In yesterday’s devotion, we were reminded of the importance of obedience and the dangers of disobedience. Even though the passages that we read yesterday were years and years removed from our reading today in Isaiah, similar themes run through both. Israel was continuously going through a sin-cycle of disobedience, discipline, and then a decision to return to God. In Isaiah 1, we see the harsh consequences of sin again. Verse 5 says, “Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint.” Sin has eternal consequences, and it also has consequences in our daily life. Because of the Israelites’ sin, their home was destroyed, and all of the things that they loved were taken away. Even though sin was destroying them from the inside out, they still refused to submit to God.
In many ways, we can talk about sin with the same language that we use for other negative repetitive behaviors, like addiction. People who are addicted to something keep returning to it even if the actual desire to do the thing isn’t there. They may actually hate the thing that they do, but they can’t seem to stop themselves from returning to it (which sounds a lot like my relationship with social media). Israel continued to return to sin despite the pain that it caused.
In verses 18-20, we see a promise to the Israelites. It says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” On their own, Israel could never break out of the sin cycle. When they rested on their own power, they fell back into disobedience.
But, we don’t have to rely on our own power to break our addiction to sin. This promise for the Israelites – the promise to be made clean, to be freed from sin – found its fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” We now have been grafted into the body of Christ. The promise that was given to Israel has been given to us as well. This is why we can break the sin-cycle in our lives. We don’t have to rely on our own works; we find our rest in him. Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” We can enter into this state of rest because Jesus has done the work for us. He was the sacrifice that made us clean. Just like the Israelites waited for the Promised Land, we wait in hope for the Kingdom, our eternal glorious place of rest. We have to hold fast to the truth and choose to live rightly.
How then should we live? Isaiah describes a life that is lived rightly: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Let’s pursue righteousness as we wait for the fulfillment of the promises of God.
After several years of teaching, I recently had the opportunity to stay home with my two kids. My oldest is three, and he has a mind of his own. Much of my day is spent doing fun things, like playing outside, reading books, and building Lego towers. But, with a toddler, there are always going to be times of correction. Discipline now is necessary for a happy, healthy, well-adjusted human later on. But disciplining through rebellion has its share of tears, tantrums, and yelling of “No.”
Today, we read about a similar situation of discipline. There are two choices we have in life. We can choose to be obedient to God, submitting to his word, or we can choose to pursue our own desires, rejecting God’s word. One path is the path of righteousness and life. The other is the path of sin and death. In Psalm 58, we read about the harsh judgment reserved for those who are not righteous. In verse 10, “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
As Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “There as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness.’ We must take care of the condition of our hearts. If our heart is soft to God’s leading, we will listen in obedience to what he says, and we will do it. However, if our heart is hard, we will be more likely to reject God’s commands.
How do we know the condition of our heart? It’s important to look at our actions. If what we do is lined up to God’s word, then we have a heart to listen to what he says and follow it. I’ve heard it described as a plumb line that we use to measure up our actions. If we are out of line, God’s word will call us out.
What does a hard heart look like? If you notice that your actions are consistently not matching up with godly living as described in the Bible, that is a good indication that you have hardened your heart to his teaching. You are living in rebellion. Those words seem harsh, but they line up with the way that Hebrews describe them. If you consistently read that you should do something but you don’t, you are not living righteously. Just like the notifications on your phone, you swipe out of and never look at or the alarm you press snooze on, you are desensitizing yourself to the effects of sin. You’ve become “an evil, unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 12-13).
We need to encourage each other to pursue a righteous life of obedience. That is what we are called to do.
The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah to the southern tribe of Judah at a time when the Assyrian empire threatened Judah’s destruction. The name Isaiah means “the Lord saves”. Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet.
While Isaiah predicted that Judah would eventually be defeated because of their sins; he also predicted a message of hope – the coming messiah (a suffering servant), would come to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Some have suggested that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah focus on doom and gloom, similar to the 39 books of the Old Testament; while the 27 last chapters (40 – 66) of Isaiah focus on hope and restoration, similar to the 27 books of the New Testament.
There are many prophecies in Isaiah about the “last days”, the “Day of the Lord”, the promised messiah (Jesus), God’s suffering servant (also Jesus), conditions in the millennium, and the coming Kingdom of God.
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
–Steve
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Have you walked through a season of rebellion? What was the outcome?
What is the importance of obedience?
What is the current status of your heart? How do you know?
The words at the beginning of the previous Psalm 52 and Psalm 56 refer to the occasion of David fleeing from King Saul into the hands of Achish, king of Gath. He escaped from there by pretending to be mad (I Samuel 21).
The words at the beginning of this Psalm 57, “David, when he fled from Saul in the cave”, probably refers to the very next verse in 1 Samuel 22:1, where David escaped to the “cave of Adullam”. Eventually his parents joined him there along with about four hundred men who were “in distress”, “in debt”, “depressed”. And he became commander over them”, evidently developing his leadership skills.
Perhaps the bigger the problem, the more opportunity you have to glorify God as you trust his direction in your life. Not to your problem-solving glory, but to your powerful God’s glory.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge. Show me your grace and favor here, David says. I am alone and discouraged. You are my only refuge. I’m exhausted. I could have died any day this week, but here I am, still running from Saul. What now?
We know life is busy, and we are pulled in many directions. Sometimes it seems that no matter what we decide to do, someone is unhappy — even if they don’t quite kill us. We juggle a lot of extremes and pressures in our lives. What to do?
David seems to carry the chaos of “storms of destruction” on the one hand, and clings to the safety of the “shadow of your wings” with the other hand. What now?
He decides, Yes, I will make my refuge in the shadow of your wings until the storms have passed by. God hides us from danger, gathered beneath his wings. We can survive the competing demands, lifting up our heads, decrying the self-pity. I cry out to God, the Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness. David certainly knew the battle advantage to holding the “high ground”. His God, the Most High, has heaven at his bidding and will do it all.
Then, like all of us, he looks down in fear and sees lions slinking about outside the cave and people breathing fire around him and men whose teeth are spears and arrows and whose tongues are sharp-edged swords. Are they rushing the cave, jabbing their spears and talking trash? Am I at school? Am I at work? What to do?
But the other fist comes up in shouts of declaration. Even though his enemies had prepared a snare and dug a trap for him, his enemies fell into it instead
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens Let Your glory be over all the earth.
With a deep breath he determinedly keeps going, My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. Awake! I will awaken the dawn. O Lord I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds..
David didn’t wait for his circumstances to change before he praised God. He was still in a dark cave with pursuers looking to kill him. But he chose to sing. He was scared, hiding in an earthen cave but praising God anyway, thinking about heavens and clouds, God’s steadfast love and faithfulness! Singing?
Is the desperate issue here “God, change my situation?” or is it “Praise you for being my songbird, gathering me under your wings in love; what do you want me to learn from this?” Perhaps David had a lot to learn from those 400 men. Either way, God was his best resource.
In the New Testament Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into stocks in a dank prison with many in pursuit (Acts 16:25-34). And they, too, chose to sing. They were still singing, hurting and bleeding, when God’s earthquake shook the prison foundations and loosed all the doors and bonds to immediate freedom. Which led the frightened jailer to cry, “Sir, what must I do to be saved”?
“And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” On the one hand, the jailer was facing death and destruction if these prisoners escaped, for Paul and Silas chose to sing and pray. But on the other hand, this man was rejoicing with his family that he believed in God!
Singing? Earthquake? Have you tried that in the midst of your difficulties? Rejoicing? Believing?
Surely technology could give us instant access to our list of praise songs – at any crushing moment – at any rejection – at any physical danger – at any financial crisis –after we call 911.
God IS our refuge. So write a new song. Just sing!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens Let Your glory be over all the earth.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning, new every morning
Great is your faithfulness, O LORD,
Great is your faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:22-23
Song “The Steadfast Love of the Lord” by Edith McNeill
-Cheryl Ross
Reflection Questions
What can you learn from David?
Have you tried singing and praising God in the midst of your struggles and difficulties? If so, did you find any benefit in doing so?
When will it be helpful for you to remember that your God holds the high ground?
Hello all! Today we will be covering the first chapter of Hebrews. One of the main purposes of Hebrews was to reassure the Jewish Christians that Jesus is necessary. We see this purpose played out in chapter one, as the author describes the importance and glory of Jesus in chapter one.
To start off the book and chapter, the author compares Jesus to the prophets of the Old Testament. The Jews loved and adored the prophets of the Old Testament, and they viewed their words very sacredly. Therefore, it makes total sense that the author would begin by comparing Jesus to the same prophets that the Jews love. Not only does he compare Jesus to the prophets, but he raises Jesus above the prophets by saying he was “appointed the heir of all things.” The prophets are crucial to both us and the Jews, but Jesus is even more important. Jesus is described as being the “radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” That’s some pretty high praise. This should begin to reassure the Jewish Christians of the importance and necessity of Jesus Christ.
The author not only compares and raises Jesus above the prophets, but he compares Jesus to the angels as well. In verse 5, the author rhetorically asks “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’?” The answer to that question is none of them. No angel is God’s son. This verse is detrimental to the Jehovah’s Witnesses because they hold the belief that Jesus is the archangel Michael. We know though that Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore, sorry Jehovah’s Witnesses, but no angel, including the archangel Michael, is God’s son.
We continue along in the chapter, and verse eight reads, “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Hold up. Wait a minute. Put a little SAY WHAT?! The Church of God is so strong on the doctrine that God is one, and Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Son. Do we have it wrong though? Upon first look, it appears Jesus is God. Let’s take a deeper look at this then.
First off first, this is quoted from Psalm 45. Psalm 45 is about a king, not God. This isn’t trying to dictate any sign of deity, rather a sign of authority. For surely the Psalm writer of Psalm 45 wasn’t trying to give the king any form of deity. Furthermore, verse nine states, “therefore God, your God, has anointed you.” First, God doesn’t need anointed. If Jesus were God, then he wouldn’t need to be anointed. Second, the king in Psalm 45 that has the word “God” ascribed to him has a God. God can’t have a God. There is no higher being than God. Jesus can’t be God and have a God. Therefore, we can read verses eight and nine, as attributing authority to Jesus, not Jesus actually being God.
Another tidbit to point out, the ESV uses the phrase, “But of the Son he says,” in verse eight. However, a more accurate interpretation of the Greek reads, “with respect to the Son.” This is important in verses 10-12, as those verses aren’t talking about Jesus. It is in respect to the Son, Jesus. Verses 10-12 talk about the magnificence of YHWH. The author of Hebrews does this because in verse thirteen, he quotes Psalm 110:1 (the most quoted Old Testament scripture in the New Testament). By glorifying God in verses 10-12, the author is also glorifying Jesus because Jesus has the sole privilege of sitting at God’s right hand. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Creator of the heavens and the earth! That’s a huge privilege to have, and that privilege is held by Jesus and Jesus alone.
The final verse of Hebrews chapter one is quite possibly my favorite. It reads, “Are they (the angels) not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” The angels are sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. Uh, hello! That’s us! We are the ones who are to inherit salvation. The angels are sent out to minister to you! Isn’t that awesome?!
The author of Hebrews reassured the Jewish Christians of the importance of Jesus. The author also encouraged them by stating the angels are sent to minister to them! Again, I hope this passage can impact you in the same manner that it would have for the Jewish Christians, “for the word of God is living and active,” (Just a teaser for Thursday’s reading).
In Christian love,
Kyle McClain
Fun fact of the day: the first four verses of Hebrews is one long sentence in Greek. Wow!
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 5, 2018)
Reflection Questions
How many times is the Old Testament quoted in Hebrews 1? What does this tell you about the writer and his purpose?
The writer calls Jesus an exact representation of God. Is a representation ever the same thing as what it is representing?
How would you describe how Jesus is presented in Hebrews 1? What position does he have? Who gave it to him?
Are you in for a special treat today! Not just because we are discussing Song of Songs (otherwise known as Song of Songs), but also because I looked into the SeekGrowLove archives and found not one, not two, but three great devotions on Song of Solomon (and then I stopped looking). So, today is a bit of a compilation with pieces from three previous devotions. The full devotions are linked below and are all worthy of a read/re-read.
From Rick McClain:
“The visuals painted in these chapters about a bride and groom are very sexual in nature, but is that what this book is about? Some say it is an allegory of Jesus and his bride, the church. I doubt this is true because Jesus wasn’t even around in the Old Testament when this was written. I don’t think the concept of the church being the bride of Jesus was known back then so why would someone write an allegory about that? It is also believed by some that it could be an allegory about God and the people of Israel. There are no doubt similarities between the relationship of a bride and groom and the relationship between God and His people, but why would someone use such erotic sexual material to describe how God thinks about Israel and vice versa?
I believe it is love poetry and I am thrilled that the Bible has affirmed that the sexual desire I have for my wife is a good thing. I know that will make some of you squirm a bit because we don’t usually talk about this stuff, especially in church. However, I think one of the main points of this book is to show that the physical attraction between a bride and groom is a beautiful thing that God has created for them to enjoy.”
“But back to the song of all songs. I am not going to go in great detail here about this book because you should read it for yourself. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much in love these two seemed to be. It reminded me of when you see two young people in love, and their love is just oozing all over each other so much so that they don’t even notice anyone else is around. They can’t stop smiling at each other and they are on cloud nine. We usually roll our eyes at them and think they are being ridiculous, but this is exactly the kind of love that was on display in these eight chapters. Solomon gushed about her eyes, hair, neck, lips, and body parts that reminded him of fawns, but it didn’t stop there. I knew this was a story about real, intense, true love when he mentioned her teeth. He didn’t just say she had beautiful teeth, he said her teeth were like a flock of newly shorn ewes. Don’t picture dirty ewes that have been rolling around in the dirt, Solomon said the ewes had just come up from their washing. Moreover, all these ewes bore twins, and not one of them had lost their young. He said all of that about her teeth!?!? That dude was crazy in love! And she was just as ridiculous as him, which can be seen when she says her beloved is like a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of Engedi.”
From Steve Mattison:
SoS 2:2 says, “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.” Husbands and future husbands take note. Highlight what you appreciate about your wife, and make sure she knows it well and often. But the praise must be sincere. And if it’s appropriate and if she would appreciate it, make sure you extend this praise publicly. But don’t just stop with praise. Treat her like she is precious because she is.
SoS 2:4 contains part of the wife’s response, “His banner over me is love.” All by itself, this sounds pretty weird. I think this is saying that her husband is publicly proclaiming his love for her – sort of like writing it on a flag, and waving it around for everyone to see. He is not ashamed to acknowledge her publicly. Again, husbands take note.
