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Friday Aug 12, 2022
Friday Aug 12, 2022
AUGUST 9 = JAMES 2
SUNDAY MORNING FAVORITISM
The other day, I heard from a young adult who had felt judged when they came to church. In my heart, I so much wanted to tell that young person that the sleight was only their own imagination. That no one really judges strangers at church. Then I remembered this instruction from James, and I realized that most of us are thoroughly immersed in exuding a judgmental spirit that is full of prejudice and judgment.
Jesus was famous for not being like that, you know. People with unclean spirits, adulterous women, people with every disability and disease, young people and old, Jesus seemed to value each person he met, and to extend grace to each one, quite in contrast to the Pharisees and respected teachers of the Law. If we follow in the Master’s footsteps, we will do the same.
And yet, I have found myself at church making judgments in my heart many times. I say this to my shame, but need to confess it here.
Here is the problem as James words it:
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
What struck me one day was that I myself had fallen into showing favoritism with evil intent. As a professional minister, I saw my job as to make a church grow. So when I see strangers on a Sunday morning coming into the building, I saw them as potential members of the congregation.
I’d see a young couple enter, Bibles under their arms, dressed nicely and looking relatively well-to-do. My prejudice thinks, “I wonder if they can sing? Could be nursery workers. They probably have the practice of tithing. I’d like to get to know them better.”
Then I’d see an older guy sort to stumbling in. Probably asking for a handout. Dressed like he’s homeless, and most likely some sort of an addict. My life is already filled with takers. I just don’t have the energy to add another needy person to my schedule.
Now, after church, who am I most likely to invite to lunch? Of course it’s the people that I think will benefit me the most. Suddenly I saw my “evil intentions.” I had never thought of myself as “evil” on a Sunday morning, but there it was. I was discriminating among people and I had become a judge with evil thoughts.
That was some years ago that I noticed my favoritism. I have tried to avoid it since then. But it is always with me.
Is it wrong to discern a person’s needs, or to anticipate their station in life? No, it is not wrong. What is wrong is to favor some people and ignore others. I think Jesus would have noticed the homeless people and would have invited the addict to lunch, where he would ask, “What would you like me to do for you?”
He would already know the answer, of course. Like he did with the woman at the well. But it is best for a person to face their need and to ask for help, rather than to simply give.
It is the motive behind it all that makes the difference. When I am motivated by love, I don’t mind takers who require more attention from me, because I think of how I would feel if I were in their shoes.
Selfish motivation, on the other hand, always will get me in trouble. It’s not a matter of being discerning. It’s a matter of evil intentions.
So, how is it for you? Have you ever passed judgment on someone who is standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign in hand? What did you do about it?
May the Lord open our hearts, and help us to see people through His eyes. Amen.
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
Sunday Aug 14, 2022
AUGUST 10 = JAMES 3
TWO KINDS OF WISDOM
The third chapter of James begins with a dozen very practical verses about controlling the tongue. I hope to address that topic in a sermon form this Sunday. But the rest of the chapter has equally practical instruction about two kinds of wisdom. Let’s explore what our older brother James has discovered on the subject of wisdom.
Do you remember the story Jesus told of the shrewd business manager who was being fired by his master? He went to each of his master’s customers and reduced their debts to his master. That way, when he was fired, he would find himself in the good graces of each of those folks. He was dishonest, but he was also shrewd. Jesus applied the story to our heavenly journey. Be sure to use earthly things in order to win eternal friends who will welcome you into heaven.
Was that business manager wise? It depends on how you measure wisdom, I suppose. Business savvy might be considered a form of wisdom. But I think we would agree that the most clever business practices are not what we would call “heavenly wisdom.” What gets us ahead in the worldly sphere is not what generates a close relationship with the Holy one.
So, what would be the marks of wisdom that comes from above? Here’s what James says:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Wisdom from above is marked by “A good life,” which includes deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. Which, in turn, makes this a circular sentence that sort of defines “a good life” as deeds done in the humility that comes from the above-mentioned wisdom. In any case, “wisdom” leads a person to live a good life. Wisdom does not seek a dark path, marked by mistruths, broken rules, empty promises and a long line of broken relationships. A good life is lived by a person who does good to others and submits to what might be called the rules of life.
