April 30, 2023

Mark 3: 14 He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach. (NIV)

God wants our precious time, not our spare time.*

When Jesus called the 12 men who were to become his closest associates, he didn’t hand them an elaborate and intimidating syllabus, a reading list, and a schedule of quizzes, tests, and projects. He called them to be with him. Being with him was for his benefit as well as for theirs. While he was preparing them for their future ministry, they were providing companionship for him. As God, Jesus was purposeful and driven; as a man, he craved moral support from his friends. 

God, too, hungers for human company. I was reminded of this recently while I was out for my (sort-of) daily two-mile walk. On this particular morning, it occurred to me that I was wasting 30 minutes a day in random trains of thought to nowhere when I could be praying. So, I began trying to remember all the names on my prayer list as I struggled to formulate coherent requests on their behalf. Not surprisingly, I found it difficult to concentrate and walk at the same time. Then, very clearly, I heard the Lord speak. “Just be with me,” he said. My daily walk has now become a spiritual discipline of awareness of God’s presence. 

God doesn’t need our companionship but he desires it. And being with him is as important a part of our spiritual walk as any of the busyness of serving him. If you think you don’t have time to stop and just be with him, that’s when you most need to stop and be with him.

Service for the Lord is important but it must not keep us from spending time alone with Him.*

April 29, 2023

Hebrews 12: 1 “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles . . .” (NIV)

Every day you live in Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit should see a growing resemblance between your life and Christ.*

I have to confess a silly thing that I do: When I pack before going on a trip by air, I am very conscious of the weight that’s accumulating in my suitcase because when I check my bag, I don't want to find out I have exceeded the 50-pound limit. Now here’s the silly part: once I reach my destination, every time I use my toothpaste or shampoo or lotion, I think, “My suitcase is going to be that much lighter on the return trip.” I’m pretty sure, though, that I have never used enough of my personal products to make a difference in the weight of my luggage!

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to toss away anything that holds us back spiritually, but sometimes my spiritual baggage is shed in tiny little increments rather than all at once. Unlike my suitcase though, my load gradually gets noticeably lighter as I learn more about God’s word and his plan for my life and as I grow closer to him.

What is hindering you? What sin are you entangled with? Are you burdened with guilt? Are you a worrier? Do you feel inadequate because you don’t know the Bible as well as you should? Are you lonely, afraid, or struggling financially? Perhaps you can’t throw it all aside and take off running. Perhaps like me, you will have to spend time in Bible study and prayer and fellowship with people who have “been there,” losing those encumbrances one dab of lotion at a time. You might not notice the difference today, but one dab of lotion at a time will eventually empty the bottle!

God didn’t form us to arrive on the scene perfectly settled and secure. He left space inside us to yearn and reach out – to one another and to him. He gave us room in our souls to grow together.*

April 28, 2023

Matthew 5: 3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, . . . those who mourn, . . . the meek, . . . those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. . . . Blessed are the merciful, . . . the pure in heart, . . . the peacemakers, . . . those who are persecuted because of righteousness . . . Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven . . .” (NIV)

Men can choose what to set their hearts on.*

Jesus saw the crowds and went up on the mountainside and sat down. Matthew doesn’t tell us that Jesus went up there to escape the crowds, but if that was his plan, it didn’t work. His disciples came to him so Jesus began to teach them. What follows is the famous Sermon on the Mount – which probably should have been called something like Life Lessons on the Mountain, or the Mountainside Seminar. 

The opening segment of Jesus’ lecture, the Beatitudes, has been described as “a step-by- step description of how God rebuilds the believer’s heart.”* While I believe in the heart-changing capacity of the message, I don’t see it as a step-by-step procedure. That would mean that we all must start at “poor in spirit” and work our way up to being insulted, persecuted, and falsely accused. And what if we missed a step? We don’t all grow and develop at the same rate and in the same order. 

