Tag: bible

Motives Matter (Philemon)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Philemon 1:14 ESV but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.

Motives matter. Paul wrote this letter to Philemon about Onesimus, a slave (indentured servant) that had stolen from Philemon and ran away to Rome. While in Rome Onesimus meets Paul and becomes a Christian. He then begins to help Paul and is being discipled. It’s a great working relationship, Onesimus is growing in the Lord and Paul has an assistant. But there is a problem, Onesimus’ past can’t be left in the past. He is still unreconciled to his former boss and he legally owes him for everything he had stolen. What to do?

Paul had a choice on what to do. He could have sent a letter presuming that it was okay for Onesimus to serve as Paul’s helper in Rome. He was an apostle, the polite thing to do would be to let the matter go. If he did that, Philemon might feel like his hand was forced in the matter and be a little bitter. Onesimus also wouldn’t have an opportunity to really address his past sins and how they affected others. He wouldn’t really be reconciled to Philemon. And Philemon wouldn’t really be given an opportunity to forgive Onesimus and demonstrate grace.

So rather than opting for the practical, ends-justify-the-means, pragmatic logic, Paul goes for the uncomfortable, but right approach. He sends Onesimus back, giving Philemon an opportunity to forgive him and send him of his own free will. It gives Onesimus an opportunity to look his former employer and man he stole from, in the eye and ask for forgiveness. It gives Paul an opportunity to honestly ask for assistance in the form of a helper from Philemon’s estate known as Onesimus.

Motives really matter. Sometimes to grow in our relationship with Christ we need to embrace the difficult steps of doing the less pragmatic, but right thing. We may need to address sin in our lives that has affected others. We may need to ask help and assistance in non-manipulative ways. We may need to simply offer forgiveness and entertain the pleas of those who have hurts us. We don’t really know how the rest of this drama unfolded, but we do know that because Paul didn’t cut corners that He, Philemon and Onesimus all had an opportunity to grow in Christ because of it.

Father, thank you for the grace to address one another. Show us how to handle our past sins and seek repentance and reconciliation. Give us grace to forgive those who have sinned against us. Show us how we can honor you in how we deal with others. Thank you for how the gospel transforms every area of our live. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Pray for the President (1 Timothy 1-3)

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1Timothy 2:1-3 ESV First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, (2) for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (3) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

We should pray for our rulers, good or bad. We should pray for the peace of our nations. We should pray for good legislation, good laws, good rulings in the courts, etc. We should also pray that we’d be kept from bad legislation, bad laws, and bad court rulings. No matter who is governing and how they are governing, we should be praying for our leaders to lead in a good way and against them ruling in a bad way.

The motivation for praying for our leaders is that we would be able to lead a peaceful and quiet life. Christians should make the best citizens, especially when rulers are seeking the good of their people. There are times where Christians aren’t able to lead quiet lives because of persecution or because of the morally outrageous leadership. Yet even in those times we are praying for our leaders.

One source I looked at this morning seems to indicate that when Paul wrote this that Nero was the emperor and he had already burned Rome. If Paul could suggest that we pray for Nero, we certainly can pray for our presidents regardless of which party they are from. Praying for our leaders doesn’t mean we endorse everything they do. Indeed in some cases it may be praying against their efforts to disrupt our lives with immoral legislation. We may be praying they have a change of heart. Yet, we will be praying for our leaders.

Christianity and Politics can be tough to navigate. In the resource section there are several links provided, including to a few books that I’ve found helpful.

Father, thank you for the privilege of praying for our leaders. We pray for those who have authority over us and ask that they would make good decisions for our country and be kept from making bad ones. We pray that legislation designed to impede religious liberty would be met with frustration and fall apart. We pray that you would protect the weakest members of our society from those who would destroy them. We pray for the spiritual lives or our leaders. We pray for their health and well being. May we be able to lead peaceful and quiet lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

Websites

Books

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Every Body Needs Coaching (Ephesians 4-6)

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Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (16) from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Every good team needs coach. The coach is the one who puts all the players into perspective. He/ she evaluates players different skill sets, teaches the fundamentals, keeps the team in shape, and works the team through practicing the plays. Then on game day the coaches determine who plays, when they play, and what plays to run in a given situation. If coaches do there job well, the entire team does well.

The Lord has given us coaches within the body of Christ who are there to help us develop and coordinate our individual gifts for the sake of the whole body. The goal is to bring God’s people to maturity both individually and corporately. Pastors/ teachers are not there to simply educate or inform us, but to equip us for the work of ministry.

