Endlessly Rolling Waves

Series on “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses”
James 1:2-4
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
James 1:1-18 

[Many years ago, there used to be articles in the Reader’s Digest titled “I am Joe’s ___” with the blank being filled with a body part or organ. Over the years, I’ve written down verses that are meaningful to me on 3x5 cards. In this series we’ll be looking at some of my favorite verses. In other words, “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses”.]

 

 

In 2016, my family met in Wrightsville Beach, NC to celebrate my oldest sister’s 50^th wedding anniversary. One morning, some of us got up early to go deep sea fishing. As we left the docking area the sun began to rise. It was a beautiful day; so calm and peaceful. But that would soon change.

 

The captain picked up speed as we headed into the open sea. He kept going and going until we couldn’t see any land. Then he maintained a high speed in the open sea even when we kept crashing into the endlessly rolling waves. After about thirty minutes of that, I lost my breakfast and anything else that was in my stomach.

 

Life can be like those endlessly rolling waves. You feel like things are out of control. You’re tossed from one wave to another. And with no land in sight, there’s nothing firm for you to hold onto. So, you just hang on for dear life.

 

Following the stoning of Stephen, “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem”. People were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. No doubt, they may have felt like they were being tossed around by endlessly rolling waves.

Many years later, James wrote his letter to those Jewish Christians.

 

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.   ESV

 

In other words, instead of avoiding trials and testing of your faith, James said to embrace them. For him, it was a matter of perspective. That is, taking a vertical perspective on life, not a horizontal one. Try to look up to see what God is doing.

 

Paul, who originally was a primary cause of the persecution against the church in Jerusalem, after his conversion, put it like this in his letter to the church in Rome.

 

³ We can rejoice, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.    NLT

 

The ESV translates the last phrase of verse 5 as “God's love has been poured into our hearts”. I like the visual of that. The picture of God opening my heart to pour his love into it, is beyond my comprehension.

 

During those times when the Jewish Christians felt like they were being tossed about by the endlessly rolling waves, James advised them to simply pray. That they ask God, not just for knowledge, but for wisdom. Wisdom that would be proven “by living an honorable life, doing good works with humility”.

 

Faith works! It works when we’re tested. It works when we pray. It works when our lives reflect His hope, love and wisdom.

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

The Big Picture

A series on Pauls’ prayers
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Ephesians 3:14-21 

[Paul was a controversial figure in the first century church. But it could also be argued that he was the most dynamic and influential apostle. In this series we’ll be looking at Paul’s prayers and what he has to say to us today.]

  

“You can’t see the forest for the trees”

 

This well-known saying is used when someone is so focused on the details of life that they’re unable to see the big picture. We’re particularly vulnerable to this when life is difficult and we’re facing struggles. We get so focused on our problems, that we can’t see the possibilities.

 

In the Ephesian church, there was a large number of Gentile believers. Because of this, Paul wanted to make sure that they understood that they had an equal standing in the church. In doing so, he didn’t get so involved in the details that he wasn’t able to see the big picture.

 

⁶ And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. ⁷ By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.                                                    NLT            Ephesians 3

 

These thoughts prompted Paul to “fall to my knees and pray to the Father”.

 

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ^17a so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…    NIV

Through his prayer, the ultimate outcome that Paul was looking for was this.

 

¹⁹ So that 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.                NLT

 

But, there’s this thing called life that keeps getting in the way of experiencing the love and fullness of Christ. When we’re in the thick of things, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. The trees keep getting in the way of God’s love.

 

However, in his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.                NIV        Romans 8

 

In the context of Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians, the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees” is a metaphor. The forest is God’s love. It’s also the big picture.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Demolition of Division

A series on Pauls’ prayers
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Philemon 1:4-25 

[Paul was a controversial figure in the first century church. But it could also be argued that he was the most dynamic and influential apostle. In this series we’ll be looking at Paul’s prayers and what he has to say to us today.]

The second house that Debbie and I ever owned was beautiful, but it needed a lot of work. One of the things that needed some attention was the garage. Actually, it was a wreck; to the point of being useless. In fact, it needed to be demolished.

One Saturday, a group of friends came over and that’s exactly what we did. Truth be known, it was kind of fun tearing it down. When we were done, all that was left was a pile of debris and a lot of dust.

 

We live in a time of significant divisions - political, racial, economic and religious – just to name a few. There were many divisions during Paul’s time as well – men and women, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, slave and master.

 

Philemon was a believer from the Colossian church… and a slave owner. According to the NIV Study Bible, Roman era slavery was significantly different from American history. First, it wasn’t based on race. Most slaves could expect to be emancipated. Some even owned property.

 

What prompted Paul’s letter to Philemon was that one of his slaves, Onesimus, stole from him and then ran away. It was during this time as a fugitive that he met Paul and became a Christian.

 

Paul’s personal appeal to Philemon was for him to accept Onesimus as a Christian brother and to forgive him. In light of what happened, forgiveness and reconciliation between owner and slave was a radical request.

