David Bahn - Reflections

The solid rock upon which we must build our lives is one of repentance and faith. From such a heart will flow good fruit of love and good works. The good treasure in the heart of such a one is the gospel: the message of God's love, grace, forgiveness, and salvation. This treasure is centered in Jesus, sent from the Father, and made sure by the Holy Spirit's constant work in our hearts. Wit...

Let the church be a no-judgment zone. Leave the judging to God. He's much better at it. His judgment fell on Jesus so that we can approach the throne of God's grace in faith and receive the blessings Jesus earned by his life of perfect obedience to these and all of God's laws.

Matthew! What a hero of conversion and hospitality. Perhaps we can all follow his example in one manner or another! Click here for The Chosen episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/87JIUxqTMLk?si=SMouObPpjvJF1ok2

When the people opened a hole in the roof to get the paralyzed man down to Jesus, there is no mention of the homeowner's annoyance. The Pharisees, though, were upset. The paralyzed man was let down through the roof. The Pharisees went through the roof in anger. For them it wasn't about the hole in the roof or the interruption to Jesus' teachings. It was about Jesus' absolution of this man's sins....

The message of the Kingdom of God is good news. It is centered in Jesus. He amazes, astonishes, alarms, and ushers in God's good and gracious reign and rule in all who believe. He was astonishingly dedicated to doing that. He was amazingly focused on the purpose for which he was sent. He was alarmingly intrusive into the plans of the devil. He alone alleviates our deepest pains and saves us fr...

The devil's ploys are not often recognizable for what they truly are. We see the fruit, not the poisonous barb. We see the mirage of benefit rather than the dry desert of desolation. Resist him! Look to the Lord who loves truth, gives grace, and authors life for all who rejoice in his unfailing love.  This is our Jesus. He is mighty to save!

Thank God that when we face that final appearing we will be saved by the merciful kindness of God who for the sake of Jesus' suffering and death saved us, forgave us, redeemed us. God's judgment for all those who believe in Jesus is " Not Guilty. " That is a cause for eternal joy and glory and praise to the LORD, Jesus Christ.

Next time you see a majestic night sky, a glorious sunrise, a magnificent mountain range, or a beautiful landscape, remember the One who created it all. It is his display of righteousness for all to see seen most fully in the cross of Jesus who is our rightness, hope, and salvation. He is truly the One who preserves the lives of his saints and delivers us from the hand of the wicked. May his name...

We sometimes teach a  This is That  technique in our training of pastors and spouses with PLI. It's a way of helping people to remember past events and see how the church has navigated those events and changes.  This [change, event, plan,] is that [past event] all over again.  But in the case of a tyrant, fire and brimstone, judgment and smiting (only) god,  That is not This.  Our God is no wi...

God needs no permission to make the laws of physics, morality, or spirituality. He reigns. He is above all things. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne," says the Psalmist. He rules the world with truth and grace goes the sanza from Joy to the World. This is our God who is above all. He is in charge. So we say: Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,     and give tha...

The Psalmist says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!" Then he adds, "Give thanks to him; bless his name!" Our worship is not an exercise in mere thankfulness. It is a practice of honoring our Redeemer and Lord. It is a matter of blessing Yahweh. It is a matter of coming in to God's presence.  God is everywhere. But he has promised specifically...

When I pray to God, I pray to the One who is able to answer decisively and powerfully. It also means that when I pray to the LORD (Yahweh), I don't pray to a generic deity. I pray to the One who has bound himself to me through a covenant that has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

Why must we remember that God is good? Because we are his people. We did not make ourselves. We did not choose him to be our God. He created us and chose us for his eternal good pleasure and our everlasting joy and blessing. We are sheep. He is the good shepherd. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But our Good Shepherd, Jesus, came to give us life. Abundant life. More than enough life. L...

We are children of God and moved to praise God, and to serve him. Martin Luther connected that when he offered this explanation to the second article of the Apostle's Creed:  "I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all si...

The purpose of praise is two-fold. First it's a proper thing to do. God is worthy of our praise. When we praise God we're not gilding the lily. We're not engaging in flattery. God doesn't need our praise. He is not insecure or needy. He is worthy of all our praise. It is good, right and salutary that we should praise God. We also praise God as a witness to the nations. We're ca...

Praise honors God - always appropriate. Praise puts our problems in perspective; they cannot separate us from God. Praise puts us in our proper place; we are not in charge. Praise sends the devil fleeing. Praise is always proper - especially at the end of our lamentations. Yay God!

I like to think of hope as a three-way dance with trusting and waiting. Paul says, "If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied" ( 1 Corinthians 15:19).  We do have hope in this life, but not only in this life. We have an eternal hope secured and founded upon the steadfast love of God in Jesus. We do not live without hope. It grows out of trust. I...

The answer to our prayer for help may come by way of divine intervention. When it does, we rightly praise God. Sometimes it arrives as a helper, a fellow traveler along the pathway of life. And sometimes it takes the shape of strength of the Holy Spirit who helps us grow in our faith through the struggles we face. As James also says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of var...

Lament is a faithful cry to God. But grumbling is a faithless complaint against God. Or put it this way: Lament says, “Lord, I don’t understand, but I turn to You.” Grumbling says, “God, You’re not doing enough. I deserve better.” You may be struggling desperately with troubles, distress, fear, and pain. Bring those to God. He will hear you. God says, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will...

This is an appeal to the personal identifiable God. He is known by his name. He is not merely a spiritual force. He is the God of the covenant with his people. When Moses was sent to Pharoah to release God's people from slavery, he told Moses that his name was "I AM WHO I AM. Tell them I AM sent you to them." The divine name YHWH (often pronounced as Yahweh) comes from the same Hebre...

It may not be fair that the church today is known for being judgmental and arrogant. But we can do our part to reflect these characteristics of our God - even in a skeptical and hostile world. What better way can we echo Jesus' perfect love than to endure insults if we have to and yet hold to a spirit of love, joy, and peace? What shall we be known for? More important, how can we better let Go...

I was confirmed as a college student. The pastor gave me a confirmation verse that aligns with these thoughts: Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).  I'm t...

We are saint and sinner. And the surest sign that we are saints is that we have a conscience that troubles us when we sin. The greatest danger signal to our spiritual welfare is when we stop feeling bad about something that we know is not right or godly.  It is not an easy battle. And there are times we might wish to be done with it. But God calls us into this battle, and promises to protect us.

Next time you feel the brunt of others' criticism, take heart. You are in good company. Sadly, there are those who delight in disturbing others. Being criticized might be thought of as a red badge of courage. On the other hand it is simply a reality of life in a fallen world. And when we do experience such troubles we can take heart in remembering Peter's encouragement: " "Dear f...

The issue Paul was facing in Galatia wasn't just about circumcision. It was about how that requirement nullified the Gospel and undercut the grace of God. He writes, "I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace."