Tuesday, January 31, 2006
February 1, 1 Corinthians 1
Go ahead and look first at 1 Corinthians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): 1 Corinthians 1:4
I can never stop thanking God for all the generous gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.
Title: Being Thankful When It’s Not Easy
Observation: Paul is setting out to write a lengthy letter to the church at
Instead Paul speaks from the heart and has heard the heart of Jesus. He is able to rejoice that they have found faith in Jesus Christ, that they have been gifted and blessed by Him. They are a new creation, if imperfect, in Christ. Paul does not miss the forest of grace because of a few dead trees of sin and arrogance.
Too often we condemn the world, we criticize other people, we say things like, “this really must make Jesus sad/mad”. We can work up our own anger (often very selfish anger) until we want to use Jesus to say that He hates the world. That’s exactly the opposite of Scripture, “For God so loved the world...” We want to put in Jesus mouth, using the Law, judgment and condemnation. We do not have the right. I do not have the right.
Application: Too often I want to “fix people” and not see the goodness that Jesus has put in them, see their experience of grace that God has given them. Particularly when they disagree with me. I get thrown into a tailspin of self-doubt and anger at people when they criticize or attack me, instead of, like Paul, loving them and looking for the evidence of the God’s grace in their lives. I need to see the good work that God is doing in everyone, and particularly those who I am struggling with.
Prayer: Lord God forgive me. Today I asked for patience from you, and then took control back and allowed myself anger and self-doubt. Help me to rest in you, to trust in you, to have my identity so firmly rooted in you that when others disagree with them I don’t resort to fight-or-flight mentality, but languishing in your love and steeled with your vision, I see people through Your eyes. Thank you God for having such mercy with me. You alone are worthy of praise.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, January 30, 2006
January 31 Jude
Go ahead and look first at Jude . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Jude 24-25
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)
Title: Not the Dreamers’ Dream, the Reality of the Ultimate Reality
Observation: There are several quotations here of books not found in our Old Testament or New Testament. They illustrate a great truth- we are not to add meanings or interpret the scripture in ways that are self-serving. It appear that there was a group that was trying to intellectualize the faith to the point where there were no hard and fast rules, that all truth was relative. And they argued over it and slandered the powers of heaven by placing themselves above the revealed truth of Jesus.
When we decide to take and leave scripture at our own whim, we do the same thing. We must place ourselves under the authority of scripture. We are to not play make believe, like children do, but to see through the fabric of our current smug cynical culture and see through to the truth of God’s creator. We need to get through the façade and into reality.
Application: I need to place myself under the authority of scripture not merely be the arbiter of God’s rule. Too many pastors have lost their way when they see themselves as more important than they ought, and place themselves above the authority of scripture. I must both be chief repenter and caller to repentance of others.
Prayer: Lord God forgive me. I have failed to live the way you want far to often, even today. Help me to live in such a way that I might with integrity call others to follow. Help me to do this both in my family life and in the life of the church. I can only do this through your Spirit.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
January 30 Philemon
Go ahead and look first at Philemon . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Philemon 1:17
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
Title: I Don’t Own Anything
Observation: The background of this chapter is that Philemon is the recipient of the letter and it’s concerning his slave Onesimus. It seems that Paul has evangelized both Philemon and Philemon sent his slave to help Paul in his imprisonment. After Onesimus became a Christian it seems that Paul had sent back to his master Philemon. Then it seems that Onesimus ran away to Paul. So Paul is writing a letter to send Onesimus back with when he returns to Philemon his master.
Philemon had the right to punish Onesimus brutally, kill him if he wanted to. Onesimus was just property according to Roman law. But Paul is challenging him, saying that before he was just a slave, but now he is a brother Christian. And before you punish him, consider that he now is a brother in the faith. He also reminds Philemon that he owes Paul a greater debt than Onesimus owes Philemon and that if thinks there should be some punishment, Paul says, charge it to my account. You owe me far more than that, you owe me your very life, Paul is telling Philemon. So treat Onesimus well, and if you want to do what’s right, send him back to help me in prison, which really is your obligation anyway.
While slavery is repugnant to us (and I think Paul, if you read between the lines) the lesson is also about those thing we think of us as our property. We have found new life in Jesus; we owe him everything. Everything, including everything we own. So when God asks us to give up something that we “own” we need to remember this little letter.
As we today have pledged as a church to give to God in the new year, let us be open handed and not need to be scolded to give back to God what belongs to him.
Application: I need to hold everything with an open hand to God. I need to be willing to give to God financially, and let God’s mission use any possession- my car, my home- as there is need. I need to not think of it as mine, but as I hold in trust God’s possession until he needs to transfer it somewhere else.
Prayer: Lord God, my provider, help me to see that your grace is sufficient, not your grace + my comfort = my faith. Help me to see that Jesus=enough. Lord, help me to hold everything with an open hand, model a life of faith. Thank you for your blessings. Let me be faithful with what you have given.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
January 27th Psalm 4
Go ahead and look first at Psalm 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Psalm 4:7
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
Title: Joy in Faith- No, we don’t have to walk around looking like worried accountants.
Observation: Joy. Today, I left the office early and went to the JFK library to study and plan the next series of sermons in the church. I didn’t get any of that work done. I was surprised by joy. I spend an hour reading in illustrated work (from the JFK library) about the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Once the Roman Emperor accepted Christianity in the 4th Century A.D. and the Christian church became another avenue of currying favor and power. At that time a group of men and women left the cities of
Their simple words kept hitting home, kept challenging me and encouraging me. I want to be like them, with a simple, profound faith. Their few words spoke goodness and wisdom. I think the thing that got me most was they didn’t shirk the hard things of life, but squared up and faced them. And in living in poverty, face to face with all the fears, longings, and struggles of humans, they found joy in serving God. They did not trade giving up one sin for another; they accepted that things would be difficult and that there was spiritual power in humility. They believed that God was the one who would save them. Their total dependence on God, and their joy in spite of suffering, was an overwhelming testimony which encouraged me today.
And then I read another, very good book, on leadership, and I placed myself back in the trenches of leadership in the church. And my joy faded. It isn’t that what I was reading was bad; it had many excellent ideas. But technique and skills are not what drive the church forward; it’s passion for Jesus, integrity in living, and communion with God in prayer that power the church. Leadership skills may direct the boat and maximize its efficiency, but it is powered out of our relationships with God.
Application: Too often I have gotten involved in the details and missed the big pictures, both personally and in leadership. I need to have a strategic plan for both my family and my leadership in the church. But all the best knowledge and plans and skills are worth less than nothing (really are harmful) without being led by the Spirit on an hour by hour basis.
Prayer: Lord God let me find joy in your spirit. Thanks you for the overwhelming experience of your joy this morning. Help me to live a life of integrity and honesty as the Desert Fathers and Mothers did. Lord help me to act at the impulse of your love. Help me to plan stragtegically in the church and at home.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Januray 26th Romans 16
Go ahead and look first at Romans 16 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Romans 16:27
…to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Title: Useless Controversies- Why Are They So Much Fun?
Observation: Some passages are like trying to drink from a fire hose* others are like digging for a trickle of water through mounds of dirt. This is the later. There are a few excellent drops, but for the most part the greetings that end this letter are beyond our context.
The first interesting thing is that Junias is mentioned as, with Andronicus, as “outstanding among the apostles”. Paul does not through that term around loosely. And Junia is most likely a woman. A female apostle? And outstanding among the apostles? What was her authority? What does this do to our conception of the role of women in the early church?
Again there is the reminder to not let anyone destroy the unity of the church. We as Baptist sometimes glory in our freedom so much that we forget the second part- with freedom comes responsibility. In fact, we who have a vote in the affairs of the church need to be more diligent in prayer and constant walking with the Lord if we are to pass judgment on the working of God in the ministry
Paul’s “Gospel”? Raise any eyebrows? I’ve become a huge fan of the Apostle Paul, and where once I saw arrogance and egotism in his writings I now almost always give him the benefit of the doubt. Paul is willing to plead, yell, cajole, play poor me, do anything necessary to keep these fledgling churches together in unity and mission. What I see here is that Paul takes pride in “his gospel” because it is an extension of himself; if you know Paul and have heard him, you have heard his “gospel” which always points to Jesus.
Application: I don’t know everything. I sometimes like to pass judgment on ministry and ideas that I really don’t understand. I need to live in prayer, to be competent in areas I don’t understand. To be so full of the spirit that with humility and wisdom I might lead out of the power of Jesus Christ
Prayer: Lord God give me your spirit. Let me be diligent in the work of spiritual discipline. I love freedom; I don’t always like responsibility. Help me to be focused on your things, to be a person who is constantly in step with you and your spirit.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
*Mike Green first used this phrase around me
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Jan 25th Romans 15
Go ahead and look first at Romans 15 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Title: Plugging In
Observation: Paul tells us that he is please with the progress of the believers at
David Sedaris is an openly gay writer who fell in with a band of Christians on one of his travels. He even prayed to accept Jesus as his savior. But his goals was to skip over the casserole bearing, kindness showing Christians he met and move directly into the power and judgment giving section of Christianity. This describes too many of us.
We need to get back to the basics of grace and faith so we can be plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit. We’ve got to get back to our power source. We too often stretch and stretch the appliance cord with sin and squabbling over the unimportant, and all of sudden we find that no longer have joy in our lives, we are critical grumpy people. We need to intentionally plug ourselves back into intimate contact with Jesus so that our lives can overflow with love and grace as we experience them daily in our walk with Jesus.
Application: It’s so easy to get separated from the experience of receiving Jesus’ love and grace. I get involved in following the tabloid like conflicts of the denomination and want to fight with others, which diminishes my experience of his goodness. I get lazy and my mind starts wandering, and I began to long to use people and cherish things, when I need to cherish people and use things. I must get back to my day of extended prayer and focus on God in order to live and lead out of the overflow of grace that Paul lived and ministered out of.
Prayer: Lord God help me to live in grace. Let me rest in you, allow myself to go slack in the arms of my Creator. Let me rest and drink in your goodness. Let me rise to serve you, not out of guilt or obligation, but with the joy and zeal of someone who has first tasted your awesome perfect love. Help me not to be shy or fearful of operating on a grace basis when everyone else in nudging for position and power. Give me the faith to sustain me and the joy to keep me ready to move at the impulse of your love.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Jan 24th Romans 14
Go ahead and look first at Romans 14 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Romans 14:4
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Title: Useless Controversies- Why Are They So Much Fun?
Observation: Paul spends this chapter dealing with non-essential issues of faith and culture. He brings up two particular struggles that were going on within the church- those who believed that some days are more holy than others, and those who did not want to eat meat (most likely consecrated originally to some god or other).
We Christians love to fight about these things. We argue about contemporary or traditional music, oft times with one group condemning the other. We argue about the color of carpeting in the building we worship the Creator of all colors. We argue about whether Tim Lahaye’s Left Behind series is the equivalent of God’s decoder ring for our time or just a fairy tale spun by a dispensationalist with way too much free time on his hands. We love to argue about the non-essentials.
Why particularly the non-essentials? Because dealing with essentials, living a life of love, serving the poor, and sharing the gospel- these require us to do more than flap our gums and go out and serve the Lord with our lives. Even the homosexual issue is to a degree a battle that most of us need not fight- 90+ % of us are never tempted to sin in that way. Instead let’s talk about the lust in our own eyes for people or possessions and deal with the log in our own eye rather than go after the splinter in our neighbors. Let’s realize that our fellow Christians are ultimately accountable to God- and that we, the big talkers, are also servants who are also going to be judged by our Maker.
Application: I need to show mercy and grace to those who see the commands of Jesus differently than I do. In the current fight in our denomination I must hold firm to the essentials of Grace and the teaching of the Bible, but in the midst of name calling and accusations be a force for unity and peace. I need to be tolerant of those at ACBC who hold different views, and protect others from the zealousness of those overconfident in their reading of scripture who condemn, break, and destroy people for their ideology. Lord, help me to teach Josiah to walk in grace as well, and not by law.
Prayer: Lord God help me to live in grace with those to the left and to the right of me theologically. Help me to model grace and acting in love and mercy on all of the non-essentials and to be bulldog on the essentials of the Gospel message. Help me to live out the truth in my life so that I might be a witness who in unimpeached when I need to stand firm for the sake of the Good News. God, help me to live in grace and faith and be a light to those around me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Jan 23 Romans 13
Go ahead and look first at Romans 13 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s):Romans 13:7
Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Title: Paying My Way (with money, gratitude, and honor).
Observation: We as followers of Christ need to be above board, and be honorable in our actions. We need to pay the government what we owe in taxes. We need to avoid debt. But even more than financially, we need to show honor to those in positions of authority and respect as well.
One of our society’s great weaknesses is that we treat our leaders like punching bags. Oversight is crucial to are government; we as citizens need to be vigilant against corruption. But we need also to show respect and honor to our governor, our president, our elected officials, especially when we do not agree with them. Character assassination is never called for. God has allowed, even placed our leaders in positions of authority. Let us give them their due.
Application: I don’t like to submit to any authority, but particularly to the leaders I don’t agree with. And yet without supporting our leaders, even when we don’t agree with them, we hamstring their authority and their ability to do good. I once saw a cartoon about a bus designed for a church committee: It had one gas pedal, four steering wheels, and ten sets of brakes. I need to submit those who have been placed in authority over me even, especially, when I disagree with them.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be grateful for those who are put in position over me. Help me to be gracious to those you have given me leadership over. Help meto learn to work in harmony with everyone, where the only debt I have is to love each other. Help me not to take my ball home when I disagree, but to learn how to submit to those who you have given me as my leaders and show them gratitude and show them respect.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Jan 20th Psalm 3
Key Verse(s): Psalm 3:5
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. (NIV)
Title: Cheerio Powered or God Sustained?
Observation: David reminds us that we are powered not by our food and rest, but it is God who keeps all things together, who not only sustains the physical universe but animates our spirits through His power. Josiah’s main food group is cheerios- but mine needs to be the Holy Spirit. David knew what it was like to live in the power of the Holy Spirit- and he feared it being taken away from him. Let’s follow his model and take our sustenance from God in the form of prayer, worship, and the Word.
Application: I need to praise God when I wake up, when I sleep, when I eat a meal with my family and when I enjoy God’s gifts. I need to see the hand of God in all of the things He does; praise to God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the beauty of your creation, help me to rest in your power and not be distracted or afraid. You alone are God, nothing was created that you didn’t first create. May I praise you with my words, action, and spirit today.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
January 19th Romans 12
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 12 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Romans 12:4-6a
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't...(The Message)
Observation:
Title: I Am an Undersized Power Forward
I remember sitting at Denny’s about
Understanding how we are gifted by God is part of the key to being a part of the team. The other part is being willing to sacrifice our time and need for personal recognition for the good of God’s kingdom. Your job might be the equivalent of standing still and getting run into (think of our leadership board and complaints) that free others to serve unhindered. But when we work together we accomplish what we never could individually.
Application: My job, pastor, is one the “glamour” jobs in the church (though if you got to see it from the inside you might not agree). As the player/coach of the team, I need to focus on how to build the team, help individuals to find their roles, encourage them to give of themselves sacrificially in their area of giftedness, and then set them up to succeed in their roles. I need to not try to do everything myself; that’s arrogant and ineffective. I need to learn how to set up my teammates, my fellow church members to succeed. I need to be willing to let other people lead out of their giftedness under my leadership and that of the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, when I get nervous I try to control everything, do everything myself. Help me to have faith in my teammates and in you. Lord, you put us together at ACBC to be Your team in
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
January 18th Romans 11
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 11 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s):Romans 11:22-23
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Title: The Prerogative of God- Grace and Judgment
Observation: Paul uses the extended metaphor of a olive tree with branches torn off and branches grafted on. It reminds the gentiles that we sit upon the root of faith that came through the Jewish people. It also is God’s choice that we have been grafted on to this root of faith. It challenges us to hold on to believing in Jesus. And tells us that
I do absolutely believe that God has a plan to bring the children of
Application: I must remember to stay rooted in faith, rooted to Jesus. I must rest totally in him, and not be swayed by all the temptations.
Prayer: Lord, I help me to believe, help me to trust totally in you. I believe that you can keep me faithful.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Jan 17th Romans 10
Key Verse(s): Romans 10:2-3
I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided. They don't understand [how to receive] God's approval. So they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not accepted God's way for receiving his approval. (God’s Word)
Title: And I Did it MY Way…and It Turned Out To Be Useless
Observation: Paul continues in chapter 10 dealing with the painful reality that most of the Jews of his day did not turn to Jesus as their savior. Here is the hard part to come to terms with- they authentically were trying to please God. They desired to be His children. But they were too attached to their traditions and the Law to see what God had brought among them. The Law was not to be worshipped, God was. But they made an idol out of the Law and refused to worship God himself in the person of Jesus.
This strikes very close to home. We see that just working hard for God is not enough. What traditions do we venerate that keep us from worshipping Jesus? What things do we do that seem right that actually keep others from hearing the Gospel of Jesus? Desire for God is not enough, as the Paul points out. It must be directed out of the correct knowledge of faith.
And even more importantly, it must be led by God. We may desire to do good things for God, but we need to invest our lives in the things God cares about. God instituted a new form of righteousness through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross: the old manner of attaining righteousness by observing the Law was shown to be flawed. We need not merely to have good intentions, but to serve in God ordained ways. The good news is that if we are attentive to God’s word and prayer the Holy Spirit will lead us in truth and how God desires us to spend our energies.
Application: Just my desire to serve God isn’t enough. I don’t want to waste my energies running around and not accomplishing anything. And there are so many ways to do just that. I need to track with God, to understand His plan, and to throw my life into it. I need to spend time nurturing my relationship with Him, sharpening my understanding of Jesus and his teaching, of listening attentively to the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Lord, I desire to serve you, and to do your will and not my own. Lead me in all truth. Do not let me work be in vain, show me how to invest in the things of an eternal nature. Lead me in paths of righteousness, for Your name’s sake. Lord help me to see where you want me to go, serve, and lead in matters great and small. God, you are faithful and wise, help me to wait and see your direction. Help me not to try to set up my own way into your kingdom, but to follow the path that you have laid out for me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
I Have A Dream Speech
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Jan 16 Romans 9
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 9 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Romans 9:
Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?" Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans?(The Message)
Title: God’s Mercy and His Judgment
Observation: This chapter begins with the Apostle Paul speaking of his torment about the fact that most of the Jewish nation refused to acknowledge Jesus as the long promised Messiah. I can’t imagine being like Paul and saying to God that I would be willing to cut off for eternity for a group of people that had tormented and beaten me. Yet, Paul’s heart is broken over the many who refused to see n that Jesus was the Son of God.
This is one of the hardest chapters for me to understand and accept in the Bible. I believe that God created us with free will, the choice whether we would turn and love Him. And yet the implication in this chapter is that some have had their hearts hardened and pushed away by God. It would be much easier for me if the scripture said that God allowed them to harden their own hearts. It doesn’t say that. But I believe that each of these had gone a long way down the road of turning their back on God before he chose to use them as part of us plan for the salvation of many.
But the truth is that I do not understand enough to question God. I do not understand God’s sovereignty and the way he works. I am finite and my understanding is limited; He is infinite and created all things. Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is the wisdom of Job, ‘The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; Blessed be the Name of the Lord.’
Application: I need to learn humility. It is my job in life to seek out the Lord to try to understand Him and His ways. It’s not my role to critique my creator. He has shown me love, mercy and grace. I can trust Him. And I can go to Him and ask for wisdom. I understand God’s actions in the Bible at least 95% of the time, and I need to trust the wisdom of God for the other 5%.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be humble and acknowledge that You are God and I am your created. You have entrusted me with words of life and salvation, truth of the world and knowledge of the eternal. Let me be content in the not knowing, the not understanding, as you work in my life and change me. Let my words directed to you be praise. Let me focus on my role as your servant, not a board member that thinks their job is holding You accountable. Help me to be faithful in all things that you give to me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Jan 13 Psalm 2
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Psalm 2 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Psalm
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (NIV)
Title: The Truth About God We Don’t Want to Talk About
Observation: This Psalm of praise talks about the power of God and the promised Messiah that had not yet come. God is rightly angered by those who oppose him. They marshal the power of mankind against him, but their power is puny compared to God’s. And God is talking to Jesus, and says (I believe in light of his ransoming death on the cross for our sin) humanity is your reward. Judge them for their rebellion or spare them in the light of grace, they’re yours.
So the wisdom of the Psalm is to kiss the Son, to pay homage to him and to place yourself under His rule and protection. The idea of Jesus as a vengeful God is not comfortable, but consistent with scripture. Many times Jesus warns that there are those who will be cast out, into the outer darkness. Even setting aside the justice and holiness of God’s requirements for us, in a battle of power choosing to power to oppose God is foolishness. Its only because of his great love, mercy, and patience with us, has he allowed those who oppose him to gather power and to plot their foolish rebellion against God.
C.S. Lewis in reference to Aslan (codeword for God in the Narnia Chronicles) has a character say, “He is not safe. But He is good.” That’s the Good News. God has unlimited power to judge us, but we can count on his giving grace because He is good. But don’t think you have God on a leash; that would be madness.
Application: I sometimes consciously or unconsciously think that I have power over God, that I can continue in sin and make Him forgive me. That is illusion. I need to submit to the power and authority of Christ. Because, when I do that I find the position that I was created to be in and find my part in God’s plan for eternity.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see how majestic and powerful you are, and how small my power is. Help me to find my place in service and homage to you, as a loyal follower. Thank you for loving me enough to entrust me to lead others to you. Lord I pray that you will help me lead in the positions of authority that you have placed me, not because I deserve it, but because of your grace.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Jan. 12th Romans 8
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 8 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Rom
For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Good News)
Title: The Central Chapter of Romans: The Charter of Liberty for the Cosmos
Observation: We are triumphant over the power of sin, death, and punishment because of Jesus Christ. 3 great passages of scripture I did not choose are 8:1-2 (There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ..), 8:28 (We are more than conquerors in Christ) and 8:38-39 (Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ). All these are worthy to be life verses, great hooks on which to hang your victorious faith, verses that give life and meaning to our existence.
But what really struck me is that this thing called sin has affected more than humanity- all creation groans for the revealing of God’s children. Everything that’s affected with sickness and death, the old immoral cycle of kill or be killed in the animal kingdom, the whole senseless tragedies that we humans have created in radiating and poising the creation, all of that will be rolled back through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is going to set all things right when He comes back to claim his followers and end history. Hallelujah!
Application: I need to celebrate the victory of God over the power of sin, death and eternal punishment now! I know and trust the promise of the savior- nothing can separate me for the love of God. I can live in freedom without fear of anything because I am God’s child and destined for a perfect world with a Perfect God and living now and forever a life of love and grace. I need to communicate that to my face more often, and share the good news that God has a plan to put in play so that justice will be done and grace will reign forever.
Prayer: Lord, through faith I can celebrate the great final victory now! You have never failed in your promise. You are the one, the eternal, the Alpha and the Omega, who will one day bring down the curtain on time and sin. Lord, come soon. Let me assist you in calling others into your eternal kingdom. Help me share this Good News.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Jan. 11 Romans 7
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Romans 7 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
I don’t normally do this, but because I think this passage is really difficult I’m going to put here my notes from the devotional guide that goes along with this blog. If there is anyone out there in cyberspace who wants a devotional guide contact me at matthewreal@yahoo.com .
This chapter bears an uncanny resemblance to some of Dr. Seuss’s works. But the keys to the chapter are:
The Law (the commands of the OT) has power only in life.
Through the death of Christ, and our dying to self when we accept him, we are beyond the power of the Law’s condemnation.
The Law is a powerful tool to show us when we are outside God’s plan for our lives.
Praise God for the Law, and Praise God for freedom from the Law through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ!
Having said that, I’m going to be personal and maybe hit you where you live with the next words. So beware.
Key Verse(s): Rom 7:7
But I can hear you say, "If the law code was as bad as all that, it's no better than sin itself." That's certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, "You shall not covet," I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it. (The Message)
Title: The Bad News that Makes Jesus Good News
Observation: This convoluted argument of Paul makes many points about the law and grace. But what God has put my mind on is that the Law, God’s teaching, allows us to know what is right and wrong. While some issues are flexible (such as considering one day holy or not, eating meat or not, etc.) many more issues are firmly settled by God’s code.
And some are pretty easy. The commandment against physically making an idol to worship has never really tempted me. But others, particularly those I continue in sin unthinkingly, are really destructive even if I do not acknowledge them as sin. This is why Jesus is such good news, that God points out what is sin in the Bible and Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit give us the power to overcome that sin. We are no longer trapped, but freed to face down our biggest fears (and sin) and have victory over them.
