Affirmation and love

12 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you! ” She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom. ”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.”

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her. ~Luke 1:26-38 (CEB)

“Gabriel begins as he always begins, as God always begins (since this is God’s message, not Gabriel’s), with the affirmation of God’s creation. ‘Greetings, favored one!’ Gabriel proclaims to Mary. ‘The Lord is with you!’ Before she hears anything else, God wants Mary to hear this: She is favored. . . . Although a teenager, Mary need not ‘find’ herself. Her identity is a gift, bestowed upon her by God alone. Who am I? Mary may wonder. And God replies, ‘You are my favored one, beloved and beautiful to me.’

In truth, Mary does not stand much chance for an identity apart from God. She is too young to have had time to achieve much on which to base her identity. She is too poor to purchase her place in society. Add to this the fact that she is female, which means that even if she did have accomplishments or social stature to her credit, they likely would have gone unrecognized because of her gender. All of this makes Mary a most unlikely candidate for helping God save the world, which is precisely why God enlists her. Nothing about Mary suggests that she can be who she is apart from God’s favor of her.” ~From The Godbearing Life by Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster

I am not who I am based on my achievements. I am who I am based upon who I am in Christ. There is much value in taking the time to figure out who I in Christ. Being familiar with scriptures will help me to know who I am. Then when I am faced with what the world thinks of me I have God’s assurances tucked away in my heart. I can hold my head up high because I know who I am and I that I am loved.

Thank You O Lord, for Your assurances. Thank You for Your love that lives in my heart. Amen.

Value and Worth

11 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

You have tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and You find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.

My steps have held fast to Your paths.
My feet have not slipped.

I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

Wondrously show Your loving kindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.

Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings ~Psalm 17:3-8 (NRSV)

I am “favored” by God. I have value and worth. It is so easy to forget these facts wearing the labels that the world has placed on me. Some are not bad labels. Some are true. I am a mother. I am a wife… but I can still get lost among even these labels that I have chosen. But if I remember to still myself in God’s presence I can hear that still small voice say to me “You are Mine. You have value. You have worth. You are the apple of my eye, My favorite, My chosen one.”

Almighty God, I claim this day Your promises to me. I claim that I have value and that I have worth. I claim this day the fact that I am a beloved child. May the words from my mouth and the work of my hands reflect these truths in all I do and say this day. Amen.

Life together

01 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , ,

Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. ~Colossians 3:12-17 (CEB)

“Without the discipline of community, solitude degenerates into self-absorption and isolation; without the discipline of solitude, community degenerates into codependency and enmeshment . . . . The community of faith is where we learn the language of love. And the church uses two kinds of language- the verbal languages of liturgy, scripture, and sermon, and the body language of sacraments, gestures, and social outreach. . . . Being a part of a life-giving faith community is like a healthy foot getting directional signals from the rest of the body. A life-giving church is one where human brokenness is lifted up like bread and wine to be held, and touched, and blessed- to heal the world.” ~From Journeymen by Kent Ira Groff

Almighty God, You have gathered us together in a community to learn and grow. By the power of Your Holy Spirit help me to live in unity and peace remembering that we are all Your children, loved first by You. May my actions this day be fruit of my faith in Your kingdom. In the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Trinity

29 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

The time came for the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple, walking in the covered porch named for Solomon. The Jewish opposition circled around him and asked, “How long will you test our patience? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I have told you, but you don’t believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you don’t believe because you don’t belong to my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life. They will never die, and no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them from my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” ~John 10:22-30 (CEB)

“The advantage of believing in the reality of the Trinity is not that we get an ‘A’ from God for giving, ‘the right answer.’ Remember, to believe something is to act as if it is so. To believe that two plus two equals four is to behave accordingly when trying to find out how many dollars or apples are in the house. The advantage of believing it is not that we can pass tests in arithmetic; it is that we can deal much more successfully with reality. Just try dealing with it as if two plus two equaled six.

Hence, the advantage of believing in the Trinity is that we then live as if the Trinity is real: as if the cosmos environing us actually is, beyond all else, a self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent power. And, thus believing, our lives naturally integrate themselves, through our actions, into the reality of such a universe, just as with two plus two equals four. In faith we rest ourselves upon the reality of the Trinity in action- and it graciously meets us. For it is there. And our lives are then enmeshed in the true world of God.” ~from The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

Almighty God, you have made Yourself known to me as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Make yourself known to me in such a way that I may understand Your will and purpose for my life today. I offer my prayers in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.