 

⁶ And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. ⁷ Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.        NLT

 

Reading between the lines, you can easily see where Paul is going with his prayer. “Put into action the generosity that comes from your faith”. In other words, just as Jesus showed grace to Philemon and forgave him, he should show grace to Onesimus and forgive him.

 

Just like my friends and I knocked down the walls of my dilapidated garage, Paul was asking Philemon to knock down the walls of division between Onesimus and himself. He was asking Philemon to go against the norms of society by not only forgiving Onesimus, but also accepting him as a brother in Christ.

 

¹⁵ Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.            NIV

 

As Paul asked Philemon to knock down the walls of division in his life, the Lord is asking you and me to begin the demolition of division in ours.

 

 

 Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

Heart, Mind and Character

A series on Pauls’ prayers
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Philippians1:3-11 

[Paul was a controversial figure in the first century church. But it could also be argued that he was the most dynamic and influential apostle. In this series we’ll be looking at Paul’s prayers and what he has to say to us today.]

  

I recently spent the day with an old friend who is very dear to me. When we were in college at Michigan Tech, Ken shared the gospel with me one night. My life was changed forever! The rest of that summer Ken was my best friend, mentor and teacher. Wherever Ken went, I followed.

 

And it didn’t end there. The next summer, I followed him to participate in an intensive discipleship program in East Lansing, Michigan. It was another life changing experience.

 

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian church, he felt the same kind of love that I have for Ken.

 

^7a So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. ⁸ God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.            NLT

 

It was because of the love that Paul had for the Philippian believers, that he prayed the following prayer.

 

⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.                 NLT

 

Pauls’ prayer for the Philippian believers was for love, knowledge and right living. In other words, for their heart, mind and character. Scripture tells us that Paul stayed in Philippi for only “several days”. However many days it was, he had a lasting impact on the people there.

 

Like my friend Ken, Paul invested himself into their lives. He shared the Gospel, taught them and lived out his beliefs. Then he prayed for them. For their heart, mind and character.

 

That’s a pretty good prayer don’t you think.

 

Feel free to share this blog with others.

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Guilty as Charged

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling broken from guilt
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 51 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

When I was growing up, my Dad didn’t have to spank me to make me cry. All he had to do was raise his voice. Even though there was no physical pain, I felt the pain of rejection and of a broken relationship with the person who mattered the most to me. David felt the same way with God.

 

He had sinned greatly against God. In the spring when his army went to battle, the great warrior David stayed home. As a result, he had an affair with Bathsheba who became pregnant. When her husband wouldn’t cooperate in David’s cover up scheme, he had him killed. David knew he had sinned. He was guilty as charged!

 

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.  NIV

 

In his guilt and shame, David begged God to forgive and cleanse him. There was a stain on his life that he couldn’t get rid of by himself. His only recourse was to appeal to God’s mercy and love.

 

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.     NLT

 

David had been a man after God’s own heart. He had stood up to the Philistines and defeated Goliath. He had led Israel into battle time and again. When he was unjustly persecuted by King Saul who intended to kill him, David didn’t retaliate. But now his sins overwhelmed him.

 

³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.     NLT

 

However, what haunted him the most was the prospect of losing his relationship with God. The thought of being separated from God drove him to make amends.

 

¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.      NLT

 

David realized that he needed God’s forgiveness. In Israel, the normal way for seeking forgiveness was to offer an animal sacrifice. But David knew that wasn’t enough. He needed to change his life.

 

¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. NLT

 

Sin separates us from God. Only the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross can bridge that chasm; can restore us. Because of Christ, nothing can separate us from God. Paul put it like this to the Roman church.

 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.        NIV

 

David was guilty as charged. But even though he knew nothing about Jesus, he understood that nothing could separate him from God’s love. Not even his sin.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

My Disciplinarian

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling like a disappointment
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 6 

[Life is full of emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for hope. In this series, we will be looking in the mirror of the Psalms, to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

 

Growing up, my Dad was my disciplinarian. This included spanking. The ironic thing is that as I got older it didn’t hurt when he spanked me. But I would still cry because I knew that I had disappointed him.

 

David wrote Psalm 6 as a prayer in response to the Lord’s discipline. It had affected his whole being… mind, body and soul.

 

² Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
    Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³ I am sick at heart.
    How long, O Lord, until you restore me?       NLT

 

In his prayer, he appealed to the Lord’s unfailing love to show mercy.

 

⁴ Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
    Save me because of your unfailing love.        NLT

 

David was a mighty warrior; a man’s man. After all, he had defeated Goliath! And yet, in an unexpected confession, David disclosed not only how he reacted physically to the Lord’s discipline, but also just how emotional he was.

 

⁶ I am worn out from sobbing.
    All night I flood my bed with weeping,
    drenching it with my tears.      NLT

 

We don’t know the specifics of David’s situation; of what led the Lord to discipline him. The NIV study Bible suggests that the Lord was disciplining him by inflicting him with an illness for some sin that he had committed. Think of Bathsheba and her husband Uriah.

