"A Checkbook Check-up"

Scripture Passage

2 Corinthians 6:14-10:18

Scripture Focus

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT)

Observation

About Romans 8:32 I wrote:

The baseline by which we judge God’s care for us is not our difficulties but His incomparable gift. “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all…”—that’s the baseline—“won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT)

About 2 Corinthians 8:9, I’m thinking the same sort of thing.

2 Corinthians 8-9 is all about generous giving. Paul appeals to the church at Corinth to participate generously in an offering for fellow-believers in Jerusalem who are experiencing a season of particular hardship. Paul makes it clear that no one is to imperil themselves by their giving (“I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves”—2 Corinthians 8:19 NLT) or be manipulated into doing something they genuinely don’t want to (“don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure”—2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT). At the same time, Paul presents the most wonderfully compelling case for abounding—even sacrificial—generosity that’s ever been given. His case is founded on the example of Christ:

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT)

The baseline for my generosity is found in Christ's generosity towards me! How can I do any less than give my life away (yes, including money) in light of what Christ has done for me? I *do* believe what others have said—you can identify so much about a person’s spiritual condition simply looking at his or her checkbook (including your own)!

Especially given that it’s the end of the month, and near the end of the year, today might be a especially good opportunity for a checkbook checkup.  How's your generosity measure up?  What does your generosity say about your spiritual condition?

***

"Clueless? Hardly!"

Scripture Passage

2 Corinthians 2:5-6:13

Scripture Focus

When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT)

Observation

I’m familiar with the phrase that closes verse 11—“For we are familiar with his evil schemes”—but don’t recall ever thinking before about the context in which it is made. The Apostle Paul writes about the evil schemes of Satan, our adversary, while discussing division among the people of God and the need to practice forgiveness.

When I think about that…when I think about Jesus’ own prayer for unity within the church (John 17)…when I think about the growing apathy and/or outright antagonism towards “organized religion” within our culture…when I think about the way we’ve individualized and privatized Christian faith in America, requiring from ourselves little or no genuine connection to other believers…well, I think Paul might be on to something here.

That is, I think he’s right to tie the heart of Satan’s evil schemes to the matter of division within the church. It seems he’s too confident, however, that we’re “familiar” with Satan’s plan. If that’s true—if we are aware—we apparently don’t care all that much about combating it.

But the reality is that the Scriptures always picture faith as practiced in community. I even read an author recently who suggested that specific spiritual giftings are offered more to churches than to individuals. I’m still thinking about that a bit, but in the Scriptures—because Christianity is always practiced in community—spiritual gifts certainly always are, as well.

Which makes the matter of forgiveness powerfully significant as well. Not carte blanche forgiveness for every offense without repentance (the language of verses 5-8 suggests this offense had been addressed), but a readiness to forgive when wrongs have been addressed and corrected. Bottom line (again), North American Christianity knows little of this kind of restorative discipline because we know so little of genuine community.

“Lord, today, help me to value community as You value it; to live aware of Satan’s efforts to divide and destroy; and to consciously pursue the kinds of genuine relationships with other believers that will reflect to my world Your great love.”

***

"The Beauty of a Plain Talker"

Scripture Passage

Romans 15-16:27; 2 Corinthians 1-2:4

Scripture Focus

Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NLT)

Observation

Paul was a visionary man with a tenacious commitment to fulfilling God’s call. But he was not so action oriented that he cared nothing for any who might be “run over” in the course of his evangelism. Rather, he cared deeply for each person he encountered, and especially for those who had come to faith because of his ministry.

That shows up dramatically in 2 Corinthians, one of my favorite spots for seeing the heart of the Apostle Paul as a pastor-shepherd. Paul had planned a visit to the church at Corinth but later changed his plans—in part at least, because the visit would have involved his delivering a necessary but painful face-to-face rebuke. Paul chose, instead, to write a letter of rebuke (a letter we only know about because Paul mentions it here), so that when he did get to visit the Corinthians, it could be a joyous reunion (with difficulties resolved), not a troubling one.

Paul’s critics, however, seized this opportunity to impugn Paul and question his authenticity, honesty, and motivation. (I’m tellin’ you—if you’ve ever led a group for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced this—and there’s nothing more painful.) I love what Paul is able to say about himself and his communication: Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. (2 Corinthians 1:13 NLT).

May my communication be that straightforward! (Okay, the truth is, I believe it is.) I'm weary of people who refuse to say what they mean, who shade their words so you never know what they’re really saying or what's really in their heart, who poke around to dredge up information while they remain unwilling to reveal themselves.  God give us plain talkers.

That’s not a call to coarse communication or insensitive speech. It’s a call for speaking with integrity, transparency, clarity, and sensitivity.  And even for those who refuse honest dialogue—who refuse, perhaps, to either practice it themselves or trust that it comes from others—every leader's hope is that “someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14 NLT)

***

"Inside Out"

Scripture Passage

Romans 11:1 - 14:23

Scripture Focus

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)

Observation

I know—it’s pretty predictable that a guy would land on Romans 12:1-2 as the “scripture focus” from today’s reading. But how can you not? It is Paul’s definitive declaration of how a person ought to respond to God’s great love for Jews and Gentiles alike as expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

“Because of all he has done for you” (the motivation), “I plead with you” (the personal appeal) “to give your bodies to God” (the core responsibility and reasonable response of the grateful believer). “This is truly the way to worship him” (as opposed, I think, to much that goes on in the name of worship).

