Every High Priest

Esther 9-10

Psalm 93

*Hebrews 5

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Hebrews 5 is a critical chapter in the Bible that gives us a better understanding of the Christ, and really leans in to the explanation that Jesus is now our high priest.  Hebrews 5-8 really focuses in on this topic, but to my mind one of the most important bits of understanding that’s normally quickly brushed past is right at the beginning of chapter 5, in v1-5 it states: “1For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God… 4And no one takes this honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5In this way also Christ did not glorify Himself to become a high priest…” (LSB).

            So where is every high priest taken from? From among men.  Who then calls them out from among men to fulfill that role? They receive the position when they are called by God.  We are very blessed to have the simple understanding that there is one (1) God (Deut 6:4, Mark 12:29) and that there is one (1) mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5).  So when we read that God has called His high priest out from among men, it’s a very simple and straightforward understanding.  Allow me to elaborate.

            To be the high priest or the Messiah, according to scriptures and prophecy, it is a requirement to be a man.  We know that Jesus was a man because he told us so (John 8:40), because that’s what his best friends understood (Matt 16:16, Acts 2:22), and because that’s what God told us, as was prophesied from the beginning (Gen 3:15, Deut 18:18, 2 Sam 7:12, Ps 89:19 to name just a few).  This is not a “mere man”, but the chosen man to redeem, judge, and rule the entirety of humanity (Acts 17: 24-31), chosen by God.  This is the man through whom  the singular sin of Adam which cursed all humanity would be removed (Romans 5:15).  As Christians we like to say that Jesus (Yeshua) rules in our hearts, but we also know that one day he will also physically rule over our bodies, in the kingdom.  

            We see from Hebrews 5 that Jesus is our high priest, and also The Christ (the anointed one, or, the king).  This was prophesied as happening in both Psalms 110 and Zechariah 6 where the Messiah would be “a king and a high priest”.  This is the first time historically that these two positions are consolidated, another fulfillment of prophecies which grants an even higher status to Jesus, which partially explains the phrase “crowned with many crowns” in Rev 19:12.   This is a huge deal.  We know from Hebrews 5:1-5 that God Himself selects the high priest from among the people, but who anoints the king?

            1 Samuel 10:1 states (REV translation) “1Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head, and kissed him and said, “Is it not that Yahweh has anointed you to be ruler over his inheritance?”.  So who anointed Saul?  While we can see that while it was Samuel’s hand that poured out the oil over Saul’s head, it was God who commanded it and then Samuel clearly says to Saul that “Yahweh has anointed you”.

            In 2 Kings 9:1-3 it says (REV) “1Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt and take this vial of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead.2When you arrive there, find Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi; and when you have come, have him rise up from among his brothers and take him to an inner room.3Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.” So who anointed Jehu?  According to “one of the sons of the prophets” that Elisha sent, the one who physically poured the oil over Jehu’s head, Yahweh has anointed him king.  Over and over again, repeatedly in scripture, we see that God sends an agent to anoint the man that He has chosen to be king.  It is Yahweh God who ultimately anoints the king, even if it is His agent that carries out the actual pouring out of the oil.  God does regularly interact with His creation through agents, though.

            This perfectly aligns with  1 Corinthians 11:3, which breaks down exactly and in no uncertain terms the “corporate flowchart” of the Christian believer: “3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man…and God is the head of Christ.” (LSB).  Jesus the Christ is our king, the king anointed and chosen by God, and God is Himself in authority over our king (unless you’ve got a very imaginative alternate reading of that verse).  Who anoints the king? God does.

            To say that God has become the Anointed One (as many Christians today do) is to completely misunderstand:  God has no need to be anointed, He is already the Most High God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, He already is the highest and most exalted authority and being in existence.  Yahweh God is the one who anoints (or, causes to be anointed by an agent) the king, thereby granting that king the authority of rule over a kingdom, but that anointed king is still in every way subservient to the Most High God Yahweh.  Anointer, anointee: there’s a very clear delineation of authority, and the power that the latter has is granted by the former.  Jesus is, according to all of scripture, “The Christ” or “The Anointed One”, so who is he anointed by? Again, GOD.

            In much the same manner, it is God who chooses the high priest from among men, and the purpose of that high priest is to act as a mediator between God and humanity, to reconcile the Creator with His creation.  That’s why it’s a requirement that the high priest be a human. This is all a very important understanding to be able to interpret scripture properly: if you are trying to adjust the lens of an orthodox traditional understanding of the nature of God and of His Christ, you will be tweaking the lenses all day and still may never get a clear picture. 

            Do you know what’s even more important though? Listening to the king and high priest that God has appointed.  Many times we get so caught up in our theology, and our correct understanding of it, that we aren’t focusing on what our king actually says.  I am fully convinced that everything that any person needs to know about salvation and how to attain it can be found in Matt 5-8.  Every now and then, go back through and read all the red letters (assuming you’ve got a red letter version).  While it’s very important to understand the nature of the scriptures that we read,  it’s even more important to try and follow what it says (and that’s a fair bit more difficult, if we’re being honest). Read Matt 5-8 again, and see if you agree:  everything that any person needs to know about salvation and how to attain it can be found in Matt 5-8.  Test it out, see what you think. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. Have you given much though to the responsibilities of a high priest/king, and the importance of having those positions combined?
  2. What is a “son of man” ?
  3. Which is more important: a proper understanding of who Jesus is, or a humble attempt to do what he said?  Why?

PRAYER

 Father God, thank you for life, breath, and all things.  Please circumcise our hearts, and grant us the wisdom to listen to and live out the words of Your chosen king.  Please help us to see the world through holy eyes, and to be servants who please you.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…

Esther 7-8

Psalm 92

*Hebrews 4

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today I’d like to challenge you a bit, and ask you to examine some things that you believe traditionally.  I think tradition is a fine thing, for the most part, and helps to give a certain amount of structure in our worship and daily routines in general.  I think scripture is an even finer thing, and should be the guidebook of our life: the word of God given to men as a template by which we should structure ourselves.  Both are important, I just give more weight when comparing them to scripture (since the traditions of men are rather flexible and change constantly); but the word of God is “living and active, sharper than any 2 edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).  Out of love I’m going to do my best not to be too passionate, so I’m touching this very lightly, but please check it out for yourself.