Part of a community

27 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I’m there with them. ~Matt.18:20 (CEB)

On Tuesdays I lead a study group. What I like most about this time together is not the subject material that we are discussing. It is the fact that we all come from different backgrounds and through our love for Christ we have come together to grow and learn. The variety of ages and life experiences brings much light to the different topics we tackle. There are insights that I could never have had on my own. There is much I have gained by being a participant in this group. This is a gift from God.

Because I am a child of God I find myself in a community that I might not have picked for myself. It is God chosen. In Henri J.M. Nouwen’s book Reaching Out he says, “The basis of Christian community is not the family tie, or social or economic equality, or shared oppression or complaint, or mutual attraction . . . but the divine call. The Christian community is not the result of human efforts. God has made us into his people by calling us out of ‘Egypt’ to the ‘New Land’, out of the desert to fertile ground, out of slavery to freedom, out of our sin to salvation. All these words and images give expression to the fact that the initiative belongs to God and that he is the source of our new life together.”

Part of my divine call is to realize that I am to be part of a community. A willing participant of that community.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the community You have given me to work in and be blessed by. I thank You for this space where I find Jesus on a regular basis. Thank You for this gift. May I let my light shine for Your glory in this community. Amen.

Community

26 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

I’m no longer in the world, but they are in the world, even as I’m coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them in your name, the name you gave me, that they will be one just as we are one. When I was with them, I watched over them in your name, the name you gave to me, and I kept them safe. None of them were lost, except the one who was destined for destruction, so that scripture would be fulfilled. Now I’m coming to you and I say these things while I’m in the world so that they can share completely in my joy. I gave your word to them and the world hated them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. I made myself holy on their behalf so that they also would be made holy in the truth.

“I’m not praying only for them but also for those who believe in me because of their word. I pray they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. I pray that they also will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I’ve given them the glory that you gave me so that they can be one just as we are one. I’m in them and you are in me so that they will be made perfectly one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you have loved them just as you loved me.

“Father, I want those you gave me to be with me where I am. Then they can see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ~John 17:11-24 (CEB)

“Jesus lived his life in community. From his childhood with Mary and Joseph to his calling and raveling with the disciples to his declaration that he and the Father were one, Jesus lived in community. A community of faith nurtured him (“Who do the crowds say that I am? [Luke 9:18]). It is unthinkable that we would try to live a faithful life without the gifts offered in a faithful community of Jesus. Jesus was known for valuing solitude since he retired to rest and pray, but living in community also marked his life.

Jesus makes a dramatic and revolutionary promise when he says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matt 18:20). This is a welcome promise to those who may wonder if God is present in their lives or their affairs. This a hopeful promise for those who sometimes feel alone and forsaken. This is an enormous assurance for those who face the unknown and need companionship and community.

We can be sure that Jesus keeps his promise and that when we gather in his name, he will be with us. We are often blessed by being in community. We receive encouragement, guidance, comfort, and hope by participating in a community. These gifts of community are available to us all, and we receive them more readily when we remember that Jesus meets us there.” From A Guide to Prayer for those who seek God, Rueben P. Job

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the community You have placed me in to nurture and grow my faith. I thank You for the encouragement, guidance, comfort and hope that I have received. I recognize that it might not always have been to my choosing but that You have used all situations to make me who I am today. Amen.

The peaceful way

24 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’ ”

They went and found a colt tied to a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some people standing around said to them, “ What are you doing, untying the colt? ” They told them just what Jesus said, and they left them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields. Those in front of him and those following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve. Mark 11:1-11 (CEB)

A prince is identified with privilege, rank, and special benefits, but Jesus, the Prince of Peace, comes into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, a symbol of lowliness. His entrance is greeted with affirmation and acclamation. There is a joyous mood in the crowd as the people anticipated the promise of the prophets before them.

‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth (Zech. 9:9-10)

The promise of peace for a people plagued by war and strife was wonderful news. Perhaps now their long agony would come to an end. The promise of peace is enough to make any suffering people celebrate. Do you suffer today? Sometimes the wars within are a devastating as the wars without. At some time in our lives most of us will know the darkness of loneliness, disappointment, and despair. When the Prince of Peace comes to offer release, redemption, help, and hope, we are also filled with joy and the ‘hosannas’ burst from our lips as well.