Paul talks about not copying “the behavior and customs of this world”—which tempts me to list a few particulars I see people doing. But it’s much too easy to list the things *others* do and fail to identify the things I do, isn’t it? I really don’t want to be that dishonest in my reading of the Scriptures (or in the Scriptures’ reading of me!).

I find it interesting that the exhortation to not copy “behavior and customs” is followed *not* by a call to embracing other behavior and customs, but by a call to embrace new ways of thinking. Paul speaks to what goes on at the core of a person (heart and mind), and invites me to let God change me from the inside out. Only then, Paul’s words suggest, will I really know God’s will for me (“know” meaning more than just intellectual understanding). Only then will I recognize God’s will for what it is—“good and pleasing and perfect.”

“Father, as much as is within me, I welcome the inside-out transformation You are working to bring to my life.”

***

"Unmatched Generosity...Unceasing Trust"

Scripture Passage

Romans 8:18 – 10:21

Scripture Focus

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:32, 35 NLT)

Observation

When difficulties come, I sometimes hear people respond with “How could God let this happen?” I’m generally amazed at that question—sometimes because it’s been a person’s own foolishness that has resulted in the difficulties he or she has encountered, but—when that's not the case—likewise because I don’t see that Scripture anywhere promises an idyllic existence to anyone, least of all those who have trusted Christ as Savior. I understand that preachers have sometimes painted the picture that way, but the Scriptures certainly don’t.

Indeed, Paul makes it clear in Romans 8 that all of creation—of which we are (obviously) a part—exists under the curse of sin and continually groans in anticipation of redemption. “With eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:21 NLT). Our “groans” are not the only cries that rise in hunger of a better day. Creation itself was groaning for God’s intervention long before any of us were ever born. Given our broken world, why should we be surprised when life is marked by difficult days?

Here’s the deal: Regardless of our difficulties, Paul’s Holy Spirit-inspired words assure us that we can be absolutely and unceasingly confident of all God has promised. The baseline by which we judge God’s care for us is not our difficulties but His incomparable gift. “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all…”—that’s the baseline—“won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT) And the answer to that question is an obvious and resonating “Yes!”

And so I say with the Apostle Paul, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (1 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)

***

"Hardly Helpless"

Scripture Passage

Romans 5:1-8:17

(Mel Gibson - Braveheart -- You've seen it, right?)

Scripture Focus

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. (Romans 6:14 NLT)

Observation

People sometimes testify as to how God has instantaneously delivered them from powerful addictions and destructive habitual behaviors.  Often they’ll say something like, “…God took the desire away, and I never wanted [insert name of specific temptation here] again!”

Without discounting those testimonies in any way, it’s not really worked that way for me. Temptations that challenged me thirty years ago fall into such fundamental categories that those battles continue in some fashion yet today. The primary message of Romans 6, however, is that—though sinful desires may remain (see v. 12, for example)—the power that once made those desires irresistible has been broken. Bottom line, there was a time in my life I was unable *not* to sin—but no more, because of the transformative activity of God’s grace.

That’s an incredibly powerful work on God’s part, and a distinction in my life worth noting. Fish breathe through their gills because that’s who they are. My dog sniffs around because that’s who he is. And sinners act in sinful ways because that’s who they are. But when believers act in sinful ways, it’s because we’ve chosen to do so.  (Probably ought to read that sentence again.)

I don’t like what that distinction says about my behavior. But Paul makes it clear in Romans 6 that the power of sin has been broken in our lives…that “we are no longer slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6 NLT). The liberty is mine to “use [my] whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (v. 13) and to “do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life” (v. 22).  So…“Today, Lord—let me live in the freedom your grace has supplied!”

***

"Weighty...But Worth It!"

Scripture Passage

Romans 2:1-4:25

Scripture Focus

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:22 NLT)

Observation

I wrote a paper recently for a class I was taking. My wife read it, and announced, “It reads like a college textbook!” She says she meant it as a compliment, but I have my doubts.

The book of Romans is like that. It’s the closest thing to a systematic theology from the Apostle Paul—and it reads like one. The brightest minds are challenged by its weighty precepts, and the implications of Paul’s weighty words have been debated for centuries. In matters like this, I’m just not that bright. I have to fall back on the simple, straight-forward statements like Romans 3:22:

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22 NLT)

Is that not a statement both wonderful and remarkable? Everything Paul has written up to this point in Romans, I contend, paints the picture of our utter inability to restore our broken relationship with God. The Gentile has ignored the law of God written on the heart. The Jew has ignored the law of God given in Moses’ covenant. And no one lives perfectly enough to fulfill the law—much less undo the damage done by previous violations of it. But what we could never do, God did for us through Jesus Christ. And the restoration He provided is appropriated “by faith”—just like Abraham. “For the Scriptures tell us, ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith’” (Romans 4:3 NLT).

It just doesn’t get any more fundamental or funda-wonderful than this! Yes, I know I just made that word up, but it made you smile, didn’t it? So does the remarkable grace of God expressed to us through Jesus Christ. “And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22 NLT).

