No More Idols

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 John 5 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21, NIV)

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
What does my heart love, revere, admire, seek after, long for, want more than God? I think this is the question to ask when we are trying to see the things/people that we may have set up in our hearts as idols. I don't think they are easy for us to recognize in ourselves. 

Love of stuff, worship of people is so much of the substance of our culture that I find it difficult to identify in myself. It just seems normal.  It is normal. Pride, greed, self, money, sex and power are part of the “American dream.”

To keep ourselves from idols takes the power of Jesus and some choices that may feel painful when first made. It’s always hard to let go of familiar loves/lovers, is it not?  But we can only fully embrace God as God if our arms/hearts are not already full of others. This relationship with God is always a wholehearted endeavor or nothing. 

Cool thing is, Jesus will even help us to love him wholeheartedly, if we ask for help and actually want his help.

I grew up on standard American culture and was fully indoctrinated by popular media with a potent dose of American idolatry.  Not the graven images of the Old Testament or the exotic statutes we saw in India, but the “American Idols,” if you will.

For a long time personal appearance was an idol I served.  It offered me something mimicking love, affection and security if I would give myself to it.  It required the sacrifice of time, money, and the neglect of growth of my character, and much of any thought or care I could offer to others.  It held me for many years and partially manifested in a desire for things.

“Things” had an especially strong pull on me.  Anytime I would go into a store, I just longed for so many things.  I had a feeling of needing new and beautiful clothes and the newest coolest stuff to feel good about myself.  I remember, after walking with Jesus for a while, I noticed this pull when I would go shopping.  I specifically recall asking Jesus to set me free from this longing for stuff.  I don’t think I knew it as idolatry at the time, but I somehow knew it was messed up.

I can’t tell you how long it took, and it’s probably not yet finished, but I can tell you that my shopping experience now is much different. Stuff just doesn’t capture my heart like it used to.  And this is a very cool thing because I have much more time, money, thought energy and heart availability in which to love God and love other people.  The shift came as I increasingly engaged with Jesus and as I wanted, and asked for freedom.

I just really love how God gives us instructions for our own life-giving-good, but then is so kind, powerful and faithful to help us live out those instructions!


POINT OF ACTION:
Dear Children, keep yourselves from idols.  What holds your heart, time, attention more than God?  Ask Him to show you.  Ask Him to set you free.  Forsake any idols He reveals to you.  The payoff is real, abundant life that lasts forever.


PRAYER:
Jesus, I want to be 100% yours.  Paint my idols bright red so I can clearly see them.  Break the power they have over me and continue to help me to forsake all others to be all yours.


WHO AM I?
I am Lisa Kirby.  When I was in India, I got to share a testimony (through a translator) with some village people who live in a culture of many gods.  I told them about the gods of America and how worshiping Jesus was so much better than giving myself to these other gods I had worshipped for so long.  At the end of the sharing, I told them they could choose Jesus over their other gods as well, to just stand up if they wanted Jesus. Quite a few in this crowd of people stood to their feet and I prayed over them.  Jesus will take us from wherever we are toward Himself if we just ask. I trust that He is even now revealing Himself and His loveliness to these precious souls who said “yes” to him that day.  Only the One True God can do that.

The Circle of Love

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 John 4 (click the link)


REFLECTIONS:
In verses 7-21, the word "love"—or some form of it—occurs no fewer than 27 times. There's no need to ask what the subject matter is in these verses. In fact, we seem to be at the very heart of the letter. This is what John most wants to say. Everything that has gone before leads up to this. Everything that follows solidifies it and rounds it off. "Love" is what John—the ex-Son of Thunder, the current Apostle of Love—has on his mind.

The Christian faith grows directly out of, and must directly express, the belief that the one true God has revealed himself to be love incarnate in and through the person of Jesus Christ. And those who hold this faith, and embrace it as the means of their own hope and life, must themselves reveal the same fact before the watching world. Love incarnate must be the badge that the Christian community wears—the sign not only of who we are but of who our God is. To live a life of love is not an optional extra for the follower of Christ. It is the very essence of what we are about.

Let's follow John's argument through. In verses 7-10, God tells us that God's love is revealed precisely in sending Jesus, his Son, into the world to be the sacrifice that would atone for our sins. It's impossible to stand at the foot of the cross—gazing on the lengths to which God's love has come for us—and to not sense the power and possibilities within that love. This is the force that has changed the world, and could still change the world if only the followers of Jesus would really come on board with it.

Therefore, "if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (verse 11). This is, if anything, an even stronger statement than we might imagine. You could hear that simply saying: "God has set us an example. We should copy it." And, that's true. But the next verse shows a greater depth. "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

To get the point, let's look at that statement, in parallel with John's statement in his Gospel: "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known" (John 1:18). The meaning of that statement is striking: we don't really know who "God" is—until we look at Jesus. Now we see the meaning of our present statement in 1 John 4:12: people don't really know who "God" is—until they see him revealed in the life of Christians. Until, that this, "his love is perfected in us." What God launched decisively in Jesus, he wants to complete in and through us. As Jesus unveiled God before a surprised and unready world, so must we. Love is that important!

