62 Powerful Coronavirus Devotions to Strengthen your Church [Free Download]

How can pastors help their people stay connected during the isolation of the Coronavirus Crisis?

I’ve begun emailing a daily dose of encouragement to everyone on our church email list called Our Separation Together. I post them on Facebook each morning, too.

Here are those emails. Please feel free to use the ideas, the words, or the passages to encourage your church. Get the free download of the the devotions, week by week, at the bottom of this page.

I sent the first one on March 18, 2020.

Note: I tapered and paused sending these devotionals as the country slowly reopened.

Get the free download of the devotions and use them as you lead your church.

Day One: Laying Down in Green Pastures

Good morning New Song Family!

Welcome to day one of our “separated together” adventure. During this time I want to help you connect with the Lord daily so that when this is all over, our faith will be stronger and our fears will be weaker.

I read recently that during Nazi Germany’s march across France, some 80,000 French people died, not from bullets, but from fear (heart attacks and such).

Fear weakens your immune system. On the other hand, “a cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). I hope you’ll let Psalm 23 help you have a cheerful heart today.

Read the Psalm out loud, and then let me encourage you with it:

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

King David, in a moment when he needed God the most, realized that he wasn’t alone in what he was facing. He was guided by the caring hand of his Shepherd, the Lord.

Throughout the day, God did all sorts of things for him, and for you. The first one was: He made David lie down in green pastures.

Sheep are, by nature, fearful creatures. As they move into a new grazing area, they’re concerned with potential predators there.

Before the Shepherd ever moves His sheep to a new area, He goes before them, filling in gopher holes where they might twist an ankle, smoothing out dangerous places, and setting guards to ward off wolves.

God has done that already for you today. Before you woke up, He prepared your pasture.

I encourage you to stay in that pasture with Him today.

For many of us, that means staying away from other people so that we don’t become infected, and then agents of infection.

For our nurses and healthcare workers, it means venturing out to care for sick people – spending time in what verse 4 calls “the darkest valley.”

The critical piece for every promise in this Psalm is the fourth word in the sentence: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Let the Lord be your shepherd today. Listen to His voice, while also doing your best to heed the safety directives of our government. Don’t saturate your mind with the news, which can make you fearful and sad. Listen to His voice!

You may be in isolation, but you are not alone. He is with you. Stay near to Him today, and stay six feet away from people outside of your family circle.

Father, thank you for being my Shepherd today. I am listening for Your voice. I will walk in the pasture You have prepared for me. Help me to find joy in this situation, which I have never been in before. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1,000 blessings on you,

Hal

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Day Two: Leading Us to Quieted Waters

Good morning New Song Family!

Welcome to day two of our “separated together” adventure. I hope you are safe, resisting the temptation to project all the negative “what might happens,” you’re seeing on the news. God is still on His throne, and should worse things come, He will prepare you for them in that moment. Don’t borrow trouble, and don’t let fear or worry take root in your mind today.

Remember: Fear weakens your immune system. But, “a cheerful heart is good medicine” Proverbs 17:22.

God gave us The Shepherd’s Psalm for moments like this. Read this outloud, and let it soak into the place in your soul where hope abides:

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Verse 2b says, “He leads me beside quiet waters.” In the original language, that’s quieted waters. A shepherd knows that a wildly rushing stream is dangerous for sheep. They can get caught in its current and swept under by the weight of their wet fleece.

So before letting His sheep near that kind of water, the Shepherd builds a “quiet place,” a small dam or backwater where the sheep can drink in safety.

God has built a quieted backwater for you today. Do you know where it is? It might be in your home somewhere. Or near a tree in your yard. (Fresh air and sunshine are good for warding off and killing germs.) Maybe it’s right here, right now, in this very moment.

Listen for the Shepherd’s voice just now. Listen. He’s whispering,  “I love you. I’m here with you,” and more assuring words.

Now, stretch this moment to envelope you the rest of the day. Today, you will walk with your Shepherd beside quieted waters. You will drink of His goodness.

Greater is He that is in you than he that has come to steal, kill, and infect!

He is with you! And my prayers are with you too.

Pray this outloud:
Father, thank you for being my Shepherd today. I am listening for Your voice. I purpose to walk with a quieted spirit throughout the day. I will not fear, for you are with me. 

And, as we walk together today Lord, if there is someone who needs my help or my prayers, or my words of faith and hope, would you bring them to my mind now, so that I can encourage them, as You have encouraged me? In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1,000 blessings,

Hal

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Day Three: God is With Me

Dear New Song Family,

Welcome to day three of our separation together. We may be in different homes, but we are all one family. The best part is, God is our good good Father, and our good good Shepherd.

As the reality of our situation soaks in, our streets are seeing less traffic, and our cabinets are more stocked for the potential that we might have to shelter in place for awhile. How do people of faith respond to moments like these?

We trust in God. Seriously.

We express faith that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us! In our greatest moments of faith, the artists among us write songs that remind us of this.

That’s what David did.

You could argue that Psalm 23 was the original blues tune, in reverse. In David’s dark moment, he doesn’t sink down, he rises up. I can’t wait to show it to you from Psalm 23 today.

Once again, I encourage you to read the Psalm outloud. Its truth, poured into your mind, will wash away the worry you absorb by watching the news.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Verse 4 was written for such a time as this. Look at it again: Even though I walk through the darkest valley… how dark is that?… I will fear no evil.

Why will I choose faith instead of fear? For You are with me.

Take a minute to look around the room you’re in. Do you see God? Evidence of Him is all around you. He made every molecule.

Use your tongue to let your ears hear this truth: (In other words, say this outloud to yourself.) “God is with me.”

You are not, nor have you ever been, alone. You are not, nor has your situation ever been, unknown.

An in-the-flesh shepherd never leaves his sheep during their darkest hour. And believe me, your Heavenly Father would never consider leaving you to fend for yourself in a dark moment. He’s not capable of desertion!

He is with you. He knows your thoughts, your worries, your hopes, and your needs.

The Good Shepherd is here to feed you today. And lead you today. Walk your path with Him every moment between now and when you lie down to rest tonight.

Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, and I trust in You today. Help me to be aware of Your presence in every moment today. This pandemic feels like a dark valley to me. I claim the promise that the words of this Psalm are a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

As you walk with me today, Lord, I want to be more than your lamb. I want to be Your means to bring light to others who feel darkness creeping in. Guide me to someone I can encourage today, whether that’s by phone, internet, or six feet away. I want to live this day for You, as You live this day with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

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Day Four: Sheltering in Place

Good morning, New Song Family!

I think we can say that we are now officially “Coronials.” With Thursday’s shelter-in-place directive, all of us get to experience isolation… together, for the next few weeks.

We’re not the first Christians to involuntarily shelter-in-place. The Apostle Paul experienced this predicament on multiple occasions.

His final can’t-go-anywhere took place in the Mamertine Prison in Rome. It’s the Carcere Mamertino in Italian. Google it and you’ll find a picture. If not for this awful epidemic, you and I could visit it next week.

Being a veteran shelter-in-place guy, Paul did two things to make the most of his situation. Look at this:

Final Instructions
⁹ Make every effort to come to me soon, ¹⁰ because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. ¹² I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments. 2 Timothy 4:9-13

How do you think Paul felt as he wrote the words, “Only Luke is with me”? Lonely? Discouraged? Maybe a little fearful? You’re not the only saint who’s struggled with such things.

What were the two things Paul did to redeem his isolation situation? You’ll find them both in v. 13. Here’s the first: “When you come, bring my cloak…” Paul couldn’t leave his surroundings, so he decided to make his surroundings as comfortable as possible.

You might not have a Timothy to fetch things for you, but you do have Amazon; and Wal-Mart, and Target – all ready and willing to send you anything your little heart desires and your little credit card can pay for.

The second thing Paul said was, “And when you come, bring my scrolls and parchments.” If I calculate correctly, this old Apostle was in his mid-sixties when he wrote that. How did he want to spend his time? Reading texts that would help him grow!

Over the past week, we’ve spent a lot of time lining up in stores so we can hunker down in our houses. Now that you’re starting to hunker down, maybe it’s time to do some growing?

Leaders are readers, and readers are leaders. What do you want to read to become a more able image-bearer of your Almighty?

I suggest the Bible. Start there, every day while you’re in lockdown.

Then, maybe you want to dip your toe into the Classics. I once read that there are about 400 books that have stood the test of time. Those are enriching because they hold riches for you.

When Lori and I were missionaries, we made many multiply-hour drives. On one such trip, she brought along The Island of the Blue Dolphins. It’s a Newberry Award Winner about a girl on Anacapa Island, just off our coast.

Reading that book out loud together was so enjoyable, we decided to read every Newberry we could get our hands on. (We stopped when we got to ones written after about 1980. Those got to be pretty new-agey. If you’re thinking of imitating us, try the older ones. Like the Classics, they’ve stood the test of time.)

Paul did one more thing you’ll want to take note of during his final shelter-in-place. He trusted God.

Read verse 18 out loud:
¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Look at those first five words again. The Lord will rescue you too! Meanwhile, can I encourage you to get off the internet and get into a book?

To him be the glory forever and ever.

Father, I ask you to give me the peace that Paul had today. You’ve given me this time for a purpose; and I purpose to use it to grow. Speak to me from my Bible every day during this quarantine. And maybe from some other books too. Enlarge my mind. And my heart. And my faith. I trust you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day Five: Inventive in Worshipping Together

Dear New Song Family,

Today is a monumental day in the life of Jesus’ church!

I’ll tell you why three paragraphs from now.

Soon after my dad received Christ, I sent him a leather-bound copy of The Message. It’s a one-of-kind Bible. His name is embossed on the cover. Since his name is my name (Harris W. Seed II and Harris W. Seed III – a bit of a burden to carry), this precious piece recently came back into my possession. I’ve been reading today.

Listen to this – or better yet, read it out loud, so you can hear as well as see it:

Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25.

If every California church complies with our governor’s mandate, this may be the first Sunday Christians have not physically congregated in our state for over a century; and perhaps since our statehood.

If enough churches around the world are doing what we’re doing, today might be the largest virtual gathering for worship of anyone at anytime, ever.

We may be shut-in, but we’re making history!

We’re worshiping together today because of three little phrases in Hebrews 10.

1. “Keep a firm grip.”

Maybe more than ever, our world is tugging at us to lose sight of the promises of God, isn’t it? We need to meet so we’re reminded that God is a promise-maker, and a promise-keeper. He will not let us fall.

2. “See how inventive we can be.”

You’ve got to admit, if someone had told you a few weeks ago that the only way for us to encourage one another was to jump on computers and say hello to each other via a virtual chatroom while a worship service was going on, you’d have thought “That’s inventive!” wouldn’t you?

3. “Not avoiding worshiping together.”

Never underestimate the power of worship. And never underestimate the power of together.

These two are dynamite that unleashes power in our lives.

Read the passage again for good measure:

Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25.

Jesus, we’re gathering today because we need You. 
And we need each other. 

We’re gathering this day, because this is the day You rose from the Grave. 

Receive our praise as we sing alone together. 
Speak to us from Your Word. 
Keep us knit together as Your family. 

Thank You that there’s a BIG day approaching. 
Prepare us for it; even as You’re preparing it for us. 
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 6: Accomplishing in Isolation

Dear New Song Family,

I prayed for you this morning!

I prayed for your health and safety. And I prayed for your adaptation to this “temporary new normal.”

The pools are shut down, so one way I’m adapting is that I’m walking at Guajome Park. It’s a great place to celebrate God’s beauty this time of year. The air is clean and the grass is green.

There’s a bluff where you can see the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west. Psalm 96:13 says “all creation rejoices before the Lord.” I’ve felt it there.

Lori walked with me yesterday. She asked me “What do you hope to accomplish, and how do you want to become better during this time?”

I’ll ask you the same question:

• What do you hope accomplish?
• How do you want to grow?

After thinking about it, I’ve got three answers:

1. I hope to love on a lot of people this week (especially all of you).
2. I hope to read and learn.
3. I hope this virus we’re all fighting causes people to realize their dependency on God and turn to Him in large numbers. (Okay, so this third answer isn’t about me. But it’s a pretty good hope, wouldn’t you agree?)

During the Apostle Paul’s first lockdown in Rome, he accomplished two things no one but God could have anticipated.

1. He wrote letters that changed people’s lives: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon.

In the United States, 168,000 Bibles are sold every day. How many lives do you suppose Paul has touched by just these four letters?

2. The other thing Paul did was share his faith. 

During his first imprisonment He wasn’t in prison. He was under house arrest.

His emperor was stricter than our governor. Nero assigned Paul an Imperial Guard. Twenty-four hours a day, the Apostle had an elite soldier beside him.

Paul told every one of those guards how Jesus had appeared to him. And changed his life. And that He could change theirs.

He reported to the Philippians:

…what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ. ~ Philippians 1:12-13.

His guards rotated every four hours. Six times a day Paul was given a fresh warrior to witness to. He flipped the script on them! He used his captivity to set people free.

Over a two-year period, Paul led scores of soldiers to Jesus. Those soldiers spread the gospel to the whole Roman empire.

• What do you suppose God wants to accomplish in this world during our confinement?
• What do you suppose God wants to accomplish in you? Through you?

Here’s some direction from another of Paul’s prison letters. Hear it by reading it out loud:

Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.   ~ Ephesians 5:15-17

Father, use this crisis for massive conversions.
Use it to accomplish things in me.
And use it to accomplish kingdom things through me.
In Jesus’ name, amen!

You are not forsaken! The Lord is with you, and I am with you in spirit!

Pastor Hal

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Day 7: Spiritual Medicine

Good morning New Song Family!