Wisdom also is seen in humble deeds. If you are humble, you will be wise, and if you are wise, you see clearly that you are not the only person on the planet who deserves special attention. A deed done in pride might be one that is selfish, or steps on others, takes from others, unfairly claims credit, and always seems to serve self above others. But a deed done in humility is much more likely to be done anonymously, to help others without drawing attention to self, to be motivated by wanting to serve and help others. In short, a person who is a “taker” is unwise, while a “giver” is wise.
Then James elaborates further:
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Bitter envy happens when a person who is a taker in life sees that others have received already, especially when it was an unfair handout. Envy is an awful emotion to feel. But bitter envy feels downright wrong. And selfish ambition is like the same motivation, but before the bitterness of disappointment. Selfish ambition still puts myself on my own throne, to pursue my wants. Ambition is not the problem here. Not if you make it your ambition to lead a good life, for example. But ambition that is selfish leads a person to to plan as a “taker,” and then to make basic life positions that promote self.
Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
God is the one who invented the earth. And if you are learning so-called wisdom from an “earthly, unspiritual and demonic” resource, it will not go well in the first place. But the “wisdom” itself was not handed down from above. Your daily accomplishments were “under the sun,” as Ecclesiastes says. But heavenly wisdom was not begun by you. You have merely tapped into self-serving behavior. Earthly wisdom notes who gets credit for something, and then does a thing, but for selfish reasons.
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James is saying that you can tell if a person has earthly motives for doing whatever they do, because their lives are an endless parade of disorder and every evil practice.
Solomon discovered something about this as he sought wisdom. Here is what Solomon observed: “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:4
What if you had a chance to win the lottery for $500M. If you were guaranteed a winning number, would you play? I suspect any of us would, if the chance is perfect that you would win.
But what if the prize for the lottery for today was righteousness? You are guaranteed a winning ticket! And all you have to do to buy your ticket is to give out peace!
Here’s how James says it:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Heavenly wisdom does not come from within us, with our envy and our selfish ambitions. There is no place for self-serving pride in the wisdom that comes from above.
You can tell Spirit-led deeds by recognizing the fruit that come from it. It is pure—not selfish ambition or disorder, but unity.
Then wisdom that comes from the Spirit is peace-loving. Not disorder, not arguments, but honoring the peace, even among the most needy among us. The spirit leads us to be considerate of others. The Spirit causes us to honor our leaders by being submissive to them, following the rules, imitating their example. The Spirit’s wisdom is seen in our deeds being full of mercy. Undeserved favor. Withholding judgment under the sun to give room for God to judge. The Spirit guides us to bear fruit in our lives that we cannot get by mere earthly wisdom. We become marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Heavenly wisdom is likewise impartial, not judgmental, and sincere. We don’t say one thing to someone’s face and something else behind their back.
All of this is today’s application of what James has to say about wisdom. Get it from above, not from yourself. When you do, you will be a peacemaker who sows in peace in order to reap a harvest of righteousness. Amen.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
AUGUST 11 = JAMES 4
DEFEATING THE DEVIL
How do I go about overcoming Satan? Temptation can be so strong, and spiritual warfare so difficult. And an invisible spiritual enemy can be so hard to find, and his ways so deceitful. It almost seems like an impossible war I find myself in, and I’m often defeated before I even realize that I’m in a fight. How can temptation seem so attractive when it is so deadly to me? How do I defeat this enemy of my soul?
James has a battle plan that is guaranteed to work. All I have to do is to follow it and carry it out. Ready?
“Submit yourselves, then, to God.
This is how it begins. I submit myself to God. As in any warfare, immediate compliance with any orders from on high is essential. After all, the only one who has ever defeated Satan is God, and God is all-knowing and all-powerful. So submitting to the leading of the Holy Spirit would seem to be the first logical step if I am on the Lord’s side.
And what has God already told me are my marching orders? He gave several commandments. He summarized them as loving God and loving people. He has told me to worship him alone. He has told me what kind of people to stay away from as friends. He has told me to meditate and talk about his words all day and night. And he’s about to give me some specific instructions on this battle, so I’ll keep reading.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Here it is! The secret to success: Resist the devil, and he will flee! Wait a second! Isn’t that backwards? I thought Paul told Timothy to “flee youthful lusts.” Aren’t we supposed to flee from the devil? I’m confused.
