Tag: Rev. Dr. Ken Crawford

It is a matter of balance…

Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. — Amos 5:15

While we rightfully teach our children that we must not hate others, we also must teach them to loathe injustice, evil, prejudice, and the mistreatment of the vulnerable — the foreigner, widow, fatherless, and poor, as God defined them in the Torah. Amos reminded Israel that God demands justice to be administered fairly for both rich and poor, residents and foreigners, those in families as well as those left alone. Israel’s repeated refusals of God’s commands in these areas brought destruction upon their land despite their apparent affluence, military might, and political power in Amos’ day.

Holy God, I know you are furious at the injustice in so many lands and are enraged at the ethnic hatred setting our world ablaze. Please make your people, your Church, a place of justice, equity, compassion, love, racial healing, and hope. Please begin in my heart and with my hands to build this better world. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The New Life

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. — Colossians 2:6

“New and improved!” That’s the strategic marketing tag to re-introduce an older product that has fallen out of public perception. Make a few changes, freshen the packaging, and re-market the old product as something new and improved. The apostle Paul wanted the Colossians to know that Jesus does not need to be updated or add some spiritually new ingredient. Instead, they needed to follow him as Lord, just as they did when they first became Christians. That is our need, too! Our lives need to be rooted and nurtured in Christ Jesus as Lord, full of thankfulness for God’s incredible gift of grace in his Son. And we must realize Jesus is more than any additive-laden, updated, or new religious fad could ever be!

Loving Father and Almighty God, thank you for the gift of your grace given to me in Jesus Christ. Forgive me when I get fascinated by what is flashy and new or wanderlust hits, and I desire something fresh and novel. Please make my walk with Jesus fresh each day. Strengthen my appreciation that his lordship in my life will help me face the difficult circumstances along the way and greet the exciting new opportunities each day with joy, strength, hope, and power. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Strong in the Lord

Do you not know that your bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you
have received from God?
You are not your own;
you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:10-20 NIV

When this was written, temples were the places where the gods were thought to live. More than places of worship, these were places of presence. So when Paul reminds us that we are temples of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit, he is saying something quite profound. God lives in us! We are the places of God’s dwelling. We are holy temples, not because we cleansed ourselves or made ourselves into some incredible dwelling place but because God bought us and sanctified us with the price of Jesus’ life. We are his purchased prime real estate so that his glorious presence can be seen in the world in which we live. As the place where God lives by his Spirit, we are challenged to honor and glorify God with our bodies, his temples. No matter how you may look at your physical appearance, remember this: You are holy, precious, and glorious because the King of Glory has made his home in you through the Holy Spirit. Is it time to clean house?

O Father God, today’s passage reminds me of your incredible nearness to me, even within me. Forgive me when I have not realized your presence in me through the Holy Spirit. Forgive me when I have devalued myself and my body as a temple of your holy presence. Please be glorified in who I am, what I say, how I live, and what I think. To you be glory, in Jesus’ name and through your Spirit’s presence.  Amen.

He did this for you and me.

The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God —
his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it
for our ultimate glory before the world began.
But the rulers of this world have not understood it;
if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord …
But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit.
It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it,
for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14 nlt

The Holy Spirit lives in the follower of Christ. Without the Spirit living in us, we don’t belong to Christ and cannot live for God. Without the Spirit, we will not be transformed to become like Christ. What’s more, real prayer happens only because of the Spirit’s work in our hearts. Now, this verse goes one step beyond what we’ve seen to this point: we cannot truly understand the message of God — the Scriptures of God, the Word of God — without the Holy Spirit within us. Not only did the Holy Spirit inspire God’s message (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but the Spirit helps us understand this message and apply it to our lives. We cannot follow Christ without the Spirit of Christ alive in us!

Most Holy God, I cannot help but fall to my knees in humble thanks that the two things most necessary for me to be saved and to live for you were provided to me by your grace. I thank you for the gift of your Son, who died for my sins and was raised from death to ensure my salvation. I thank you for your Holy Spirit, who makes my life as a follower of Jesus possible. Please accept my heart’s deepest appreciation for providing what I could never achieve or deserve, because of your love for me. In Jesus’ name I offer you my thanks.
Amen.

He was praying for you and me.

I have come into the world as a light,
so that no one who believes in me
should stay in darkness.
John 12:46 (NIV)

One of the great stories in the Gospel of John is Nicodemus. He came to Jesus at night and Jesus told him that those who love the truth come to the light. Later, Nicodemus spoke up for Jesus even though he was ridiculed for it. Then, at the worst possible time politically and religiously, he showed himself as Jesus’ disciple: he took the broken and dead body of Jesus and helped Joseph of Arimathea place him in a tomb. Nicodemus didn’t stay in the darkness. Neither should we. Jesus is the light of the world; if our light cannot be found in him, how deep is our darkness!

Father in Heaven,
I want to walk in the light with you.
The darkness of Calvary did not
extinguish the light in Jesus;
it made it burn more brightly for me.
At the cross, I see your love for me.
At the cross, I realize that
Jesus took my sins away.
At the cross, I see Jesus’ love
for both you and me perfected.
Thank you, Father for your
gracious salvation.
Thank you, Jesus
for your incredible sacrifice.
In the name Jesus,
your perfect Lamb I pray.
Amen.

Are You Headed in the Right Direction?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  — Proverbs 3:5-6

Everything that we know is subject to change without notice. Our values are tested in tough times and times of distress. It is vital to stay on course and move forward in the most difficult of circumstances. What do you use for your life’s compass? No matter how insightful, wise, experienced, or knowledgeable we may be, only God can guide our steps properly. God asks us to trust him and his wisdom even when we can’t immediately see the rationale behind it. He wants us to recognize his presence, guidance, and grace in all we do. As we trust and as we acknowledge his presence, we suddenly realize that our paths are a lot straighter and our destinations are a lot a closer.

Father in heaven, please give me courage to not lean on my own understanding. I know my thinking can be flawed and what I intend for good can blow up in my face. Please bless me with wisdom and insight as I seek to live for you in today’s confusing and immoral world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Strength of Will

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
– 1 Peter 1:13

The reward of delayed gratification! If there were ever a verse that did NOT match the whims of our “modern” society, this would have to be it! Prepare… be self-controlled… focus your hopes on the future… none of those is an advertising slogan, but they all are the sustaining truths of the great souls who have gone before us!

Eternal God, please help me have the patience and faithfulness to let you fully form in me the character and the wisdom that my world so much lacks and I so much need. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Did You Ever Make a Hasty Decision?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  — Proverbs 3:5-6

Everything that we know is subject to change without notice. Our values are tested in tough times and times of distress. It is vital to stay on course and move forward in the most difficult of circumstances. What do you use for your life’s compass? No matter how insightful, wise, experienced, or knowledgeable we may be, only God can guide our steps properly. God asks us to trust him and his wisdom even when we can’t immediately see the rationale behind it. He wants us to recognize his presence, guidance, and grace in all we do. As we trust and as we acknowledge his presence, we suddenly realize that our paths are a lot straighter and our destinations are a lot a closer.

Father in heaven, please give me courage to not lean on my own understanding. I know my thinking can be flawed and what I intend for good can blow up in my face. Please bless me with wisdom and insight as I seek to live for you in today’s confusing and immoral world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.