It’s impressive how quickly we’ve all become experts in avoiding germs:

• Wash your hands.
• Don’t touch your face.
• Maintain social distance.
• Etc.

After thirty plus years of teaching the Bible, I’ve seen first-hand that God has something to say on every subject; including staying well and curing illness.

For instance, Proverbs 3:7-8 says:

Don’t be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
This will be healing for your body
and strengthening for your bones.

Apparently, there’s a relationship between humble acknowledgement of God and physical wellness. This might explain why people who attend church regularly live, on average, seven-and-a-half years longer than those who don’t.

What might surprise you is how closely God lumps together spiritual and physical wellness.

Read these Proverbs out loud to see what I mean:

A tranquil heart is life to the body… (Proverbs 14:30)

Bright eyes cheer the heart;
good news strengthens the bones. (Proverbs 15:30)

A person’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit? (Proverbs 18:14)

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Walk through these with me.

Proverbs 14:30 – A “tranquil” heart. The word in Hebrew means, “yielded” or “peaceful.” If you can keep your heart at peace, it will have a life-giving effect on your body.

Proverbs 18:14 – Depressed people are more susceptible to disease.

Proverbs 17:22 – A cheerful heart is good medicine. This is my favorite. This is the only place the Hebrew word for “medicine” appears in the Bible.

What’s interesting about the second half of the proverb, “a crushed spirit dries up in the bones,” is that long before modern medicine, the Hebrews knew that dry bones were sick bones. Healthy bones have fat and moisture in their marrow.

Norman Cousins, the famous editor of The Saturday Review was diagnosed with “degenerative collagen disease,” and given one chance in 500 to recover. He went to work on researching the biochemistry of human emotions and decided to combine massive doses of vitamin C with what he called, “Laugh Therapy.”

“I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of painless sleep,” he wrote in Anatomy of an Illness. 

Cousins found by research what God gave by revelation 3,000 years earlier: A cheerful heart really is good medicine.

Proverbs 15:30 – In the King James Version, the second half of this verse reads, “a good report maketh the bones fat.”

May I make a suggestion?

• Watch less news today. There won’t be any “good reports” there.
• If you’re going to watch something, watch something that will make you laugh.
• Make it your goal to consume at least ten minutes of genuine laughter.
• Better yet, set a goal of helping someone else experience ten minutes of laughter.

Father, thank you for creating us with a sense of humor. Thank you for enabling our lips to curl upward. Today I am letting go of worry and stress and pain. I choose to laugh and find joy in life. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Smiling with you,

Pastor Hal

i] Dr. James C. Paterson, MD and PhD, University of Texas, http://www.reasons.org/articles/live-long-and-prosper-going-to-church-increases-lifespan

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Day 8: Under His Wings

Good morning New Song Family!

I’ve invited a writer to bring you today’s words of encouragement. His name is… unknown.

He has some profound promises for you, so I hope you’ll give him sixteen sentences worth of your attention. Read his words out loud. They will crystallize your courage and fuel your faith!

Psalm 91
The Protection of the Most High

¹ The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust:
³ He himself will rescue you from the bird trap,
from the destructive plague.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ the plague that stalks in darkness,
or the pestilence that ravages at noon.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
the pestilence will not reach you.
⁸ You will only see it with your eyes
and witness the punishment of the wicked.
⁹ Because you have made the Lord—my refuge,
the Most High—your dwelling place,
¹⁰ no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will give his angels orders concerning you,
to protect you in all your ways.
¹² They will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the young lion and the serpent.
¹⁴ Because he has his heart set on me,
I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows my name.
¹⁵ When he calls out to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give him honor.
¹⁶ I will satisfy him with a long life
and show him my salvation.

Isn’t that good?

Let me give you two tidbits that might make this psalm sink deeper.

The first is from v. 4:

“He will cover you with feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.”

That sounds like a bird, doesn’t it? The psalmist may be comparing God’s care to that of a mother hen.

Or, Hebrew scholars think he may be referring to the wings of the Seraphim resting on the Mercy Seat. (Google a picture of it, it’s amazing.)

The Mercy Seat was the centerpiece of the Temple’s Holy of Holies. God sat on the seat, surrounded by His angels. You can enter that place because of the access granted by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

God’s mercy and His angels are always available to you!

The second is from v. 13:

“You will tread on the lion and the cobra…”

Hebrew literature uses these two animals as symbols of Satan’s power.

In which case, we’re reading about an even bigger God. A God who can rescue you not only from earthly physical dangers, but the personal dangers of your own sin (v. 4) and the spiritual dangers of our great enemy, the Devil (v. 13).

The God of Psalm 91 is far more powerful than unseen microbes, days of isolation, and economic uncertainty. Believe it, and live like it today!

Pray this prayer:
Father, I come to Your Mercy Seat this day, seeking Your presence, power, hope and grace. I place myself under Your protection. You are the Almighty One, my refuge, and my fortress. I choose to dwell in Your shadow today. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Pastor Hal

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Day 9: 1,000 Gifts

Good morning New Song Family!

If you’ve been around the church for a while, you might know that once a year I do a three-day huddle with some old college buddies.

They’re an inspiring group of large-church pastors. We always devote one of our sessions to sharing the best books we’ve read over the past year.

A few years back, one of them told about a book written Ann Voskamp. “It’s called A Thousand Gifts,” he said. “Ann is a Canadian farmer’s wife. It’s the best book I’ve read this year.”

I respect this guy immensely, so I read the book.

Voskamp is not just from Canada; she’s from Saskatchewan. Rural Saskatchewan. Ever been there?

I haven’t. By her description, it’s cold, lonely, and isolated – which is why I’m telling you this.

Being a stay-at-home mom in an isolated area, Ann found herself discouraged to the point of depression.

One day, as she was reading her Bible, it struck her that twelve hours before Jesus was going to the cross, He was giving thanks for something as simple as bread.

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it…” Luke 22:19.

Ann decided to defeat her doldrums by starting a discipline of giving thanks. Her goal was to list 1,000 things she was thankful for.

She started noticing, then exulting, in small wonders:

• Morning shadows across the floor.
• Jam piled high on toast.
• The cry of a blue jay in the spruce.

By the time she got to a thousand, she didn’t want to stop. She had been changed by the deliberate practice of thanksgiving.

Let these words flow over you as you read them out loud:

“Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.” Psalm 28:7

“We give thanks to you, God; we give thanks to you, for your name is near. People tell about your wondrous works.” Psalm 75:1

“Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones, and give thanks to his holy name.” Psalm 97:12

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples.” Psalm 105:1

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Ann’s book moved me to start my own thankfulness habit. The first thing I do every morning is thank God, out loud, for three things.

I start by thanking Him for saving me. Then I thank Him for my family. Then I add one more. This third one is different every day. Today, I’m thanking Him that you and I are in this separation time, together.

“I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus…” 1 Corinthians 1:4

Pray this:
Thank you Lord for creating me. Thank you for revealing Yourself to me. Thank you for this unwanted time of isolation. During this time, teach me what You want me to learn, and make me who You want me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Anybody want to start a thankful list today?

Pastor Hal

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Day 10: It’s Not Normal

Good morning New Song Family!

I reread the story of Adam this morning. He might have been alone longer than we imagined.

“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” Genesis 2:15

Then, before ever meeting his wife, Adam was assigned by God to give a name to every creature in the Garden. There were somewhere around 35,000 species. How long might that have taken him?

I flipped to the back of the book and read the words of John, who was living in exile on the island of Patmos.

A month ago, if  you had told me that everyone I know would be forced to spend weeks in isolation, I would have balked at the idea.

“It’s not normal! Nobody does that.”

The Bible starts with a man in isolation, and ends with one as well. Maybe it’s more normal than we thought.

• Adam’s son, Cain, was sentenced to isolation.
• Noah was shut in the Ark with only his family.
• Abram left everyone except his wife and nephew.
• David hid in a cave.
• Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness.
• Paul spent multiple times in prison.

There’s something more normal about isolation than I knew.

Friend, we are not alone in our aloneness. Most of the great people of God experienced it. Now we get to say that we’ve joined them.

Here’s what the Lord has to say on the subject:

“No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Lean in to this time! The Lord is with you, and He is faithful!

What’s even better is, “he will also provide a way out…” We’ll be out of this soon enough!

Pray this:
Thank you Lord for this time of separation together. I know I’m not really alone. And I know it won’t last forever. I know You are with me. During this time, do in me what You want to do. And use me to help others who are feeling truly alone. In Jesus’ name, amen!
 
1,000 blessings on you,

Pastor Hal

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Day 11: God’s Promise After the Plague

Do you know anyone named “Joel”?

I do.

He was a man of God who lived around 835 B.C.

Joel and his friends had lived through a devastating plague.

Locusts had ravished their land. They came on like a cloud. The skies were full of them. Wherever they landed, they ate. And ate. And ate.

Grapevines were stripped clean. Fields were bare. Fruit trees were unrecognizable. Every green thing was gone.

Israel was a desolation so complete, you couldn’t gather enough grain to make a grain offering.

Listen to the devastation:

A Plague of Locusts
2 Hear this, you elders;
listen, all you inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in your days
or in the days of your ancestors?
3 Tell your children about it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children the next generation.
4 What the devouring locust has left,
the swarming locust has eaten;
what the swarming locust has left,
the young locust has eaten;
and what the young locust has left,
the destroying locust has eaten.
Joel 1:2-4

Sounds even worse than what our economy could experience soon, doesn’t it?

God taps Joel on the shoulder and says, “Warn the people. Tell them to turn to me.”

God’s Call for Repentance
12 Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Tear your hearts,
not just your clothes,
and return to the Lord your God.
For he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in faithful love,
and he relents from sending disaster.
Joel 2:12-13

Our world needs these words, doesn’t it?

God, through Joel, says, “If you will turn to me with all your heart, here’s what I will do.”

God’s Response to His People

Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad
in the Lord your God,
because he gives you the autumn rain
for your vindication.
He sends showers for you,
both autumn and spring rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
and the vats will overflow
with new wine and fresh oil.
25 I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust— Joel 2:23-25a

Joel is one of the Bible’s smallest books. Yet it contains one of its greatest promises: “I will repay you for the years the locust ate.”

Translated, “God’s going to see you through this. He’s going to take care of you. Anything you might lose, He’ll give back eventually.”

Walk with God, friends. Turn back to Him if you’ve turned away. Claim this promise if you claim closeness to Christ: whatever is taken from you during this plague we are experiencing, God will repay. He will restore to you the years the locust destroy!

Pray this:
Lord, I turn to You with all my heart. Thank you for being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. Diminish this virus’s effects, even before they happen. And restore for all Your people anything we might lose during this season, me included.  In Jesus’ name, amen!

1,000 blessings on you,

Pastor Hal

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Day 12: Without the Church

Today is Sunday.

The Bible calls it, “The Lord’s Day,” in Revelation 1:10.

Less than a month ago, over two billion church-goers were gathering on the Lord’s Day someone around the world.

In cathedrals and classrooms, apartments and assembly halls, under trees and in caves, Christians gathered for church everywhere.

In many countries today, no physical gatherings will take place.

That made me wonder: what if the church ceased to exist?

The church is a big target, so it takes lots of criticism. But think for a second about the good things the church has done and you’ll want to be part of it more than ever.

Around 150 B.C. Polybius wrote, “In Rome no one ever gives away anything to anyone if he can help it.”[1] There was little charity before the church was born.

Around 200 A.D., a pastor named Tertullian wrote, “It is our care of the helpless, our practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of our opponents.”[2]

Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves, so Christians support widows, orphans, the sick and disabled, the unemployed and imprisoned.

The Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) decreed that wherever a major cathedral was to be built, the Church would also build a hospital.

St. Gregory, Bishop of Constantinople preached, “Lepers have been made in the image of God in the same way you and I have, and perhaps preserve that imagine better than we.”[3] And so ministry to lepers began.

In 800 A.D. Emperor Charlemagne created public education. Why? He wanted every child in his realm to be able to read the Bible.

Churchmen founded 92% of America’s first 138 colleges.[4]

In 1836, Pastor Theodor Fliedner founded the nursing profession.[5]

In 1863, churchman Henri Dunant founded the Red Cross. In 1864, he helped develop the Geneva Convention.

Christians were the driving force behind the abolition of slavery in our country and many others.

In the 19th century, members of the Church founded Alcoholics Anonymous, Compassion International, Food for the Hungry, Samaritan’s Purse, the Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army, the YMCA, and World Vision.

I could go on. But you get the point.

Don’t take the Church for granted. It’s got flaws because it’s made up of flawed people.

In spite of its failings, I contend that it is the most transformative institution on earth.

Our world needs the Church!
And I need the Church.
And you need the Church.

Fortunately, the Church is going to be around, forever.

Revelation 19:7 pictures a great banquet at the end of time called, “The Marriage Feast of the Lamb.”

This wedding will make rock concerts look weak and Super Bowls seem boring.

“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:9

Oh, how we need the Church.

My greatest corona fear is not that illness or jobless will overtake us. It’s that lukewarmness will cause Christians to get in the habit of skipping weekend worship and decide they don’t need the Church when we’re able to get back together again.

Please don’t let that happen to anyone in your household, or anyone you know.

I rejoiced with those who said to mea;

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

We may not be able to go to “the house,” today. But I hope you will be “part of the house,” online.

Pray with me:
Jesus, thank You for building Your church. I want to be a vital part in it. Strengthen Your Bride while we’re apart. And when this is all over, bring us back together stronger, and more numerous, and more vibrant than ever. In Jesus’ name, amen!

