Month: July 2023

Peter and Cornelius

THEME WEEK- Peter: Acts 10

Old Testament: Nehemiah Intro – found below

Poetry: Psalm 18

This devotion comes from Acts chapter ten. The Centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort was a devout Christian man named Cornelius. Being known for the faith of all his house and his charitable actions toward the Jews, Cornelius is definitely the kind of guy you want around when change needs to be made. Now Cornelius has a vision, and in this vision he is instructed to seek out Simon Peter, afterwards he listens whole heartedly and dispatches a group to go find Peter and bring him to meet Cornelius. While the group is going to find Peter, Peter goes to a housetop to pray. On the housetop he becomes hungry and he is shown a vision. In this vision, a large sheet descends from the sky and in it are a multitude of unclean animals; birds, reptiles and all kinds of four footed animals. A voice instructs Peter to get up, kill and eat. But Peter is hesitant. He doesn’t want to, for he follows the tradition of the time and won’t eat anything considered unclean by tradition. The voice tells Peter “What GOD cleansed, no longer consider unholy” three times and the sheet is taken back up into the sky.

 At this time, while Peter is thinking over what he witnessed, the men sent by Cornelius arrive at the house of Peter. The Spirit tells Peter to receive the men without misgivings and after they greet one another Peter invites them in to stay.

So finally the stage is set. These men have come to take Peter to meet a Gentile, as Peter is starting to rethink what GOD considers holy and unholy. Breaking down traditions.

The group takes Peter and some others from Joppa to Caesarea to meet Cornelius and as he enters the house Cornelius bows to worship Peter. “Stand up” Peter says “for I too am just a man.” There with Cornelius were multiple other gentiles. Peter says “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

Cornelius gives the account of the vision he received and how he was instructed to reach out to Peter, and to hear the preaching of Peter. 

So Peter begins to preach. Starting with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and his anointing. Then to the death and resurrection of Jesus, ending with the fact that Jesus appeared to those who ate and drank with him before his crucifixion. And while Peter was still preaching to those gathered the Holy Spirit descended upon all those that were in the room, Jew and Gentile alike. 

The believers that came with Peter were amazed that the gentiles also could understand the speaking of tongues. 

Acts 10:47-48 reads “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”

So that’s the story of Acts chapter ten, but what do we learn? Our preconceived notions of what “GOD wants” may not always be true, just because our traditions teach us something doesn’t mean it’s right. Even though everyone is doing something doesn’t make it right.

But this passage is beautiful in its own way. Just because we may not belong to the house of Israel, doesn’t mean GOD’s love isn’t for us. While it seems like a surface level idea, this passage plainly shows our adoption into the family of GOD.

-John Evans

Reflection Questions

  1. Peter described to Cornelius who Jesus was. How would you describe Jesus?
  2. Are there any areas in which perhaps your ideas of what “God wants” is actually different than what God truly wants? Explain.
  3. What does it mean to you to be a part of the family of God?

Nehemiah Introduction

The book of Nehemiah was written by Nehemiah, the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.  This is the exciting sequel to the book of Ezra.  Ezra oversaw the rebuilding of the temple.  Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in an amazing 52 days.

The two important themes of the book are:
1. The amazing way God protected and provided as the returned exiles rebuild the wall around Jerusalem with amazing speed
2. The importance of being loyal to God.

I particularly appreciate chapters 8 and 9 where Ezra read the law of Moses to all the people; the people listened attentively and worshiped God.

May we be able to say, like Nehemiah in 13:31, “… Remember me with favor, O my God.”

-Steve Mattison

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Feed My Sheep

Theme Week – Peter: John 21

Old Testament: Ezra 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 17

Peter has experienced so much with Jesus that it is difficult to wrap our minds around everything. Miracles, explanations of the Kingdom, who God is, how to live, even being resurrected to life are some of the actions and ideas that God accomplished and conveyed through His Son. Peter took it all in. Peter was undergoing a transformation through his relationship with Jesus.

Peter knew and stated that Jesus was the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the Living God. (Matthew 16:16) This idea was revealed to him by God, but Peter stumbled when Jesus was on trial. He was terrified and rightly so. He saw the cruelty, the brutality released on Jesus so he denied him three times.