All of this can and must come about because of the gift of God's Spirit. The Spirit enables us to bear witness to what the Father has done in sending the Son. And, as John says in 3:18, our witness must be more than mere "words or speech." Our love must be in "deed and in truth"—it must "come in the flesh," just as God's love did.

That's why, at the end of this passage, John comes back to the same point. If you say you love God, but don't love your brother or sister, you are quite simply telling lies. The same door that opens to let out your love for God is the door that opens to let out your love for your neighbor. If you're not doing the latter, you're not doing the former. It's as simple—and as devastating—as that.

This is such a daunting task. Who can live up to it? In verses 17-18, John talks not about the fear that we should have of being found out, of failing to miss the mark, but of the boldness and confidence that we shall have on the Day of Judgment. He doesn't say, as we might expect, that we should have this boldness and confidence because we simply trust in God's all-powerful, all-conquering love. No. He says that "in this world we are like Jesus." What does he mean in this striking statement? As I understand it, he means that if God revealed himself in the world by turning his love into flesh and blood, when we do the same we should realize that we are "perfecting" God's love. What will be operating through us will be the true love of the true God.

When that happens, there's no need to fear any longer. Love that has been made complete in this way leaves no room for fear. Once you learn to give yourself to others as God gave himself to us, there is nothing to be afraid of any more, just a complete circle of love. As with many things of the things John says, this leaves us wondering if we will ever experience such a life. But did we expect that having the true, living God come to make his dwelling with us, inviting us make our dwelling with him (verse 16), would be some sort of easy-going, half-hearted, hobby-religion? God has taken us utterly seriously. How can we not do the same with him?

At the heart of this passage we find—repeatedly—a little word that means the whole world to John, just as in his Gospel it means so much to Jesus (John 15:1-17). "God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (verse 16). This comes in various other places, including the previous verse, but this is its fullest expression. The word is a simple one, meaning "dwell" or "remain" or "make one's home." But the reality is deeply profound, going to the very heart of what Christian faith is all about. This is the meaning of the "fellowship," the sharing of common life between the Father, the Son, and all those who confess that "Jesus is the Son of God" (verse 15). It is a mutual indwelling: we are in God and God is in us. As Greg preached about on Sunday, this life of intimacy and "abiding" is difficult to maintain, but absolutely essential for life in Christ. We live in a world where false prophecy is blowing all around our heads and "the world" is constantly pulling and dragging at our feet. Only powerful love can keep us upright. And that powerful love is to be found, as always, as we gaze at the cross (verses 9-11).


PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for demonstrating your love for us by sending Jesus into the world as our atoning sacrifice. What amazing love! Love so deep, so wide, so long, so high, so rich, so full, so strong, so divine. Strengthen us, by your Spirit, to love one another with your love. As we abide in Christ, give us the power, the desire, the creativity, and the boldness to embody his love in our world today. We want people to know who you really are, so jolt us out of our self-centered lives and lead us forward in the way of love.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I feel so blessed to have been born into such a marvelous family. After I was injured, my family was very intentional in their efforts to help me to live life to the fullest. This photo was taken probably two or three years after I was injured. Prior to my injury, I loved to ride 4-wheelers and other ATVs any chance I could get. So, my dad and brother would throw me up onto the 4-wheeler and strap me to my brother. Then, my mom would cover her eyes, my dad would yell Go! And my brother would take off like a bat out of hades. And I would laugh and laugh until my face would hurt.

Heart Nagging

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 John 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God. (1 John 3:18-21, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Have you ever stepped into sin—eyes wide open—knowing it was wrong, ugly, hurtful, selfish and sinful?  I have…  All the excuses I made to justify my decision didn’t hold up when I got alone, away from the busyness and distractions around me.  My conscience and heart condemned me.  

I think John is calling us out, challenging us to walk the journey of love, with action—not words. He challenges us to avoid the habit of sin—the kind of sin I described in the first paragraph.  Yes, we’ll sin along the way—thank God that the price of our sin has been paid for!  But, are we choosing a habit of sin? Sin with eyes wide open.

Another question to ponder… Have you ever sinned and asked for God’s forgiveness but your own heart won’t let you off the hook?  Worry and regret robs the joy of life!    I love how John talks about this: 

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love.  This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality.  It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it.  For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. (verses 18-21, The Message)

 

POINT OF PONDER, ACTION, & PRAYER:
Father, help me to listen to my heart, to my conscience, to the Holy Spirit inside of me.  Show me the difference between the Spirit’s prompting that guides me in decisions and asking for forgiveness; and that nagging condemning self-criticism that is not of the Spirit.


WHO AM I?
Hi!  I am Cinda.  This picture has nothing to do with this lesson, I’m just using this excuse to tell you about one of the greatest gifts God gave me—to be born into the world with a twin.  Linda and I are “swimming” in the wheel barrow—so fun until big brother “tumps” us over.  FYI: I am the beautiful one.