            The thing is; sometimes our traditions can be good, and sometimes our traditions can be silly.  For instance: when we’re crossing the street here in America, the “tradition” is to stop and look both ways to make sure the way is clear.  This isn’t a “law” as such, but is what is considered a “rule” of tradition, and it’s a good one: countless injuries have been avoided by following this simple tradition.  It just makes sense.  There are hundreds of these in play every day that we don’t even stop to consider anymore because, well, it’s tradition and it just works, so there has to be a good reason, right?

            Here are some rather interesting traditions that are still active in our world, and some of them raised my eyebrow a bit when I researched them.  In Madagascar, the Malagasy people exhume the bodies of their ancestors every 5-7 years, wrap them in silk shrouds, and dance with the corpses around the tomb to live music (this is called “Famadihana”).  In Brazil, young men of the Satere-Mawe tribe wear woven gloves filled with live “bullet ants” for 10 minutes, 20 times (200 minutes total), as a coming-of-age ceremony, enduring stings that are compared to being shot by a bullet.  In Cooper’s Hill, England, a 7-9 pound cheese wheel is rolled down a steep uneven hill and chased frantically by participants in the event, frequently breaking bones and incurring serious injuries (there are videos of this that are…quite educational, incidentally).  In the Karnataka region of India, infants born after the parents vow devotion to the Sri Santeswar temple are thrown from the roof of the temple into the waiting arms of their parents below, who believe the ritual brings good luck (as long as you can catch).

            In the church, we have some fine traditions as well, some of which have been handed down for hundreds or thousands of years: the longer a group is around, the more traditions they come up with.  Some of these are very useful for organization and structure, and some of these could possibly be considered a little bit silly when compared with scripture.  The problem is, as humans, we tend to just keep on doing what’s familiar.  It’s interesting to note historically that moving the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday (the “glorious day of the Sun”) occured around the same time (Mar 7, 321 AD, look up the “Edict of Constantine”) for the purpose of unifying the empire  and from the same source that we got other popular traditions, like the theory of the trinity for instance.  Remember that the Bereans were commended because they questioned what they had been told, and sought out and compared the teachings with scripture to come to a conclusion.

            Today I’d like to offer you the opportunity to re-examine the Sabbath.  This can be a very polarizing and divisive thing, and I know for a fact that churches have split over the topic.  Let’s establish some ground rules before you dig: this is for your personal edification, not a call to revise corporate worship.  I live in Knoxville TN and I am here to tell you, if you are blessed enough by God to have found a group of mostly like-minded worshippers who believe even 80% like you do, praise God and thank Him every day for such a blessing.  We need to focus on unity, not necessarily uniformity (we don’t always have to believe the same exact thing, but we should be united in our focus and our purpose).  I’m a member of the Unitarian Christian Alliance for that reason (among others):  there are a great number of folks in that group who have slightly different beliefs on some various things than I do, but we share a common understanding of the important bits and agree that this is more important than pushing any specific particular.  Let’s embrace that mindset, in humility.

            I grew up going to church every Sunday with my parents.  Statistically, you probably did too.  I still go to church every Sunday, but I’ve also started honoring the Sabbath.  I came to this on my own, by reading scripture.  When I compared verses like Gen 2:3, Ex 20:8-11, Matt 5:17, and then today’s reading of Heb 4:9, and then read the frequency of the topic throughout scripture, it convicted me in my heart that I should also honor the Sabbath.  So, on Saturdays now I don’t do any work, don’t buy stuff, and try to read the bible and focus on God for the entire day.  On Sabbath, I rest.  I still go to church every Sunday too, that’s my “corporate” time with God, but the Sabbath is my personal time with God: not a burden but a gift.

            Do I think that everybody needs to believe the exact same thing as I do? Nope, not even close.  We must each with fear and trembling work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12).  Am I saying that if you come to a different understanding that you should march up to your pastor and demand that worship be done on Saturdays now instead of Sunday?  May the God in heaven forbid it, no, that’s not even close to what I’m saying.  What I want you to do is simply this: examine what you believe and why, and compare it to scripture.  If you still believe the same way, great!  If you believe differently, that’s fine too.  This is a personal journey, I don’t want to change the corporate structure of worship, but I would like us each to strive to change our hearts towards God.

            Look at it this way: irregardless of your specific belief in the topic of the Sabbath, if you were to take a specific day (Saturday) and devote it to seeking to get personally closer to God, what’s the downside?  At worst you lose some productivity/shopping/garage sale time; compare that against potential gain.  Cost vs Value, that seems to me to be a positive net outcome. Conversely, what if you’ve been wrong about the importance of the Sabbath?

            I have had people who are better than me, some of my former professors and current relatives, that have argued (sometimes passionately) with me about my belief.  There have been some very good arguments made, but here’s the thing: it’s my belief, and I came to it through reading scripture and praying. I don’t mind if you disagree, but I feel as if God has led me in a specific direction and if you disagree, should I listen to men or to God? (Acts 5:29). 

            I absolutely and certainly do not wish to cause division within the body of Christ, there’s already been enough of that.  What I do want (and want you to do as well) is to seek God with my whole heart.  I want to please God, and I acknowledge with great humility that I’m a very imperfect being, doing the best I can to worship and please a perfect God.  “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Heb 4:9, LSB), and as people of God, I invite you to join me in it.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you ever given this much thought? Why or why not?
  2. Are there any traditions in your church that are different than other groups? What are they, and how did they come about?
  3. The Sabbath is listed as one of the 10 commandments.  Why do you think that is, and do you think it applies to Christians today? Why or why not?

PRAYER

Father God, please lead us and grant us wisdom.  Forgive us of our many shortcomings, and help us to be servants who please you.  Thank you for the many blessings that you have given us.  Place a deep love for all of our brothers and sisters in our heart.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Greater than Moses

Esther 5-6

Psalms 92

*Hebrews 3

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            It should be pointed out that to the Jewish folks, Moses (Moshe) was a Really Big Deal.  Moses is a big deal to any of the “Children of the Book”, and Christians and Muslims alike regard Moses as a man who spoke God’s words to the people, a prophet who God performed miracles through.  All of the prophets were highly revered but to the Jewish people though, the people who Moses led out of slavery, the people who witnessed miracles performed by God through the man, the people who witnessed him going in to speak with God until his face actually glowed, he was a really, really, big deal.  Like, 5 out of 5 stars in all the reviews, just top notch.  Best Guy Ever.

