Uplift Church English Ministry

12/17/2022

"Understanding can come with time, but God’s mercy is available at all times"

Mercy. Luke 18.
As I’m reading through Luke – a chapter a day through December leading up to Christmas eve, I’m seeing a new connectedness to the narrative. There was once no verse and chapter divisions, the sixty-six books of the Gospels and letters were once one long narrative each.

In the beginning of chapter 18 He tells the parable [a story] to teach the disciples and us that praying at all times relieves the discouraged soul. Jesus then goes on to tell another story and two actual accounts of people coming to Him in their distress.

The first is the tax collector who prayed at the Temple. Second was the rich young ruler and last was blind Bartimaeus. The tax collector and Bartimaeus pray for something that the young ruler doesn’t – for mercy.

While the ruler prays for understanding, the other two pray simply for mercy. Bartimaeus even asks twice for it. Their problem was not only sin and sickness, but a broken spirit. We need faith and mercy before understanding.

Understanding can come with time, but God’s mercy is available at all times, and that is an encouragement for the soul.

11/25/2022

"In it the psalm declares the holiness of His presence and His house (royal courts). This is where Jesus is like no other king and the invitation to learn of Him begins to unfold."

Clothed and Enthroned, but… Psalm 93.
Sometimes we get the biggest invitations in the smallest envelopes; a child’s first birthday, a wedding or anniversary. Not that the envelope must be physically small, but in comparison to what that moment will give or hold in our hearts forever – those events are pretty big deals.
Psalm 93 is one of the shorter psalms and yet, for this week as I’ve been reading and praying over it, just seemed to get bigger and bigger – and bigger. It is the description of Christ in eternity that we will all one day see. In it there are three distinctions that place Jesus above every other. He is truly the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Verse 1 introduces us to the King who is clothed (robed) with majesty. As any other king, Jesus dresses to the role. We can imagine the most dignified, royal robes and Jesus is dressed even better. There will be no mistaking Him.
And in verses 2-4 it speaks of His throne high above the stormy seas [seasons of our lives] and firmly secure. This is the King that has waited patiently upon His throne who has created us to be in relationship with us, completed the work to redeem us and waits for our joyous entry into eternity.
But verse 5 is the invitation. In it the psalm declares the holiness of His presence and His house (royal courts). This is where Jesus is like no other king and the invitation to learn of Him begins to unfold. What kind of king creates and invites rather than subjugates? What kind of king gives rather than takes? What kind of king dies that we may live evermore? What kind of king adopts the sinners and robes and crowns them? What kind of king is He, indeed, the invitation asks.

11/19/2022

"It is to surrender our will and our path and to return to His. We are prodigals coming home."

Shine upon us. Psalm 80.

If ever the Psalms felt like a songbook, it might definitely be Psalm 80. It – like many of the psalms, recounts the journey of the Israelites and God’s faithfulness to always intercede, protect and provide for them as He continues to do for us today. And then there are three “choruses” that occur in verses 3, 7 and 19 that spell out the three-point path of His lovingkindness and our (intended) response.

“Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (NKJV)

Restore us. The New Living Translation words it as “Turn us again to yourself” Oh, how true and sometimes painful this reality is. We are in trouble and in very dark places because our decisions have caused us to turn from Him. And in His lovingkindness, He will allow many people and events – some painful, to turn us toward Him where we are once again protected and provided for.

Cause Your face to shine. God’s glory is… glorious. So much so that His face shines when directly looked upon. So, to request His face to shine [upon us] is to request Him to look directly upon us, care for us and reach His hand into our world. It is to surrender our will and our path and to return to His. We are prodigals coming home.

And we shall be saved! The comforting and strengthening surety of His promise. Some translations even end that statement with an exclamation. It is as Asaph (the writer of this psalm) was standing in the face of our pain and saying, “Take that!” and at the same time standing in our faces and saying, “Receive this!”

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [Romans 5:8]

What great love is this that looks upon us, sees and saves us. Surrender today.

11/09/2022

“O God, You are more awesome ‘than’ Your holy places.”