The Father's Heart

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 John 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin… (1 John 2:1, NASB)

I am writing to you…

because your sins are forgiven you, for His name’s sake…

because you know Him who has been from the beginning…

because you are strong…

the word of God abides in you…

you have overcome the evil one…

because you know the Father. (1 John 2:14, NASB)

REFLECTIONS:
As I read 1 John 2, I am overwhelmed by the overtone of a Father’s heart.  This observation alone is evidence to me of the work of the Holy Spirit since I didn’t grow up knowing a father’s love as it was intended to be.  “My little children,” is how we start the chapter.  We see this term used here and in verse 12, “little children… your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”  It is the word tekníon, which means someone deeply loved (endeared).  YOU, are deeply loved and endeared.  “We have an Advocate with the Father…”  Isn’t it interesting the word used here is Father instead of God; Father, patér—One who imparts life and is committed to it.   Our Jesus approaches our Father on our behalf when we mess up.  Unlike so many of our father-figures, God is committed to us, He is our Father even if we sin and break our fellowship with Him, His relationship to us as our Father cannot be broken.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  It is our Father who has John remind us of His love, providing us with hope in the form of our Advocate, Intercessor, and Comforter right at the beginning of this chapter.  

Father God’s heart continues to manifest through John as he moves from the reassurance of love and hope, into evidences of a true child of God, acknowledging our different stages of growth.  A good Father see’s potential in their children that they often cannot see themselves, and challenges them to reach it.  What has our Father challenged us with in this chapter?  We are to abide, obey, stay and wait in Christ, the Father, the light, the word, and the Holy Spirit.  The evidence or fruit of doing this is a life that is conducted and walked out like Jesus.  A challenge is to summon to action, effort, or use; stimulate.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not always receptive to being summoned to action or effort, but it wouldn’t be a challenge if it were easy.  Our Father understands our process of growth better than we do, and acknowledges these different stages in verses 13-14.  We see John addressing those who are mature believers, having walked with God, having known Him, and to those who are young, emphasizing a time of conflict and battle, a period of having learned the secret to overcoming the foe, and speaking to children, paidion—a younger child under training, perhaps not knowing much, but knowing the Father.  Our Father challenges us, He knows us, loves us, and wants more for us.

Now the warning: no matter how tempting, or pleasurable, or beautiful, or for how much it has to offer, DO NOT love or long for the world.  We are warned because it is a danger to us.  I hear Him saying, “Son, daughter, do not allow the desires and passions of your self-centered human nature rule your decisions and direction.”  It doesn’t always take some blatant sin to take our focus off living for eternity, sometimes all we need is a good distraction.  Verse 17, “The world is passing away, and also it’s lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”  We are also warned of deceivers, liars, those who deny Jesus as the Christ…God will reveal them as they are.  We don’t have to fear deceit when we are near and under our Father’s arms of protection.  So stay close brothers and sisters.  “And now little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”   Let us be sons and daughters that bring pleasure and honor to our Father, knowing, waiting, and preparing to see Him face to face.


APPLICATION:
Eminence in the things of the Spirit demands a devotion to these things more complete than most of us are willing to give.  The amount of loafing practiced by the average Christian in spiritual things would ruin a concert pianist if he allowed himself to do the same thing in the field of music.  The nation whose soldiers were as soft and undisciplined as the soldiers of the churches would be conquered by the first enemy that attacked it.  Triumphs are not won by men in easy chairs.  Success is costly.  We Travel an Appointed Way, page 26.


PRAYER:
Lord, we thank you that the challenges you give us are wrapped up in the love of a perfect Father.  Help us to truly know that love by correcting any misguided understandings based on worldly experiences.  Thank you for the patience and care you handle us with while you continually summon us to action, drawing out of us what we are meant to be.  We pray you would help set our eyes upon the eternal, and that we would rise up, on a daily basis, in response to your loving call.  We desire to live in triumph over our fleshly nature and truly be your evidence to the world around.  Thank you Father.


WHO AM I?
I am Nicole Robinson.  Pleasantries aside, you’ve already picked up on the fact that I didn’t have a good Father figure growing up.  What you don’t know is that I’m the product of a rape and the stepfather I did have was abusive.   I share that, because I know there is a lot of brokenness in many of us, and I also know that there are times of such weariness in dealing with the messiness of “us.”  I am living proof the Lord is committed to you, to me, to his children.  He transformed a person who once completely believed she was unlovable to one who stands in, walks in, messes up in and is daily reassured in knowing and receiving the vastness of her Father’s love.   We are cherished, and He is committed to imparting life to us. 

Life

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 John 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:1-4, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
In reading some of NT Wright's books (particularly Surprisedby Hope), I've come to understand that the ancient Jews believed that world history was divided into two periods, or "ages." There was "the present age," which was full of misery and suffering, injustice and oppression; and there was "the age to come," the time when God will sort it all out, would put everything right, and would rescue his people from the evil they have suffered.

Unfortunately, the word for "age" has often been translated as "eternal" or "eternity." What makes this unfortunate is that we, as modern readers, typically get the idea that John and other New Testament writers who referred to God's new age, were thinking of something "eternal" in the sense of "purely spiritual," something that has nothing to do with the world of space, time, and matter. That's what people often hear when they read the phrase "eternal life," which is what most translations have at verse 2. But this is mistaken. John, like Paul, and indeed like Jesus himself, is thinking of the new age, the age to come, which God has promised.