            Let’s review quickly: Moses, old guy with a beard.  Not really a big talker.  Happily tending his flock out in the middle of nowhere when God* starts to have a conversation with the guy from a burning bush and then tells him that he’s going to be the agent by which God frees His chosen people, the Israelites.  A little bit of whining, God loops in his brother Aaron to assist, then off they go back to the land of Egypt.  “Give me my people”, “No”, plague plague plague plague (x10), then “ok, you and your people get out”.  Run away, “wait, now who’s going to do all the manual  labor?”, pursuit, miraculous escape through the sea, followed by immediate miraculous destruction of pursuing army by same sea. Wandering, whining, miracles, manna, more whining, there’s the promised land go get it,  “we’re a’scared”, wander wander wander (x40yrs), there’s the promised land go get it, “ok, but can we stop wandering?” and right about then Moses dies.  That very brief, highly summarized review of Moses took place in the latter third of his life, covering the time when he was 80-120 years old, the 40 years directly prior to his passing.

            Moses was an incredibly Big Deal, he gave the people The Law, and lots of good advice on how to act (which went largely ignored until they were forcibly reminded), and God performed miraculous signs through him.  God used Moses to do all of these things, and had a unique and special relationship with Moses unlike any man before or after (until Jesus came).  Moses gave the definitive books of the Torah to the Israelites, faithfully recording what God spoke and was a faithful servant who was “more humble than any man was on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3) even despite all of the great deeds listed above.  The level of respect and reverence that later generations of Israelites had and have for Moses can not be overstated.      

            That’s why it is such a big deal in Hebrews 3 when the author says “Moses, yea, super guy, but Jesus?  He’s better.” (Heb 3:3, painfully paraphrased).  This is being written specifically to convince the Jewish folks that Yeshua the Nazarene (you know, Jesus of Nazareth) was The Christ, the Messiah prophesied long ago by the prophets (including Moses, see Dt 18:18).  This guy, he’s really important because with no disrespect to brother Moses (again, 5 out of 5 stars, super guy); Moses was as a servant, but this Jesus guy is as a son.  Both came and were servants of God, both came and spoke the words God told them to, both saved a whole bunch of people; but Moses came to save and restore the Israelites, but Jesus came to save and restore the entire earth, and all of it’s people**.

            In Heb 3:1-2 it clearly states that we have a High Priest (Jesus) who is faithful to Him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful.  God appointed Jesus as High Priest.  Where do we get the High Priest from though?  Heb 5:1 says “from men”, and and Psalms 89:19 says “from among the people”.  In Heb 1:2, it states “His son, whom He appointed heir of all things…”.  Over and over we see very clearly that God has appointed Jesus, as His son, as our High Priest, as The Messiah.  To clarify the pecking order, our corporate flow chart, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”(Heb 3:4) and it then goes on to clarify “but Christ was faithful as a son over his house-whose house we are…” in Heb 3:6.  God built everything, and appointed Christ heir  to inherit it, as a reward for his obedience.  Listen: if you already own something (Ps 24:1), you don’t need to appoint yourself as the heir to it.  If you already have full supreme power, you don’t need to anoint yourself as king.  You’re already in charge of everything.  We all agree that “Christ” means “the anointed one”.  Anointed by who? Well, the “builder of all things is God”.  The heir that God anointed and appointed is Christ.  It’s pretty straightforward, if you base your doctrine exclusively on scripture, and not tradition.

            This is a pretty basic and undeniable understanding of scripture.  We miss out on a lot of opportunities to talk to Jewish folks (God’s chosen people, see above) about the Messiah as Christians because of a lot of the theories and convoluted explanations that are so exasperatingly confusing and contradictory are now held to be doctrine by a huge number of our brothers and sisters.  Even worse, we miss out on a lot of opportunities to be obedient to our King and to our (and his) God, when we harden our hearts and don’t listen when we hear his voice. (Heb 3:15).  One last thought I’d like to put forth today: both Moses and Jesus were exceptionally humble men, who not only obeyed God’s word and performed miracles, but did so obediently and sometimes in opposition to what they wanted to do personally.  These are the true “church fathers”, the one’s that we should listen to,  our role models, and our examples of how to please our God.

*-Moses talked to God.  Weeeell actually, Moses talked to God’s agent, the angel God sent.  See Ex 3:2-4 and contrast v2 with v4, it’s the first unquestionable documented example that God uses agents to interact with His creation, and that when these agents (shaliah) speak God’s words, they speak with the full authority of God (and so are often called God, because as His agent they’re representing His authority).  This is well understood in Jewish culture and literature and is common throughout scripture.  See also Ex 20:21-22 for another specific example, and note as well the approximately 40 times or so that Jesus says that “God sent me” in the book of John alone, which the Jewish  people understood to mean “he speaks with the authority of God because God sent him”, not anything else super confusing that may have been suggested later.  Lots of people “saw God” (or His agent) particularly in the OT, but 1 John 4:12 states clearly that “No one has ever seen God”, and this is confirmed in 1 Tim 6:15-16, ergo, anytime that happened it was most likely either in a dream, vision, or an agent that God sent.

**Jesus came to restore the entire earth.  Weeeeell actually, initially he came specifically (and exclusively) to “restore the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24).  Gentiles were given the favor and opportunity for salvation specifically because some of the chosen people of God (the Israelites) rejected him, and also because God had planned to do it this way: to the Jew first, then to all of the nations of the earth.  Acts 10 starts the beginning of gentiles receiving salvation, well after Jesus had ascended and finished his earthly ministry, so if you’re a “dog of a gentile” try not to get too arrogant about it.  If we do make it into the kingdom, we’ll probably end up being the janitor or “fetchers of wood”, if we’re lucky.  Let’s be humble.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Why do we, as gentile dogs who are grafted on to the root while other (and arguably better) branches are pruned, ever become arrogant about our salvation when considering the humbleness of both Moses and Jesus (who were much more important than we’ll ever be)? (Yes, I know it’s a leading question, consider it though)
  2. Have you ever considered how highly favored you are, if you are a member of the body of Christ, a child of God?  Just reflect on that for a moment, don’t take it for granted!
  3. Isn’t God amazing? He told us in the beginning the plan (Gen 3:15), we just didn’t understand it.

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for providing a way for the rest of us, I am humbled and awed that you did.  Please lead us, forgive us when we fall short, and teach us the way to salvation.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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An Obedient Servant

*Esther 3-4

*Psalm 91

*Hebrews 2

-devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

                        I love the story of Esther, because without her obedience and willingness to sacrifice herself if needed, a pretty horrible pre-Holocaust destruction of the Jews would have taken place.  While it’s hard for me to imagine it being on the same scale of intentional diabolical evil that occurred in World War II, I suppose if you are one of the ones that’s being murdered you’re far less concerned with intent than action. 