1,000 blessings on you,

Pastor Hal

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Day 13: 40 Days

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Day 16: Praying for Impossible Things

“Now I’ll give you something to believe. I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.”

“Oh I can’t believe that!” said Alice.

“Can’t you?” said the Queen in a pitying tone. “Try again: draw a long breath and shut your eyes.” 

Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said. “One can’t believe in impossible things.”

“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I’ve believed six impossible things before breakfast.”

Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. John 16:24

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Day 17: He Walked to Jerusalem

Today marks the Friday before Palm Sunday. This is the stretch where the Gospel accounts become thick with details. From today until the Resurrection, we have a fairly firm idea of what Jesus did each and every day.

On this day, Jesus and the Disciples, along with the women who accompanied them, walked from Jericho to Bethany.

By Sunday morning, He’s got to be within striking distance of Jerusalem. He’s read Zechariah 9:9. He knows He’s got to ride on a never-before-ridden donkey colt into the Holy City.

Yesterday He did a lot in Jericho: healed blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), and ate dinner with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).

Why did pick Friday? Because Saturday was the Sabbath. The maximum-allowed Sabbath walking distance was six-tenths of a mile.

It’s 15 miles from Jericho to Bethany, uphill all the way. Jericho is 900 feet below sea level. Bethany is 2,800 feet above sea level. The ascent took most of the day.

Today they’ll walk the famous road Jesus used as a backdrop for His Parable of the Good Samaritan nine months earlier. While walking this day, Jesus will tell the story of The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27).

At the end of their climb, they’ll be greeted with a “Shabbat Shalom!” by Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus. They’ll eat the Sabbath meal at table with these old friends.

You remember Lazarus? Jesus had recently raised him from the dead (John 11:43). People were astonished at this miracle. His home had become a tourist attraction.

“They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, because he was the reason so many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus” John 12:9-11.

Bethany is on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Just up and over the hill, two miles from Jerusalem.

Look for it in the map at the back of your Bible.

From tonight through Wednesday night, Jesus and His Disciples will sleep at Lazarus’ house in Bethany. After Wednesday night, Jesus will never sleep again.

This is the start of an adventure. We are going to follow Jesus’ moves  every day, till He rises from the dead!

Pray this with me:
Lord, thank You for choosing to walk the Jericho road for me. Thank You for demonstrating Your power by raising Lazarus. Thank You for showing Your compassion, by giving us the story of the Good Samaritan. And thank You for explaining to us the rewards for faithful service, by telling the story of the Ten Minas. In Jesus’ name, amen!

1,000 blessings!

Pastor Hal

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Day 18: The Post-Sabbath Dinner Party

The Jewish Sabbath runs from sundown to sundown. It starts with a family meal welcoming in “Shabbat” (the Jewish word for Sabbath).

People dress up. Candles are lit. The family drinks sweet wine from the “Kiddush Cup.” They eat “challah,” an eggy bread in the shape of a braid.

Every Jew must eat three meals on the Sabbath. One of those meals must include bread. Challah counts.

Before eating, the blessing is said:
“Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olan, hamotz lechem min ha’aretz.”
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”

Mothers will bless their daughters; fathers will bless their sons. Not a bad way to end a week, is it?

Rest ensues. A short synagogue service takes place that night (15 minutes) and a longer one (35-55 minutes) in the morning. Since no one can walk more than six-tenths of a mile, the synagogue is nearby.

This is what greeted Jesus and His followers when they entered the home of Mary and Martha on Friday evening.

We don’t know what happened during the Saturday daylight hours. Certainly, they would have attended synagogue. It’s likely, as a renowned Rabbi, Jesus would have been asked to take the scroll and give the reading of the day. But we don’t know for sure.

What we do know is that after sundown Mary and Martha held a banquet in Jesus’ honor. You can read the account in John 12:1-8.

During the banquet, three things happened:

1. Mary anointed Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on His feet and wiping it with her hair. Vials like this were worth a year’s wages. Mary gladly pours it as an act of gratitude for what Jesus has done for her family. “So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (v. 3).

2. Jesus was pleased with her gesture. “…she has kept it for the day of my burial,” He says (v. 7b). He’s worthy of the sacrifice, and sees it as a kind of anointing for what is to come.

3. Judas feigned indignation, claiming the perfume should have been sold, with the money going to the poor.

 John notes, “He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief” (v. 6).

Jesus responds, “Leave her alone… For you will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me” (v. 8).

Reading this story makes me think how right it is that we worship Jesus every week. He’s worthy. And He’s pleased by it. It also builds memories, and gives us a chance to be generous.

The “Sabbath” is the “seventh” day. Tomorrow begins the new week. Holy Week. This new week became the most significant week in history.

Pray with me:
Lord, help us to be more like Mary, and less like Judas. We can’t gather for a party in Your honor right now, but we want to celebrate You in our hearts. You raised Lazarus from the dead. We know You can heal and keep people safe during this virus outbreak. Please do so. In Jesus’ name, amen!

1,000 blessings!

Pastor Hal

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Day 24: Good Friday

What Jesus did on Good Friday was the greatest sacrifice of all time.

Arrest

The horror begins around midnight. Jesus is and taken to Annas’ house, where He will begin a series of six trials that end around 8 a.m.

The Trials

Three trials are by the Jews, the second three by the Romans.

While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas arrives with Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers in tow.

“First they led him to Annas…” John 18:14.

Annas is the former High Priest, and Caiaphas’ father-in-law. Annas has no authority to hold a trial. No charges are presented. No witnesses called.

“Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.” John 18:24

The second trial is at Caiaphas’ house. Around 2:30 a.m. Witnesses are called. Their testimonies don’t agree.

“Finally, Caiaphas asks, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus admits,

“I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:61-62.

He’s pronounced guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death. Two problems: (1) Night trials are illegal and (2) the Romans have reserved capital punishment for themselves.

Jesus is locked in Caiaphas’ dungeon until sunrise.

“When daylight came, the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, convened and brought him before their Sanhedrin.” Luke 22:66

Jesus is formally charged and sentenced to death.

“Then their whole assembly rose up and brought him before Pilate.” Luke 23:1

“Pilate told the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no grounds for charging this man.’” Luke 23:4

When Pilate heard Jesus was a Galilean, he referred the case to Herod, the ruler of Galilee.

“Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated him with contempt, mocked him, dressed him in bright clothing, and sent him back to Pilate.” Luke 23:11

The final trial takes place about 7:30 a.m. After finding Jesus innocent, Pilate had Him flogged with 39 lashes of a cat-o-nine tails. He was hoping this would satisfy the Jews.

It didn’t. In a prophetic twist of irony, they shout, “Take him away! Take him away!” John 19:15 – which is exactly what all Jews shout on the Day of Atonement when the Scapegoat is led from the Temple, carrying away the sins of the people.

After the flogging, a crown of thorns was placed on His head, a purple robe on His now hemorrhaging back, and He was mocked as “The King of the Jews!”

“Then they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called ‘Place of the Skull…’ There they crucified him and two others with him… Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19:16-19

The sky grows dark. An earthquake rumbles. The veil of the Temple is torn in two, from top to bottom.

While suffering, Jesus asks the Father to forgive His accusers. He promises a place in Paradise to the thief beside Him. He entrusts His mother to His Disciple, John. He cries out in agony, because the Father has forsaken Him for the first and only time in eternity. He proclaims “It is finished!” as our sins are paid in full. And He commits His spirit to His Father.

The soldiers confirm Jesus’ death by thrusting a spear under His ribs, into His heart. Clear, pericardial fluid seeps out, a sure sign that Jesus’ heart has ruptured.

Crucifixion was designed to suffocate its victim. Jesus didn’t suffocate. He died of a broken heart.

Having watched this happen, the Roman soldiers pronounce what has now become obvious,

“Truly this man was the Son of God.” Matthew 27:54

Joseph of Arimethea gingerly extricates Jesus’ body from the cross, carries it to his nearby tomb, and with the help of Nicodemus, wraps our Lord’s body in 75 pounds of spices. The tomb is sealed, and all heaven weeps.

Pray with me:
Jesus, no sorrow can express how we feel about what You did for us. You were and are the Hope of the World. How grateful we are that this isn’t the end of Your story. Thank You for doing on Friday what made Sunday possible! A thousand praises to You, Suffering Servant, Lamb Who Was Slain, Son of God, Messiah! Amen.
 
Good Friday blessings to you!

Pastor Hal

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Day 25: Holy Saturday

What did Jesus do between Good Friday evening and Resurrection morning?

Allow me to get a little scholarly to help you figure this out. I promise, next week, we’ll shift back to more practical subjects.

The Debate

Here’s the debate: Did Jesus spend Holy Saturday shuttling saints from a chamber below to God’s presence in heaven? Or were the saints already in heaven before He got there?

Some Pieces to the Puzzle

Ephesians 4:9 declares that Jesus, “descended to the lower parts of the earth.”

The eighth line of the Apostle’s Creed reads, “He descended into Hades.”

One understanding is that Jesus, on Holy Saturday, directed His soul to a chamber in Hades (not exactly Hell, but a special, lower region reserved for the Old Testament saints awaiting their salvation, which happened Friday afternoon.) Arriving there, He “made proclamation to the spirits in prison…” 1 Peter 3:9. After which, “When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive.” Ephesians 4:8

Does “descended into Hades,” describe an actually place? Or does it merely mean, “He entered ‘the realm of death?’”

Those who believe in a physical holding chamber in Hades believe Jesus went there. Those who believe there was no such place, site these problems with that view:

1. Jesus promised the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 He also announced, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Luke 23:46 This sounds like Jesus went to the Father, not the underworld.

2. The earliest form of the Apostle’s Creed does not contain the “He descended into Hades,” clause. That was added a few decades later.

3. The Ephesians 4:8 phrase, “…he took captives captive,” could refer to bringing foes into bondage rather than setting saints free from bondage.

The Possibilities

Theologians smarter than you and me have debated this for centuries. Some believe in a “chamber in Hades” that housed the Old Testament saints. Some do not.

The Correct Answer

Who is right? I don’t know.

Here’s what I do know:
1. Jesus never speaks a falsely. The thief arrived in heaven that day.

2. While His spirit and body remained apart the entire 36 hours from Friday sundown to Sunday sunrise, Jesus remained the Lord of Glory every minute.

3. We have a Savior who did what no one had done before. He entered death’s realm, whatever and wherever it is, and conquered it decisively.

4. The One who breathed His last on Friday night, will breathe again on Sunday morning.

Second century Bishop Melito of Sardis, wrote:

By the cross death is destroyed,
and by the cross salvation shines;
By the cross the gates of hell are burst,
and by the cross the gates of paradise are opened.

The cross has become the way of saints and martyrs;
the cross has become the chain of the apostles
and the shield of faith of prophets.

One more thing I know:

Jesus is “The First and the Last, and the Living One. …and He holds the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18

Pray with me:
Jesus, as we picture Holy Saturday, we see Your sacred head now wounded, in the tomb, with thorn pox ringing Your forehead. Your hands and feet have been penetrated. Your side is pierced. Your heart does not beat. Yet You are alive, doing good for the saints and reuniting with the Father. We bow reverently, in awe of what You have done; and expectantly, in anticipation of what You will do tomorrow, and then forevermore. You are Yeshua, the Savior, and we worship You! Amen.

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 26: Resurrection Day

Christ is risen!

Young children have a zest for life that makes them eager for morning. They jump out of bed, ready for what each day holds.

Easter was God’s “eager for morning” day. He had been waiting for this day since before the beginning began to begin.

At sunrise, Jesus leapt from the grave, eager to experience the new life He had bought for the world and ready to show that new life to the world.

First, He showed it to Mary.

“After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. ² There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.”

^“The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead…” Matthew 28:1-7

Notice the adjective, “quickly”? Jesus couldn’t wait for us to hear the news.

Peter and John heard about new life next.

“At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb.” John 20:3

Then came two more disciples on the road to Emmaus.

“Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus… Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them.” Luke 24:13-15

That night, ten of the Disciples saw, heard, and felt the evidence.

“…he stood in their midst. He said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ They were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.” Luke 24:36-37

“Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Luke 24:39

Add all of these folks to Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians, and Jesus demonstrated and taught about God’s new life to over 515 eyewitnesses.

“…he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:6

The Resurrection of Jesus is the most researched and documented event in human history. Saints adore Him, for the Lamb Who Was Slain has become the Risen Savior. When skeptics like Frank Morrison, C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel study the evidence, they end up bowing in worship.

Hear His message:

“This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations…” Luke 24:46-47

We are now the carriers of this message.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

And with His rising comes everlasting, abundant, new life in all its fullness. Forever and ever. Amen.

Pray with me:
Jesus, You were Lord of heaven, and now You are Lord of earth. For You bought us back when we were in bondage to our own sin and self-righteousness. Thank You for bringing forgiveness. Thank You for bringing new life. I want to live in that new life every day. Isolation or no isolation, wake me up every morning with zeal to proclaim grace in Your name from this Easter until next Easter. And then wake me then to begin it again. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 28: New Season, New Scripture

If you missed the daily dose of encouragement from me yesterday… there was none. I was doing my best to celebrate Easter and the Sabbath. I hope you had a good celebration and rest as well.

Well, Jesus is risen, and that changes everything.

One of the first things He did after His resurrection was point us to Scripture.

Luke writes that on Easter Sunday afternoon, “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:27

Jesus’ resurrection was a new event in the lives of His disciples. Whenever a disciple experiences a new event or advances to a new level of maturity, they are able to see more and get more out of Scripture.

I can read a passage 500 times, then something new happens in my life, and on the 501^st reading, the truth sinks deeper.