Amazingly, God has provided a sneak peek of this new age! God has kept the age to come under wraps, waiting to reveal it at just the right time. But the secret at the heart of the early Christian movement was that the age to come had already been revealed. The future had burst into the present, even though the present time wasn't ready for it. The word for that future was Life… Life as it was meant to be… Life in all its full, rich, and vibrant meaning… Life which defeated the darkness of death… Life itself had come to life, had taken the form of a human being, had come into the present from God's future, had come to display God's coming age. And the name of that Life-in-person is, of course, Jesus. That is the very heart of what John wants to say.

Of course, the very idea of God's new life becoming a person and stepping into the present is so enormous, so breathtaking, that a tone of wonder, of hushed awe and reverence, becomes appropriate. That is what we find in these opening verses. That which was from the beginning [… pause and think about that for a moment…] which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at [… pause again: your own eyes? Yes, says John, and what's more is…] our hands have touched [… you touched it, this Life? You touched him? Your hands touched him? Yes, repeats John.] We heard, saw and touched this from-the-beginning Life. We knew him. We were his friends.

And we still are his friends. Once the future has come into the present, the present is transformed forever. The Life has "appeared," has been put on show for all to see. And we who saw it, who knew it, who knew him, are now like witnesses in a court of law, speaking to a jury about the amazing things which we have encountered. And let me tell you, we can talk about Jesus and what he did and said. As John says at the end of his gospel, if you tried to write it all down the world would explode with the books that would be written (John 21:25). But when you reflect on what it means, then you have to say this: we have seen the future, and it is full of life and light and joy and hope.

The rest of the letter will explore all this. But for the moment, John explains his purpose in writing. Those who have seen this Life, and have been captured by its beauty and promise, find that they have come to belong to a new kind of family, a "fellowship" far more wonderful than words can describe. The Greek word commonly translated "fellowship" in verse 3 is sometimes used of a business partnership, but John means much more than that. It can also refer to the "sharing" of particular goods and benefits between people, and that comes into it, but John means much more than that, too. He seems to mean (stretching the word to fit the new reality, as the early Christians often had to do), that there is a new kind of life, a quality of life, which is God's very own life, and which God himself is now sharing with the people who have heard and seen the Life-come-to-life called Jesus.

Indeed, John sees God's own life as already a shared fellowship: the fellowship between the Father and the Son. Jesus, as Messiah, has been marked out as "Son of God," both in the sense that this was his rightful royal title as Israel's true King (Psalm 2; 2 Samuel 7), and in a deeper, richer sense previously unimagined but now celebrated by his followers as the only possible way to explain the extraordinary things they had seen, heard, and touched. As his life, death, and resurrection demonstrated, Jesus was clearly the Life-in-person of God's coming age. He was, in fact, God's own new Life, both the life of God himself and the gift of life from God to the world. The earliest believers quickly seized upon the words "Father" and "Son" as the simplest and clearest way of saying the unsayable: that there was a common life, a deep sharing of inner reality, between God and Jesus, enough to take your breath away at the thought of such a human being. And, indeed, of such of God.

But it doesn't stop there. It gets even more breathtaking. This deep sharing of inner reality—this "fellowship" between Father and Son—has been extended. It extends to all those who came to know, love and trust Jesus while he was alive, while he was, so to speak, on display as God's public unveiling of the common Life. And now (this, it seems, is the main point of the letter) this "fellowship" is open to others too, to others who didn't have the chance to meet Jesus during his period of public display. This "fellowship" can be, and is being, extended to anyone and everyone who hears the announcement about Jesus. They can come into "fellowship" with those who did see, hear, and touch him. And they, in turn, are in "fellowship" with the Father and the Son, with the two who are themselves the very bedrock and model for what "fellowship," in this fullest sense really means.

It may seem strange that simply telling people about Jesus is the appointed means by which such a momentous thing as this "fellowship" can be extended to include new members. But John is very much aware that the opening move in the whole game was made by God himself as an act not of silent display but of verbal communication. (And God said, "Let there be light…") Jesus was not only Life-in-person: he was (verse 1) "the Word of Life," Life-as-Word, Life-turned-into-speech, God's speech, God's self-communication to his people and, through them, to the wider world. In John's gospel he refers to Jesus simply as "the Word," the Word who became flesh (John 1:1-4, 14). The point is this: God has spoken through Jesus; and God now speaks, through the words which Jesus' friends speak and write about him, to others also, in the intention and hope that they will come to share this same "fellowship." This is the point of the whole letter. This should also be our prayer as we read.


PRAYER:
We praise you, Father, for sharing your Life with us. Thank you for sending Jesus into the world to reveal your Life to us. We know that you were "pleased to have all your fullness dwell in him." And when we try to contemplate the fullness, the richness, the beauty, the vibrancy of your Life-in-Jesus, we are left standing in awe. Thank you for inviting us into the fellowship of the Father-Son-Spirit. We yearn for greater intimacy with you and we hunger for the fullness of your Life in us. Draw us nearer, we pray, in Jesus' name.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and one of the greatest experiences of my life was serving on the wheat harvest. In the summers before my junior and senior years in high school, I worked with my aunt and uncle's small harvesting company. We traveled throughout North Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado, helping farmers get their crops to market. For the first time in my life, I was entrusted with a huge amount of responsibility. As we traveled, I drove our service truck and pulled an RV. At each stop, I helped to service all of the equipment (fuel, oil and lube, belts, tires, etc.). While in the field, my primary responsibility was to drive a tractor and a grain cart alongside my uncle's combine in order to allow him to offload his cut wheat as he continued cutting wheat. Then I would drive back to our trucks, offload all of the cut wheat, and cover the trucks with a tarp. It was long and exhausting work, but it was fun and full of adventure. It's something I'll never forget. (In the attached photo, I am driving "Snoopy" the tractor.)

