March 31, 2023

Acts 2: 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (NIV)

Jesus was crucified for being who he really was.*

When it comes to sermons, Peter knew his audience and tailored his message accordingly. The setting for this verse is Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost. In town for the occasion were “God-fearing Jews from every nation,” who were surprised to hear the sound of the disciples speaking in foreign languages. “Amazed and perplexed,” they gave Peter just the opening he needed when they asked, “What does this mean?”

Peter proceeded to deliver a gospel message that would resonate with his Jewish listeners. His references to prophecies from Joel and David back up Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah, but he provides them with the most conclusive evidence of all: God has made him both Lord and Christ. And as soon as he spoke those words, they stood and began to sing, “Just As I Am.” . . . Well, not really. But the results were the same. “What shall we do?” they asked, and Peter told them (see verse 38).

It may seem that Peter was a little harsh with his Jewish listeners when he accused them of crucifying Jesus. Those particular Jews were probably some of the out-of-towners and so were not part of the crowd that cried out for the death of our Lord. It’s like trying to make me feel guilty for the way the Native Americans were mistreated in the early days of our country, or for importing Africans for the slavery industry: I didn’t do it! But I share in the blame if I abuse or discriminate against someone because of their race; and the Jews in Peter’s audience could not claim clean hands if they denied Jesus’ lordship.

Beware lest you find yourself in company with those who crucified the Lord. In Hebrews chapter six is a dire warning for those who have “tasted the goodness of the word of God” but who fall away. “To their loss,” we read in verse six, “they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” I do not want to be part of that crowd!

Behold the Man upon the cross, My sin upon his shoulders. Ashamed to hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers.*

March 30, 2023

Romans 10: 13-15 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? (NIV)

Those who have the ability to act have the responsibility to act.*

Everyone who calls upon Google Maps will arrive safely and timely at their destination. Is that a true statement? I think not. Aside from the fact that GPS programs are not infallible, just pulling up the address on your phone will not get you where you are going. You still have to follow the directions.

Similarly, merely calling on the name of the Lord will not save you. If it did, everyone who uses the Lord’s name in vain is on the way to heaven. Paul follows his quote (from Joel 2: 32) with directions for those who are giving directions to the lost. 

Calling on the name of the Lord is useless if the lost person doesn’t believe in the Lord. And the lost aren’t going to believe in the Lord if they have never heard of him. Furthermore, how will they hear if no one shares the gospel with them? Finally, who is going to preach the gospel unless they are sent to do it? The implication at this point is: being called is not the same as being sent – being sent means you went!

As ones who know the way, our responsibility is great. Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. And it’s not such an unglamorous task - after all, verse 15 ends with a quote from Isaiah that proclaims, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

They aren’t responding to the gospel because we aren’t responding to the gospel.*

March 29, 2023

John 16: 22 “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (NIV)

A leader’s execution is not a usual recipe for heartening his followers.*

The world is full of joy thieves: illness, death, rejection . . . Satan. Jesus’ words here, addressed to his disciples, refer to specific circumstances, but they offer us the same hope: joy that can’t be stolen.

In chapters 13 through 17 of his gospel, John records Jesus’ predictions regarding his betrayal and death – surely causes for sorrow – as well as his message of comfort and hope. His disciples may not have comprehended the future that Jesus was trying to prepare them for, but later they successfully navigated through the storm of grief to claim the promised joy.

We find no record that the disciples ever regretted what they had experienced. Acts 4: 33 provides a snapshot of their actions and attitudes following their time with Jesus: “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.”

Jesus encouraged his disciples by telling them that he would see them again, but it was a temporary physical reunion that he was predicting. Of course they would rejoice when they saw him again – alive. But Jesus doesn’t hand out joy that doesn’t last. In John 17: 13, Jesus prayed that his followers would receive “the full measure of my joy within them.” That prayer was answered when he gave us his Holy Spirit – himself – to dwell within us forever (John 14: 16). Before his physical departure from the world, he reminded us of our reason for joy: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 20)

Now there’s a promise you can hang your hopes on!

Oh, write that on every tombstone, “I will see you again.”*

March 28, 2023

Proverbs 30: 5, 6 Every word of God is flawless . . . Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. (NIV)

God likes words. He spoke creation into being with words. Jesus is the Word made flesh; his celestial title is the Word of God. . . God commands us to use words: to read, write, preach, teach, sing, and pray.*

Every word of God is flawless, but every word I write has potential to cause God to rebuke me and prove me a liar. Sometimes I wonder, based on this and similar passages, why anyone would read anything that humans have written about the Bible. Shouldn’t the Bible stand on its own merits? Why do writers (myself included) produce books, articles, and devotions?

The Bible does speak for itself. It relays the word of God as he revealed it to the writers he inspired to pen it. But writers write for the same reason preachers preach: God called us to do it. If God didn’t want humans to help other humans understand his word, he would not have included preaching as a spiritual gift. Preachers and writers alike are motivated by Paul’s words in Romans: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Chapter 10, verses 14 and 15.)

I don’t stand in a pulpit to deliver my sermons, but I preach to my readers every day. I pray that I do not add to (or take away from) God’s word; that I will bless others; and that I will glorify God. Those are my responsibilities. You, my reader, have responsibilities, too. Your job is test the truth and accuracy of what I have written. I would not purposely mislead you but my word is not infallible. Read the scripture for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. And let me know if I’m wrong! Rebuke me if you must, but please don’t call me a liar!

Knowing the truth . . . is crucial to freedom from deception.*

March 27, 2023

Psalm 146: 7-9 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. (NIV)

True commitment to God does not result in legalism, but love; not harm, but help; not pride, but humility; not judgment, but mercy; not isolation, but infiltration; not rules over people, but relationships with people.*

In case you don’t know the Lord, the psalmist invites you to make his acquaintance by sharing this list of God’s activities. Knowing what God does enhances our knowledge of who he is. To further our understanding of his character, let’s flip the psalmist’s list for a look at behavior that is opposite of God’s: 

• Oppresses those over whom he has power. 
• Has no concern for the less fortunate – the hungry, those in prison, the blind, those who are bowed with care. 
• Has no love for the righteous. 
• Does not care about foreigners, orphans, or widows. 
• Facilitates the ways of the wicked. 

So where do you fall in these two lists? Which one best describes you? Are you more like God or are you more like his opposite? What can you do to increase your godliness? Are you – at this moment – composing a mental list of steps to help get you on the good list? Stop right there. Doing the right things will never make you more like God until your heart is his. 

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all our heart, and that the second greatest was that we should love others as much as we love ourselves. If you have those priorities in order, you will never have to worry that your actions have placed you on the wrong list. Love God; love others; achieve godliness.

If you maintain these two top priorities – love God and love others – they will guide you in setting all the other priorities in your life.*

March 26, 2023

Psalm 23: 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (NIV)

What should we desire, but that all our purposes may agree with God's holy will?*

God has promised to provide for our needs, but in this verse, David didn’t say, “I shall not be in need.” His words were, “I shall not be in want.” My paraphrase of the first verse of David’s most famous psalm would be: God is my provider. I lack nothing. I don’t just have everything that I need; I have so much more than that. I have the things that money can buy and the things it can’t. I don’t have to remember to ask for my daily bread because it has already been provided.

But is material provision really what David was writing about? Don’t forget that David was a poet and he uses beautiful imagery here to deliver a deeper message. This psalm wouldn’t have much meaning for some people if possessions and success and health were all David was referring to. Not everyone can say, “I have everything I want,” unless there is another layer of meaning to the words.

We find ourselves distracted by the last words of this verse, so we often overlook the first clause: The Lord is my shepherd. The shepherd provides for his sheep, yes; but that’s not the first duty that comes to mind when we think of a shepherd. Our first thoughts are of the sheep’s dependence on the shepherd for protection and comfort. With the Lord as his shepherd, David viewed his life as one that was “full of God’s presence and purpose.”* It was this same David who wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37: 4) That sounds like a life of fulfilled need and want.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.*

March 25, 2023

Acts 22: 16 “‘And now what are your waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” (NIV)

Baptism is not a Bible doctrine. . . . It is a Bible command.*

In Acts chapter nine, Luke recounts the story of Paul’s conversion. After Paul’s sight was restored, Luke says that Paul “got up and was baptized.” In Acts chapter 22, Paul tells the story for himself, adding more details about the role of Ananais, the disciple God had sent to restore Paul’s sight. After revealing God’s message to Paul, Ananais ended with the words we find in verse 16: What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away!

In neither account did Paul indicate that he didn’t understand the meaning of baptism or that he questioned the necessity of being baptized. The word which is translated baptism means immersion and nothing else. To say that it could also mean sprinkle is like saying that bath means the same thing as shower. When it comes to personal hygiene, the distinction between the two words doesn’t matter much - the results are about the same. But when it comes to matters of salvation, can sprinkling really wash you clean?

If baptism were optional, what did Jesus mean when he said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”? (Mark 16: 16) Why did Peter insist, on the day of Pentecost, that his 3,000 converts must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins? (Acts 2: 38) If it wasn’t an essential step for salvation, why would Jesus – who had no sins to wash away – have set the example for us? (Luke 3: 21)

What are you waiting for?

How many Christians seem content with just “dipping a bit” into Jesus! God wants us to be fully immersed in Jesus; not sprinkled, not just a part of us dipped. When a person is immersed in water, you don’t even see the person much anymore - you mostly see the water. When we live as baptized into Christ, you don’t see so much of “me” anymore; you mostly see Jesus.*

March 24, 2023

Mark 11: 25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (NIV)

Forgiveness is proactive, not reactive.*

It has never been in my nature to hold a grudge. It’s not that I’m such a forgiving type; it just seems to me that any kind of bad attitude requires constant maintenance to keep it alive and I tend to forget before forgiveness is even an issue.