None of us has been through a pandemic or lockdown before. We’re in a brand new situation, which means as we read Scripture, we’ll see brand new things with brand new eyes.

Listen

“The word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

Look

“Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light on my path.”   Psalm 119:105

See

“The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.”   Psalm 12:6

Receive

“How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
² Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.”   Psalm 1:1-2

You’re in a new season. God wants to speak to you in new ways. Find one or two of your favorite passages, read them, and hear His voice today!

Pray with me:
Lord, I want to learn Your ways more deeply. I want to think like You, see things the way You see them, and feel the way You do about everything in Creation. So speak to me through the Bible today, and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 29: The God Who Knows Me

Though King David was a Warrior King, his biographer in 2 Samuel 23:1 calls him, “The Sweet Psalmist of Israel” (KJV). His sweet songs include not only Psalm 23 (the greatest of all psalms), but also Psalm 139 – the psalm most needed in times of loneliness and uncertainty.

I picture David alone in his room as he composes these lyrics with the help of his ancient stringed instrument. He’s in a melancholy mood, feeling a tad insignificant, overlooked, and unsure of himself.

¹ Lord, you have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.
³ You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord.
⁵ You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.
⁶ This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Psalm 139:1-6

“God, you know me,” He says. “You know everything I do and everywhere I go. You even know the thoughts inside my head. You know what I’m about to say. You know me better than I know myself.”

⁷ Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
⁹ If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,
¹⁰ even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”—
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you. Psalm 139:7-12

Can I ever get away from God? No.

“He is always with me. And not just with me. He’s everywhere I am and ever could be.”

¹³ For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began. Psalm 139:13-16

“You not only know me now, You have always known me. You were there while I was being made!”

Having reasoned all this out with the help of his harp, David comes to a conclusion, “God, I want You to know me even better than You already do.”

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24

This is a prayer for our moment in time. As our isolation drags on, you need to know that you are never alone and never unknown.

During these last few days I have felt like I need people contact more than ever. I’m sure I do. But more than people-contact, you and I need God-contact.

Here is our prayer:

Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; and if there is, reveal it to me so I can confess it to You. Because I want You to lead me, not just through this plague, but through and into Your everlasting way, and into Your everlasting home. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 30: What Is God Up To?

During my Life Group last night, one of our members told about crocodiles showing up on a beach in Mexico. Like the U.S., Mexico’s shoreline is in lockdown. Nobody’s been walking or swimming there for a few weeks, so apparently, the crocs are reclaiming their territory. And quickly.

That led us on to a discussion of the lowered CO2 and NO2 levels in China, the clear water in the Venice canals, the sighting of deer in downtown areas of South Korea and lots of ways our environment seems to be getting cleaned up.

Let me say that I have no idea if any of this is actually happening. But it does make me wonder if God may be working on a secondary good during this viral lockdown.

The Lord is always about the business of drawing people to Himself, perfecting the saints, and building His church. Whatever else He wants to do with this corona crisis, He’s certainly working on these.

But maybe a secondary item on God’s agenda is the cleaning up of our planet, even ever so slightly?

Consider this. As God was establishing Israel as a nation of faith, He gave them a directive concerning their environment.

“The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:

² “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you, the land will observe a Sabbath to the Lord. ³ You may sow your field for six years, and you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce for six years. ⁴ But there will be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land in the seventh year, a Sabbath to the Lord: you are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. ⁵ You are not to reap what grows by itself from your crop, or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. It is to be a year of complete rest for the land.” Leviticus 25:1-5

These ancient farmers knew nothing of crop rotation, replenishment of nutrients, or the ergonomics of physical rest for themselves, for that matter. But God knew that resting the land and resting the farmer were good for both of them, so He commanded it of them.

The Israelites rarely, and perhaps never, obeyed this directive.

In 605 B.C., the Babylonians conquered the Israelites and exiled them from the land for 70 years. The prophets make clear that God’s purpose in allowing this was to turn their hearts back to Him. Yet, 2 Chronicles 36 lists a secondary reason for this forced exile.

“[Nebuchadnezzar] deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom. ²¹ This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah, and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until seventy years were fulfilled.” 2 Chronicles 36:20-21

God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), so we won’t know for sure this side of heaven. I’m confident that God’s primary plan during this situation is to make you and I more like His Son.

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

But maybe He’s also using this time to do a spring-cleaning on His creation?

Pray with me:
Lord, Your ways and thoughts are higher than ours. We don’t know exactly what You’re doing during this time. But we give You full permission to make us more like Your Son. And if You are doing other things as well, we trust You with them too. We know that You are a Good, Good Father. Have Your way, Lord. Have Your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 31: Doing the Next Thing

Hey Church!

Yesterday my wife sent a note to our Grandparenting ministry that I thought was so helpful, I wanted you to see it as well. So here’s our dose of encouragement for today.

1,000 blessings!

Pastor Hal
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How is this week of stay-at-home going for you?

As the days stretch into weeks, I’m getting tired of not hugging my grandkids! How about you?

I came across a chapter in a book written by Robert Morgan called Always Near that helped me.

He says that we find strength and meaning in doing the next thing.

It doesn’t have to be something big or important. We don’t need to solve the PPE shortage or get coronavirus testing rolled out across the state of California.

Or even spend the day at Safari Park with your grandchildren.

But we can decide to do the next little thing. Making the bed. Calling a friend. Putting something away that’s been sitting out.

God keeps in step with us in the little things. In whatever we do…

Not surprisingly, the Bible is all over “whatever you do”. Check out these verses:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.  Proverbs 16:3

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.   Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  I Corinthians 10:31

Do you see that God is in whatever you do?

He doesn’t want us to abide in fear or anxiety or lethargy. He will be with us as we do the next thing… whatever we do….

The French monk François de La Mothe summarized it for us:

“Cheered by the presence of God, I will do at each moment, without anxiety, according to the strength which He shall give me, the work that His Providence assigns me. I will leave the rest without concern; it is not my affair. I ought to consider the duty to which I am called each day, as the work that God has given me to do, and to apply myself to it in a manner worthy of His glory, that is to say, in exactness and peace.”

May you be filled with strength and hope as you do the next thing through your stay-at-home days.

Lori Seed

PS >> If you’d like more, you can Robert Morgan’s book Always Near: 10 Ways to Delight in the Closeness of God here. The Kindle version is still just $2.99.

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Day 32: A Good Day

Yesterday was a good day for me.

Why?

1. It had a sense of progress.
2. I connected in community.
3. I saw some kingdom advancement.

We were made for these things: progress, community, and kingdom advance.

Besides finishing this weekend’s sermon, I spent 90 minutes counseling a wannabee church planter named Joe, who’d like to move his family to San Diego and start a church. Those conversations always feel good to me.

After that call, I did a house dedication via FaceTime for Lee and Georgette Smith, a Marine couple who attended New Song several years ago.

Room by room we walked through their brand new El Paso, Texas home. We prayed God’s presence and blessing over each place and space. Lee and Georgette were so complimentary about their years at New Song, it was like they’d never left. They’re still part of our family.

Our prayer together showed me in a deeper way the wonder of the Body of Christ. Over the years, the New Song family has spread all over the country. These days, almost every morning I receive a “thank you” email from a lady in Maine. Almost every afternoon I get a similar email from a couple in Tennessee. Almost every evening I get an iMessage from someone in Colorado, or Georgia, or Florida.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!” Romans 11:33

My conversation with Joe-the-church-planter showed me that Jesus is still building His church, even in the midst of this crisis. (I’ll share more evidence about what God is up to during my sermon this weekend.)

“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Matthew 16:18

I hope you had a good day yesterday. I hope it was filled with progress, connection, and kingdom advance. I hope today will be like that for you as well.

“Encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. ¹⁴ For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.” Hebrews 3:13-14

Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, help us each to see the progress and advance You are making in our world today. We want to participate with You in that advance. If there’s an assignment to be handed out, I’m available. Use me. Bless, guide, use, and protect Your Church in all its locations today. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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Day 33: The Gift of Touch

Quick quiz for you: Do you know what Jesus did right after preaching the Sermon on the Mount?

According to Matthew…

“Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched the man, saying, ‘I am willing; be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”   Matthew 8:2-3

If you answered, “He healed a leper,” read again.

According to Matthew, before healing the man, Jesus touched him.

This wasn’t accidental. The Jews believed that touching a leper made you immediately unclean. You would have to isolate for six weeks before you could come into contact with anyone. (We know what that’s like, don’t we?)

Why would Jesus touch the man before healing him?

I have a theory.

From Luke’s account (Luke 5:12), we learn that this man had leprosy, “all over him.” Which means, he’d had it for a long, long time.

Since the day he had been diagnosed, this man could no longer touch his wife, his children, his mom, his dad. He was not only socially isolated, he was physically isolated, and had been so for a decade or more.

My theory is, Jesus touched the man before healing him because he knew the man needed a touch more than a healing.

Touch is a gift. And I’m worried about us. Because those who live alone haven’t been able to touch or be touched for thirty-three days now.

The famous psychologist Virginia Satir said, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” (Satir: Peoplemaking, 1972)

If she’s right, we need to pray for those who are alone during this time. And those of us who are living with others need to make sure our households experience several significant touches every day.

Here’s a second quiz question for you: What happened to Jesus on the way to heal Jairus’ daughter?

Here’s the passage:

While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him. ⁴³ A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.
⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”
⁴⁶ “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.” Luke 8:42-46

Jesus was touched by a woman who needed healing. And when she touched Him, she was healed. And also when she touched Him, power went out from Him.

There is power in a touch. It can be healing to touch, and to be touched.

This is one of the reasons I’m praying that our isolation ends soon, and that as it ends, it will not only be safe for us to go out again, but safe to touch again.

Touch is powerful gift. Use it wisely during this time. And use it generously once it’s safe again.

Amen?

Pray with me:
Father, thank You for creating us with five such wonderful senses. Thank You, specifically today for giving us the ability to touch and feel and transmit so much good through our hands and arms to one another. Today we pray for the hundreds in our church who may be touch-deprived at this time, and the millions worldwide who are in this situation. Jesus, would You touch them, and every one of us, in a significant way today. Would You supernaturally make up for what’s lacking in our ability to care for each other through touch at this time, we ask, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 35: An Old Way

Sometimes, when a new way of doing things isn’t working, it may be best to go back and try an old way.

My daughter reminded me of this yesterday when she pointed out that the book of Psalms is filled with a type of prayer we don’t use much these days.

“Some people who are feeling powerless in prayer,” she said, “they might want to know about the Psalms of Lament.”

Psalms of Lament

Roughly one-third of the Bible’s Psalms are Psalms of Lament. Laments are prayers prayed in times of affliction and need. Most follow a pattern.

The pray-er starts with a cry for help to the Lord. In Psalm 5, David begins,

“Listen to my words, Lord;
consider my sighing.
Pay attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for I pray to you.”

This is followed by the need, a confession of sin, or the reason God should help.

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot dwell with you.“ (v. 4)

Usually, after pouring out their problem and meditating on how good and faithful God is, the Psalmist concludes with words of assurance or praise.

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them shout for joy forever.
May you shelter them,
and may those who love your name boast about you.
For you, Lord, bless the righteous one;
you surround him with favor like a shield.” (vs. 11-12)

If your current prayers aren’t working, maybe it’s time to compose, not a new prayer, but an old prayer. Like this:

1. A cry for help.
2. Express how you’re feeling, and what you need.
3. Describe God’s trustworthiness in the past.
4. Include a few words about how you trust Him.

Psalm and Corporate Laments

Bible scholars have identified two types of Laments. Most are “Individual Psalms of Lament.” (Psalms 3, 5, 7, 17, 22, 25-28, 35, 39, 41-43, 51, 54-57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 71, 86, 88, 102, 109, 130, 140, 141, 143.)

A few are “Corporate” or “National” Psalms of Lament (Psalms 60, 71, 79, 80, 83, 85, 90, 124, 126, 137, and 144.) These are  Psalms prayed on behalf of the whole nation.

I listed 45 Laments here because the book of Psalms was preserved for us to use in our times of need. Instead of composing your own, maybe praying one of these is what you need today.

For instance, Psalm 126 (a National Psalm of Lament) is a Psalm we all need in this season:

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
² Our mouths were filled with laughter then,
and our tongues with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”

³ The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.

⁴ Restore our fortunes Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.”

The part you might need most in this moment is this:

⁵ Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.
⁶ Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.

Read claim verses 5 and 6 for yourself. Now, claim them for our nation.

This may be a time to “sow in tears.”

But be assured of this: Because of God’s great love, very soon, we “will reap with shouts of joy.” Whatever God is sowing in us right now, we’ll come back carrying sheaves of it in due time!

Pray with me:
We cry out to You today Lord. As a people, we are broken. Overtaken by sin. We have ignored You and ignored Your ways, indulging in shame and folly. Forgive us, and restore us, O Lord our God. Turn our tears and frustrations and loneliness into songs and praises and fellowship soon, we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Hal

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Day 36: Another Old Way

There’s more than one way to find your way into God’s presence. One way is through Psalms of Lament where we pour out our discouragement and fears to the Lord.

Another is through Psalms of Praise, where we intentionally tune our hearts to God’s goodness and power.

It’s impossible to hold two thoughts in your mind at the same time. So if you’re praising, you can’t be stressing. Conversely, if you’re stressing, you can’t be praising. Which would you rather do?

There are many ways to praise the Lord, and many Psalms that can lead you in praise. Here are a few, if you’d like to check them out: Psalms 8-10, 15, 18, 24, 29, 32-34, 46-48, 50, 66a, 75, 76, 81, 82, 84, 87, 92, 93, 96-100, 103-108, 111-113, 115-118, 122, 132,136, 138, 144-150.

