Speaking Of Life 3034 | Walls of Hostility
Heber Ticas

You have heard the adage, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

But hindsight says, “Bad neighbors, make good fences.”

Ever since Adam and Eve turned hostile against God, fences and walls have outlined the history of conflict between neighbors. Stories about Jericho and Jerusalem or Babylon and Berlin are not complete without the rise and fall of their walls.

Attempts at peace are often pursued but usually through this cycle of erecting and tearing down walls. Wars and walls go hand in hand. Some believe better walls will bring peace while others believe peace can only be achieved by their removal.

But the problem is not with the walls. It’s with the people on both sides of the walls. The walls of hostility are not built from earthen stone but from stony hearts. This is the true wall of hostility that needs to be torn down. And the Good News of Jesus Christ is that he has done just that. We no longer have to argue over which side of the wall to stand on. Jesus has created a new ground of peace in himself where all can stand as one. He breaks down the walls of separation that are so prevalent in our world. Everyone is invited to live in him.

The Apostle Paul was accused of crossing a cultural wall of hostility in his day and it landed him behind the walls of a prison. Yet, barricaded behind those walls he was free and at peace to write this about Jesus:

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”
Ephesians 2:14-16

Thanks to our Triune God of Grace, there are no walls of hostility between us and God. The Father has made us his children in Jesus and therefore, brothers and sisters to one another. If you have grown weary of building and tearing down walls of hostility, Jesus calls you to himself to belong to a new family that lives without walls and in peace.

Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.

Ordinary Time: Ephesians

Through life’s changing seasons we witness countless transformations—seeds bursting forth into vibrant blooms, caterpillars emerging as butterflies, and the changing seasons painting landscapes anew. Each transformation whispers a tale of renewal, of shedding the old and embracing the new.

Yet, amidst these natural wonders, the most profound transformations occur within the human heart. It is here, in the depths of our souls, that the Spirit of God moves, shaping us into new creations, united in our devotion to Jesus and to one another.

As we journey through the second month of Ordinary Time, we are reminded that our identity is in Christ. In him, we find our truest selves, united in a bond that transcends all barriers and divisions. This truth is echoed in the words of Ephesians, which calls us to form ethnically diverse communities unified by our devotion to Jesus and to one another.

God’s vision for the new humanity is one of unity—a unity that transcends barriers of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cultural identity. It is a vision of reconciliation and restoration, where every person is valued and embraced as a beloved child of God.

And so, Paul calls us to “Put on Your New Humanity,” to live and love like Jesus in every aspect of our lives. Through the power of the Spirit, we are equipped to stand strong against divisive forces and spiritual evil, bearing witness to the transformative power of God’s love.

As we journey through this season of Ordinary Time, may we be reminded of our call to transformation—to become new humans, clothed in the love and likeness of Christ. And in our transformation, may we reflect the beauty of God’s vision for a unified, diverse community, where all are included and cherished.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Let us, therefore, embrace our identity in Christ, united in love, and committed to building a community where all are valued and included. For in our transformation, we reflect the very heart of God’s kingdom on earth.

Speaking Of Life 3032 | Watching and Waiting
Michelle Fleming

If you’ve ever had the chance to eat at a fine restaurant, you may have noticed the wait staff is very particular about how your food is brought to you and how the empty dishes are taken away. Most formal restaurants train their wait staff how to serve, which includes never reaching across in front of a guest. Servers are taught to serve the food from the guest’s left side, making sure the part of the plate with the protein is facing the guest. Plates are removed from the right side of a guest. Your server may have even taken a moment to remove breadcrumbs from the table in between courses. The wait staff stands and watches, alert to when a guest might need another beverage or something to make their experience more enjoyable.

