
I watched a bit of the Olympics so far. You? What an incredible opening weekend, mixed with both good news and tragedy.
I watched the ending of the opening ceremonies when the floor was supposed to open and allow four poles (there's clearly a fancier name than that) to come up and make the Olympic flame...except only three came up. Technical difficulties? Happens to the best of them I guess. I felt a little better about my random microphone and heating system problems at church after I watched Wayne Gretzky wait for the floor to never give way.
But here's what was neat...the show went on. The light still worked, even with only three "legs". And the flame will still lead the way for the next couple weeks.
My Bible readings for today focused on light as well....
The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light. Exodus 13:21
God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
And yet, I know that life doesn't turn out perfect even though that light is there. And I'm guessing you know that as well. Sometimes the "floors" of life just don't open correctly, or on our time schedule, or when we expect.
But even in those crazy moments, the light works. The light is there. The God of All and Ever will be there to lead and guide...even when we feel like we're standing around waiting for the spectacular that doesn't seem to be happening when we expect.
So just as God does...let the show go on!
Lord, thanks for being my light, even when other things aren't perfect! Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
Pastor Steve Biegner
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Friends,
Did I just hear this morning that someone was pulled out of the rubble of fallen buildings in Haiti after 27 days? 27 days!? Remarkable. How'd he survive? Water. Life giving water. There was a little water...dirty...nasty...but still water. He lost 40 of his original 110 pounds. He must have been incredibly parched...but it was enough to get him though.
Ever been that parched? Like your trapped and looking for something to quench your thirst? I'm sure (at least I hope) that none of us will ever face circumstances like that...but sometimes it can feel that life changing...life threatening...
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places. Isaiah 58:11
I find much hope in these words today and pray you will too.
When Drew and I are outside sledding or playing hockey, he loves to dig into the fresh snow, grab a handful and eat it. I try my best to remind him to avoid the yellow snow and the stuff filled with road salt...but it seems to quench his thirst a bit. Although, I've heard that it doesn't last and can actually dehydrate us a bit more due to the frozen nature of it.
There are a lot of things we grab at to quench our thirst when we feel parched. But many won't last. And might just make it worse.
But there is One that promises to be with us in the dirty and nasty places and times of our lives to hang onto when we are parched. He came in the trenches of a dirty manger and smelly animals. He lived in a world full of sin to show us another way. He died on a splintered up cross with nails through his hands. He then rose again to pour out life giving waters into our hearts, souls and lives...eternally...and now. To quench our thirst.
To make it last.
To save our lives.
I want a fist full of that water. Will you drink some too?
Lord, be my thirst quencher today please. Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
Wednesday, 03 February 2010
Friends,
64% of Biegner Winter is over. The light is growing everyday. Forget that stinkin' groundhog, eh?
I mean really....do we think that a shadow from a glorified large rat-ish looking creature is really going to tell us what's up with the weather forecast for the next few weeks?
That is absolute crazy talk!
I mean we wouldn't look at our bank accounts and think because they are in good shape we are going to be happy?
Or our cars because they are nice and clean that we're going feel a sense of peace?
Or our position at work and think we were powerful and worth more?
Or the number of friends on our Facebook, most of which we never talk to, and think we were loved?
Oh wait....we do a lot of that...often.
What are our measurement tools and who do we look to for the measuring and what happens to those measurement tools when things get tough?
But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come, if they can save you, in your time of trouble. Jeremiah 2:28
If we want to look at something to predict the future...to wrap our self-worth around...to measure our success even in the hard times...look to the One that stands firm in all trouble, that overcomes all dangers, that can wash away all doubts, the One that sent his Son to prove it...death...for our life....eternally. And that One, who already measured us up with open-armed grace, says to you today: "You're a child of God. That means there IS a future...filled with hope...and life...in the midst of the troubles...in the midst of the darkness."
Someone do me a favor and shove that groundhog in a gofer hole for another year, could ya?
Lord, thanks for being our One when there are so many other options out there. Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
Tuesday, 02 February 2010
Friends,
The gospel reading I read in church this weekend began like this:
Then Jesus began to say to them: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21
It's a really dumb way to begin a reading from the Bible because you have absolutely no idea what the heck he's talking about. I actually do this all the time with my family when I launch into some subject (that makes sense in my own head because I've been thinking about it for awhile) and they stare blankly at me and say "Dad, what the heck are you talking about?"
Jesus is talking about what he's just been talking about! The Scriptures...the Bible. Us hearing it...and applying it. He had just been opening up the Scriptures for them. Telling them about God's plan and his love and that it applied to all who hear the good news!!!
But I must correct Jesus (who does that? takes guts to correct a guy who can rise from the grave, eh?)!
Maybe the Scripture is fulfilled by our hearing it...but isn't it even more fulfilled/fulfilling by our living it? By putting the good news into practice?
We had a guy in the Cleveland Clinic last week (about 3hrs away from us). He was having this huge heart surgery done and wasn't able to have any other family members with him due to a lot of other health stuff going on in life for them. I drove over to see him while he was there because I hated the idea of him being alone. But I was only able to go once. I wished that there was a way we could have more people over there to be with him. Turns out, we have a young woman who is working over there and she got word that we had someone in the Clinic. She called me this morning and told me to let her know what room he was in...that she'd visit him, sit with him, check in on him. And she didn't even know him!
Now, he had already come home, but what an amazing offer. She was letting the Scriptures be fulfilled in her hearing...and living.
Are you a hearer of the good news or a liver of it? Not the body organ liver, by instead somebody who lets themselves be transformed by the fact that God loves them and then lets that impact our movements...our presence...our love.
Today the Scriptures are fulfilled....in your story...by you hearing it...and by you living it out!
Lord, help me live it. Amen
Still in One Peace,
ps
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