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Day 73: Hebrews 3-5 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Hebrews 3-5 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

In chapter three of Hebrews, the author states that Jesus is better than Moses (3:3).  Moses lead his people from captivity to the promised land. Yet, the Nation of Israel chose not to believe God when they came to the edge of the promised land and so they wandered the dessert for 40 years until an entire generation died off (3:8-10, 17). Knowing that persecution is coming, the author of Hebrews challengers the readers to be careful, lest they too fall into unbelief in the face of fear (3:12,19).

Chapter four begins the discussion of the sabbath rest. The author looks forward with anticipation to the rest that is afforded those who have believed Christ (4:3). We are charged that there is a rest to come, that we may be prevented from entering into that rest, through our disobedience (4:11). We are challenged to let the word of God have full effect in examining our hearts and exposing our motives (4:11-13).

The text flows from the end of chapter four and into chapter five stating that Jesus is the great high priest (4:14).  He is one who understands our temptation and weaknesses (4:15) and stands ready to receive us in our confession and repentance. We have been granted incredible access to God through him, and  should have no problem approaching the throne of grace (4:16).

FATHER, we thank you for the gift of belief and trust in you. I pray that we would be those who persevere in our faith even when we face obstacles that might cause of fear or concern. I pray that we would never forget the incredible high priest we have in Jesus who stands at the right hand of the father making intercession for us even now. I thank you for your grace that is so overwhelming. Thank you for the grace to pastor your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 72: Hebrews 1-2 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Hebrews 1-2 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

The first recipients of the book of Hebrews were likely members of a house church made up of Jewish converts to Christianity (hence the name Hebrews). They were facing persecution (I have another article about that here) and were now being tempted to leave behind their faith in Christ to re-embrace Judaism, where the persecution wouldn’t be so severe.

The theme of Hebrews could easily be understood as “Jesus is better.” The Author relates how God has spoken throughout history but ultimately and fully revealed himself in Jesus (1:1-3). He is even superior to things like angels (1:4), which would have been highly revered in Jewish culture and tradition.

The first several chapters start out with a strong and compelling charge to keep the faith and remind the readers that there is nothing to go back too, in Judaism. In chapter two the author challenges the readers to pay close attention to what they have heard about Jesus so they don’t drift.

Drifting away from the truth is easy. It doesn’t require diligence, effort, or work. It just happens by neglect. If something is valuable we don’t neglect it. We pay attention to it. We are therefore, to pay attention to our faith.

The lack of attention to the scriptures can soften the effect of the gospel upon your life. You will generalize, moralize, and rationalize your thoughts on scripture until you pull the punches that are present in the gospel.  The writer here is challenging us to examine the truth. To go back to the genuine article and make sure that we do not drift from the truth.

FATHER, thank you for Jesus. We are grateful that he is far better than anything we could think or imagine. We rejoice in the power of the gospel to transform our lives and give us hope in you. We pray that we wouldn’t drift, but that we would be anchored to your truth. Hold us fast as we hold fast you you. Thank you for the calling if leading your people to faith in you. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 71: Philemon (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Philemon follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

The Epistle of Philemon is a letter written by the Apostle Paul, to a man name Philemon concerning the reception of a former servant named Onesimus. We know that Philemon was seemingly wealthy man and that he hosted his local church to meet in his house (1:2). (In the New Testament era, most of the churches met in the houses of wealthy patrons. There were not many church buildings until centuries later.)

Paul writes as a close friend of Philemon. He had prayed for Philemon often ( 1:4) and kept up with him, hearing from others about Philemon’s well-being as well as his actions and attitudes (1:5). Paul was even planning to visit Philemon (1:22), and perhaps Paul had even been instrumental in Philemon’s own faith in the Lord (1:19).

Onesimus who was Philemon’s servant was spiritually lost while he served Philemon (1:11). He had chosen to run away to Rome and had probably stole some goods from Philemon (1:18). Yet, when he got to Rome he ran into Paul, who was instrumental in bringing Onesimus to faith in the Lord (1:10, 16). Paul is now sending Onesimus back to make things right with Philemon (1:17-21). This is an excellent epistle about forgiveness and restoration among individuals in the infancy of the church. Those first Christians really did struggle with some of the same issues we struggle with today.