On the shore that morning, Jesus wants Peter to understand that he forgives him. After a miraculous catch of fish and eating a fish and bread breakfast, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him more than these?  “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” This time Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus is direct with Peter. He will express his love for Jesus by feeding, by taking care of his sheep. Of course, Jesus had taught them that his followers were his sheep. At that time, we were the ones that had not yet entered the sheep pen by the gate. But Praise God that Peter showed his love for Christ. He truly Followed Jesus. He became brave speaking to the crowds about believing and being baptized into Jesus. We are encouraged and challenged by what Peter said and did. He did feed the followers of Jesus then and we are still receiving that food and care today through the scriptures. Along with Peter, we have the chance to feed and care for the followers of Christ. We will faithfully follow the plan that God sets for our lives. We will follow Jesus Christ.

-Rebecca Dauksas

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you love Jesus (even if you have failed him before)?
  2. What job do you think Jesus has for you to do for him? How will you do it?
  3. Will you follow Jesus? How?
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The Purpose of Jesus

THEME WEEK – PETER – John 18

Old Testament: Ezra 6-8

Poetry: Psalm 16

This morning we read John chapter 18 – an emotional chapter that covers the arrest and trial of our Messiah, the King of the Jews. 

While the events we read about in this chapter and the next are completely unjust and cruel, they had to happen. Jesus knew what he was born for; he knew for what purpose he was sent to the world by God. He had already revealed his future several times in the gospels leading up to the crucifixion. Not only did Jesus predict his own death, but his life, ministry, and death was also prophesied in the Old Testament, beginning approximately 2000 years before his birth. This was God’s plan from the very beginning, and it was never supposed to be easy. 

God set his perfect plan in place long before Jesus was on earth, and when his time came he knew by whom he was sent and for what purpose, and he was determined to fulfill it, faith unwavering through every trial until death. He had many opportunities to walk away, and we know a part of him wished he could (Matthew 26:39), but our good and perfect Savior put his trust fully in God, and obeyed until the very end. This was no easy task. Though he remained without sin, Jesus of Nazareth was a human, just like us. He encountered countless trials that most anyone else would crumble under the weight of, and ultimately faced a gruesome death that most would run away from. 

We needed the sacrifice of a perfect human man to be saved. Through Christ we are redeemed. Without his tragic death, a sacrifice made both by God and by his Son, our fallen world would be doomed to live apart from God in sin and brokenness forever. But because we have a genius God who came up with the most perfect plan on our side, and because one man had unbreakable faith and steadfast love for the God he served and the world he was sent to save, we have the promise of a beautiful future – a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36). 

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

John 18:37

-Isabella Osborn

Reflection Questions

  1. Have there been times in your life that you were scared to do what you knew God was calling you to do? 
  2. What can we learn and apply to our own lives from the ultimate display of love and faithfulness in Jesus’ sacrifice?
  3. What are some reasons you think the Jews were so adamant that the savior sent to them by their God should be put to death? What do you think you would have done in that situation? What are some ways we can guard our hearts from the lies of this world that lead us away from God’s will for us?  
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Who is Jesus?

*THEME WEEK – Peter: Matthew 16

Old Testament: Ezra 4 & 5

Poetry: Psalm 15

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew chapter 16:13-15. In the story, we hear Jesus ask Peter a question. This is what it says:

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 

In a society that always asks who you are, it’s nice to hear Jesus say, who do you say I am? Isn’t that a better question to ask? So many times we’re worried about who we are and what people think of us. We’re worried about what we’re doing and feeling . We’re worried about how people see us. Jesus cuts through that and asks the real question – who do people say he is?

There’s so much to unpack with that question when we ask – who do people say Jesus is? We can use that in a personal way. We can use it in a way to re-center and refocus on what’s truly important.

So here’s a good question. Who do you think Jesus is? Do you get to say who he is or does God tell us who Jesus is and we need to re-center and refocus what he really is to us. Do you have a real view of Jesus, or a caricature of something you’ve made up in your mind? Too many times we make Jesus what we want him to be rather than what he is. He is the Christ, the son of the living God. He is our savior. He is our Messiah. He is our Lord.

Do you see him that way? If Jesus asks you who he is, would you have a good answer? Are you living that out? So here’s your question for today – who do you say Jesus is? 

-Andy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Who do you say Jesus is?
  2. How do you live that out?
  3. How does your answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” make a difference in your life? How does it help you re-center and refocus?
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On the Water

THEME WEEK – PETER: Matthew 14

Old Testament: Ezra 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 14

Today’s passage of Matthew 14 has a lot to unpack. There is much to learn from each story there, but my focus for this passage has always been the last portion: walking on water. Because while John’s death was tragic, and the feeding of the 5,000 is wondrous, the story of Peter stepping out of the boat has always been one of mixed emotions for me. 

Starting in verse 22 we read:

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus has performed miracles before this story. It should be no surprise that he could walk on water, but it truly must have been a sight to see. Coming through wind and darkness and waves, it was enough to make the disciples proclaim him to be a ghost. But Jesus calls through the wind and the lapping of the waves and over the creaking of the boat to reassure his followers. And Peter’s immediate response is one that I’ve always found commendable. He asked Jesus to call him out. 

He wants Jesus to call him out on to dark water to do something terrifying that he knows he’s completely incapable of doing on his own. He is fully aware that only Jesus, using the power and authority given to him by God alone, can help him do this great thing. 

So he asks him to call him out. How often do we ask to be called out into dangerous waters? Usually my request is, “Lord, keep me safe. Keep my family safe. Keep my life simple.” It’s not “Lord, send me out into water well over my head.” 

Peter asked to be called out because he knew that Jesus would help him. And I feel like he should get credit for this. And yet as we read further we see Jesus tell him he has little faith. 

But Jesus! He was the only disciple who stepped out of the boat! 

Poor Peter. He boldly trusts Jesus and goes out on the water but he loses focus. Rather than keeping his eyes on Christ he starts seeing the waves and winds and realizes just the sort of situation he’s in. He’s standing over deep water and the sea is not calm. This is no peaceful frolic. This is scarier and bigger than he expected, and suddenly the danger and the risk is all he can see. Christ is forgotten. 

If we are called to do big things for Christ, we cannot expect it to be simple and peaceful. We live in a world of sin, full of wind and waves, and he is calling us into it to do his work. But he’s right there. He is giving us the authority and the power to do great things. Unfortunately, sometimes all we can see is the danger. 

It takes great faith to step out onto the water, but having faith for a moment isn’t enough. Continuing on in faith despite obstacles and fear is what we are actually called to do. We cannot just step out of the boat. We must go forth as we are called. Keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Some things to think about:

What waters do you feel called on to? 

What do your winds and waves look like? 

What are some practical things that can help you focus less on your obstacles, and more on Jesus? (Maybe it’s deepening your prayer life. Maybe it’s getting a fellow Christian to go alongside you.)

How can you pray bigger prayers and in what areas of your life can you ask Jesus to call you out over deeper water?

My prayer for you today is that you are bold in your faith. I pray that you are able to see Jesus in areas in your life and that you hear his calling. I pray that you not only step out of the boat but that you also continue on toward him, trusting him to keep you above the water. 

-Jenn Haynes

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Can’t Throw Stones

*THEME WEEK – PETER – Luke 5

Poetry: Psalm 13

Old Testament: Ezra Intro – see below

This week many are gathering for a week of FUEL – a youth and young adult camp of the Church of God. Our theme for the week matches FUEL’s theme of Peter and our writers this week will all be participants and staff at FUEL. Have a great week seeking God, growing faith and loving more and more!

The past few weeks, I have been thinking about this a lot. We are so quick to cast stones when someone hurts us, or we find something out about someone that we think is wrong or sinful. I have seen this in myself recently. I have been quick to judge people when I don’t agree with their opinions or beliefs. I was very excited to have an opportunity to write about Luke 5. The story about Jesus choosing his first disciples has always been one of my favorites. But I never took the time to read deeper into it.

Luke 5: 31

Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees who are watching Jesus have dinner with tax collectors and sinners. In this time, it was crazy and unheard of to associate with these types of people, because they were considered unclean. But Jesus responds and says it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the SICK.

We are to have the same attitude as Jesus and realize that we ourselves are sick. We have all at one time sinned. Jesus has come and brought us, the sick, out of our sickness so that we can do the same for others.

He shows the same act in Luke 5:8-11

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful Man!” For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

            “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon, “From now on you will be catching people.” Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

Jesus called to the lost. He went to the darkest places to reach people and has instructed us to do the same.

It is hard to reach out to people sometimes. Especially when we know their past. But how can we judge someone, when Jesus comes to us and says, “You are forgiven.” It says in James 2:10

“For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.”

We all know that we have sinned before, we are all sinners, but Jesus calls us – to love each other, and show everyone who HE truly is, WASH THEIR FEET.

Wash the sinner’s feet. Love them and serve people as Jesus would serve. We are all sinners, no matter what it may be, we have all fallen short somewhere.

Jesus washes the feet of his disciples in John 13:1-5. He is free of sin, and yet he washes their feet. In this time, washing of someone’s feet was an act of service. Jesus was willing to serve everyone no matter who they were. We are called to do the same.

It is easy to judge and to say, well I couldn’t do that for this person because… (You fill in the blank). I have done it. I have judged people whether that be at work, or even when I was in school. I have judged and said, “Well that person is too far gone. There’s no way I could forgive them.” But the truth is, that everyone deserves Christ’s love. We are called to be free of judgement and full of love and forgiveness.

 You can’t wash feet and throw stones. We can’t do both.

Instead choose to wash the feet of everyone you can, not literally, but be kind and show them Christ’s love.

-Hannah Eldred

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you judged someone else and believed them to be too sick (in their sins) for Jesus to cure? How have you been proved wrong? What examples from the Bible and people you know prove that Jesus heals sinners and changes lives?
  2. Jesus called Peter to catch people not fish. What is Jesus calling you to do? What might you have to leave behind (as Peter left behind his fishing boats and nets)?
  3. How can you – will you – show others the love of Christ this week?

Ezra Introduction

The book of Ezra was written by a man named Ezra who was a Godly scribe and priest – a direct descendant of Aaron the first high priest.  The book starts with the decree of the Persian King Cyrus proclaiming the Israelites could return to Jerusalem and build a temple for God.  This was prophesied in Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10; 50:1-5; and Isaiah 44:28-45:5,13.

The first half of Ezra details the people who returned, and then describes the fits and starts of building the temple, along with the stiff opposition to building that temple.  (It took 23 years to rebuild the temple.)

Once the temple was built, the Israelites needed priests to perform sacrifices and teach God’s laws to the people.  It was at this time that Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem in a second wave of returning exiles along with priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.  

I love the description of Ezra found in 7:10, “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

We see a glimpse of his faith in Ezra 8:21-23, “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.  I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”  So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”

The second half of the book talks about addressing the sin in Israel, culminating in people’s confession of their sins and their pledge to live according to God’s laws.

I’ll close with Ezra 10:6, “… he [Ezra] ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.”

How often have you been this distressed over your own sins, let alone the sins of people who claim to follow God, or even the sins of our nation?  

-Steve Mattison

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Living Godly Lives in a Godless Age

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 34-36

Poetry: Psalm 12

New Testament: 2 Timothy 3-4

            During this week’s readings we’ve seen examples of many ways and reasons that people turn away from God.  We’ve also seen how people can be a complicated mixture of both faithful and obedient to God but also can lose their grip on faith and obedience through pride or greed and lose their intimate connection to God.

            Throughout scripture, God shows himself to be merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love and forgiveness.  He is a God of second chances (and 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances).  Yet he is also a holy and just God and brings down the rod of discipline upon the people he loves to correct their corrupt ways when they refuse to repent.

            On this final day of the week, these Scriptures show us some pretty remarkable things about God’s patience and mercy, and also the dangers to neglecting the Word of God.

            Josiah began to reign as King of Judah at the tender age of 8.  When he was a young lad of 16 he began seeking God.  He decisively began to rid Judah of idols.  He arranged to have the temple repaired.  As the workers were working in the temple, cleaning out the relics in the back halls and storage units they came across a dusty old book.  It looked old and probably hadn’t been read for centuries.  It turns out that the dusty old book was the Bible, as it was constituted at the time of Moses.  It contained the teaching and laws that Moses recorded based on what he received from God along with the history of God’s people going back to creation.  King Josiah asked that it be read aloud to him.  As he listened to God’s word being read, he was overcome with horror.  He tore his robes.  As he heard God’s word being read he realized how far astray they had gone from doing God’s will. 