***

"In My Own Handwriting"

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 16:1-24; Acts 19:21-20:6; Romans 1:1-32

(The New Testament Sis. Layman gave me on my 5th birthday)

Scripture Focus

Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul (1 Corinthians 16:21 NLT)

Observation

Paul’s greeting at the close of 1 Corinthians caught my attention today. Because Paul would have dictated his letter to an amanuensis, such a handwritten greeting was a practical necessity. It was a sign of authenticity—proof that the letter really was sent from Paul himself—and helped to prevent other writers from falsely claiming Paul’s authority.

Perhaps because Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching, Paul’s greeting has me reminiscing about the great personal element to Christian faith. Christian faith is all about people! It’s about one Person above all others, to be sure, but it doesn’t take me long to think about wonderful people I’ve known whose life has—for me—borne incarnational witness to Christ.

Many people have heard me mention Sis. Laymon (in the church of my childhood, “Sister” and “Brother” were often used as terms of endearment and respect). Sis. Laymon taught the Sunday School I attended as a preschooler. We held class in the church furnace room around a cut-down dining room table. Brother Laymon, her husband (and a master carpenter in his own right), had built a wooden box with a hinged top, put a mirror in the bottom, and covered it with sand. With a little imagination, that sand became land, and the mirror (often) water, and that simple container—along with a few flannelgraph figures—became a diorama on which the stories of Scripture came alive. Though I was privileged to conduct her funeral several years ago, Sis. Laymon probably still has no idea the measure of Christ's love she expressed to an ornery preschooler.

Bro. VanAmber, I remember, celebrated my new dress shoes one Sunday (funny what you remember)…and would often—complete with actions—lean over to sing to me, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” Members of my father’s church, Wayne and Doris Barlett, loved me like I was their own.

There were traveling evangelists and missionary guests who visited our home (true both then and now). Their stories and personalities invited me to see the compassionate heart of our heavenly Father—and taught me that true Christians laugh more heartily and joyfully than anyone else I know.

Pastor Royce Beckett mentored me during college and gave me broad and bold opportunities to lead and learn. Over twenty years ago, a handful of families welcomed me to Kansas and have patiently let me lead them as pastor since then.

There are scores of others—and I’ll not even attempt to write of my parents and family. Words could not express their impact. But all these have revealed Christ to me—delivering message after message of the love of God for both this world and for me—each in his or her “own handwriting”. I’m grateful for each distinctive and personal expression of the love of God.

***

"Desiring What the Spirit Gives"

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 14-15:58

Scripture Focus

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives… (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT)

Observation

In 1 Corinthians 8 (as I suggested a couple of days ago), Paul elevates the priority of love over knowledge. In chapter 13, Paul describes love as the foundational value to be embraced by the body of Christ. In the opening verse of chapter 14, Paul declares, “Let love be your highest goal!” “But,” he says, “you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives…” (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT) (“Special abilities,” of course, is the New Living Translation’s phrase for “spiritual gifts.”)

I’ve struggled to find the right words for expressing my heart on this, this morning. Here it is, best as I can say it, and much more “opinion” and personal reflection than it is “thus saith the Lord” for anyone else:

(1) Knowledge is simply too highly esteemed by some. Knowing Christ is not about engaging in philosophical reflection or winning religious debates over the interpretation of Scripture. It is about…well…knowing Christ. Intimately. Honestly. Submissively. (2) Dependence upon the Holy Spirit and the gifts He supplies is undervalued by most. Because of a predisposition towards “logic” and “reason,” American Christians (I’m convinced) lean away from genuinely engaging the spiritual realm. Our culture dismisses the spiritual dimension as unimportant (or non-existent) and so (unwittingly, perhaps) do we. (3) Both knowledge and spiritual gifts—to serve God’s purpose most fully—must function in an atmosphere of unadulterated love. (Read #3 again—it matters.) Here’s the kicker: (4) I don’t recall Paul exhorting the Corinthians to “also desire knowledge” but—alongside his exhortation to love—Paul does exhort the Corinthians to “also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives.”

Wanting to experience the activity of the Holy Spirit in my life is essential.

Knowledge is essential, as well. Many Scripture passages exhort the believer to pursue knowledge, so the fact that any such exhortation is missing here is, in some sense, inconsequential. Indeed, the “knowledge absent love” that Paul warns against in 1 Corinthians may not be legitimate knowledge at all, but rather a warning against an early form of Gnosticism (a heresy that threatened the early church). I’d be the first to acknowledge that everything I write here could be countered—and on any other day, I might be the guy offering the counterarguments.

But today, my heart is challenged that we not neglect the activity of the Spirit, and particularly those specific ways in which He empowers us for service in advancing God’s Kingdom. Indeed, that more than just not neglecting the Spirit, my heart is challenged that we invite, welcome, and want to see the activity of God’s Holy Spirit evident in and through us.

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives… (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT)

***

"Body Parts? Or A Living Body?"

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13

(Kinda weird and pointless, huh?)

Scripture Focus

How strange a body would be if it had only one part!
                                        (1 Corinthians 12:19 NLT)

Observation

What a great analogy “the body” is for the essential interconnectedness of the church—especially when challenging a church so marked by division as the church at Corinth was.