FATHER, thank you for the reconciliation that begins when we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Thank you that being reconciled to you causes us to seek reconciliation with others. Thank you for the forgiveness offered to us through the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray that we forgive others because we know what it is to be forgiven by Jesus Christ.  Thank you for the grace to shepherd your flock. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 70: Titus (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Titus  follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Paul writes this short epistle to Titus, a true son in the faith (1:4). He begins quickly, charging Titus to appoint elders on the island of Crete and listing their qualifications (1:5-9). He then goes on to task Titus with restoring/keeping order in the church (1:10-16).

In chapter two, Paul offers a strong description of qualities of a sound church.  He challenges Titus to set an example (2:7-8) and to boldly proclaim the truth (2:15). Titus is there to establish order through both his conduct his teaching.

In Titus 3:8-11, Paul writes,  that Titus is to both maintain good works and have nothing to do with the people that continue to cause serious division over ancillary matters. Sometimes people just talk to stir up trouble. Their doctrine isn’t worth anything because it doesn’t manifest itself in good works. Giving ear to those who are filled with pointless and trivial banter only heightens the issue or causes an errant individual to believe that they are on to something.  The task given to Titus is to correct the pointless talkers, not to hear them out.  If the individuals who have wholeheartedly fallen for the false spirituality of miner doctrine will not listen to correction, then Titus is to abandon them and leave them to themselves. He certainly isn’t supposed to give them a platform in the church.  While this might seem harsh, it’s actually very loving.

Father, we thank you that you are a God of order. We thank you for the offices of the church and those you have given to fill those offices. We pray that we would be those who hold fast to true doctrine that would be demonstrated in our good works. Thank you for the great grace of leading your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 69: 2 Timothy (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from 2 Timothy follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:3,  that he remembers Timothy in prayer, night and day, without ceasing. What a joy it must have been for Timothy to have a mentor like Paul in his life, who poured into him, but also consistently prayed for him. Paul can speak to Timothy with directness because of the foundation of prayer that has already been laid. He knows God, He knows Timothy, and He knows what Timothy needs to do.

This letter is encouraging. Paul challenges Timothy to use his gifts unashamedly (1:6-7).  He want’s Timothy to hold fast to the sound doctrine that he received  (1:13, 2:2). Paul warns him that there is a type of preaching/ teaching that sounds good to the ear, but isn’t sound preaching (2:15-16). Timothy must stand and preach the truth in a world that will increasingly not want to hear it (3:1-7). Paul affirms that the power of the word of God (3:16-17) and charges Timothy to preach the word (4:1-2) even in the face of coming days when people will no longer want to hear the truth (4:3-5).

FATHER, Thank you for the those in ministry who know us, pour into us, and lead us closer to you. We are grateful for the prayers of the saints offered on our behalf and pray that we would be faithful in lifting up those whom you have called US to mentor. We pray for the strength to deliver sound doctrine in difficult days and we pray for the generation behind us that will face even more challenging days than these. We pray for our churches and those that we minister to. We pray that you would keep us from folly and foolish doctrines, but that we would be well grounded in the word and have a genuine desire for your word. Thank you for the grace to shepherd your flock. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 67: 1 Timothy 1-3 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from 1 Timothy 1-3 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

1 Timothy is a pastoral epistle, meaning that Paul wrote it to another young pastor. When I first started at Little Escambia, I found it extremely helpful to read all the pastoral epistles over and over again during my first summer here. Paul shares keen spiritual truth as an apostle to a young man just beginning in ministry.

One of the things that jumps out at me when I read 1 Timothy is Paul’s warning about fables and endless genealogies (1:3-4).  Truth matters, but the things mentioned here tend to divide. Sometimes it is more important to know that the Lord is coming back (truth) than it is to worry and debate if some of the critters unleashed in Revelation 9 might actually be helicopters (I see how they would look that way to a generation returning from Vietnam… but in this generation, CRISPR kits are being sold to any adolescent with $450 who wants to learn how to “bio-hack” and so it is more and more conceivable that someone could bio-engineer those suckers into existence). The truth is, we don’t know exactly what those critters are and we could speculate for hours upon hours, but it wouldn’t get us any closer to Jesus, help us share our faith, or really encourage us in any real way and so it’s worth leaving those discussions behind to have a real one that will edify us in our faith.

