Thursday, June 30, 2016

Living in a Wicked World - June 30 Reading: 2 Timothy 3


Context

Some things never change. 

This chapter begins by warning us of the terrible times that are coming in the days ahead, then it gives the prescription to those perilous days - the unchanging word of God. The world changes and grows worse, but no matter what, the powerful word of God is still the answer, still what people need. 

Devotional - Living in a Wicked World

I am not a date-setter concerning the Lord's return; the Bible is clear that we ought never to engage in that practice. Will Christ return in my lifetime? In a hundred years? A thousand? I don't know. You don't either and we ought not to speculate.

One thing I do know is that the world Paul described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is similar to the world we live in today. He described how things would be "in the last days" and gave a spot-on prophecy of our world. Is any of this NOT true in our world, even in the Christian world?
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
We have exalted the love of self over the love of others, though Christ called us to join him at his Cross. Can anyone argue that it is unfair to describe Americans as "lovers of money" or that we tend to love pleasure more than we love God? Of course, these qualities are part of the sinful human nature and have always been present, but these trends have escalated dramatically in my lifetime. 

Not only are people boastful and proud today, but we are encouraged to be so - self-assertion and self-adulation are part of a "healthy self-image" according to many. Again, children have always disobeyed their parents, but now the very concept of parental authority is often undercut. Our culture demonstrates a distinct lack of "love for what is good", especially in entertainment. 

The last line is one that haunts me. Religion abounds in America, but I often wonder how much of it is simply a form of godliness - going through the motions of Christianity - without really living in the power of God through his Holy Spirit. 

Again, I don't know what the Lord's time schedule is. Today? Tomorrow? 3014? Who knows? But I know we are living in the kind of wicked world Paul described to Timothy. 

What should we do? Despair? Stand by and complain about the wickedness of this world, shaking our heads in judgment? That was not Paul's response. He pointed Timothy to the inspired scriptures (in 3:16) and told him they were useful for dealing with life in a sinful world. In fact, they were able to make one "complete, equipped for every good work." The unchanging power of the word is still relevant even in a changing world.

In the next chapter (remember, those chapter divisions are not part of the inspired text), he reminded Timothy to preach the word and persist in it (4:2) in spite of those who would reject the truth and gather lying teachers around them. 

What is the point? We live in a wicked world. Maybe the end is near, maybe it is not. I don't know and neither do you. What we do know that is that the word of God is powerful, inspired and  useful. It can change lives as we proclaim the message of Christ. 

It was by continuing to proclaim Christ faithfully in a sinful world that Paul was able, just before his death, to say, in 4:7,
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
We may live in an awful world - sinful, fallen, broken, brutal. But we have an awesome God who has given us a powerful Word by which to live. We must not be discouraged by the wickedness of the world, but must continue to persistently proclaim God's truth, knowing that the power of God works through the preaching of his word.
Father, may I never despair at the wickedness of this world, but may I rest and hope in your sovereignty and the power of your Spirit to change hearts. 
Think and Pray


Are you panicking and in despair over the state of the world? 
Remember that Jesus predicted a world like this and also that in such a world, the gospel is still the power of God for salvation and the word of God is still living, active and powerful. 

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

The Church that Just Won't Die - June 29 Reading: 2 Timothy 1-2


Context

It is likely that 2 Timothy is the last book Paul wrote. In fact, it is possible that by the time Timothy received the letter Paul was already in the presence of his Savior. There is a passion that fills every word as Paul pours out his heart to his best friend and mentee, passing along his most dire warnings and his best advice. 

As a pastor, I find the words of this book powerful, moving, and challenging. Oh, and very convicting!

Devotional - The Church that Just Won't Die

Skeptics have been proclaiming the death of the church and of Christianity for a long time. Have you ever watched a science fiction movie in the future in which a vibrant, faithful church still existed? I've been told by more than one person that Christianity is doomed to dwindle into insignificance - and quickly at that.

And, of course, as much as we mess up the church of Christ with our fleshly behavior, our division, our human traditions and all our failures, you'd think the critics were right. We do everything we can, at times, to give our enemies reason to gloat and to hope in the demise of the church.

But the church is God's creation and will exist until Christ returns. No power, no enemy, no amount of skepticism, not even the failures of the Christians who populate the church, can stop the work of God in his church.

But there is one key to the success of the church that we must not forget. It must be a constant focus in all we do. Paul described it to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1.
You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
 First, we must remember that we stand in grace - the church is a supernatural work of God through Jesus Christ. We will fail, but he will not. We will tremble, he will stand. We must remember to stand strong in grace, remembering that our lives are his work!

But verse 2 is key as well. In this verse, Paul describes how he taught Timothy the things of God - both the way he modeled the grace of Christ and how he taught the truths of the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul "discipled" Timothy to be a great leader for the church. But it didn't end there. Timothy then found other "faithful men" to whom he could pass on that which Paul gave to him. These faithful men were able to teach others also. 

Somehow this year I managed to avoid the big viruses that seem to hit during the winter months. These spread by person-to-person contact (well, sometimes mosquito-to-person, but let's ignore that for now). That's how the gospel works. It is only when we involve ourselves in the lives of others that they catch the "disease" that infects us - a love for Jesus Christ and a passion for the kingdom. (Of course, this assumes we are infected first). Then, those we infect pass the disease on to others. 

As long as there is one passionate, Christ-centered, gospel-preaching, God-loving Christian around, the church will not die. He will infect another with the Christ-virus and that one will pass it on to another. Until Jesus comes, we will continue passing this precious virus on. The enemies of the church and the enemies of the Cross will continue to gleefully predict the demise of the church, and they will continue to be wrong!
Father, infect me with a contagious love for Christ. May I pass that on to others who will pass it on to others - until Jesus returns!
Think and Pray

Are you working to train up younger men and women to be leaders in future generations, to pass along the faith to those who will follow?
Are you contagious?

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

A Word about Sound Doctrine - June 28 Readings: Titus 2-3


Context

Paul's instructions to Titus are practical and specific, telling him how to lead his church. Chapter 2 describes the "sound doctrine" he is to preach - doctrine that guides people's daily lives. Chapter 3 is another series of practical instructions from Paul to this young pastor. 

Devotional - A Word about Sound Doctrine

"It's very important that we teach sound doctrine, isn't it?"

Some of you cringed when I said that because you aren't big fans of deep theological issues or you've been driven crazy by people who want to dig into the minutiae of theological issues. Others felt your hearts go thumpity-thump because you love to dive into the deep end and study those issues and you believe the church needs to be founded on doctrinal truth. You read systematic theologies for recreation.

Some love doctrine and theology and others don't. But while our reactions to the word "doctrine" may differ, what is probably identical is our understanding of what the word means. Doctrine is a mental exercise, often divorced from practical concerns.

But look at Paul's admonition to Titus that opens chapter 2. He tells him to "teach what accords with sound doctrine." But he does not then delve into some kind of academic exercise, but he deals with a series of very practical and relational issues - how older men, older women, younger men and younger women were to behave. Husband and wife relationships. Bondservants and masters. Renouncing  ungodly and worldly passions. Living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.

"Doctrine" as Paul defines it is not a mental exercise. It's understanding the work of Christ and applying it in such a way that we live righteously in the power of Christ. Egg-headed Christianity held no appeal to Paul and the idea of "sound doctrine" that did not deal in real life holiness, that did not deal with relationships and lifestyles was absurd to him.