In SoS 2:6, the wife goes on to say, “His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.” I’ll leave it to your imagination to consider their position and presumed activity. Husband’s again take note. If you shower your wife with love. If you make her a priority, and she knows it. If she knows you’re never ashamed of having her at your side. Things will go a lot better with your love life.
She goes on to say in SoS 2:7, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” I would say that differently. I would say “save sex for marriage” – and then, it is a wonderful blessing from God for both husband and wife to enjoy to the fullest together.
In his reply, in SoS 2:15, the husband says, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom”. I think the idea here is that there are always little things that can attack the relationship, and these things need to be caught and stopped. Some examples may include selfishness, pride, never admitting that you are wrong, finding fault, unforgiveness, mistrust, etc. All of these have to be dealt with and removed in order for the love to blossom and flourish.
And you have to love that part in verse 17 where she says, “until the day breaks and the shadows flee…”. It sounds like she is talking about being intimate all night long. So, husbands, if you want verse 17, you have to have to practice verses 2 and 4 and 7 and 15. In other words, if you want a great sex life in your marriage, adore your wife. Let that show in everything you do and in every way you treat her, and you will see results.
Oh yeah, and do the same with your relationship with God, and you’ll see great results there too – both now and forever.”
From Maria Knowlton:
“So how do you use SOS to make a difference in your life? How do you make this a part of your devotion? A friend of mine told me that her pastor recently preached a sermon on it and encouraged husbands to tell their wives they are beautiful. So there you go husbands! God wants you to complement your wives! Use lots of flowery words! (Check out youtube for examples on how to use King Solomon’s words to make your woman swoon!) Ok, that was a little facetious. Seriously, most woman do want to know her man desires her (but maybe not in the words of chapter 4) and God has provided an example of this along with His blessings. My friend thought of another take on SOS. She thought that since her husband was being encouraged to tell her she’s beautiful, she should make more of an effort to be beautiful. She looked at verse 1:6 when the Shulammite woman tries to hide from Solomon. So my friend decided that in addition to not wearing sweats all day, she would close the door while using the powder room and not burp or otherwise display gross behaviors in front of her husband. We all laughed when she told us that he didn’t notice but her point was that we shouldn’t take our husbands for granted and we should make an effort to be beautiful for our husbands. We also need to keep in mind verse 2:15, “ Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. The chorus talking here, saying not to allow anything to spoil the man and woman’s relationship. Good advice for all of us in any relationship. The world may have cheapened the physical relationship between a man and a woman, likening it to something as casual as a game of ping pong. SOS reminds us that it is truly a wedding gift from God that is to be treasured, embraced, and protected. So if you are married, read today’s reading with your spouse and have a great night! ; )”
God made sex. And He made it good. To be enjoyed by one man and one woman who are married – meaning they have committed their lives to one another til death do them part. There are a lot of verses in Song of Solomon that have never been made into refrigerator magnets or wedding invitations – but I do love 2:16a “My beloved is mine and I am his.” Such a beautiful declaration of a deep, mutual devotion to the love of your life. It is indeed perfect for a wedding invitation! But, how many couples can say the same thing 10, 20, 30, 50 or more years down the road. How do we keep the love from growing cold – which will happen when the fire isn’t tended? Marriage is complex and there is no one easy answer – but Song of Songs does have some useful tips for fanning that flame with your spouse.
If you aren’t married yet – what is the greatest take-away you found in Song of Solomon?
If you are married – what is the greatest take-away you found in Song of Solomon?
Why do you think God included Song of Solomon in the Bible?
Hebrews Introduction
The title of the book of Hebrews suggests it was written to Jewish Christians. We don’t know who wrote the book. Although some suggest the author may have been Paul, Hebrews 2:3 almost certainly refutes this. Whoever it was knew their Old Testament very well, and wrote persuasive arguments showing that Jesus is greater than everyone and everything in the Old Testament, including angels, priests, the law, Moses, sacrifices, etc.
The book of Hebrews points out that the law was only a shadow of the good things that are coming (Hebrews 10:1). Colossians 2:16-17 goes on to say that the reality is found in Christ. And Jesus became the ultimate high priest, who offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice once and for all.
The two main points of Hebrews are to encourage Christians to endure, and to warn Christians to remain faithful in following Christ.
Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, is probably the best well-known chapter in Hebrews. One of the most well-known verses is 11:4, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
On their Sgt Pepper Album, the Beatles had a track called “Getting Better”. “I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time.” It’s actually a pretty optimistic song coming in the aftermath of WWII and what was then well into the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union when everyone was waiting for nuclear war to break out (it almost did in 1962 during the Cuban Missal Crisis).