 

But what we do know is how he was feeling. We know how the discipline affected the condition of his mind, body and soul. We also know that he based his appeal on the Lord’s unfailing love.

 

You get the feeling that David needed the Lord’s love and acceptance more than anything else. Maybe even, like me, he felt bad because he had disappointed the Lord, his Heavenly Father.

 

We’ve all disappointed someone in our life at one time or another. It might have been a
parent or a spouse or even ourselves. For sure though, we’ve disappointed our Heavenly Father. The Good News is that He hears us when we pray.

 

⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord will answer my prayer.         NLT

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Josie Time

A Series on New Testament Stories
Lazarus, Mary and Martha
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 11:1-44 

[Much of the Bible is made up of stories. Stories about people’s lives, the struggles they faced and their faith, or lack of it. In this series we will be looking at some of those people in the Gospel of John. We’ll try to learn from their stories about who God is, how he worked in their life and how that applies to us today.]

  

Every Tuesday, I pick up my granddaughter at her preschool, take her home to fix her lunch and then take her to her afternoon school. I call this my “Josie time”.

 

We have certain rituals that we do almost every Tuesday. One of them is when I drop her off at her school, I tell the teachers who greet her at the door, “This is Super Josie”! Josie smiles and goes in without saying anything.

 

Here’s a picture of Josie by the door of her preschool classroom. “We choose love”. It’s a good message for children. It’s a good message for adults too. In fact, it was a message that Jesus not only taught, but lived out in his life.

 

¹ Now a man named Lazarus was sick… ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” ⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.       NIV

 

Despite his strong feelings for his friends, he waited two days before going! By the time he arrived, Lazarus had died and been buried. When the sisters learned that Jesus was there, Martha ran out to greet him, but Mary stayed back. She may have been too distraught and overcome with grief to do anything but cry.

 

During the dialog between Jesus and Martha, he tells her, “I am the resurrection”. In turn, Martha confesses her belief that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus then sends for Mary who is still crying.

 

When Jesus sees her, he is "deeply moved in spirit and troubled”. Overcome with emotion we read the shortest verse in the Bible… “Jesus wept”. Then Jesus follows Mary to the tomb and is again “deeply moved”.

 

It’s in this climactic and highly emotional scene of the story, where Jesus prays to his Father and then calls in a loud voice, “Lazarus come out”! The drama is intense. It’s almost like a Hollywood movie, except its real.

 

⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”            NIV

 

Like my granddaughter’s preschool door, Jesus chose love. He wasn’t a robot without feelings. He loved Lazarus, Martha and Mary and openly showed his feelings for them.

 

What if you or I faced a difficult life situation like the loss of a loved one or a job? Or if we struggled with a mental illness or an addiction? Would Jesus love us? Would he weep for us like he did for Mary and Martha? 

 

Yes. Like Lazarus, who he raised from a physical death, he loves us enough to raise us from our spiritual death of sin. To call us out from our tomb to a resurrection life both here on this earth and later in heaven.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

A Baby Changes Everything

Personal reflections on Advent: Love
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:26-38; Romans 5:1-5

  

In the past, when a young single girl got pregnant, her family might have sent her away to a maternity home until the baby was born. That way, nobody had to deal with the embarrassment, guilt and shame. It saved the reputation of the family and the girl.

 

Nine months is a long time. Just ask any pregnant woman. But it may have felt especially long for Mary. She was engaged to be married when she apparently got pregnant by someone else.

 

Can you imagine as she tried to explain to her fiancé, Joseph; her parents; her rabbi? Can you picture the reaction of people as she told them the preposterous story of the angel, and getting pregnant by the Holy Spirt? How ridiculous it must have sounded; how ashamed she must have felt; how alone and isolated she became.

 

It’s not really surprising that shortly after she learned about her condition that she went away to visit her cousin Elizabeth. No doubt, her cousin was a great comfort and encouragement to her. But still, nine months is a long time!

 

Do you think there were times when Mary couldn’t remember the exact words of the angel? Did she ever wonder if it had even been real, if it had actually happened? Doubt can easily creep into our heart and mind when we’re feeling hungry, angry lonely or tired.

 

Whatever doubts Mary may have had, she persevered. She was able to do so because God had spoken directly into her heart and mind through an angel. He had promised to be with her; he had told her how special she was to him; how much he loved her.

 

²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.             NIV

 

Just like Mary experienced God’s hope and love through his word, we can too. And just like his word and his promises carried Mary through difficult times, he is still speaking to us, pouring out his love into our heart.

 

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.       NIV

 

There’s a song by Faith Hill called “A Baby Changes Everything”. It describes Mary’s experience of being pregnant with Jesus, the Son of God. The final verse shifts from looking at Mary to the song writer… and to us.

 

My whole life has turned around
I was lost but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

 

If you would like to listen to it, click on the link below.

 A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams