Tag: Scriptures

Wholly New or Newly Whole

2 Corinthians 5:14–21; Titus 1:1–3

The “new creation” is an often-quoted phrase. Like many verses in the Scriptures, it can stand on its own. However (you knew that was coming), in context its meaning is so much more important than a mere new creation. It is a creation with a purpose.

While it is accurate to say that we are new creations through Jesus Christ, it also leaves too much interpretation to the speaker and the hearer as to what exactly that means. The common first response is (along the lines of), no longer a sinner, or, reconciled to God, or a child of God.

All of these are theologically accurate. The problem is they are also very selfish and self-centered. These statements are about us. Being a new creation is about us. It also about God.

In particular, what is our purpose? Why are we a new creation? Why does being a new creation even matter?

The answer comes earlier, “…so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.”

Let’s be honest with ourselves, we still live for ourselves. We often make decisions based on our desires or through seemingly logical decisions. Sometimes we’ll even “pray” about them. Are the results really about Jesus Christ?

Now, this really could go down a road that Paul did not intend. Paul didn’t mean for a blacksmith (for example) to stop being a blacksmith and stop making blacksmith decisions. Nor did Paul mean that one stops being a parent (adopted or biological). Yes, both of those are possibilities, but that isn’t the point.

Really, the new creation is more along the lines of thinking of others for their benefit because Jesus Christ thought of your benefit, even while you were estranged from God.

In this comes the question, is the new creation a completely (wholly) new thing or is it the old thing made whole. Either answer still ultimately results in something new, it’s just the emphasis that has changed.

Once the “new” has come into its fullness, then this new creation seeks to draw people to Christ by loving them, thinking well of, and for them, even if it gains no worldly benefit. The new creation is to bring the not-yet-made-new to a point in their lives to be made new.

Bringing along the not-yet-made-new may take a while. Even God, as Paul tells Titus, took time to reveal the fullness of God’s saving message. It will take time for us to reveal it to others, too.

We are called, as new creations, to be faithful in bringing more people into the fold of God’s family, no matter how long it may take and how many setbacks there are.

We are called to love all in their hate, their fear, their jealousy, their ignorance. We also do this knowing that we still have hate, fear, jealousy, and ignorance in us, too.

※Prayer※

Lord, make us new every day. Help us to put yesterday in its place, and step into today in the fullness of your grace, mercy, and love. Amen.

※Questions※

1) If you have saving faith in Jesus Christ, what was your first “symptom” of being made new? If you do not yet have such a saving faith, what might (or should) someone look like who has given their life to Jesus Christ? Why?

2) Why does it matter if we are wholly new or newly whole? What is the difference?

3) What was the last decision you prayed about? What makes you think the answer was the Jesus answer?

2020-07-21
Red or White?

Genesis 18:16–33; Jeremiah 5:1–9; Romans 3:5–24

God hates me. God would/could never love me. God doesn’t care about me. No one can measure up to that standard.

Any of those sound familiar?

When we read stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah it is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of destruction. Yet, there in the story there something important to read.

Abraham’s questions about the 50, 45,40, 30, 20, 10 and the response to the question gives us some insight. From all appearances, there was one righteous man…Lot. Even Lot’s “righteousness” might have more to do with Abraham’s and not Lot’s (see Genesis 19:29).

From our human perspective, what happened seems out of proportion. The ways of Sodom and Gomorrah were obviously long wrong. God did not do this on a whim. Yet, in the middle of all the wrong, 10 righteous people would have prevented disaster.

As the end of the glory of Judah approached, there, too, was an opportunity to change everything. All it would have taken is one righteous person. As the Scriptures show, however, that was not to be.

What does this say about us? Paul tells us that it is the very unrighteousness of humanity that displays the righteousness of God. Even in that, there is grace.

There is a long list that is part of Paul’s words. It is a list (Romans 3:10–18) condemning humanity for its response to God. Why would God want such creatures?

If you had someone who constantly said bad things to you, tossed your gifts at your feet (or the garbage), and gave credit everyone but you about the good things you’d done for them, what your response be?

God’s answer was through the cross. Truth? We aren’t worthy by any measure of that sacrifice. Truth? God did it out of love.

※Prayer※

Jesus, thank you for the cross. Father God, thank you for your mercy on us. Holy Spirit, thank you for drawing us to you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) When you read Paul’s list, how does it feel? To you feel condemned or judged? Or, do you feel something else?

2) How does grace and redemption feel in the face of that list?

3) What do you think your ongoing response should be as a result?

2020-07-18
Fruit Basket

Daniel 3:8–30; Matthew 7:15–20; Revelation 20:11–15

Thinking about fire is often not comfortable. Homes burn. Forests burn.

On the other hand, metal is purified through fire. Through that fire, many beautiful and amazing things are made.

Just like in our own lives, fire serves different purposes in the Scriptures. The number of times it is mentioned is numerous.

Most of us are familiar with the story of the three companions of Daniel tossed into the fiery “pit”. Nebuchadnezzar (though really those around him) used it to kill the three. Instead, God used it to show God’s power and might, and the protection of those loyal.

This is not to say that we should all jump into fiery pits. On the other hand, the world is full of many other kinds of fiery pits.

There is a thin line between a fire of refinement, and a fire of destruction. Without God’s saving hand Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would have died. That is often the case with us.

Yet, Jesus drew a different picture. Jesus’ picture was that of fruitless lives. For those who view themselves harshly, these words of Jesus are hard. They can even be faith-destroying.

What is good fruit? Is it only the fruits of the Spirit? Is it only disciples? Is it only baptisms? Is it only giving water to the thirsty? Is it only loving the unloved?

The hard question for too many Christians is not what good fruit is, but what is enough good fruit. If a parent has five children, and only 2 follow the Lord, is that enough good fruit?

If one is joy-filled and generous of heart but doesn’t “see” a single person come to Christ through them, are they still producing good fruit?

If you are one of the blessed that doesn’t view life through the how much is good enough lens, be grateful that you aren’t, and be grace-filled toward those who are.

In a performance-based culture, such as in the United States, how much fruit is not a small question. For many, this may indeed be why they shy away from faith and faith questions. If you will be judge by how much fruit, why walk into a judgmental situation?

The flip side of this is also bad. Not counting the fruit has other issues, such as not equipping, discipling, and holding one another accountable. This flip side has also become an issue in the church. In not counting the fruit, it’s hard to evaluate (including, but not only, self-evaluation) one’s spiritual life.

The fact of fruit (or lack thereof), the quality of fruit, and the quantity of fruit are all valid questions that Christians should ask of themselves and others. Truth must be balanced in love and grace; that way we are all willing to hear and confront the truth.

※Prayer※

Lord Jesus, if our hearts our weighed by the thought of fruit, lighten our load. Holy Spirit, guide and prune us that we produce fruit for God’s glory. Father God, we put our very being into your hands, trusting you with your creation. Amen.

※Questions※

1)Do you ever count your fruit? Why or why not?

2) Evaluate your fruit right now. After “evaluating” your fruit, what is your conclusion?

3) How does the fire of refinement and destruction apply to producing fruit?

2020-07-17
Who Wears Your Crown?

Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:43–50; Hebrews 2:1–18

In a recent Church Leaders Podcast, the host (Jason Daye) said something that should deeply concern all of us. It’s not what was said was false or wrong. It’s that what was said was true.

“…many people are quicker to share their political views—who they think is right, who they think is wrong—than they are to share their faith story; than they are to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Let that sink in…all the way to your gut…where it should feel like a brick of lead or a storm of nausea.

In much of our political “discourse” (that’s a generous description at this point), are we really any different than the so-called un-saved? Are we marching to the beat of a political ideology or groupthink that does not honor Jesus Christ first?

Currently, there is no single political party that fully represents (if that is even possible) the Kingdom of God. In the mainstream political parties, there are many practicing and devout Christians.

In those same political parties, there are too many (perhaps far more) that mouth so-called Christian words, but do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

It is time for the church to be militant. Militant is an old term that is related to the military but was used to traditionally mean vigorously active. That is the militancy we need. The church must not militant in so far as walking in lockstep with a political party or against one.

What this first requires is that we vigorously question every political view we have and put it to the Scriptures. This is hard. Often, we can take a verse out of context, and use it to bolster our view.

For a long time, the church has been guilty of not using the Scriptures when talking about issues and applying them to a view. Instead, the church has been taking a view and using the Scriptures.

Jesus is King! Long live the King!

※Prayer※

King Jesus, constantly remind us that you are both True king and savior, and nothing and no one of this world could ever be either for us. Amen.

※Questions※

1) When was the last time (outside of your comfortable group) you shared about Jesus? How about politics?

2) When you hear statements condemning everyone of a political party, do you agree?

3) How can you and the church be the prophetic Christian voice to the world, rather than a political follower?

2020-07-15
Judge? Not Quite

John 3:11–21; John 12:44–50

There is an ongoing tension in being a follower of Jesus. The first is that Jesus came to save the world so that no one would perish.

On the other hand, without a doubt, there is some sort of division of those who have died into those who will be ushered into the throne room, and those that will not.

For Christians, we have an understanding that knowing Jesus as our savior is a great thing. Some hard things go along with it. Some of them are hard because our fallen human nature wants to do them.

Often, though, the harder part is what the world wants us to do.

The first thing is that the world does not wish to be judged. Even Jesus says that he is not the judge. Yet later in the Scriptures, he is. How do we discern that?

Jesus was not the judge while he walked the earth as the Messiah. Jesus was to bring the good news and the light. People would choose the light or the dark.

It is after it is all over that Jesus, as God, becomes judge. Even that isn’t so much condemnation, but the discernment of the heart of the person standing there. We may be “waiting” for judgment, yet Jesus is really looking at our hearts and peeling away the layers that we hide even from ourselves.

It is their own hearts when confronted at the end by God’s words, that will judge them. There might be a silver lining in that though.

We are often our harshest critics. Like those who asked, “when did we serve you,” there will be those who will be wondering exactly that.

Of course, there will be those that say, “we did serve you,” and will be condemned by their own hearts that they served for themselves not out of love.

This is hard. We want the easy way. We want to know that our friends and family who don’t know Jesus will be with us.

This also how we know that God loves us. He gave a way to come to him. He left the way open for us the leave him (no matter how much it breaks his heart).

※Prayer※

Lord, help us to not give up on those we love that don’t know you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) How does one improve one’s Christian walk without judgment?

2) How does work in comparison with discernment?

3) How do you evaluate your Christian walk?

2020-07-10
The Sent

Jeremiah 1:4–10; Matthew 9:35–10:1; Romans 15:14–19

When confronted by a calling on our lives, often anything but, “yes,” will cross our lips first. This doesn’t mean, “yes” doesn’t come later. If you’re reading this, in some way you’ve already said, “yes.”

The question then is, what’s next? That’s often an uncomfortable, life-changing, or even dangerous question to ask. Will you be told to cross the globe, or to go next door?

The revered prophet Jeremiah didn’t say “yes” to God, at first. We read the Scriptures and assume it was immediate, but it’s also quite possible that God took a few days. We don’t know.

We can see from others’ lives though that God works on hearts for days, months, and even years. God nudges, cajoles, encourages, sends others to talk sense into us.

God basically informs Jeremiah that his arguments are groundless. God had already set Jeremiah as a prophet. Jeremiah only had to be faithful. That is a big only, by the way.

Jeremiah believed he was unqualified for the duty. He was probably right, from a human perspective. God’s perspective was different.

In many respects, prophets were “sent ones”. They were sent to the people of Israel by God.

Shortly after the birth of the church, the 11 disciples (and later Paul) were called Apostles. Apostle just so happens to mean, “sent one”.

Jesus had the 11 for up to 3 years. They weren’t prepared for what it meant to follow Jesus (especially after the crucifixion). They certainly would have said, “Us lead a religious organization?”

We look at the Disciples/Apostles as uniquely called and qualified people. In many respects, they were. They had unique callings, for sure.

Yet, today the entire church is filled with apostles. We’re not talking the Apostles (as the specially defined ones), but apostles…the universally “sent” ones.

Some might use the word “missionaries.” The issue is that “missionaries” are often consciously and unconsciously presumed/assumed to be the apostles (sent ones) to other countries.

Most are not called to another country, and maybe not even another state. They are called and are being sent into coffee shops, restaurants, laundromats, and every other workplace.

The apostles—the sent ones—are you.

There continues to be a presumption that missionaries, pastors, and other “called” people are the ones to reach the world. Were that the case, then why did the Holy Spirit fall on more than just the 11 (original) + 1 (Matthias, added later)?

Pastors are called specifically to equip the apostles to reach the world. The church (as a whole) is having to rediscover that. We, as Christians, need to not just assent to it. We need to embrace it.

Paul encourages the Romans with the words that they are equipped! So are you!

Does that mean that the equipping stops? Of course not. There is just the reality that no one, not even pastors, will be perfectly equipped for every situation and person.

If you believe that you are unequipped, seek help! Yet, be aware that just because you believe that you are unequipped that God won’t still use you, or that (more importantly) it excuses you from your calling.

※Prayer※

Lord, may we acknowledge the call you have made upon our lives, and share the self-sacrificing love that you give. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What keeps you from sharing about Jesus?

2) Which is scarier, sharing the gospel with someone 15,000 miles away, or the unbeliever next door?

3) Why do you think the church, pastors, and everyone else often believe it is the “professional’s” responsibility to share about Jesus?

2020-07-09
Time Alone

Matthew 14:1–23

Jesus’ cousin and herald was dead. He was murdered. Why was he murdered? He called the powerful to account.