Jesus chose the way of peace in a violent world. He taught his disciples to do the same. Just for a moment Peter forgot, and because of that, one in the arresting party lost an ear. But still Jesus rebuked Peter and courageously continued his journey as the Prince of Peace on the way to his own death. ~Rueben P. Job

Help me to continue in Your way of peace O Lord, this day and every day. May I desire to be Your hands and feet in a world full of violence and despair. Help me to shine Your light in the darkness of loneliness and disappointment so that others might know of Your joy and hope, Amen.

Rooted in love

15 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.

Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him. Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him. ~1 John 3:1-6 (CEB)

“The word ‘radical’ means going to the root, getting down to essentials. People who get down to essentials and stay with them, no matter what the changes around them, are and remain radial. They are rooted in something that endures. The most radical element of our faith is the unconditional love of God. The more we internalize this truth, the greater the transformation that happens within us. Transformation has to do with freedom, freedom to live and love like Christ.” ~From Free to ray, Free to Love by Max Olivia, S.J.

O Lord, may I ever be rooted in Your love. May Your truths be seeded deeply and knowledge and wisdom spring forth. May the seedlings You have watered shoot forth from my heart flowing into those You have placed in my life.  Help me to stay radical in You. Amen.

Unconditional love

14 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. After he entered the Pharisee’s home, he took his place at the table. Meanwhile, a woman from the city, a sinner, discovered that Jesus was dining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought perfumed oil in a vase made of alabaster. Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured the oil on them. When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was happening, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. He would know that she is a sinner.

Jesus replied, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

“Teacher, speak,” he said.  

“A certain lender had two debtors. One owed enough money to pay five hundred people for a day’s work. The other owed enough money for fifty. When they couldn’t pay, the lender forgave the debts of them both. Which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the largest debt canceled.”

Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.”

Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet. This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has shown great love. The one who is forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other table guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this person that even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” ~Luke 7:35-50 (CEB)

Recently I experienced unconditional love. No strings attached. No judgment involved. The night before I had been tossing and turning and throwing up prayers to God. I didn’t even know exactly what I needed but I knew I needed a miracle. Maybe this was the first time I actually prayed for a miracle. But let me tell you, when you ask, be prepared for an answer.

God knew exactly what I needed to release some of the pressure that I had been under. I was struggling so hard to trust and believe… struggling so hard to keep the faith that I knew. The next morning a dear friend offered a selfless gift. It was an answer to my prayer from the night before.

When you pray for a miracle you still have to do the work of accepting it when it comes. It is so tempting when we have dug that hole of despair because of our own mistakes to not accept a miracle when it does come our way. “I made this mess so I should be the one to dig myself out!” God has been in my face this season about pride. Here again I felt that old demon rising his head.

Pride swallowed I accepted her gift and was blessed beyond belief. Through this I learned what unconditional love looks like. I pray often to be able to see with God’s eyes and to love with His heart. My eyes are opened in a way I never could have understood before.

He has shown me what unconditional love looks like.

Heavenly Father, from the depths of my despair I cried out to You and You heard me. I asked to feel Your love surround me. I thank You for showing me Your unconditional love through Your earthly servants. I thank You for people who are obedient to Your will. Help me to return the love that I have been shown. Amen.

One message to give…

26 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son full of grace and truth. ~John 1:14 (CEB)

If I could give only one message to the world what would it be? If I had only a few seconds of fame, what would I want the world to know?

The message that I could shout from the top of Mount Lecont, is that God did not come down to earth in Jesus Christ to make life just a tiny bit better but to make things exceedingly remarkably better. God came down to earth not just so I could tolerate living here on earth but to transport my life right now into a life of real living. Jesus came not just to prepare the way for the next world but so that I might live life more freely now. Jesus came to show us how to live in a way that was a costly reconciling love, relentless hope and reverberating joy. God came down to earth so that we could live like Him. He came to save us from violence by showing us the way to peace. He came to save us from greed by showing us the way of compassion. He came to save us from our addiction of living for self by showing us the way of self-giving love. God came down to earth through Jesus Christ to save us from sin by showing us the way to forgiveness; to save us from death by showing us the way to live; to save us from sorrow by showing us how to be joyful.

The good news of the gospel is not that Jesus came to show us the way to climb up to God, but that God came down to us, descending into the real stuff of our everyday ordinary lives- God with us in Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Thank You Heavenly Father for the example You sent to me through Your Son Jesus Christ. I thank You for the examples of self-giving love, forgiveness and joy that he brings to my life. I thank You for his example of a peace that goes beyond my present understanding. I thank You O Lord, that I know the end of the Story and that You use all things for Your ultimate glory. Amen.

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