More than. Psalm 68:35

In a lifetime of church attendance and thirty years in active ministry I’ve been to a lot of church buildings and gathering spaces. Many will leave permanent marks in my mind of the majesty of the places. One church in Germany we visited had the suits of armor of those who defended the church through the Middle Ages polished and on display as though they were still on guard. Another in Upstate NY that had been in existence since it was a Dutch colony where I preached their 375th consecutive Easter service – 375 years of Easter services for this one congregation. Wow!

Other churches leave a permanent mark in my spirit for the work that God is doing there. I’ve both pastored and visited places where the Spirit of God was so present you almost felt you could turn around and see Him right there. There was peace despite circumstances, hope beyond despair, love beyond hardships.

In my reading this week of Psalm 68 I saw something wonderful in the New King James Version (I like to read and compare versions). Most translations have something similar to God’s awesomeness “in” His sanctuary, or (emanating) “from” His sanctuary in verse 68:35.

But the NKJV states “O God, You are more awesome ‘than’ Your holy places.” The meaning is roughly the same that God is awesome in His sanctuary and that His overwhelming glory pours out from it to all that He has created. But all of that is because He is more awesome than His sanctuary. God is even better than the best created things.

As I remember very fondly the churches and congregations that I’ve pastored and others that I’ve visited I look back now and wonder how much more than all that will it be to be in His presence one day.

10/29/2022

"But let us not also forget the encouraging one another – and that’s where chili and breaking bread over a shared table come in, for love and for good deeds."

10/15/2022

"Save us Lord, may You answer us on the day we call."

Your Time of Trouble. Psalm 20.

My devotions this week have stayed centered on Psalm 20. This short, nine-verse long psalm is attributed to King David prior to going to battle. Either someone is praying this for him, or more likely, he is praying a blessing over his troops. The good news is – all goes well, see Psalm 21!

Verse 1 reads, “May the Lord answer you on a day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect [defend, NKJV] you!” The sense of the word we read as protect or defend is “set you on high, make you inaccessible.” That is powerful considering what follows.

Verses 2-3 the prayer speaks of help from the sanctuary and God remembering our offerings and sacrifices. This is for spiritual days of trouble. God will remember that we have put our trust in Him through the offerings and sacrifices and that He has accepted us based upon the offering and sacrifice of Jesus. He will set us on high – seated in the heavenly places, and inaccessible to our enemy as we are in Christ (Ephesians).

Second, in verses 4-5, the prayer mentions our heart’s desires and joy. This is for our emotional days of trouble. Its not just the stresses of war like David was facing that bring emotional anxiety. In today’s world we have non-stop streams coming at us and its important that we remember to “set up our banners”. In the Old Testament this was a sign of who our Commander and King is as we face the enemy.

Lastly, in verses 6-8, the prayer is using phrasing of physical strength and salvation. This is for our physical days of trouble. Whether it is an illness or obstacle to overcome, a task to accomplish or season to endure – “God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Save us Lord, may You answer us on the day we call.

10/09/2022

How many could use this today? (quietly raising my own hand)

10/01/2022

"Secure whatever ill betide, A shelter in the time of storm."

Comfortless

This is Brava.

She was born feral under a friend’s porch in north central Pennsylvania just before the winter of 2019. Beverly adopted her and her sister Sasha. They have only known the protection of our home since they were able to be separated from their feral mother. Sasha (as I’ve written before) is our anxious, wild cat. Brava on the other hand is one of the calmest cats I’ve ever met.

This picture is of her as Hurricane Ian passed through our home in Florida. Outside the window the wind and rain came, but inside was warmth and light. As I watched her undisturbed by the storm, I was reminded of Jesus’ words in John 14, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.”

While Brava and Sasha were destined to the typically short lives of feral cats, Beverly and I interceded through that friend and brought them into our home – warm, well-lit and all the food and love they could want for. How much more is our God through Christ Jesus who intercedes for us?

The King James version translates as, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” We are not all orphans, but we all could use the comfort of God through Christ Jesus in the storms of life.

“The Lord's our rock, in Him we hide,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.
Mighty Rock in a weary land,
Cooling shade on the burning sand,
Faithful guide for the pilgrim band-
A shelter in the time of storm.”

01/23/2022

Never underestimate or under appreciate the gathering the of saints.

09/02/2021

He has loved us with an everlasting love!

08/31/2021

Be Watchful and Thankful.