TRUE PEACE BRINGS JOY

Reading: Isaiah 52: 7-10 (Complete Jewish Bible - CJB)

Early in my nursing career at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (long before it was “Nationwide”), I worked with a Jewish doctor, an anesthesiologist. Upon his retirement, I made a plaque wishing him “shalom.” He was so excited and moved by it, he choked up as he tried to relay to me the deep meaning of the word to him as a Jewish person.

Most modern versions of the Bible translate it “peace,” a good word for something we all seek: tranquility, calmness, quietness. And shalom is that – but so much more! Shalom implies wholeness, completeness, soundness, health, safety, and prosperity, and carries with it the implication of permanence. It’s something the world cannot give; not something we conjure up in our minds to try to make us feel at peace.

How does this shalom become ours? Isaiah 53: 5 tells us what we have just witnessed again this Lenten and Easter season:

            But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins;

the disciplining [punishment] that makes us whole [gives us shalom] fell

on him, and by his bruises we are healed (CJB)

Jesus the Christ took the punishment for all our crimes and sins, that we might be free to receive his (and our) Father’s peace. As we receive this good news, we are also filled with great joy.

            Break out into joy! Sing together, you ruins of [Jerusalem]! For Adonai

(Lord) has comforted his people, he has redeemed [Jerusalem]! (Isa 52: 9)

Peace and joy are closely entwined, as this definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary for joy reveals: “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, prosperity.” The permanence of this peace and joy transcends all earthly attempts at peace because it doesn’t come from us. Jesus told his disciples when he was leaving this earth, “My [shalom] I leave you; my [shalom] I give to you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.” (John 14: 27)

So, dear brothers and sisters, I commend to you Jesus, your Prince of Shalom! He is the agent of peace that God has provided for us – have you fully embraced him as the only Way to true Peace and Joy with God?  I pray so. SHALOM, MY FRIENDS!

YOU’RE GOING WITHOUT ME?

Reading: John 14: 15-26

They had spent the past 3 years following this man, listening to his teachings, witnessing his miracles and his compassion for the down-and-out. They had begun to trust that he was who he said he was – the Son of God. They were content just being in his presence. In that place, they knew a love beyond knowing and a strength beyond perceiving.

As they followed their Master-Teacher, moving about their ancestors’ land, they would have been satisfied if all remained the same forever.

But then, he started rocking their world by saying things like, “I am with you a little while longer…where I am going, you cannot come (Jn 13:33),” and, “Where I go you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow later (Jn 13:36).”  Can’t you feel their angst, their fear? Can’t you sense their apprehension, as Peter speaks for all? “Lord, why can I not follow you right now (Jn 13:37)?”

In the midst of their anxiety, Jesus gives them words of comfort and hope. “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you (Jn 14:18).” “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17).” Jesus further explains how the Spirit will function. “The Helper…will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (Jn 14:26).”

These are great words today for us who are followers of Jesus. For, though we cannot see him, we are assured of the Holy Spirit’s presence in and with us as well, helping us to know truth and to remember Jesus’ words.  We too have the assurance that one day we will follow Jesus into eternity and be with him forever!

Thank you, Jesus, that though you had to go back to your Father without us for now, you have given us your Spirit (all we need) to help us in this world until we meet up with you –  one day soon. Amen.

Free to Glorify God

Reading: 1 Corinthians 10: 23-33

“Mom, may I eat all my Trick-or-Treat candy now?”

“I think I’ll only play one more computer game, and then I’ll…”

“I probably shouldn’t buy the most expensive model, but I really want it.”

These are all examples of what Paul, in the verses for today, says are not “unlawful.” He goes on to say, however, that while these things may be permissible, they may not be useful or constructive or edifying. In other words, we may be free to do many things, but our choices need to be guided by whether they will bring glory to God. As believers, should not our chief goal be to give the One who bought our freedom the glory and honor He so deserves?