Most of us don’t observe other people that closely. Unless we’re a server at a fine restaurant, we don’t often pick up on subtle cues that other people give us. It’s easy to miss out on the feedback and wisdom others might give to help us navigate life better. Sometimes we miss out on opportunities to do good to others. This pattern of not paying attention can also carry over into our relationship with God. But Psalm 123 gives us a solution:

To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
until he has mercy upon us.
Psalm 123:1-2 (NRSV)

Paying attention to what God is doing and where God is working is much like developing the attention of a fine restaurant’s wait staff. Our antennae are up, and we’re noticing the opportunities and difficulties that come across our paths. We’re in constant conversation with God about what’s happening around us, ready to participate with what he is doing.

When the Psalmist says “our eyes look to the Lord,” he is not talking about always looking heavenward, but looking around so we can see what God is doing in the lives of people around us. When we see those around us, we can join God in loving them as he does. That’s what Jesus did. He didn’t have to go looking for people to heal or sinners to encourage; he lived his life with full awareness, paying attention to the needs around him and responding with love when the opportunity arose.

Jesus invites us to join him by learning to pay attention to others. Like a fine restaurant’s wait staff, when we are in tune with the needs of others, we find ways to share God’s love with them. By figuring out how we can best love those God brings across our paths, we develop the attention and awareness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

May you be ever watchful, looking for those opportunities to do good to someone else and showing the love of the Triune God.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

Speaking Of Life 3031 | Stopping Where Jesus Stops
Greg Williams

In the 1970s, experts posited that we were exposed to 500 to 1,600 advertisements a day. Now the numbers are more like 6,000 to 10,000. And that’s just ads—it doesn’t count the texts, emails, phone calls, and shows we watch.

We are flooded with information in the modern world, and all this at the click of a mouse or touch of a screen. We can experience more entertainment in a few hours than most ancient people encountered over a lifetime.

All of this comes at us so quickly that we ignore much more than we take in and we’ve forgotten how to slow down. And sometimes we need to slow down; sometimes we need to stop and pay attention to a moment.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus showed an amazing ability to stop everything when the moment was right.

A prime example is found in Mark 5.

For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”
Mark 5:28-30 (ESV)

In the heat of a desperate crowd, Jesus stops everything to notice someone that no one else saw. This woman was not only chronically ill, but she was also socially and culturally outcast, and yet Jesus stops everything to address her, to call her “daughter”, and to graciously restore her to health.

In other stories, during a hot day In Samaria, he sits by a well to talk with a lonely, rejected woman and has one of the most amazing discussions of revelation in all of scripture. In the bustle and scurry of the temple he pauses to watch a widow give pennies. He took a time out from the crowd of seekers to acknowledge and play with children.

Jesus knew when and how to stop: especially for those who were in the margins and easily ignored—those who no one else stopped for. He shut down everything to share these concentrated, one-on-one conversations.

Do we know how to stop everything like this? Are we in touch enough with Jesus to know when he is calling us to stop?

Think of the elderly person who hasn’t had a complete conversation in weeks. Or the difficult teenager who needs you to explain things yet again. Or your spouse who needs you to share a conversation at the end of a busy day.

This is often where Jesus calls us. Not to just do more stuff, but to stop everything and spend time with someone who needs our time. Are we paying attention? Are we willing to stop? May God help us be aware of those times when we need to stop so we can participate in what he is doing.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking Of Life 3030 | The Power of His Presence
Michelle Fleming

Do you believe that God is with you? Do you believe that the Creator of the universe hears you when you call and is present for every moment of your life? As unbelievable as it sounds, most Christians would say “yes.” We believe in a God who cares for us as his children. Yet sometimes, still, we find ourselves doubting that God is with us when we find ourselves in precarious situations.

A few summers ago, I decided to train for a Sprint Triathlon. At the time, I was an avid runner and enjoyed biking, but wanted to challenge myself through the swimming portion of the race. I followed a training program for a few months and swam laps at my parents’ community pool on swimming days. They joined in the process, counting laps for me, and cheering me on. My mom even watched YouTube videos to help coach me through my stroke. I felt the love of God through the support and encouragement of my parents.