Herod’s marriage to Herodias had some issues. Herod had visited Herodias while she was still married to Herod’s brother, Philip. They decided they like each other, so they decided to be married.

However, Herodias didn’t want to share the house with Herod’s current wife who wisely read the writing on the wall and fled to her father’s house. As a historical aside, this created bad feelings and ultimately led to the military defeat of Herod, eventual downfall and exile.

So, Herod wasn’t really divorced or a widower. His brother was still alive. Yet Herod married his brother’s wife. The only time in Jewish law that was appropriate was when the brother had died with no son.

John the Baptist condemned it. Herod, probably more to please Herodias than anything, put John in jail. Herodias wasn’t satisfied, and we read the rest of the story.

Jesus’ first response wasn’t to call Herod to account. Jesus made no public declaration at all. How different than our current age.

Jesus’ first response was to withdraw. Just like the rest of us at times, Jesus was not going to just move on. It is easy to infer that Jesus needed time to grieve and spend time with God the Father, even though the Scriptures do not give a full explanation.

Not that it’s bad to step away and grieve. It’s healthy, and there is a Jewish practice that goes with that (something that the church needs to approach).

Even more so for Jesus, John was his herald, his baptizer, his cousin, and probably the one person that Jesus felt a spiritual kinship due to their tied-together callings.

What happened next is sad, but we see it today. A famous person has a bad (or good) event, and people clamor around them. Famous people today have PR people deliver a statement that often asks for personal and private space to grieve. How sad that it isn’t given automatically.

Jesus may have intended such, but then see how he loved them. Jesus set aside his needs for others.

However, there are a couple of pieces that need to be addressed. First, the amount of time spent was actually minimal. It also had an end. Then once the people were satisfied, he sent the disciples away, the people away, and he had time between himself and God.

Often the focus is that Jesus set his needs aside for others. He did. Jesus also still made sure his needs were met.

In times of trial and trouble, such as caring for family that are ill, it is easy to set one’s needs aside. In the end, that breaks us unnecessarily. Not only are we hurt, but often we hurt others as our internal limits are broken.

We are not machines that can go and go. Honestly, machines can’t either. Machines need maintenance. So do we. Make sure that you are finding time for yourself and finding time for God. This is not a waste of time. It is what makes the rest of the time sustainable.

※Prayer※

Jesus, as we live in a high-performance culture, help us to keep the vital rhythm of care for ourselves and fellowship with you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What practices do you have to “maintain” yourself? Do you have any that involve doing nothing?

2) Have you ever experience relief of anguish or pain because you were distracted by other needs? What happened to the anguish or pain?

2020-07-04
Following Further

Acts 18:24–19:5; 1 Corinthians 3:5–15; 1 Corinthians 3:18–23 (read online ⧉)

Continuing from yesterday, Peter and Paul were, and remain, worthy examples to follow. In particular, it is their faithful following of Jesus Christ and their wrestling with the faith for themselves and others.

Not too long into things, however, already following fell into camps. Peter and Paul were the “original” camps and later, that of Apollos. The separation of camps was certainly not the intent of Peter, Paul, or Apollos.

The primary concern of the Corinthians was Paul and Apollos. Paul did note that Peter (Cephas) was tied into this as well. One can imagine that the 3 camps were broken into apparently ideological categories: old/Apostolic guard (Peter), Jewish guard (Apollos), Gentile/revolutionary guard (Paul).

Was this really the case for these 3 men? Neither the Scriptures nor Church histories provide any evidence of it. This was something that likely started with relationships and attraction.

We see this today, as people will follow a particular pastor. If that pastor moves on, so do they. We also often seen this camp development as a precursor to church family splits.

People will settle into camps over many issues: political party, environment, race, taxation, “freedoms”, immigration, world events, and so on. People will often find and focus on more that divides, rather than unites.

In this environment of being divided and then further subdivided, and then divided again, followers of Jesus should buck the trend and figure out how to unite. Currently, we are on the same path as the rest of the world in that regard and that does not.

We also know from the Scriptures and Church history that the early leaders did not all agree on everything at all times. Yet, their paramount allegiance was to Jesus Christ.

One could dismiss their agreement on the reality that they were oppressed or at least strongly opposed. If that’s the case, perhaps instead of greater freedom, we should pray for further difficulty (dark humor).

It wasn’t easy to stay unified. It also isn’t as if they were unified on everything. They were being unified over Jesus, which is all we can really ask of one another. That isn’t happening today.

As we always look for and at those who are one step ahead of us, we must still keep our eyes upon Jesus. The person we follow may turn away, and if we blindly follow, we too will walk away from Jesus. Keeping our eyes upon Jesus will help keep us going toward him, and not away.

