"Caring for Souls" September 30 Readings: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8

Today's Reading - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8

Background

Remembering the books that Paul wrote on his missionary journeys is easier than you think.

• On his first journey, Paul wrote ONE letter. Galatians. 
• On his second journey, Paul wrote TWO letters. First and Second Thessalonians. 
• On his third journey, Paul wrote (guess) THREE letters. Romans. First and Second Corinthians. 
• On his fourth journey (the prison trip), Paul wrong FOUR letters. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. 
• After his release, during his second imprisonment, and just before his execution, Paul wrote three more letters to individuals. Titus, First and Second Timothy. 

That's thirteen in all. I am convinced that Paul did not write Hebrews. Though I am no Greek scholar, the style of the Greek in Hebrews is not that which Paul wrote. It is more formal - I suspect it might be Apollos, but no one knows for sure. I'm only sure it's NOT Paul.

Paul visited Thessalonica after he left Philippi, and was there only a brief time. His desire to write them these two letters was because he had not had the time to disciple them before persecution drove them away. Paul was not satisfied that his converts just make an initial decision, but that they follow Christ on the path of righteousness. We can pinpoint to a fair degree of precision when he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Acts 18:5 references Timothy joining Paul in Corinth and 1 Thessalonians 3:6 speaks of that same moment as a trigger for Paul's writing of the book.

The book is very personal; an effort by Paul to disciple in writing those young Christians who were suffering such dire persecution.

Devotional - Caring for Souls

Imagine a father driven away from his children when they are still young and you see the attitude that Paul has toward the Thessalonians. He entered their city and led them to Christ but within little more than three weeks the persecution exploded and he had to flee. He left Timothy and Silas there to lead them in the ways of Christ, but Paul still felt a deep burden for the believers of this city, and so he sent them this letter to continue his ministry.

It is a passionate and personal letter, one that expresses deep feelings of gratitude and love for them, and a desire that they would continue in the ways of Christ. In the introductory section that we read today, Paul makes some strong statements about himself, his attitude toward the Thessalonicans and his approach to ministering to them. These statements speak to how we should treat one another as we minister and serve.

1. In 1:2-3, he made it clear he was a man of prayer, praying regularly for the church at Thessalonica, as well as for all those churches he had planted. 
2. Verse 5 asserts that there was more than mere words in their ministry, but also a demonstration of the power of God at work. 
3. Paul describes, in 2:2, how that in spite of their suffering in Philippi they entered Thessalonica with boldness, determined to declare the gospel regardless of any hindrance or obstacle. 
4. They completely, according to 2:5, rejected flatter and greed of any sort among the Thessalonians, since they were serving God and not their own purposes. 
5. Verse 7 goes on to say they did not seek the glory and honor of people, but only the pleasure of serving God. 
6. The final statement, in verse 8, is perhaps the oddest. Paul says that he treated them like a nursing mother treats her baby. If you've ever seen the care a mother gives her newborn, you realize what a startling illustration this is. Paul treated his spiritual chldren with that kind of compassion, love, and spiritual concern. 

Paul wasn't about money or building his brand or growing his own kingdom. He was about glorifying God by caring for others in Christ!

Father, may the love and care Paul showed for others mark my life as well. 

Think and Pray

Do you live your life for yourself, or in the complete unselfishness and servant heart that Paul showed according to these chapters?

"Our Offensive Gospel" September 29 Readings: Acts 17:16-18:22

Today's Reading - Acts 17:16-18:22

Background

One of the papers I did in my fourth year of Greek in seminary was on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. In that passage, Paul says that he entered Corinth determined to know nothing but Christ and Christ crucified. It has been assumed by many that this was the result of Paul's "failure" Athens, in which he attempted to debate with the philosophers in Athens. As the theory goes, he realized his mistake in trying the intellectual approach and entered Corinth determined to preach the gospel pure and simple.

But is that what really happened? Others debate that simple theory and maintain that Paul was not a failure at all. He debated with the philosophers because that was what was required with the philosophers - it's called contextualization. If you speak to a group of religious people, you start by quoting scripture, but it you are speaking to an atheist group your approach may need to be different. Wherever Paul started - the Jewish law in a synagogue or the philosophical wranglings in Athens - he ended up in the same place. He preached Christ. And, as Acts 17:34 tells us, Athens was not a complete failure - some believed.

We will likely always wonder whether Paul's approach in Athens was a failure. It seems to me that it was more a contextual strategy, one that was less successful than in other places - but highly intellectual people have always had trouble humbling themselves before God.

It is interesting and ironic that Paul ended the second journey in Ephesus. He wanted to start the journey there, after he strengthened the churches in Galatia, but God prevented him. Now, when the time was right he went there and eventually had a productive and powerful ministry there. In God's work, timing is key. Paul wanted to go early, but God said no. When the time was right, Paul had fruitful labor there. 

Devotional - An Offensive Gospel

Paul was a brilliant man; in fact, there are some who believe he would have been a known quantity in history even had he not met Jesus on the road to Damascus. When he wandered into Athens and began to debate with the Epicureans and Stoics, he was more than able to hold his own. He was not intimidated or overwhelmed by them or their philosophical intricacies.

But then he came to that moment that every gospel presentation comes to - no matter what. You can be tactful, but there is a moment where tact goes out the window. You can be intellectual, but there is a moment at which you abandon sight and walk by faith. There is always a moment of offense every time the truth of Jesus' work on the cross is shared.

It came in Athens when Paul mentioned the resurrection of Jesus Christ (17:31). His intelligence might have impressed them to that point, but as soon as he talked about Jesus rising from the dead he lost them. What an idiot! Seriously? You believe this guy Jesus came back from the dead? You have a screw loose!

The gospel is good news (that's what gospel means). It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. It is truth. But it is also an offense. It tells people that they are sinners who cannot save themselves. It tells them that who they are is not good enough. It tells them they cannot just "be themselves" but that they must humble themselves and repent before God. It tells them that God's judgment and eternal hell awaits those who do not trust Christ. It asks people to believe things that reasonable people do not believe - creation, miracles, resurrection, and a long list of other things.

You can try to be tactful as you share the gospel - and you should. There's no reason to stand on the street corner and shout at people that they are going to hell, as if you are glad about that! You can be loving and kind and build relationships and build bridges and contextualize and do all those things. But there comes a point where you have to drop the bomb!

An inoffensive gospel is no gospel at all. If you are worried most about what people think of you and whether they like you, you will stay silent as sinners march inexorably toward hell. To honor Christ and proclaim truth you must be willing to speak the unpopular truth and offend sinners with the gospel of Jesus :Christ. 

Father, may we be willing to speak the clear and unvarnished truth, even at the risk of offense. 

Think and Pray

Do you shy away from speaking truth that will offend?
Do you care more about what people think of you, or whether they are right with God? 

"Barnabas to Paul to Timothy" September 28 Readings: Acts 16:1-17:15

Today's Reading - Acts 16:1-17:15

Background

After splitting from Barnabas, Paul took Silas and went back out on his second missionary journey. Paul headed by to Galatia, where at Lystra he met a young man who would become his key assistant, Timothy. He tried to go first to Asia (Asia Minor - Ephesus and surrounding areas), then to Bithynia, but was redirected by the Spirit both times. Then in a dream, he was called to go to Macedonia. There he planted churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. He moved down the coast into Greece, ministering first in Athens and then in the city of Corinth.

Today's readings focus on Paul's entry into Philippi and the very familiar story of the conversion of Lydia and the Jailer, as well as his short time in Thessalonica and Berea.

Devotional - Barnabas to Paul to Timothy

There is an old adage that Christianity is always one generation from extinction. It is, in reality, true, though if we believe the church is founded by Christ for God's eternal purposes, we also believe that hell cannot stand against it and though its success may ebb and flow, it will never be completely stopped. The thought behind the adage is still a good one. If we want the church to continue we must pass it along to younger folks who will continue the work.

Chapter divisions can be unfortunate, causing us to miss the continuation of important ideas. In Acts 16, it may prevent us from seeing an interesting juxtaposition. When Paul was Saul of Tarsus,  enemy of the Cross, converted on the road to Damascus, one man stood beside him, put his arm around him, and brought him into the fellowship of the church. When young Saul went off by himself to learn the things of God it was Barnabas who went and found him and brought him to Antioch to get him involved in the ministry of that church. Barnabas and Saul headed out into the Galatian region to share Christ and plant churches. Paul became what Paul became because of the discipling and encouragement of Joseph, known as Barnabas, the son of encouragement.

Then, the sad events of the end of chapter 15 took place which separated Paul and Barnabas, at least for a time, and led to two missionary teams instead of one going out. Paul took Silas and headed back to the areas they had gone before and Barnabas told Mark, "Let's go west, young man."

So, as Paul's ministry partnership with Barnabas is being severed, what is the first thing he does? Acts 16:1-3.

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Paul, having absented himself from his mentor, found a young man whom he could mentor. This is conjecture, but perhaps Barnabas convinced him of the need to train young men. Paul was unwilling to make Mark that trainee, but in Derbe and Lystra he found Timothy and in him he found a young man into whom he could pour his life, a young man who could carry on the work when he was gone. A wise man is always looking for a younger man he can train to carry on the work when he is gone. Is that a lesson he learned from Barnabas? We'll have to ask him when we see him in glory, I suppose. 

What I do know is that there is truth in the old line:

Every man of God needs a Barnabas and a Timothy! (Women, it's true for you too!)

Actually, like Paul, we should seek several Timothy-types. Read through Acts and note that everywhere Paul went he took someone with him. I'm a ministry-loner. I study by myself. I work by myself. I visit by myself (most of the time). It's a failing in my ministry. Paul did everything in a group. 

Why? There are a number of reasons. It's great for accountability and mutual encouragement. There's less temptation in a group than there is when someone is by himself. When one person is blue, or upset, or discouraged, the others can lift him up. They can pray together and learn from one another. But more than anything, these young men got to watch Paul and learn. He was able not just to pass on some doctrines and teachings, but his very life. 

There is no greater heritage any of us can leave in this world than a small army of well-trained kingdom warriors who will carry on the work when we are gone. I can only fight the good fight for so long. But if I find a Timothy and a Titus, I can keep fighting through them even when I have gone to glory.

Father, may my life count in the lives of others. 

Think and Pray

Are you pouring your life into the lives of others who are growing in Christ? Do you have a Timothy whom you are leading and discipling?

"Real People" September 27 Readings: Acts 15

Today's Reading - Acts 15

Background

Irresistible force, meet immovable object!

When Saul of Tarsus met Jesus the passion with which he persecuted the church became the force with which he proclaimed Christ and nothing was going to stop him, not even his Jewish critics. Paul's first journey was a great success as many Gentiles came to Christ but he also encountered growing opposition from the circumcision party. He wrote the book of Galatians to forcefully confront their false teachings and to remind the Jewish leaders that the gospel was meant for the world, not just for the Jews.

Things came to a head in Acts 15, as Paul returned from his trip and went to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and figure out a unified approach to bringing together Jewish and Gentile elements of the church. They sought God, reached a compromise that unified the church and protected the gospel, and they moved the work of Christ forward.

Acts 15 ends with the sad chapter of the split between Paul and Barnabas over their ongoing missionary work and the role Mark would play. Barnabas, always the encourager, wanted to give Mark another chance and Paul was unwilling to do so. They could not agree and so went their separate ways. While they ministered apart it is not clear that they broke their fellowship or friendship. Sometimes the best path to unity is to bless each other and go your separate ways. We hear nothing more of Barnabas but we know that Mark became a great help to Paul later in his ministry. 

Devotional - No Superheroes Needed

In one sense, the story makes me happy, in another, it makes me very sad. After the conference in Jerusalem that dealt with the conflict over Gentiles coming into the church, and how Jewish the church would be, Paul and Barnabas decided the time was right to head out on another mission trip to visit the churches they had already planted and to extend the gospel even further.

Then, according to Acts 15:36-41, a problem arose, having to do with Mark. Barnabas, always the encourager, wanted to bring him along and give him another chance - let him succeed this time. Paul was having none of it. The momma's boy had cut and run when they needed him and could not be trusted. This was important business they were doing and there was no way that they could trust a man like this again, at least not this soon. And the argument became pretty heated.

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

 It is clear what makes me sad about this story.  Two great men, great friends, great servants of God, came to a parting of the ways because they could not work this issue out. Barnabas was the man who stood by Paul when no one else would and had been Paul's mentor, his discipler. Now, they were on the outs. It is a tragic story. 

But what makes me happy? It makes me happy that the Word of God is REAL. It is not fictional make-believe in which people never make mistakes. Ever read a biography of a great Christian? We have a tendency when writing the life stories of great men or women to build them up into spiritual superheroes who could leap tall buildings in a single bound. 

The Bible never does that. It tells us the real stories of real people. Jesus was perfect but the people who served him were not. Paul was a man - a man of God but also a sinner who had a temper and got his feelings hurt and struggled to forgive and - well, a man who was messed up just like me. Moses made mistakes. Elijah got discouraged. Abraham's faith failed him a time or two. David, the man after God's own heart, fell into grievous sin. 

I love that the Bible is not about spiritual superheroes but people like me who struggle to keep it together, who fail and start over and who do things they wish they hadn't. 

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Mark eventually became a useful friend and coworker, laboring with Paul in the gospel. We can hope that Barnabas and Saul's friendship survived this and thrived in the days ahead, though they ministered separately. God used even this sad episode to work his grace and to extend the kingdom. 

The good news for you and me today is simple - God is not looking for spiritual superheroes to accomplish his kingdom work. He takes people like you and me, and Paul and Barnabas and he uses us - regular, ordinary, flesh and blood, sinful folks! God infuses us with the power of Christ and fills us with his Spirit to accomplish his mighty work through us. 

Father, thank you for your grace. I am weak, but you are strong. Thank you that the only superhero in your kingdom is the One who rose from the grave and who is my Savior and Lord. 

Think and Pray

Are you a perfectionist, thinking that you are required to be faultless to be useful to God?
It is Christ who is sinless and Christ alone.
Be thankful today that, while sin is never "okay," it is the goodness of Christ and his perfection that matters, not ours. 

"The Spirit vs. the Flesh" September 26 Readings: Galatians 5-6

Today's Reading - Galatians 5-6

Background

Galatians 5 is one of those mountaintops of the Bible and one of the formative texts for my ministry. It begins with a strong rebuke to the Galatians who had begun so well, being saved by grace but had now turned toward the law of God to try to live in the flesh. Verse 12 is probably the strongest thing Paul says in any of his letters, wishing those who pushed circumcision and the Jewish law would just go ahead go all the way - emasculating themselves. It shows how strongly Paul feels about the works of the law.

He then turns to a contrast between the life of the Spirit and that of the flesh, that which the law produces. The life of the Spirit leads us away from the works of the flesh.

Chapter 6 carries a series of final instructions, then a last exhortation written in Paul's own hand - the rest of the book was likely dictated to a scribe.

His first instruction can seem odd after his harsh words in chapter 5. After his rebuke of false teachers he advocates for gentle rebuke of fellow believers. False teachers got harsh treatment, erring brothers were dealt with in patience. Verse 7 reminds us that we reap what we sow and then he wraps up the letter in his own hand reinforcing his message that they should not be distracted from the teaching of the Cross. 

Devotional - Spirit vs. Flesh

 Paul articulates, in Galatians 5, the clear difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit of God. Those who have been redeemed are called to walk in the freedom of Christ and not under the power of the flesh.

In verse 1, Paul warns the Galatians against regressing from the high standing they have achieved by God's grace to a life lived by the works of the law and the slavery that brings. In verses 2-15, Paul explains the tragedy of such a choice - having experienced God's grace and then returning to walking in the flesh and living by works.

Then, in verses 16-24, Paul clearly differentiates the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit. He begins with a warning against gratifying the desires of the flesh because they stand in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit.

Simply put, there is a clear and unmistakable difference between how someone acts when they are walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. It's one or the other. Paul lists the things that mark those who are walking in the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (19-21)

But the Spirit produces a different kind of fruit. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (22-23)

Are you walking in the flesh or in the Spirit? It's not that hard to discern. If your life is marked by the behaviors on the first list, you are squandering the grace of God by walking in the power of the flesh, the old nature that Jesus died to defeat. If you are walking in the Spirit, your life will evidence love and joy and peace and all the rest. 

Father, may your Spirit produce fruit in my life, the fruit of Christ, that the works of the flesh might be destroyed. 

Think and Pray

Read through the two lists - the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Which list bests describes your life? Are you walking in the power of the flesh or the fullness of the Spirit?

"The Curse of the Law" September 25 Readings: Galatians 3-4

Today's Reading - Galatians 3-4

Background

Galatians 3 contrasts the way of the law and the way of grace. Paul confronts the false reliance of the circumcision party on Jewish law and rituals, demanding they come to God through faith and faith alone.

Galatians 4 continues the argument of chapter 3, the superiority of grace over the law, but here there is a series of metaphors related to our standing as sons and heirs of God through that grace. 

Devotional - The Curse of the Law

It seems a strange statement when you realize that God himself inscribed the Ten Commandments on a stone tablet. They were not a human creation but divine revelation. How, then, can Paul look at the Law of God and call it a curse?

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. Galatians 3:10

The Law of God, written by God's finger, becomes a curse to those who rely on it and live their lives by it - the words of God are a curse to those who hear them. Strange and strange.

Fortunately, Paul explains exactly what he means by this statement, in the second half of verse 10.

“Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 

There is no flaw in the Law - it reveals the character of God and his commands for how human beings ought to live. If you want to earn the favor of God and work for a ticket to heaven, all you have to do is follow the law. Verse 12 says, "the one who does them shall live by them." The Law presented a path to human salvation by works. Follow the Law and you can earn heaven.

But that is the curse! You can't do it and neither can I. If you do not continue on a daily basis to do everything that is written in the book of the law, that which was a path of life becomes a source of condemnation.

Imagine that I have a million dollars (it will take some imagining!) and I offer that million to you. All you have to do is walk across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope like that guy did a while back. If you can walk across without falling, you get the million. One of you takes off and only makes it about 3 or 4 steps. Splat. Another walks 50 feet. Thunk. A third person walks a quarter of a mile. Plop. A fourth person walks all the way across the canyon until he is within 25 feet of the other side before he loses his balance. Is he any better off than the others? He made it farther but his fate is still sealed. Unless you can walk ALL THE WAY across the canyon, it doesn't much matter just how far across you can go.

You may be a better person than I and keep the law more carefully. But unless you can make it all the way, unless you can keep the law perfectly all of your life, the law is a curse. It condemns you not because it is wrong but because it reveals your sin and shows that you do, in fact, fall short of the glory of God.

But there is a reason for praise today, not despair. None of us stacks up against the Law, but "the righteous live by faith." God devised a plan in which we could receive salvation by grace and not by works. In fact, Paul makes it clear that not only are we saved by God's grace, but we live by it daily. Look back at verse 3.

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

The same God who saves us by grace through faith helps us to live daily by his grace through faith, by the power of the Spirit who dwells within.

That is the goodness of our God. He knew we couldn't make it across the Canyon, so he sent his perfect Son to walk across for us and give us grace - grace to live by now and forevermore.

Father, thank you for grace that saves me when my flesh failed. The law was a curse because of my sin, but you, through Christ, destroyed the curse and gave me life. praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Think and Pray

Do you seek to please God in the flesh, in your own power, or do you rely on the power of Christ?
Thank God today that you have been freed from the curse of the law and been given life through the work of Christ on the cross.

"Drifting from Grace" September 24 Readings: Galatians 1-2

Today's Reading - Galatians 1-2

Background

Figuring out when Paul wrote his other epistles is generally easier than setting a date for Galatians, which has been much debated. The issues have to do with the identity of the Galatians and are likely not of interest to many of our readers - a basic Bible dictionary or encyclopedia would explain those issues for those who wish to go deeper. It seems best to identify the Galatians with the churches Paul visited on his first missionary journey and to place the book sometimes in about 49 AD, as he was headed back toward Jerusalem. During that journey, many Gentiles came to Christ and a great controversy was born as well. Did Gentiles need to be circumcised and observe Jewish law? In other words, does a Gentile have to become a Jew to be a Christian? Is the Jewish culture and heritage of the early church and the early Christians an essential part of the gospel or an impediment to the spread of the gospel to the nations? The backlash against Paul's ministry by those who demanded that Christianity not abandon its Jewish heritage was harsh, leading to sharp conflict and eventually to the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. But in Galatians, Paul gave a direct and uncompromising answer to those sometimes called Judaizers. NO!

Jesus came to save sinners by grace and not by the law. It is not just a minor disagreement to require the keeping of the law as a requirement of salvation, it is "another gospel." Paul uses the harshest terms for these people - calling them accursed and wishing they would be castrated! There was no middle ground for him. Either salvation was of grace or it was of the works of the law and these could not be combined.

Outline of Galatians

1:1-10 Introduction - standard to Paul's writings
1:11-2:21 Defending the gospel of grace - a harsh defense of Paul's gospel, which he says he received from the Lord, and which he warns against departing from.
3:1-5:12  Explaining the gospel of grace - "The righteous live by faith"
5:13-6:10 Life in the Spirit - The life that results from salvation by grace is life in the Spirit.
6:11-18 Conclusion - written in Paul's own hand so that they would know that this harsh, stern letter was from him and that they would heed its warnings!

Devotional - Drifting from Grace

Henry Blackaby said that all human beings, even those who have been redeemed, have a natural tendency to depart from God. We are held by God's grace and our salvation is secure in Christ, but we have that inborn tendency to drift from our walk with the Lord back into the ways of the world and into sin.

Paul recognized a similar problem among the Galatians - a tendency to drift away from the gospel of grace and return to some form of works-based, law-focused salvation.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

There is only one gospel that saves, Paul assured them, but they were still turning aside from the grace of Christ to a false gospel, one based on human works, one that could never save.

Deep inside of each of us is the idea that we ought to do something to earn the favor of God, that we need to change to please him, do something to make him love us more, or perform some heroic act to be worthy of God's grace.

But that is why we call it grace. You can't earn it and you will never deserve it. Nothing you can do will make God love you more and your sins do not make him love you less. That is not an excuse for sin, but a great comfort. It is by grace we are saved and it is by grace that we live.

Listen, my friend, your relationship with God is based on who Christ is and what he has done, not on who you are or your merit. You need to always resist that inner voice that says you've got to earn God's love. You ought to walk in holiness because God loves you, not so that he will love you. You need to fight that inner voice that says God must not love you anymore when you have failed. You resist sin out of gratitude for God's unmerited favor not out of a desire to earn it.

Like the Galatians, we have a constant tendency to slip away from grace and fall back into a works-based mentality. Since our salvation and our lives are all of grace, we must fight that tendency every day.

Father, I thank you that you have done for me what I could not do for myself. Help me to revel in your grace and never fall back into the works of the law. 

Think and Pray

Do you tend to depart from grace and live according to works of the law, trusting in yourself rather than in Christ?
Do you often forget that your "hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness?"
In prayer, thank God for your standing in Christ's grace and renounce the flesh!

Also remember that our standing in Christ is not an excuse for spiritual sloth or careless Christian living, but a motivation for holiness. 

"Greatest Church Ever!" September 23 Readings: Acts 13-14

Today's Reading - Acts 13-14

Background

Acts 13-14 records Paul's first missionary journey. It is a true turning point in the life of the church. It begins in Antioch in a worship service when the Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to go out as missionaries. They did, traveling to the Galatian region.

A funny thing happened there. The process which began with Cornelius came to full fruition. Chased out of the synagogues and rejected there, they found a hearing among the Gentiles and many came to Christ. This brought to a head the growing problem in the church back in Jerusalem that was the key issue throughout Acts - just how Jewish was the church going to be?

The Council of Acts 15 would settle the issue, or at least, give a template for settling it, but Paul first answered his critics with guns blazing in a strongly worded book which we shall begin reading tomorrow, Galatians.

Several significant things happen here, among them is John Mark's cowardice, when he abandons the group and goes home. It leads to the split between Paul and Barnabas later in Acts 15, a sad moment. But in this journey we see Saul, eventually Paul, growing stronger as he ministers even through suffering to become the man God wants him to be.

Paul did not let opposition and suffering stop him from obeying God and proclaiming truth.

Devotional - The Greatest Church Ever!

It is an inherently silly question, I suppose, but I will ask it anyway. What is the greatest church in the book of Acts? The best ever? Of course, the Jerusalem church saw the day of Pentecost and it remained faithful to God in spite of suffering and persecution. They had great fellowship and Spirit-empowered generosity. It was a great church in so many ways.

But there is another church that would deserve consideration in this debate. After the persecution under Saul of Tarsus dispersed Christians, a church formed in Antioch that had some qualities that were worth emulation.

First of all, it was a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic church. The Jerusalem church was pretty much entirely Jewish, but when you look at the list of leaders in Acts 13:1, you see racial, ethnic and geographic diversity.

This diverse makeup led to their most important quality. They got hold of God's heart for the world. One day, while they were worshiping God together, the Spirit spoke to them and told them to send Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary journey. While the Jerusalem church was a great one in every way, there never seemed to be an urgency to extend the church outside of its Jewish or Israelite roots. But Antioch was the first missionary society!

The Great Commission did not tell us to seek to reach just our own people but to go into all the world. Perhaps, in their struggle and suffering (or possibly because the time was just not right), the Jerusalem church never really bought into that. In fact, some resisted when the gospel extended to the Samaritans first and later to the Gentiles. But Antioch realized the heart of God. The promise of Acts 1:8 was that the Spirit's power would bring the church not only to Jerusalem (which they did very well) and to Judea and Samaria (the ancient nation of Israel). It was Antioch through which that last part of the promise came to pass.

Too often today, we miss the Antioch heart - the desire to fellowship with those who are not like us and to carry the gospel to the world. We get comfortable with our kind of people - people who we like and who are like us. Yes, our neighbors need to be reached. Absolutely. But it can never stop there. God loves people whose skin color is different from ours, who dress different, whose culture and heritage is different, whose standard of living is different. God loves people who speak different languages, hail from different countries and are loyal to different governments.

There is much about the church at Jerusalem that we ought to emulate. But the worldwide heart of the Antioch church is something we ought to passionately imitate as well.

Father, give me as a pastor and us as a church the passion in your heart to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world; not only to those who are like us but also to those who are different in every way. 

Think and Pray

Do you allow opposition and hardship to stop you from doing what God has called you to do?
Do you have the Antioch heart, a heart for world missions and for all people, not just your own? 

"Jealous God" September 22 Readings: James 4-5

Today's Reading - James 4-5

Background

James did not get the memo that "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," nor did he understand that those who proclaimed God's word were to be unfailingly positive and encouraging. In James 4 he blistered his hearers for their spiritual adultery and their friendship with the world. As they got away from Jerusalem and from the center of worship they tended to adjust to the ways of the world and adopt the practices of the peoples with whom they lived.

Two other key teachings are found in chapter 4. James begins the chapter with a teaching on prayer and he ends it with an exhortation toward humility about the future.

James 5 concludes with a series of teachings that may go against some of our commonly held ideas. Verses 1-6 are a harsh condemnation of riches, one that strikes hard at a wealthy nation such as ours. He is condemning riches gained by oppression and we are reminded that the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.

He reiterates his teaching on the blessing of suffering from chapter 1, then teaches on the power of prayer and finishes with an admonition to restore those who struggle and fall.  

Devotional - A Jealous God

On August 27, 1978, I stood in front of a preacher (who doubled as my father) and made promises to God and to the woman standing next to me. I promised to stick with her for better and worse, richer and poorer, in sickness and in health. But along with those positive promises I also made a negative commitment.

"Forsaking all others."

Marrying one woman meant that I had to give up all the others. Saying yes to Jenni meant saying no to every other woman in the world. A positive commitment to one woman implies a negative commitment to all others.

We sometimes forget that as the "Bride of Christ" a similar commitment is required of all of us. We are to declare our love and commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He is to be the primary passion of our lives. What we sometimes forget is that our positive commitment to Christ also requires a negative commitment to all others.

James spells this out in chapter 4, verses 4-5.

Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?

Verse 4 starts with a harsh accusation, "Adulteresses!" The Bride of Christ is cheating on the Savior, refusing to be faithful to its marriage vows. Then, verse 4 identifies the other man, the one with whom the church was committing adultery. They were engaged in a "friendship with the world" and friendship with the world is by definition hostility toward God. When you cheat on the Savior with this world - its pleasures and passions - it makes us enemies of God. In verse 5 we see that it even arouses jealousy.

There is an old saw, "we are in this world but not of this world." It is true, but it is also the greatest challenge ever. We are not called to live as hermits, to separate completely from this world. We live our lives here and are even allowed to enjoy that life. But we are never to love this world or the things in the world. Our hearts must belong to God as a husbands' must belong solely to his wife.

We must seek that balance every day as we live in this wicked world. We live, love, eat, drink, work and play in this world, but our heart must belong to Christ. He must be the one we love, the one we seek to please, and the one whose interests we serve. We must be loyal to Christ above all.

Forsaking all others, I must keep me only unto him, so long as I shall live!

Father, help me to be faithful, to keep my heart set on Christ above all things. 

Think and Pray

If you gave your husband or wife the same level of fidelity that you give to Christ, what would be the state of your marriage?
Do you struggle with being too much a friend of the world, forgetting that we must love Christ and not this sinful world?
When James says that God's Spirit is jealous, what does that mean? 

"Satan's Greatest Servant" September 21 Readings: James 3

Today's Reading - James 3

Background

James 3 deals with two topics. First, James transitions from a warning about the high responsibility of teachers to a discussion of the power of the tongue. He then reflects on the wisdom of God and contrasts the wisdom from above and the wisdom that is from below.

Devotional - Satan's Greatest Servant

When I look back on my 5 decades of Christianity, I would surmise that the highest percentage of my sins have been sins of the tongue. I avoided most of the "big" sins that sidetrack so many in their earlier years, and I would have to confess to more that a few sins of the mind - lust, anger, pride and such. But when I've gotten into trouble it's usually been my big fat mouth that started it all. I guess that ought not to be a huge surprise. My life, my work, my ministry - it's all about words, whether written or spoken. I preach. I counsel. I discuss. I strategize.

And all too often I sin. Angry words. Gossip. Backbiting. Inappropriate jokes. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, Jesus said, and my mouth has too often reflected the sin in my heart.

That is not unusual, though. According to James 3, the hardest part of the body to control is the tongue. Verse 2 spells it out.

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.

One of the best signs of Christian maturity is when our mouths come under the control of the indwelling Spirit and we no longer say every foolish thing our hearts devise. There are many wonderful truths found in the next few verses. Permit me just to spell some of them out. 

• Like a bit in a horse's mouth or a ship's rudder, the tongue, though small, has a huge effect on our lives, for good or ill.  The tongue steers the life. 3-4
• The tongue is like fire, which can set an entire forest ablaze. Our tongues, out of control, are the most destructive force on earth. When a family falls apart or a church divides, out-of-control tongues are always at the root. There has yet to be a church split where gossip and waggling tongues were not at the root. 5
• The tongue is "set on fire by hell." Satan means "the accuser." The word "devil" is the Greek word slanderer. When we let anger and bitterness flow from our lips we are doing Satan's work. The fuel of the uncontrolled tongue is hell itself! Christian friend, consider this - when your tongue is out of Christ's control it is doing Satan's work! 6
• The tongue is the most uncontrollable force on earth. We can tame wild animals but we cannot tame the tongue. Only the power of the indwelling Spirit at work in the redeemed heart can accomplish that. 7-8
• Too often, the tongue is like a poisonous snake bite - it injects destructive venom into the souls and minds of others, wreaking devastation in lives. 8
• We cannot praise God and curse men with the same tongue. If my lips are used to backbite, to gossip, to slander, to inject verbal venom, all my words of praise and affirmations of my devotion to Christ are empty and hollow. 9-12

If I had a recording of every word you had spoken in the last week, what would it tell me about you? Would I know that you truly love God because the praises of the Creator are on your lips and those same lips are used to encourage others in his name? Or would I see inconsistency and duplicity? Do you try to speak both the love of God and hurtful words toward others, even though Scripture says it is not possible? Would I hear vileness, abuse, viciousness? What would your words say about you? 

Jesus told us that the tongue is a gauge of the heart. What is in your heart shows in what comes out of your mouth. What does your tongue say about you? 

Father, forgive me for my failure, too often, to control my tongue by the power of your Spirit. Give me a tongue filled with praise, with grace, with gentleness and kindness, a tongue that glorifies you with every word. 

Think and Pray

If a recording of your words over the last week was replayed, what would it say about you? Would your words demonstrate your love for Christ or would they reveal a heart of sin? 

"The Joy of Suffering?" September 20 Readings: James 1-2

Today's Reading - James 1-2

Background - An Introduction to the Book of James

We interrupt our reading of the book of Acts to read what is often believed to be the first of the epistles of the New Testament, James.

New Testament scholars are not uniform in their opinions of the timing and setting of the book of James, but it seems likely that the book was written by James, the brother of Jesus, who became the leader of the church of Jerusalem and was a key figure in the council of Jerusalem.

He addresses his book to the "Twelve Tribes in the Dispersion." It is a Jewish book, but it is not certain whether the dispersion referred to is the general dispersion of Jews among the nations (which took place under the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires) or the dispersion of the early Christians after the persecution of Acts 8:1-3.

It was likely written after the establishment of the Antioch church and Saul's proclamation of his "salvation by grace through faith" doctrine and the missionary work of Barnabas and Saul in Acts 13 and 14, which led to the conflict and the great council of Acts 15.

Some have seen James' book as an attempt to refute Saul's teaching of grace, but that is not what is happening. He is refuting a perversion of that doctrine, one which Paul later confronted in Romans 6 and 7 as well. Salvation by grace through faith does not mean that works have no place in our lives. Paul himself said, in Ephesians 2, after the well-known verses 8-9, that we were "created to do good works (verse 10). James, in 2:14-26, is saying what Paul said, that true faith produces works. His book is not theological in nature and he did not develop his doctrine as extensively as Paul did later, probably evidence that the book was early before the doctrinal issues were well-defined, but his teachings complemented Paul's and did not conflict with them. Both believed that God's salvation was by faith and produced a changed life evidenced by a new life of good works.

James has been called a "New Testament Proverbs." It is not easy to outline, more a collection of moral teachings than an organized theological treatise. 

