June 30, 2023

Mark 9: 5, 6  Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) (NIV)

[God] sees our defects, errors, and blemishes. But he also sees our value.*

The conversion of Paul makes for a dramatic story – as does his ministry. His life was a series of adventures, not unlike Indiana Jones. But for an apostle I can relate to, Peter is my guy. Like me, he seemed to subscribe to the “saying something stupid is better than saying nothing at all” school of thought. And also like me, not everything he said was stupid. 

Here are some highlights, starring Peter and his often-unruly, sometimes-silver tongue: 

• “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16: 16) He got it right! 
• “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16: 22) Oops! Jesus had to scold him for not having in mind the things of God. 
• “Let’s put up three shelters . . .” (Mark 9: 5) Because he didn’t know what to say. 
• “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” (Mark 14: 71) Jesus predicted it and he did it – three times. 
• “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” The conclusion to his sermon on the day of Pentecost – after which 3,000 accepted his message and were baptized. 
• “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (II Peter 1: 16) This is Peter’s testimony and it is no less powerful for all the times that he failed. 

God didn’t reject Peter when he failed, nor did Peter give in to despair over his failures. He wasn’t defined by them – he was refined instead. I am encouraged when I see that the man who didn’t know what to say on the mountain that day has been transformed into the one who said, “Listen carefully to what I say,” and 3,000 people did! 

Peter’s life demonstrates what happens when we realize that “failure is an event, not a person.”* Our sermons may not be to thousands; our escapes may not be from prison; but God can use us powerfully if we get back up after we fall.

Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ.*

June 29, 2023

Mark 12: 42-44 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more in the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” (NIV)

There is no risk in generous giving.*

We don’t know why this woman would sacrifice everything she had to live on in order to make a contribution to the temple treasury. Maybe two copper coins – all that she had – weren’t enough to buy anything so she felt that she might as well contribute it to a good cause. Although Jesus seems to be commending her for her generosity, I think he was also making a point about other people’s lack of it. Rich people were casually tossing large amounts of money into the receptacle – leaving themselves with plenty for their own needs and luxuries.

There are those who use this story to excuse their own stinginess. They seem to be of the opinion that if their income hasn’t reached “wealthy status,” they are exempt from tithing. They give a tiny percentage of their wealth to the church and call it their “widow’s mite.” While there is no New Testament command to tithe, I believe there is ample support for the position that 10% is the least we can do. Jesus didn’t lower the bar on matters of the heart – he expects more from us than the Law required. (Read Matthew 5:17-48.)

I can testify from my own experience that it is quite possible to survive on the remaining 90%, no matter how poor you are. Return to God his small share and you will find that he provides in amazing and generous ways. “Test me in this,” he challenged Israel through the prophet Malachi. “Test him in this,” I challenge you today.  Bring in the whole tithe and see if he will not throw open the floodgates and pour out the blessings. Test him and learn to trust him.

Always give to the Lord up front. It is far easier to live on the 90 percent that remains than to withhold the tithe that is the Lord’s due.*

June 28, 2023

Luke 6: 2, 9 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” . . . Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (NIV)

We must not let our own rules or customs or habits or practices become hardened or sanctified beyond the reach of human needs.*

Were you ever the “new kid” and someone told you, “That’s not how we do things around here”? My first day at a new job I wore my best outfit because I hadn’t been issued my uniforms yet. At the door, another employee didn’t even say hello, she just looked me over and said, “We don’t wear pants to work.” How was I supposed to know the rules if no one told me? Why was I embarrassed?

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law didn’t know who they were dealing with when they tried to embarrass Jesus. He knew what the law said – he wrote it. He knew the intent of the law - as well as the intent of all the petty rules and traditions the religious leaders had imposed on top of the law. Jesus was not a law-breaker but he surely was a rule-breaker!

In every way, we need to try to think and act like Jesus. He refused to let traditions interfere with his compassion for people.* He wouldn’t refuse to come to someone’s rescue because it might cause him to miss church on Sunday morning. He wouldn’t deny entrance to someone who wasn’t dressed properly for church. Some behavior, while not acceptable for a Christian, should be tolerated while the “new kid” is still waiting for his orientation class and his new uniform.

There are few things required of Christians that are more important than caring for others. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.