On the mountainside, Jesus introduced radical new attitudes towards things that happen to us – things that are beyond our control – and challenged us to adopt personal traits that are not valued by the rest of society. He did not say, “Here is a better way to act.” He said, “Here is a better way to be.” He promised rewards for those who embrace this drastic new lifestyle – but those rewards do not meet the world’s standards of value, nor do they satisfy our craving for instant gratification. “Great is your reward in heaven,” is something to look forward to, not something we can enjoy today. 

So why implement these life-changing, heart-altering attitudes? Because we are the light of the world (verse 14), and shining our light before others may lead them to praise our Father in heaven (verse 16). That’s who we are and what we do!

It should ever be the end of the Christian man, not only to promote the glory of God by his works, but to illustrate the glory of God in his character.*

April 27, 2023

I Peter 1: 3, 4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (NIV)

Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom is not just a gospel for dying, but for living! It gives purpose to every day, and at the end of the road, Heaven awaits.*

Life is short. When we look back on our youth, on our children’s lives, the good times, we marvel that it’s all in the past already. But life is long, too. If you are living in misery – a bad marriage, chronic illness, a horrible job, loneliness – time drags. Eternity doesn’t sound like a good thing in a life without hope.

Peter’s exuberance in this passage reminds me of an old song: Is That All There Is?* The song is like the negative to Peter’s positive. “If that’s all there is,” the song says, “then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball.” Without the living hope, life – whether a good one or a miserable one – seems pointless. Why bother trying to make it meaningful? Nothing lasts forever . . . except our inheritance. Peter says that it can never perish, spoil, or fade.

Even with eternity to look forward to, it's often easy to question the meaningfulness of life. Let’s just skip this part and get on with forever. How selfish is that attitude?? God still has work for us to do. Life has meaning and purpose because we have hope to offer to the hopeless.

Only in the light of eternity is godly living always more rewarding.*

April 26, 2023

John 3: 19, 20 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will be exposed.” (NIV)

Unconfessed sin in the heart defiles the whole body.*

On the television show, Law & Order, stalwart lover of the law ADA Jack McCoy often points to a person’s attempts to cover up his crime as proof that he knew it was wrong. Jack probably isn’t aware that Jesus said it first: men love darkness because it hides their evil deeds. 

As Christians, we still sin but we shouldn’t fear having our sins exposed. In fact, we should welcome the illumination – the spotlight – on our transgressions. We confess that we are sinners but we are often oblivious to our specific sins. Repentance is a much more effective process if you know what it is you are repenting from. Paul offers some good advice for shining the light on evil: “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (I Thessalonians 5: 21, 22) 

We don’t like to think of our “little” sins as evil. Evil, we believe, is mass murder and child abuse. In fact, the Bible documents some of the more heinous iniquities: idolatry, rebellion, adultery, rape, sacrificing children, consulting mediums; but other behaviors that are surprisingly labeled as evil include: 

· asking for a king (see I Samuel 12: 17-20 for extenuating circumstances) 

· not following the Lord completely (I Kings 1: 6) 

· not setting the heart on seeking the Lord (II Chronicles 12: 14) 

· frustrating the plans of the poor (Psalm 14: 6) 

· speaking cordially with neighbors while harboring malice (Psalm 28: 3) 

· injustice and mistreatment of the poor (many references) 

In Mark 7: 21-22, Jesus lists behaviors and attitudes that come out of a man and make him unclean. We would expect him to include evil thoughts, sexual immorality, murder . . . but what about envy, slander, arrogance, and folly? They are bad but are they evil? Turns out, evil is not just the really bad sins. It is not even the opposite of good – it is the absence of goodness. If God isn’t in it, it isn’t good.

At the end of the day, all sin is satanic.*

April 25, 2023

Colossians 2: 13, 14 He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (NIV)

When we die under grace, we die debt-free!*

Sin is like a credit card that has been maxed out. Under the Law, animal sacrifices merely satisfied the minimum monthly payment. Even if we didn't keep adding charges to our balance of sin, it's already too late to pay it off. But then along comes Jesus. With his death on the cross, he canceled our legal indebtedness. Every time we sin, his blood makes the payment.