Yes, doctrine deals with the story of Jesus and his wonderful work of grace, but true doctrine - the teaching of truth - leads to a life that is obedient to and pleasing to the Savior. Doctrine is never just a series of ideas about theology, but truth that changes the way you live your life.
Father, teach me who you are and what Christ did so that I may live as you want me to live. 
Think and Pray

Do you either avoid God's word and its teachings, or do you get bogged down in mental exercises that do not produce practical life changes? 

Monday, June 27, 2016

Men of God - June 27 Readings: Titus 1


Context

You may be wondering why we did not continue from 1 Timothy into 2 Timothy. While there is no hard and fast evidence of chronology in the Pastoral Epistles, it is generally believed that 2 Timothy was the last of Paul's letters, so we turn to the letter to Titus.

Titus, not mentioned in Acts, appears in Galatians 2, accompanying Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and seek reconciliation. He was on the island of Crete, leading the church, and this book is filled with Paul's instructions to him about how to lead in the church of Christ. 

Devotional - Men of God

The shocking thing in Paul's description of a church leader - a pastor, elder, overseer - is how completely different the biblical standard is from that which we have adopted in our world. We've brought the corporate model of leadership into the church and demanded that pastors and other leaders be executives, motivational gurus, and promotional experts. But Paul has a completely different idea about what it takes to lead the church.

We tend to base leadership on external factors - talent, charisma, looks. Paul based it on spiritual and moral character. A leader was to be a man "above reproach."

We focus on a man's public image and job performance. Paul focused on his relationship with his wife and the job he did raising his children.

We focus on a man's performance, but Paul focused on his passions.

We often want someone exciting, vibrant, and personally winning. But Paul emphasized self-control.

We want young people who can attract a young, hip crowd. Paul wanted elders - men of maturity and settled character.

Is it any wonder that if we seek character qualities contrary to the biblical standard that our leaders often lead our churches in a direction different than the word of God defines? If we do not hold to biblical truth in selecting leaders it ought not to surprise us if those leaders do not lead us in a biblical direction.

Father, may I be a man such as Paul described here. Build in me the character of a true man of God

Think and Pray

Most who read here are not pastors, but the character qualities are not only for pastors, elders or church leaders. They are simply held to a higher standard of accountability for those standards. Compare your life to these biblical qualities and see if you are becoming the kind of man or woman God would have you be.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

A Time to Flee - June 26 Readings: 1 Timothy 6:3-21


Context

Paul ends this instruction to Timothy by warning him about one of the great temptations of any minister - money.

A professor in seminary told us once, "There are a lot of things that will hurt your ministry, men. There are two things that will destroy it. Money and women. Don't mess around with either."

Good advice. I think Paul would agree. He tells Timothy to flee from both sexual immorality and from the love of money. 

Devotional - A Time to Flee

Only cowards run away from fights, right? Strong men and women face their troubles and defeat them (in the power of God, of course). They don't back down, they stand and fight.

But strangely, there are times when the inspired Word commands us not to stand and fight, but to flee. Some battles are so intense that wisdom tells us that we should not try to face these foes, but run away. In other scriptures, we are told to run from sexual immorality. The temptation toward sexual immorality is so strong and the consequences so devastating that we should run away from anything that brings temptation.

Here, in 1 Timothy 6, we are told that there is something else we need to flee from. Verse 11 instructs Timothy, the "man of God," to "flee from these things." What was it that Paul had been discussing? What was it that Timothy was to flee from? Verses 9-10 make that clear.

But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
Greed. Materialism. The love of money. The desire to be rich. This temptation to live for financial gain instead of the purposes of God. It is a besetting sin in American culture and has even been baptized by those who preach, contrary to the weight of God's Word, that God desires for all the redeemed to be immensely wealthy.

But greed and materialism are not to be trifled with or treated as godly desires. We must run from them, flee! Materialism is a soul-killing, foolish desire that plunges our lives into ruin and destruction. The love of money is a root from which grows all kinds of evil. When we follow the desire to be rich, we wander away from a simple faith in God and pierce ourselves with pains and troubles.

We must run from this, right into the arms of God. We must reject completely the love of money and instead give ourselves over completely to the love of God.
Father, I belong to you, bought by your Son' blood. May I never live for any reward but your pleasure and may I never invest my life in anything but your kingdom. 
Think and Pray

Have you fallen prey to the love of money?
Have the desires for the things of this world grabbed hold of your soul?
Spend time before the Lord considering your heart and whether the love of money has any hold on it. 

Saturday, June 25, 2016

In All Purity - June 25 Readings: 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2


Context

One of the frustrating things about the New Testament is that often things were clear in that context and so they were not clearly explained. For instance, in today's passage, Paul talks about some kind of registry of widows. What is it? Timothy knew, so Paul didn't explain. We don't know and are left to speculate.

What is clear is that respect and holiness were key elements in the life of the early church and Paul admonished Timothy to live these things out daily. 

Devotional - In All Purity

Three simple words struck me in this reading today. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Paul gives his apprentice a series of instructions about how to deal with various people. The older men are to be shown respect as if they were fathers and encouraged in the faith, the younger men treated as brothers. The older women were to receive respect as mothers and the younger women were to be treated as sisters.

The church is a family and we must walk in unity and fellowship, sharing our lives and hearts with one another. But there is a problem with that; one Paul seemed to understand. We are not actually family. And when you share your heart and your life with others, when relationships grow deep and friendships blossom, there are times that temptations can also grow.

  • How many pastors or church leaders have shipwrecked their ministries when they "counseled" a troubled sister and that relationship grew too close?
  • How often has a friendship between a brother and sister in Christ crossed that line? 

The intimacy of Christian fellowship drives us so close in relationships that we are sometimes tempted to cross that line of propriety and Paul's last words in verse 2 come into play.
...in all purity. 
It is far too often that the stories circulate of another pastor or church leader who has "fallen" and most of the time the sin takes place with one of those spiritual family members. There is a growing movement in the church today that says we've made too big a deal over sexual matters. We've shamed people, heaped guilt on them, set ridiculous and old-fashioned standards.

But for Paul there is only one standard in the church of Jesus Christ and it is a high one. It is not just purity, but "all purity." We are called to walk the path of sexual and moral chastity and fidelity in the church. It must not reflect the world's values or standards, but the righteousness of God.

Because of the spiritual intimacy that comes from fellowship in Christ, from being part of the family of God, we must be constantly on guard and vigilant in maintaining "all purity" in the church. We must walk in mental purity, verbal purity, relational purity, and moral purity.

Father, cleanse my heart and make it pure. Help me to see temptation coming before it traps me. May I always be put in Christ. 

Think and Pray

Are you walking in "all purity" in your relationships within the body of Christ?
Are you careful to maintain boundaries and structures to protect your purity? 

Friday, June 24, 2016

Spiritual Daredevils - June 24 Readings: 1 Timothy 3:14-4:16


Context

What is it that makes a man a good minister, a good servant of God in the church of Jesus Christ? In this section, Paul instructs Timothy on what it means to be faithful, to be a good leader in the church. Today, you have to be a CEO, a motivational guru, a management expert and you need to be up on the latest corporate leadership trends. But Paul set forth a much simpler way for Timothy and others, one that had two essential characteristics.
  • 1) A "good leader" in the church should be an example (regardless of age) to other believers. We lead based on character, not on talent or charisma. 
  • 2) He should faithfully and carefully proclaim God's word to the people. Verses 11-14 make this clear. 
True leadership is about a man's character and it is about communicating God's word.