The distinction is subtle, but extremely significant. We flee from temptation, rather than to try to stare it down and outlast it. Remember what happened with Eve and the fruit in the garden? She noticed that it was pleasing to the eye and good for food. She was looking at the temptation, rather than to run from it. Satan is standing behind us, whispering in our ear about how pleasing to the eye, how fun, how good the temptation would be.
But do you know what happens when we turn around to run from the temptation? We run straight toward the devil! With the temptation behind us, Satan has no weapon. But we have the name and the blood of Jesus with us, complete with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We are like young David, who ran toward Goliath with his sling and stone. And that added to the speed of his shot. So we resist the devil when we go on the offensive, and he flees the battle.
So we submit to God, and we resist the devil. The next thing that James instructs us to do is this:
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Now we change the metaphor. We resist the devil when we run at him. But we draw near, or come near to God, not as an enemy but as a friend or family member. And when we take the initiative in coming to him, we find that he in turn draws near to us. We need his inner strength to do battle with the enemy of our souls, and we need this strong relationship with God to make us immovable in battle.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
I think all these commands can be summarized in a word: Repent! Clean hands. Pure hearts. Be sorry for wrongs. Humble yourselves. When we come to the end of ourselves with this attitude, we find that God lifts us up, not because we are strong, but because he is.
One last instruction, a few verses later, that adds to this spiritual warfare:
“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
You might say that there are two categories of sin: Sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission are things that we DO, knowing that we should not be doing them. But equally bad are sins of omission. These are things we OUGHT TO DO, but we do not do them. It is the equivalence of saying no to God, or of NOT submitting to God from the very start of our battle with the devil. And how do you think that battle will go, when we have already been run through with the enemy’s best weapons?
This matter may be the single most important thing for the daily direction of a believer’s life. May we heed and obey every day. Amen.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
AUGUST 12 = JAMES 5
RESPONDING TO TROUBLE
James is a practical book, filled with brief instructions on what to do, not just what to think or believe. It’s a lot like the book of Proverbs in that sense. Today we find in just four verses a great example of how James can quickly jump from one thing to another, giving quick pieces of advice to believers on what to do in different situations. Let’s delve into it.
“Is anyone among you in trouble?
The trouble might be financial. Or legal. Or Mom and Dad found out about you-know-what. Perhaps some relationship has gone bad, or you have lost a job, or you lost your keys, or there is a big test coming up. Did you do something wrong, or was something wrong done to you? The list could be long as to what “in trouble” means for you. But there is a solution to any of it, and we would do well to let our default mode be to jump immediately to this, no matter what the trouble was:
Let them pray.
Does Jesus care? Oh, yes, he cares! Is your trouble an inconvenience to God that he should resist us. God is not like a human, troubled that we come to him and waste his time. So we pray. We pray for deliverance. We pray for peace. We pray for God’s will to be done. Maybe we simply recite the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) or pray the rosary. Maybe we are very specific and we ask God for an answer. And maybe we don’t know what to say and we sit in silence, knowing that he is and is willing to help. No matter what, we take our burden to the Lord and leave it there.
What about if you are not in trouble? What’s next?
Is anyone happy?
Happy is a nice problem to have! Things are good, my relationships are stable, my favorite song is running in my head, I’m with my friends, I am free from some debt I had been in. All is well. What do I do now, James?
Let them sing songs of praise.
This is fantastic! Music can speak more strongly than words alone can. And songs of praise to God are especially helpful in letting God be the center of my joy. So today is the day to learn some songs of praise, so that I will have them at the ready. Notice he says “songs” not just “song.” We’re talking about a season of thanks, along with gratefulness for the songs themselves that speak what your heart wants to say to the Lord.
Is anyone among you sick?
Oh, I know the answer to this! “Go to the doctor!” Take your medicine. We think of medical science as our savior, and it has become our instant default for what to do when we are sick. But here’s what James says to do:
“Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Elders and prayer and oil and faith open up the healing of God. And when that happens, who is glorified? Is it medicine? Or are we thanking our Creator for healing us? Can we do both/and?
Wait a second! What’s with this “if they have sinned” thing? Could God ever make someone sick in order to bring them to repentance? James did not exactly tell us to confess and repent, but I guess that was implied by the last sentence, saying that they will be forgiven.
