Memorial Weekend Devotions on the Road

Monday, May 28   The Spirit As Advocate & Friend
John 15:26-27
"When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes - the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father - he will confirm everything about me.  You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence since you are in this with me from the start." (The Message)
     Jesus is still in the middle of his long prayer with the disciples in this passage.  He speaks of the Spirit to come as The Advocate (NRSV), the Friend (Message), Helper (TEV), Comforter (KJ), Counselor, Intercessor, and Strengthener (Amplified) as per various translations.  Advocate is most commonly used in many modern translations.
     What is an advocate?  One who has the power to speak on behalf of and ensure the best possible resources and blessings are granted to an individual or group.  In looking up the official definition, I found the term publicly used.  This is an obvious and public demonstration of support. As the Spirit speaks with the power of God on our behalf, it empowers us to speak on behalf of all God's children in need of a friend and comforter.  Verse 27 emphasizes our responsibility in sharing truth of God's love, as revealed in Jesus.  A-A Masters of d365.org writes, "As children of God, we must testify and be advocates for justice and truth because we ourselves are given the ultimate Advocate." 
     Who needs me to be their advocate/friend or comforter today?  How can I let the Spirit which strengthen me, intercede on behalf of another?  Am I giving confirming evidence of the presence of Love in my life?


Sunday, May 27     PENTECOST!  The Spirit Comes!
Psalm 104:24-30 (Selected text from The Message)
"What a wildly wonderful world, God! 
You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, 
Made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. 
All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time...
Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life - 
The whole countryside in bloom and blossom." 

     Today is the birthday of the church.  A celebration and time to remember when the Holy Spirit of God breathed life into a collective people so they could spring forth and blossom as God intended.  When the Spirit isn't present, we are back to the old life; we've died to God's promise of eternal life.  Let our hearts be filled!  Let us work together as a Spirit-led church.  May we celebrate our birthday with joy, with blossoming hearts, party balloons, and the flames of passion!  Come, Spirit, Come!
  
Saturday, May 26, 2012
1 John 5:12-13
"Whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.  My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life."  (The Message)
     Simple, short, and a good reminder.  That's all John is saying.  As I couldn't log into d365.org initially this morning (figuring out campground internet!), I went to the Introduction to John 1,2,and 3 written by Eugene Peterson.  I found it an excellent summary of John's concise words:
     "The two most difficult things to get straight in life are love and God.  More often than not, the mess people make of their lives can be traced to failure or stupidity or meanness in one or both of these areas...

     "....the two subjects are intricately related.  If we want to deal with God the right way, we have to learn to love the right way.  If we want to love the right way, we have to deal with God the right way.  God and love can't be separated.  
     "John's three letters provide wonderfully explicit direction in how this works.  Jesus, the Messiah, is the focus...provides a true understanding of God; ....mature working out of love... God and love are linked accurately, intricately, and indissolubly in Jesus. 
     "There are always people who...want to make up their own idea of God,...their own style of love. ...In his letters, John is reestablishing the original and organic unity of God and love that comes to focus and becomes available to us in Jesus Christ." 
     Suddenly the image of Professor John, trying to get his message across, writes it on the black board of life as a mathematical equation.  An absolute Truth or principal of life.  A Scientific law.  A reminder for his students over and over of how to gain eternal life.  How to live in the relationship of God and love.  The Law of God.

Friday, May 25, 2012                        “Eternal Life”

1 John 5:11 

“This is the Testimony in essence:  God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son.” (The Message)

            Once again, John can’t get any more succinct.  He certainly doesn’t waste words:  God gives us eternal life in Christ.  That’s it!  That’s enough!

            So often I think people envision eternal life as just life after our physical death here on earth.  I believe it is more than that.  A death must take place, but I see it as a death of our past behaviors and life, a death to the pre-Christ way of doing things.  Eternal life is truly living in the here and now.  It is living into the grace of God, living into the Truth, living into and through the overwhelming love of the Father.  Eternal life is living a God-filled life, just as Jesus did.  If we live as Jesus lived; we shall experience the eternal life God promised.