July 31, 2022

John 14: 2 (NIV)

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.”

It is the Lord Jesus’ only unfulfilled promise.*

Jesus’ disciples were still a little fuzzy on the concept of Jesus’ leaving. Now he’s promising them that he will come back for them. For us today, accepting and expecting his return are components of our faith in his resurrection, but we, too, find ourselves wondering about our Lord’s return. 

Much about the Second Coming is shrouded in mystery and symbolism, but there are certain aspects that we can be sure about. 

1. He is definitely coming back. In this verse and in Matthew 24: 30, we read of Jesus’ pledge to return. 

2. Jesus will return at God’s appointed time. No one else knows when that is. (Matthew 24: 36; Acts 1: 7) 

3. Our job is to proclaim the hope and the promise. (Matthew 28: 20; Acts 1: 8) 

4. We should look forward to his return. (Matthew 24: 44) 

Jesus knew that we wouldn’t understand everything he said but he has made it clear that he wants us to be with him – he told his Father: “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” (John 17: 24) So of course he’s going to come back and get us!

God has chosen the right time for Christ’s second coming without any reference to clocks and calendars.*

July 30, 2022

Leviticus 19: 33, 34 (NIV)

“When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

God’s own deep commitment to justice leads Him to require that in human society we also maintain a commitment to do right by all.*

The subject of illegal aliens is an explosive one right now. No matter where you stand politically, there is one position that meets with God’s approval: the alien living in the land must be treated with the same respect as the native-born.

Did I say that illegal aliens should be granted amnesty or citizenship? Did I say they should all be shipped back where they came from? Does it matter what I say? Look again at what God said: “Do not mistreat him.” What did God not say? He did not say that aliens should not be subject to the same laws as citizens. In fact, God is not addressing immigration policy at all; he is addressing his stance on the treatment of the powerless.

When we study the Old Testament, we become acquainted with God’s position on many social issues. How we treat the weak among us is a frequently recurring theme and is reinforced by Jesus during his public ministry. The passage and enforcement of civil laws is a matter for the secular authorities. But no matter their legal status, the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the lonely are included on the list of those to whom we must show God’s love. Having trouble getting past the illegal label? Do you recall that the list of the powerless also includes prisoners? 

As Christians, we are called to love others as God loves them – without prejudice. How we demonstrate that love is often a matter of our personal calling from God but it is always a priority. Because he is the Lord your God.

Deep down in the heart of every person is a hidden desire to reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief.*

July 29, 2022

Hebrews 10: 25  (NIV)

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Often the road to forsaking the Lord begins with missing the assembly with believers on the Lord’s Day. Vince Lombardi said, “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”*

We like to use this verse as a command to attend church every Sunday and as a condemnation of those who don’t follow the command. Faithful church attenders can feel smug about how much they are doing for the Lord when they take up space in a pew each week. With such a stance, we read too much and not enough into the meaning of these words.

Too much: The writer of Hebrews does not mention Sunday or first day of the week.

Not enough: The people to whom he was writing probably met together a lot more than one hour a week.

Too much: It is not something we do for God.

Not enough: We should get together with our community of faith as often as we can for the sake of each other.

The frequency and format of our worship services are fairly recent developments. The Book of Acts gives us a peek into the life of the newborn church and it has little resemblance to how we do it today. For them, meeting together as a body of believers was a bit of a challenge. People did not have weekends off from work and the closest thing to a church building was a synagogue which might be available for their use as a place to assemble – as long as it wasn’t the Sabbath. It wouldn’t be surprising if some found it more convenient to stay home and worship God from there.

Meeting together as a church, whatever day or hour it occurs, is not an activity we are commanded to do for God. Yes, our worship is for God, but our meeting together is something we do for ourselves. We need each other. The encouragement we receive from our fellow believers fuels our ability to stay strong when we leave the shelter of the church.

There is another good reason to make the effort to attend church: your witness. Bob Russell says, “Church attendance slowly and quietly testifies to the world which side you’re on.”* When others see that church attendance is a priority for you, they will also suspect that God is important to you.

When believers encourage each other, it’s like lighting two matches and joining them together to start a fire that is greater than the sum of the two flames. The writer of Hebrews didn’t say it but I will: go to church. Every Sunday. Join a small group and attend every week. Participate in every opportunity for fellowship that you can. Then go out and set the world on fire.

