Devotions

Hillside Thoughts on Broccoli

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Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

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I have preferences, partialities, and predilections. I love a meal that pleases both palette and vision. On the other side of the scale there are other items when placed before me I just have a reaction of disdain. I am aware of the nutritional qualities of broccoli. My mom made us eat it. We lived near the Salinas Valley where there were miles of broccoli.  It was freely available in almost any part of the year.  But I never liked the flavor or the texture in my mouth. My preference is to not eat broccoli. This dark green flower was a regular on my plate as I grew up. I would push it to the edge to not touch the other good stuff. There was a rule that was held by Mom, that the food on the plate served up for each of us four kids: all the food on the plate had to be eaten if there was to be seconds of anything.  No broccoli no desert. That made it tough.

As a child of ten, I guess you could well say I was prejudiced against broccoli. I could have started my own campaign to eradicate all broccoli from everyone in my family’s life. Anyone who ate broccoli will feel my disdain and scorn. To me in those young years, broccoli was a sin.

I have grown up a little.  Broccoli is no longer a stain upon the plate of mankind.  I forgive my mom for serving broccoli. My stay on the hilltop with Jesus changes things. I must forgive, I must accept, I must allow those who disagree with my choices to be loved.  Even if they bring more broccoli into my life.

#Just Larry

Devotions, Kingdom of God, Life, Motivation, PINOGAM

Grassy Hillside thought Who, Why, What

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Hillside Thoughts for Monday – Day 287 of the year 2024 – October 14

Matthew 6:9-13 “This then is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven, hollowed be your name, your kingdom come, you will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

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Jesus considers three things: character, conscience, and conduct.  When we establish an equilibrium between these three things of “Who am I”, “Why I do”, and “What I do”, then we will have a balanced life.

When we set our lives in order before God, we have a new character, the “Who am I” for me is a Child of God. Once my character has been set, then my motive, my “why I do”, becomes clear. My motivation in life is to conform to God’s will.  My why must conform to my who. Finally, and only when my character defines my conscience, then and only then can I do. Actions speak louder than words, but both must conform to the who and the why.  The “What I do” must align with the “Why I do.”

Seeing ourselves as children of God, conforming to His image, will result in doing. When all three are in line, can we live valiantly, peacefully, joyously, and lovingly in the Kingdom of Heaven.  We can have our bread, we can forgive, we can resist temptation and we can be delivered.  That is enough.

# Just Larry

Culture, Devotions, Justice, Life

Going one step further to grace and mercy

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Matthew 5:38-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

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    Another remarkable teaching from Jesus on the grassy hillside. I have taken my place near the front that I might not miss anything. Every phrase, every thought is filled with both mystery and conviction.

But now Jesus is suggesting that I must allow the evil in this world to triumph. Am I to assume the role of victim in any encounter with someone who would do me harm? Is all that I own subject to anyone who wants to borrow it? This teaching of Rabbi Jesus is tough.  I don’t want my cheek slapped. I don’t want to give my shirt away.  I don’t want to go the extra mile.  I don’t want to lend my favorite fishing pole to a clutz. Jesus must be telling me something more here than a radical reaction to an offense.

     The culture in which we live remains resolute in its ability to accomplish much. There are many things the secular world can do better than the church. There is a place for government to do things the individual cannot.  Industry can build a car without being Christian. But there is one thing the world cannot do.  That thing is the offer of grace. Jesus was saying we are to be different from our culture, government, or industry.  We can look beyond the requirements and go a little further and become grace and mercy to all the world.

Just Larry

Devotions, Kingdom of God, Ramblings, Worship

The New Kingdom

Matthew 5:3,5,8,9,10 Kingdom words.