Praise Psalms usually follow a pattern:

1. They begin by encouraging you to praise the Lord.
2. Then come reasons to praise Him.
3. Usually, followed by a prayer or expression of hope for what this great God will do.

Here’s an example:

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

It starts with encouraging you to praise:

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

It gives you a reason to praise:

³ Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

It gives you a way to praise:

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

It crescendos with hope because you’ve praised:

⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

While you were reading that you were thinking about God and His greatness rather than you and your problems, weren’t you?

“His faithfulness continues through all generations.” If that’s true, He’s going to be faithful to you today. And tomorrow. And in every day of trouble.

I once heard a preacher say, “You ought to say one hundred ‘Praise the Lords’ everyday.” His point was that we were made to praise God. It’s good for our souls – and our hearts, and our hopes, and our outlook.

Once we understand the value of physical health, we want to spend some time in exercise every day. Likewise, when we understand the value of spiritual health, we want to spend some time in praise every day.

Imagine yourself before the gate to God’s dwelling place. Enter it right now with thanksgiving…. And go farther in: pass into His courts with praise.

Pray with me:
Father, we are pushing aside worry right now, and replacing it with Praise. Thank You for being our hope, our strength, and our very present help in time of trouble. Praise You for being always good, always right, and always here with me. Today I am entering Your royal courts, where I cannot not praise You. For You are good, and Your love endures forever – right up to and including this very moment. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 37: Yet Another Old Way

For the past two days we’ve talked about types of Psalms that lead us into God’s presence. It seems only right to continue that conversation.

Laments and Praise Psalms lead us into God’s presence by engaging our emotions. A third genre of Psalms, called Wisdom Psalms lead us to God by engaging our minds.

A Wisdom Psalm is just what it sounds like: wisdom from God, set to music. There are eight of them: Psalms 1, 37, 49, 73, 112, 128 and 133.

Psalm 37 is particularly helpful in our time of Separation Together. Walk through the first part of it with me and I’ll show you how this Wisdom Psalm can help you experience God’s leading and direction in very practical ways:

Psalm 37: Instruction in Wisdom

Of David.

¹ Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.

It’s tempting to get agitated, isn’t it? There’s always somebody who has things we wish we had. When those people are doing things that are morally wrong, it makes it all the more aggravating. Why does God let them get away with it?

Answer? He doesn’t:

² For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.

Every flower has its moment. But what happens to the “evil” ones?  “They wither,” and “wilt.” Picture that for a minute. It’s not pretty, is it?

As I follow God’s thoughts in this Psalm, I want to know how to you avoid “withering.” The Lord tells me in verse 3:

³ Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely.

Trust God. He’s a master at redeeming disaster! He will get you through this!

In fact:

⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

This goes a little deeper. Because “Taking delight,” in the original language, carries the idea of making your heart soft towards God. When your heart is pliable, He’ll put into your heart exactly what He wants it to have, so that you will want what He wants for you.

It goes even deeper:

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;

First, trust. Then be pliable. Finally, “commit.” Jump all the way in. If you do, here’s God’s promise:
…trust in him, and he will act,

⁶ making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.

Have you said, “Lord, I commit my way to you today” yet? If not, now would be a great time to do so.

Next,

⁷ Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him;
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the person who carries out evil plans.

God is always with us. Sometimes we’re unaware because we’re focused elsewhere. Being silent and still for a minute can help you sense God’s nearness. Take a deep breath and concentrate on being quiet for the next sixty seconds.…

Now, you’re ready. Here’s what God wants you to do today:

⁸ Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.

Has agitation ever brought you anything good? “…it can only bring harm.”

There is tension in many households these days. It’s not easy being locked up with people, even those you most love. Venting anger and agitation will never get you what you want. “…it can only bring harm.”

You know what will get you want you really want? Love. Patience. Asking forgiveness. Giving compliments and words of affirmation. Imagine yourself practicing these qualities today.

Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the person of peace will have a future.   Psalm 37:37

Who do you want to practice peace on over the next 24 hours?

Pray with me:
Father, thank You for Your wisdom. We don’t know exactly what You’re up to during this time of Separation. But we trust You. And we commit our ways to You. Help me refrain from agitation and rage today. I want to be a person of peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 38: And Another

Day 39: Pilgrim Psalms

1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.

5 The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side.

6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.

7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.

8 The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

1 This is the declaration of the Lord
to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion.
Rule over your surrounding enemies.

3 Your people will volunteer
on your day of battle.

In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,
the dew of your youth belongs to you.

4 The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“You are a priest forever
according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his anger.

6 He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses;
he will crush leaders over the entire world.

7 He will drink from the brook by the road;
therefore, he will lift up his head.

Day 41: Acrostic Psalms

⁹⁷ How I love your instruction!
It is my meditation all day long.

⁹⁸ Your command makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is always with me.
⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers
because your decrees are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the elders
because I obey your precepts.

¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path
to follow your word.
¹⁰² I have not turned from your judgments,
for you yourself have instructed me.

¹⁰³ How sweet your word is to my taste—
sweeter than honey in my mouth.

¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet
and a light on my path.

Day 43: How to Pray for People

We always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

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Day 44: More Prayers for People

¹⁶ I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

¹⁷ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to
the mighty working of his strength. Ephesians 1:16-19

• for the maturity of my friends today. Raise them to such a level of character and integrity that they become worthy of Your calling on their lives.
• for their desires. Fulfill every one of them that is good.
• for the work they are trying to do on Your behalf. Produce great fruit through them.
• Be glorified by the actions and attitudes of my friends today.
• And be glorified in them.

Today I also ask that You…

• give them wisdom and revelation to be able to know, serve, and become like our Lord Jesus.
•  And, enable their eyes to see the spiritual wealth and power You have made available to them.

I pray all of this for myself as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 45: Paul’s Best Prayer

Two days ago we learned that Paul left 6 prayers tucked inside his 13 letters to the churches. Two of those prayers pop up in his letter to the Ephesians.

His second Ephesian prayer is my favorite of all his prayers. Let me show it to you.

Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

Posture matters. If you’re used to praying in a sitting position, try kneeling today. It will make you feel differently towards God as you direct your requests.

¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Paul has a clear picture of God’s power as he prays, doesn’t he? He knows he’s taping into God’s “glorious, unlimited resources.” When you pray, you are too!

The Apostle’s first request here is for our inner strength. That comes through the Holy Spirit. Do you want inner strength today? Ask for it now.

¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

Next he asks for Christ to make a home in your heart. That’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it? Why not ask for that right now as well?

His third request is for “power to understand” the un-understandable:

 ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

Is it possible to truly understand every dimension of God’s love for you? Pray for this for yourself right now.

The fourth request is to experience the in-experienceable:

 ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ask for this experience of the love of Christ now as well.

SUMMARY:
Paul makes four requests for those he loves:

1. Inner strength.
2. Christ’s home in their hearts.
3. Understanding of God’s great love.
4. Personal experience with Jesus’ love.

The best part of this prayer is what happens after Paul prays it. He gets so excited, he forgets he still has half the letter to write and blurts out a benediction:

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Just reading this prayer expands my vision of God!

Imagine what praying it will do. And since we’ve just finished praying it for ourselves, please join me in praying it for your friends.

Once again, list three or four people by name, out loud, and then pray this with me:

Creator of everything, we kneel before You to ask for four blessings for our friends and family. I ask… 

• for inner strength to come to them through Your Holy Spirit.
• For their ability to grasp every angle and dimension of Your love.
• And for a personal and powerful touch of that love so deep that the fullness of Your life and power comes to them today. 

I believe You are able to accomplish infinitely more than I am able to ask or imagine. So please do for them even more than I am asking. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 46: How to Pray

 “When I work, I get what I can do, but when I pray, I get what God can do.”

For this reason, 30 seconds of prayer may be more profitable than 30 hours of work. Also for this reason, prayer may be the most important thing you do.

Proud people never pray. Why should they? They are masters of their own fate. They don’t need any help. Only humble people pray. They know they want God’s activity in their lives.

Throughout his 13 letters, Paul prayed 6 times, made 3 prayer requests, and twice taught us how to pray.

His first teaching was simple:

Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The first “how” of prayer is constantly. Never stop praying. Great men and women of God maintain a constant conversation with the Father. He never stops talking to us (Psalm 19:2), why should we ever stop talking to Him?

His second teaching on prayer may surprise you:

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (CSB)

Instructions on Prayer

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Not only are we to pray all the time. We’re to pray for everybody (v. 1).

The surprise comes in v. 2. We’re to pray for “kings and all those who are in authority.” In our politically charged world, some Christians have a problem praying for our “king” or other “authorities.”

The surprising part is that, when Paul wrote this letter, Nero was king. Do you know anything about Nero?

Tacitus, the great Roman historian, wrote that Nero wanted to remodel Rome but the Senate opposed him. So he set fire to the city and played his violin while the buildings burned.

Not only did he burn his own city, he burned Christians at the stake. He used them to light his garden parties. Eventually, he beheaded the Apostle Paul.

“I urge,” Paul says, “that prayers be said for the king.” Why? Because things go better when kings go better.

Proverbs 21:1 says,

“A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.”

Here is Paul’s entire teaching on prayer:

1. Pray constantly.
2. Pray for everybody.
3. Pray for your secular rulers.

Today, along with praying for your family and friends, include your president, governor, and mayor.

Here’s my prayer:
Heavenly Father, I want to carry on a constant dialogue with You today. Please put things in front of me throughout this day that remind me that we’re having a conversation. I lift up my family to You. Move them towards You, develop them as men and women made in Your image, and use them for good. 

And I lift up my “king,” to You today. He needs Your wisdom. Please give it liberally. He needs Your blessing, and Your insight, and Your help in all things. Surround Him with good advise from good advisors. Move his heart like channeled water to wherever You choose. And do the same for my governor and mayor, and all those in authority, I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 47: How to Pray for Your Pastor

Here’s a question for you: does your life go better when your pastor does better? And another one: does the Kingdom do better when your pastor does better?

I suspect so. Paul seemed to think so. He coveted the prayers of his people. In three of his letters, he asked them to pray for him. Here’s the first one:

2 Thessalonians 3  (CSB)

Pray for Us

3 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, ² and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.

Paul makes two requests:

1. That the Lord’s word will spread rapidly.
2. That he will be delivered from evil people.

Have you ever prayed those things for your pastor? They’re accelerants to blessings.

The second time Paul asks for prayer is in Colossians.

Speaking to God and Others

² Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, ⁴ so that I may make it known as I should. Colossians 4:2-4

His final prayer request is in Ephesians:

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. ²⁰ For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20

The Apostle wrote both Colossians and Ephesians from prison in Rome. He doesn’t ask to be released. He asks the Colossians to pray for an “open door” to speak Christ’s mysteries to the Roman guards and visitors who come to see him. He asks the Ephesians to pray for his ability to articulate a clear and bold message of the gospel.

That’s the heart of every pastor I know – we want to see more people understanding the good news of salvation.

So how can you pray for your pastor? You can pray that he walks with the Lord, hears His voice, is provided for, protected, and many other things. But in all three of Paul’s requests, his foremost request is for anointing to share the gospel fruitfully.

Here’s how you can pray for me, or any other pastor:
Father, I lift my pastor to You today. Speak clearly to him every day. Bless his family. Protect them from evil. And above all, use him to bring people to Jesus, and use him to help us understand and live out Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

 

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Day 49: Prayers vs. Blessings

Words have power.

Words sent heavenward can release the power of God. And words said earthward can unleash great good.

Six times Paul includes prayers in his letters. Seven times he includes blessings. What’s the difference? Their direction. Prayers are vertical, blessings horizontal. When talking to God, you pray. When blessing people, you say, “may.”

Here are Paul’s seven blessings. Read them out loud and receive them as if he is pronouncing them directly over you:

Romans 15:5-6 (CSB)

5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Romans 15:13

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you. 13 May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Paul invokes harmony, joy, peace, direction, love, blamelessness, soundness, encouragement and strength on the people he loves. Maybe it’s a list you’d like to pronounce over your loved ones, too?

Prayers are often said in private. Blessings always have to be said in public because they are said over people. You pray a prayer for someone. You speak a blessing over them.

James 3:9

With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.

May today be the day we reverse the curse and speak blessings instead. Doing so will require courage (you’ll have to let the other person hear your words), and consideration (you’ll have to think of what you want for that person.)

Try it with at least one person today. Instead of saying, “Lord would you…” to God; simply say, “May the Lord…” to the person.

Here’s my blessing over you:
May the Lord use you today to speak blessing and bring blessing on everyone you encounter. May He give you the ability to see others the way He sees them. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. To Him be glory and honor in you and in His church, forever and ever. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 50: Paul’s Prayer for a Friend

Paul’s shortest and most personal letter is his “postcard” to Philemon. It’s 25 verses long, and the only book in the Bible written to a single person.

Onesimus, a slave, had stolen from his master and run away to Rome. While there, he met Paul and became a Christian.

Coincidentally, Paul happened to know his master, Philemon, a citizen of Colossae. Paul wrote, asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus and “welcome him as you would me” (v. 17).

Towards the beginning of this mini-letter, Paul prays this for his friend:

Philemon 4-7

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

There are four parts to Paul’s prayer:

1. He thanks God for his friend (v. 4).
2. He affirms Philemon’s love and faith (v. 5).
3. He prays for growth in his knowledge of Christ (v. 6).
4. He affirms Philemon’s love again (v. 7).

This may or may not be a pattern for your prayers. But it’s certainly instructive. Paul spends ¼ of his prayer asking for something, and the other 3/4s building his friend up. Philemon must have felt encouraged after reading this!