One particularly joyful note for me is verses 1-5 of chapter 4. In this section, Paul warns about those who will depart from the faith and teach /"doctrines of demons." What are these demonic teachings? The first is the teaching of celibacy - an ascetic teaching that grew in the church and caused great problems. But the other teaching is, essentially, vegetarianism! Hey, if you want to eat the food that my food east, more power to you! But don't tell me that is what God demands of me! This passage tells me differently. It (like Genesis) tells us that God has given us all food (meat and vegetables) to be received with thanksgiving.

So, c'mon over and let's barbecue!

Devotional - Spiritual Daredevils

We glorify daredevils, those brave, foolish souls who do things that amaze us and leave us thinking, "That was really stupid." I was watching something on the X-Games recently - I think it was called "Big-Air." These guys built a ramp for the bikes and skateboards, but this was no ordinary ramp. It was huge. It takes a special kind of nut to hurtle down that, into the air, and do tricks!

Paul told Timothy that the man of God was not to be a spiritual daredevil, taking chances with his life or his doctrine. In 1 Timothy 4:16, he admonished him,
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching
He had defined a good servant of God - a good pastor/leader/elder - by two standards. He was to be a man of character who set an example for the believers. Timothy was young, but in verse 12 Paul told him to live as an example of godly character anyway. Here, Paul warned Timothy to keep a tight, close watch on his character, "on yourself."

It is easy to get so involved in life, and even in ministry, that you become spiritually careless and allow your soul, your spiritual life, you personal character to grow holes. When a man of God develops holes in his character, they tend to grow bigger and bigger, until eventually either he comes to repentance or his life crumbles around him. A wise man of God (or woman) is careful. Daily. He engages in self-examination and inspection - not spiritual morbidity, but a healthy Spirit-led perusal of his walk in Christ

He also must keep his doctrine, his doctrine  monitored carefully. A man must stay in the word and be faithfully studying and learning God's truth, refreshing his mind and heart in the ways of God. A pastor who downloads sermons or simply goes to his files for yesterday's manna will eventually run dry in his heart. .

So, we are the opposite of daredevils. They act without regard to consequences. But we, as men and women of LGod, constantly monitor ourselves. We gauge the direction of our lives. What trajectory am I on? Am I growing in Christlikeness and in the knowledge of God's word?

The enemy has lad many traps to divert and destroy the servants of the One True God in this world. We must maintain constant vigilance and care in our walk that we not fall prey to his lies, his schemes, or his machinations. Only as we walk in the word, and carefully "give thought to our ways," can we stay on the path that God has prepared for us.
Father, I thank you for your salvation and your sustaining grace. Help me to walk in dependence on you every day. May I never grow careless about my life, my character or my knowledge of your word. 

Think and Pray


Are you walking carefully?
Are you keeping a close watch on your life, your walk with Christ and the development of your character?
Are you staying in the word and growing in the knowledge of God's truth?

Thursday, June 23, 2016

One Mediator - June 23 Readings: 1 Timothy 2:1-3:13

Today's Reading

Context

In this passage, you see evidence of a growing structure in the early church. The church at Pentecost had little organization, but that grew over time. In these two chapters, Paul instructs Timothy on key elements of the church's life. The supremacy of Christ, the relationships of men and women, and the character-based leadership of the church are all discussed.

By this point there seem to have been two offices developed in the church - elders (according to Acts 20:28 and other passages, the words pastor, elder, and overseer are interchangeable) and deacons.

Devotional - One Mediator 

It is an awesome thing to stand on the ancient steps of the Temple in Jerusalem, one of the few places where the original stones that Jesus walked on are still in place. There, you can imagine people for hundreds of years walking up those stairs into the Temple courtyard to offer sacrifices day after day, week after week, year after year.  Hebrews 10 tells us that those sacrifices revealed the fundamental flaw in the system - they could remind people of their sin and their need for salvation but could not provide a permanent solution for them. They could not truly wash away sin, but they were a foreshadowing of the sacrifice that God would send one day to deal with sins for real and forever.

At the perfect time, God sent Jesus into this world as his permanent, "once for all" solution to our sin problem. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says,
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
There is only one God - the Creator and ruler of the world, the one against whom we have sinned and from whom we are separated. Our sins build a wall between us and God and prevent us from experiencing the life he intended for us. But there is a mediator, One who stood between God and man, who gave himself for us and for our sins, to make peace with God and to make us fit to dwell in God's presence forever. He was the only truly unblemished sacrifice ever, perfect, sinless holy. One sacrifice paid the entire price for all the sins of all those who believe in Christ. Once and for all the way was opened for us.

Every day of my life I will be grateful that the God against whom I sinned, the God who had every right to send me to eternal hell, instead sent his Son as the mediator to reconcile me to God by giving his own life as a sacrifice for mine. Because of his sacrifice, no other sacrifice is needed - ever.
Thank you Lord for sending your Son as my mediator, who paid my ransom that I might live. 
Think and Pray

Thank God today that he sent one mediator who in his once-for-all sacrifice paid eternally for your sins.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

I Am the Worst - June 22 Readings: 1 Timothy 1


Context

1 Timothy 1 begins the last of Paul's letters, known as the Pastoral Letters (written to "pastors" Timothy and Titus). After Acts, Paul was released and traveled around in ministry until his re-arrest and eventual execution by Nero. These letters are believed to have been written during his second imprisonment. They give instructions to these church leaders about organization and administration of a church and what it means to be a leader. 

Several things come to the forefront - the importance of character in church leaders, the highest value Paul places on the reading and preaching of God's word, warnings against false teachers, and calls to these two pastors to be faithful no matter what comes. 

Devotional - I Am the Worst

When I look back at my life, there are many moments of which I am not particularly proud. I dated a girl one summer, when I was working at a Christian camp in Missouri, who had an annoying habit of putting herself down all the time. She did it so that I would compliment her. "I'm so ugly." "No, you aren't. You are pretty." That's what she wanted. But being the mature man of grace that I was I decided that it would be best if I simply agreed with everything she said. Whenever she put herself down, I agreed with her. "I'm stupid." "Well, if you say so." Strangely, our relationship only lasted a few weeks.

That young lady wasn't sincerely demeaning herself. She was fishing for compliments. She didn't truly believe she was ugly or stupid, she was just trying to get me to say what she wanted to hear me say. But in 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul was speaking truthfully when he said that Christ came to save sinners and then said, "of whom I am the worst." That was not false modesty. He was not fishing for a compliment or trying to get Christ or anyone else to say, "Now, Paul, you know you really aren't that bad a person! Paul was speaking the hard, cold truth.

Note that when he said that, two things were true. He was towards the end of his life, having achieved a great deal of spiritual growth and maturity. This was not the newly-converted Saul who spoke to Ananias. This was the apostle to the Gentlies, the missionary of missionaries. This was the greatest evangelist the church has ever known. Yet still he called himself the chief of sinners here at the end of his life - in the present tense. He does not say, "I was the chief of sinners" but he says, "I am the worst."

Paul was constantly aware of his own sinful weakness. Of course, this does not mean that he indulged the flesh or lived carelessly. He was holy and battled the sinful flesh. He would not sin that grace might abound. He is not saying here that he had given himself over to a lifestyle of sin. But he is saying that as he grew in Christ he was ever aware that it was Christ's merit not his own that mattered. He was saved by grace not by his own righteousness.