On race day, we arrived at the beach and the waves were pounding.  I had trained but not in open water. I tried my best to play it cool until race participants in the more experienced groups were rescued by boats to get out of the water. When my group’s turn came up, I entered the water and was immediately forced to swim harder than I had in any of my practice sessions. Determined not to quit, I began praying and swimming, “God, why do the waters have to be this rough. Please, please, please get me to shore safely!” It was easy to trust the power of God’s presence in the smooth, clear swimming pool with my family around me, much more difficult alone in the choppy, rough open water.

Because of this experience, I can relate to this lesson, Jesus’ disciples had to learn about trusting the power of God’s presence. In Mark 4:35-41 we read:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41

Jesus was with the disciples in the storm, but because he did not react in the way they expected, they doubted if Jesus cared about their situation. After performing a powerful miracle, Jesus asked the disciples why they doubted. Since Jesus was the one who told them to sail to the other side of the sea and he was with them, they should have trusted in him. They should have rested in the power of his presence.

We can often act like the disciples. If we are in a trial and God does not react the way we expect, it is easy to doubt his care for us. At times like this, we should remember that God is with us and there is power in his presence. In a moment, God can speak a word and change everything. His power is supreme and even the forces of nature must obey him. This does not mean that we will never suffer. Rather, it means that God will be with us even when we suffer, and he has the power to bring us through any storm.

In case you were wondering, God did not calm the waves during my race, but he calmed me with the peace of his presence and he brought me back to shore.

I am Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

Speaking Of Life 3029 | The Cutting Takes Root
Greg Williams

If you’ve ever done any gardening, you know it can be frustrating. You have to strike the right balance between caring for something and leaving it alone so it will grow and not be smothered.

One technique for growing that takes quite a bit of care and attention at first, but can really be successful, is growing from a cutting. With a tree, you cut off a green branch and carefully plant it in rich, fertile soil so that it forms roots and grows into a new tree.

The prophet Ezekiel talks about this as a metaphor for God replanting Israel after exile:

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.
Ezekiel 17:22-24

This parable follows a discussion of Israel’s efforts to ally with its pagan neighbors. Their disobedience brought them into exile and despair. But God gives them this very tender image of himself as the gardener who gently takes a cutting from what’s there and grows in the familiar soil of back home. The image would have been comforting to an exiled Israel.

God’s plan for Israel was not to destroy or start over, but to build from what was already growing. He took Israel in his hands, even after all their efforts to make their own way failed. They were frail and completely dependent, but he saw the mighty strength in their future that would bless all nations – “birds of every kind will nest in it.”

Jesus no doubt drew on this image in Mark 4, when he told the story of the tiny mustard seed that grows larger than all the garden plants.

God, the divine gardener, took a cutting every time the great tree of humanity fell and he replanted it. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, from Abraham to Isaac, then Jacob, then Moses, then the people of Israel. Finally, from all this imagery, all of this promise of growth in the future, God’s plan comes together in one person, born of the lineage of the kings and priests. From Jesus grew the mighty family of faith that keeps growing through the centuries despite its own mistakes and the devastating winds of time.

God’s plan is connected throughout. Nowhere in it did God change his mind or start over again or make up for some mistake. Redemption and restoration, yes, but the same consistent story always moving forward. The story, like the tree, grows and keeps on growing just from the tiny beginning until it crescendos into the all-encompassing Kingdom of God. You and I are part of that replanting, part of that story.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking Of Life 3028 | Deep Weeping
Heber Ticas

Have you ever felt like you are at the bottom of the ocean crying for help?

In my many years of pastoral ministry, I have encountered many people that find themselves in this circumstance. Expressing their deepest pain through a fountain of tears.

Maybe you are in over your head but no one even knows you’re struggling. Or maybe you have sunk so deep in despair that you think no one could possibly hear or understand you. Sometimes it’s a deep wound in our soul that, even we, can’t wrap our mind around or see any possible healing from. Or maybe we have fallen into some deep-seated sin that seems impossible to overcome. For many of us, we may be looking around, reading the headlines, and feeling that the entire world is too broken, torn, and distorted to be pulled out of the mire. We all have a cry from the deep. The question is, “will we be heard?”