Devotional - The Joy of Suffering? Really? 

I'm sorry, James, but that is just plain crazy!

I believe in the absolute truth of every verse of the Bible, but some make that commitment pretty difficult. Oh, my problem isn't with believing that God created the heavens and the earth, that he parted the sea so that Israel could walk through on dry ground, that Jesus healed the sick, walked on water and fed the 5000 or that God raised Jesus from the dead. I believe those things.

But verses like James 1:2 throw me for a loop.

Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials.

Really? When I am experiencing pain or sorrow or frustration, I am supposed to consider this a "great joy?" It makes no sense, does it? 

On a human level, James' teaching is absurd, but on a spiritual level, it is perfectly reasonable. God's purpose in our lives goes beyond our desire for fun and comfort. He is working to make us more like Jesus Christ and sometimes hardships can be his best tool for accomplishing that purpose. 

In early 1980 I was recuperating from a serious skiing injury - I was on crutches for 2 months. I'd begun to gain weight so in late February I decided that I was going to run the Dallas White Rock Marathon the first weekend of December. I had nine months to get ready. So, I ran. And I ran. And I ran some more.

And it hurt. I spent a lot of time with sore muscles, sore feet, sore knees, sore hips. Training for that marathon was painful. But when I crossed the finish line (in 3:55) all the suffering was worth it - it had accomplished its purpose.

Suffering is never fun - that's the definition. But its outcome is such a blessing that if we are seeing things from God's perspective, we can count our sufferings as joy. Verses 3-4 expand on the idea.

...knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

When we are taken to the limit and beyond, when our faith is tested by suffering, God builds endurance in us - we get in spiritual shape! That helps us become mature and complete, becoming everything God wants us to be. 

You can have a life of ease and comfort if that is what you want. But you cannot demand that kind of life and also grow strong in Christ and become all he wants you to be. God's plan for your life involves spiritual exercise - from suffering and hardship - that is perfectly designed by him to produce spiritual maturity and to make you more like Christ. 

I hate suffering. I've not gotten to the point where I've mastered the attitude James advocates here. I am more likely to whine than to rejoice in my sufferings. But I do know this - it is the sufferings I've encountered that have caused me to grow in Christ. It is the people who have mistreated me who have helped me learn how to love like Christ. Suffering does produce endurance and spiritual maturity. 

Suffering is a tool in the hand of God and we need to remember that such is the case. 

Father, I say this by faith if not by feeling - thank you for the sufferings that have come my way that tend to make me more like you, that build spiritual endurance and character in me. I thank you that you care enough about me to give me what I need instead of what I want. 

Think and Pray

When you suffer hardship, do you rejoice?
Think and pray through the sufferings of your life from God's perspective. What might God be trying to do in your life? Why spiritual character qualities might God be trying to develop in your life? 

"Be Like Pete" September 19 Readings: Acts 12

Today's Reading -  Acts 12

Background

Acts 12 is about two deaths and a life. 

It begins with the martyrdom of James, the Son of Thunder, who asked to be at the right hand or left of the Savior in his kingdom but instead had the privilege of going to the presence of Christ, dying by the sword at Herod's command. The chapter ends with Herod himself dying at the hand of God's angel, struck down because of his pride. 

In the middle is the story of Peter's deliverance from the clutches of Herod. Why did God rescue Peter and allow James to die? Questions like that seldom have easy answers. God loved both and neither had displeased him. But in his sovereign plan, James' time was done and Peter had many years left. 

It is important to note that God's love and grace are seen in his presence and his power, not in success or deliverance. Both men were loved, both were faithful. One died and the other was delivered. 

Devotional - Be Like Pete

He was scheduled to die the next day. He'd seen his friend James put to the sword by Herod and it was his turn the next morning. The church was fervently praying that their leader would be spared by God's power. Peter was chained to two guards and the door was guarded by two others. You can imagine the stress that Peter felt knowing that he was about to die, right? Act 12:6 tells us exactly how anxious Peter was.

He was sleeping.

That's right. With his life hanging in the balance, with the sword about to fall on his neck, chained and guarded by soldiers all around, Peter was at rest. He had such faith in God's plan that he was free of worry and care. If he died, he would see Jesus again. If he lived he would serve him. And he was leaving the choice in God's hand.

We know the rest of the story - and it is one of the funniest in the Bible, one I used to tell my children at bedtime! God set Peter free and he returned to the church that was praying for his release and they refused to believe that he was really at the door. They were fervent in prayer but couldn't believe that their prayers were actually being answered by God. But he was free and by God's grace, Peter continued to serve God for many years to come, until he finally gave his life for the cause of Christ. 

But that is not the focus today. Today we think of Peter's faith, his absolute confidence in the power and goodness of God. Just consider it, my friends. Facing death, he was at rest in the sovereign care of the Father. He trusted the Savior so much that suffering and even death seemed small things. 

I want that kind of faith. I don't have it, but I want it.  I want to trust God so much that live or die, good or ill, victory or defeat, riches or poverty, I rest in the hands of God and trust his goodness. No worry. No stress. No falling apart. No anger. Just faith and trust. That is the kind of man I want to be. I have a long way to go, but that is the goal.

I want to be like Pete!

Father, forgive me when I have been a faithless man, worrying and stressing over every little thing. Help me to trust you not only for my eternity, but for today.

Think and Pray

Do you trust in the plan of God for your life or do you live in worry? 

When you pray, do genuinely expect God to act or are you faithless like the church that did not believe that Peter's deliverance was real? 

"Cold Water Committee" September 18 Readings: Acts 11

Today's Reading - Acts 11

Background

God did something amazing in Caesarea, but there was still some difficult work to do back in Jerusalem. Already there had formed what would become the greatest rift in the early church - how Jewish was the church going to be? Did people have to be Jews to become Christians? The "circumcision party" had already formed in Jerusalem, Christians who put Jewish law ahead of God's grace. They did not rejoice that Gentiles had been redeemed and saved from hell unless they also conformed to their ways. This conflict would become the driving force in Paul's ministry, the subject of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, and the cause of Paul's arrest and imprisonment in the later chapters of this book.