The truly mature believer does not become self-righteous and superior as he grows in Christ. A woman of God who reaches maturity does not deny her sin. No, such a person, even as he or she walks in holiness and in the fullness of the Spirit becomes increasingly aware of their own weakness, the frailty of the flesh, their absolute need for Christ, and the utter depravity of human condition.

Paul was instructing Timothy here on how to lead the church of God. In his first admonition he made it clear that the core of Christian leadership is the realization that one is a sinner, utterly unworthy of anything but hell, who has become a recipient of grace. We are dependent on Christ for everything.

No one can become a successful servant of Jesus Christ until he or she reaches that point of despair in the flesh and dependence on Christ. It's not some kind of false humility. No, it is the secret of our lives as believers. For us, it is not morbid or "negativtive" to consider our sins. It is the key to everything good and glorious in life.

Father, May Jesus Christ be praised as the only hope of salvation and sustaining grace in my life. I am weak but he is strong. 

Think and Pray

Do you depend on yourself, or like Paul do you remind yourself of your own depravity, your utter and total dependence on the work of God for all things?
Do so today. 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Walls Fall Down - June 21 Readings: Philemon

Today's Reading

Context

The gospel shattered many of the social divisions of First Century culture. Jew and Gentile. Rich and poor. Slave and free. All of those things that separated people in the world came to mean nothing in the church. Philemon is a book about two men - a slave and his master - and how the love of Christ brought them together.

Devotional - Walls Fall Down

Fate determined that Philemon and Onesimus would stand on opposite sides of life's railroad tracks. Philemon was wealthy, successful, a man who was able to have a slave. Onesimus was that slave. Evidently, from what Paul said in Philemon 11, he was a "useless" slave, one who did not do the work he was assigned and who eventually ran away from Philemon.

Then, something happened. Onesimus, while he was on the lam, met a man named Paul, who introduced him to Jesus Christ. Coincidentally, Paul had also met Philemon and introduced him to Christ. And when the two men met Jesus, everything in their lives changed, including their relationship to one another. Those human walls which divided them began to crumble in Christ.

Our human differences mean a lot to us. Republican. Democrat. Hawkeye. Cyclone. Cornhusker. Hobby preferences. Likes and dislikes. White. Black. Brown. Rich. Poor. We are diverse and these differences matter to us. Division seems to come naturally to us.

But when Jesus Christ gets hold of our lives, the human differences become lesser in importance and our unity in Christ becomes what matters most. Paul reminded Philemon that Christ had fundamentally changed the relationship between the slave and the owner. Now, they were in much more than an economic relationship, they were in an eternal family. They were brothers in Christ. The injuries of the past faded in comparison to the new reality of Christ.

Knowing Christ does not immediately or permanently remove all human differences. Some of us are rich and some are poor. We come from different backgrounds and have different skin colors. We remain men and women. These things don't change when Christ saves our souls. But when we are in the family of God, those human differences, still real, just become less significant.

It will only be in heaven, I suppose, that we find out "the rest of the story" concerning Onesimus and Philemon. Did they reconcile? Did Onesimus receive both forgiveness and freedom? Paul seemed confident, in verse 22, of a positive outcome.

But when we walk in Christ, those human things that divide us no longer need to build walls. Jesus Christ tears down walls and builds unity among us.
Father, may I focus on Christ and his work that brings unity, not on the human things that divide. 
Think and Pray

Do you allow human divisions to become divisive in the church?
Are you working to break down social barriers to reach out across racial, economic, and other human barriers?




Monday, June 20, 2016

A Primer on Christian Living - June 20 Reading: Colossians 3-4

Today's Reading

Context

Most of Paul's letters follow a distinct pattern. First, he establishes a doctrine - usually based on the nature and work of Christ. Then, he applies that doctrine in practical ways. In chapter 1, Paul established the supremacy of Christ and reminded Christians that it was "Christ in you" that was our hope of glory. In chapter 2, he confronted the heresy that was spreading in Colossae that neglected Christ and replaced him with philosophy, ritual, and false religion. Now, Paul turns to the practical outworking of that.

The reader will notice a lot of similarities between the practical teachings of Colossians 3 and 4 and those of Ephesians 4-6.

Devotional - A Primer on Christian Living

Colossians 3:1-17 may be one of the best descriptions of the necessities of Christian living in the Word of God. In it are twelve dynamics of successful Christian living, presented in a significant sequence.

The first two steps have to do with setting our hearts and minds on the things that matter. Verse 1 tells us to "seek the things that are above," speaking to our hearts, our priorities. Instead of living for the world's pleasures, we must seek the things of God. Then, in verse 2, we must set our minds on things above, not on the things of this earth. These first two dynamics speak of our purpose, our focus, our passions. Are your mind and heart set on the things of God or are you focused on this world?

Once we have set our minds and hearts, the next step is to deal with the negatives of our sinful condition. Some things have to be put to death, just plain killed! We cannot dabble in sexual immorality and impurity or even materialistic covetousness. These are destructive sins that must be dealt with severely - they have no place in the life of a Christian. There are other behaviors that we must put away from ourselves  - anger and all of its cousins. Anger may be among the most common and destructive sins we have in our lives. We must put those things away - anger is spiritual poison. Also, the devil is a liar, God's people should not be. We must put away all forms of lying from our lives. We cannot go forward in Christ until by the Spirit's power we face our dark sides and deal with them. Thank God, through Christ he has given us victory.

As we put away the works of the flesh, we also put on the new clothing of Christ. We must let the clothing of kindness and compassion replace the old, dirty clothing of anger that we put away. We must bear with one another's aggravations, But more than that, we must forgive when offended, in the same way Christ has forgiven us. Love must be the primary motive in all we do.

Paul ends with a series of admonitions about our attitudes and motivations. We are to allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts instead of stressing out and being worried. We must be thankful in all of life's circumstances. We must let the word of Christ dwell in us, filling us with God's Spirit. Finally, all that we do, we do in the name of Jesus Christ. That means that we access all the resources and power that is ours because of what Jesus does in us. His power and his strength.
Father, may my mind and heart be focused on you. May I deal with my own dark side, letting the grace of Christ overcome the sin in my heart. And may I put on the righteous clothing you have provided for me. 
Think and Pray

Look over these twelve steps and analyze your Christian life.
Are you on track? Are you faltering?
What is the biggest area in which you need to improve?








Sunday, June 19, 2016

The Two-Step Heresy- June 19 Readings: Colossians 2:4-23

Today’s Readings

Context

It is in this section that Paul confronts the heresy that was rampant in Colossae, which some have described as proto-gnostic while others have argued for something less specific and less defined. We may never know exactly what the heresy was, except that it did what all heresies do - it took the focus of the church away from Christ. So, Paul, having exalted Christ in chapter 1 reminded the people that nothing - not Jewish feasts and rituals, or the pagan elemental spirits, or any philosophy, theology, or idea is worth abandoning the pure joy of Christ.

It was frustrating to Paul, I'm sure, to be under house arrest in Rome while false doctrine was spreading among the churches he worked to establish, even those for whom he was a spiritual grandfather more than father. His strong words here are reminiscent of the strong words he used to admonish the Galatians about their abandoning of grace to pursue legalistic righteousness.