Sometimes a congregation can expect one or two individuals to do everything. They imagine that they pay the pastor(s) to do all the work. That would be like paying a coach to play the game while the rest of the team sits on the sidelines and criticizes him/her. That’s not a healthy team and it’s not healthy when a church operates that way. It’s healthy when you and I exercise our gifts in relation to one another for the glory of God. Some encourage, others serve, still others figure out administration, others teach, and others still offer hospitality, etc. and the pastor encourages and equips so that nothing is missing from the people of God. We are all well trained, well loved, well encouraged, and we mature and help others mature in the faith.

Father, thank you for the grace of one another. Thank you that Christianity isn’t an individual event, but that you have called us together and placed us with in the context of one another to form your church. I pray that we would know and exercise our gifts in relationship to one another in such a way that everyone is encouraged, strengthened, and growing in the Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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We Reap What We Sow (Galatians 4-6)

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Galatians 6:7-10 NKJV Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Several years ago I set up a small garden in our back yard. I read up on gardening. I built a raised bed, purchased good soil, worked in compost, and even let a few night crawlers go that were left over from a fishing trip. Yet all of that study and preparation didn’t produce any tomatoes. It wasn’t until I planted tomatoes that some time later saw tomatoes growing in my garden. What get’s planted is what get’s harvested. I could have done all that preparation and planted something different. I could have left it to the birds and wind to plant and I’d have a garden bed full of weeds.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that what we sow into our lives is eventually what we will reap. There can be a lot of waiting between sowing and reaping. We are reminded that everything that we intentionally place into our lives or do for the glory of God will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

This should encourage us in three ways. One is to sow to the Spirit. We should do the things that please and honor God knowing that this will produce the fruit of the Spirit. Second, we should continue to sow to the Spirit with patience. Just as a farmer waits for the crop to germinate, push through the soil, and finally produce fruit, we often reap the greatest fruit long after a seed has been planted. There are verses of scripture that I memorized as a child or teenager that are still being called to mind and producing fruit in my life today. Third, we need to be diligent to take every thought captive, knowing that even small seeds sown to the flesh will produce a harvest and create chaos in the garden of our lives.

Father, thank you for you Word. I rejoice that we have freedom in Christ to take every thought captive and ask that you give me grace to filter can catch anything I would be sowing to my flesh. I also rejoice that what we sow to the Spirit produces real and lasting fruit in our lives. I pray that I would live a Spirit filled and empowered life where the fruit of the spirit is evident in my life. IIn Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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The God of Peace (2 Corinthians 13)

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2Corinthians 13:11 ESV Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

I dislocated my shoulder when I was a teenager. At first we weren’t exactly sure what had happened, so I attempted to throw something and the pain was more than I could handle. I ended up at the hospital and everything was put back right. The pain didn’t immediately disappear but after a few weeks of physical therapy I was pretty much pain free again.

Sometimes there are folks who get “out of joint” with the body of Christ. They have sinned and the church needs to practice church discipline (such as Paul addresses in 1 Cor. 5) or they grieve one another with their conduct (such as suing one another, bragging about spiritual gifts, eating meat sacrificed to idols in front of a weaker brother, or the other incidents mentioned in 1 Corinthians). When a brother or sister is out of alignment with the body in these ways it is painful, tender to the touch, and no real spiritual work gets done. What needs to happen is reconciliation and restoration.

Paul reminds the church that if we are to ever really experience the peace of God, we always need to aim for restoration. This is how the body of Christ heals when we experiences damage in our relationships with one another. We can’t just bury it, hide it, or go on as if nothing happened. We need to be comforting one another, agreeing with one another, and seeking peace. After all, God is a God of love and peace.

The questions we can ask ourselves in reflection today is this: Is there anything I’m doing that might cause the body of Christ to be out of joint? Are there molehills that I’ve turned into mountains? Are there things I’ve done to cause my brother to stumble? Is there blatant sin in the camp that needs to be addressed? Is there someone who is seeking reconciliation that I need to forgive?

Father, thank you that you are a God of peace. Thank you for the peace that was made with us through Jesus Christ. Thank you that you have put us together with other believers to be the body of Christ. I pray that when we find ourselves at odds with one another that we do everything with in our power to seek reconciliation. I ask that we always practice church discipline with an aim towards restoration. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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Glorifying God in our Weaknesses (2 Corinthians 10-12)

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2Corinthians 12:9 NKJV And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We had a tough conversation at the little league ball park the other night. The coach had shared that we had a record number of boys sign up and we ended up with 16 kids on the roster. That means that some games, some kids won’t play. Everyone wants to see their kid play and no one wants to invite relatives to a game where their kids doesn’t play. It is a less than ideal situation.