            Josiah called for a prophet of God to come and tell them what God was going to do.  He was going to bring his judgment against the people of Judah, there would be a disaster that was unprecedented.  However, King Josiah would be spared because of his love and faithful obedience to God.  God said: “Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:  Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.  Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’” (2 Chronicles 34:26-28)

            Josiah led the people to renew the Covenant.  He led them in celebrating the Feast of Passover which had not been celebrated since the time of Samuel.  He continued to purge the nation of its idols.  Josiah was rewarded for his humility and faithful obedience to God’s covenant. He was permitted to live out his life with the nation in peace.  In this instance, God is both gracious to Josiah for his humble and repentant heart, but he is also just and requires that Judah suffer the consequences for their disobedience.

            After Josiah died, there was a rapid succession of kings, who each “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”  God continued to send prophets to warn his people to repent, but they would not listen. “Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.  The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.” (2 Chronicles 36:14-16)

            God gave second and third and fourth and fifth chances, but finally they were so hardened and disobedient that he had no choice but to let them be taken away into exile.

            Josiah was a man of God living in a broken and sinful world.  He did his best to lead others toward faithfulness and trust in God, but ultimately they rejected God and faced the consequences.  God showed mercy to Josiah for the sake of his humility and faithfulness.

            Like Josiah, we can be men and woman of God living faithfully in a broken and sinful world.  We can take heart, God sees our faithfulness and humility as we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus Christ and walk in obedience to Christ.  We have no guarantee that life will be easy as we live godly lives in a godless age.  In fact, we are warned that it will be hard.

            “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,  and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:12-17.

            Sadly, in Josiah’s day, the Bible was lost for hundreds of years in the back of the temple.  We are blessed, we have access to God’s word to read and study and obey…. But do we?

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1.  How do you suppose God’s people completely lost God’s word for hundreds of years?  Could that happen again in our age?
  2. Josiah humbled himself and repented. In what areas of your life do you need to humble yourself and repent?
  3.  As a result of this week’s devotions, what one change are you committed to making in your life?
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The “Dones”

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 31-33

Poetry: Psalm 11

New Testament: 2 Timothy 1-2

It’s Friday.  Have you stuck with me so far?  We’ve tackled some challenging subjects this week.  Most of the subjects have had to do with things that lead us away from God- from fear to pride to greed.  So many things have the potential to turn our hearts away from God.  It can be disheartening at times.

We talked earlier this week about the fastest growing religious group in America, the nones- those who say they have no religious affiliation or faith.  Today, I want to address another group, the Dones.  The Dones are people who have been highly committed believers, perhaps very active in Churches and ministries who have gotten to a place in their lives where they are just done.  Maybe they are a pastor or Church leader who has poured out their life and energy into helping others and then experienced resistance or mistreatment, or other forms of suffering and they simply said “I’m done” and walked away from their ministry or their church.

I know.  If you are a committed leader in the church and you get frustrated by people who treat you badly, it’s tempting to give up and say I’m done.  These people aren’t necessarily abandoning their faith in God to pursue a sinful lifestyle of adultery, drunkenness or debauchery.  They simply quit gathering with other believers in worship.  They might pray and read their Bibles in the comfort of their living room or back porch, but they aren’t in the fray with their sleeves rolled up active in ministry any more.  They are frustrated, depleted, disillusioned and disheartened and they are done with ministry or church or religion.

A couple of today’s texts address this.  Psalm 11 addresses the challenge of disillusionment in the people of God.  It asks the question: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Some Christians have worked hard to help build the Church, make disciples and take a stand against sin and unrighteousness in the world, but as we look at what’s happening, the world seems to be winning and the Church is losing ground.  We are seeing some of the foundations of basic morality crumble – basic issues of what is right and wrong, what it means to be a human person as a male or female created in the image of God, the meaning of the covenant or marriage and family – all of these basic elements of faith and life are being contested and undermined.  The very foundations of society are being undermined right before our eyes.  It’s easy to become disheartened and give up.