Christian Citizenship

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Titus 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (Titus 3:1-2, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
A bit of context regarding this letter from the apostle Paul to Titus:  Titus was a Greek (Gentile) who was probably converted to Christianity directly as a result of hearing Paul’s preaching.  Biblical scholars have surmised that Titus became an effective ‘troubleshooter’ for Paul, based on the difficult assignments Paul gave Titus.  The island of Crete, where Titus was ministering when Paul sent this letter, was widely known for violence and immorality.  Therefore, Paul’s words from 64 or 65 A.D. still have applicability today.  

This final portion (Chapter 3) of Paul’s letter to Titus begins with instructions to the Cretan Christians to be good (Roman) citizens. “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (verses 1-2). “Remind” implies Paul knows Titus and the Cretan Christians have already heard this instruction.  Very likely Paul, himself, taught them using the more detailed instructions he wrote 7-8 years earlier to the Christians living in Rome (see Romans 13).  In the instructions to the Roman Christians, Paul begins as follows: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Romans 13:1). The Greek word Paul used for “established” was tatagmenai.  This word is from the Greek verb tassό, meaning assign, arrange, or appoint.  Paul was clearly telling the Roman Christians (and reminding, the Cretan Christians living under Roman rule) that God established the Roman Empire and it was their duty to be subject to the Roman rulers and authorities.  Keep in mind, Paul knew most of those rulers and authorities were pagans.  Prior to Paul’s teachings (and possibly the source of Paul’s instruction), Jesus’ own words on this topic are recorded in John 19:11.  In response to Pilate, Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above…”

What great timing for this “reminder” as we are now less than 2 weeks from our presidential elections.  After voting is completed and the winner is announced, do we always remember these teachings that our president has been “established” by God?  Do we consider ourselves “subject” to our elected “rulers” and “authorities”?  Are we always “ready for every good deed, to malign no one”…?  Hmmm, “malign no one”—does that include forwarding politically-charged emails?  (Note: I believe I have just received a word of conviction.)

In the closing of this brief letter to Titus, Paul provides other great reminders and clear instructions for dealing with the challenges facing Titus.  Paul’s words are as relevant and useful today as they were then and I hope you will read and meditate on the remainder of this chapter.  However, I would like to close this devotional with a “reminder” of the first instruction Paul wrote to his other young protégé, Timothy.  “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).


PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, humble us daily and help us to be constantly thankful for Your mercy and undeserved grace showered on us, in spite of our sinfulness.  Help us to live as Christian citizens, displaying and proclaiming Your love in our violent and immoral society.  Finally Lord, guide our President and elected officials to seek and follow your will to heal our nation.


WHO AM I?
I am Linda Stewart, a relatively new member of the PRF body of Christ.  My husband Dan and I are enjoying becoming acquainted with the various personalities who define PRF as such an engaging group of folks!  In the current Women’s Bible Study group, I learned to research the meaning of Greek words (used in the original manuscripts).  You will notice I had to try out my new skill on this assignment.  I was fascinated by what I learned about Paul’s letter to Titus and hope you learned something as well.  

Words from the Wise

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Titus 2 (click the link)


REFLECTIONS:
In the book of Titus we get to eavesdrop on Paul’s instructions to his young protégé in the ministry. Chapter 1 tells us that Paul had established a church in Crete, and when he moved on to another town, he entrusted Titus to continue the work of selecting reliable leadership and growing a healthy church family. Paul spoke very plainly to Titus when he said there were two types of people, those who loved and did good (and therefore could be trusted with leadership) and those who followed their own desires and failed to do good. Chapter 2 moves to the motivation to do good: so that the good news of the gospel does not become diluted by neglecting to teach and live a God-honoring life. Essentially, this chapter reminds us that we teach best by example. 

Allow me to reminisce for a moment. When I was in my mid-twenties, we lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I loved the adventure of moving away from the familiar (I went to the same school K-12th grade!) and was enjoying raising our growing family while Greg worked as a youth/college pastor in the coolest church in a college town. I had grown up with awareness that younger girls looked up to me, and my role as a staff wife simply broadened the number of “little sisters” with whom I enjoyed spending time. However, in my teen years, I had very few older girls to model myself after so I wasn’t aware that I was missing out on the benefits of having a mentor. 

Enter Delores Mills. Delores was in her mid-60s when I met her and I can’t even remember how we struck up a friendship but some of my best, most pure memories of that time in my life were at Delores’ kitchen table. The first Bible Study I ever immersed myself in was hashed out around that table. She knew enough about my life to speak into it, and sometimes had to say hard things for me to hear, but she was humble and kind and they sounded like love to me. Her house smelled like my grandma’s, and she had a wonderfully funny habit of confusing her words, often with embarrassing results. I’ll never forget the time she was explaining the importance of having good counsel so as not to let your emotions run away with you. What she MEANT to say was that she was “erratic” and her thoughts were all over the place; what she DID say was she was “erotic”… and then continued on, never realizing the slip. It was all I could do to keep from laughing, especially because out of the corner of my eye I could see Delores’ husband, Billy, slung back in a barcalounger with his dentures out, watching bass fishing on TV. 