Should our expectation be that things will just keep getting better and better? There was a theological movement that was very popular in the 19th and 20th centuries called Post-Millennialism. The essential thrust of this teaching was that through the work of the Church and preaching of the Gospel and later the social ministries of the Church that we would usher in the Kingdom of God on earth and then Jesus would come back to rule. This belief was in sharp contrast to much previous teaching in the early centuries of Christianity which saw this age ending with a big apocalypse and global destruction and time of great tribulation before the return of Jesus to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Postmillennial preaching roughly corresponded with the optimism that accompanied the utopian vision of many in that same time frame. Advances in technology and health care had many convinced that we would bring about a much better world through human effort. For most, this all fell apart after two World Wars, the holocaust, the Cold War, and the nuclear age etc…
Where did the Apostle Paul stand in all of this? It’s pretty clear from today’s reading in 2 Timothy 3 that Paul did not hold optimistic hopes for a world where things just keep getting better and better. Paul gives no indication that he had a post-millennial hope of the kingdom being brought to completion solely through the efforts of the Church. Paul warns that the “last days” would be days of difficulty: “People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (vs. 2-4).
Paul paints a dismal and disheartening picture of where he sees the human race headed. But against this backdrop of increasing sin and brokenness, Paul presents the followers of Jesus Christ, those who will follow both his teaching and example, as standing out from this world in all its sin and brokenness, equipped by God to do good works.
As I look at the trajectory of this world during my lifetime of nearly 60 years, I see little evidence that the world is capable of creating the utopian vision that many dreamers had or that the Church’s power and influence is becoming greater and leading the world closer to the paradise envisioned in the Kingdom of God vision of the Bible. I see Paul’s stark predictions being lived out every day. In the US the life expectancy rate is now shrinking due to “Deaths of Despair”- deaths caused by suicide, opioid overdoses, and diseases related to alcohol abuse. I won’t take the time to give examples of all the things that Paul warns against. A quick scan of the social science writings over the last 50 years from Christopher Lasch’s Culture of Narcissism to Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death shows that one does not even have to have a Christian worldview to detect that things are not getting better and are exactly as Paul said they would be.
As Christians how should we respond? Do we throw in the towel and give up? Of course not. God is still saving people from this present evil age. People are still turning from darkness to the light of Jesus Christ. Even as Paul kept preaching the gospel even in the midst of his trials and persecutions, so should we. We know how the story ends. Jesus will come and make all things new. In the meantime, we are invited to do the work of showing people Jesus Christ. Many will reject us and our message, but some will believe and follow.
I’m reminded of the story of the man who was out on the beach looking at thousands of starfish that had washed ashore. He was picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the water so that they might be saved. A man came along and watched him throwing them one at a time. He scoffed and said “There are probably millions of starfish on his beach and most will die. What possible difference do you think you can make?” The other man reached down and picked up one single starfish and returned it to the ocean. “For that one, I made all the difference in the world.”
There are billions in the world who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior. You and I can’t save them all today, but there is someone that you will meet today or tomorrow that you can share the hope of Christ with, and for that one, your efforts might make all the difference.
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
As you weigh the current condition of the world against the hopes of the postmillennial and utopian dreams of the 19th and 20th century and the predictions of Paul 2000 years ago, which do you think was more accurate? Why?
What can we do to stem the Deaths of Despair?
Which starfish will you pick up first? When will you start?
Song of SoNGS Introduction
King Solomon likely wrote the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon, which is considered one of the books of poetry in the Bible. The book is written as a series of monologues between “Beloved” (her) and “Lover” (him), with some commentary from “Friends”.
Many have suggested that Song of Solomon is an allegory, pointing to how much God loves us, and how we should love God. I completely dismiss this interpretation. The book clearly describes the romantic love between King Solomon and one of his wives. (Song of Solomon 6:8 mentions that at the time of its writing, there were 60 queens and 80 concubines.)
Even though the whole book is sexually suggestive, it repeatedly warns (in 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4), “Do not arouse or awaken love before it so desires.” – presumably warning to wait for sex until marriage.
Have you ever been asked to guard something? If you’ve ever played a team sport it’s likely that you guarded someone or something. When you play defense in basketball or hockey you guard someone. In basketball and football, there are positions called guards. In baseball, the catcher is responsible for guarding home plate.
We encounter lots of guards in life- prison guards, security guards, the National Guard. Celebrities and politicians and other rich and powerful people often have bodyguards. If you’re out with a friend at a busy place and they go to buy food or use the restroom they might ask you to “guard my seat”.
To guard something means that you have been entrusted to protect someone or something that is valued by another. In today’s reading of 2 Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul has written to Timothy and reminded him about all of the goods that have been entrusted to him in his life. He speaks about the sincere faith that began in both Timothy’s grandmother and mother now in him. He describes this faith as something that has been entrusted to Timothy and must be guarded. I have the image of going to the bank and bringing my paycheck and giving it to the bank officer and asking her to guard my money until I needed it. I am entrusting my deposit with the bank. Here, Paul is entrusting his spiritual deposits to Timothy. Just as Timothy’s grandmother and mother made spiritual deposits in his life, Paul too made spiritual deposits. Now it’s up to Timothy to both guard those deposits and also put them to good use. Paul freely changes metaphors to that of fire. A fire that has started often needs to be fanned, given more air, until it grows enough to really burn. Protect the deposit and fan the flame. This is Paul’s counsel to Timothy.
You’ve undoubtedly had many people make faith deposits in your life. For some, like Timothy, it was a grandparent or parent or other spiritual teacher or mentor. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher or youth leader, maybe it was a pastor or a counselor at Church camp. For many, it was likely a combination of many people who taught by words or actions what it means to know Jesus Christ and follow him as a disciple. I know in my nearly 60 years of life there have been countless people who have made faith deposits into my life, and who have helped me with my spiritual formation. These people have shared incredible gifts of faith with me. I feel a particular responsibility to not allow those gifts to go by the wayside, to be left unvalued, unused, and unguarded. I take the deposits of faith that have been entrusted to me and put them to work for Jesus Christ and for the Kingdom of God. This is an incredibly important responsibility and one that I do not take lightly. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who made faith deposits in my life and so I want to “pay it forward” by making faith deposits into the lives of others. This is why 45 years after I first attended Youth Camp (Now FUEL) I’m still trying to make faith deposits. I hope and pray that you guard what has been entrusted to you and fan into the flame the gifts that have been given to you so that God’s word will continue to spread like wildfire into a world that needs more faith.
Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Take a moment to write down the names of people that you can think of who have made faith deposits into your life. Say a prayer of thanks for them, or send one of them a note and say “thank you” for the faith deposits they’ve made in your life.
What are some ways that you can fan into flame the gifts that have been given you? What specific things will you do to help spread the faith in Jesus Christ shared with you?
How can you best guard what has been deposited into your spiritual bank account by others?
Tik Tok. It’s a fad. Fads are nothing new. My grandparents probably said “23 skidoo”. (I have not verified the spelling). The generation right before me were really into hula hoops and they danced “the twist” and the “watoosi”. My generation had pet rocks and mood rings.
Fads come to church too. Anybody still have a WWJD wristband? Are there any Prayer of Jabez plaques in your house. (Ask your parents about these fads). Many religious fads can be innocuous. Some fads can be pretty significant for good or for bad. The Late Great Planet Earth promoted a view of the rapture that had vast societal and political implications. A resurgence of Calvinism is impacting the way many Christians view the church’s role in society. The recent trend of doing church online and eschewing in person worship which began during the Covid lockdown has continued for many and may be weakening many congregations. (Who needs to spend an hour or two at church when you can watch a 45 second tik tok sermon in your pajamas?) But I digress.
What exactly do we mean by the term “fad”? “Sociologists classify fads as a form of ‘collective preoccupations’ where many people over a relatively broad social spectrum engage in a similar behavior and interpret it in similar ways in order to identify their place in society” (See Pop Culture Christianity: What fad would Jesus follow” by Jim White). Another definition is: “An intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object’s qualities; a craze.” Fads are not a modern phenomenon. It appears that even the Apostle Paul had to deal with the religious “flavor of the month” in his first century ministry.
As we have been reviewing Paul’s life and teachings this week we have seen how he was specifically met by and called by Jesus Christ to bring the good news of the Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (everyone that wasn’t a Jew). Paul traveled extensively presenting the Gospel to new groups of people and then following up to see how they were doing in the faith. In today’s reading in 2 Corinthians 11 Paul is writing to the Church to offer correction to their following a new religious fad. New teachers came in behind Paul who apparently were more slick and polished than Paul was and who had packaged a different message that was appealing and persuasive and was drawing the Corinthian disciples away from their “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (vs. 3).
Paul goes on to use some very strong language to warn the Church against blindly following these fancy new teachers and their faddish preaching. He uses words like: deceived, led astray, another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel, false apostles, disguised as preachers of righteousness just as Satan is disguised as an angel of light. That’s a lot of clear, hard teaching. It’s not always easy to hear clear, hard teaching, but it’s sometimes needed. 7 years ago I had a doctor who gave me some clear, hard teaching. He diagnosed me with cancer. The cancer needed treatment. I needed surgery or radiation or both (it ended up being both). If I chose to ignore the doctor’s warning I probably wouldn’t still be around today. Fortunately, he cared enough to tell me the hard truth and fortunately I received it and acted upon it, had the surgery and radiation along with a lot of prayers, and I’m still around.
I’m not sure how the Christians in the first century Church of Corinth responded to Paul’s hard teaching. Did they accept it and act accordingly or did they ignore it and keep on doing what they were doing, following the latest fad instead of returning to their pure devotion to Christ?
Paul tried to appeal to his listeners by laying out his resume, his credentials. He talked about his background and the foundation he received. He talked about how his dedication to Christ was evident in his actions and his willingness to keep going amid so much opposition. Paul recognized that when he went around preaching the gospel and telling people about God’s Kingdom and God’s chosen King, Jesus, he was involved in spiritual warfare. The enemy or evil one tried to stop him wherever he went – that’s why he had so much opposition.
Do you ever run into opposition or challenges when you are trying to do what God told you to do? 500 years ago a teacher named Ignatius helped his students practice discernment of spirits. I think he had some helpful teaching. He said, rightly I believe, that when we are doing morally bad or sinful things, the evil spirit or enemy of God makes them look and feel pretty good. I’m not going to lie, sometimes doing bad or sinful things feels good in the moment. The devil wants you to feel good about doing bad so he “rewards” you with those temporary good feelings. Meanwhile, God comes along and drops bad feelings like guilt or shame (what a buzz kill). Just like my doctor- I’m enjoying life and he has to ruin my fun by telling me I have cancer. But guess what, listening to him saved my life. And listening to the guilt when we are doing things that bring us away from God can save our spiritual life by turning us away from sin back to God’s path for our lives.
Here’s the flip side to discernment. When we are sold out on following Jesus Christ, when we are on fire for the Lord and willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus, the evil one comes along and tries to throw as many challenges and obstacles in our way to trip us up and get us to give up our faithful commitment to God. But while the enemy is trying to destroy us, God will come along with his spirit and offer us his love, comfort and the promise that he is with us. He might use a song, a scripture, a sermon, another Christian, a beautiful sunrise, a rainbow in the sky, who knows what God will do to let us know that he is with us?
For me, when I was diagnosed with cancer one of the things that helped get me through it was my Church family. When I was going through 6 weeks of daily radiation every Sunday my Church prayed for me in worship. When I was going in for surgery, my church filled the sanctuary with happy face balloons and signs of encouragement. I was surrounded with love and encouragement. That kept me going. Now I try to return the favor and show love and encouragement to others when I sense the evil one is trying to trip them up. Maybe someone reading this today has been under attack from the evil one. Be encouraged! God is with you. Turn to Him, keep the faith. And be sure to use good discernment when a new fad comes along. Some may be harmless, but others might be a tactic that the enemy is using that might appear innocent but is actually turning your heart away from it’s sincere devotion of Christ. The enemy has been doing this a long time and he’s pretty skilled… don’t let him trick you.
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
Can you think of examples of religious fads that might appear innocent but can be potentially dangerous?
How might you use the tools of discernment to better evaluate things in your life, good and bad?
How might God use you to lovingly warn or share hard truth with someone who might be on a path that’s leading them away from Christ?
“There Ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down. There ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down. When I hear that trumpet sound, gonna rise right outta the ground. There Ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down.” I love hearing Johnny Cash sing that song with his old, gravelly voice. He recorded it not long before he died. I imagine he was thinking a lot about death at that point in his life. Most old people do think about death. And most young people I know don’t think much about death. We all know vaguely that we are mortal and that one day, somewhere far down the road we will have to face our own death, but we usually try to distract ourselves from the reality of death by thinking about other things. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker wrote: “Modern man is drinking and drugging himself out of awareness…”. I think that’s pretty accurate.
Personally, I never thought much about my own death until I was diagnosed with cancer 7 years ago (I’m still here). Cancer doesn’t automatically mean you are going to die, in fact, the majority of people with cancer do not die from cancer, at least not right away. There are many treatments to delay or send many cancers into remission. But I can tell you from experience when you hear the word cancer it does make you at least think about death, not just as a remote possibility but as something that you will actually have to experience someday. I imagine an accident or other near-death experience will do the same thing. PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) can be caused by exposure to death or fear of dying.
People deal with the fear of death in a variety of ways. One approach goes back to the time of Epicurus 300 BC who taught that there was no judgment or afterlife. When you die you simply cease to exist. There is no future reward beyond this life, and there is no fear of future punishment. Modern day atheism has embraced this approach to death. Another common approach to dealing with death is the denial of death by believing in the natural immortality of the soul. We are all immortal by nature. Our bodies die but our souls are immortal and when our bodies die our souls live on in another place like heaven or hell or come back in another form, reincarnation.
The Apostle Paul offers a third, biblically consistent, and hope-filled understanding of death. We are mortal by nature, not immortal. Death is a reality, but it does not have to be the final reality. In Christ there is the hope of the resurrection from the dead. Just as Christ died and went to the grave and on the third day was raised from the dead (in the same way that Jesus had previously raised Lazarus from the dead) Paul hoped that in Christ he too might attain the “resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:11 NRSV).
Paul’s hope was that his savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who is currently in heaven will come and transform “the body of our humiliation” (Phil 3:21) into a glorious body like Jesus is today. Paul’s term “the body of our humiliation” can also be translated as “of low estate” or even “vile”. In my work at a hospital chaplain, I am daily acquainted with how our bodies suffer decay and corruption. When people are sick the fragility of their bodies is exposed. The fragility of Jesus’ body was also exposed in his crucifixion. Ultimately, our fragile bodies will suffer disease, injury, and slow decay and we will die. But our hope in Jesus Christ is that he will come again and raise our bodies up in glory, in bodies that are no longer corrupt and subject to death. This is our blessed hope.