Psalm 11 says: “How then can you say to me, ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain.’”  In other words, the temptation in the face of all of these attacks against the Church and God and morality and our ministry could be to simply fly away like a bird to the safety of the mountain, far from the battle.  Go stick your head in the sand.  Give up. Become apathetic about religion or God or the Church and ride the clock out.  Or throw yourself headlong into achieving worldly pleasure or success (see yesterday’s devotion on money and happiness.)

Psalm 11 gives this following reminder when the temptation arises to fly away.

“In the Lord I take refuge.”  Our refuge is in God, not in running away to safety away from the battle.  Remember our reminder from earlier this week when God sent his prophet to Jehoshaphat- “The Battle belongs to the Lord”  Let us take refuge in God, but let us not run away from the battle.

“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”  Trust that God is still there.  God hasn’t gone anywhere.  God hasn’t abandoned us and flown away, he’s there, he’s watching, he’s engaged and he’s working his plan through us, through the church, through the proclamation of the gospel.  We can keep doing what we are called to do because we know that God is still on the throne.

“For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.”  God cares about what is right and just and good and that day will come when we will be at rest and peace.  In the mean time, we may experience our share of suffering while we serve God.  But we trust that the day is coming when we will see God’s face and receive our full blessing.

And just a word from the reading in 2 Timothy.  Paul uses the word suffering many times in this reading.  Paul knew a thing or two about suffering.  Much that he wrote came while he was sitting in a prison cell somewhere suffering because of his faith in Jesus Christ.   For Paul, suffering was not something to be avoided at all costs but the price of doing business as a disciple of Jesus.  Paul wore his suffering as a badge of honor.  He considered it a privilege to be able to suffer while serving Jesus in ministry.  I admit that I haven’t quite hit that level of faith yet.  I’m not a fan of suffering and I don’t like it when my ministry efforts are met with resistance or failure.  I don’t like seeing people that I tell about Jesus reject Jesus or see formally faithful FUEL attenders or church members join the ranks of Nones and Dones.  But I do recognize that Jesus warned us that being his disciple in this sinful world has costs and challenges and can be painful.   After nearly 40 years of ministry, I have a few scars of my own.  But I’m not ready to fly away and join the ranks of the Nones and Dones.  I share Paul’s faith: “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)  I hope that you know him too and are convinced.  Keep yourself in the faith.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1.  Do you know any Nones or Dones?  Have you tried asking them to join you as part of an active faith community?  If not, will you?
  2. Have you ever been tempted to join the ranks of the Dones?  What has kept you from flying away?
  3. Are you in danger of becoming a Done?  What steps do you need to take to stay fully committed and connected to a body of believers?
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Read this BEFORE you Get Rich!

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 29 & 30

Poetry: Psalm 10

*New Testament: 1 Timothy 6

            In 2022 a record was set as Americans lost more than 60 billion dollars in casinos and online betting.  American’s spend about 100 billion dollars a year buying lottery tickets.  I read a news article today that said as much as 200 Billion dollars in Covid relief money was stolen by fraud during the Covid paycheck relief program.  Over the next few months and years there will be trials as those who have been arrested and charged with fraud will have to face the consequences of their actions. 

What is the motivation for people to get rich by any means, including gambling, stealing and other types of fraud.  Does having more money make you happier?  A number of studies have been conducted in recent years to determine if there is a correlation between how much money one makes and their level of happiness.  One 2010 study by economist Daniel Kahneman found that after a certain amount of having basic financial needs met, having more money doesn’t improve your level of happiness.  The amount he found at the time was $75,000.  A more recent study found that making more money can have a slight affect on happiness, but really not enough to make a significant difference.  That researcher, Matthew Killingsworth from the Wharton Business School found that up to a certain amount your happiness might increase, but that your life is much better spent focusing your attention on other things to really improve your sense of well-being. He says: “people probably overemphasize money when they think about how well their life is going.”

The reward of short term happiness one might feel for having more money by winning the lottery, hitting the jackpot, or ripping off the Government by fraud, or even by wearing yourself out at work or working multiple side jobs to make more money isn’t worth the negative consequences of those behaviors. The negative outcomes more than offset any happiness gains one might have by having more money.