Imagine the next time a friend asks you to pray for them. You spend 3/4s of the time affirming them before God while you’re praying for them. The world might just be a better place if we went around building others up like that. Don’t you agree?

This is my prayer for today:
Lord, I want to pray for my friends like Paul prayed for his. Help me to see them the way You see them, as treasured sons and daughters of the King. And remind me to pour affirmations over them every time I get to pray for them in person. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
 
1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 51: Endurance

True confessions? This lockdown is wearing on me.

It reminds me of the long-distance swims we did when I was an age-group swimmer. Sometimes, when the coach wanted to stretch us, we’d do three 1500 meter swims back to back to back.

At workout pace, one 1500 takes about 20 minutes. Sometimes my hands would go numb. Always, my mind went numb. A swimmer’s only visual is the black line at the bottom of the pool.

There’s one word for getting through a distance race well. Endurance. I looked up the definition a minute ago. Endurance is “the ability to continue despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions.”

Hebrews 12 gives some inspiration about endurance. As you read these verses, count the number of times “endure” and its cognates appear:

Hebrew 12:1-3 (CSB)

   Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

What motivated Jesus to endure His race? It was, “the joy that lay before Him.”

Maybe one way to help keep your joy up these days is to think about the good things that will be coming up in your life: birthdays, vacations, graduations, promotions.

If those seem too far off for you, think about how far off Jesus’ joy was: He’s still waiting to receive our worship in heaven, and it’s been two thousand years!

Hebrews 12 has more advice about endurance:

7 Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?

Okay, that doesn’t sound fun. Why would God need to discipline us?

8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Alright, well, we want to be legitimate children of God, don’t we?

9 Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:7-11

Apparently, there’s a relationship between endurance and discipline. And between discipline and righteousness. God lets me go through some difficult things because He wants me to yield more “peaceful fruit,” and I have to be trained in order to receive that peaceful fruit.

So I will wait. And I will practice patience. This isolation is our endurance training. Let’s pray that it doesn’t last too much longer. And let’s pray that it produces the kind of peaceful fruit God wants for us!

Here’s our prayer:
Lord, I admit I’m not a patient person. I like running at a high pace. This slowed-down, not-much-to-look-forward-to situation is hard for me to endure. I don’t believe You caused this lockdown, but I do believe You can use it to produce peaceful fruit in me. So today I am deliberately looking ahead to the many wonderful moments You have for me once this is over. I choose today to endure patiently, for the joy that lays before me. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 52: God’s Faithfulness

Sometimes bad things happen, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

For 40 years, the prophet Jeremiah warned the people that judgment was coming. Day after day he encouraged them to center their lives on God, put Him first, live lives of integrity and generosity. He was demonstrative. He was creative. They didn’t listen.

In 588 B.C., the Babylonians encircled Jerusalem. They laid siege for two years, finally breaking through the walls and pillaging God’s beloved city.

Rather than saying, “I told you so,” Jeremiah lamented. He was brokenhearted by what had happened to his people. In desperate sorrow, the prophet wrote four acrostic poems, grieving his loss from A to Z.

The climax of his grief comes dead-center of this five chapter book. After two-and-a-half chapters of pouring out his distress, Jeremiah says,

Lamentations 3:21-26 (CSB)

²¹ Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

Cheth

²² Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
²⁴ I say, “The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Even in the midst of grief, Jeremiah experienced the great faithfulness of God. He “called to mind” the Lord’s faithful love, His mercies that never end. His faithfulness every morning.

After “calling these things to mind,” he took a second step. He verbalized, outloud that God was his “portion” and said, “I will put my hope in Him.”

If you’re feeling grieved today about the state of our world, these might be good steps for you to take as well.

1. Think about some ways the Lord has been faithful to you.
2. Express out loud that you are putting your hope in Him.

Jeremiah’s lament continues:

Teth

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the person who seeks him.
²⁶ It is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.

This is one of those seasons to “wait quietly,” for the Lord’s rescue. – Great. Is. His. Faithfulness!

Pray this outloud:
Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God My Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not. As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

You are my Portion. I put my hope in You today. Deliver me, and all my loved ones from this virus and its effects on our economy. I choose to wait on Your faithfulness today. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 53: The Motherhood of God

Jesus taught us to address the Lord as “Father.”

Matthew 6:9-10

⁹ “Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven….”

Yet, during the Song of Moses, God is pictured not as a father, but as a mother eagle.

Deuteronomy 32:10-12

¹⁰ He found him in a desolate land,
in a barren, howling wilderness;
he surrounded him, cared for him,
and protected him as the pupil of his eye.
¹¹ He watches over his nest like an eagle
and hovers over his young;
he spreads his wings, catches him,
and carries him on his feathers.

So God has some motherly characteristics to Him.

Look at the verbs in these verses:

• He finds.
• He surrounds.
• He cares.
• He protects. 
• He watches.
• He hovers.
• He spreads his wings (or is it her wings?).
• He catches.
• He carries.

Which of these attributes of God do you need today?

Do you need Him to find you where you are?
Or surround you with His protection?

Do you need His care?
Or His protection?

Read this part again: “He protected him as the pupil of his eye.” Literally in Hebrew: “He protected him like the little man of his eye.” If you look into the pupil of another person, you can see your “little man” reflection there. The English call this “The apple of your eye.” Either way, it’s a great illustration of how much your Mother Eagle God cares for you.

Do you need Him to watch over you?
Or to hover over you?

Do you need Him to spread His wings for you?
Or to catch and carry you?

Take a minute to think about that, because whatever you need of God is available to you at this very moment.

Picture an eagle, protecting her chicks. That’s God. Figuratively speaking, He’s got great eyes, and strong, sharp talons. And all that He is, is here for you.

Let’s pray:
Father, as we approach Mother’s Day, I want to thank You for providing me with an earthly mother who did so much for me. I also want to thank You for caring for me like a mother, as well as a father. Thank You for spreading Your wings over me. For finding me, and catching me, and carrying and protecting me. You are indescribable, but not unimaginable. And what I imagine of You is magnificent and worthy of worship. Please spread Your wings, and provide care and protection for those I love today. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 54: The Motherhood of God, Pt. 2

Yesterday we were reminded that Jesus taught us to address the Lord as “Father.” And we learned that in Deuteronomy 32, God is compared to a Mother Eagle.

Here’s a second reference to the motherliness of God:

Isaiah 66:12-13

¹² For this is what the Lord says:
I will make peace flow to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flood;
you will nurse and be carried on her hip
and bounced on her lap.
¹³ As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

“Her” in line 2 is Jerusalem, or “God’s people.”
“Her” in line 4 is God Himself.

Here’s a list of motherly characteristics of God for Mother’s Day:

1. He nurses you.
2. He carries you on his  hip.
3. He bounces you on his lap.
4. He comforts you. A lot. The verb is there three times.

And here’s a third motherly reference:

Isaiah 49:14-16

¹⁴ Zion says, “The Lord has abandoned me;
the Lord has forgotten me!”
¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or lack compassion for the child of her womb?
Even if these forget,
yet I will not forget you.
¹⁶ Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.”

This morning’s sermon will compare v. 15 to “Can a child forget Christmas?” (Answer: “Not for a single minute!”)

Look again at God’s promise: “Even if these forget, I will never forget you.” That’s a verse worthy of writing out and putting where you can see it!

Even better, write the next verse out: “I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…” Quite an image, isn’t it?

God is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, matchless and majestic. He is also caring and compassionate, ever-aware of our every joy, fear, hope and sorrow. Like your mom, only more so.

So, what do you say to God the Father on Mother’s Day?

Here’s what I’m saying:
Lord, on this Mother’s Day, I celebrate You fully as my Heavenly Father. I also celebrate You as the God who cares for me like a nursing mother, and a mom comforting her child. You are like no other! Your compassions, they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Thank You for moms today. Bless, save, and use moms around the world today to represent You to their children. Cause each one to know or come to know You, and to feel Your compassion and caring love in a deeply personal way. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 55: Singing a New Song

Almost three decades ago, the Founding Core of our church worked diligently to discern the name by which we would be known.

We were in love with what God had done in the very first church in Acts 2:

Acts 2:42-47

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. ⁴⁵ They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The idea of being a church that was fully devoted to the Lord, and so full of His joy that the Lord would add to our number daily those who were being saved was compelling to us. So compelling, we almost named the church “Acts 2.”

Cooler heads prevailed.

After a serious afternoon of prayer, followed by a week of surveying at Palomar College, we decided the Lord would want to call this baby church “New Song.”

I have loved this two-word phrase ever since.

I like singing new songs to the Lord. The great hymnody of the church is wonderful, but singing fresh songs, written by this generation feels good to me. These are songs of my time, and my culture, which reminds me that God is as alive today as He’s ever been.

I believe God likes it when we sing Him old songs. I believe He likes it when we sing Him new songs as well.

What especially excites me about “New Song” as the name of our church is the story of life transformation that is conveyed in Psalm 40:3. This is the theme verse for our church:

Psalm 40:3

³ He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.

“He,” is the Lord. When the Lord enters a life, He puts a new song into it. You just want to sing for joy.

The prophetic prayer of the second half of the verse is, “As you sing and reflect joy because of what God has put into you, many will see and be struck with awe, and they, too, will put their trust in the Lord.”

Your assignment today, should you choose to accept it, is to sing a new song to the Lord. It could be one you’ve heard recently, or one you make up right now.

Here’s my prayer. I hope you’ll pray it with me:
Lord, the greatest gift I have ever been given is my salvation. Thank You for coming into my life the day You did, and for never leaving me since. May You use the song in my heart to honor You, and to see many come to trust You. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 56: Singing Together

Nine times in Scripture God mentions or commands His children to sing to Him a new song. Six of those are in the psalms. The final mention is Psalm 149:

Psalm 149:1-4

¹ Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
² Let Israel celebrate its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
³ Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and lyre.
⁴ For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.

These lyrics lay out the logistics of singing a new song.

Verse 1 answers the “where” question. “…in the assembly of the faithful.” God wants us to sing Him a new song “in the assembly of the faithful.” In other words, He wants us to get together to sing to Him. Not just in isolation. There is something dynamic and right and necessary to our souls in singing together to the Lord.

Verse 2 answers the “what” question. What are we to celebrate? “Our Maker.”

Verse 3 answers the “how” question. With dancing, and percussion instruments, and stringed instruments. Motion, beat and melody.

Verse 4 answers the “why” question. Because the Lord takes pleasure when His people assemble and sing to Him.

For weeks now I have felt the need to be with God’s people. If this psalm is serious, our singing together isn’t an option. It’s a command. We are to assemble together to sing new songs to the Lord because He takes pleasure when we do so.

I hope this makes you want to pray as much as I do that the ban on our assembling will be lifted and that I and hundreds of thousands of pastors around the world will find ways for us to do this safely, preferably with the blessings of our governments, and definitely with the blessing of our God.

Would you pray this with me?
Lord, I believe that I was made to praise You, not only alone, but also in the midst of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please defeat this virus. Please move the hand of the king to bless our gathering together as a church. And please give our pastor wisdom to know how to lead us as safely as possible, with boldness, clarity, anointing, and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 57: Skillful Songs

When you think through the list of your closest friends, every one of them is good at something, aren’t they?

God made us “in His image,” which means we are magnificent creatures.

Sometimes it’s intimidating to think about the talents of our friends. “They’re all so good at ______,” we think. It’s easy to follow that with, “…and I’m not good at anything.”

Which is not true at all! I can almost guarantee that when your friends think about your talents, they think they’re not good at anything. It’s the curse of comparison.

Know this: God made you with skills and abilities that are remarkable and wonderful (Ps. 139:14). There are several things in you that reflect and draw us to God’s glory.

Take musicians for instance. For the past few days we’ve been looking at the “new song” phrases in Scripture. Here’s a third one:

Psalm 33:2-3

Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to him with a ten-stringed harp.
³ Sing a new song to him;
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.

God issues four commands here. Three of them are about playing ancient guitars. Fortunately, He’s not talking to me in these commands. I gave up the guitar decades ago. There is no “skillful playing” in me.

But He is talking to me (and you) about singing a new song. Notice, He doesn’t qualify how we sing. He doesn’t say we have to sing well, or on pitch. We just have to sing…. right?

Well, actually, skip to the last four words. “…with a joyful shout.” Here’s not talking about guitars there. Lyres, harps and strings can’t shout. So this “joyful shout,” must be describing us singers.

The one part of this passage we non-musicians must do is sing joyful to the Lord. Maybe even shout on occasion.

One thing I love about the New Song Worship Band members: they’re always working to improve the skills of their craft. If you’ve been attending New Song Church Online since our separation together, I hope you’ve noticed that every week they’ve gotten better.

This week was so good, I asked our videographer to post “The Doxology” on our Facebook page. The cool thing about this doxology is that it’s an old song that has become new.

Watch the video. The musicians play skillfully, and the singers sing joyfully. I wanted it posted it because I wanted to be able to come back to that song and worship with them repeatedly.

Their skill and joy evokes praise from my bones. If you haven’t experienced the song yet, I hope that when you do, you’ll have a similar experience.

Back to you and me.

We have gifts. God calls us to develop them so we are “skillful” at this thing He has put within us.

The better you get at what you’re good at, the more you will draw glory to God as you reflect His greatness back to Him.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Sing a new song, and whatever you do that you were made to do, do it as skillfully as you can. Do that, and God will receive honor from it.

Here’s my prayer. I hope you’ll make it yours as well:

Lord, I praise You because I am remarkably and wonderfully made. All Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Use my gifts, my talents and my abilities to draw attention to You, and to draw people into relationship with You, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 59: Songs of Heaven

These days, everybody wants to know what heaven will be like.

Well, for one thing, they’ll be singing. Amazing singing. It won’t be boring, and it won’t be the only thing we do. But it will be amazing.

The Apostle John gives us a sample:

Revelation 5:8-14

⁸ When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
¹⁰ You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.

According to Dr. Alan Johnson, there has never before been a song like this in heaven. I want to hear that melody, don’t you?

The song is about the worthiness of the Lamb.

The song is sung by 28 voices. Four creatures and 24 elders. They’re proclaiming that Jesus bought us by His death on the Cross and made us a kingdom of priests who get to reign on the earth one day.

But wait! There’s more.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. ¹² They said with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!

This second song is sung full voice by “thousands, plus thousands of thousands of angels.”

A friend of mine once led a choir of 10,000 at the Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade. His choir pales in comparison to this.

The song extols the sevenfold magnificence of the Lamb. “Power… riches… wisdom… strength… honor… glory… blessing.” It creates the feeling of His majestic wonder.

But we’re not done. A third song radiates from every voice box in existence.

¹³ I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say,

Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

Far beyond the throne room of heaven arises an expression of praise from the whole created universe to the One on the Throne and to the Lamb.

I wonder how many downloads this little chorus will get one day? I wonder what you’ll do when the last vibrations of it fade?

I know what the creatures and elders will do.

¹⁴ The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

They’ll say, “Amen,” fall down, and worship.

I wonder if, in that moment, I’ll have the capacity to do any of those? Or if I’ll just sit in a pile of wonder and revel in it all?

Unleash these songs, Lord! May Your kingdom come, and Your songs be sung, on earth as they are in heaven! We loose our lips in praise to the One who purchased us, and is making us into a kingdom of priests who will reign with You on one not-so-distant day. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 60: The Last Song

If you like trivia, you might be interested in knowing about the final song sung in the Bible. What is it? Where is it? What does it talk about?

You might also be interested in the final new song in the Bible.

I’ll tell you about both today.

The Bible’s final new song is in Revelation.

Revelation 14:1-3

Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. ³ They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

These are the saints who have come through the Tribulation. Actually, in chapter 14, they haven’t come through it yet. They’re still in the midst of it. God gives this vision of their future to give them hope for the great Triumph that is to come.

This final “new song” is sung with incredible instrumentality. Their percussion section generates sounds like “cascading waters,” and “rumbling thunder.” Those harpists must have had a hard time generating enough sound to keep up with them.

What did they sing? That is a mystery, kept from us in this present age. John says, “They sang a new song… but no one could learn the song…” unless they were part of that Tribulation church.

We’ll have to wait to hear the lyrics in the age to come. In the meantime, it’s worth imagining for a minute what words might be worthy of the Lamb as He stands victorious on Mount Zion. What lyrics would you choose?

The chapter following this mystery contains the Bible’s final lyric composition:

Revelation 15:1-4

Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed. ² I also saw…  those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. ³ They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb:

Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
⁴ Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.

If you’re inclined towards older songs, you’ll be pleased to know that the final song in the Bible is the Song of Moses, from Exodus 15. It’s not just old, it’s ancient.

The Israelite’s sang this song at the victory of God over their long-time enemies at the Red Sea. This last rendition is sung at the victory of God over our longest-time enemy, “the beast.”

It’s a song of God’s works, which are awe-inspiring. And His ways, which are just and true. Now that all the world is recaptured, He is once again the “King of the nations.”

Look at the promise for a minute: “All nations will come and worship before you because your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Right now, even we who believe are a little about what’s happening on our planet. One day, all will be revealed. We will see Him as He is. And we will worship Him for all that He has done.

That’s a hope-giving vision, isn’t it?

Read the song again, then pray this prayer:
Great and mighty are You Lord. Use me today to let Your name be lifted high. You are the King of nations. I look forward to learning Your mystery song some day, and singing You the Song of Moses. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 61: Hearing God’s Voice

Would you agree with me that every Christian’s responsibility is to walk with God, hear His voice, and live accordingly?

If so, how can you make that happen?

Walking with God requires daily discipline. You can’t be near Him unless you spend time with Him.

Personally, I have found that God is always speaking, yet I am not always listening.

Psalm 66:18

If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Likewise, if I am aware of malice, or any other distraction in my heart, I will not be able to listen.

I want to share with you a practice that enables me hear from God and see where He is leading me and our church. I learned this practice from my mentor and friend, Dr. Paul Becker. Paul is the president of Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI). DCPI has trained almost a million church planters around the world, all for free.

Practice #1

My hearing from God starts with a daily time of thanksgiving. My first task every morning is to write down 3-4 things I am thankful for from the day before. My list always starts with my salvation and my family. From there, I think through what went on during the previous day and record one or two other things that stuck out to me.

I write these thanksgivings in my notebook. This notebook provides me with a written record of God’s goodness.

The Lord tends to lead His children in a consistent direction. It’s rare that He makes radical course changes in our lives. Most often, He introduces changes gradually, reinforcing them with more such actions day after day.

Recording God’s goodness daily allows me to look back and see what He’s been up to. Seeing this pattern helps me to see, or confirm, what God says to me during my monthly prayer retreat.

Practice #2

Once a month, I hold a personal prayer retreat. I set aside a day to get alone with God for the sole purpose of hearing His voice. You may not be able to set aside that much time, but the process should work for you as well.

To my retreat, I bring my Bible, my thanksgiving journal, some paper, my computer, and a fresh copy of Paul Becker’s Personal Prayer Retreat Profile.

Paul’s Profile walks me through twelve steps that help me hear the voice of God. In yesterdays’ sermon, I summarized it with these ten steps:

How to Hear From God

1. Find a place where you can listen.

2. Ask God to forgive you of any sins that might have come between the two of you.

3. Submit your will to God’s will.

4. Fill your mind with Scripture.
Before you start listening for a whisper from God, spend a few minutes reading the Word of God. Reading God’s thoughts will help you to hear God’s thoughts when He whispers to you.

5. Write down your specific questions and issues.
So you can bring them to God and hear His answers.

6. Ask God to direct your thoughts and let no other voice enter the conversation.

7. Listen, and write down what you hear.

8. Check what you’ve heard against Scripture.

God will not contradict Himself. If anything in what you hear goes against a principle of Scripture, you know you’ve misheard.

9. Talk over what you’ve heard with godly counselors.

In spite of all your precautions, selfish motives may have tainted what you thought you heard. So get some counsel from mature, trusted Christians.

Proverbs 11:14

Without guidance, a people will fall,
but with many counselors there is deliverance.

10. Type up what you’ve heard and plan to live it out.

I pin a summary of what I’ve heard on my bulletin board each month. I go through this process every 30 days, and God always speaks.

Psalm 19:1-2

The heavens declare the glory of God…
² Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.

Here’s my prayer:
Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening. I want to hear Your thoughts and be directed by Your desires today. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 64: Jesus

This afternoon a friend asked me some very good questions about Jesus. “Is He eternal? What part did He play in Creation?” Several other questions like that.

In responding to my friend, I found myself reveling once again in our amazing Savior.  I hope you’ll take a few minutes to revel here with me.

One of the most vivid passages on Jesus is in chapter one of Colossians.

Colossians 1:15-20

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.

If you want to know what the Father (whom you cannot see) is like, look at the Son. He is the Father’s “image,” or “copy.”

He’s also, “the firstborn of all creation.” Which does not mean that He was created, rather, that He is preexistent, unique,  and superior to everything that has been created.

¹⁶ For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.

One reason He is unique is because He created, quite literally, everything. Theologians call Him “the intermediate agent of creation.” In the beginning, the Father “spoke” (Gen. 1:3) and the Son carried out the Father’s intended actions by creating. In other words, the Father created the universe by means of the Son, who did the actually work.

Jesus created not only the things we see, but the things we don’t see: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong force and the weak force, protons, neutrons, quarks and muons, bosons and alpha particles. The list is endless, for the creativity of our Savior is infinite.

Along with all nature and forces of nature, Jesus created the angels. “Thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities” are four of the nine ranks of angelic beings. Along with virtues, seraphim, cherubim, angels, and archangels.

Just so we don’t miss it, verse 17 summarizes what’s been said so far with “all things have been created through Him.”

Look around for a second. Everything you see, feel, touch, taste or smell was made through Him. And everything beyond your five senses was, too.

The last three words in this verse stop me in my tracks” “…and for Him.” Everything that exists was not only created through Him. Everything that has been created was created for Him.

Think about this for a minute.

The eggs you ate for breakfast weren’t created for you. They were created for Him. Their size, shape, color, taste… even the nutrition you derive from them give Him glory.

The air you breathe wasn’t created to give you life. It was created to give Him glory. You and I just get to breathe it because our breathing gives Him glory.

Your view of the sunset, the sleep you experience, the joy you feel, the birds and the bees, and the thing we think of when we refer to “the birds and the bees,” were all created to give Him glory.

We live in His universe. And we, the pinnacle of His creation (Genesis 1:31), were created to give Him great glory.

Pause for a minute…. Breathe. Smell. See. Feel.

Everything you sense and everything you experience was made by Him, and for Him. – He is IT!

And yet, for all that He is, He came to earth for you. He lived so you could see God’s image. He suffered so you could live with Him forever.

Be still for a moment and say “Thank You Lord.”

Lord Jesus, all the I am belongs to You. I am Yours whether I give myself to You or not, for You made every molecule of my being. You created me. Thank You Lord, for my existence. Thank You that I can think, and feel, and touch, and smell; and that You endowed me with the capacity to know You and appreciate You.

You are God, the invisible made visible, on my behalf. All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer King!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 65: More about Jesus

Yesterday we started to revel at the wonder of Jesus from Colossians.

Colossians 1:15-16

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
¹⁶ For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.

Jesus is the Lord of the universe, because He is its Creator!

The next two verses are equally revealing:

¹⁷ He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.

He is before all things chronologically, because He existed before all time. He is before all things in rank, because He is higher than anything created.

As someone who appreciates science, verse 17b may be my favorite phrase in this whole hymn: “…by him all things hold together.”

Lightfoot called Him, “the principle of cohesion.” He not only created the Weak Force of nature, He is the Weak Force of nature. Jesus holds our very molecules together.

Sometimes I try to imagine just this one aspect of His being. I find myself at a loss for words and a loss for images. My mind buckles and bows before a God so amazing, and yet so personal.

The next verse moves from the Cosmic Christ to the Incarnate Christ. The One who started everywhere, locates Himself in time and space – on our little planet, no less.

¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.

As a pastor, I’m conscious that it is His church I serve, His church I lead, and His church I pray for daily. He’s the Head. You and I are privileged to play the part of hands and feet and heart and voices.

The phrase, “He is the beginning,” describes far more than His place at the founding of time. The word for beginning is “arche.” We get our words “architect,” and “archetype,” from it.

Jesus is the shape and the shaper, the model and the molder of every magnificence in existence.

Then comes why this all matters: He is “the firstborn of the dead.”

Prior to Resurrection Sunday, all expired souls were trapped in the grave. Jesus conquered death that day, making a way for all of us to eternal life with the Father. He possesses in Himself a higher life, which His people, by virtue of union with Him, now share.

Because He was the first to rise and never die again, He is our way to eternal life, and He is the Way itself.

Because He is the first to be born from death, He holds first place in everything. All dignity and sovereignty belong to Him forever and ever.

No wonder the angels sang at His birth! They knew what was coming.

No wonder the angels bow now in heaven! They see Him as He is.

And someday, you and I will too. Oh glorious day!

As I finish writing this, I find my knees on the ground in awe and worship.

Jesus, You are before all things. And in You all things hold together – including my thoughts, including my bones, including my hopes, and all I hold dear. You are the Head of the church; the Beginning of all that is good. You hold first place, and in some ways, You hold every place. Hold first place in my heart today! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 66: The Peace Child

For the past few days, we’ve been looking at the magnificent description of Jesus in Colossians 1:15-20. What makes the passage doubly meaningful is that the verses we’ve been studying were actually verses. That is, Colossians 1:15-20 was a real song – one of the earliest songs written about the Lord.

Read the words with that in mind. Imagine a musical underscore as Jesus is described:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
¹⁶ For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.

Clearly, Jesus is unique. Matchless. First. Over all. Unparalleled.

Now settle into the final verses:

¹⁹ For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,

Many have been asking me about the relationship between the Father and the Son. They are different, but equal. The same, yet distinct. It’s the greatest mystery we’re aware of. But one thing we do know: whatever the relationship, God the Father is pleased with God the Son.

Like our earthly father-son relationships, the Heavenly Father is pleased that the Heavenly Son shares His exact spiritual DNA; that “all his fullness dwells in Jesus.”

Not only was the Father pleased about the family resemblance, He was and is eternally pleased that this One with whom He is united, “reconciled” everything to Himself:

²⁰ and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.

Look up the word “reconcile” and you’ll find it means, “put to rights,” or “bring together.” The Greek word is a long one: “apokatallazai.” It means, “to effect a thorough change back to the way things used to be and should have been all along.”

Jesus is the Superman/Iron Man/Wonder Woman/Captain Marvel of the real world. He did what only He was capable of doing: making the world right again, restoring all of creation to a right relationship with Himself. And, oh, at what a cost!

Peace through His blood

In 1962, Don and Carol Richardson were the first westerns to make contact with a violent indigenous tribe called the Sawi, in  Papua New Guinea.

The Sawi were a stone age people in perpetual feud with other clans and villages. Once blood was drawn, it required revenge. Inter-tribal killings took place almost every week.

How could the Richardsons communicate the love of Christ to these people?