Think about it: With hardly a thought, I enter musings into a computer using touch-typing skills accrued in the late 1970s (I know—practically the dark ages). For fifty years, now, my body has continually and repeatedly performed all sorts of tasks—many of those significantly complex—with hardly a conscious thought given to most of them. What an amazing work the human body is, with so many parts all working in unity under one head! I’m often amazed at what a laptop computer can accomplish, or how fast a car can go, or the way machinery facilitates manufacturing, but none of that holds a candle to my own God-given abilities—ones I take for granted every day.

The Apostle Paul, under inspiration of Scripture, says that’s how the church works. (Somewhere along the way here, I’ve got to say “not just mechanically, but organically—as a living organism!”) And Paul emphasizes especially how necessary each part is. “How strange a body would be,” he says, “if it had only one part!” (1 Corinthians 12:19 NLT)

He’s absolutely right. This verse of Scripture alone undoes the hellish notion that I can be a full-orbed Christian apart from healthy, life-giving connection with others who know and serve Christ. What kind of human cell survives apart from the body that nourishes it? What kind of spiritual gift can I offer in isolation from others? None!

People—and relationships with them—can be frustrating, to be sure (and that’s putting it mildly). But Paul reminds me that apart from the rest of the body, I have no genuine place, no genuine source, and no genuine service to offer God’s advancing kingdom. My only hope for genuine significance in God’s kingdom is found when I’m relationally integrated into a functioning local body—that’s right, a church.

***

"Love Over Knowledge"

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 8-11:1

Scripture Focus

But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
                                           (1 Corinthians 8:1-3 NLT)

Observation

I love the moments of intense clarity that highlight Paul’s writings in the middle of addressing some really sticky situations. These days, Paul might be best described as a missionary-evangelist, but these letters to the church at Corinth reflect a pastor’s heart.

The church Paul planted in Corinth is divided, arguing over some things that seem pretty black and white to me (a man sleeping with his stepmother) and over some things that maybe aren’t as clear (eating meat offered to idols). But pulsating through the entire letter are reminders of the primacy of the cross and the priority of love. Paul gets to one of those points in the opening verses of chapter 8.

Knowledge is good. I’m for it. I seek it. I value it. God puts no premium on ignorance, and never has. But when push comes to shove, some things are more important than knowledge—well, at least one thing is for sure: Love. “Knowledge makes us feel important,” Paul says, but “love…strengthens the church” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NLT). My own paraphrase? “Knowledge makes me feel important, but love lets you know you’re important!” Indeed, verse 3 suggests that I’ll not impress God with my vast knowledge (surprise), but when I love well, God takes note!

Love is a theme Paul repeats famously a little later in this letter (1 Corinthians 13—the “love” chapter), but my heart is warmed and challenged to see it here, as well. “Let love dominate my priorities, Lord, valuing people as you do. When you take note of my life, Lord, let it be because of how I’ve loved.”

***

"Hard Work and Humility"

Scripture Passage

1 Corinthians 4-7:40

Scripture Focus

You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you. Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike. (1 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT)

Observation

As 1 Corinthians opens, the Apostle Paul initiates a huge call for less arrogance and greater unity among the believers at Corinth. They’ve been (apparently) fighting amongst themselves, picking and choosing their favorite teachers in a way that diminished the value of all the others. Paul rebukes them for this and reminds that Jesus’ work on the cross is the common foundation they all share.

A sense of the Corinthians’ arrogance is revealed in chapter 4, where it’s apparent from what Paul says that these guys thought they really had the reign of God figured out and were functioning in that reign with great effectiveness. I’m narrowing in on these couple of verses because the reign of God has become so important to me in recent months. I see God’s inbreaking reign on the earth as the central theme of Christ’s ministry. I see that reign continuing to advance through a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered church. I argue that God’s reign continues to advance today—and will through us if we’re submitted to and aware of the ongoing work of His Spirit.

But Paul’s words remind me that participating in the advancing reign of God is not the sort of “dance around the Maypole” we sometimes envision. For all their self-perceived spiritual acumen, these Corinthians—in some ways, certainly, participants in God’s advancing reign—were “missing it” on at least two counts. First, they’d lost sight of the essential connection between all believers—one body in Christ. And second, they failed to appreciate the hard labor and difficult challenges often faced by those doing genuinely Kingdom-advancing work. Paul’s list is eye opening: “Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment” (1 Corinthians 4:11-13 NLT).

I’m thinking, today, that kingdom advance and arrogance don't mix, that genuine kingdom advance involves an awareness of an organic connection to the body of Christ as a whole, and that authentic kingdom advance doesn't come easy—that sacrificial diligence will be the norm more than the exception.

“God, open my eyes to my own arrogance and to the reality of my interconnectedness with all believers, and strengthen my hand for the challenges of being a part of what You’re doing in my world today.”

***

"The Joke's On Me"

Scripture Passage

Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1-3:23

Scripture Focus

“I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15 NLT)

Observation

The story of the seven sons of Sceva is just plain funny. Sceva was a Jewish priest whose sons were traveling from town to town with a group of Jews casting out evil spirits. Because 21st century Americans generally minimize the possibility of any real impact from ongoing activity in the spiritual realm, the seriousness of their task is probably lost on us. But their contemporaries in the first century understood its significance full well! Spirits—both good and evil—were perceived to be everywhere, and had to be addressed by any and every means.