            In Esther 3 today, we see that the King (Ahasuerus) “magnified Haman” and advanced him, “above all the princes who were with him” (v1), to the point that the king had commanded folks to bow to him (v2).  It’s not really clear in scripture why Haman was advanced, but Haman was promoted to (presumably) the second highest level of authority in the kingdom, and was enraged when Mordecai the Jew wouldn’t offer him obeisance.  Read Esther 3:5-6 and see how Haman’s pride caused him to feel/act: then take a moment to flip back to 2 Sam 16:5-14 to see how David (the king) responded to an even greater insult.  Ponder them both in your hearts for a moment: their level of pride, their reactions, and then their fates.  It’s good food for thought.

            Something that I had kind of read past when I was younger jumped out at me when I was reading this morning, in 3:7 we see that Haman, after becoming enraged at Mordeai, had lots cast (cleromancy)  for almost a full year before acting on his rage with his plans to commit genocide on the Jews.  Haman is a man who acts on his impulses, but absolutely does not act impulsively: he festered on his rage for almost a year before approaching the king to begin his attempt against the Jews, and sought supernatural guidance to find the best time to begin.  Haman offers the king 10000 talents (a talent was @75 lbs!) of silver, but the king said “the silver is given to you” and handed Haman his signet ring (effectively giving him full authority and funding) to sign his petition in to law.  Decrees were issued, messengers were sent out, and the king and Haman settled in to drink, but the “city of Susa was in confusion”.  The regular citizens, in other words, had no idea why this was happening.  (This is all detailed in Esther 3:7-15).           

            When Mordecai hears of this, he informs Esther  that she must act.  Initially she is hesitant to do so since there is a distinct possibility that she’ll be killed (Esther 4:1-12).  Mordecai’s response to this in 4:13 gives us a critical understanding: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish.  And who knows whether you have not reached royalty for such a time as this?“(LSB).  So here’s the thing: God has a plan.  We see throughout scripture that God interacts with his creation through his agents (shaliach) to further His plans and purposes, and many times He has placed a person in just the right place at just the right time to fulfill His purpose.  What do you think happens to those agents who allow fear to prevent them from doing Gods purpose? (Hint: see bold text above). Think about it for a moment: God will ensure His purposes, whether or not you choose to participate obediently determines whether you are rewarded richly or die unknown in disgrace.

            Keep this understanding in mind, while we move forward in time to when God sent Jesus as His obedient agent of salvation for the world.  In the book of Matthew, directly after being baptized, Jesus is led (by the holy spirit) into the wilderness and fasts for 40 days and nights,  after which The Adversary approaches him and tempts him: first with food (pretty obvious), then with a confirmation of authority (subtle and insidious), and then with a blatant offer of power (a last desperate attempt).  So what if Jesus had responded differently or disobediently, with arrogance instead of firm humility? Think about it.  If Jesus had not been obedient, it might be someone else’s name we all recognized today.

            A couple very important things to be noted: God cannot be tempted (James 1:13).  Even if you have a confused understanding about your Christology this should be a giant waving red flag to a “traditional  orthodox” understanding, regardless of “nature”,  because God cannot be tempted irregardless of how you try to rationalize or justify that.  Secondly, we know firsthand that our adversary is insidious and clever, hitting us at our weakest points.  In Matt 3:17, God says “This is my beloved son…” after Jesus obediently gets baptized.  In Matt 4:3, the tempter said “IF you are the son of God…” turn these stones into bread, and Jesus responds with scripture (Dt 8:3).  Then he took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and said “IF you are the son of God…” throw yourself down, and quotes today’s reading of Psalms 91 (v11-12).  Jesus responds by quoting scripture back (Dt 6:16).  You know the story, probably so well that you’ve not dug into it too deeply.

            Here’s the thing, and why this is so insidious: in each of these instances above, the tempter is trying to plant a seed of doubt:  “IF you are the son of God…IF you are…” (“Are you really?  Are you sure?  We haven’t seen any miracles yet…how do you know?  Maybe this could show me and the world that you really are, prove yourself, let people see, won’t that be awesome?  Are you the messiah, do you really think so?  Are you really?  SHOW US…prove it to us and to yourself…”).  This is downright diabolical.  This is why it’s just so humbling and beautiful that Jesus remained faithful, because he overcame all of these diabolical temptations, these targeted attacks on him.

            “Weeell, he wasn’t really tempted…” I’ve heard some folks say, but YES, HE WAS!  In each of the points of potential weakness that the shrewdest adversary that exists thought he could penetrate.  Have you ever not eaten for a couple days?  Try it.  You start fantasizing about what foods you will eat when you eat again.  This is a pretty obvious first stab.  The second attempt (“throw yourself down…IF you are the son of God you’ll be fine…”) is the most insidious one, in my opinion, because as humans we are always just filled with doubt.  “Are you really the son of God?  Really? Prove it…” Imagine as a man that you believe that you have a God-given destiny, that you are to be the one to redeem not only Israel but all of the earth: but you’ve been out by yourself for over a month and haven’t eaten, you’re starving and beginning to wonder, and here is the opportunity to prove not only to your enemy but to yourself that you really are the chosen one, the Christ, the Anointed One.  You can prove it.  Are you tempted?  Of course you are.

            Thank God that Jesus overcame.  In our reading today of Hebrews 2:16-18 it confirms that Jesus was the seed of Abraham (A Jew, fulfilling the prophecy in Dt 18:18), that he was our brother (A human being, fulfilling the prophecy of Gen 3:15 and Ps 89:19), and that he himself was tempted (which God Himself can’t be, see James 1:13 again for clarification) so that he is able to come to help those who are tempted (ie, us, the other humans).  As our brother, Jesus is our role model of obedience and humble submission to God’s will. We can do it, because Jesus did.  We are called to be obedient and to submit just like Jesus did, just like Esther did, because if we don’t God will just raise up someone else in our place: His purpose will be fulfilled, whether you participate or not.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. Do you think you’d have ever heard about Esther, if she’d chosen to be safe instead of obedient?
  2. Same question, but with Jesus?
  3. Can you think of a time in your past where you had a choice but were scared?  What happened?  Do you feel as if you passed or failed that test, and why?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for life, and breath, and all things.  Help me to be humble and obedient, even as the Christ was, and even to the point of death.  Allow me the honor of fulfilling the purpose that You have determined for me in this life, even unto death, and allow me to see Your kingdom.  May the lips of all creation offer You the praise deserved.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Difficult Texts (?)