The Psalmist encourages his soul and ours with the reminder that the Lord does not keep a record of sins but rather he forgives and therefore can be trusted with all our deep brokenness. Listen to his cry from the deep:

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning…” 
Psalm 130:1-6 (NRSV)

When God forgives, he doesn’t just overlook our situation with a flippant dismissal. Neither does he observe us in our deep pit and ask us what we did to fall in. No, he climbs down into the pit with us in order to lift us out. How far will he climb? All the way to the very bottom! Further in fact than we think we have fallen. He gets below our brokenness, underneath our wounds, as far down as necessary in order to completely redeem us. He descends below our depths to raise us up into new life without any hidden deep-seated scars to leave behind.

This process sometimes requires waiting on our part, but we can wait in hope knowing that the Lord does hear us and answers us according to his deep, redeeming love. Redemption is the Lord’s work and he has already heard our cries from the deep. Jesus voiced those cries for us on the cross and our Father answered him with resurrected life. The Father’s redeeming touch can’t get any deeper than the death of his own son.

The answer of the resurrection assures us that not only does he hear our cries from the deep, he will also answer.

Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.

Ordinary Time: Mark

Throughout our lives, there are seasons that unfold with unexpected grace, where the Father, Son, and Spirit gently surprise us amid the ordinary rhythms of life. After the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we enter the season of Ordinary Time, where in our everyday lives, we become more aware of how the Spirit is moving and building the church.

Ordinary Time is not merely a period marked by routine, but a time to be attentive to the call of discipleship and disciple-making. We are joining Jesus in building the church, participating in the ongoing work of redemption and restoration.

As we journey Ordinary Time, we are invited to embrace the wonder of being surprised by the grace extended to us each day as we join Jesus in ministry. It is a time of heightened awareness, where the mundane becomes infused with divine purpose and meaning.

In the simplicity of our routines, we discover opportunities for discipleship and growth. Whether it’s worshiping together, serving our neighbors, or being present in our church communities, each moment becomes an invitation to participate in the ongoing work of the triune God.

Ordinary Time is not a period of stagnation but a season of dynamic movement, as the Spirit empowers us to join in the mission of building God’s kingdom here on earth. It is a time to listen attentively to the whispers of the Spirit, guiding us in our journey of faith and discipleship.

Like seeds planted in fertile soil, we are called to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As we nurture these virtues, we participate in the ongoing renewal and transformation of the world around us.

And so, as we embrace the sacredness of Ordinary Time, let us remain open to the surprises of the Divine. For in the midst of the everyday, the Father, Son, and Spirit beckon us to join in the eternal dance of love and redemption.

In the stillness of this moment, we wait. And as we wait, we hold fast to the promise of new beginnings, ready to unfold in the fullness of time.

So, let us take heart, dear friends, for in the sacredness of Ordinary Time, we find moments of divine encounter. May our hearts be open to the surprising movements of the Spirit as we journey onward, for it is in the midst of the everyday that we are called to discipleship.

“And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
Mark 1:16-18

Trinity Sunday

In the beginning, in the quiet echoes of eternity, there existed a divine dance—
a dance of love, unity, and perfection. Today, on Trinity Sunday, we embark on a journey to marvel at the wonders of our God, a God who is both Three and One.

Behold the mystery of the Father, the source of all creation. His majesty displayed in the canvas of the heavens, where every star and every galaxy declare his glory. As we ponder the beauty of the Father, let our hearts be filled with awe and reverence.

The Son—the Word made flesh. Amid humanity, he walked, healed, and loved. The cross, a symbol of sacrifice, reveals the depth of his love for us.

And there, in the gentle whisper of the wind and the flame that dances with grace, we encounter the Holy Spirit—the breath of God. It is the Spirit who breathes life into our souls, guiding us, comforting us, and empowering us to live in the fullness of God’s love.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—a divine union that transcends our understanding. Three distinct persons, yet one God in perfect harmony. Such is the mystery we celebrate on this Trinity Sunday.

And as we meditate on the verses of Psalm 29, let our voices rise in a hymn of praise to the greatness of our God.

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Trinity Sunday is a celebration of the eternal dance of love—a dance that invites us to join in the chorus of praise. As we lift our voices, may our worship be a sweet fragrance, rising to the throne of the Triune God.

Today, let our hearts be stirred with gratitude and wonder as we bow before the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the one God, united in perfect love. Amen.

Pentecost

Today we gather with hearts ablaze, commemorating a momentous occasion that resonates through the ages— we gather to honor Pentecost, a day that marked a new beginning. It is a day when the Holy Spirit, the divine breath of God, renewed all creation and ignited the flame within the hearts of believers.

As we embark on this journey of worship, let us revisit the birth of the Church, a moment that echoes through eternity. Pentecost, the day when the disciples were audibly and visibly empowered by the promised Holy Spirit, marking the beginning of the Church’s collective work in Christ.

The same Spirit descended upon them in tongues of fire and filled them with the courage to continue the work that Jesus started. Today, that same Spirit empowers each one of us, renewing our hearts, and inspiring us to be the Church in the world.

We are the Church, not merely a building but a living, breathing body connected by the Spirit’s life-giving breath. This Pentecost, let us remember that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate, our Comforter, and our Guide.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promised the Advocate, saying, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit advocates for us, intercedes on our behalf, and empowers us to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Signs and wonders follow as we step out in faith, and the love of Christ radiates through our actions.

As we go forth into our communities, let us carry the flame of Pentecost with us. The Holy Spirit, our Advocate, accompanies us, guiding our steps, comforting our hearts, and empowering us to love our neighbors.

In Psalm 104:24-34, we find words that resonate with the work of the Spirit through the Church. Let this scripture be our guide as we embrace the renewal offered by the Holy Spirit.

How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.

When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.

We are the Church, and we are empowered by the Spirit. As we go forth, may the winds of Pentecost carry us to new heights, and may the love of Christ overflow from our hearts. Let us go boldly into our neighborhoods, knowing that the Holy Spirit, our Guide, goes with us.

And so, dear friends, as we celebrate Pentecost, may the Holy Spirit continue to renew all creation through the Church, through us. Amen.

Ascension Sunday

There is a moment that echoes through eternity, a moment when the servant became the sovereign, the humble rose to the throne. Welcome to this sacred celebration of Ascension Sunday. Here, we gather to celebrate the journey of Christ.

The journey of Christ—a path from earthly servitude to heavenly rulership. In the mundane moments of our lives, he walked beside us, a healer, a teacher, unveiling the boundless depths of the Father’s love.

But, as the heavens opened their gates, a transformation occurred. Like a silhouette against the clouds, Jesus ascended, leaving behind the earthly realm. From servant to ruler, his journey symbolizes the cosmic shift, the glorious ascension that crowns him Lord of all.

Today, as we lift our eyes to the heavens, we stand in reverence. Recognizing that in Christ’s ascension, the humanity of Christ persists in everlasting existence. Jesus’s earthly form, forever established in union with his divine nature, serves as an eternal bridge across the gulf between humanity and God. Through Christ, the identification between God and us remains unbroken, a testament to his boundless love for all of humanity.

In every heart filled with love for him, there lies a promise of glorification. He, who ascended as humanity’s representative, now intercedes on our behalf, ensuring our eternal destiny in the splendor of his presence.

As we celebrate this Ascension Sunday, let the words of Psalm 47 resonate in our spirits:

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
For the Lord Most High is awesome,
the great King over all the earth.

He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne. 

The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

And as we bask in the glory of his reign, let our hearts be filled with the hope that, just as Jesus ascended in the clouds, he will return the same way. Our eyes fixed on the horizon, awaiting the triumphant return of the King who ascended, and the Lord who will come again.

Speaking Of Life 3024 | The Divine Irony
Greg Williams

No other writer in the New Testament uses metaphors of combat and conquering more than the gentle Apostle John. Notice this passage:

For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 
I John 5:4-5 (NRSV)

After reading about the conquests you can almost hear a chorus from the rock band Queen singing – “We are the champions, no time for losers, because we are the champions of the world.” 

These kinds of words—conquer, overcome—hit our modern ears in a strange way when applied to Jesus. Normally, the words love, forgiveness, and gentleness come to mind when we think of him. We think of Jesus as the great comforter and healer, and redeemer, before we think of him as a conquering King.  

Add to that, in the modern dialogue, the trend is toward celebrating all worldviews and faiths as if they are all equally valid and equally coherent. But the Christian calling is different—Jesus isn’t one savior among many, he isn’t just another dish at the smorgasbord of philosophy and religion. He is king! He is conqueror! And he is the supreme revelation of God.  

And while he is the supreme example of love, he is also the source and end of logic, wisdom, and philosophy. The universe without him doesn’t exist, Paul said when he reminded us that Jesus is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17) 

As Christians, we hold that there is one answer for the human condition and one response to the ultimate question: Jesus. The same Jesus who conquered the world by love.  

In a world where strength and ruthlessness seemed to be what got you ahead, Jesus came to change the equation. The great irony of Christ was that he conquered by surrendering; he was declared king through forgiveness.  

And he has conquered all–and that’s why we are committed to the exclusive truth of the gospel and we accept the challenge of how to convey this truth with grace and love to those outside of conscious faith.  

The fact is that all roads don’t lead to Rome and all world views are not different ways up the same mountain. The center of reality is not a round table, it’s a heavenly throne room where Father, Son and Spirit eternally dwell, and one day all crowns will be laid at the feet of Jesus. 

Queen almost had it right – “We are the champions, but only because Jesus is the Real Champion!” 

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life. 

Speaking Of Life 3023 | Plugged In
Michelle Fleming

The worst power outage in US history happened on August 14, 2003. It’s called the Northeast Blackout of 2003, and it affected 45 million people in eight states from Ohio to Connecticut. Though it lasted just a little over a day, much of the affected area was in the middle of a heatwave, which meant no air conditioning or fans. For people stuck in New York subways when the power went out, it took two hours to safely evacuate them. The same was true for people who were stranded mid-ride on roller coasters at amusement parks. Water service was also affected because the water pumps were electric.

It’s when we experience a power outage that we realize how much we rely on electricity to live and work, how much we need a strong connection to have a consistent flow. Otherwise, we experience what people in the Northeast Blackout faced: discomfort, delays, and loss.

When we think about our connection with God, we might see some similarities. We need a strong connection with God to experience the reality of how deeply we are loved, and how that love–like electricity­­–flows through us to others.  The apostle John writes in 1 John 4 that God is love and that the love we have for others comes from God. Here’s what else he says:

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; [but] if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us… We love because he first loved us.
I John 4: 11-12, 19 (NRSV)

His love–like electricity–flows from him, through us, and to others. It’s his love that we share with others. That’s why the connection to God is so important. John also talks about when that connection feels weak, or when we choose to prioritize other connections over our connection with God. That’s when fear creeps in, and we doubt God’s love for us:

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
I John 4:18 (NRSV)

 God loves us and doesn’t stop loving us. We experience blackouts when we doubt God’s love for us, we start to look for connections elsewhere, weakening our experience of our connection with him. When we don’t feel loved, we don’t have love to pass on to others. Just like the Northeast Blackout, there’s discomfort, delay, and loss.

Power outages can happen due to weather events and human error. But our connection to God is never in jeopardy. Fear in our hearts can weaken our ability to let God’s love flow through us, but the connection will never let go. His lavish love is readily available to us, whenever we turn toward him.

May you know and abide in the understanding that you are held and deeply loved by the Father, Son, and Spirit.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

For reference:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biggest-blackout-in-us-history/