God often speaks to us through the witness of the church.*

July 28, 2022

Ephesians 2: 10 (NIV)

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Christian faith must be demonstrated to be credible.*

The relationship between faith and works gets all tangled up in our minds at times. We are saved by faith, we understand, but does that mean we don’t have to do anything? According to James 2: 17, faith not accompanied by action is dead. So when we start to give works the respect it deserves are we then in danger of trying to earn our salvation?

Let’s forget about our own salvation for a moment. Let’s talk about those lost people out there. How will they come to know the Lord if we don’t do or say anything? Without works, there is no witness. Faith cannot speak for itself. If a Christian can’t at least testify to his faith, I would argue that he doesn’t even have a dead faith. I would say he has no faith at all.

In II Corinthians 5: 17, Paul declares that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. In this verse in Ephesians, he builds on the new creation theme to inform us that we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. If he created us to perform good works, I wonder: can we be saved if we don’t fulfill the purpose for which were created?

Let us remember that we are Christians not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others.*

July 27, 2022

Romans 12: 6 (NIV)

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. 

An ungifted Christian does not exist, though some gifts may be dormant through lack of use.*

I know people whose gifts are obvious. My husband was blessed with the gift of leadership. My minister is a gifted preacher. I have some friends who have the gift of service. When it comes to identifying my own gifts, I have struggled. In this verse, Paul assures us that we have gifts – even if they aren’t all the same. He goes on to list examples of some gifts and how to use them well.

We could easily allow ourselves to feel inadequate in comparison to those whose giftedness is easier to define. It almost happened to me recently when I heard someone share his witnessing experience. I thought, “I could never do that. I don’t have the big extrovert personality that he does and people don’t react to me the same way they do to him.” God spoke to my insecurity so clearly that I had to write it down and share it with you. “No,” he said, “you don’t have the personality to speak up like he does, but everyone has the personality to do something.”

How about you? Do you know what your gifts are? Do you think you don’t have any? I would suggest that we must choose to serve God according to the grace given us even if we can’t put a label on our gifts. Not knowing what to call it is not a pass to do nothing.

Jumping in and doing something is far better than sitting on the sidelines analyzing a questionnaire.*

July 26, 2022

Matthew 6: 33 (NIV)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

One seeks God’s kingdom by seeking his righteousness.*

I confess. Sometimes I think Jesus might have been out of touch with reality. Seeking his kingdom and his righteousness sounds like a good choice, but we still have to pursue the means to feed and clothe ourselves and our families. I can’t spend my day in prayer instead of going to work. Meditation doesn’t put a sandwich together for me or do the laundry. Bible study doesn’t keep me warm in winter. Doing good works doesn’t usually come with a paycheck.

I confess again. Sometimes I take Jesus’ words out of context. This particular verse is from the “Sermon on the Mount” collection. In this sermon, Jesus introduced the world to a whole new lifestyle. He talked about meekness and justice and mercy and charity. He commanded us not to worry and he preached about priorities. He’s not telling us to ignore the cares of life; he tells us where to put those cares on our to-do list: anywhere after seeking the kingdom. When you make a to-do list, you don’t check off the first item and think you’re done – you move on to the next task.

So put your priorities in order each day. Ask God what he wants from you today; ask him to help you accomplish it, and then move on to the next item. Don’t worry about tomorrow – just make another list:

1. Seek his kingdom. 

2. Everything else.

To seek first the kingdom of God is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first repent and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it.*

July 25, 2022

John 6: 60 (NIV)

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

What God seeks in every person is not sacrifice, but a humble spirit, and a devotion to the Lord that is expressed in obedience.*

I have always thought that the disciples who are quoted in this verse in John were just struggling to understand what Jesus was trying to teach them, but the New English Bible renders their words differently: “This is more than we can stomach.” Jesus’ retort lends credence to this version. He asked, “Does this offend you?” (Verse 61) And from this time, many of his disciples “turned back and no longer followed him.” (Verse 66)

In his book, The Difficult Sayings of Jesus, William Neil lists 34 hard sayings of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus lost some disciples along the way following each one of his difficult sayings but apparently this is the one that separated the men from the boys. It was his “I am the bread of life” speech, which included his pronouncement that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” John gives us no reason to believe that these grumblers thought Jesus was talking about cannibalism so what was it that they found so offensive?

I think they understood what Jesus meant. As someone has observed, “It was the parts they did understand that were really disturbing.”* They may not have comprehended the full symbolism of his body and blood because they were still hopeful for a revolutionary political liberator, not a crucified and resurrected Messiah; but, even though many of them had just witnessed his miraculous feeding of 5,000 people on the beach, they knew that following Jesus was going to be no picnic! Being his disciple was going to require more from them than they were willing to give. 