*Esther 1-2

Psalm 91

*Hebrews 1

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (IN)

            Hebrews 1 is one of those chapters that’s often used by our brothers and sisters with a more “complex” understanding of God as a proof text, and we’ll look at it closely today and with love in our hearts acknowledge the few instances that could seem to point to a more difficult reading, while also examining the majority of the verses that tend to point toward a more simple reading, verse by verse.  I was once told by a man I love as a father that “To take any verse by itself as a basis for one’s theology is a mistake.  The entirety of scripture should be weighed and measured and the most likely reasonable interpretation based on all scriptures should be the preferred understanding.”  With that in mind, and keeping also in mind that we are all human and fall short of the glory and wisdom of God, let’s proceed.  I’ll be using the ESV translation primarily, since it’s a pretty mainstream “standard” version that lots of folks use.

Hebrews 1:1- Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,   There’s really nothing difficult in interpretation here, but I did want to point out the constantly recurring scriptural theme and concept of God interacting with His creation through “agents” or “shaliah”: the prophets, in this instance.

Heb 1:2- but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. We now see that same concept of agency (or shaliah) applied to Jesus (in the same exact sense as the prophets) for God to speak to us, the son whom God “appointed heir of all things”.  This is a double point for our specific understanding, because Jesus is being used as an agent (by God) to speak to men, and God has appointed him “heir of all things” (ie, Jesus received that position because God gave it to him).  The “through whom also he created the world” is a bit problematic on first reading, but I’d like to point out that the actual word for “world” is “aeonas“, which is more applicable to an “age” or “time”.  This word is used 102-128 times in scripture (depending on the manuscripts used) and about half of that time in your bible it’s translated as “age”.  The actual strongs translation is: From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period. It really depends on your translational bias, so while we can acknowledge in fairness that this could be a difficult text, it seems more likely when considering the entirety of the verse to indicate the simpler understanding that God created this current “age” through Christ.

Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  (ESV)

This is the verse that “more complex” interpreting folks lean into and go “aha! There it is!”, but I’d suggest that the translational bias slip is showing again.  The word for radiance here is “apaugasma” (A light flashing forth (from)) which implies a reflection of light rather than an origin.  The “exact imprint” is translated from the word “charakter” (From the same as charax; a graver, i.e. engraving, the figure stamped, i.e. An exact copy or representation) and could be (and is) also translated as reflection or image in different versions.  It should be noted that being the image of something precludes you actually being that something generally, but let’s look at a few other mainstream translations and compare:

(NASB) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

(NET) The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The elephant in the room, of course (for our more “complex” interpretation folks) is: if Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (God), and if you believe that Jesus is literally God (and not God’s agent), then is God currently literally sitting beside Himself?  That’s confusing, and would on the face of it contradict Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:29-31.  I personally opt for a simpler reading, and think the NET translation did a better holistic job of translating into english (this time).

Heb 1:4 -Heb 1:7  are pretty non-controversial, so for the sake of brevity I’ll skip a commentary.

Heb 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Right now, our more “complex” interpretation brothers are going: “Aha!  There!  It clearly says “but of the Son” and then “Your throne, “O God”!”, THERE IT IS!”.  Granted, that could be a difficult text, by itself, particularly if you are thinking like a modern day English speaking person and assume that the bible was written originally in English (it was not).  Dig a little in the original languages, and you’ll see there’s a very good reason there are multiple translations in English.  I would propose that to the ancient Jewish mind, any throne or kingdom that God establishes is God’s throne or kingdom, regardless of whom God chooses to rule it.  It’s understood (and stated) that the authority to rule is granted by God, and the one who is sent by God acts with the authority of His name and on His behalf (shaliah).  This simpler and culturally accurate reading seems like a much better reading particularly when you combine it with the following verse below:

Heb 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Because the Most High God, by definition, doesn’t have a God.  He is the “Most High God” (it’s in the name).  Jesus did have a God (John 20:17).  We see further that “God has anointed you”…do you recall what “Christ” means?  It’s simply, “The Anointed”: anointed by God, your God.  God is the anointer, Jesus is the anointee.  God is the ultimate authority and power, and He has appointed (see v2) the Christ as the heir of all things.  It’s a much simpler and less confusing reading.

Heb 1:10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;

The “and” here above indicates a transition in subject, we’re now speaking of God again, the creator of heaven and earth, as the following verses also seem to indicate.

            Heb 1:11-11:14 are also pretty straightforward, so for the sake of brevity again, I’ll skip a commentary.  So looking back over the fullness of Heb 1, I personally don’t find anything with such a difficult reading that I feel the need to alter my beliefs.  Any texts that I’ve heard used as proof texts to espouse a different doctrine have variant readings that seem simpler and to make more sense, taken holistically.  Please keep in mind, I’m just a human being so I absolutely accept that I could be mistaken.  I sit under the authority of scripture and not over it, but digging into these scriptures and examining them closely I feel about 90% confident that I have made a correct interpretation in this instance.  I think it’s important to deeply search the scriptures and to be honest with yourself with what you find.

            Before we leave today, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least give a polite nod to our Esther reading, because Esther 1-2 is what I’ve mentally labelled in my mind “The Cautionary Tale of Queen Vashti” as an example of how not to act.  We have been given great blessings and favor undeservedly by our God, let’s make sure we don’t get demoted due to our own arrogance and self importance, and removed from our position (Like Queen Vashti was).

REFLECTION QUESTION

When you read scriptures, do you rush through it quickly or dig deep and compare translations and alternate meanings or complexities? Why?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for giving us Your word.  Please grant us the wisdom to understand what You have spoken, and the sense to listen.  In Jesus name, amen.

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Remember Me, Oh My God, for Good.

*Nehemiah 11-13

Psalm 90

Philemon

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            As biblical characters go, I really like Nehemiah.  He seems to me like he’s a bit feisty, like Paul in the New Testament.  A passionate fellow, who isn’t afraid to lay hands on you, and not in a healing manner.  He actually threatens to lay hands on some folks in today’s reading, and then does in another couple sections.  As it was mentioned in yesterday’s devotion, the return of the people from exile happened in waves: Zerubbabel went to start rebuilding the Temple (@538BC), Ezra went later and restored the law (@458BC), and then Nehemiah returned (@445BC) and rebuilt the wall, the infrastructure, and finished restoring the law to Israel (with Ezra). 