Rather than spending time inspecting our every action to see if it’s “permissible,” our rule of thumb might be the question, ”Does it glorify God?” Rather than just getting by, doing things because they are allowable (eat all the candy, play computer games, buy that model), we ought to want to live well.

So, what does “living well” look like for us as believers? First, remember that we have been set free – free to do God’s will, free to love Him fully, free to love others as we love ourselves. Then, we do what is most beneficial for others, we help others live well, and we do what might help ease the way for others to see and want the freedom that we have in Jesus.

Living well in freedom, we are most certainly glorifying God!

“I will give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name forever.” (Psalm 86: 12)

“CURSES! FOILED AGAIN!”

Reading: Galatians 3: 6-14

These words were famously stated by Snidely Whiplash, the cartoon villain of the 1960s, as he was yet again thwarted in his wrongful deeds by Dudley Do-Right, hero extraordinaire of the Royal Canadian Mounties. It was Dudley‘s mission every week to defeat Snidely in order to rid the world of evildoers.

In Galatians 3, we are reminded that when we depend on our ability to keep the law, we are under God’s curse. “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law (vs 10).” We are foiled in our plan to perform perfectly, because no matter how much effort we put into it, we can’t do it. And may I say, our plans need to be foiled, our efforts need to be frustrated – why? Because we need to be rid of the evil notion that we can get free from the curse of the law and earn our own righteousness before God.

Just as Dudley’s mission was to defeat Snidely (evil), Jesus’ mission was to defeat “the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (vs 13).” At the moment the curse of our sin was laid on Him, His righteousness clothed us. We need to have this truth indelibly imprinted in our memory: “The righteous shall live by faith” (vs 11)…in what Christ did for us on the cross – what we couldn’t do for ourselves through the law.

Dear Jesus, how can I possibly thank you enough for your inexpressible gift, so undeserved, so easily taken for granted, many times forgotten as I once again begin to rely on performance to give me right standing with God. Remind me often that depending on you is my only hope to be declared righteous in my Father’s eyes. Amen.

ENJOY GOD’S GIFT OF WORK

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:9-14

From the time I was a small child, I had a desire to be a nurse – not just any nurse, but an OR [Operating Room] nurse. I pursued that career, and, except for about six years, spent my entire adult life working at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in various capacities in either the main operating room or outpatient surgery center.

Solomon writes:

            What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen

the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

…I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long

as they live; and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the

            good of all his labor – it is the gift of God [Eccl 3: 9-10, 12-13, Amplified Bible].

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed what I did (of course, there was the occasional difficult coworker or obnoxious surgeon or sad outcome or diagnosis). But I loved working with the kids and their parents; I loved being a part of the surgical teams; and I loved the technical aspect and opportunity to work with my hands.

He has made everything…appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity

            (a sense of divine purpose) in the human heart [vs 11a].

There is nothing quite so rewarding as having worked hard at a job that you love because the Lord gave it to you to do as part of your divine purpose in His Kingdom. To know that, at the end of the day, I have helped or influenced someone (be it a patient, a parent, a coworker) for the Lord in a way that they see that I know Jesus, is truly a gift from God.

Now that I am retired, I am enjoying God’s “reassignment” of my time to work in ministry He calls me to today. He has not put me on a shelf as if I have no further use – I have a task yet to do for which I can “rejoice and do good as long as I live.”

I pray that you are enjoying God’s gift of work He has given you, or if you are still seeking where you are to serve through your work, that God will reveal that to you in His time.

GOD'S TIME…WAIT, and MEANWHILE

Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14

TIME

Time is a strange and fascinating thing, isn’t it? It incorporates past, present, and future in a continuing progression, where, in a nano-second, this present moment becomes the past and the future is now the present. We can only speak of time in these three terms, as seen in a few quotes about time:

• ·         “Time and tide wait for no man.” (St Marher, 1225)
• ·         “Study the past of you would define the future.” (Confucius)
• ·         “Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” (Mother Theresa)

This concept of time is all we humans have to work with – but God is not limited by earthly definitions. His day could be 1000 years, or more or less. So when Jesus promises to return some day, He is speaking in heavenly terms, while we are restricted to our human reason regarding day and time.