Except for that one person.

Forgiving and forgetting is a process. I can’t say, “I’ve forgiven him,” and go on my merry way. It is not a one-time act. Time and distance may have done their part to minimize the hurt and anger but they haven’t cured it. It is alarming to realize that my inability to fully forgive someone else might interfere with God’s willingness to forgive me. Can you relate to this at all? What can we do?

Jump into the forgiveness circle. Anywhere you land in the circle, forgiveness is available: between God and you; between you and your enemy. God doesn’t say, “Come back and see me when you’ve got it figured out.” In this verse, Jesus makes it sound simple: if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him. He doesn’t mention here that there is any limit to the number of times you might need to do this, but here is a hint: how many times does the Father have to forgive you? He forgives us over and over – and we may very well have to do the same with our enemies. Jesus showed us what it looks like and his Holy Spirit will help us to be forgivers.

Prayer is the key to the process. I’ve learned some things that might help your prayers be more effective: 1) pray for the person every time you think of him or her; 2) pray that God will open your eyes to your own bad behavior – such as purposely holding on to the grudge; 3) forgive the person today – and again tomorrow and again 35 years from now (yep, that’s how long I’ve been working on it!); 4) healing doesn’t come about instantly and forgiveness isn’t a feeling; 5) shut up – you don’t have to keep bringing it up to others; 6) accept God’s forgiveness today and tomorrow and ever how long it takes – don’t put a limit on his ability to forgive; 7) never cease to thank him for the victories.

You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.*

March 23, 2023

I Corinthians 8: 1 Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (NIV)

Impressive gifts, extensive knowledge, and great faith mean nothing without love.*

Paul might say that knowledge is like a balloon: full of air. A balloon can be very big and if you don’t recognize that it is nothing but a container of air, you might even be intimidated by it. But if you try to stand on it, you will realize how insubstantial it is. Knowledge puffs up, says Paul, but love builds up. Love provides a firm foundation to build upon. Very reliable.

So is Paul suggesting that we should choose just one of the two – knowledge or love? Do you really think he is advocating that we be ignorant but loving Christians?

In the women’s Bible study group that I facilitate there are three of us who graduated from Bible college. We have also been Christians for a very long time. It would be surprising (and wrong) if we didn’t know a lot about the Bible. But our knowledge is nothing to be proud of if we haven’t learned more than a little bit about love. In that same group, there are also some women who occasionally express feelings of inadequacy because they don’t know more about God’s word. One friend recently attempted to justify her lack of knowledge by trying to trade it for service. “I don’t have to know more,” she seemed to be saying, “because I serve the Lord.”

My friend may be a better servant than I am; you may be more loving than I am; and I may know more than both of you; but excelling in one area doesn’t excuse you (or me) from trying to be better in all of them. Not that we are saved by how much we do, how much we love, or how much we know. But the more we know God, the more we want to know. The more we know, the more like him we want to be. And we aren’t much like him if we don’t want to know, love, and serve more. It’s all part of the package.

I think of Bible knowledge as a natural resource from which the Holy Spirit works to help all of us become more like Christ.*

March 22, 2023

Romans 1: 29-31 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (NIV)

We often take lightly as a ‘little sin’ that which God takes very seriously.*

If there is a sin that didn’t make this list, Paul covered it with “every kind of wickedness.” It’s interesting that he doesn’t specify some of the more heinous sins that we would surely include on our roster. What I also find of interest is what we might have omitted if we were cataloguing every kind of wickedness. Disobeying parents – really? We’re adults. Why would that appear in company with envy, murder, and strife? And gossip. That’s not such a bad thing – especially if we camouflage it as a prayer request, or follow it up with, “Bless her heart.”

In James 2: 10, we read that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” By this, we would assume that all sin is created equal.  And yet, in the Old Testament, we see God differentiating between sins. Some required more sacrifices and harsher penalties than others. In the New Testament, Jesus also seemed to be more vocal in his umbrage against some sins.

So, then, are we to conclude that all sins are not created equal?

I would have to answer, “Yes and no.” When it comes to degrees of sinfulness, no one would deny that murder trumps cheating on a math test, or that a child molester is more depraved than someone who lies about her age. But Jesus died for ALL our sins. The little sins nailed him to the cross as surely as those acts of depravity. Some sins may hurt only the ones who commit them; other sins wreak havoc. But we are on dangerous ground if we ourselves attempt to rank sins “from bad to worse.” As someone has observed, “In regard to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same.”*

We should be just as concerned about other sins as we are about the ones in the news.*