Can we repay Jesus for restoring our credit score? No. No amount of godly living can make us even. Does this give us carte blanche to keep on incurring debt? Shall we abuse grace by continuing to choose sin? Paul poses the question in Romans 6: 1, “Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase?” and answers, “By no means!” He proceeds with a discussion of dying to sin – which is very important theology – but what he fails to say is, “Shame on you!”

At the cost of his own blood, Jesus wiped out your debt. The least you can do is to show your gratitude by not exploiting his generosity. But why would you want to do the least you can do for the one who loves you so much? Can’t you love him back?

Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey what I command you.” (John 14: 15). What has he commanded us to do? The greatest commandments, he said, are to love God and love others; all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22: 38-40). These two rules form the framework of the life of a Christian. As long as we are trying to live lovingly, Jesus will keep clearing up our debt of sin. If we confess our sin, he will faithfully and justly forgive us and purify us (I John 1: 9). That’s a promise you can take to the bank.

Grace rightly understood and personally accepted demands the greatest works of all: a life of spontaneous loving gratitude to the Father.*

April 24, 2023

Ephesians 5: 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (NIV)

A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for him or her.*

It is hard for me to discuss the subject of drinking alcohol without being judgmental. Because I grew up believing it was a definite “no-no” for Christians, it is difficult to be open-minded about it. Even though I’m pretty certain that the Bible only speaks out against drunkenness and not against drinking in general, I am not going to condemn or condone today; I’m just going to offer some points to ponder. (I’m sure my bias will show . . .) 

1. Do not get drunk, Paul said. I say: If you never drink, you will never have to worry about crossing that line. 

2. Overdoing anything can be sinful – or lead to sinful behavior. Gluttony is a sin but we have to consume food in some quantities. There are only extreme circumstances that might require a person to drink alcohol. 

3. Instead be filled with the Spirit. If you need a glass of wine to help you unwind perhaps you are denying the Spirit’s ability to meet your needs. 

4. Drinking alcohol can damage your witness. The world watches Christians and gloats when they think we are being inconsistent. People who see absolutely nothing wrong with having a beer will criticize Christians for doing the same. 

5. “People who don’t drink do not become alcoholics.”* 

6. “‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.” (I Corinthians 6: 12) 

Think long and hard before you post that picture of your celebratory drink. In fact, pray about it. I will try not to be judgmental of your decision – but I am not the person whose weak conscience you need to be concerned about.

If our society is indifferent to us, could it be because we have become indistinguishable from the world?*

April 23, 2023

Matthew 4: 1-11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him . . .  (NIV) [continue reading the entire passage] 

Satan continues in his role as liar, deceiver, and tempter because these are the only powers he has.*

Immediately following Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and lighted on him – then led him into the desert to be tempted by the devil. There is way more going on in this story than I can fully fathom, but I offer here some thoughts (and questions) for discussion: 

1. Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. It was part of God’s plan, so he went. 

2. Jesus knew where he was going and what he would be facing. Instead of “bulking up,” as we might think he should have done, he fasted, approaching the tempter in a weakened state . . . so it would seem to us. But no: “After fasting . . . he was hungry.” Clearly he received spiritual sustenance while he was without food for more than a month. 

3. He answered Satan’s enticements by quoting scripture. This isn’t just an example for us to follow when we face temptation; it is an insight into the humanity of our Lord. He was God. He is God. His is the word; therefore, he could have rebuked Satan with his own words of authority. Instead, he used the same weapons that we have at our disposal. He humanly resisted temptation; so can we. 

4. So you want to use scripture to outsmart Satan? He can quote scripture right back at you (verse 6). Of course, he will twist it and use it to deceive. Lean not on your own understanding – the Holy Spirit gives us discernment. 