Devotional. - The Two-Step Heresy

Raising children is a daunting task, especially when you are no longer able to govern and control every choice, every decision they make. Paul ran squarely into this problem with his churches. In fact, in 2 Corinthians he listed this as among the greatest of his stresses as an apostle. Will my spiritual children be okay? Will they continue in grace or will they be sidetracked by the myriad false teachers,false apostles, and false Christ's Jesus promised would abound in the church?

Paul kept things simple for his children in the faith. Jesus. Stay with him. There was doctrine and there were guidelines for life, but it was "Christ in you" who was their hope of glory and he repeatedly enjoined them to walk with Jesus, to make him the center of everything, and not to be distracted from him by anything.

In verse 6, Paul makes a key point, one that is so often forgotten in Christian circles, replaced by what I call the "two-step heresy." No, that has nothing to do with dancing. It is the idea that there are two separate and distinct steps in the believer's life. First, he is saved by grace, by trusting in Jesus. We understand that salvation is of God and not by our own works. But we've created a second step, called the Christian life, that operates by a completely different set of rules. Now that you are saved, the "two-step" goes, you have to live by doing your best in your strength, trying to do something good for God.

But in verse 6, Pauls says this:
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him...
The dynamics of the Christian life are the same of the dynamics of salvation - you must trust God and depend on him for the strength to live as a Christian every bit as much as you depended on God for your soul's salvation. This doesn't mean that you don't have to strive against the flesh, but that you strive in the power of Christ. Yes, you battle, but it is in Christ's power and with the weapons he gives. We battle in his strength not our own. Those who think they must live their Christian lives simply "giving it their all" and depending completely on themselves are doomed to fail. It is about the lordship of Christ and depending on him.

I must make it clear that I am not saying that we are to be passive or that Christian growth is automatic. That teaching is prevalent in some circles of Christianity today, is not scriptural, and seems to have devastating results - it is not grace but a perversion of grace. The grace of God does not free us from the battle against sin, it empowers us. It does not mean we need not seek holiness, but it makes holiness possible! 

The grace that saves is the grace that sanctifies and sustains us. I was saved by grace and I live each day by grace. 
Father, thank you that I can rely on your strength and power as much for my life as a believer every day as I did for my salvation. 

Think and Pray 

Are you attempting to live in your own strength or are you walking in Christ's power, in the fullness of the Spirit, and in full faith

Saturday, June 18, 2016

King of the Hill - June 18 Readings: Colossians 1:1-2:3

Today's Reading

Context

Colossians was unique in several ways. Unless there are travels not mentioned in Acts, Paul never actually visited the city of Colossae. He spent a long time in nearby Ephesus and was the spiritual father of the church.

A heresy had arisen in the church - one which we know little about today. It was believed by many to be an early form of the later heresy of Gnosticism, but recent scholars have questioned that. All that we really know about the heresy we can discern from the correctives Paul gives. The heresy downgraded Christ, which is why Paul spends the entire book exalting him. It also was based on arcane philosophy and perhaps Jewish rituals and practices.

The core message of Colossians is that Christ is supreme over all, that Christ in us is our hope of glory (1:27)  and that we ought to live our lives in the light of the character and work of Christ. Chapter 1 establishes the glory and superiority of Christ, chapter 2 confronts the heresy that degraded Christ, and chapter 3 gives practical exhortations in the light of those teachings.

Devotional - King of the Hill

Did you ever play "King of the HIll" when you were a kid? We'd find a pile of dirt or rocks and one guy would stand on top, declaring himself the king. Everyone else would try to scramble and scrap their way to the top, throwing down anyone who stands in the way.

In this world, this giant hill of dirt, there is a king already established - seated firmly on the throne. There is no threat to that throne, no one who can dislodge him from his place. The one who is king of the hill today will be tomorrow and for all time.

His name is Jesus.

Colossians 1:15-20 describes the greatness and glory of Christ, exalting him as preeminent over all things on this earth - the king of this entire hill. And because he is the king, he is the one our lives are supposed to be about. He is our "hope of glory" (1:27).

Something had happened in Colossae and people had forgotten that. They were focused on other things - festivals, rituals, myths, arcane teachings. But they'd forgotten Jesus and that was a mistake that Paul did not want anyone to make, because everything was about him, the world exists for him, and he is the one who has done everything needed for our lives both eternally and temporally.

He is not only the king of the hill, he is the king of love, mercy and grace.

Father, thank you for your Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is supreme not only over the entire universe but also over my heart. 
Think and Pray

Read through Colossians 1:15-20 and write down all the character qualities and great works of Christ. Spend time in praise of the glory and greatness of our Savior.

Friday, June 17, 2016

I Can Do All Things? June 17 Readings: Philippians 4


Context

Our verse today is in the hall of fame of misinterpreted and misapplied verses. 

Devotional - "I Can Do All Things?" 
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 
What a wonderful verse - and one that is much used in this world. I can hit a home run or score a touchdown through Christ who strengthens me. I can succeed in business through Christ who strengthens me. I can achieve this personal goal through Christ who strengthens me. I can stick to my diet through Christ who strengthens me.

We have turned Philippians 4:13 into a motivational mantra, a motto to be hung on the wall and to be remembered as we go through this world attempting to reach our goals, achieve our potential, find happiness and success and be all that we have hoped to be. And certainly, this verse has a wide application. God can empower us to do all that he calls us to do.

But the common motivational uses of this verse are not exactly what Paul intended when he wrote it (under the Spirit's inspiration).  Verses 11 and 12, which (obviously) immediately precede this favorite verse, provide the context.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Paul was commending the Philippians for the generosity to him, but clarified in these verses that his purpose was not just to seek money from them. He had learned to be content whatever happened to him. Paul had experienced both abundance and lack. Sometimes, he had all that he needed, sometimes he did not. His goal was not the accumulation of possessions, but contentment in Christ.

When he says, "I can do all things through Christ," he is talking about handling anything this world throws at him. If he abounds, he will abound for the glory of God. If he is in need, he will continue to glorify God and serve him. His life was about doing all things for God's glory regardless of what happened to him. Facing plenty or hunger, he could do it all through the strength that Christ gave him.

And that is the key here. Paul was not saying that we should set our goals and appeal to Christ to be our source of strength as we reach them and do as we please. He was living in the will of God and accepting whatever God had for him. This verse is not about getting what I want or achieving my goals, but about living in God's will wherever that takes me.

It is a beautiful verse, of course, but it is a verse that must be set in its appropriate context, not ripped from that context and made to say what it doesn't say.

Father in heaven, may I accept your will and live in the peace that passes understanding and the contentment of Christ no matter what, knowing that whatever comes, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 

Think and Pray


Thursday, June 16, 2016

Jesus Is Better - June 16 Readings: Philippians 3


Context

If you spoke Greek, you might be a little surprised at Philippians 3:8. Paul was a Jew and had lived his life to be a good one. He was up and coming in the religious and scholarly circles of Judaism and was a leader in the efforts to squash that troublesome sect that followed Jesus. Then, one day, he met that Jesus on the road to Damascus. Here, Paul describes how he gave up everything for Christ. Everything. 

And in verse 8 he says he considers these things "rubbish." That's the word the English translations use because the most accurate translation wouldn't really look very nice. It's kind of vulgar. Paul uses a word for manure - human waste. But it's a fairly "colorful" word. Dr. Daniel Wallace, one of the greatest experts on Greek alive, says the word's best translation lies somewhere between our word "crap" and another word I'm not allowed to say!