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Wait, hold on Jesus, let’s take a reality check moment. Could you tell me again what this Kingdom is?  A quick recap of the sermon so far is needed.  There seems to be a theme here: the kingdom of heaven, inheriting the earth, seeing God, sons of God, the kingdom of heaven again. What does that all mean? The guy over on the third row seems to think it is about a political solution to Roman occupation. He is whispering about the setting up of a new earthly Kingdom with God in charge. The guy next to me who was beaten by Romans a couple of months back agrees with a smile hoping for the Romans get what they deserve.  The smartly dressed one in front of me seems to think if everyone would get their act together, we would have 1,000 years of peace. Most of my fellow grass-sitters see the Kingdom as a day in the far future when history ends and it is over with a big bang and the Messiah will return. But the common conception is that Jesus is just talking about a futuristic someday.

Peter over there on the first row and in the middle seems to think it is about a new community identity. To Peter it is an opportunity to replace the chosen people with a new group. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, declaring the praises of God who calls us out of this dark world into his wonderful light. He thinks that those on the hillside were looking for more than an ethnic association. I tend to agree with Peter. Jesus seems to be saying that there is a new distinction: a group of people now being in a kingdom characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and control. Ethnicity was no longer a requirement for Kingdom entrance. This new kingdom is internal to all who would follow.  It is a Kingdom where all are welcome.

As I squat here on the grassy hillside, I am warmed by the sweet acceptance of a Kingdom where all are welcome. A Kingdom of the heart. And in that moment I realize, that  I am a part of the kingdom because God knew I needed to be a part.

Just Larry

Assurance, Devotions, Life, Preaching

Blessed are…

Matthew 5:3-12 The beatitudes. Blessed are….

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Nine attitudes of the Christian life. Attitudes that find their source in Jesus. Attitudes that make Christians different. Attitudes which describe expectations and acceptance. Attitudes when all tallied up make a difference in my life. Today I must circle back to one word that begins each. What is this blessing? What is this favoritism, this acknowledgment of my worth which is pointed to those who have these attitudes? How do I understand, experience, and feel this blessing? How is my being conformed to each called-out attitude a blessing?

There has always been a dichotomy, a struggle between two points of view. One side was saying they were led by the spiritual and didn’t need any other guide. The other was extolling the merits of keeping every law, precept, tradition, and cultural norm. The spiritual and the law have always been a center of argument and division. The law demands conformance, yet these gifts of grace are offered as free and abundant.

As I sit on the grassy hillside, I listen carefully to hear and understand how I shall live. I hear these nine characteristics of faith. Each is a gift is determined by my relationship to God. I do not hear commandments but blessings. Blessings, not because of what I do, but for what I am. Blessings to empower life. Blessings to overcome. Blessings to be more than a set of rules and regulations. Blessings to strengthen. Blessings to live a life full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and control. (Galatians 5:22,23). What a blessing! Nine reasons for nine attitudes. Gifted to become and to be.

# Just Larry

Devotions, Peace

Matthews 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

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As I was reading through this message and imagining myself among the inquisitive masses, this one line seems different. It is the only one which is a promise if a future title. Yes, the makers of peace are blessed, that is a simple description of the current state of the task. Here he says that in the future and not during effort, a title will be given. My actions as seen by others will be seen as actions of peace and I will receive, not from God but from those around me a title of peacemaker. I will become the go to person when there is strife.  I will become trusted to listen to both sides and provide a reasonable solution to the dispute. What a reputation!

I hear Jesus telling me the better alternative to hurt, pain and resentment, is being a peacemaker. He tells me that I have a calling to make peace. Peacemaking is me doing something for the concept of peace. Peacemaking is about my willingness to go further than the hurt.

I need a new relationship with God with a united peacemaking cause and to reach out to make peace. It is the calling of all children of God.

Today, I will dedicate my every action with the purpose of making peace.  I will not lash out, I will try to make peace when others seem bent to tear things up.  I will stand in the gap when there is conflict and bring the hope of peace.

And again, that peace must start with me.  Oh Lord, Remind me again that you desire peace among your children.