The second half of this chapter is devoted to the establishment of the church of Antioch, which would replace the Jerusalem church as the key church in God's kingdom and would be the church from which world missions would go forward.

There is a sad verse that shows the failure of the Jewish church, verse 19. When the Jews left Jerusalem because of the persecution, they spread the gospel, as they should have, but unfortunately, they only spoke to Jews. They did not understand God's heart for the whole world. That is why there was so much conflict over this issue. The Jewish Christians were slow to understand and accept that God was not just THEIR God but that he was for all. It was the multicultural Antioch church that caught this vision, grasped the heart of God, and began to take the gospel to the world.

Devotional - The Cold Water Committee

I've met them more times than I can count, the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. We used to call them the Cold Water Committee. Oh, the ones I mean weren't actually Jewish, nor were they from Jerusalem. But the similarity of behavior is unmistakable. In Acts 11, Peter returned to Jerusalem to regale the believers with the glories of God displayed in the salvation and Spirit-filling of the Gentiles in Caesarea. He was overjoyed with what God had done and reported that to the church.

And most of the church rejoiced with him. But not everyone. There were Jewish believers who put a high priority on Christianity remaining Jewish. They emphasized circumcision and the continued observance of all aspects of the Jewish Law. And Gentile believers who were uncircumcised and inobservant of the Law did not fit into their plan. They were not happy at all when Peter reported the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles.

Did you get that? The Spirit of God was poured out on a whole new segment of humanity and many people were saved. It was a gospel breakthrough and these people were pouting. They were angry. God did something wonderful and they were angry because it did not fit their perception of how things ought to be.

And I have met them everywhere.

God does something wonderful, but it is not through people who share their theological, ideological or strategic perspectives and they are upset. A great thing happens, but it doesn't happen under the strictures of their control and doesn't follow their rules, so they reject it, criticize it and disdain it. If it doesn't happen their way, under their control, under their guidelines, they get out the cold water and go around trying to extinguish the flames of the Spirit's work.

We have to remember that we serve the Kingdom of God and not the other way around. It is God who is in control and not me.

It is interesting how Peter responded to the Cold Water committee - much better than I ever have. He did two things. He proclaimed the truth of God to them, showing how God revealed the truth of his heart for the nations. He also shared his testimony of God's work in and through him. The Word of God displayed in the daily experience of a believer is a powerful thing.

Peter patiently but firmly instructed them about what God was doing and God's Spirit convinced the people, even those who initially resisted, that it was truly God at work.

When the Spirit of God goes to work in us, there will unfortunately often be a backlash from the Cold Water Committee. We must, like Peter, gently instruct them as to the Word of God and the work of the Spirit in us, continue to the do the work of God and trust the Spirit to empower and protect us.

Father, may I burn with a fire that no amount of cold water can extinguish. 

Think and Pray

Have you allowed yourself to be discouraged from the work of God by the "cold water committee?"
Have you (gulp) participated in the cold water committee by criticizing others?

"From Every Nation" September 17 Readings: Acts 10

Today's Reading - Acts 10

Background

Another boundary is crossed! When Saul was saved in chapter 9, it was to be an apostle to the Gentiles, but he would not make the first approach. As the Spirit was sent to the Jews in Acts 2 and the Samaritans in chapter 8, now he would come to the Gentiles in Acts 10. 

Devotional - From Every Nation

When God speaks, it is often loud and clear!

In Acts 10, God spoke clearly and without equivocation about the nature of the church. He had not sent his Son to die to redeem a group of inwardly focused Jewish believers. Unfortunately, it appears that though they loved Christ and suffered deeply for him, the Apostles and believers in Jerusalem never really got that. They lacked a sense of God's love for the world and his heart to see the nations come to Christ. They were content to keep the gospel contained among the Jewish people.

God wasn't about to let that happen. He sent persecution that forced the people out of Jerusalem and into the world. He sent Philip to the Samaritans and then to the Ethiopian Eunuch, who took the message of Jesus back to his homeland. Finally, God spoke twice - once to Cornelius to tell him to send men to Joppa to get Peter and then to Peter to tell him to go with the men to Caesarea. There, he would proclaim the story of Christ's death and resurrection to the Gentiles, because Christ had told him they were not unclean, but loved!

And that is when God spoke loudly.

In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples of Jesus Christ and they were radically and permanently changed. God did a mighty work in them, birthing the church and empowering them to proclaim the saving message of Christ. Now, in an unmistakable way, God poured out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles. Yes, that is right. The Gentiles! God treated the heathen Gentiles just as he had his chosen people.

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Acts 10:44-47

God sent his Son to die for our sins and to establish Jesus Christ as Lord. But he also sent Jesus to break down the human walls that separate us from one another - race, socio-economic status, nationality, background - and to create One Body based solely on our common experience in Christ. 

Those with Peter were amazed. The gift of the Spirit was not given just to the Jews. It is not just for Americans, or white people or black, or rich or poor, or men or women. Jesus came to redeem people from every tribe and tongue on earth and to unite us in one color - the red of his blood! The gospel is not for Americans or for white people, but for all the world. It is for Africans and Asians, for Syrian refugees and Russians and, well, people of every tribe and language on earth.

If our identity is found in anything other than the blood of the Son, then we are not grasping the import and impact of the work of Christ. 

Father, I thank you that my identity is not in my heritage, my gender, my race, or even my nationality, but it is in my Savior and the future he has given me through his death on the cross!

Think and Pray

 Where is your identity found? In your color or nationality, your political party, or in your identification with Christ? 

Remember that Christ came to redeem people of all nations, all races, all languages and to unite us under the blood of Christ.

Is there any change you need to make in your life to live out ideal that on a daily basis?