Are you offended? That is Paul's point! He is saying that everything that mattered to him - his religion, his culture, his heritage, his upbringing, his ambitions and passions, it all became a stinky pile of...well...um...rubbish...when he came to Christ!

When you come to Christ, truly come to Christ, the "vain things that charmed you most" become stinky, disgusting, horrible things. 

Paul wasn't being needlessly vulgar, he was making a point. Compared to Jesus, everything else is skubala (that's the Greek word - you translate it how you wish). 

Devotional - Jesus Is Better 

"I like myself just the way I am."
"Don't try to change me."
"I am who I am and you shouldn't judge me."
"This is the way I was raised - my heritage."

In America's self-centered and self-affirming culture, we place a greater value on being ourselves than on becoming what God wants us to be.

Paul had no such issue. In Philippians 3:4-6 Paul catalogs his identity before Christ appeared to him on the Damascus Road.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 
Paul was a loyal Hebrew, a Pharisee and one who closely observed the law. He attempted to follow the law as carefully as he could and was so passionate about his faith that he even persecuted the church.

But when Paul came to Christ, he did not cherish his culture, prize his heritage, hold on to traditions or insist on affirming himself the way he was. Instead, he turned his back on all of these things that once made him so proud and considered them loss, even garbage. They no longer meant anything to him because of his passion for Jesus Christ.
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 
Nothing that was part of Paul's past, his culture, his heritage, his former life was of great value to him anymore because of the exceedingly wonderful value of knowing Jesus Christ. 

He had a new goal. It was not to seek his own way or to "be all he can be." No, his new purpose, in verses 9 and 10, was:
…in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Now it was all about knowing Christ, experiencing the power of his resurrection and serving him sacrificially in both his life and if necessary, by his death. 
Father, may I be like Paul, who left behind everything to pursue the knowledge of Christ. 
Think and Pray


Are you willing to give up everything you are and have and value to gain Christ? Are you willing to press on, leaving everything else behind? 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Like Jesus - June 15 Readings: Philippians 2


Context

This passage is another of my favorites. It says things that are shocking to our me-first, self-esteem culture. "Count others more significant that yourselves." Say what? The passage on the humility and exaltation of Jesus in verses 9-11 is one of the greatest in the NT! 

Devotional - Like Jesus

Paul cared about the glory of God, the proclamation of the gospel, the power of the resurrected Christ and the fullness of the Spirit. But one of the things he cared most about, as a result of those truths, was the unity of the Body of Christ. It glorified God, it was one purpose of the gospel - to redeem ONE Body, and it was a work of the Holy Spirit. It was one of the most common themes of his writings.

We see that in Philippians 2:1-11. Because of the mercies and comfort of God and because of the work of the Spirit, he called on the church to:
"...complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:2-4 
What would bring Paul bliss would be if the church were of the same mind (that doesn't mean they always have to agree, but that they agree to put Christ first), unite in love for God and for one another and to live in one accord. Again, that does not imply any kind of forced uniformity or suppression of various opinions. It means a united will to make Christ known and to encourage one another in the Body of Christ.

The second phrase, in verse 3, is a shocking one. We are not to act out of selfishness of any form, but are to "count others more significant than yourselves." That runs directly contrary to the "you have to love yourself first" mentality that predominates in this world. We are not to assert ourselves or put ourselves first, but to honor one another. Each of us should see ourselves as servants among royalty, humble and devoted to the other's success. That is what verse 4 says, that we ought to see the interests of others, not just our own.

Paul makes it clear (1 Corinthians 3, Romans 14) that we will stand before God to have our lives as believers reviewed. I believe that the basis of that review will primarily be our obedience to that verse. Jesus' life and ministry was all about serving others. Who is a spiritual success as a result of my ministry in his or her life? Who have I encouraged? Helped to lift up when they were fallen? Led to walk with Christ? Instructed in the full counsel of God? Our lives are measured in the lives of those we serve in the name and by the power of Christ.

Verses 6-11, thought by some to be the remnants of an early hymn sung in the NT church, describe Jesus as the model of this selflessness. He left heaven and sacrificed his lofty position to come to earth in humility and die for the redemption of sinners. God then exalted him to the highest place which he occupies today and bestowed on him that Name he always deserved.

We must, by the Spirit's power, follow after the example of Jesus and give up our status, our ambitions, our goals, hopes and dreams to serve others as Jesus did. We must have the mind of Christ.

Father, may I be like Jesus Christ, who gave up his own glory and served others in your name. 

Think and Pray


Self-centeredness is directly contrary to the way of Christ. Do you live for self or for Christ and others? Think through your life and consider this question carefully. 

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

To Live Is Christ - June 14 Readings: Philippians 1


Context

Philippians is an upbeat book, written to one of Paul's favorite churches. The church at Philippi did things right - they were faithful, generous, committed. It is a joyful book. Paul wrote the book to explain why he was in prison. Evidently, this was causing consternation to some and a few troublemakers were using it to undermine Paul. 

There are three themes in the book. First, Paul exalts Jesus throughout. "To live is Christ." Second, Paul talks about joy. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice." Finally, Paul wrote the book to explain his sufferings and imprisonment and to give glory to God in them. 

Devotional - To Live Is Christ


Paul is my hero.

Of course, Jesus is the Savior who purchased me and the Lord to whom I must submit every day. But Paul is the human example who impresses me so much. He was bold in the proclamation of Christ, risking his life on a regular basis. There was nothing he wouldn't do to advance the gospel. He was willing to put his culture behind him and give up many of the trappings of Judaism to reach Gentiles. He endured persecution such as I can't even imagine and never let it slow him down.

On a pastor's resume, he generally gives a brief statement of his personal philosophy of ministry. That is essentially what Paul gives in Philippians 1:20-26. He begins with a summary statement in verse 20.
It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

It was his greatest fear that in some way he might shame his Savior. Instead, he desired that in everything he did Christ would be honored. If he lived, he wanted to honor Christ. If he died, he wanted his death to honor Christ. For him, it was all about Christ. When he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, all of his dreams, hopes and ambitions were subsumed into a desire for the glory of Jesus to shine through him.

At the time of the writing of Philippians, he was in prison in Rome and did not know his fate. Maybe Caesar would look at the facts and release him. Maybe Caesar would decide to end his life. He did not know. In a strange statement, in verse 23, Paul claims that he is torn between his options. Most of us hold on to life but Paul was so captivated by Christ that his heart's desire was to go to heaven and see his Savior face to face.

But he was also willing to stay in his difficult and challenging life if that would produce "fruitful labor" that would bring many to Christ and help many grow strong in him. His personal preference - to be with Jesus - was of no value compared to doing faithfully the work God had set before him.

His life motto was pretty simple, as stated in verse 21.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Living is all about Jesus - his will, his ambitions and purposes, his work. And the more that living is about Jesus, the more that death becomes gain. Paul was not suicidal in any way, but his heart's desire was to be with his Lord. When you have a life as difficult as his, heaven is appealing. When we live for the world, death is a tragedy. When Christ is life, death is graduation into glory.


Father, I want to be like Paul. Help me more, ever day, to make my life about Christ so that death can be gain.

Think and Pray

Is your life about Christ, or is Christ simply a part of it? 