Application: What God has taught me is sin through the Bible is that my habit of overeating is sinful. This may not be revelation to those of you who have seen me, but for years I was unable to acknowledge the truth of this sin. Rick Warren says that if there is a sin in your life you can’t talk about, your out of control. Clearly I have been. When I was confronted with my weight (not the sin, eating is, but I hid that pretty well from most people) I would get defensive and point out the log in the confronters eye. I could not acknowledge the truth of it. And it may be that God extended his grace to me to this time to deal with it, that previously there was other sin in my life that he wanted to deal with first. God doesn’t tend to overwhelm us with our sin, he works usually (at least in my life) in one area or two at a time. But I write this to challenge myself (and any readers) to take seriously what God says and to see if there is an area in your life you have rationalized as acceptable that God wants you to have victory over. Addiction isn’t pretty, but acknowledging it before our gracious Heavenly Father (who obviously knows already!) is one of the first steps to victory.
Prayer: Lord, give me victory over my sin of overeating. Teach me to be faithful in this area of my life. I acknowledge that I have sinned before you and that you have forgiven me, freeing me from going back, giving me the freedom to live unfettered by that which had a hold on me. Help me in moments of temptation, and allow me to be faithful, especially for my son, so that I can be a model to him and live to see him grow into a man of faith. Help me Lord!
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Jan 10 Romans 6
Key Verse(s):Rom 6:10-11
He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. (New Living Translation)
Title: The Imperative of Grace
Observation: This chapter deals with the core issue of discipleship in the Christian life- if Jesus has died for my sin and I am completely free, if Jesus is glorified because he wipes away sin, if man’s sin leads to greater glory to God through the further outpouring of His grace- then why not live a life of sin to point out the incredible goodness of God to save a race of sinners? This certainly is easier than trying to be like Jesus.
But however much glory goes to God for displaying grace through his son- God is still absolutely and forever opposed to sin. I have been given grace so that I might become like my savior, Jesus, who lives for the glory of God.
Application: How can I live for the glory of God? Obviously, staying away from sin is part of it. But how can I make God proud of me, his creation? What does the Lord require of me- to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8)
Prayer: Lord, help me to live for you glory. Help me in my weak times want to live for your glory. Father, help me to live for you, to stand strong, to worship you, to give my life in service and faithfulness to you. Help me to desire living to please you above all else. Thank you for your grace to me, even in my most undeserving moments.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Jan 9th Romans 5
Key Verse(s):Rom 5:3-4
We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. (New Life Version)
Title: Scarily Supernatural Power Within Our Reach
Observation: We are not neutral to God before we accept Jesus as our savior. We are God’s enemies, opposed to His plan in the world. The image of One giving up the glories of heaven to be confined in a human body to save His friends is startling. The vision of a God coming to earth to die for his enemies, those opposed to him is only explained as God. God turning everything we think we know and believe upside down. God is in a sense totally other, beyond our logic or understanding.
The image of the two Adams is a little hard. Adam is just the Hebrew word for man, and Jesus is the second Adam. The first Adam (man) brought sin and death into the world through his disobedience to God, the second brought Adam (Jesus) brought grace and eternal life through his obedience to God. And Paul tells us that, somehow, the echo of grace will ring louder and more profoundly then spread of sin and death ever did. Jesus has more than brought us to even, he has brought us into new life and the creation back into relationship with God.
Did the Apostle Paul really brag about his suffering? Well, the Bible shows that he did, particularly in 2 Corinthians 11. But if I am to really understanding the Christian life I must understand suffering. And I must embrace suffering, not trying to get out of it, but accept the full measure of it. When I can stand on God’s promise, the world throws all it can at me, and I am unmoved because I have experienced suffering and know that my God will deliver me and He is my provision, perhaps then, I will have attained the maturity in Christ that I desire.
Application: I desire maturity, but not the scuffs and scars that it takes to reach that point. Our culture does not value suffering- I would receive advice to remove myself from relationships that cause discomfort or pain. But in the midst of difficulties I have learned and continue to learn that I can trust God. The next time I am clobbered for sticking to what I believe God is calling me to, I will stand there and take it. I will not retaliate in any form. I will wait for Jesus to vindicate me. Lord help me!