            This is important to understand when looking through the book of Nehemiah, because at some points it will read something like “**Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel… “, and that should indicate to you as you read “ah, ok, so this was decades before, this is the first wave…”.  Often following this, there was a genealogical listing of the descendants down until Nehemiah’s time because as has been mentioned in previous devotions, the Jewish people were absolutely obsessed with genealogy (see 4/11/26 and 6/19/26 devotionals).  To the ancient Jewish mind, this just let’s you know who’s who, and what their functions/authority are, because your genealogy determined your inheritance (and role).  This was incredibly important in their culture, and why 2 of the gospels in the New Testament take such pains to list Jesus’ genealogy: in order to prove that he met the qualifications of the Messiah that were prophesied (see 5/18/26 devotional).  (**all biblical quotes today are from the LSB translation)

            Flipping back a few chapters you can see exactly how important this was for legitimacy: in Nehemiah 7:5 it says “Then my God put it into my heart, and I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people to be recorded by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first, and in it I found written:…” and then it goes on to list numerous folks.  Towards the end of that chapter in 7:63, there’s a list of some folks, and then it goes on to say in v64 “These searched in their genealogical records, but it could not be found; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. ” (at least until their fate could be decided by inquiring of God via Urim and Thummim).  It was that big of a deal, if you couldn’t definitively prove your heritage, you could lose your job and your livelihood.

            When we turn in our reading past the genealogies in 11 and 12 (and we just talked about why those were so important), at the beginning of chapter 13 in v1-3 we see them reading from “the book of Moses” about the laws that “no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God “, and then “they separated all foreigners from Israel“.  This sheds a little light on the passion Nehemiah has in chapter 13 v4-9, when he throws Tobias and all of his belongings out of the temple, because if you flip back over to chapter 2:19 you see that this is actually “Tobias the Ammonite official”, mentioned in conjunction with Sanballat the Horonite and Geshem the Arab as opponents to Israel.  Living now in the temple?!  No sir, not under Nehemiah’s watch.

            In Nehemiah 13: 9-14 we see a problem, and then a solution.  The Levites haven’t been given their portions, and as a result they’ve all gone to their own fields and left the temple neglected.  Nehemiah has what we can assume is an “intense fellowship” with the officials, and then returns the Levites to their posts and reinstates their portion.  Then comes the focus of today’s devotion, in v14 where Nehemiah says: “Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my lovingkindnesses which I have shown for the house of my God and its responsibilities.” I love this.

            We see this same formula repeated 3 times throughout this chapter.  In Nehemiah 13: 15-22 we see another problem, and then another solution.  The Israelites were not keeping the Sabbath, and some of the foreigners weren’t either, working and bringing in goods and selling them on the sacred day of rest.  After more “intense fellowship”, and an offer for the laying on of hands, Nehemiah shuts the gates of the city during the Sabbath and sets guards to keep Israel from violating the Sabbath again, and then says again (in v22): “For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness. “.

            Again, in Nehemiah 13: 23-31 we see another problem, and then another solution.  The Israelites had (in direct opposition to what God had told them) intermarried among some of the locals, to the point that many of the children couldn’t even speak their native tongue.  In verse 25 it says: “So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God …“.  Sounds like another nice, calm, rational round of intense fellowship, after which he finds that Joiada, a priest, has done the same thing “so I made him flee away from me.”  Like I said at the beginning, he’s feisty, I like him.  It sounds like the majority of his fellowship is what we’d call “intense”.  Then again, in verse 31 we see the formulaic “Remember me, O my God, for good.”  Nehemiah is a man who understands that he has flaws, a passionate man who performs services for God , and then humbly asks God to remember these acts, and to grant a favorable judgment.  I love the chutzpah. 

            We understand as Christians that nothing that we could ever do will warrant the overwhelming favor that God has granted us.  No act that we could ever perform would earn our entry as citizens into the kingdom of God.  HOWEVER, we also know that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), and that we were created to do good works which God prepared for us (Eph 2:10).  We don’t like to talk about this much, but 2 Cor 5:10 says “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”.   Not what you believe, but for your deeds.  If you have a faith that can move mountains, that’s great, but what have you done with it?

            Every time we ignore a brother who is in need, we are storing up wrath for ourselves in the day of judgment.  Christ himself said, “What you have done for the least of these, you have done for me.” (Matt 25:40), and by extension when we ignore the least of these, we are ignoring our king.  Conversely, when we do good works in the name of our king, we are storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-21).  James 1:27 says “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. ”  How many times in a week are we actively seeking the opportunities to serve God?

            Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.  Join me in beginning to seek every day what good work we can do, to actively seek out the good works that God has prepared in advance for us, to the glory of God.  When we are presented the blessing of an opportunity to serve, offer up a silent prayer of thanks, and a humble plea to “Remember me, O my God, for good.“.

REFLECTION QUESTION (Just one today):

  1. What are you going to do today to physically exhibit God’s love to another?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you so much for all of the blessings that you have given me, none of which I’ve deserved.  Please provide me an opportunity today to do a service in Your name.  Please help me to be an active servant who pleases You.  You have prepared good works in advance for us to do, please show me what some of them are today.  Please forgive me for all the times when I’ve ignored the opportunities, and open my eyes to see them when you present them, even if they are out of the way.  Help me to follow the example of Jesus, our king.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Good Works

*Nehemiah 9-10

Psalm 90

*Titus 3

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            The restoration of a people is a beautiful thing.  When the (1st) temple was destroyed in @587/586 BC and the people were taken captive and led off to Babylonia as a result of their sins, they languished there for 70 years.  The return happened in waves: Zerubbabel went to start rebuilding the Temple (@538BC), Ezra went later and restored the law (@458BC), and then Nehemiah returned (@445BC) and rebuilt the wall, the infrastructure, and finished restoring the law to Israel (with Ezra).  Tying prophecy to history is sometimes confusing and can be very subjective depending on your interpretation and understanding.  One of the things that confused me initially is that the Jewish year has 360 days in it, our calendars today have 365 days in it.  Over time that can skew calculations, but keep in mind that the OT prophecies (as most scriptures) were written for ancient Jews.   That’s important to keep in mind, particularly to keep a correct context and exegesis when interpreting scripture: the target audience was (at least initially) the Hebrews, God’s chosen people.