Delores took the time to instruct me on how to be a godly woman. She taught it by her example and by sharing her mistakes as well as her successes, and I am better for it. See, that’s the same kind of order that Paul is bringing to the Cretan church via Titus: older men, teach the younger men; older women teach the younger women. You older fellas, don’t think you’re off the hook from being an example just because your children are grown; young’uns pay attention, so the gospel is not discredited by your inconsistencies. Mature ladies don’t waste your best years in whine and wine, your little sisters need you; and younger ladies, if it were easy to love husbands well, we wouldn’t have to be instructed on it. Most of all, we’ve each got enough of our own business to mind to spend any time accusing others. 

The next part in Titus 2 I find most interesting because the church was one of the only places in that society where slaves (often a bond-servant… one who owed a debt and was working to pay that debt) could sit side by side with their masters, and some slaves even held positions of church leadership in authority over their masters. Imagine for a minute working for your brother—he’s the boss, he signs the paychecks, but you’ve known him his whole life. Now the roles are reversed… do you lord it over him and speak condescendingly to him? Not if you want to keep a good relationship. Give wise counsel and make sure you have no hidden foolishness that would discredit you later. 

And why do we do what we do? For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to ALL people (verse 11). Bottom line, that’s it.


PRAYER:
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Jesus teach me the breadth and depth of what that means. I have not been a willing student at times, but I want my life to be characterized as one who recognizes the gifts I’ve been given and the debt of love I owe to my Father and therefore to all His children.


WHO AM I?
I’m Leigh Anne Bland and I have an unusual talent for taking bad pictures!

Trustworthy

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Titus 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,

To Titus, my true son in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Titus 1:1-4, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
God doesn't lie. He can be trusted absolutely. The Apostle Paul's gospel is founded on the rock-solid basis of the reliability, the trustworthiness, the faithfulness of the one true God. 

To Paul's hearers, this was extraordinary news. To understand the full force of Paul's preaching, we must try to put ourselves in the mindset of those who heard his message. To do so, we must remember that most of Paul's Cretan hearers (Titus was the apostolic emissary to the church in Crete) had come out of the religious system of the Greek world. Try to remember what it was like reading the stories of the Greek gods and goddesses. In the Greek mythologies, the one thing that stands out (besides the number of gods and goddesses) is the character, or lack thereof, of these gods. At any moment, a particular god or goddess might either take a fancy to you and do something really nice, or take a dislike to you and punish you. The gods were unpredictable, potentially dangerous, or even malevolent. They were prone to lie, cheat, deceive, and change their minds on a whim. They were completely untrustworthy.

But part of the Good News of the Christian gospel is that the One True God, the God of Israel, is now making himself known to the whole world as the utterly reliable God, the One who can be trusted. He's not capricious or wishy-washy. He doesn't say one thing and do another. He is faithful, trustworthy, and true.

………

Paul introduces himself as a servant of this trustworthy God, and an apostle—an emissary, an ambassador, an appointed herald and spokesman—of Jesus as the true King. The status he has in relation to God and Jesus comes directly from "the faith of God's elect" and their "knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness." Paul claims that in Jesus Christ, the age-old faith of Israel has been vindicated. God had made covenant promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and others throughout the Old Testament. And those promises were fulfilled in and through the ministry of Jesus Christ. So, Paul is testifying that the gospel is rooted in God's faithfulness to his promises. And God's faithfulness leads to a knowledge of the truth—not just guesswork, not just humans groping about in the darkness in an attempt to discover something about God, but a revealed truth that you can stake your life on (Matthew 7:24-27). It's a knowledge that goes hand-in-hand with the kind of devotion Paul calls "godliness." By this, he's means not simply a sincere religious attitude. Instead, the "godliness" he has in mind refers to a person's willingness to allow his or her whole life—from prayer to personal relationships to public action—to be shaped by the calling and will of God.

………

Paul and Titus share this faith and it appears from Paul's calling him his "true son" that Titus learned it from Paul himself. We know very little about Titus. We know he was born a Greek and that this caused trouble with the strict Jewish Christians when he accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-5). We know that he accompanied Paul on his final journey to Corinth, Paul speaks of him going on ahead and then returning to bring news from the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:6-14; 8:16-24; 12:18). We know that at some later stage, while in prison, Paul sent Titus to Dalmatia (2 Timothy 4:10). But apart from that, we are left in the dark. Curiously, Titus is never mentioned in Acts. But, just as Paul wanted to be known simply as a "servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ," so we simply know Titus as a child of Paul in their common faith.

As a blessing from a spiritual father to a son, Paul opens his letter by wishing Titus the two central blessings of the gospel: "grace and peace." Grace speaks of God as the fountainhead, the source of all the blessings we enjoy. Peace summarizes those blessings, indicating the reconciliation and harmony between God and man. For Paul, this was no empty formula; instead, this was a prayer full of meaning and alive with hope.