Monday, June 13, 2016

Don't Settle - June 13 Readings: Ephesians 6


Context

After continuing the teachings of chapter 5 on the life of one filled with the Spirit into the roles of fathers and children and slaves and masters, Paul closes the book with a powerful admonition to put on all the armor God has for us as we do battle with the spiritual forces of darkness. Using the pieces of armor the Roman soldiers wore, he reminded the Christian to put on the six key pieces of armor, each rooted in the word of God and then to go to battle in prayer. 

Devotional - Don't Settle 

I am not good at bargaining. On our way back from the villages, we always stop for a day in Ziguinchor, Senegal, and we go to the Artisan compound to do a little bit of souvenir shopping. Our guide, Alioune, is a master at haggling down he price. He won't settle until he gets the lowest possible price. I tend to give in and pay way too much. I settle.

Paul warns us, in Ephesians 6, not to settle for less than all that God has for us. We can't afford to settle. That is not some kind of motivational-guru, "be-all-you-can-be" call to reach your full potential. Paul is warning us that the days are evil and the enemy is powerful. You and I cannot afford to go into battle poorly armed and shoddily prepared. It's foolish. It's spiritual self-destruction.

The enemy is always ready, always prepared, always going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The Christian who goes out without the full armor is destined to fail in his battles with the principalities and powers.

Each of those pieces of armor represents two things - they represent Christ and they represent the power of the Word. You need to walk daily in the fullness of the Spirit, as chapter 5 commanded, but you also need to be in the word so that the power of Christ will be fully revealed in you. Your head, your heart, your feet, all of you need to be immersed in the word of God so that the power and presence of Christ will be seen through you.

Don't settle for anything less than the full armor of God. 

Father, clothe me today in the full armor of your Son!

Think and Pray

Are you settling for less than the full armor of God, or are you putting on all the resources God has given you, and walking in the full armor of God?

Sunday, June 12, 2016

In Evil Days - June 12 Readings: Ephesians 5


Context

 How should a Christian react to difficult, evil days? Panic? Throw your hands in the air? Judgment and condemnation? No, Paul said. In Ephesians 5, Paul talks about shining the light in the darkness. 

Devotional - In Evil Days 

When we arrived in the Casamance region recently, we found something we had not expected. The people of the Essing villages were preparing for the once-in-a-generation ritual of their animistic religion. It was as if we were walking into a time of special darkness as hearts and minds were turned toward the worship of false gods in an unusual way. 

But southern Senegal is not along. Our own nation is giving evidence of exactly what the Apostle Paul observed in Ephesians 5:16. There, he said, 
"...the days are evil." 
He looked at the world around him and realized that wickedness was entrenched in Roman culture and things didn't look like they were getting better. I cannot say whether our world is more or less sinful than the one in which Paul lived - I've got suspicions!  But we look around us and we see the Enemy seeming to gain ground daily. Our world is abandoned to immorality and perversion, it rushes headlong into self-centeredness and self-indulgence, it is completely devoted to materialism. Yes, the days are evil. Only a thin veneer of self-righteousness separates us from the animists of the villages I walked in last week.

But that is not a reason to give up, to despair or to become hopeless. When the days are evil, the light of Christ shines brightest in us. Paul gave this advice for those living in Christ in an evil world.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time..."
Too often, we use the fact that the world is evil, that "everyone is doing it," that "no one is perfect," as an excuse for our sinful ways. Instead, Paul encourages them to walk carefully, wisely and to use their time and opportunities well. 

The key to this, of course, is found in verse 18. 
Be filled with the Holy Spirit. 
It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live carefully in a world rushing headlong into sin. It is the Spirit who empowers us to walk in wisdom in a world of folly. It is the Spirit who guides us so that we can use our opportunities to serve God and make a difference in this world. 
Father, fill me with your Spirit that I might walk carefully in this evil world. Grant me wisdom and spiritual strength. 
Think and Pray


 You are the light of the world, Jesus said. Is the world seeing Jesus' light in you, or are you hiding the light under a basket? 

Saturday, June 11, 2016

New Clothes in Christ - June 11 Readings: Ephesians 4


Context

 Ephesians 1-3 explains in great detail the amazing salvation that God gave us in Christ. He bestowed great blessings on us in Christ and he broke down the walls of hostility between Jews and Gentiles and created one new man - redeemed by Christ. He explored the depths of human sin and the power of a salvation that comes by grace through faith. How great a salvation is ours in Christ.

Then, in Ephesians 4:1, the entire book changes. Chapters 1-3 are doctrinal, examining aspects of our salvation. After 4:1, the book is a series of practical commands. Ephesians 4:1 is the turning point.
 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
We have been called to the amazing grace of Christ. We did not earn it and can never deserve what he did for us. But we are commanded to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling." Having been saved by grace we must walk in a way that brings honor to Christ and demonstrates his redemptive work in us. 

What is a worthy manner? It is, most simply, a walk of obedience to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit that reflects the salvation we have been given in him. 

A big part of salvation, described in chapter 1, is the breaking down of walls of hostility between Jews and Greeks. So, Paul begins this section with a powerful call to unity. Those who have been redeemed in Christ must walk in unity with others who have also received his grace. Then Paul turns his attention to Christ's work in the church to build us up in unity and bring us to spiritual maturity. As the book goes on we will see calls to walk in holiness and put off the wickedness of the world, to guard our tongues, to be filled with the Spirit, to put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 4-6 is chock full of specific commands that explain to us exactly how we are supposed to walk in that worthy manner. 

The question is simple: does your life adequately reflect the saving work of Christ? Is the manner of your walk worthy of the glories of his salvation? 

I heard a line one time that stuck with me - I have no idea where I heard it first. It was from someone who was feeling the pangs of godly sorrow that was leading to repentance. There was a photo from a movie about the death of Christ, one that showed Jesus suffering on the cross. And the caption said, 
He didn't die like that so that I could live like this!
How about you? Are you walking in a manner that is worthy of the calling? Consider the Cross and all Jesus did there and say, "In the power of the Spirit, I want my life to be a fitting response to the glorious salvation God gave to me."

Devotional - New Clothes of Christ

I was doing yard work and I was muddy, dirty, and covered with grass and weeds and all sorts of grunge. I was nasty. What I did next was simple. I stood at the porch door and brushed as much stuff off me as I could. I made my way to my room where I took off all the filthy clothes, got a hot shower, and put on new, clean clothes. Now I was fresh as a daisy.

That is how Paul illustrates the new life of the Christian. We are full of sin, living according to the ways of the world and following the dictates of our own sinful hearts. Our spiritual state is comparable to my condition coming in from working in the yard - sin makes us dirty! In Ephesians 4:17-32, Paul instructs his hearers to walk worthy of their call to salvation by taking off their old dirty clothes and putting on some new clean clothes.

This metaphor speaks of the old ways that were part of our natural, sinful nature. Those are the old dirty clothes that verse 22 tells us to "put off." Then, verse 23 tells us to put on the new clothes of Christ - clean and pure.

Our God is truth, so verse 25 tells us to get rid of the dirty clothes of dishonesty and clothe ourselves in truthfulness. Of course, though this command comes to us, it is actually only possible for us to obey the command as we walk in Christ and in the power of the Spirit. The Spirit of Truth can empower us to put on the clean clothes of truth.

Many believers shipwreck their lives by holding onto anger, by letting grudges grow and becoming bitter. Paul warns them to deal with their anger quickly, in verses 26-27 so that they do not sin and do not give Satan a foothold in their lives.