Paul always remembered where he came from (1:15) and we would do well to follow his example of humility. Having faith and a good conscience are critical to ministering to people and Paul echoes this advice to Timothy (1:5 &19).  He solemnly states this in contradiction to those who have shipwrecked their faith (1:19-20).

In chapter two and three, Paul turns his attention to praying for those in governmental leadership and those who are qualified to be a pastor or deacon in the church. Different churches have different takes on these passages, but the reality is that these passages are there and they mean something. It is worth asking the question how do we honor the Lord in our churches according to these passages.

FATHER, thank you for your word that is truth and the sound doctrine that leads us to life everlasting in you through the blood of Jesus. We ask that you would guard us from being sidetracked by petty little side issues and that we would be focused on you. We pray for our leaders and ask for you to guide those who are an authority over us. We thank you for pastors and deacons. We pray that you would continue to call faithful individuals to the leadership of your church. Thank you for the grace of calling me to pastor at Little Escambia. I pray that you are glorified by your church. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

 

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 66: 2 Thessalonians (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Paul generally begins his letters with prayer as he does here in 2 Thessalonians. What seems to be different here is that he says, “we are ‘bound’ to thank God for you” (1:3, 2:13). The word bound would mean obligated. Paul felt a debt to the Thessalonians for how well they had received the gospel and endured under persecution (1:4).

Paul jumps right in to draw the line about the coming of God’s final judgement and glory. It seems as though that after Paul had left, someone had come in the church and was sewing seeds of discord about the return of Christ, claiming that he had already come back and they had missed it (2:1-3).  Paul sets the record straight and reminds them to go back to the sound doctrine (traditions) they had received from him in person or via his other letter written to them (2:15).

Paul wraps up this short epistle with a request for prayer and warning against idleness.  If Paul needed the prayer of the churches, we all need prayer.  There were some who were content to eat the bread from other’s labor, but Paul admonished them that each one is to work and eat their own bread (3:12). He reminds his readers that they are to not grow weary of doing good (3:13).

I imagine that growing weary in doing good is all in your perspective. If you see the good that God has called you too as an obligation, I see how it could become wearisome. However, if we see the opportunity to do good to others as a  gift, we will look for it more often and with zeal.

FATHER, We give thanks to you for your church. We are bound to give thanks for all the ways you have worked in the church and used the church in our own lives. We thank you for each and every gift. We rejoice in the encouragement we have drawn from one another. We pray that we would not be lead astray by false doctrine, but that we would cling to your word. Strengthen our hand that we would not be weary in doing good. Let our love for you be evident to all and may it abound. We pray for our church leaders that you would strengthen their hand and that they would glorify you. Thank you for the grace to shepherd your people. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 63: Colossians (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Colossians follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Paul had not met the people this letter is addressed too (1:2). He had never been to Colosse. He heard about this church through through his friend Epaphras  who shared about the church and everything that was going on (1:7-8).  Paul wanted to make sure that the members of this church knew that even though he didn’t plant their church, he was praying for their church (1:3, 9). He was praying for their knowledge and fruitfulness of the gospel among them (1:9-10).

Most of Paul’s letters have a purpose behind them. Generally a church is dealing with an issue, or several issues, as in the case of Corinth, and Paul writes a letter to settle a doctrinal question or dispute. We can look through Colossians and see the issue addressed in this letter is the sufficiency of Christ. So the first half of the book is rich with doctrinal content explaining the preeminence of Christ in creation and as the head of the church. Observe the doctrinal richness and clarity in Colossians 1:15-18 and 2:9.

SIDE NOTE: I won’t spend too much time here, but my Thesis Paper for my Bachelor’s Degree was about Christology (the Study of Christ) in Colossians

Before we go much further it is worth highlighting Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” The goal of the Christian life is to grow to maturity in Christ. Reading the word of God is helpful, but reading alone doesn’t bring maturity. We must apply his word to our lives, submit our character to Him and allow ourselves to be changed from the inside out. We should look more like Christ today than we did yesterday… to our spouses, to our children, to our bosses and to our workers (3:18-4:1)

When we were little we used to mark our height against different objects in the house to tell that we were growing. Tests were given in school to measure if we were growing in knowledge. But perhaps the most difficult measure was given to my parents as they trusted and tested me with responsibility to see if I was growing in maturity. And so it is with the Christian life. Mature believers recognize that they have a responsibility to help and encourage their younger brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s a good place to pause for meditation today. Am we growing in Christian maturity?