We believe His promise as expressed in this gospel chorus:

            Coming again, coming again,

            Maybe morning, maybe noon,

            Maybe evening, maybe soon.

            Coming again, coming again.

            Oh, what a wonderful day that will be,

            Jesus is coming again! *

WAIT

Yet we are left waiting for the Day – not knowing what hour, day, week, month, year, century it may be…and most often not very patiently! We say, “Come, Lord Jesus, deliver me from...” Or, “The world has become so evil, why don’t you come back now?” We think He is taking His good old time to keep His promise. But, the Lord is not slow – He is patient. He desires that all have opportunity to repent (vs 9). He will come at precisely the right time – just as He did the first time.

"But, when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,

born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under

the Law…" (Galatians 4:4-5)

MEANWHILE

So we continue to wait, but, in the meanwhile, how shall we wait?

• ·         Looking up into the heavens, hoping to be the first to see Him descending?
• ·         Listening to men’s predictions and gathering on a hillside awaiting His return?
• ·         Or perhaps following Peter’s advice for a more active, productive waiting strategy?

Here is what Peter has to say regarding waiting for the Day of the Lord (in vs 11-14):

• ·         Grow in the qualities of goodness and holy character
• ·         Dwell in expectant hope of His coming
• ·         Be at peace with God and others
• ·         Live in obedience

So I can be encouraged that God’s timing is perfect regarding Christ’s return, and that in the meantime, I have plenty to do to help further His kingdom during God’s “patient time.”

*by John W Peterson, 1957

ADMIT OUR SINS TO EACH OTHER?

Scripture Reading: James 5: 14-16 (from The Message); Psalm 32:3-5 (from NASB)

Plenty of well-documented research shows that there is a strong connection between mind and body. When the body is not functioning properly due to illness or injury, the mind is strongly affected and can lead to anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.  In the same way, when our thoughts are focused on difficult situations in our lives, our bodies react, which can lead to physical illness: colds, ulcers, heart disease, etc. Treatment, in more recent years, has begun to focus both on physical symptoms and the mental state of the patient.

We could illustrate this in these simple terms:

            Problem: Mind is consumed by a work situation, leading to physical ailment.

            Remedy: Talk to someone to find solution to situation, and treat physical symptoms.

            Purpose: Peace re: situation (and resolution perhaps), and healing of physical issues.

Similarly, God’s word makes a connection between harboring sin in our minds and the state of our bodies:

Problem: When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning

all day long. For night and day thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was

drained away as with the fever heat of summer. (Psalm 32:3-4, NASB).

Remedy: I acknowledged [confessed, admitted] my sin to thee, and my iniquity

 I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” (vs 5a).

Purpose: And thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin (vs 5b). [Forgiveness].

In his book to fellow Christians, James expands the circle of confession to include “each other.” Why would they (we) need to do this? Isn’t just God knowing my sins and my having forgiveness sufficient? Well, Yes and No. Let’s apply the previous illustration one more time.

            Problem: Are you sick? Have you sinned?(James 5: 14a; 15c, The Message).

            Remedy:  1.Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the

            name of the Master (vs 14b).

            2.make this your common practice: confess your sins to each other and

            pray for each other (vs 16a).

Purpose:1.Believing prayer will heal you; you’ll be forgiven – healed inside out

            (vs 15a and c).

2.You can live together whole and healed (vs 16b).

3.The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be

reckoned with (vs 16c).

Jesus tells us over and over again the importance of loving one another. Living “whole and healed” together calls us to love on a deeper level, a freer place…to be known and loved, warts and all – and where we can extend that to others as well. And, there’s another great benefit: a powerful prayer life that can “accomplish much,” according to the end of verse 16 in NASB translation.

I want all the benefits of confession and prayer I can get – don’t you? Therefore, I will commit to admit my sins to God and others – won’t you?

Father, I desire to live “whole and healed” in the body of Christ. Help me be more open and honest before you and others. Amen.

FROM SLAVE TO HEIR

Bible Passage: Titus 3: 3-7

Most of us living in the suburbs or “nicer” areas of Columbus know little of the slavery that brought about the Civil War in our country. We’ve only read stories of those times. And today, though our awareness is being raised to the fact that modern-day slavery is still alive and well in many parts of the world, we don’t have first-hand understanding.

To be a slave means one is property of another and is forced to obey them. A slave is completely subservient to a dominating influence. Paul, in his letter to Titus, likens our lives to that of slaves when we lived apart from God:

            “For we ourselves have known what it is to be ignorant, disobedient, and

            deceived, the slaves of various desires and pleasant feelings, while our lives

            were spent in malice and jealousy – we were hateful and we hated each

            other.”                         (Titus 3: 3, J.B. Phillips New Testament Translation)

We were owned, as it were, by Satan and under his power, subservient to his influence. We were without hope of ever getting out from under his domination – no matter what we would do, we were powerless to either escape or gain our freedom. In this slavery, we do have first-hand knowledge!

God, came as a buyer at the slave market and saw us on the sale block, available to be sold to yet another sin taskmaster. He purchased us, and then, because of His kindness and love, did a strange thing – He gave us our freedom! But it wasn’t because of any moral achievements on our part (Remember, as slaves, we were hopeless and helpless to secure our escape from moral depravity). He bought our freedom through Christ, declaring us no longer slaves but His children, and therefore, heirs of all Heaven has to offer – so much more than we can think or imagine: His grace, His mercy, eternal life. (see Romans 8:15-17)

Thank you, Father, that we no longer need to be slaves of sin, but because of your mercy and grace, we can be called your children and gain the inheritance you have for your heirs. Amen.

THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE NEEDY

Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3

Recently, during our sermon series, “THANKfull,” Pastor Jeff used Psalm 107 as the text for “A Thankful Life is a Resilient Life.” I began smiling as I listened to the familiar verses, thinking, “Hey, this is ‘my’ psalm!” It has been “mine” since June 8, 1983, when I made my first of many margin notations throughout the years. I was curious to see how Pastor Jeff was going to use these verses to show resiliency. He did it brilliantly by highlighting 4 areas of difficulty and the final outcomes of each:

• ·         Lost travelers – finally reach their destination
• ·         Prisoners – set free at last
• ·         Sick people – healed from near death
• ·         Helpless/overwhelmed – rescued in nick of time

We see that in each of these problems, people were able to bounce back because they chose to be thankful (see vs 8, 15, 21, 31). But I wondered how they were able to get to this point of thanks, what led them to being resilient. I noticed that after every description, there was a recurring refrain that happened after each group was “at their wits end (vs 27).”  “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distresses (see vs 6, 13, 19, 28).”

I realized when reading today’s verses in Isaiah 61, there is a similar structure and theme, only it is more from God’s perspective rather than ours as needy people. That is, He speaks first from what He does for people in their need:

• ·         He brings good news to the afflicted
• ·         He binds up the broken-hearted
• ·         He proclaims liberty to captives
• ·         He gives freedom to prisoners
• ·         He provides comfort to all who mourn

Then, centuries later, Jesus applied these verses to himself when he was speaking in the temple (see Luke 4:16-20), especially verse 1, which says that Christ was anointed by the Lord God and given His Holy Spirit to be and do all these things! Hallelujah – What a Savior! He sticks close to us to give us all we need to navigate through life. So no matter how we are down and out (afflicted, broken-hearted, etc), Jesus is there to bring exactly what we need to stand tall.

In verse 3, we are called “Oaks of Righteousness” by God, standing tall, as “a planting of the Lord – that He may be glorified!”

Lord, I am so thankful that you are always by my side, rescuing me from myself and anything that comes my way. Help me grow into the name you have given me, “Oak of Righteousness” that I may reflect your glory more each day. Amen.

GOD’S REMNANT

Reading: Romans 11:1-6

“REMNANT SALE,” I read aloud in the flyer from the fabric store.

“What’s that?” my friend asked. I hadn’t heard the term in years, but I recalled buying remnants back in the day when I was into making purses from heavy fabric.

I explained, “It’s a small amount of material left on the end of a bolt of fabric, usually less than a yard. It would seem useless to sell because there isn’t enough to make something from a pattern for a dress or a suit or a robe. But these can be great for small one-of-a-kind items like purses, placemats, potholders, etc – or they would be perfect for making a patch-work quilt.”

When I read the verses for today, the word “remnant” caught my eye. Several translations used this term for the small group of Jews whom God “reserved for Himself” during Elijah’s time – Jews who had remained faithful to Him after all the others had walked away in disobedience and followed different gods (see Romans 11: 4; also read the story in I Kings 19: 10-18).

Paul further expanded the term to include Jews of his day who had been chosen by God’s grace (and indeed, extends today to those who are a faithful remnant of Jesus). We believers who are not Jewish by birth are included in the remnant by adoption. “The grounds for the existence of the remnant was not [our] good works but [only by] God’s grace.” (From note on vs 5 in the NIV Study Bible).

We, God’s Remnant, are set apart by His grace and favor for a special purpose, which I am imagining to be that patch-work quilt of believers from “every tribe and tongue” that enjoys, appreciates and shares the unique pattern He has created us to be together!

How grateful I am, Lord, that through your grace and mercy, I am among the quilt remnants that make up the whole Body of Christ. May we individually and together be a display of your beauty to the world around us.  Amen

SET APART TO BE LIVING SACRIFICES

Reading: Romans 12:1-2

“I urge you…to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).”  Years ago, I remember a sermon in which the preacher pointed out, “The only problem with a ‘Living’ Sacrifice is, it can climb down off the altar!” 

I picture a story written centuries earlier than the time of the Romans.  God was testing Abraham by directing him to take his only son, Isaac, to Mt Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering [see Genesis 22: 1-14]. In obedience, Abraham began the journey, taking with him Isaac, a few other young men, and all the supplies necessary for a sacrifice. Once on the mountain, he built an altar and placed his son upon it.

Now, from Isaac’s perspective, I really wouldn’t want to remain in that position! I’d most likely be yelling my head off, trying to free myself from the rope that held me to the wood. No such action by Isaac is recorded.  Why didn’t he react? It’s a curious thing I have pondered more than once. Today, I sense some insight. I think Isaac trusted his father to do the right thing, just as Abraham trusted his heavenly Father.

Is it not so with us, figuratively speaking? Could Paul also been thinking of Isaac as a living sacrifice when he wrote these words to Christians in Rome? We have been set apart by God to live sacrificial lives. As living sacrifices, we chose to stay on the altar, just as Isaac did, trusting our Father to use us up for His good purposes. This means we are called to live differently from others. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person, with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you (Romans 12:2, TLB).”

Father, I admit that far too many times I want to (and actually do) crawl off the altar and do my own thing. I forget whose I am and that You have set me apart for so much more than I am willing to settle for. Help me to rest on Your altar, willing to be used by You in the lives of others, which very often requires true sacrifice. Amen.

HEARER IN THE MIRROR

Reading: James 1:22-25

“Prove yourselves doers of the Word and not merely hearers.” James admonishes the readers of his letter (James 1:22).  He continues with an illustration. For if someone is only a hearer and not a doer, James likens him to a person who looks in a mirror but continues “on with whatever he was doing without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror (vs 24, Phillips).”

Essentially, it is like letting words go in one ear and out the other. I am reminded of when one of my responsibilities as a nurse was to orient new staff to their duties in the Operating Room. I would tell and demonstrate how to do a particular skill. The orientees may nod that they heard what I said, and continue doing it an incorrect way. I would probably conclude they weren’t listening. So, how would I know if they actually heard and understood what I told them? I would be able to observe that they actually could do what I had shown them. They were now doers and not just hearers.

