Tag: challenge

The God of Peace (2 Corinthians 13)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

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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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:

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Living Sacrifice (Romans 10-12)

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Romans 12:1-2 ESV I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans chapters 1-11 are rich in theology. Paul talks a lot about faith, how faith works, why faith is enough, how the gentiles have faith in a similar way than the Jews who have the law, God’s sovereign election, and God’s plan for redeeming Jews and Gentiles. We take a strong turn from theology to application in Romans chapter 12. This is how a good theology works. Theology explains what we believe to be true about God but if we believe those things about God, then our actions will indicate it as well.

This part of Romans Paul lays out practical ways that our belief in what he has demonstrated about God in Romans 1-11 show up in our lives. If we believe that God is sovereign over nations, we’ll submit to those in an authority over us (when they don’t contradict the Word of God). If we believe that God is the one that has lit the spark of belief in our hearts, we’ll press in to him knowing that he has a plan and a purpose for us. If we believe that we are set free from sin, we will flee sin when it pursues us and walk in the power of the Spirit of God.

Ultimately if we believe that God is good, that He has a purpose in sending Christ to free us from sin, and has given us faith to respond to Him, then we will respond by letting Him move and work freely in our lives. This is why Paul talks about presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice. We are offering ourselves back to God in an act of worship as a right response for all He has done. We are trusting Him to continue His work in us. We pressing into Him and allowing Him to change our thoughts and desires to be more like His. We are treating one another in a way that He would desire us to treat one another.

Father, thank you that you not only teach us truth about you in your word, but you also demonstrate how to live out that truth in our lives. Give us grace today to respond to you in a way that glorifies and honors you. Give us guidance and wisdom according to our differing circumstances how we can honor you as living sacrifices. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

RESOURCES:

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There is Room for Conflict in the Church (Acts 13-15)

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The major thing that jumped out at me today is that there is room for conflict in the church. We see a few conflicts in the reading today. The biggest issue that took up a bulk of the reading was the conflict over if new converts to Christianity should be circumcised. It was an issue that was ultimately decided by taking the debate to the Apostles and church leaders in Jerusalem. I’d like to say that the conflict was resolved with a well drafted letter from Jerusalem, but the reality is that this became something that plague Paul’s ministry down the line.

It’s worth noting how Paul and his companions handled the conflict. They took it to the Jerusalem council and left it in the hands of those who had been called as Apostles to decide. These men met, prayed, and discussed the matter and finally resolved the issue. Then a letter was drafted affirming the decision they knew honored the LORD. This should have ended the controversy inside the church, but unfortunately there were those who would follow Paul wherever he went trying to teach gentile converts that they had to be circumcised.

Another conflict arose when Barnabas and Paul wanted to visit the churches they had planted. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, but Paul had no confidence in John Mark because he had been abandoned by him before. We are told that this was a sharp contention (15:39) that wasn’t even really resolved, but that ended with Paul and Barnabas going separate ways with separate partners.

Often we picture the early church being conflict free. We imagine that folks prayed about everything and that everything just worked out. The reality is that the early church was filled with drama and issues as good people, called by God, worked through their conflict. Earlier in Acts, deacons were appointed to deal with the drama surrounding feeding widows. Here we see a church council meeting to decide an important theological issue. We also see good friends going separate ways over what seems like a small issue. The early church had just as much conflict as the church does today.

Conflict resolution is part of ministry and a part of God’s church because it’s at the very heart of the gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, “while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” We forget we were at enmity with God but that He made peace with us through the cross of Christ Jesus. When we see conflict in the church, we should recognize that we live in a fallen world and seek to resolve our conflict in a ways that honors God.

Father, thank you that we get an honest understanding of historical events when we read your word. Thank you that it isn’t dressed up or sugar coated, but that you are straight forward and honest with us about very real conflict that took place in the early church. Thank you that you have made us ambassadors and peacemakers to a lost and fallen world and we get to bring the message of hope to those who have yet to be reconciled to you. We pray that you give us opportunity and wisdom to be peacemakers today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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The Mystery of the Sovereignty of God in Healing and Raising the Dead (Acts 7-9)

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A few things really jumped out at me in the reading today. First, Stephen knew the scriptures (the Old Testament at this point) and used them to point his hearers to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. Stephen outlines how the LORD delivered Israel in the past foreshadowing the coming of a Messiah and that Jesus was exactly that Messiah. His message “cut the the heart” and folks were enraged to have their sins put on display by the scriptures. God’s Word does cut to the heart. Fortunately some people come to Him in repentance, but others reject God’s grace and harden their hearts. I really want to memorize more scripture.

The second thing that jumped out at me in this portion of scripture is that we have the first martyr who is buried by devout men who mourned him (Acts 8:2) and we also have a devout woman raised from the dead (Acts 9:41). The question that comes to my mind is, “Why wasn’t Stephen raised from the dead?” Certainly he was a devout man. Certainly the circumstances of his death were worthy of praise and admiration. Certainly there were apostles close by. He was examined and chosen as a deacon. So why does this woman named Dorcus get to be raised to life and Stephen has to be buried by mourners?