FATHER, Thank you for the honor we have to pray for others and even to pray for those we may have never met. We lift up our sister churches in our area and around the world and ask for knowledge of you and your will to abound. We pray for fruitful ministries filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. We thank you for the grace to grow more and more into the image of Christ and ask that we would be found faithful in yielding to you, Holy Spirit, and your word. We pray for maturity. Thank you for the grace of shepherding your flock. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 62: Philippians (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Today’s reading comes from Philippians follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

The Apostle Paul wants us to rejoice. He uses that word abundantly through out  Philippians ( 1:18, 1:26, 2:16-18, 2:28, 3:1-3, 4:4, 4:10). Which is strange considering the context. We know that he is in chained next to a Roman guard (1:13-14). We also know that some are preaching Christ and are envious of Paul and want to add affliction to his imprisonment (1:15-16). So where does all this rejoicing come from?

Paul is confident that God will finish what he started in the believers at Philippi (1:6).  He has found what it means to be content (4:12-13). He knows that even while he is chained to Roman guards, he is guarded by the peace of God (4:7) His rejoicing is tied to his certainty that God is in control of his circumstances. He recognizes that he has been placed there for a purpose and that perhaps the gospel would go out through the Roman guard through his witness (1:12-13).

As I write this I can’t help but rejoice over God’s timing and placement (it certainly isn’t always our own).  The Philippians knew that God could use Paul in jail, that’s partly how their church got started (Acts 16). With Philippi being a Roman colony, there were perhaps many there in the church who would have known (or known of) some of the folks that Paul was chained to.

FATHER, We rejoice in your sovereignty. We are grateful that we can pray for your Kingdom to Come and your will to be done, knowing that you are actively arranging all things to that purpose. We rejoice in you in all circumstances. We rejoice to know that you have allowed us to be in certain places as certain times for the sake of the gospel. Give us eyes to see the opportunities that are ever before us. We rejoice to see your hand order our world today. Thank you for the grace of leading your congregation. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

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Day 61: Ephesians 4-6 (NEW TESTAMENT 90)

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Today’s reading comes from Ephesians 4-6 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.

Paul charges the Ephesian church to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (4:3). Unity is one of those things that you need to fight to keep. Division is easy. We can drift into division. We can let small differences become big differences. Unity takes effort. Unity is what we are called too.

However, this unity, isn’t unity for unity sake. It is unity in Christ. It’s coming together with the same faith (4:13). It’s maturing in that knowledge of the faith as looked at yesterday. It’s working together. It’s “speaking the truth in love” (4:15, 25).

SIDE NOTE: To have this kind of unity. We have to be willing to tell one another the truth and we have to not be quick to let our feelings get hurt. I’m afraid that our culture, even in the church, is drifting so that we are more afraid of hurting feelings than we are of warning someone away from serious error. We must speak the truth in love.

Paul lays out in chapters five and six how this unity is to work. We are all to submit to one another (5:21). This pertains to marriage (5:22-33), children and parents (6:1-4), and workers and their bosses (6:5-9).  These are all places where it can be difficult to maintain unity of Spirit. In the flesh, we like to grumble about our boss, children love to rebel against their parents and marital strife abounds. Yet, if we are submitted to Christ, we will submit to one another to that God is glorified.

To strive for unity is spiritual warfare. Paul charges us to put on the whole armor of God Satan love to bring division and if we aren’t wearing our armor, we will fall for his attack every time (6:10-20).

SIDE NOTE: We like to think the battle is out there, but notice how much of this submission to one another is to take place in our everyday lives and especially at home. The questions I asked myself today from Ephesians 5 in the fight for unity are these: Do I love my wife like Christ loved the church? Am I raising my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord? Am I treating those above me or below me at work with respect and honor as people made in the image of God?

FATHER, Thank you for calling us to unity. We rejoice in our salvation and ask to continue to grow in the knowledge of our faith. We are grateful that you have given us all gifts and called us to be part of one body, unified but not uniform. We thank you for our spouses, families, and jobs. We pray that we would honor you in every aspect of our lives. We ask for grace to grow submitting to one another in a holy fear of you. Thank you for the grace to lead as a husband, a father, and a pastor. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

 

What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.

Find out about New Testament 90 – Here

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