Add to their challenge, the Sawi’s highest value was deception. When Don told them the story of Judas betraying Jesus, Judas became their hero, because he had double-crossed a great leader, and the great leader never saw it coming.

As the Don and Carol prayed for wisdom. One more killing took place. The Richardsons decided they could do no more. They announced they were leaving and would look for a different tribe to help.

The Sawi knew the value of the Richardsons. They had introduced modern tools and modern medicine. The thought of losing these resources so troubled the people that one chief did the unthinkable: he took his newborn son and gave him to the chief of the rival village.

Why? Because embedded in the Sawi culture was a concept called “The Peace Child.” When a village gave their child to another village, that child created a permanent peace-bond that could not be broken.

Richardson explained to both villages that Jesus was God’s Peace Child. Within days, both villages surrendered their lives to the Savior!

“He made peace, through His blood, shed on the cross.”

The Creator of the Cosmos, Lord of Glory, Sovereign, Firstborn, Exact Likeness of the Father, made peace with us, by becoming our Peace Child.

It’s the greatest action ever undertaken. Jesus made the world right again. He enabled us to have permanent peace, with God, and with ourselves.

Will you worship Him today?

Jesus, no wonder Your name is above all names. You are Supreme! I humble myself before You because of who You are, and because of what You have done. Forever and ever, amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 67: The Holy Spirit

As I’ve been writing about the second member of the Trinity, some have been asking questions about the third member, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood member of the Godhead.

Hopefully by now you’ve seen that the Son is absolutely equal to the Father. While on earth, He temporarily subordinated Himself in function to the Father, but never in substance. Both are fully God.

With the Holy Spirit, the same mistake is possible. In His current role as present with us, some think of Him as less than the Father or the Son. Erase such heresy from your thinking.

The Holy Spirit is also fully God. And co-equal with the Father and the Son.

Another mistake people make is to picture the Holy Spirit as an inanimate force. We know something about earthly fathers and sons, but there are no earthly “holy spirits.”

He is not an “it.” He is a “He,” possessing all three characteristics of a person: mind, will, and emotion.

The most extensive descriptions of the Holy Spirit are given by Jesus in John 14-16. Here’s the first of those descriptions:

John 14:15-17

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.

The CSB calls Him “the Counselor.” The ESV says, “Helper.” The NIV uses “Advocate.” KJV, “Comforter.” The Message calls Him “Friend.” Why so many different translations? Because, like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is impossible to describe accurately. He is God, all words fall short.

The word behind all these translations is “parakletos.” “Para” means “alongside.” “Kletos” comes from the verb, “to call.”

During this age, the Holy Spirit is “the One Called Alongside” us. He is our Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Comforter, Friend, and much more.

When you think about it, this is the one attribute of God that makes all the difference for us. Most people in their heart of hearts know that there is an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God. But the rubber meets the road when this God comes near and walks beside us.

Note that Jesus is sending us “another” Counselor. That word “another,” means, “another of the same kind.”

The Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus. The difference from Pentecost forward is that instead of having Jesus physically beside them, disciples now have the Holy Spirit inside them.

Jesus continues:

¹⁷ He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

The Spirit of truth will never lie to you. He will never lead you astray. He will never misdirect, or give you distorted information. Of all the voices in this world, His is the One you can trust.

The Holy Spirit “remains with you,” and “will be in you.” This is the miracle of the Christian life: God, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us! And the Holy Spirit is every bit as much “God” as the Father and the Son.

Soon after Constantine legalized the church, the great leaders of the faith gathered for a sacred council in the city of Nicaea. Having studied the Scriptures all their lives, and, with what I believe was an anointing from God, they described the Trinity simply as, “three persons, in one being.”

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct personalities. Individually, they are “God.” And collectively, they are “God” (or what we call “The Godhead.”) This, for sure, is a mystery. If we could understand God fully, we would be as smart as God. Since we cannot, we marvel, acknowledge, and worship.

Will you do that today?

God, we marvel at Your perfections and we acknowledge Your superiority in all things and all ways. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live inside us as the manifestation of Your presence. Counsel me today, Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 74: Weeping with Those Who Weep

You probably noticed that I fell off the writing wagon last week. I had three days of vacation with my family, and once I got home, there were many details to attend to that superseded my daily dose of encouragement.

While I was away, George Floyd died. I’ve read the details and watched the video. Everything about his passing is a tragedy. That said, I’m too far away, and too far removed from expert sources to be considered an expert on this terrible situation.

What I know with certainty is, I can always turn to God’s guidebook for wisdom in how to respond to any and every situation. In Romans 12:15-19, He tells me to…

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

I weep with George’s family and friends. He left behind two daughters. I can pray for them. This calamity should never have happened. I’m praying it never will again.

The only good I can see in this is that much of our country, regardless of color, is lamenting together. We all believe it was wrong, and we are in solidarity in our sadness.

The next verse gives further guidance.

 ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Harmony and humility are hard to practice when we’re mad, sad, or frustrated. Lord, may cool heads prevail in every city at this time. May hurting voices be heard, and systemic evil be uprooted and rectified. And may those who know You project harmony and humility so that no more life or property is taken.

The rest of the passage gives still more guidance.

 ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:15-19

Not repay? Live at peace? Not seek revenge? These are harder than seeking harmony and humility. They’re impossibilities in our flesh when we’re seething, scared, or scandalized.

I planted a church for only one reason: the Lord asked me to do so. A second reason drives me to continue this work, and that is that the church is the only solution to what ails our world. We need hope, and help, and forgiveness, and transformation. And those things happen so poorly in our world, and so well in a local church.

I cannot cure the ills that caused George Floyd’s death. They are pervasive, endemic, caused by the sinful nature that resides in each one of us.

The only cure for this nature is Jesus. He can forgive, wash away evil, and enable us (slowly and over time), to become mini image-bearers of our Savior. As His love and motives transform ours, we are more able to resist repaying evil and practice God’s counter-intuitive directives.

With God’s help working inside me, I can weep; I can seek harmony; I can act with humility; I can resist repaying evil with evil; I can live at peace; and I can pray.

Here’s what I’m praying:

Let justice flow like water,
and righteousness, like an unfailing stream. Amos 5:24

Oh, that this would happen in our land.

Will you pray that with me today?

Lord, let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 75: The News Blues

I think I’m experiencing “bad news fatigue.” It’s a term I just made up. I have “the news blues.” I bet you do, too.

I’m tempted to think this is the first or worst I’ve ever felt this way, but I remember something similar following 9/11.

I suspect my elders felt the news blues in the 60’s, when Vietnam War deaths were reported every night on television.

My parents must have felt it during the four long years of World War II.

Bad news fatigue has been around since humans have been around. It will return again before Jesus returns.

This is why God directed Paul to tell us that, instead of focusing on the awful news of the day, we should think about:

…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

When God designed the human heart, He created it for life in a harmonious world. We have trouble finding our footing in a world of disunity, pain, and sorrow.

So I want to make a sincere suggestion to you today:
Turn off the news. Take a break from the sorrow. It will still be there tomorrow.

Unless you’re watching to find a peaceful place to protest, your dwelling on it won’t improve any of it. And I guarantee, if something good happens, you won’t miss it. Someone will fill you in.

Instead of dwelling on the pain, spend today thinking about eight, and only eight, types of things.

1. True things. Like the fact that God loves you, and has given you a great gift, called “life.”

2. Noble things. Like saying things respectfully to your elders, and finding words that compliment your children’s accomplishments.

3. Right things. Like doing the right thing, even when you feel like doing something you know would hurt someone else.

4. Pure things. Which means, examining your motives and doing things without a personal or hidden agenda.

5. Lovely things. As in, “things that promote brotherly love.”

6. Admirable things. The word here means, “Things that will cause others to say, ‘that was so well-said!’”

7. Excellent things. Things that reflect virtue.

8. Praiseworthy things. Things people will praise.

You cannot focus on these types of good news if your brain is brimming over with bad news. Conversely, you cannot have the news blues if you fill your mind with true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts.

Listen, if you spend your day thinking positive thoughts, you’re likely to do some positive things. And if you do some positive things, the world will be a better place! And isn’t that what you were hoping to find by watching the news?

Instead of watching the news, let’s make the news today! Let’s let good thoughts generate some good deeds. That will make it a good day. Amen?

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, it is so evident that this world is not our home. I’d like to make our planet a better place by thinking about good and godly things, and by acting in good and godly ways today. Please help me with this, I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 76: We’re in this RACE Together

Anyone who tries to trace their ancestry eventually gets stuck. You might go back 5 or 15 generations, but eventually, your trail grows cold.

I have a great aunt that traced the Seed clan back something like 500 years to some European nobleman. Are you impressed?

Don’t be. Because if you do a little fast-forwarding on your family tree, you’ll find that it intersects with mine. I can tell you exactly where.

Genesis 9:18-19

¹⁸ Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. ¹⁹ These three were Noah’s sons, and from them the whole earth was populated.

You and I are related by blood. We all came from the line of Noah.

After awhile, we drifted apart. You know what God did? He invented a new family, where we would be united again. He called this big family, “The church.” Its origin is in Acts 2, where all the members were Jews from Jerusalem, right?

Wrong.

Here’s the list of people who were part of the church on its very first day:

“ ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” Acts 2:9-11

By my count, that’s 15 nationalities there at the start of God’s great restoration.

In Genesis 1, the world started from one family. It grew and fragmented until the flood. One family survived. They grew and fragmented. God was grieved. So He created a new community, free of race, color and ethnicity.

No wonder Paul says,

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

And,

In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all. Colossians 3:11

The church is God’s forever family. It is large, diverse, beautiful, and eternal. Check out what it looks like in heaven:

There was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9

Before going off to college, I spent 18 years living with my mother. Since I’ve been married, I’ve spent 38 years living with my wife. Guess how long I’m going to spend living with people from “every nation, tribe, people, and language”?

We might as well admit: We’re all related.
We might as well acknowledge: God called us into one family.
We might as well get used to it: We’re going to spend eternity together.

Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, we are precious in His sight. Jesus loves His little children, no matter what we look like, and no matter where we’re from.

Pray this, out loud, like you mean it:

Lord, as I look at the skin on my hands as I pray, I affirm that You made me just the color You wanted me to be. And not just me. I affirm You made every tone and hue to glorify You. Thank You for my family. For its depth and diversity. For all my cousins, and all of our colors. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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Day 78: Emotional Energy Reserves

Around May 1, I ran out of reserve adaptive energy. I’ll bet you did too, or sometime close to that. We were wired by God to need variety, social interaction, and things to look forward to.

Now, a month later, we’re done. Our emotional tanks are depleted. We can’t stay cloistered any longer.

Marriages have been damaged. Savings have been scratched. Careers shrunk. Waistlines expanded.

This afternoon I drove by a park. It was packed with maskless people, who were definitely not social distancing.

This evening I picked up a pizza. The parlor was full. No masks, just smiles.

What our politicians didn’t factor when they sentenced us to solitude was, the human spirit can only be boxed up for so long.

One time a teacher of the Law questioned Jesus:

…he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Mark 12:28-30

There’s a little more to that verse. But I wanted to stop there, because Jesus is identifying that we have hearts (emotions), and that hearts can be “all,” which implies they can also be partial, or empty.

Our Separation Together has showed me there is more to a healthy heart than I once thought. A healthy heart is more than one with pure motives and clear relationships. A healthy heart is one that’s replenished by the joys of friendship, experiences, and hope.

This is why you’ve been feeling  stressed, depressed, lethargic, drained, or hopeless. This is also why many marriages and families are stretched right now.

Our emotional tanks are drained. They’ve been running on empty for weeks now. In psychological terms, we’ve run out of “adaptive energy reserves.”

Over the years, I’ve thought my a lot about what fills my spiritual tank, and my intellectual tank. Today I’ve been thinking about what fuels my emotional tank. Among other thing, it requires

• having a variety of things to look forward to.
• Having social contact.
• Having new experiences.
• And having physical touch with people I care about.

Your emotional tank may run on slightly different fillers than mine. But I suspect we’re largely the same.

So if you’re not already doing so, I’m going to encourage you to start doing three things to fill your heart back up:

1. Have a conversation with yourself. How are you doing, really? How are you feeling, really? How are you coping, really? Paul tells Timothy, “Pay close attention to your life.” 1 Timothy 4:16

 

2. If you’ve been behaving badly, forgive yourself, and seek forgiveness. When you’re not at your best, you don’t act your best. If you’ve done some things wrong, ask God and people for forgiveness.

Paul also says… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize… Philippians 3:14

Have a forgiveness session. Then, press on.

3. Make a list of things that fill your emotional tank, and start doing them. This may mean breaking a few social distancing standards that were established by people who knew less than we now know about the coronavirus, and less than we know now about our need for emotional energy reserves.

Listen, suicides reached a terrible level last month. And too many couples are contemplating divorce. And too many people are acting in distressful ways. This has got to stop!

Pray this prayer with me:
Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my heart and soul. Reveal to me the things I must do to reestablish emotional and relational sanity, and live as the child of God You intended me to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

1,000 blessings,

Pastor Hal

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What’s Next?

Get the free download of the devotions and use them as you lead your church.

Further Reading

• 5 Easy Ways to Improve your Preaching in a Pandemic [Free Sermon]
• How to Hold an Outdoor Church Service that People Love
• How to Keep your Church Healthy During COVID-19
• The Best Resources to Lead your Church through the Coronavirus
• Show Me How to Lead through the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Hal Seed is the founding and Lead Pastor of New Song Community Church in Oceanside, CA. He mentors pastors who want to lead healthy, growing churches with resources at www.pastormentor.com.