PRAYER:
We bless you and praise you, Heavenly Father, for you are good! Your love is never-ending, and your faithfulness reaches to the sky. The Scriptures testify to your trustworthy character. By your grace, lead us to a deeper experience of your covenant faithfulness and fill us with the hope of eternal life. May our hearts be firmly established on the solid foundation of Christ Jesus our Savior, and may our lives be flooded with grace and peace as we live out our calling in this land of Babylon.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I can testify to God's trustworthiness. After my spinal injury, my world was spinning. Though I was surrounded by a tremendous family and a number of faithful friends, what ultimately kept me from being swallowed up in pity and despair was the daily experience of God's faithfulness to his promises. I had been raised on the foundation of God's word, and the stories and passages that highlighted his faithful, generous, and good character filled me with hope to press on. It's one thing to believe with our minds that God is trustworthy; but when we go through dark and trying times and God proves himself faithful, our faith is solidified and we learn to absolutely trust his character. The years I've spent in this wheelchair have proven to me—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that God is trustworthy.

Poured Out

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Timothy 4 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Since late High School this chapter has been very meaningful to me. In fact, my first research paper in college was on verses 6-8. (Don’t worry. I’ll keep it brief!) 

Paul is calling on this young pastor, Timothy, to preach the word… to correct, rebuke, and encourage… all with great patience and careful instruction. He warns Timothy that people will not put up with sound doctrine, but will turn from truth to myths in order to satisfy what they want to hear (itching ears). Paul tells Timothy in the face of all this to “keep your head in all situations” and endure hardship.

Since the time that God called me into pastoral leadership in the church, I have returned to this chapter often. It has always struck me as a realistic and fitting job description and expectations for a pastor. It is one thing to have the spiritual gift of preaching, or teaching, or prophecy, or pastoring, or leadership, etc., but it is another thing to occupy that “office” in the church, to have that recognized role and responsibility. And Paul is giving Timothy sage advice for his pastoral role in his congregation.

This may sound like a pretty narrow devotional application, but if you are called by God to serve the church in an official, recognized capacity (what we often refer to as being “called into ministry”), then take a sober-minded approach to challenges of the position. Paul is not pulling any punches with young Timothy regarding the hardships of the role.

In fact, Paul goes on to share that he is pouring out his life in his service of the gospel, and that his death is imminent. I love the imagery he uses: “poured out like a drink offering.” His is literally laying down his life for Christ. The “time has come for my departure,” Paul says. This phrase in Greek was used to describe a ship leaving one port and going to another, or of someone breaking camp to move to another location. This is a great picture of death, simply untying the moorings and sailing to a different port. Death is not the end for those in Christ; it is simply a departure for a different place—one where we will enjoy the full presence and joy of God.

I had to give a brief speech before I was officially “licensed” to be a minister. In that talk I read verses 6-8, stating that I wanted one day to look back on my life and be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.” Of course, as an 18-year-old I had no idea how hard the fight would be, or how challenging the race actually is, or how tempting it is to put your faith and allegiance in something else besides Jesus. But it was the right goal then, and it still is 25 years later. 

May God give us all the grace to finish strong, to pour out our lives as an offering to Christ, knowing that Jesus is returning one day to fully establish his kingdom and to receive us as his own. Our labor in the Lord will not be in vain. As I get older, I more and more “long for his appearing,” for Christ to return so we can completely enjoy his loving reign and rule. Until then, may we all fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.


WHO AM I?
My name is Greg Bland, and I am the proud father of four children. Pictured is my 16-year-old daughter Morgan. While Leigh Anne and I are away for 5 days at a pastor’s conference, she is home taking care of Alexander, as well as going to school and working part time at Starbucks. She is incredibly responsible, smart, funny, beautiful, and she has a tender heart for the things of God. Did I mention that I am proud of her? J

God's Love Letter

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Timothy 3 (click the link)


REFLECTIONS:
You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17, NASB)

I started with verse 14 as I wanted to insert some encouragement into this section!  Timothy wasn’t a seeker; he was someone who grew up knowing the word of God through his family and being mentored by Paul.  So I am choosing to speak to the followers of God who know His voice, can hear Him speak and follow His leading!  

As I sit here writing this devotional, I am struck by the awesomeness of God!  What I am taking away from these verses is that God cares enough about me to provide a way for me to learn about Him, get disciplined by Him, be loved by Him and in doing those things, carry out His purpose for my life because I choose to obey and come under His authority.  That has not always been easy for me nor do I particularly find it comfortable, but I like it. Yes I do!  

If you go back to verse 1, the end times are coming!  And if we do not know our God, His motives, His love, His discipline, His story, etc with 100% certainty, then we will be in big trouble!  Here are the first few verses… 

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (verses 1-7)

 

APPLICATION:

I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be one of those listed in verses 2-7!  I want my Jesus to say to me, “Well done good and faithful servant!”—and I have to tell you that I have a whole lot of work to do for that to happen!  It’s not about how much I read my Bible or how often I pray or if I go to church (although, I think those things are essential)—it’s about my heart!   

What are my motives?  

 

Do I really love my fellow man?  

 

Do I really want to heal and change and grow?  