Trouble is, these seven sons were practicing a sort of “second hand” exorcism. They would command spirits “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” (Acts 19:13 NLT) Specifically, Luke says, “They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation” (Acts 19:13 NLT). It’s clear from Luke’s description of their activities that they saw declaring the name of Jesus as something of a “magic charm.”

But torn from the context of relationship—the believer’s relationship of submission to Christ—prayers in the name of Jesus hold no more power than prayers in the name of anyone else. It is only under His authority that we find the authority to speak in His name and accomplish His works. That’s something these seven sons found out the hard way. Because “one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, ‘I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?’ [Can’t you just imagine the surprise and confusion on their faces?] Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered” (Acts 19:15-16 NLT).

But here’s the deal: We live in that relationship of submission to Christ that these men lacked (at least, I trust we do). So as sadly laughable as it may be that the seven sons of Sceva took a beating, it’s at least as sadly laughable that we—the people of God—fail so regularly to live in ways that reflect Christ’s power over evil—both the evil in our lives and the evil spirits that impact the lives of others. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12 NLT). I guess until that’s reflected a little more fully in my life, the joke’s on me.

***

"A Holy Trifecta"

Scripture Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1-3:18; Acts 18:4-23

Scripture Focus

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT)

Observation

There’s a whole series of brief commands at the close of 1 Thessalonians, any of which would be excellent fodder for a day’s consideration. But verses 16-18 comprise a sort of holy trifecta—a trio of commands that are oft quoted and seldom obeyed! “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT).

I’m reflecting, this morning, on how every one of these commands is tied to confidence in Christ. When I’m sure that Jesus directs my steps and has just the right things planned for my life, I can always be joyful. When I’m sure He is my source of all things good—of strength for the day, hope for tomorrow, and forgiveness for yesterday—why would I ever push Him out of my mind or stop communicating? When I recognize even part of all He’s done for me, gratitude becomes the natural, even automatic, response. Jesus Christ becomes the foundation for my obedience to these commands—and I don’t obey begrudgingly, but quite naturally, because of who He is and what He’s done.

Part of me is inclined to point out how very much more difficult circumstances were for these Thessalonian believers, and therefore how much more difficult it would have been for them to obey these commands than even me. But the truth is (he writes, repeating himself), my “compliance” with these commands isn’t contingent upon the severity of my circumstances or the strength of my will. It is contingent upon my confidence in Christ. And I can be confident in Christ regardless of my context…regardless of my day or my difficulties. He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).

“Lord, let my life evidence joy, prayerfulness, and gratitude—not because of context but because of Christ!”

***

"Religious in Every Way..."

Scripture Passage

Acts 17:16-18:3; 1 Thessalonians 1-5:11

Scripture Focus

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way… (Acts 17:22 NLT)

Observation

About thirty years ago, a visionary young man named Bill Hybels launched a church near Chicago, Illinois that he designed to be—and hoped would be—a more comfortable church for the “un-churched” in his community to attend. Hybels developed several innovative approaches for his worship services, including contemporary music, the use of illustrative dramas, and messages specifically geared toward those who had not yet necessarily made a life-commitment to Jesus Christ. Since then, this strategy has been loved and embraced by many—and reviled and rejected by many others! But advocates of this “seeker-sensitive” approach often point to Paul’s ministry at Athens as a basis for their model. At Athens, Paul went into a secular environment, found a point of connection (“I notice that you are very religious in every way…”), and proceeded from there to proclaim the gospel.

Luke’s report about Athens, however, suggests that Paul’s ministry there may not have been especially effective. And from Athens, Paul travels to Corinth, a visit about which he later reported, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you but Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV). Detractors from a seeker-sensitive approach suggest that Paul saw the error of his ways after Athens, and determined never to be drawn into any seeker-sensitive trap again!

As for me, I tend to lean towards Hybels—or at least toward Paul! (Of course, don’t we all say that?) I’m not convinced that Paul’s ministry at Athens was the failure some think it was—even if it didn’t result in the conversion of great numbers of people. Paul’s determination to know nothing but “Christ and him crucified” may have been simply a deepened resolve to know Jesus and do His will in light of the cultural challenges he faced and regardless of evident harvest. It seems to me that wherever he was, Paul offered culturally relevant (if not full-blown seeker sensitive) ministry: In the synagogue, he started with Scripture; in the marketplace, he started with cultural observations and secular poets.

I’m convinced the church must live aware of the culture(s) in which she exist(s), modeling the “alternative culture” of genuine Christian community while expressing the gospel in culturally relevant ways.

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(If you’ve got 17 minutes and 47 seconds for a really insightful video on church and contemporary culture, click here!)

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"Who Says? The Spirit Says!"

Scripture Passage

Acts 15:22-17:15

Scripture Focus

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us… (Acts 15:28 NLT)

Observation

Acts 15 invites me to elevate the attention I give to the Holy Spirit. A group of church leaders have met to discuss what to expect of Gentile believers in a predominantly Jewish church. Some were convinced that any believer in Christ should be as committed to observing the Jewish laws as the Jewish believers were. Others were convinced that (while there was nothing wrong with Jews continuing to observe the law), since only Christ could save “by faith through grace,” observing the law could never be required of Gentile believers.