Devotions

Matthew 5:7 –”Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

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What do I see before me in the late autumn of my life? I am much closer to the end of my earthly existence than most. I follow Jesus and take my seat among the multitude. I am here because of my need to be better.  I am here because I need to feel more than rejection and ambivalence. I am here because of my needs, my wants, and my deeply flawed self-image. From the grassy hillside, Jesus looks at me and sees deeply in my soul.  He sees the scars left by uncountable rejections, denials, and efforts that have gone wrong; each has left a scar. My heart is still pumping despite the wounds endured.  Wounds that have been both self-inflicted and put upon me by others. In a split second I realize it pumps because to Jesus the soul seer, the scars do not matter. All the damage will not stop the heart that shall see God.

I see God because He has done great work in me. My heart may well be disfigured but it has become pure for God and by God. And I am blessed.  Blessed to see God in everything I see and do. A pure heart made that way because of my willingness to follow. Here on the grassy hillside, I am at rest.  I shift slightly to hear a little bit better.  Jesus is talking to me. I am pure of heart because I am in the very presence of God.

# Just Larry

Culture, Devotions, Life

Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

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Third on the list of attitudes of belief given in Jesus’s sermon is translated either as “meekness” or “gentleness”.

This disturbs me because occasionally I am impatient when I am trying to get something done and there is some competition distracting me.  I do not tolerate interruptions well.  For me, there is no such thing as multitasking. I must admit there are times when it is difficult to walk and chew gum. Similarly, the multitude could not walk along the paths of life and learn from Him at the same time. The time and effort to switch from walking to learning lent itself to errors due to insufficient attention.  Jesus stopped on the grassy hillside because he knew well that life often interrupts change.

Patient endurance of life is an activity of distraction.  Endurance is something that must be done. It was a “keep calm and carry on” type of thing. All the energy of putting up a good face, living life amid turmoil, and getting your just rewards prevent the attainment of something better.  This something better was simply relaxing and letting God sort it out. It is being meek.  It is being gentle.  It is stopping what I am doing and facing interruption as an opportunity for learning.  Why?  Because I already have an inheritance of focus. Blessed are they who are interrupted and relishing the moment because it is all good. I can stop in the middle of thousands of competing attention grabbers and simply listen.

# Just Larry

Devotions, Jesus, Ministry, Renewal

Open my heart today.

Matthew 5:1,2, “And when He saw the multitudes. He went up on the hill; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.  And opening His mouth He began to teach them.”

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Jesus’ teaching on a hillside has been called the greatest sermon ever given. When I read it again and again, I see something much more personal, much more intimate. The masses were assembled, but the teaching was not really for them rows and rows of eager listeners. He was there to teach the chosen disciples.  Those few who had made a commitment to be something more. The multitudes were there with their own agendas, needs, and for some, simply curiosity.  The crowd was there to listen in and just perhaps become more than eager listeners.

His message was not about a new theology.  His message moved beyond the heady and distressing understandings to the emotional heart issues. Blessed for those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are gentle, who are hungry, who are merciful, who are pure in heart, who are peacemakers, who are persecuted and lied about. Words filled with emotion.  Words that drive us to our deepest feelings.

I must let these words speak to my heart and to my emotions. All the theology and prior understandings of God must take a back seat.  This sermon speaks another language, a language of the heart. For this moment I simply let the grass of the hillside cool my heated mind and learn the language of the heart.

Lord, still my mind and open my heart.

#Just Larry

Devotions, Peace

Peace Oh wonderful Peace

John 14:26-27 “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

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Praise God!  My sins are forgiven.  I have declared to be at peace with God.  God is at peace with me. Today I will experience a peace that is simply incomprehensible. I trust in a God who loves, cares, draws, forgives, restores, destroys fear, and limits trouble within my heart.

I live with peace within myself, I live in peace with those around me, and I live at peace with God.

We close August with a sweet peace only God can provide. Peace comes from a complete and absolute change of viewpoint. The lens has changed. The view of everything has changed. It makes the world seem crazy but that is OK. I have changed my mind. I don’t think as they do. I don’t react in the same way. I am no longer a victim of my circumstances. I am not oppressed, and I will never be an oppressor. God loves me. God loves you. I have peace.

# Just Larry

The Study of God and Life