5. Based on Satan’s strategy, I would say that he didn’t really know what Jesus’ weaknesses might be. He started with the most obvious and elemental: physical hunger. When that didn’t work, he moved on to appeal to his pride: “Show us what you can do, Son of God!” Jesus had no need to prove anything to himself; and he did not perform signs and miracles for the sake of amusement. Finally, Satan tips his hand by trying to tempt Jesus with what he himself craved: all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 

6. And the ultimate irony: the devil had nothing to offer that Jesus didn’t already have. In his ministry, Jesus proved that he could satisfy physical hunger, and he proved who he was. As the Son of God, the world was already his. 

In Luke’s version of the story (4: 1-13), he ends with these words: “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Satan doesn’t get a starring role anywhere else in the gospels but we know he was lurking and skulking about. Surely he was there that night in the garden when Jesus the man prayed to be delivered from his horrible fate. As Oswald Chambers wrote: “In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again.”* Once again, Jesus resisted temptation and submitted to his Father’s will – and showed us how it’s done!

Jesus’ experience demonstrates that Satan can be defeated.*

April 22, 2023

I Corinthians 7: 17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. (NIV)

When we focus on what we can’t do, we often fail to do the one thing God created us to do.*

When I lost my job, it felt as if I had lost my purpose. I couldn’t find another job – and finally quit looking. I took on a couple of part-time jobs along the way, said “yes” to some volunteer opportunities, but I was still troubled by the nagging notion that God expected more from me. I prayed about it and God answered, but I couldn’t get past my mindset that when God calls you, he calls you to something you don’t really want to do. (Where did that idea come from??) So when I asked, “What do you want me to do?” and he answered, “Write,” I tuned him out – for a long time. Now I get it and I am thankful to know that he calls me to joyful service! 

But then one day, it occurred to me that maybe I had heard him wrong after all. When I asked, “What do you want me to do?” perhaps his answer wasn’t “Write!” but “Right!” I have decided that both answers are . . . right. His specific call to me was, “Write.” His overarching call to all of us is, “Right.” He wants us to do the right thing in every situation. Doing the right thing does not always lead to popularity or happy endings but it is always the right thing to do. 

Paul reminds us that God has called us to live a holy life (I Thessalonians 4: 7 and II Timothy 1: 9). We can’t be holy if we are making the choice to do wrong, no matter the circumstances. Have you asked God to reveal your calling? If you are one of those people who uses apostrophes indiscriminately, and you don’t know the difference between “their” and “there,” then chances are you heard him say “Right” rather than “Write.” His specific call to you will probably correspond with your natural talents and interests.* Right?

As we do what we love to show others God’s love, we find spiritual fulfillment and renewal.*

April 21, 2023

Ecclesiastes 7: 1 A good name is better than fine perfume. (NIV)

It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name.*

For a time, when I was in high school, we heated our house with a fireplace. Coal was our usual fuel (I grew up in Kentucky, after all), but occasionally we used wood. One morning in homeroom, the boy who sat next to me started sniffing the air. “I smell wood smoke,” he said. I was a little embarrassed as I confessed, “It’s me.” Being an outdoorsman, he exclaimed, “That smells better than perfume!” 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and a fragrant odor is in the nostrils of the . . . sniffer? 

In Solomon’s day, fine perfume was rare, costly, and lasting.* With his comparison, Solomon applies the same qualities to a good reputation. A good name is an “honorable attainment,”* providing benefits to ourselves and to others as it opens doors and leaves a legacy. A person of good repute may be well-spoken of in the business world, in politics, among friends, and even among his enemies. As Christians, our good name is intertwined with the name of Jesus. In his name we speak with authority. By his name we are saved. If we bear his name, we should display Christlike qualities: compassion, integrity, discernment. 

But beware. People’s tastes change. The ones about whom it was said, “All spoke well of him,” (Luke 4: 22) were among the ones who later shouted, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15: 13) Jesus predicted that we would be abused because of his name (John 15: 21), but he never released us from our responsibility to be a sweet fragrance in a stinky world.

Jesus didn’t instruct us to go into the world and create a positive image.*