I love how psychologists, economists and other highly educated people are finally getting around to proving what God’s word has been saying for thousands of years.

In today’s reading in Timothy Paul warns: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Paul contrasts the benefits of godliness with contentment with basic food and clothing vs. the risks and consequences of those who desire to get rich due to their love of money.  Love of money and pursuit of riches are a trap that are destructive to people’s lives.  The love of money leads to all kinds of evil behavior and is a cause of some believers wandering away from their faith in God.

This week we’ve talked about different things that cause us to abandon faith in God including fear in the case of Jehoshaphat or pride in the case of Uzziah.  Here Paul warns that plain old greed can lead you away from faith in Jesus Christ.

What is the solution.  Learn to be content.  This corresponds with what John the Baptizer said in Luke 3:14 when soldiers came to him: “Soldiers asked, ‘What about us? What should we do?’ He answered, ‘Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.’”

Jesus was pretty smart and gave some great wisdom about money in Matthew 6:24-33

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

            I know that many who are reading this today are young people, perhaps in college or just beginning careers.  It’s natural to want to make enough money to meet your basic living needs- for food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and to give to help those in need.  Proverbs 30:8-9 offers this simple but wise prayer:

“give me neither poverty nor riches;

    feed me with the food that is needful for me,

  lest I be full and deny you

    and say, “Who is the Lord?”

or lest I be poor and steal

    and profane the name of my God.”

Lord, provide me with my basic needs so that I won’t be tempted to steal food to stay alive, but also please don’t give me too much so that I might be tempted to forget you.  In our striving for the happiness that we think wealth will gain for us, we may so badly wreck our priorities that it completely derails our faith.  If we value money too much, we might not be tempted to steal, but we may be tempted to steal from God by choosing to work on Sundays instead of going to Church.  Or working so hard the other 6 days a week that Sunday is our only day to sleep in or do work around the house and so we can’t make time for God or Church.

A life spent chasing after riches will likely leave you spiritually poor.  So budget your time and your priorities wisely and don’t make financial wealth the primary driver of your happiness and meaning.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. How much money do you think it would take to make you happy?
  2. How can the love of money tempt you to wander away from your commitment to Jesus Christ?
  3. What should Christians’ attitude be about gambling?  The Bible doesn’t explicitly condemn gambling, but can gambling be participated in without greed/love of money?  How would you answer that question to someone who asked you if it is okay for Christians to gamble?
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The Power of Pride

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 26-28

Poetry: Psalm 9

New Testament: 1 Timothy 5

            I just realized something today.  I’m getting kind of old.  I know this comes as a shock to most of you who know how young I look (wink wink, nudge nudge).  Seriously, I’ve been alive during all or part of the presidencies of 12 different US Presidents, from JFK to Joe Biden- and several of them served 2 terms. Yikes!  To borrow from an old Clint Eastwood western, some of those presidents have been good, some have been bad and some have been ugly.  As we read through Chronicles and see the history of the kings of Judah, we could make the same observations, some were good, some were bad and some were down right ugly when it comes to their faithfulness to God

            Amaziah was one of the ugly ones. After defeating his enemies in battle he took their idols as plunder and brought them back and worshipped them.  A major no-no.  God really, really hates idolatry and gets very jealous when his people start worshipping other things as god or the ultimate in their lives.  In fact, in 2 Chronicles 25 (see yesterday’s reading) God punished Amaziah by having him routed in war against Israel, and then his own people assassinated him.  He was decisively rejected by both God and his kingdom.

            In today’s reading from 2 Chronicles we see that Amaziah’s son Uzziah followed him as King.  Uzziah was young, only 16 when he began to reign.  He got a great start because he sought God.  He found a godly teacher, Zechariah, to show him the way of God and he intentionally tried to do things God’s way as he ruled over Judah.  Because of his faithfulness, God blessed Uzziah with a prosperous reign: “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” 2 Chronicles 26:5 

            Today’s reading shows how successful Uzziah was while he followed God.  His army grew more powerful, he defeated their enemies. He fortified his territory. His fame spread and other nations brought him gifts acknowledging his power and success.  His country did well agriculturally as their herds and flocks grew and their vineyards were productive. 