Just the other day, a dear friend had heard that I had fallen and been injured. He got some olive oil in a cup and walked to my house and said he wanted to pray for me. He also had a recent medical event, so I offered to do the same for him. It was a beautiful and touching time. I started by saying, “If we’re going to pray, then let me start by confessing my sins.” The next verse is why I said that.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
So I confessed, and he anointed and prayed. Then we changed roles. And since we are both righteous (we are, aren’t we?), our prayers were powerful and effective. This is biblical practice, and we would do well to have it be our first response to any sickness. Amen.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
HOW PRECIOUS IN THE LORD'S SIGHT IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS (SONG OF THE WEEK)
(We have faced loss of family and friends in recent weeks, and Psalm 116:15 has been a comfort many times. Ellen challenged me to write a song on that verse. So this is an elaborate setup, but centers on that verse. In honor of Willard Kelley.)
Dear loved ones, my friends and family
Cry if you will, oh, but don’t cry for me
I am where I’ve always wanted to be
For life down below never felt much like home to me
vanity of vanities
Being bound under the sun
Under the sun
I spent all my days bound under the sun
And though I loved deeply, I never belonged
And the time has gone and the time has come
But time is no friend to anyone
For the seasons change and the times never last
But this is the time when time is now past
For death is now dead where time is undone
For I am no more bound under the sun
I’m living now in a new domain
And I’m filled with joy and there’s no more pain
No more cancer or limping or longing or tears
I’ve gone on before you, so come join me here
Here I shine with the stars and I dance in the light
Walking and leaping and praising God
Marching on to victory in the promised land
Milk and honey flows here from the fathers hand
And where he led me I did follow
I went with Him all the way
And found victory in Jesus
My savior forever
And from here I can see what the Lord thinks of you
And of you and of you and of you and of me
For the Lord knows all those who are truly his
And he carries them home to be where he is
Can you see with the psalmist the picture he paints:
HOW PRECIOUS IN THE LORD’S SIGHT
IS THE DEATH OF THESE HIS SAINTS
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY
COME TAKE YOUR BRIDE AWAY
And here none of us are bound UNDER THE SUN
We bound over clouds and over the sun in the name of the Father in the name of the Son in the name of the Spirit we fly over the sun
Thursday Aug 18, 2022
Thursday Aug 18, 2022
AUGUST 13 = 1 PETER 1
THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL
In our Bibles, the second and third General Epistles are from the apostle Peter. They are the only direct writings we have from Peter (though the gospel of Mark is often written showing Peter’s perspective), and so we want to give special attention to all that he wrote.
Did you ever wonder what it was that Peter first saw in Jesus? What led him to want to follow the master? And what was the biggest change in Peter’s character or personality after being trained by the Nazarene and then filled with the Holy Spirit?
I think I know the answer to some of those questions. And I think it shows most in Peter’s writing. See what topics he addresses. Note how he approaches each one. There I think we can see the Man behind the man who wrote these two letters to the elect aliens scattered abroad. There we find a Jewish fisherman who became a fisher of men and a rock for the church that Jesus founded.
Still early in his letter, Peter teaches doctrine, gives instruction and quotes Scripture to back it up. Just like Jesus did. You might say that these verses that we are going to look at are a summary of the gospel, from a doctrinal point of view. The gospel in a nutshell. If you can get this message in your head, you’ll have it in a nutshell.
“You were cleansed from your sins
You might say that being cleansed from our sins is the number one thing that Jesus did. He became the atoning sacrifice for our sins, not our personalities or our preferences. And notice that the cleansing is in past tense, because we are not still in the process of cleansing. There was a moment when our faith matched his sacrifice, and Peter is about to say when that moment took place:
…when you obeyed the truth, …
Peter does not go into detail about what the act of obedience was, or what truth he is referring to here. But his response at the Day of Pentecost would seem to be a good clue: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit.” Repenting and being baptized are acts of obedience, and serve as a good starting point for being cleansed of your sins.