After the parent meeting I shared with the coach that whatever decisions he had to make that affected our boy, we were behind him 100%. I shared that we were there to learn team work and sportsmanship and sometimes that meant sitting out so someone else could have a chance to step up. Even if we don’t get to don a batting helmet or glove in a game, we’ll still be cheering on and boasting in the accomplishments of the team.

I sat my son down and told him that he had a bigger role on his team this year than he has ever had. In the games where he plays a lot as well as games where he shows up, dressed to play, but gets little to no game time, he is to be the number one encourager for his team. Instead of reliving the outs and at bats that he got, he will get to help the team remember all of their successes. If he can do that, playing the bench may actually be creating room for a bigger purpose in his life.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not an ideal situation. I’d rather all the boys play all the time, but sometimes we need to recognize our obstacles as opportunities. The Lord is sovereign. He does what He pleases. Sometimes He allows setbacks, challenges, and even tragedies to shape our character. He hasn’t left us alone though. He has promised He will never leave nor forsake us. Paul points out that even though he struggles in weakness, God is strong, God’s Grace is sufficient, and Paul’s weakness gives him an opportunity to boast in the Lord even more.

Sometimes we imagine the Christian life will be pain and problem free. The truth is that it is filled with challenges. What is unique is how we can face those challenges by trusting in Jesus through them. When we face setbacks, health issues, financial issues, relational issues, etc., we can rejoice in the fact that God’s grace is more than enough for whatever we face.

Father, thank you for your grace that is enough. Thank you that even when we struggle with weakness, infirmities, set backs, and losses that you are more than enough. Thank you that we can call on you and you are an ever present help in a time of trouble. Thank you that when we are stripped of pride in our own accomplishments that we can still boast in YOU. Give us grace to trust you in the good times as well as the bad. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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Godly Sorrow (2 Corinthians 7-9)

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2Corinthians 7:10 ESV For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

I went to see the doctor for a check up a few weeks ago. We had a great conversation until he told me that I was fat. To be honest, it stung a little to hear. I knew that it was true, but I didn’t like him saying it. He was encouraging me to lose weight and so he told me all the negative side effects of being fat and how it was effecting my health and could effect my health years down the road.

I was grieved coming out of the doctors office. I had a choice to make. I could either be upset that he was so blunt and choose to get angry and tell all my friends what a terrible doctor he is, or I could take his word to heart and start changing my lifestyle. So far I have been consistently choosing the second option. His harsh word that caused me grief produced a positive change and attitude in me.

This is how it should work when we are confronted about sin in our lives. We don’t need to get mad at the messenger. That doesn’t deal with the sin. We need to come to the Lord in confession and repentance. The basis for the verse above is that Paul had grieved the Corinthians by being so direct and pointing out the issues in the church that needed to be addressed. Rather than let that grief fester into bitterness at Paul, they had moved to action and it produced repentance.

We should be asking ourselves how do we handle it when someone addresses sin in our life? Certainly there is grief. No one likes to be told about their sins, even if they are true. We have a choice we can become bitter at the messenger or we can repent and turn to the LORD. Grief about sin can be godly when it produces repentance.

Father, thank you for placing people in our lives that love us enough to point out the obvious. Thank you for the grace of being confronted and warned about sin. Thank you that when we find ourselves grieved over our sin we can repent of our sin and turn to you. I pray that my heart would never allow sorrow over sin to turn to bitterness at a messenger, but that it would always produce repentance. Thank you again so much for your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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(2 Corinthians 4-6)

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2Corinthians 5:8 NKJV We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

It has been a difficult start to the year. We’ve had several funerals for local folks that have been well known and loved. It’s almost like being at the ocean on a red flag day and wading out into the tide. You get knocked down, before you ever really get up, another wave comes and knocks you down again. It’s been frustrating, emotionally exhausting, and difficult to mourn one loss for the sake of another.

One of the comforts is that many of the folks I’ve had to say goodbye to in 2021 have had a strong testimony and legacy of trusting in the LORD. As I read these words today I couldn’t help but be comforted and encouraged. While we struggle here on earth, they have a much better body in a much better place.