            The ancient Jewish understanding of God is very clear in this exceptionally beautiful prayer of repentance by the people in Nehemiah 9.  To help give yourself that same understanding, I highly recommend that if you have a bible that translates the name of God as “THE LORD” (all capital letters), highlight that every time you come across it.  Then, somewhere on that same page write a note “YHVH”, the sacred and holy personal name of God, and highlight that.  Note that this will not be a quick task, because the personal given name of God occurs about 7000 times in the Old Testament, more if you count the abbreviated “Yah” or compound titles like “YHVH Tzevaot”.  The correct pronunciation of this is debated (The V is thought to be pronounced like a W in ancient Hebrew), but the important thing to remind yourself every time you come across it is that this is a personal name, not a title, and it’s the name God asked to be identified by (in Ex 3:15) “forever”.

            Chapter 9, v1-3 gives a very, very important description of how the people approached God, one that we should take to heart when we’ve transgressed and are seeking to return to His favor: humble yourself .  These folks fasted, humbled themselves, and confessed their sins.  They called upon God by name (v5) and blessed the name of God.  Then they pronounced this critical statement of faith that was central to the entire faith of all Jews: “You alone are Yahweh“, and followed with a list of accomplishments and deeds that God had done (v6-15).  They continue on and confess their sins (v16-31), and then while acknowledging their own guilt and the righteousness of God in punishing them for it, they ask for mercy (v32-37), and ask to enter again into a covenant with God (v 38, and then all of the specifics of the covenant are listed in Chapter 10 in it’s entirety).

            In Nehemiah c9v27 about 3/4 down the verse it says: “You gave them saviors, and they (the saviors) saved them (the Israelites).” (LSB translation).  So, who sent them saviors?  God did, we see throughout scriptures that God interacts with His creation through agents, but that even though the agent may have physically performed the task, it was God who caused it.  So who saved them? God did, again, because He sent the saviors (the judges, in this instance).  Even today, we understand that if a subordinate performs an action on behalf of their superior’s direct orders, it was actually the superior that caused the action to occur.  The Jewish folks have a legal term for this, called “shaliah” (see 1/27/26 devotion).  It’s critical to understand this concept in order not to misinterpret or misunderstand scripture.

            Here’s a good example of why: in Titus 3:4 it says “4 But when the kindness and benevolence of God our Savior appeared,” (REV) , and then down a little bit further in Titus 3:5-6 it says, “5 he saved us, not because of righteous works that we ourselves did, but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of a new beginning and renewal by the holy spirit, 6 which he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior” (**Note that I’d originally had the LSB pulled up, but switched to the REV for this quote because the LSB evangelical bias was showing pretty strongly: holy spirit had been capitalized, and “which” had been incorrectly translated as “whom”, attempting to nudge the readers in a specific direction of interpretation.).  In the above comparison, we see that God is stated as being our savior, and then Jesus is stated as being our savior.  Does that point to a hidden “complex” understanding of God then? 

            Certainly not.  We understand that when God sends an agent, the credit for the actions of that agent are reflected to God, since God sent them.  While we can absolutely say that Jesus (the) Christ is our Savior due to his obedient submission and sacrifice, we can also absolutely say that God is our Savior because He sent Jesus.  God initiated the action, Jesus performed the action.  Jesus himself explains this to us, saying that God sent him about 30 times in the book of John alone.  This is very clearly explained throughout scripture.  I sometimes find myself getting a bit passionate about this very simple scriptural understanding, particularly when later traditions are presented to me as biblical truths, and particularly in a “church” environment.  That can be dangerous, though.

            That same passion is probably exactly what allowed men’s hearts to be corrupted, and to torture and murder fellow believers, when they believed differently.  We see in Titus 3:8 that: “those who have put their trust in God will apply themselves to good works” and in Titus 3:9 that we should “avoid foolish speculations and genealogies and strife and fighting about the law, because they are unprofitable and pointless.”.  Our focus should be on doing good works.  We’re just humans.  Regardless of what you believe, how are you acting on that belief?  This scripture tells us that we should be more concerned about performing good works in God’s name.  I absolutely believe that scriptural truths are important, but I also don’t want to be the most correct theologically understanding guy that didn’t make it into the kingdom because I didn’t act with love towards my fellow creation.                      

            So what is the perfect balance?  It’s tricky.  We see from scripture that our priority should be to trust in God, and to focus on performing good deeds to the glory of God.  That being said, it’s also important to understand scripture properly, because “God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24), and I believe it’s a very good thing to share our understanding: provided we can do it in love.  Humbly, gently, with overwhelming concern and patience, and considering others to be greater than ourselves: but also firmly, and unwaveringly, using the scripture as our foundation.  Pray to God, and He will grant you wisdom.  In the meantime, if you’re not sure on how to proceed, focusing on good works will show where your heart is to those around you.  It will take time, patience, love, and God’s wisdom to affect any changes in understanding that are deep and meaningful.  Be a light to the world around you, don’t beat up the world around you with your light, but let it shine.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. Have you put your trust in God, or are you still trying to run things your way?
  2. What good works have you done this week?
  3. Do you plan your good works, or just wait for opportunities? Why?
  4. Which is more important to you: a correct understanding of scripture, or the correct implementation of the scriptures you understand?  Why?

PRAYER

Father God, grant me the heart to do Your will here on the earth, in a manner that pleases You.  Help me to love as deeply as You’ve loved us, and to share my faith in a manner which honors and pleases You.  Help me to be humble, and to follow Jesus’ example.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Rebuilding & Restoring

Nehemiah 7-8

Psalm 89

Titus 2

-Devotion by Caleah Kiel (IN)

There are seasons when rebuilding is hard. We may be repairing broken relationships, restoring our faith after disappointment, or simply trying to live faithfully in a world that often pulls us in the opposite direction. The passages in Nehemiah 7-8, Psalm 89, and Titus 2 remind us that lasting restoration begins and ends with God’s faithfulness.


In Nehemiah 7, the wall around Jerusalem has finally been completed, but Nehemiah understands that a city is more than its walls. He appoints trustworthy leaders and records the people who belong to God’s covenant community. Then, in chapter 8, the people gather eagerly to hear God’s Word. As Ezra reads the Law, they are deeply convicted, even moved to tears. Yet the day does not end in sorrow. Instead, they are told, “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Their restoration is not based on their perfection but on God’s grace, revealed through His Word.