We want everything cut and dry. We want it simple. We want things uniform. We read about miracles of healing and we assume that everyone present got healed. We forget that Jesus only healed one man at a pool filled with sick and dying folks (John 5). We forget that Peter and John healed a man who was lame from birth and sitting at the gate of the temple every day (Acts 3:1-10), that surely they had passed with Jesus before on many occasions (Luke 22:53). We forget that Paul had a thorn in the flesh that was never really removed (2 Corinthians 2:12) and that he had trouble with his eyes (Galatians 4:13-15, 6:11). We forget Paul tells Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach and frequent infirmities ( I Timothy 5:23), why not send him a handkerchief (Acts 19:11-12)?

The LORD is mysterious. There isn’t a simple pattern of behavior that we can accomplish to make God act on our behalf. We can’t blame a lack of faith for a lack of miracle as some do. Stephen had plenty of faith and boldness. Stephen was mourned by godly friends who missed him deeply, but he also saw Jesus that day.

What we do know is that there were times when God healed or raised the dead and there were times that he doesn’t. Today we read about both types of occasions. The conclusion we can draw from the matter-of-fact way that the scripture presents both cases is that God can and does heal, but sometimes he chooses not to. We should recognize that we don’t know the mind of God, but that certainly he has his reasons. Given the way Stephen was martyred and the fact that he was looking into heaven when he died, I suspect Stephen wouldn’t have wanted to come back.

Some things, like healing are worth praying for, but trusting the Lord to decide. Should you be blessed to be miraculously healed, glory to God. Should you not be healed in this life, know that God loves you and his plan may be different than you anticipate and even hope. We all run the race set before us and we shall see His plan unfold before us in due time.

Father, we trust you this day. We pray for those who are sick and infirm. We long for the day when there is no more sickness or disease. We are grateful for when you heal us. We look forward with faith when we struggle through infirmity. We anticipate a day when there is no more striving against a sinful world and we live in your eternal kingdom. Our hope is in you. Our faith is in you. Our love is because you have so loved us. Let us run the race that is set before us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

Last Year’s Post

Acts 7: FORGIVENESS

Acts 8: TIME TO GO

Acts 9: HOW TO WORSHIP WITH A MURDERER

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Prayer and Persecution (Acts 4-6)

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There were two things that really jumped out at me right away in todays reading. The first thing to notice was how scripture saturated the prayer was in 4:23-31. I taught Psalm 2 in recent memory and so the reference (Psalm 2:1-2) was still fresh on my mind. For a while now I’ve been trying to model my prayers after the Psalms and other various passages of scripture. It was neat to see how this was affirmed in the reading today. I’ll put a link the resources to a Donald Whitney book that has been helpful for me.

The second thing that really stuck out at me was how much opposition the early church faced. Sometimes we can put on rose colored glasses and think that everything was splendid while God was adding to their number each day. It can be easy to forget that the growth came also with much persecution. As much as God was adding to the church, there were those who were dead set against the gospel and who were willing to murder even.

This shouldn’t surprise us that the gospel has such a profound effect on the lives of people. The gospel has a polarizing effect. Some will come to the Lord and some may harden their hearts and persecute the church. It’s admirable that the early Christians saw this undue suffering as a badge of honor (5:41). Today we often view the road of suffering as missing God’s will, but they saw it as being in the center of His will. The day is quickly approaching and in some ways is already here where individuals will be persecuted for believing the gospel.

Father, thank you for the ability to call out to you in prayer. Thank you so much for the many models of prayer we see in the scripture as well as being able to use your Word to craft our thoughts into well versed prayers. Today we ask that you would give us a boldness to be witnesses for you just like those early disciples. Should we suffer for our witness of you, we ask for the humble attitude of the disciples who rejoiced that they were found worthy to suffer for your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

Praying the Bible By Don Whitney (Affiliate Link*)

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The Cornerstone (Acts 3)

Your Sin isn’t Small (Acts 4)

The Necessary and the Urgent (Acts 5)

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Father, Forgive Them (Luke 22-24)

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“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Luke 23:34

The point of the gospels is to lead us to the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. These are the historical and theological realities on which the Christian faith hangs. Jesus utters several statements on his way to the crucifixion as well as from the cross that help us understand his mind. He knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what was taking place. He knew He was an innocent man dying at the hands of guilty sinners. Yet, even from great physical and emotional agony He has the presence of mind to care and pray for those who torturing Him.

A seminary professor once told me that ignorance and arrogance look the same in a person. When someone hurts us it is easy to ascribe to them all sorts of arrogant motives. However, many times the injury comes not because someone is maliciously against us, but because they are ignorant of what they are doing. They may not even know they are hurting us. Certainly ignorance isn’t innocence, but it isn’t also necessarily malevolent.

How clearly Jesus sees the issue of sin even from the cross. He is literally in the the midst of paying for their sin as he intercedes for them. They didn’t know what they were doing that day, but they would know one day. And on that day, there would be mercy for all those who would come to Jesus in repentance. He was willing to forgive them even while they were crucifying Him.