Prayer: Lord, I long to be one of your saints, one who is unafraid to take a hit for doing what you have called me to do and be. You are faithful all the time, yet, I try to run away when things hurt. Help me to not run away from the hurt, but to run toward it with the energies of prayer. Help me to be courageous, for my family, for my church, and ultimately for you, so that I might be counted as faithful. Lord, I can’t do this. But you can. You are Holy and Good. You gave up everything to give me the gift of eternal life and the opportunity to become what you created me to be. Help me to be the man of faith you have called me to be. Thank you for you life and death, you eternal love that rescued me gave me hope and a future.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Jan. 6th Psalm 1
Before you read this, go ahead and look first at Psalm 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s):Psalm 1:2
Rather, he delights in the teachings of the LORD and reflects on his teachings day and night. (GW)
Title: Breakin’ the Law…or Not Wanting To?
Observation: Out culture lionizes those who break the rules. It’s funny how even the most straight-laced, bulwark, blue chip companies try to promote themselves as “rebels”. Those who follow the rules are sneered at and ridiculed, as those who drive the speed limit on the freeway. But imagine going beyond merely having a truce with the moral rules (I will leave them alone if they leave me alone) and actually embracing, loving the laws of God. To not merely accept that the rules laid out by God are for my own good, like broccoli, but actively setting out to have broccoli as the main course and craving more of it. To earnestly desire to put myself under God’s authority and find my unique place in the created order.
Application: I don’t love all the laws of God, and I want to cry freedom, that Jesus has given me freedom from the Law. True. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And the purity code of the Old Testament has been wiped out by Jesus’ revelation to Peter in Acts (among other places). But the moral teachings of the Bible, in particular the sermon on the mount, are still the way that God wants me to live. And God, I believe, wants me not to merely tolerate, or grudgingly accept and follow his truth, but to love it.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to love all your teaching as much as I love to worship you in your sanctuary. Curb my desire to be headstrong and desire my own way. Help me to teach my son that discipline is good, that rules have a place, and that there can be joy through them, not merely in bending or breaking them. Give me the courage to follow your rules even when everyone else is placing themselves above them.
Jesus, I give you praise for all that you have done for me. Father I think about your creative work and perfection, and I kneel in awe of you. Holy Spirit, you who animate and give fresh wind, new life, thank you for your refreshing touch. Lord have control over me and lead me in the everlasting way.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Jan. 5, Romans 4
Key Verse(s):Rom 4:23-24
But the words "his faith was regarded as God's approval of him" were written not only for him but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as God's approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. (GW)
Title: Ya Gotta Believe
Observation: Paul paints two complementary portraits of Abraham in this passage. One is the brave man who serves God, goes where he is called to go, accepts the mark of circumcision- basically a good servant of God who deserves his wages from God. God will honor that.
But beyond that Paul paints a second image, a more mystical one. It’s the man of faith, the one who believes God’s promises, the promises that he will be blessed if he goes to a new land (at 75), that he will have a child in his extreme old age, and that God will bless all people through him. It is this faith, this untouchable trust in God, which is raised up as his greatest strength.
It’s interesting, that God is more honored and blessed by the second image of faith than the first image of servanthood. We are credited with the righteousness of Christ if we believe; our own righteousness (or lack thereof) if we rely on our hard work. Paul is saying that faith, believing in God and particularly Jesus death on the cross for us, is more important than any work or service to God we could perform. We too can Jesus righteousness credited to us (and not our own shaky pattern) if we believe that He is the Christ. Belief, then, is the central occupation of the Christian life, not service to God.
Application: Had a nephew born today. Like us, both parents passed thirty. Though not quite Abraham and Sarah, the child we have is a blessing from God, a little touchstone of God’s promise and His faithfulness. While there is much work for me to do as a father and uncle, these boys need me to be a person of faith, a man of prayer, before all else. In my limited capacity I cannot make either believe, nor am I going to have the greatest influence on either of there lives to turn to Jesus. That will be the work of the Holy Spirit. My job is to be a model of faith and an intercessor with the Holy Spirit on behalf of these two, that they might grow into towering men of faith.
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the safe birth of little Jackson. I pray your blessing on his parents as they go through all the terror and joy of being first time parents. I pray that you will comfort them and draw them to yourself through the ministry of this little child. Help me to be a support and a beacon of faith to them. I pray that I might be a person who believes, then acts, not one who tries to hold the world together by sheer force of will. Teach me to walk more in step with your spirit, that my faith might be credited as righteousness and that it might influence others to see your grace as you work through me. Thank you for your faithfulness and love. Help me to mirror that grace to everyone around me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