Psalm 89 celebrates that same unchanging grace. Even in the midst of questions and hardship, the psalmist anchors his hope in God’s covenant faithfulness. Human circumstances change. Kingdoms rise and fall. People fail. But God’s promises remain secure because His character never changes. His steadfast love is the foundation beneath every season of life.


Titus 2 brings these truths into everyday living. Paul teaches that God’s grace not only saves us but also trains us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for the return of Christ. Grace is not merely forgiveness for yesterday; it is power for today and hope for tomorrow. As people who have experienced God’s faithfulness, our lives become living testimonies that point others to Him.


Together, these passages paint a beautiful picture. God’s faithful love calls us into His family, His Word transforms our hearts, and His grace shapes the way we live. We don’t pursue holiness to earn God’s favor; we pursue it because we already belong to Him. Just like the people gathered in Jerusalem, we find strength not in our own resolve but in the joy that comes from knowing the Lord.


Whatever you may be rebuilding today, remember that the same faithful God who restored His people, kept His covenant, and redeemed us through Christ is still at work. His Word will guide you. His grace will sustain you. His joy will strengthen you.

Questions

  1. What are you working on rebuilding today? What might God want to see you rebuiding? What might rebuilding steps look like?
  2. In what ways have you experienced the joy of the Lord as being Your strength? Are there any areas where you need to lean into this strength more and more?
  3. What do you think of when you think of God’s faithfulness? How can you make God’s faithfulness known through all generations (Psalm 89:1)?

Prayer


Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us love that never fails and promises that never change. Thank You for calling us into Your family through Your grace. Give us hearts that hunger for Your Word, lives that reflect Your goodness, and the strength to live faithfully each day. When we grow weary, remind us that our hope rests not in ourselves but in Your unchanging character. May Your joy be our strength as we wait for the glorious return of Your Son Jesus. Amen. 

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Truth that Leads to Godliness

Nehemiah 5-6

Psalm 89

Titus 1

-Devotion by Talon Paul (IN)

Did you know that there are over 40,000 denominations of Christianity across the world? Although most of them have the same 66 books in their Bibles, they have come up with some very different interpretations on many topics. In the Church of God, we know this more than most, as we can read the same Bible verse as someone from a Roman Catholic or Lutheran background and be on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. With all these different groups and teachings out there, we have to wonder: How can we tell who is telling the truth?

While I don’t believe that we will know everything until Jesus comes back (1 Corinthians 13:9-10), there are some good indicators from Titus 1 that someone is lying to us. Ultimately, their lifestyle is the biggest warning sign about their teaching: if they are living a godless life, they aren’t likely to share godly truth. This is what Jesus teaches us too:

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. – Matthew 7:15-20

This is the biggest reason why those who are elders and pastors in churches are called to live lives that are above reproach (v. 5-9): you will know someone is telling you the truth if their lifestyle matches what they’re teaching. In an age when we can pull up any famous preacher on YouTube and have our ears tickled by their teaching (2 Timothy 4:3), we should be extremely cautious that we examine our teachers’ lives and hold them accountable to live in a godly way. It’s an unfortunate reality that many news stories are showing just how far pastors and teachers are falling when they’re not held accountable: we should love our pastors and teachers enough to warn them if they are not living well.

Questions

  1. Examine your life and ask yourself: what fruits are being produced in my life? If you notice that there are some things popping up that are out-of-line with Jesus’ teachings, come to the cross and repent. You CAN change if you are willing.
  1. Who are the most influential teachers in your life? Are you close enough to them to see how they are living?
  1. If you are a teacher in any capacity, you are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). Does your life reflect what you are teaching others? If not, make it your priority to develop a more godly lifestyle for your students to see.

Prayer

Dear God – I praise You because You are holy, always righteous, and the giver of all truth. I confess any times that my words and my actions did not claim You or were out-of-line. Thank You for the teachers and pastors and role models in my life who uphold both truth and godly lifestyle. Show me truth, Lord, and help me speak it and live it well until Your precious Son Jesus returns. In his name I pray.

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Keeping the Faith – with Help

I have kept the faith 2 Timothy 4:8

Nehemiah 3-4

Psalm 88

2 Timothy 4

-Devotion by Talon Paul (IN)

They say that “hindsight is 20/20”, which means that you see most clearly once it’s all over and you’re reflecting backwards. The apostle Paul is spending some time reflecting in his final letter to Timothy, and during this reflection he names multiple people that have influenced his ministry (for better and for worse). As Paul “finishes his race”, he wants Timothy to be aware of others that he can lean on once Paul is no longer around. We can gain much wisdom from this chapter that is unfortunately skipped over in most Bible reading plans.

The first piece of wisdom that this section has to share is that we should always be preparing the next generation well. Paul had been a mentor and a shining example to young Timothy throughout their time together, as it is written: “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” (Philippians 3:17) As a good mentor, he tries to set him up for success by warning Timothy about others who might betray him in the future, like Demas and Alexander.

Outside of warning Timothy about those who are dangerous to his ministry, Paul encourages Timothy about those who are helpful to him: Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus, Carpus, Priscilla and Aquila, Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. While we are very much unaware of what many of these people have done to help Paul’s ministry, it shows us two things that should motivate all of us in our Christian walk:

  1. The Christian walk and ministry are not supposed to be done alone: they are meant to be done in community with other believers (Luke 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:13-14).
  1. We should recognize those who have made an impact in our lives, naming them specifically and rejoicing that God gave them to us (Galatians 6:6).

Questions

  1. Do you have a “Paul” in your life? An experienced, godly person to show you how to live in Christ, and who wants to set you up for success? If not, find someone in your church to invest in you.
  1. If you’re an experienced believer who has been a Christian for a while, do you have a “Timothy” in your life? An inexperienced believer who needs a mentor and guiding hand? If not, find someone in your church to invest in.
  1. Who are the people that have helped shape your spiritual life? Thank them personally and let them know how much they mean to you.

Prayer

Dear Father – You are worthy of all praise. Thank you for being a good God who has generously given the gifts of life, faith, salvation, Christian community, and ministry in many forms. Thank You for all those who have shared Your word and Your love with me and my family. I pray for Your strength and guidance as I in turn reach out to others with Your life-giving words. Help me to endure hardship, be committed to sound doctrine, and work with my Christian community well to raise up a next generation of believers who love and serve You with all their hearts, souls, and minds. I pray for Your Son’s return.

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