The question was not addressed with finality in the Scriptures as these leaders knew it (our Old Testament). Yet no decision they made would more significantly shape the future of the church. What could they do? How could such a weighty and momentous question be answered?  These leaders chose to rely on the leadership of the Holy Spirit! They asked the Holy Spirit reveal truth—and they trusted Him to do so.

I’d argue that we’ve unnecessarily (and to our own detriment) minimized the authority we give the Holy Spirit to provide leadership. I’ve been gripped by words I read months ago, penned by J.W. Jones and quoted by Stephen Land:

The Spirit does not contradict the Scriptures but his job is more than just repeating what we can find by reading there… John indicated that the Lord expected the Spirit to direct the church in those areas not covered by Jesus’ teachings (John 15.7-12)… The first apostolic council went back to the Old Testament covenant with Noah but justified their decision by saying “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15.28; 11.15-17). (J.W. Jones, The Spirit and the World, quoted in Stephen J. Land, Pentecostal Spirituality)

Jones even dares to say that “the Bible has no significance when ripped from the context of the experience of the Spirit.”

Wow! Here's my conclusion (something I wrote):

"The Pentecostal leader understands that influence does not reside in skillful exegesis or articulate homiletics in and of themselves but rather in the power and glory of the God revealed by such tools—the same power and glory evident when the Church welcomes the activity of the Holy Spirit in His rightful place of authority as the Third Person of the Trinity. Though the Holy Spirit will never contradict what is revealed in Scripture, logic itself dictates a priority of submission to God the Holy Spirit over and above even submission to a divine book about the Holy Spirit."

My heart longs for a more complete appreciation for and welcoming of the activity and instruction of the Holy Spirit. In a perplexing age where not every challenge is spoken to directly by Biblical chapter and verse, we need His leadership! “Holy Spirit, you have every right to direct and instruct my life. I welcome your wisdom and give you authority today!”

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"Achiever or Receiver? Part II"

Scripture Passage

Galatians 3:24-6:18; Acts 15:1-21

Scripture Focus

You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. (Galatians 4:10-11 NLT)

Observation

I read recently about a young actress who made boatloads of money in a series of popular movies. The thing is, she didn’t know it. While her wealth accumulated, her parents had kept her on a strict allowance of $75 a week. (Yeah, I know, $75 a week doesn’t sound too restrictive to me, either…but it’s all relative, right?) In recent days, however, the actress celebrated a key birthday and learned the details of what she possessed. She'd been completely unaware and was utterly beside herself with amazement at what was hers.

Her story parallels ours. The Apostle Paul says, “That’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. …Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” (Galatians 4:3-5, 7 NLT)

The trouble is (and this is the reason Paul writes Galatians), we forget our favored status as children of God…and we forget how we received it—God’s grace! We too easily go back to attempting to “earn our place”. We miss the freedoms, privileges, and blessings that are ours simply because of who Christ is to us and what He has done for us!

“Why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.” (Galatians 4:9-10 NLT)

It may not be the observance of certain days, months, seasons, or years by which we hope to gain God's favor (or it may!), but God’s favor is always His gift through Jesus Christ, never something I earn. Anytime culture, religion, or Satan himself suggests otherwise, Galatians stands against the lie.

None of this diminishes the significance of my actions (cf. Galatians 5:13). Rather, it changes the basis for my behavior. Instead of earning my favor with God through righteous living, I simply reflect through my life the relationship of favor that already exists. “So help me today, God, to live a life that reflects the grace and favor you’ve given me in Jesus Christ!”

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"Achiever or Receiver?"

Scripture Passage

Acts 14:21-28; Galatians 1-3:23

(Get it?  "Receiver?")

Scripture Focus

     Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. …After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
     …I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. (Galatians 3:2-5 NLT)

Observation

My journaling was delayed this morning—perhaps providentially—because I’ve just read an article by Leonard Sweet on what he calls a “theology of receiving.” Sweet suggests that the modern church has it all wrong with regard to finances—that the question is not “What should I give?” but rather “What have I received?” That only after we’ve recognized God’s generosity and our privileged place as receivers will we truly be able to understand our role as “trustees of God’s resources” rather than “givers” from what we have (own). (Sweet does a much better job of articulating his position himself, of course. You can read it for yourself here.)

What’s that got to do with Galatians 3:2-5? Just this: Americans—at least, those from my Baby Boomer generation—are all about production…about what we have done and what we can do. We love to compare this month to last, and then this year to last…to compare our country to others, and my church to yours, and on and on it goes…all of it (ultimately) so that we can see what we’ve achieved.

I’m that way, at least. I want to grow the biggest church in Kansas. And since that likely won’t happen in Meriden (even if you include Ozawkie, Hoyt, Valley Falls, and Oskaloosa), I want to grow the biggest church in Jefferson County, then…or the biggest church among similar-sized communities in Kansas…or at least the biggest Assemblies of God church among Assemblies of God churches in similar-sized communities.

I make the list narrower and narrower until I can identify some level of achievement on my part that exceeds somebody else’s…until I can celebrate my performance as exemplary!

The point of Galatians 3:2-5 is that it just doesn’t work that way with God. He doesn’t get impressed when I come before Him with my list of achievements…with my “t’s” crossed and “i's” dotted and my forms all properly filled out. His heart is moved when I come before Him in faith—just like I did the first day we met…the first time I cried out, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13 KJV). That’s how I received to start with…and how I’ll receive today.