I’ve shared before at funerals that those who have gone on wouldn’t want to come back (to this earth before Christ’s return). I’m reminded that this is doubly true in the sense that many have who have passed away have left frail bodies for us to bury here on earth. They are experiencing bodies with out the aches and pains that they had grown accustomed to in this life. No more bad knees, aching joints, coughing spells, no more fatigue. Then there is the better joy of being in the presence of the Lord!

Father, thank you that to be absent from the body is to be present with you! Though I mourn the loss of those who have passed away this year, I rejoice that they are enjoying new heavenly bodies. I rejoice that they are in your presence. I look forward to the day when we will all be together again without the limits of this earthly body and fully in your presence. Thank you for comforting and encouraging us through your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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Serve One Another In Everything(1 Corinthians 7-9)

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Leaders eat last. It’s how servant leadership works. Those who are in charge and have the most freedom, use that freedom on others. When a leader eats last, it’s to make sure everyone else got what they needed and were fed.

This isn’t just a leadership rule. It’ also how we raise our kids. The older, more mature kids look out for the younger ones. The stronger ones look out after the weaker. It’s how any healthy society or community works. It’s not different for the church.

There was an issue of eating meat offered to idols in Corinth. Some folks rightly understood that pagan gods weren’t really gods and that meat was, well just meat, even if it had been offered to a false god. But some folks used to go to those same idols and offer meat. To them it was a whole way of life before the Lord got ahold of their heart. So when they saw people they respected pulling up to a temple for a false god and ordering sacrificed meat off the menu, they were incensed! How could a Christian eat that stuff?

So what were folks supposed to do? Give up meat for the sake of their brother? YES! Paul says that the strong are to SERVE the weak! In math this is called the lowest common denominator. Rather than saying, “Oh, grow up!” to the weak brother, we who are free, humble ourselves to the lower standard to our brother’s standard and we use that opportunity to share the gospel. Paul didn’t eat pork when he was with his Jewish brothers because it was offensive. He didn’t charge for the gospel in establishing a new work because he want the offering plate to be a stumbling block for people hearing the gospel.

When it came to meat sacrificed to idols, Paul indicated that it’s better for a brother who has freedom to eat steak, to not eat steak for the sake of his brother. We might put this in terms of wearing a mask during the pandemic. I don’t like wearing masks, but I’ll gladly wear a mask for the sake of my brother who asks me to wear one. The mask isn’t the most important thing. Honoring the Lord, encouraging my brother, and the unity of God’s people are far more important than if I have a mask on my face or not. I sure hope masks work in slowing the spread of the virus (I’ve had it and I never want to have it again), but the primary reason I wear one, is for the sake of others.

Father, give us wisdom in how to become all things to all people. Help us to know if there are any stumbling blocks other than Jesus in our lives. Help us to value our brothers more than we value our own freedoms. I pray for unity in the body of Christ today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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An Open Letter To All My Legalistic Friends

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The Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 1-3)

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I’m changing my eating habits. I began to really examine and keep a record of what I’ve been eating. Until lately, I didn’t realize how many empty calories I was putting inside my body. I was eating junk food! Those foods tasted great and were filling for a moment, but they didn’t really provide any real nutritional value. I was distracted by how good they tasted and the temporary sensation of satisfaction that they brought. Yet, many of those foods, even though they were high in calorie content left me hungrier later.

We live in a culture filled with spiritual junk food. How difficult it is to hear God’s voice sometimes when we have filled our lives with so many things that sound or feel spiritual but really draw us away from the truth of God’s Word. We’d rather snack on what this creative person says or the pastor who tells stories, than hearing from God’s Word. We look for self-help books to deal with our issues rather than looking to God’s Word. We have more bibles in our homes than we have verses of scripture memorized. It’s time for a change, especially when we’ve been given so much in Jesus Christ.

Today the last part of chapter two really caused me to pause and reflect. I think it’s incredible that God gives believers the Holy Spirit! He grants us access to pray to Him at anytime from anywhere! Not only that, but the Holy Spirit gives us discernment and helps us understand spiritual things such as understanding the gospel and God’s Word! He changes us from the inside out. As we trust the Lord and lean on Him we become more an more conformed to His image. How great is it that we don’t have to wonder about the will of God on certain subjects but as we pray, the Holy Spirit moves in our lives we understand the will of God.

Father, Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I pray that You would keep us from the things that ultimately distract us from You and help us to listen for Your voice. I pray that as we read Your word You will help us to understand it. Apply it to our lives. Grant us to know Your will and do it because we are filled with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

Last Year’s Post

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