…so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. …
Having been cleansed from our sins, what is the next item of business for us? Show sincere love, like family members have for one another. Since we have become family with Christ and with one another, this makes sense. Then, having loved like family, we are to add another layer to that love (Phileo-storge) and love (agape) one another deeply (not just with words) with all your heart (which requires actions and full commitment). This is a call to truly radical love for one another. The kind of love that was demonstrated in the early church in Acts, when no one considered their things to belong to them only, and people started selling land and property, so that there were no needy people among the church. That’s a level of commitment that is supernatural. But then again, maybe we are supernatural spiritual beings. See what’s next:
…For you have been born again, …
Somehow, miraculously, when we “obeyed the truth,” and Jesus cleansed us of our sins, we died to our old selves and our spirits were remade, born all over again into a new self. Our relationship with God and with one another is much more than a group of flawed people who have had their slates erased clean by grace. We are actually remade in his image, to bear his spirit in our hearts. That’s how we can love one another so deeply.
…but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
Our being born again is not just for this lifetime. It is for eternity, because that, after all, is God’s top priority for us all. And that’s why God has cleansed us of our sins. So that we can live forever with him, thanks to the eternal, living word of God.
Ready or not, this is the radical makeover that Jesus has come to give us. Jump on in! The water’s fine! Amen.
Thursday Aug 18, 2022
Thursday Aug 18, 2022
AUGUST 14 = 1 PETER 2
WHERE HE LEADS ME
Some years ago, Charles Sheldon wrote a book entitled, IN HIS STEPS, which follows the story of several people who decided to take seriously the challenge that Peter lays out in this passage today. Considering that it was Peter who wrote it, we can be specially challenged, because we know that Peter was one who was an eyewitness to exactly where Jesus went after he said, “Follow me.” Peter followed, and was continuing to follow, and he challenges us today to do the same.
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. …
Christ left us an example, that we should follow in his steps. In what way was Jesus an example? When he blessed the children? When he argued with the Pharisees? When he fasted in the wilderness? When he went to the cross? Yes, all that and more.
But notice the particular context from Peter here: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example.” Peter is saying that when we follow in his steps, we very specifically are following him into suffering. And not just suffering, but suffering “for you.” We suffer for others, to bring them to a right relationship with God. And those who reject the message of the good news just might well turn against us and cause us to follow the same path that Jesus walked.
When we are persecuted, we need not focus on the persecutors who are bringing about the suffering that we endure. No, we are keeping our eyes on Jesus, who suffered for us.
So we might sing, “Where he leads me I will follow…and go with him all the way. I’ll go with him through the garden (of dark Gethsemane) . . . and go with him all the way.”
So as we follow in his steps, what specific things do we see Jesus doing? Remember, Peter watched this firsthand, and he was amazed at what Jesus did and didn’t do. He says,
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
Jesus was completely innocent. He wasn’t riling people up, not insulting or lying or bringing trouble upon himself by his words. He did no sin at all. Ever. May we follow in his steps.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Even when Jesus was in the midst of being treated horribly by insults and torture, and all of it was completely unfair, he did not retaliate. He was the only person in history who would have been justified if he had fought back to defend himself. But he did not retaliate, and he made no threats.
Instead of defending himself, Jesus “entrusted himself.” He leaned heavily upon his relationship with his Father, and even in the Garden when he prayed not my will but yours be done, Jesus was entrusting himself to know that the Father’s will was his true delight and only goal. Peter includes the detail as to why Jesus did that level of submission. He says that Jesus entrusted himself to “him who judges justly.” He trusted his Father’s judgment as being “just,” even when Jesus himself was the one to take the blame for everything. God is just. All the time. No matter what. So trust him.
Peter goes on to give another doctrinal declaration of the gospel within this context.
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Notice how Jesus was being a substitutionary sacrifice when he was on the cross. He himself (not an animal or anyone else) bore our sins. And he did it so that we could be born again, as Peter said in the first chapter. Or here Peter says, “that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” It is by the wounds that Jesus received that we receive our healing, just as by his death we receive new life.
There is a purpose to Jesus’ suffering. And there is a point to it all. A restored and right relationship for people to have with God. Sheep returning to the shepherd. That’s what this is all about:
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jesus said to count the cost before you commit to being a disciple of his. Peter knew what that cost was, and he was on his way to being taken to his own cross because he bore the name of Jesus on his life. He was going to suffer. But then, Peter was already dead to begin with, and was born again, so what happened in his remaining days in the flesh were of less consequence to him than we might imagine.
May we follow in Peter’s steps, as he followed in the steps of the Master. Amen.