In the same way, James urges us to look in the mirror of God’s perfect law and abide by it (that is, do it) – don’t be a forgetful hearer but an “effectual (be successful in producing a desired result) doer (vs 25, NASB).”

While being an “effectual doer” in the Operating Room is extremely important for the physical welfare of patients, what James is warning us about is essential to our spiritual lives… And the benefit? We will be blessed in what we do (vs 25). I want that, don’t you?

Help me, Lord, to be more that a listener or a reader of Your Word – I want to be a doer of Your Word. Help me walk in obedience to You and what You want for my life. Amen.

FIRST MISSION PARTNERS

Reading: Galatians 2: 7-10

When I was in late elementary and junior high school (aka Middle School today), I developed a love for writing. And while I got good grades on my assignments, there was one comment that appeared on my papers pretty regularly, “This is a run-on sentence, break it down to be more understandable.”

Now if I am good at writing a run-on sentence, Paul was a master at it! The first 3 verses of this 4-verse passage in Galatians 2 is one long sentence (in the NASB translation).  Can we break it down to better understand what his main point is?  We see that 3 men, referred to as “pillars” of the church, James, Cephas [Peter], and John, welcomed Paul and Barnabas as fellow missionaries.  They recognized in Paul two things that qualified him for partnership in the gospel: 1) the same Spirit that worked in Peter as an apostle also worked in Paul; and 2) the grace God gave Paul who was, by his own words, “chief of sinners.”

So the “Pillars” extended to Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, showing their full agreement that all of them were called to partnership in spreading the gospel – Paul’s mission being to the Gentiles and the others’ to the Jews. To me, this passage shows that all of us who belong to Christ have a role in missions, no matter where we are called to go.  And our role is closely bound up with all other believers “on mission.”  Our partnership needs to be strong, we need one another, sometimes to work beside and sometimes to support each other as we go out to our own mission field. No need for competition or comparison in our work. We all have one goal – to bring the gospel of grace to all people.

Father God, please show me the importance of working in partnership with others as we all go out in mission to those who don’t yet know you. Amen

I Am Loved—How Do I Pass It On?

Reading: I John 4:12-19

 

“It is true that no human being has ever had a direct vision of God. Yet, if we love each other God does actually live within us, and his love grows in us towards perfection. And …the guarantee of our living in him and his living in us is the share of his own Spirit which he gives us (I John 4: 12-13, Phillips).”

 

A couple of months ago, I wrote a Daily Bible Blast on this same portion of scripture [“The Narthex Game,” June 29, 2018], emphasizing how I finally began to believe that God actually does love me.  Today, I’m thinking about how I might pass love on to others. Verse 19 says that “We love because he first loved us.”

 

That’s the answer, then. If I know I am loved, I want to extend it others. Sounds simple enough, and it’s quite easy to do – for those who are easy to love. But what about fellow believers who are difficult to like, those who are contentious, disruptive, uncooperative, etc? God calls us to love all in the body of Christ, and somehow we need to learn to love the unlovely – something definitely not a natural thing to be inclined to do. So, I may want to love others because I am loved, but how am I able to go beyond my “natural inclination” to love only those who love me or who are easy to love?

 

God has given us a “share of his Spirit” that guarantees that we are living in him and he in us (vs 13).  We rely on his Spirit in us to love others – especially all our brothers and sisters he places in our midst (our local church body), those we rub shoulders with in ways that can rub us the wrong way! May we allow his Spirit to work in our hearts to pass on love from our Lord to his children, that we might live in unity.

 

Dear, Lord, thank you for giving us your Spirit to live in us, helping us love in ways we never thought we could.  Help me to willingly pass on your love and care to my brothers and sisters, not only for their sake but also that those who don’t know you yet will see and “know we are Christians by our love.” Amen.

THE LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD

Reading: I Thes 4:3-12

 

Have you ever wondered, perhaps in frustration, “What is God’s will for my life?” “If I just knew what He wanted me to do, I would do it.” Really? Are you (am I) sure? Are you (am I) ready for the answer?