In verse 28, thieves are told to take off those dishonest clothes and put on the robes of integrity.

Verse 29 takes up the matters of the tongue. No corrupting talk - words that tear down, spread poison and sin, that abuse and degrade - are to come from our mouths. Those words are to be replaced by words that build up, edify and encourage.

Perhaps verses 30-32 are the best known of these verses. They tell us to stop grieving the Spirit with bitterness, wrath and anger, and to put away all slander and hurtful words - basically, all the clothes of the sinful flesh.  Instead, we are to treat others as Christ treated us - being kind, compassionate and forgiving.

One thing is clear in this passage. God is not pleased when his redeemed and sanctified people walk around in the filthy clothing of the world. Since we have been redeemed, we ought to take off the nasty stuff and put on the things of Christ.
Father, forgive me for when I have walked in this world wearing the clothing of sin instead of being clothed in the righteousness of your Son. Bathe me in your holiness and clothe me in Christ. 
Think and Pray

Are you comfortable in the old clothes of sin, or are you putting on daily the new clothes of Christ? 


Friday, June 10, 2016

Two World-Changing Words - June 10 Reading: Ephesians 2:11-3:20

Today's Reading

Context:

I beg your indulgence. I'll try to get over my laziness and get back to writing the context of these more faithfully once my African Jet Lag disease wears off!

Devotional:

It would be comforting to know someone who was immensely wealthy - and generous. I wouldn't have to worry about mortgages, student loans, credit cards, medical bills or anything else. If I had a problem, my wealthy and generous friend could take care of it. I wouldn't have to worry about what I didn't have; I could rely on what he did have.

I have a wealthy and generous companion, except, in Ephesians 2:7 it is not money or power that comprises his wealth, but grace. In Christ (there's that phrase again) he demonstrates to us the "immeasurable riches of his grace."

And its a good thing that God is rich in grace, because that is exactly what we need. Ephesians 2:1-3 described our natural condition as humans. It's not a pretty picture.
And you were dead in the world trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Sin rendered us spiritually dead - that is serious, wouldn't you say? Because of our inborn sin we tend to follow the ways of world, going along with what everyone else is doing. We are subject to that deceptive spirit that is rooted in the work of Satan himself and enslaves humanity. Like the first human pair, we choose what is wrong based on those lies and mess our lives up royally. Instead of living according to the righteousness of God, we follow the desires of our minds and bodies. The horrible result of that is found in verse 3 - we were "children of wrath" - awaiting the awful day when we would receive the just reward for our sinfulness.

Not a pretty picture, is it? 

But verse 4 has the two most important words in the Bible. "But God." God interfered to stop the victory of sin. He intervened to change the course of history. He did not leave us as we were, but went to war against the sin that had separated us from him. By sending his Son to die on the cross for our sins, God poured out the riches of his grace if full and unstinting measure. He didn't just give us a little grace. He didn't just give us a lot of grace. He lavished the riches of his grace on us, pouring it out in full measure. 

We didn't get a garden hose of grace, we got the firehose. No, we got Niagara Falls!

Verses 8 and 9 sum it all up in a very familiar way. 
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 
There is no room for me to boast. All I contributed was my sin, my failure, my depravity. God did everything else. It is all by grace without any mixture of my own works. What an amazing salvation we have been given by the riches of God's grace. 

We are the workmanship of the master craftsman, who builds us by his grace so that we might be ready to do the good works he has prepared us to do. From start to finish, it is all by God's grace - his immeasurable riches of grace. 
Father, I thank you that my life, my hope, my future does not depend on my own abilities or my own goodness. I rejoice that I am bathed in your immeasurable grace

Think and Pray:


Thursday, June 9, 2016

June 9 Readings: Ephesians 1:1-2:10


Context


Devotional

 I really need a blessing today; how about you? Maybe, if we are good, God will pour out more and  more blessings on us today than he did yesterday.

That's the way we think, isn't it? We long for blessings. We seek blessings from Jesus. We struggle to attain blessings from him. We wonder what we have to do to get more of them. But there is a problem with this view - it runs counter to what God's work says in Ephesians 1:3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Did you see that? It says that God HAS (past tense) blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing we can expect. I've got every blessing I will ever need; every one I will ever receive - already.

The key words in this passage appear here and several times throughout this section (verses 3-14) - two word that change everything. "In Christ." In him we have every blessing God can give us. Why? Because Jesus doesn't give us blessings, he IS the blessing. When God gives us Christ, when we are "in him" we have everything we could want, everything we need. 

What are some of those things we have "in Christ?" This passage tells us a few of them. 
  • He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. (God chose us for his own and determined to make us blameless!)
  • In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. (In Christ we are now part of God's heavenly family.) 
  • In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (We are forgiven in Christ.) 
  • Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (God has a plan to consummate history in Christ, and we are part of it!)
  • In him we have obtained an inheritance. (In Christ we inherit the riches of God's grace.)
  • In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (The Spirit is ours in Christ.)
So, when I have Christ, I don't really need anything else. He is all the blessing I will ever need. In him, I have all the blessings of eternity. 

Father, thank you for your great blessing, Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord. All I need from you I have in him. 



It would be comforting to know someone who was immensely wealthy - and generous. I wouldn't have to worry about mortgages, student loans, credit cards, medical bills or anything else. If I had a problem, my wealthy and generous friend could take care of it. I wouldn't have to worry about what I didn't have; I could rely on what he did have.

I have a wealthy and generous companion, except, in Ephesians 2:7 it is not money or power that comprises his wealth, but grace. In Christ (there's that phrase again) he demonstrates to us the "immeasurable riches of his grace."

And its a good thing that God is rich in grace, because that is exactly what we need. Ephesians 2:1-3 described our natural condition as humans. It's not a pretty picture.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Sin rendered us spiritually dead - that is serious, wouldn't you say? Because of our inborn sin we tend to follow the ways of world, going along with what everyone else is doing. We are subject to that deceptive spirit that is rooted in the work of Satan himself and enslaves humanity. Like the first human pair, we choose what is wrong based on those lies and mess our lives up royally. Instead of living according to the righteousness of God, we follow the desires of our minds and bodies. The horrible result of that is found in verse 3 - we were "children of wrath" - awaiting the awful day when we would receive the just reward for our sinfulness. 

Not a pretty picture, is it? 

But verse 4 has the two most important words in the Bible. "But God." God interfered to stop the victory of sin. He intervened to change the course of history. He did not leave us as we were, but went to war against the sin that had separated us from him. By sending his Son to die on the cross for our sins, God poured out the riches of his grace if full and unstinting measure. He didn't just give us a little grace. He didn't just give us a lot of grace. He lavished the riches of his grace on us, pouring it out in full measure. 

We didn't get a garden hose of grace, we got the firehose. No, we got Niagara Falls!

Verses 8 and 9 sum it all up in a very familiar way. 
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 
There is no room for me to boast. All I contributed was my sin, my failure, my depravity. God did everything else. It is all by grace without any mixture of my own works. What an amazing salvation we have been given by the riches of God's grace. 

We are the workmanship of the master craftsman, who builds us by his grace so that we might be ready to do the good works he has prepared us to do. From start to finish, it is all by God's grace - his immeasurable riches of grace. 



Father, I thank you that my life, my hope, my future does not depend on my own abilities or my own goodness. I rejoice that I am bathed in your immeasurable grace. 

Think and Pray