Friday Aug 19, 2022
Friday Aug 19, 2022
AUGUST 15 = 1 PETER 3
IN THE SAME WAY
Chapter 3 begins with a phrase that needs a context. He says, “Wives, in the same way…” In the same way as what? He is referring back to something, and I think it is part of the major themes of his letter. So today, let’s look at all of the “same way” verses in the letter of First Peter.
I think it provides some context for understanding how our behavior is to follow in the steps of Jesus. Peter is going to say several examples that underscore this instruction: Do what is right, even when it is hard. Treat people well, even when they don’t return the favor. Whatever your station in life, serve the way that Jesus served. Don’t give in to the world’s ways, but be an example that might sway them to want to be holy. The rewards may not come in this life, but they are guaranteed in the next one. Jesus did it. So can you.
So when you see Peter use the phrase, “In the same way,” you’ll know what he is saying. Ready? Let’s hear from Peter how to live in the same way that Jesus did.
2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you to . . . Live such good lives among the pagans that . . . They may see your good deeds and glorify God…
2:13 “Submit yourselves ….to every human authority … For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone…fear God, honor the emperor.”
2:18 “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters…if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
2:19 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
2:23 “When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate…he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
3:1 “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over…”
3:7 “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
3:8 “Finally, all of you, …do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”
3:17 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
4:1 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”
4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.”
4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed…”
4:16 “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”
4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
5:1 “To the elders among you…Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, …not lording it over those entrusted to you…”
5:5 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another“
5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
5:9 “resist [the devil]…because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we would do well to not measure our progress based on how well people like us, or how smooth our road is. God is the score keeper, and He has the final word. Amen.
Friday Aug 19, 2022
Friday Aug 19, 2022
AUGUST 16 = 1 PETER 4
HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE
Peter has given loads of practical advice on how to follow Christ in a difficult culture. In this chapter, he really tackles the application of faith in the last days. How, then, shall we live, if times are difficult and oppression is strong? Peter is about to give some good directives for all Christians. Notice that these are not tidbits of advice; they are commands, boldly declared by a man who was not afraid to tell someone what to do, even when the Holy Spirit was his guide.
“The end of all things is near….”
Obviously, the end of all things did not happen in Peter’s generation. However, the destruction of Jerusalem was just a bit around the corner, and Peter’s own crucifixion at the hands of the Romans was not far away, either. That is true for you and me, as well. The end of all things for you or me is just a heartbeat away.
So, what must we do, in light of the end being near?
Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
This is pretty amazing to me. I get that we should be of a sound mind, and be self-controlled. It is the opposite of what he had just described the world as doing: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. So we need to stay alert and remain sober.
But today i am noticing WHY we are to be alert and sober: So that we may pray. Remain alert to warfare in the spiritual realm, what the enemy is doing, what needs people around you have. Be on watch, because someone needs to be communicating with God about all of these things going on. Be alert so that you know when it might be a good time for someone to hear a challenge to follow Christ. Be alert so that you can say no to the enemy of your soul. And be sober so that you can always articulate clearly what it is you are praying and what God is saying to you. There is power in prayer. We need prayer warriors on the front lines. This is no time for being self-indulgent, because the battle is heating up again.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
This is so incredibly powerful and such an important teaching that we dare not pass it by.
“Above all,” says Peter. More important than anything else. For all that we have been talking about–serving, suffering, believing, being born again, submitting, being gentle, the whole letter of instruction–this is an overriding principle to guide you.
Then he says, “love each other deeply.” It’s that word for love that goes deeper than friendship, and deeper than family ties. It is serving, laying down your life, giving sacrificially, putting others before yourself, that kind of love that he calls for. The kind of love that Jesus showed for everyone. Deep love, ready to die in order to do what’s best for someone else.
Then Peter says WHY we are to love one another deeply. He says, “because love covers over a multitude of sins.” Peter seems to be saying that if we truly love one another deeply, we will forgive each other seventy times seven times. He is saying that holding grudges or talking behind someone’s back, these are not marks of loving deeply. The mark of loving deeply is that you never take up an offense, you never keep score, you protect someone’s reputation behind their back. You cover over all their very many sins.
There might be another way to view this phrase about love covering over a multitude of sins. When we love, our own sins get covered over. By those people to whom we have committed ourselves. They don’t hold offenses against us, because they know that we love them. And perhaps the final way of interpreting this sentence is to note that God covers over all of our sins when we love genuinely, from the heart.