It is willingness that Jesus demands from us. Most of us will never be faced with having to give up our lives for our faith; but what are we willing to give up? Picture yourself dropping all your possessions at the landfill. Imagine turning your back on your family and friends, or having them reject you. What if you could no longer participate in the activities you enjoy? Examine how those scenarios make you feel. Jesus wants you to let go of your attachments to this world just in case you are asked to give up your body and blood for him. It’s what he did for you.

 Following Jesus is really all about dying. Postmodern Christianity wants Jesus to do all the dying.*

July 24, 2022

Luke 12: 6, 7 (NIV)

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

The things that make God dear to us are not so much His great big blessings as the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us; He knows every detail of our individual lives.*

Every time I play Trivial Pursuit, I am amazed at all the useless information my brain has retained. Some of it – I have no idea why I know it. What is truly incredible is that every bit of trivia buried in the recesses of my memory is also housed in the mind of God. A penny for my thoughts? A sparrow is worth twice as much. How many hairs are there on my head? (A lot!) Who needs to know that?

The God who spoke the universe into creation; who keeps planets from colliding; who knows what calculus is (are?) – he is the same God who knows my favorite color and has blessed the earth with flowers to match. In a world of billions, I am not so much. In the eyes of God, I am worth the life of his Son. After all that, he isn’t going to forget about me. Or you. He will take care of us.

I have to wonder, though: would I be more valuable if I could remember important things instead of just the trivial ones? . . . Nope. The price is the same.

Understanding how God sees us and how he values us can help us see the truth about ourselves.*

July 23, 2022

Mark 14: 8 (NIV)

“She did what she could.”

Deliriously joyful are the ones who believe that if God has used sticks, rocks, and spit to do his will, then he can use us.*

I read this recently: “I just instagrammed a Bible verse with a mountain background, what have YOU done to make disciples today?”* I nodded my head in agreement. “Yup,” I thought. “Exactly.” The tweeter’s sarcasm was not lost on me. And then my better self thought, “What if making memes of beautiful scenery and Bible verses is all you could do to share the gospel? Shouldn’t you do it? Isn’t that much better than being able to do more but not doing it?

In the story from which this verse in Mark is taken, Jesus gently reprimands the other guests at a dinner party for their harsh comments about a woman’s beautiful expression of devotion to the Lord. When she anointed his head with some expensive perfume, some of those present were indignant at the wastefulness of her gesture. There is no mention that she had stolen the jar of perfume from one of them so it seems it was her property to dispose of as she chose; nevertheless, they claimed that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. I’m thinking they were just trying to impress Jesus with their piety, while she was making an offering to him using the resources available to her. “She did what she could.”

Your small acts of devotion may not be spoken of “wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world” (verse 9), but never doubt that Jesus takes note and remembers. Do what you can – because whether it’s an extreme sacrifice or a Bible verse superimposed on a mountain scene, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to make it effective.

It is a snare to long to be used to do miraculous things. It is often rooted in the pride that wants everyone to see just how greatly God can use me. I should be delighted in the power of God, not because He has used me to display it.*

July 22, 2020

Matthew 15: 12 (NIV)

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Jesus did not soften his words in the face of danger.*

Those disciples! You gotta love ‘em. What did they think Jesus was going to do when he heard that he had offended the Pharisees? Apologize? Make a run for it? Water down his message? Or were they trying to stir things up a bit? Maybe they thought Jesus would confront those self-righteous Pharisees. Wouldn’t that have been fun to watch? 

When we offend someone, most times apologizing is the right thing to do. In extreme cases, running away may be necessary. But diluting the gospel message is never the correct response. I don’t believe that Jesus deliberately set out to offend anyone, but he knew it would happen. He knew he would be in danger, but he didn’t run because he had a mission to fulfill. Proactively confronting the Pharisees wasn’t necessary – he knew they would be coming to him. “Leave them,” he tells the disciples in verse 14. Pick your battles. 

Upon learning that we have offended someone, we may be faced with the same choices Jesus faced: 

• Apologize – if we have done something wrong, or if the offense was unintentional but regrettable;
• Run away – if they are the dangerous sort;
• Confront – if we have an issue to settle.

But we should never let fear of offense prevent us from speaking the truth. Jesus models speaking the truth with love and discretion but he never advocates speaking less than the truth. We must stand with the Apostle Paul who said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” (Romans 1: 16.)

In the heat of battle, we find ourselves too vocal about thimble-sized issues and we drag others into the dark abyss of our narrow-mindedness. We would be wise to choose our battles . . . with greater care.*