Jesus was more tolerant of lost people than most of us will ever be, because he loved lost people more than most of us ever will.*

June 27, 2023

Jeremiah 16: 8 “And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink.” (NIV)

Sometimes we forego what makes us temporarily happy in order to pursue a life of holiness.*

There are many careers that take a toll on one’s personal life - law enforcement and espionage come to mind. Long hours, erratic schedules, and secrets can wreak havoc on families – so much that some give up on real life and choose to “be the job.” Jeremiah the prophet had a similar experience. Perhaps he could have chosen not to accept his mission, but he was called by God and so he became the job. It is not surprising that he remained “reluctant, insecure, and often unhappy”* in his career. As this verse indicates, apparently his job description included, “Don’t have any fun.” 

Most of us will never know what it means to suffer in service to God. Our sacrifices require nothing more extreme than inconvenience. If you haven’t been called to a ministry of suffering, don’t feel guilty. As someone has said, “While physical suffering has been a common faith-building experience for many believers . . . it is not essential to spirituality.”* BUT . . . if you have ignored the ministry that God has called you to, then you should feel guilty! 

God’s “staffing” decisions are steeped in mystery. We don’t know why he chose Jeremiah to be the “weeping prophet” or why Moses was the only one qualified to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Of all the young Jewish women in the world, was Mary really the only one who met all the qualifications? 

I have friends who have answered God’s call to go to mission fields in dangerous foreign countries – and they are happy to be there. And while we would never characterize Jeremiah as happy, we might say that he found fulfillment – and that he certainly would not have found happiness if he had refused to take God’s job offer. The same goes for you and me. “Bloom where you are planted,” may be a cliché, but it’s good advice – until God says, “Go.”

Suffering in the will of God is a ministry that God gives to a chosen few.*

June 26, 2023

Romans 5: 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (NIV)

Shall the Father not give us freely all that Christ purchased for us?*

In my college class on the book of Romans, we learned a heading for each chapter. Many years have passed since then but I still remember: Chapter 1 – Gentiles are sinners; Chapter 2 – Jews are sinners; Chapter 3 – all are sinners. When Paul wrote that Christ died for the ungodly, he meant everyone. It wasn’t a matter of our Savior’s willingness to die for the mistaken, misinformed, sincerely wrong, or victims of fate. He gave his life for the worst deliberate and defiant sinner.

Utterly helpless to save ourselves though we may be, we are not hopeless. That is, we are not hopeless if we choose to come to him. Jesus paid the price for sin - death - to give us the gift of life. A gift is free – but you have to open the package before it has any value. Tearing open the wrapping doesn’t mean you have earned the gift, only that you are accepting it.

Some people think that they are beyond saving. Maybe you have done some really bad things and you can’t forgive yourself. Perhaps there are other people who have been unable to forgive you. Guess what? Christ died for the ungodly – that’s you. Your sin is not more powerful than his grace.

His grace exceeds the largest dimensions known to man.*

June 25, 2023

Acts 10: 1, 2 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. (NIV)

The brilliance of Jesus shines brighter than the different tones of our culture, gender, and reputation.*

Because the Old Testament concentrates on the antics of a select group of people, it’s easy to get the impression that God ignored the rest of the world – and that, likewise, the world ignored him - until God opened the door to the Gentiles. But if you read the Bible carefully, you will find intriguing little clues that God’s interaction with humans was not limited to the Jews and their predecessors.

Luke tells us that Cornelius was well-acquainted with God. As a Gentile - and a high-ranking Roman soldier at that - how, when, and where was he exposed to knowledge of the one true God? There is no indication that he was a Jewish proselyte – someone who had been converted to Judaism – so his worship did not follow their traditions. All we know is that he and his family were devout, God-fearing, generous to the poor, and they prayed to God regularly. In other words, good people.

But they were good people who didn’t know Jesus. All their godly attitudes and actions couldn’t save them. After some divine intervention, Peter was convinced to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his household. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Cornelius and his family were convicted of their need to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Their obedience, their example, and their acceptance by the Holy Spirit opened the door for all Gentiles to join the family of believers.

Perhaps there is a good person in your life who needs Jesus. It’s easy for someone to think that because they are kind and generous and they believe in God, there is no reason for them not to expect to make it into heaven. They don’t understand that no one is that good. Tell them the story of Cornelius – a good man who couldn’t get to heaven on his own merits. A good man who understood that Jesus is The Way.

All our best efforts at morality and spirituality could not expunge our guilt or deflect his wrath.*

June 24, 2023

John 20: 30, 31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (NIV)

To be an eyewitness . . . supplies the highest kinds of evidence.*

Many years ago, I attended a conference whose organizers had arranged a private concert for its attendees. I had a third-row seat (no one was sitting in the first two rows) and was only mildly entertained by the show. Turns out, the performer was a famous country music star, but as I am not a fan of the genre, his fame and talent were lost on me.