 

Will I confess my sins before God and trusted friends?  

 

Will I allow God to come into those areas of my life that I don’t want to have exposed and allow Him to cleanse me of my sin?  

 

Will I let others truly walk along side of me in the midst of my pain or will I only give the illusion of doing so?  

 

Do I want God to reach down and take my heart and change it from a hardened lump of clay and soften it until I only see Him?  

 

Will I allow myself to be known, really known? 

 

Will I take the time to allow God to know me?  

 

God knows everything, but am I truly making Him my best friend?  

 

Do I sit at His feet the way I sit with my friends?  

 

Do I listen to His voice the way I listen to those around me?  

 

Do I seek after His attention the way I seek after the approval of man?  

 

Do I want Him to know me? 

 

Do I really want to know Him?  

God wants so much more from me than who I am right now!  It doesn’t mean I have to work to impress Him, it means He sees my life in the realm of possibility and He knows what I need to prepare for the rest of my life!  And I know that He wants more from me than I am currently giving Him and I get to choose to step into His authority and say, “YES Lord!”  He will continue wanting more from me until the day I am allowed to see Him face to face!  Oh what a glorious day that will be!  Come, sweet Jesus, come!

 

 

PRAYER:

Oh Lord… there are no words right now.  You are amazing and faithful and true!  And I love you so!  You have been my friend since before I ever became yours and you have drawn me into your presence in the midst of overwhelming pain.  You are teaching me how much I can trust You and love You and obey You!  Please help me to honor You with my words and my actions and my deeds and when I don’t, Father forgive me! Help me to hear Your voice more clearly tomorrow than I do today!  Amen

 

I included a video of how I’m feeling at this moment… I like this version because the one that is sung on Sunday morning disturbs me.  The words “sloppy wet kiss” is not how I want to see God (especially with my personal history).  I really appreciate how David Crowder sings it.

 

WHO AM I?
I am Dorene Froese, and this is one of the last pictures taken before my life changed (before my mom met my step-dad when I was 2).  This is when I knew my mom loved me; after this picture, life changed.  My mom says I loved this doll and took it everywhere with me.  When I see this picture, I picture God looking at me with that kind of tenderness and putting his hand over my heart and telling me that it will be ok!  I come from an incredibly broken childhood and brought into my adult life idols, coping mechanisms and issues that I learned as a child.  I have learned to overcome some deep wounding in order for God to enter into those dark areas of my life that seem untouchable (and I’m still working on that)!  I know I belong to Jesus because I can love!  He has given me an immense capacity to love and receive love and I’m so very thankful.  I am honored and humbled that God looked at this poor wretch and that He chose me!  Thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you!  

Getting Nourishment

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Timothy 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth… Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:15, 19, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
Paul continues his instruction to Timothy about how to be a pastor to his flock. I find it interesting that this chapter was assigned to me the same week our Wednesday night study on spiritual gifts included the gift of pastor. One of the Greek roots of the word pastor is Bôskō meaning to properly graze the flock, to nourish by feeding the Word of God. 

This definition spoke to me above all the others as I imagined Timothy gathering his band of believers along with those just wondering what this Jesus guy was all about. Paul indicates that Timothy is younger and possibly not someone that people automatically look to as a teacher. Just as Paul receives guidance from the Holy Spirit, Paul gives clear guidance to Timothy to help make Timothy’s pastoring trustworthy and true in every aspect of his life. 

In verse 15 Paul tells Timothy “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” In verse 19 Paul teaches about the seal of God, “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ And ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.’”

Paul also writes about being sealed and being in truth in Ephesians1:13-14: “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

What Paul writes to Timothy is really for all of us, not just the named pastors.  We learned in our Wednesday night study that scripture indicates a person with the gift of pastor does not have to be a named pastor of a church. Others can be given this spiritual gift; although, not everyone has the gift of pastor. I believe our band of believers at PRF has many pastors tending the flock and providing nourishment to others. We have an incredible opportunity to graze on the good stuff that the Holy Spirit provides.


POINT OF ACTION:

• To present myself unashamed as a workman for God and to seek truth in every corner of my life.
• Be thankful that the Lord shepherds us and sets a firm foundation that we can claim and be sealed to the Lord.

The being sealed by the Lord parts of this scripture reminds me of the first time I got a letter in the mail with a stamped wax seal on the flap. I knew before I opened it that what was inside was special, only for me. I want to be the contents of the envelope for God, sealed only for Him.


PRAYER:
Lord, guide me to your nourishing pasture. Please set my eyes on the Word and my taste buds on the truth. My heart’s desire is the flavor that only Christ can provide. Thank you Lord for knowing us. 


WHO AM I?
I am Gayle Norris. Getting a little mushy here, but humanity is an amazing, crazy, passionate creation and I really enjoy being a part all the goofiness. Even in the midst of 50,000 of our closest friends at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, I am amazed at the kindness of many people. From sharing sunscreen with a stranger, helping someone to a shorter port-a-john line, lending a hand to a pregnant woman as she works to get up off the ground, throwing in an extra buck for someone short on cash in the cash only food line to being so moved by the sheer sound of music you find yourself and your unknown neighbor tearing up and loving the moment.  Thank you God for everything you provide for us.