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"Teamwork!"

Scripture Passage

Acts 12:6-14:20

Scripture Focus

Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. (Acts 8:6 NLT)

Observation

Antioch of Syria, I think, deserves more attention as a significant New Testament city than I’ve usually given it. I’ve often said that one purpose of the book of Acts is to trace the transition of the early church from Jerusalem-centered to Rome-centered and from Jewish-dominated to Gentile-dominated. I’m appreciating, today, the role of Antioch as a pivot point from one status to the other.

Part of the reason for Antioch’s importance has to be the strength of church leadership at Antioch. Acts 8:6 says that “among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch”…were Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul. The key word is "among".  Even those great men were not the whole leadership team!

I heard someone recently make the point that a committee or congregation never led a church—that it takes a person…an individual…to step up to the plate and lead. I agree. At the same time (as Acts 8:6 reminds me), it takes a great team to carry out a great vision. A coach can plan, teach, and inspire but it takes a team to implement the game plan. Antioch, it seems to me, had a great team.

I write as a guy with a lot to learn about leadership—not just about leadership generically, but especially about the nuances of leadership—of *letting* others share leadership, of *motivating* still others to take responsibility and lead, of effectively sharing the dreaming, the planning, and the execution with others. But I do know that the best and most significant work gets accomplished in partnership with others. Look at the church in Antioch—with a team of great leaders they launched the greatest missionary journeys in all the New Testament. “Lord, help me to lead…a team!”

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"Stop Objecting!"

Scripture Passage

Acts 10-12:5

Scripture Focus

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. (Acts 11:18 NLT)

Observation

What openness to the Holy Spirit and to things new and changing!

Today’s reading opens with Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile and Roman army officer, whose “prayers and gifts to the poor” (Acts 10:4 NLT) have been honored with God's response. In a vision, an angel of God directs Cornelius to send for “a man named Simon Peter…[who] is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore [in Joppa].” (Acts 10:5-6 NLT)

The next day, while the men sent by Cornelius are nearing Joppa, God speaks to Peter. In a prayer-induced trance, Peter sees a vision of a sheet full of all sorts of animals and hears a voice giving clear instructions: “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” (Acts 10:13 NLT) Peter protests because to obey would violate the dietary restrictions of Israel’s covenant with God, and—though certainly saved by the grace of God—Peter’s never done that. He’s continued to observe all the practices of an orthodox Jew. But the voice speaks again—“Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” (Acts 10:15 NLT)

God’s timing is always perfect, and at that moment the men from Cornelius’ house arrive. Peter returns to Caesarea with them, bears witness to Christ before a Gentile audience, and they are all—even as Peter is still speaking—saved and filled with the Holy Spirit just as Peter and his fellow Jews were on the day of Pentecost!

Wow! It’s hard to imagine how this must have rocked Peter’s world. In spite of numerous Biblical prophecies regarding a Messiah who would bless all the nations of the world, it appears to have never occurred to these Jewish believers that God would redeem and fill Gentiles with the Holy Spirit just as He had done for them.

Still, to their credit, when what had happened was reported to the leaders at Jerusalem, “they stopped objecting and began praising God.” (Acts 11:18 NLT) That’s really what I love today. They stopped objecting and began praising God.

I have a friend who’s both a father to a young son and a sheriff’s deputy. Tongue-in-cheek and as only an officer of the law can, he’ll sometimes correct his child’s slow obedience by declaring, “Stop resisting!” I think I hear the Lord’s loving challenge in a similar way to me today—“Stop objecting (to whatever God’s doing that doesn’t fit your paradigm, Kent) and (instead) begin praising God!”

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"Ordinary Joe--Extraordinary Impact"

Scripture Passage

Acts 8-9:43

Scripture Focus

Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. (Acts 8:6 NLT)

Observation

Philip, it seems to me, was just your average Joe—or, at least, just your average Philip. Nothing of what we know about Philip suggests he was particularly educated or wealthy or popular or…anything, really, except available. He had not been personally disciple by Jesus—this was not the Philip among Jesus’ twelve disciples. Rather, we’re introduced to Philip as one of the seven men selected in Acts 6 to solve the challenges of equitable food distribution among the widows. In that regard, about all we know of Philip is that he was “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3 NLT). Oh, yeah—and from Acts 6 we also know he was willing to take on specific and challenging responsibilities in order to see God’s Kingdom advance. I suspect that’s significant.

But when Stephen is martyred and persecution breaks out against the whole church, it’s Philip’s story the New Testament picks up on. You’d have to work pretty hard to convince me his story is especially unique—Acts 8:4-5 describes the believers (all of them, apparently) preaching the good news about Jesus wherever they went, and then cites Philip specifically only as an example. But what an example!

Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:5-8 NLT)

Here’s the deal. This was Philip—just an ordinary guy—being used mightily of God in miraculous ways to advance God’s heavenly kingdom on earth. These miracles were not just isolated events, but expressions of God’s eternal Kingdom (the kingdom Jesus announced was “at hand”) invading time—the “stuff” of heaven invading the now! (When people are healed and delivered, God’s Kingdom comes on earth as it always exists in heaven, and the prayer Jesus taught us to pray is answered.) This, I’m convinced, is God’s ongoing intention for the people who bear His Name—to continue to do "everything Jesus began to do and teach" (Acts 1:1 NLT).