Perhaps it would have been a similar waste for the risen Jesus to appear to anyone other than his followers. If any unbelievers saw him after his resurrection, it is not recorded, and surely if he did, they were no more impressed than I was by the guy with the guitar.

Jesus had a purpose for showing himself to those he selected. Just as someone accused of a crime needs a solid alibi for his defense, Jesus was establishing the fact of his resurrection with reliable witnesses whose testimony would stand up in court. It is through their authentication that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

How reliable is your testimony? Have you seen Jesus? Is there evidence of it in your life? Is there enough evidence to convict you in a court of law if you were accused of being a Christian? Will anyone else believe that they may have life in his name because you believe it?

Speaking what one has seen and heard is the essence of witnessing.*

June 23, 2023

Psalm 50: 9, 10, 12 “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. . . If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” (NIV)

Unless there is first a willing mind . . . God does not want a contribution, because He is not poor and does not need it.*

I am an enthusiastic proponent of tithing. I can testify to God’s provision when I faithfully return to him a portion of the wealth he has put at my disposal. It’s so exciting to see what he will do – with what I give and with what I keep.

But God doesn’t need our money. As the psalmist points out, God owns everything. The world and all that is in it is his. What we think of as ours is actually his. The only thing God wants from us is the only thing on earth he has given us full ownership of: ourselves. He could take everything else from us – just ask Job about that – but he will never force us to give ourselves. He has shown us how much he values us by giving the life of his Son, but if we don’t freely bring him our heart, it is worthless to him.

Jesus told his disciples that anyone who wanted to follow him must deny himself (Matthew 16: 24). The choice is ours. The rest is his.

In his sovereignty he graciously gives us the freedom to choose whether or not to submit to his rule.*

June 22, 2023

Acts 5: 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (NIV)

The gospel is embedded in lives and personal testimonies.*

We know people about whom we have said, “She never shuts up.” And when others hear us make that statement, they know what we mean. They know that that person does shut up sometime; she just likes to talk and does it at every opportunity. 

Luke is making a similar statement about the apostles when he says they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news. Of course, they took breaks to eat and sleep and conduct the business of living, but their enthusiasm never waned. They liked to preach and they did it at every opportunity. In fact, they probably created their own opportunities instead of waiting for them to come along. 

And it worked. The church grew. As someone has observed, they “had no sophisticated strategy or public relations campaign for spreading the Good News.”* What they had was their love of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. They didn’t let fear of failure, feelings of inadequacy, lack of education, or threat to life stand in their way. 

We may not be the non-stop talker of my illustration, but we should be non-stop teachers and proclaimers because we have a message that the world needs to hear and we have a need to share it. And it’s what Jesus told us to do!

Don’t think that you have to be perfect before you can teach or preach.*

June 21, 2023

I Peter 2: 13-15 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king . . . or to the governors . . . For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (NIV)

The key characteristic of godly and holy behavior in the public arena isn’t a political strategy or even a unified worldview. It’s goodness.*

As I am writing this, our country is watching as mobs of people protest . . . everything. There is lots of dialogue about freedom of speech as they carry signs and shout their slogans. No matter which side of an issue you are on, I believe it is your constitutional right to speak about your beliefs. I don’t believe, however, that our laws give you the right to visit violence on other people, to destroy property that isn’t yours, or to interfere with someone else’s right to free speech.

That having been said, I ask: Is this the most effective way to get your message across? Not according to Peter. If we want to make a difference, he says, our strategy should include submitting to authority and – above all – doing good. You might – ahem – protest that one person’s good deeds aren’t going to accomplish much. Well, one person carrying a sign probably won’t get much media attention, but a multitude of sign-carriers gets to be in the news. So, an individual who goes about doing good might want to join forces with other doers of good to make a bigger impact.

How do you find birds of a feather for you to flock together with? Go to church. Get involved in ministry and outreach. If your church isn’t actively involved in good works, be the instigator. Your leadership may just be waiting - and praying - for someone to step up and volunteer to head a new ministry. But never, ever, underestimate the influence of one Spirit-empowered person’s good deeds.

Good works don’t save us but they are the means by which we lead others to salvation. As Paul wrote, we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2: 10). Let’s get busy and fulfill our purpose.

A Christian should do good works, not to be seen of men but because we are seen of men.*