For Paul there was a daily awareness that he had not yet arrived at the fullness of the resurrected body, that will only happen when Christ comes at the end of this age. So for now Paul’s focus was to “press on” (Philippians 3:12) or “strain forward” (3:13). It gives us the image of a runner keeping his eye on the finish line. Paul is saying “keep your eye on the prize”.
Paul contrasts this way of being with those whom he says live as though they were “the enemies of Christ”. Their gods are earthly things (their belly or human appetites- 3:19). Paul makes their end clear – destruction (3:19). For Paul, humans are mortal, death is a reality that we will all face one day. For those who make themselves an enemy of Christ by rejecting him and making their own appetites their gods, the end is final destruction. But for those who put their hope in Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead, their hope is to be raised up from among the dead to be transformed into a glorious body like Jesus has been transformed into at his resurrection. A body that is not corruptible and cannot die. They will be clothed in immortality by Jesus upon his return from heaven.
I hope that you, like Paul and like me and countless other believers, trust in Jesus Christ and keep pressing on to follow him. Keep your eye on the prize.
“There Ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down. There ain’t no grave, gonna hold my body down. When I hear that trumpet sound, gonna rise right outta the ground. There Ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down.”
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
What value can you see in understanding the reality of death and the hope of bodily resurrection at the return of Christ as opposed to the no hope of life after death or the natural immortality of the soul?
Paul named those who were doomed for destruction as those whose gods were their belly/appetites. What might you name as other appetites/gods of people today? In what ways do pursuing those gods lead to destruction?
What does the promise of resurrection from the dead reveal to us about God’s character and plan for the world? What difference does that make in your life?
As I was driving home today listening to my favorite oldies station (All the best rock music was in the 60’s through 80’s, everyone knows that) I heard “How Deep is Your Love?” by the Bee Gees. (Disco, but still better than today’s stuff). “How deep is your love how deep is your love, I really need to learn?”
Isn’t that THE question we all ask constantly throughout our lives? “Do you love me? How much do you love me? What are the limits of your love for me?” We all want and need to know that we are loved.
One of the foundational needs of every human being from the moment of birth is to know that they are loved and securely attached to a loving caregiver. “If I’m cute, do you love me? If I cry do you love me enough to pick me up and comfort me? If I make a stinky mess do you love me enough to clean me up and put a fresh diaper and clothes on me? If I take a pair of scissors and cut holes in your suit jacket will you still love me Daddy? (Extra points if you figure out which Fletcher kid actually did than when they were 4).” The answer is, “Yes, I still love you.” And I love you when a tree somehow jumps in front of the car as you’re driving (A different Fletcher kid, at age 16). “Will you still love me when I disobey you or when I reject your values and beliefs?” “Yes, even when you break my heart, I will still love you.”
In Ephesians 3 Paul shares something for which he is earnestly praying for his readers. Paul is praying that they might ask Jesus “how deep is your love” and that God might give them the power to comprehend just how much Jesus loves them. He writes in vs. 17-19 “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…”(ESV). Essentially, Paul is saying that he wants them to know the unknowable, the unlimited love of Christ for them in all of its dimensions. How high, how wide, how long, how deep is the love of Jesus Christ for us? As you read through the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life you can see his love in action. Jesus touches the untouchable leper, love in action. Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery, love in action. Jesus feeds 5,000, love in action. Jesus turns water into wine to save the wedding celebration and spare the father shame, love in action. Jesus undergoes betrayal, rejection, and false accusations, and is spit upon, mocked, beaten, scourged, and crucified, all love in action.
How do we begin to understand this love according to Paul? By Faith. We have to trust Jesus enough to allow him into our hearts so that we may begin to experience that love and be transformed inside out. Paul says that like a tree we have to sink down our roots into that love (vs. 17). Jesus referred to himself as the vine and his disciples as the branches. (John 15:4-6) In order to bear the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control- Galatians 5:22-23) we need to maintain a continuous connection to Jesus.
“Do you love me?”
Jesus answers a resounding “yes!”
“How much do you love me? “
Jesus answers, “I love you so much I died on the cross for you.”
“What are the limits of your love for me?”
Jesus answers- “Put your complete trust in me and ask God to show you the full dimensions of my love, it’s a love beyond human comprehension.”
To summarize Paul, we need the faith to believe in the reality of Jesus’ love and be willing to trust and sink our roots down into that love to draw on the love of Christ and maintain an ongoing connection.
My prayer for you today echoes the prayers of Paul. May you have the power to know the breadth and length and height and depth of his love so that God can fill you to overflowing.
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
How important is it for you to know that you are loved?
Reflect on your life, can you name some ways that Jesus has demonstrated his love for you?
How does God, as our Father, ultimately reveal his love for us through the love of Jesus? If you are not sure, take some time to pray and ask God to show you today.
Seek Grow Love 