※Prayer※

Jesus, while we look at others to help us in our Christian walk, help us to keep our eyes on you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Which people are you watching or following right now? How do they lead you to Jesus?

2) Is Jesus (not “being Christian”) your lens when looking at and listening to others?

3) How do you converse generously in love, grace, and mercy with others whose understanding of following Jesus is different than yours?

2020-06-30
A Little Prophesying

Deuteronomy 13:1–5; Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Jeremiah 28:1–9

Doomsday prophets are certainly a thing. There are a lot of them, and of varying kinds: epidemiologist (disease), environment, morality, political, sexuality, education, freedom, financial, and so on and on.

Doom sells. Doomsayers may also be helpful to guide us toward some sort of preparation or change. At this point, however, there are so many doomsayers that there are only two logical conclusions: we’re doomed or they’re wrong. That is really the two paths regardless of which or all the “dooms”.

What is interesting about “prophesying” in the Scriptures is that not all prophesying is alike. Some prophesying is more akin to teaching, lecturing, discipling. That generally would fall under church categories as preaching, pastoring, and life groups.

Other prophesying is more like visions, dreams, and euphoric states. This is what we, as a tradition (versus language), understand as foretelling or forewarning that is spiritually driven, and is our default interpretation when reading the word in the Scriptures.

The struggle is discerning whether the prophecy or “prophetic word” is from God, from other spiritual forces, or is it of self appearing to be “spiritual”. Especially (but not exclusively) with the internet, there are plenty of videos, blog posts, web sites all claiming some sort of divine connection.

Sadly, there is no way to tag “fake prophesy”. That takes wisdom, discernment, and positive Christian relationships.

※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, strengthen your discerning gift in us. Father God, help us to look through your word so that we can see when someone is using your word falsely. Jesus, help us to keep in mind that you told us that there would be many false prophets before your return. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Have you had someone deliver a prophecy or “prophetic word” to/about you? How about as part of a public declaration (with or without you being the focus)?

2) What are you actively doing to protect yourself from false prophesy or “prophetic word”?

2020-06-28
Who Makes You

Romans 9:14–33 (read online ⧉)

A vignette from a family life…

“It’s your fault,” said the child.

“How so,” asked the parent.

“You knew, and you didn’t stop me,” responded the child.

“Except I warned you before,” the parent replied.

“So, what,” retorted the child. “What’s that got to do with stopping me?”

Or, a different vignette…

“It’s your fault.”
“You were warned.”
“You made me so mad, though, that I wasn’t thinking, and I did it. So, it’s your fault.”

Paul’s use of Old/First Testament imagery causes many modern people to struggle with these verses. In the Wesley/Arminian tradition, these words are a particular struggle, as they appear to not to be free will, a core belief in the tradition.

However, what we miss is the rhetorical questioning that is going on in the Greek. A rhetorically adequate translation would be more along the lines of, “Yes, while God can make you, that does not make it God’s fault that you still chose your path.” One theologian argues, with some decent reasoning, that even when God hardens hearts (sometimes called judicial hardening), it’s not that the hearts weren’t already hardened. It is that God firms their already stubborn and ungodly hearts so that their immediate action will result in the display of God’s glory.

In other words, God helps them be more firmly where they have already decided to be. Their decision was made first.

Now, unlike some other Christian traditions, this is not a one-way road. God is in the redemption business! Even when God hardens the heart for one action, there is often a redemptive action waiting in the wings. It is here that a person will choose to continue to harden their own heart or not.

The potter and the clay? An analogy, not a description. This passage, too, is often confused as that Israel (and thus the rest of us) are lifeless clay. Paul asks, what if? Paul is not concluding that God made some people for wrath and some are not.

God did not make us that way. Just as the passage of the Potter’s House, Paul is not saying that God did it so that people are separated from God. God made is so people choose to be separated from God.

This, too, is hard. For those of us who know God, and have a saving relationship with God, it is beyond our comprehension that people would choose anything other than God. Be grateful that you have chosen.

Paul’s ultimate conclusion is that God set out works for the people of Israel to do. They believe that is was the works (the tasks) they did to fulfill the Law that made them righteous. This was all while the lesson of Abraham was right there in the Scriptures…following and choosing God through faith.

※Prayer※

Gracious God, we thank you that we have been gifted the freedom to choose you in love. May you shape our hearts and guide our lives that we can help others also choose you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Do you think you have ever experienced a time when God “hardened” your heart? Why or why not?

2) Why do you think people believe that God designs people and plans for people to be inflicted by God’s wrath?

3) What is the hardest thing to realize and feel about knowing that you have to daily choose God?

2020-06-22