Read on only if you answered “Yes” to these last questions. This journey is not for the faint-hearted, so hold tight, take a deep breath – off we go!

 

I Thes 4: 3 begins: “For this is the will of God…” Could it be stated any plainer?  OK, now for the answer (drum roll, please, and have pen and paper handy), verse 3 continues: “your sanctification.” What?! Wait – that’s it, one word is all I get to base life’s decisions on?!!!

 

So, if sanctification is the word, maybe we ought to delve into it and see what God might want for us.  Sanctify: “to set apart for a particular holy or sacred use intended by its designer.” “A person then is sanctified when he or she lives according to God’s design and purpose”* Verse 3 of I Thes adds to the definition. “…that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality.”

 

Why is sexual sin the only one mentioned here in reference to sanctification? Maybe it’s as Paul says in I Cor 6:18: “Avoid sexual looseness like the plague! Every other sin that a man [or woman] commits is done outside his [her] own body, but this is an offense against his [her] own body (J B Phillips).” So it hits at the core of who we are as men and women, and, if we are able to live victoriously in this area of our lives, we will have come closer to living a sanctified life – in the will of God – in other areas. 

 

As in today’s reading, God specifically tells us in many other places in His Word what His will is for us. Often it’s not so much a matter of knowing but doing what we know His will to be. Then, to ask ourselves, in matters where He does not specify, “Is this pleasing to God?” might just lead us to the answer, “What’s God’s will for my life?”

 

Thank you, Lord that you show me in many ways your will for my life. Help me to seek to do your will and lead a life that is pleasing to you. Amen.

 

 

 

*from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – online

Love in Actions

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3: 11-18

“Let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18).”

Some years ago, I moved to Minneapolis and in with a roommate whom I considered rigid and set in her ways (unaware of this before moving in).  Examples: She had a specific vacuum attachment she insisted must be used on the couch, when there were others that would work just as well (in my opinion!). Then there was the matter of her pots and pans – she wanted me to use Comet; I liked SOS. You get the picture – a real battle of wills. While we didn’t always argue verbally, we often had searing staring contests. This made a very uncomfortable living situation, and my attitude was anything but kind toward her. I prayed that God would help me love her, but nothing seemed to change.

Meanwhile, I was in a small group that began a study on Love. One point that was made, “Love is not merely a feeling, it’s an action,” led me to a decision to do a loving thing for her, even though I didn’t feel like it. We were in the midst of a typical Minnesota winter (snow, snow, snow! and cold, cold cold!), when each morning after a snowfall, I began clearing the snow from her car as I did my own while my car engine was warming for work.

God was teaching me about His love by showing me He loved me in order to solidify His words of love:

“But God shows [demonstrates] His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”

“This is how we know what love is: Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16).”

Because I know God’s love by His actions, I ought to show love to others (including those I have a difficult time liking). When I was being obedient to what God was saying to me, a strange but wonderful thing began happening:  The prayer regarding loving my roommate was being answered. My heart softened toward her, and I grew in ability to give grace to her.  I actually started to like her, and she knew it, not only because I cleaned off her car, but by virtue of the fact that I stopped my part in the staring match. Doing love helped me love in truth.

Thank you, Lord, that you answer prayer in strange and wonderful ways. Sometimes You ask me to do an act of obedience to set Your answer in motion. Keep me watchful for loving acts that I may do on your behalf. Amen.

WISE OR FOOLISH?

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1: 18-25

 

 

Where is the wise [discerning, enlightened, learned] man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish [uninformed, devoid of good sense or judgment] the wisdom of the world? [1 Cor 1: 20]

 

As a nurse in the Operating Room, I often had opportunities to talk with surgeons about more than medical issues. One Ophthalmologist [I’ll call him “Dr Eyemann”] was very knowledgeable about his specialty. I loved how he could explain the anatomy of the eye and the various surgical procedures used to correct problems. Dr Eyemann was an outstanding surgeon technically as well. He was also well-read about many other subjects. By all worldly measure, he had a lot of wisdom. He was worldly wise, but by God’s standard, this brilliant surgeon was foolish. Dr Eyemann loved to get into philosophical/theological discussions with staff. He would bring up many topics, often in a controversial way, because he was trying constantly to refute things that didn’t make sense to him in human terms.