As I reflected on this verse this morning I couldn’t help but contemplate the way that I have seen and understood some sins in my own life. There are things I’ve done in the past and that I understand more about now. At the time I thought they were no big deal. I look back and realize I was ignorant. I didn’t see everything rightly. I am thankful that God in His overwhelming grace chose to love me despite my sin. As I contemplate how God loves me, that even while I was sinner Christ would die for me (Romans 5:8), I can’t help but examine how I deal with those who sin against me. Certainly I don’t see with the clarity that Jesus sees sin, but there are moments where others have sinned against me that I need to recognize that sometimes people sin out of ignorance and that at the end of the day, forgiveness is more important than offense.

Father, thank you for loving me so much that while I was still dead in my trespasses and sin that Christ died for me. Thank you for the hope of the resurrection. Thank you for the amazing grace poured out on my life each day. Please continue to cultivate the character of Christ in my life. Let me be quick to forgive. Let me be concerned with the wholeness of others more than I am about perceived offenses today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

Last Year’s Post

Never the Less, not my will but yours be done

He was looking for the Kingdom of God

Why was the bible Written?

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When Jesus asks you a question. (Matthew 22-24)

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I am working through the Cornoa virus. It’s no fun. Lots of fever, chills, and all the other stuff. If the last serveral days and next several days seem off. I’m probably writing with a fever. One of the things I found most difficult about maintaining a daily bible reading time while I’m sick is that reading has become more wearysome. Several years ago I downloaded an app that reads the bible to you. Today instead of reading the text myself I let the app do it and it was easier to concentrate.

The story is told of a young man who showed up at the Louvre museum one day. He came to the Mona Lisa, perhaps the most famous painting in the world and a masterpiece. He begins to make fun of the painting. He points out what he thinks are flaws and inconsistencies. A large crowd gathers as he mocks the painting and it’s artist, Leonardo Da Vinci. Just then the curator to the museum walks up to hear the comotion. Finally when he can take it no longer he says, “Young man, the Mona Lisa is not on trial here today. It is recognized around the world as a master piece. But you are on trial today, because while you made your accusations and assumptions your ignorance became evident to everyone.”

Jesus and the religious leaders get into it in these chapters. The religious leaders question him, hoping to trip him up and make him stumble in what he says. However, his responses reveal how little the religious leaders really knew. Somewhere along the way the religious leaders fell in love with the idea of appearances, but they missed out on the real thing. Jesus compared them to white-washed tombs. Pretty on the outside, but full of death and decay. The sad things is all these leaders had to do was recieve Jesus. But they loved their power and postition so much that they knew who he was and they rejected him.

Father, guard me from thinking too much of myself or doing things for mere appearances. Certainly we should live godly lives, but I pray that godliness is found in a transformed heart, not a thin vinere meant to impress others. In Jesus Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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Bible.is App

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How Do We Love Like That? (John 13 – 15)

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A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. – John 13:34

When I tuck my kids in bed we have a little routine that we often go through where we will say the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments together. Several years ago, we started reciting the eleventh commandment as well. At first my kids were surprised that there was an eleventh commandment. It’s not found in Exodus 20, or the Old Testament for that matter. It’s found in today’s reading in John 13:34 where Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you.” What was that commandment? It was to, “love one another; as I have loved you.”

From time to time my kids when they were younger get a little silly at bedtime and have tried to change this commandment. One of them when she was too young to really know what she was doing would say, “to love like I love my milk.” I would always gently correct her and say, “we are to love one another as Jesus loved us… and oh how He loves us, to take our sins on Himself, to leave heaven for earth, and to die for our sins. He loves us more than we can think or imagine!”

I think if He had left the command at, “love one another,” we’d have an easier time with it all. We’d just do our best and try to love one another like we love our “milk” or whatever. But the truth is that we would quit loving milk or whatever if it became too difficult. We could quit, give up, and start loving something else. Jesus didn’t tell us to love like that. He told us to love one another like He loved us in the context of going to the cross for our sins!

How do you love someone who has sinned against you? How do you forgive them for them for the hurt and the wrong they have caused? You can’t do it in your own strength and power. You have to be continually trusting in the Lord to provide. I really appreciate that where Jesus repeats the command in John 15:12 it comes in the context of abiding (remaining) in Him. It reminds us that there is no way to really love our brother on our own. We weren’t meant to live the Christian life in isolation. We were meant to live as branches connected to the one true vine, all of us drawing our strength from our Lord.

I confess that there are times I have attempted to do ministry on my own and in my own strength, but it just can’t be done that way. I’m greatful for the command to abide in Christ.

Today is especially difficult for me as I’ll be conducting a second funeral for a friend in 2021. I was especially helped by John 14 today as well as reminded to draw all of my strength from the Lord.

Father, Thank you for your commandments. They are not hard or burdensome but actually very freeing. How much anxiety I bring on myself when I try and figure things out and do things my own way. It’s when I lean into you, trust you, abide in you, that I find myself energized and empowered by the Spirit. I ask for your blessing today to abide in you and strength for a difficult day. I rejoice that Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

RESOURCES:

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