The next sentence is brutally honest and candid. I should make a poster of it and put it on the wall in my living room, as a reminder. But maybe it would be offensive. Either way it is critical and goes against our fleshly nature.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Offering hospitality is important. The word means “love strangers,” and it is related to our word hospital, where we go to the highest degree of serving someone in their hour of need. So DO offer hospitality, by any means. But DO NOT grumble while you are doing it. If you guests overstay their welcome, do not grumble. If no one thanked you for bringing them a meal, do not grumble. If you grumble, you lose all your golden points that you would have earned for your service of hospitality, and you have to start all over again. Let’s pretend that the formula works like this: One grumble negates a year of service. That’s a motivation to me.
Lastly, Peter offers his own version of a list of spiritual gifts, or of functions in the body of Christ. Use whatever gift you have, to the glory of God. I’ll let Peter’s own words close us out today.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Friday Aug 19, 2022
Friday Aug 19, 2022
AUGUST 17 = 1 PETER 5
GREETINGS FROM BABYLON
Here in the final chapter of 1 Peter, we find some important instructions about elders who serve as shepherds, and various other instructions. But I’d like to focus on some small details from this chapter. For every word of Scripture is God breathed and profitable for our lives.
So here are a few choice sayings in this chapter:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
I don’t know about you, but I am much more aware of the word “anxiety” in people’s lives the last few years. Anxiety is a psychological condition, something that needs counseling, or medication, or both. Anxiety is a natural response to difficult circumstances that are out of our control. It is some sort of combination of worry and fear, and we fix it by taking more control of our surroundings.
On the other hand, perhaps anxiety is really a spiritual problem, or a result of weak theology. According to Peter, you can resolve anxiety, not by taking more control, but by giving up control and handing the reins over to God.
And it’s all of your anxiety, Peter says. Not just the emergencies, and not just the daily little things, but all of it.
How can you do such a thing? By knowing a very important truth: That he cares for you. That’s why I say some anxiety could be the result of bad theology. If my understanding of God is that he cares for me, in every little detail and major hurdle, then I can trust him to cast all my anxiety on him.
A friend of mine in ministry was worried about various things going on in his church. He couldn’t sleep at night, because he kept trying to resolve people’s problems in his head. Finally, he realized that he could just hand all those matters over to God to let him hold them, since God was going to be up all night anyway. He never had problems with anxious thoughts keeping him awake after that.
The other little detail that I want to point out is Peter’s final greetings.
“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.”
Who did Peter say is in Babylon? She. “She” is the church, the bride of Christ. Peter had opened by addressing his letter to “God’s elect, exiles scattered abroad.” But Peter is writing now from Rome, the capitol of the Roman Empire, a city known for its pagan and idolatrous ways. Peter had described the lifestyles of such people elsewhere in his letter. Here, he only needs to allude to a powerful capitol city of a people who conquered Israel and took her people to captivity there. So the church is scattered abroad, but there in Rome is a congregation of people who are held in captivity.
And where is Babylon? It was an ancient city in Mesopotamia that had been destroyed almost seven centuries before Peter’s letter. It represented all that is corrupt and antichrist, going all the way back to the Tower of Babel and through the attacks on the nation of Israel.
Why would Peter refer to “she” and “Babylon,” rather than to say the church in Rome sends greetings? Because Peter was imprisoned there in Rome, and the guards would check any letters to be sure no inappropriate information was being sent. So Peter used wording that would be clear to his readers, but would get past the guards.
So it is for us today, you know. We either are aliens in exile, or we live in Babylon, as foreigners and strangers, held captive in a culture that opposes God and the truth, persecutes believers in Jesus, and reminds us daily that this is not our home, where we are free to follow Christ and glorify God in our actions.
But it is not all bad news. Not at all. We may live in Babylon, but we were not the ones who chose our neighborhood. God chose it for us, just as he chose us to be in him as heirs together with Christ. As Peter says it, “chosen together with you.”
So fear not, fellow traveler. We are walking through Emmanuel’s land, and soon we will know for certain that we have returned to the land of our citizenship. There we will see and know in full just how much he cares for us, and we will be with the Lord forever. Amen.