Which means the story of Philip’s faith is an indictment of my faith, and of Christian faith generally (at least, within the U.S., to be sure). Though I’ve seen the miraculous happen, and specific prayers clearly answered, I’m convinced God’s intention is to “show up” more consistently and more powerfully through His people. And so I pray…

LORD, I have heard of your fame;
     I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
     in our time make them known;
     in wrath remember mercy.
                 (Habakkuk 3:2 NIV)

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"Blind Spots"

Scripture Passage

Acts 6-8:1

Scripture Focus

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 7:51 NLT)

Observation

I confess—I laughed out loud as Stephen began his defense in Acts 7:2. (Maybe you won’t think it’s funny, but…) Stephen is accused of “always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.” When asked, “Are these accusations true?” Stephen reaches clear back to Abraham in Mesopotamia to begin his lengthy defense! Can you not imagine the Sanhedrin, eyes rolling back in their heads, thinking to themselves, “A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would do!”

The beauty of Stephen’s response, however, is that he’s able to show how persistently the descendents of Abraham had resisted God’s voice. Most powerfully, Stephen argues that the Jews resisted Moses’ leadership—someone the Jews, of course, thought they had revered and followed! I noticed particularly, today, references to their rejection of Moses that certainly would have left the Sanhedrin recalling their rejection of Jesus. For example…

“Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.” (Acts 7:25 NLT)

“But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked. (Acts 7:27 NLT)

“So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’” (Acts 7:35 NLT) (Perhaps a subtle reference to Christ’s return?)

Bottom line, Stephen insists that the rejection of God’s voice has been standard operating procedure for Israel from day one. “Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered” (Acts 7:52 NLT). And his challenge to the Sanhedrin serves to challenge me.

Do I think that I resist the Holy Spirit as these men did? No—I don’t *think* so…but that’s the difficulty, isn’t it? Those dirty dogs in the Sanhedrin had their blind spots—and so do I! “Savior, help me to not resist—ever or in any way—your Holy Spirit!”

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"Passionate Corporate Prayer"

Scripture Passage

Acts 3-5:42

Scripture Focus

When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God… (Acts 4:24 NLT)

Observation

As a result of the healing of the lame man and the ensuing gospel proclamation in Acts 3, Peter and John are called before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4 and “commanded…never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18 NLT). Their response is the right one—“Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19 NLT), but a commitment like that requires supernatural reinforcement. So “as soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said” (Acts 4:23 NLT). Here’s where we get to the good stuff—Acts 4:24…

When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God… (Acts 4:24 NLT)

Using Scripture (Psalm 2) as a starting point, the believers prayed till they’d “touched heaven” (that’s what the old-timers call it). And their time together produced a powerful result. “The meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31 NLT).

This kind of prayer—passionate, vocal, corporate, Scripture-based—was commonplace in the church of my childhood. There were moments in every service when the whole congregation prayed aloud together, each person voicing his or her own prayer audibly to the Lord while everyone else did the same. The same concerns were shared in common by all (remember “prayer request” time?), but the prayers were individually articulated. And all I know to tell you (assuming you’ve never experienced it for yourself) is that there was significant spiritual power evident in those times of prayer. This kind of passionate, united praying is a “lost art” in today’s privatized, individualized faith-culture, but it “shook the heavens” in those days—and I’m convinced it retains the same potential today.

What’s that got to do with a “private” devotional time? Just this: Reading Acts 4:24 (and the verses that surround it) strengthens my commitment to pray with others in exactly the way I’ve described—and to encourage passionate corporate prayer in every way I possibly can. I'm convinced that, more than ever before, a privatized culture demands a unified church.

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"The Believer's Highest Priority"

Scripture Passage

Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1-2:47

Scripture Focus

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NLT)

Observation

I know—there’s nothing more predictable than that I should focus in on Acts 1:8. I can’t help it—there’s no verse more essential to kingdom living and kingdom advance for any believer!

In these days immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus’ disciples had a lot of questions. Jesus dismissed those summarily. Jesus’ disciples had a lot of distractions. Jesus focused those completely. At this remarkable moment in history when, for the first and only time ever, a man has come back from the dead never to die again…with all that could have been said and all that could have been done…Jesus directs His disciples entirely towards one place and one priority—“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised” (Acts 1:4 NLT). Why? Because…

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NLT)

Remember that Jesus’ ministry consisted of announcing and demonstrating the inbreaking of God’s kingdom…the invasion of heaven into the earth, of eternity into time. The heaven-like character of Jesus’ ministry (good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind—Luke 4:18) was evidence of this. And the church is commissioned to carry on that same mission. The Gospel of Luke (as the opening verse of the book of Acts makes clear) was all about “everything Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1 NLT)—began being the operative word! Everything Jesus began to do and teach will be continued in the life and ministry of His Church—but only when she has been empowered by the Holy Spirit as He was!

Without this empowerment, we have no ministry to offer—no message to deliver. Presuming we’ve experienced Christ’s redemption, nothing is more important than Holy Spirit empowerment. I must have Him—and live with sensitivity to and dependency upon Him!

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