            The blessings were really flowing for King Uzziah and he was on top of the world and felt really good about his accomplishments.  He had not made the same terrible mistakes that his father Amaziah made, there was no hint of the worship of idols under Uzziah’s rule.  But…unfortunately, as often happens in times of prosperity, Uzziah grew proud.  He started thinking that he was “all that and a bag of chips.” (do they still say that or is that from 20 years ago… I’ve lost track).  Anyway, he was FULL of himself.

            Let me back up a minute.  Going back to the time of Moses as leader of Israel there was a strict division of labor among God’s people.  You had judges and later Kings, who did the political leading, and you had the priests who oversaw the religious rituals.  Sometimes the lines got a little blurry and there was some overlap as with Samuel who was both a priest and a judge.  But by the time Kings were instituted it was clear that the Priests were the only ones allowed to go into the temple and offer sacrifices.  Offering sacrifices was a no go for the King.  King Saul had previously gotten himself in hot water for offering sacrifices (See 1 Samuel 13 for more details).  In short, Uzziah should have known better.

            Unfortunately, King Uzziah let his success lead to pride which led to his downfall.  “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” 2 Chronicles 26:16  Uzziah was doing what was forbidden for a king, to usurp the priestly role of  burning incense on the altar of the temple.

            The priests were horrified at what King Uzziah was doing and they stopped him (it took 80 of them).  Uzziah became enraged that they challenged him.  He was unwilling to stand down even with 80 priests telling him “no”.  So then God intervened and instantly struck him down with leprosy.  Leprosy was a skin disease that rendered the leper ceremonially unclean.  Uzziah was instantly cut off from temple worship and was made an outcast.  He had to leave his palace and remained an outcast until his death.

            What a sad and tragic end to the reign of a king that had begun so well.  Uzziah, as a young man had seen how bad his father had been as he pursued idols.  Uzziah sought the Lord, was faithful, God blessed and prospered him and all was well, until he gave in to the deadly sin of pride. 

            Why is pride a sin?  In the US June was just celebrated as Pride Month.  I was reminded of this literally everywhere I went.  When I turned on my computer at the hospital where I serve I was reminded that it was pride month.  I watched a baseball game featuring the Baltimore Orioles hosting the Seattle Mariners and there were rainbows and pride flags on the field, in the stands and surrounding all of the player stats.  Pride is celebrated in the world today as a wonderful and glorious thing.  But the Bible hasn’t changed- Proverbs 16:18 still says: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”Proverbs 16:8.  Whether it’s being proud to tell everyone that you are gay, or being proud of your accomplishments as king, pride is destructive. 

Pride is a deadly sin because it causes us to focus on who we are and what we accomplish and take our eyes off  of who God is and what he accomplishes.  Pride is a subtle form of idolatry.  Instead of worshipping another god in the form of a statue or object, pride is the worship of ourselves.  Uzziah was full of pride so he thought he was above following God’s law that said only priests could go into the temple and offer sacrifices on the altar.  Pride leads one to reject God’s laws and God’s authority to tell us what we can and what we cannot do which is ultimately a rejection of God as God.  If, in my pride, I tell God that I don’t have to listen to him, he has no authority over an area of my life, then I’m turning myself into my own idol.  That’s exactly what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.  It’s what Uzziah did in the temple, it’s what we do whenever we say, “I know that God has said this is wrong, but I reject God’s authority to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body, my life.”   Pride has caused the deaths of untold millions of people, including unborn babies.  Pride has caused countless people to turn away from their faith in God and from following Jesus Christ in order for them to follow their own “truth” about who they are and what they think should be right.

Uzziah was punished by God with leprosy which caused him to lose his access to both worship and to his role as king.  He died miserable and alone.  That’s where pride usually leads.  We need to avoid pride like the plague.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1.  Why do you think God was so harsh and immediate in striking King Uzziah with leprosy.  After all, he’d been pretty faithful up till that point in his life?
  2. What do you think of the ways that Pride has been exalted in our culture?  Can you see any ways that pride could be leading toward societal destruction?
  3. What are the danger areas of pride in your own life?  Is there an area where pride could be leading you away from God.  Are there any areas where you reject God’s teaching in  your life and you are proud of it?
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