 

This worldly-wise ophthalmologist couldn’t see the truth—he was blind to anything beyond human wisdom.

 

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe [vs 21].

 

Thank you, Lord, that through Your “foolishness” it pleases you to save those who see and believe. And I pray for Dr Eyemann and all who rely on their own “wisdom” for understanding of your ways—open them to your wiser ways. “For the foolishness of [You] is wiser that human wisdom [vs 25a].” Amen.

CONFESSION AND COMPASSION

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5,9; 9:1-4, 16-17, 19, 27

 

How many times have you heard (or said yourself, perhaps), “The God of the Old Testament is all about Law, judgment and punishment?” often continuing with, “Thank goodness for the New Testament, where Jesus is all loving and compassionate.” At first glance, these observations may appear true. But as you read more and more in the Old Testament, you see quite the contrary.

 

In the verses for today, we see just one example of a repeating pattern:

·         The Israelites walked away from God (Neh 9:16-17)

·         were confronted with their sin ((Neh 8: 1-3, 5, 9)

·         were faced with consequences of their sin (Neh 9: 27a)

·         confessed their sin, cried out to God (Neh 9: 1-3)

·         each time experienced the forgiveness of their loving and compassionate Father (Neh 9: 17b; 19; 27b)

 

Time and again, God’s people of the Old Testament forgot how He took care of them and turned their collective backs on Him. And once again the Lord, in his mercy and love, disciplined them to bring them back to Himself to receive His forgiveness.

 

How God dealt with His people in ancient times is no different than He deals with us, His forgetful people in the Church today.

 

Thank you, Father, for your faithful pattern of compassion and forgiveness in response to our repeated forgetfulness and sin pattern in our lives. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness (Lam 3 22-23).”

THE FIRST RECORDED CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING

Reading: Acts 15: 5-19

In Acts 15, the minutes of a Church Council meeting (the apostles and elders) are recorded:

The meeting was called to order by Peter at the 3^rd hour.  The main order of business: How should Gentiles who were coming to faith be received as full-fledged members of the church? 

One sect of the Pharisees presented the argument that Gentiles should be circumcised, taught the Law of Moses, and receive instruction to follow it. In other words, they were proposing that Gentiles become Jewish and through that means, become church members.

Paul and Barnabas gave a report on their work among the Gentiles and how many were becoming converted to a faith in Jesus.

The apostles and elders then looked into this matter and, after much debate, Peter spoke. He pointed out several similarities between how God worked in the Jewish believers and in the Gentile converts:

 

·         He gave them the Holy Spirit when they believed [vs 8]

·         He made no distinction between Jew and Gentile (no “them and us”) [vs 9]

·         Both groups' hearts were cleansed by faith [vs 9]

 

Peter further urged the Council to not put the burden of the law on the Gentiles, a burden that Jewish people have not been able to bear. He pointed out that “We Jews have been saved by faith just as the Gentiles have [vs 11].”

There followed further examples by Barnabas and Paul of signs and wonders God did among the Gentiles. The final ruling was given by James, “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles [vs 19].”

It was agreed that a letter of welcome and encouragement be drafted and sent to the Gentile churches via Paul and Barnabas and two of the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

The meeting was adjourned with prayer at the 5^th hour.

 

So why should we care about the minutes of a first century Council meeting? This particular gathering gave clarification early in the Church’s history of an essential truth: all are saved by faith, not by keeping the Law or rituals. It is only by God’s grace that any come to this faith [Ephesians 2:8, 9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”].  This teaching, distinctive from all other religions, needed to be understood from the start – and needs to be preserved in the church today.

 

Lord, help us to not get caught up in imposing rules or rituals on others (or ourselves) that we think will meet the requirements for our salvation. Continue to assure us of Your grace in bringing us to faith in Christ alone. Amen.