Category: Paul

Be a Good Guard

*Theme Week: Review of Paul – 2 Timothy 1

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 10-12

Poetry: Psalm 53

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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?
  3. How can you best guard what has been deposited into your spiritual bank account by others?
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Fads Come to Church

Theme Week: Review of Paul – 2 Corinthians 11

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 7-9

Poetry: Psalm 52

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

  1. Can you think of examples of religious fads that might appear innocent but can be potentially dangerous?
  2. How might you use the tools of discernment to better evaluate things in your life, good and bad?
  3. 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?
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“Ain’t No Grave…”

Theme Week: Review of Paul – Philippians 3

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 4-6

Poetry: Psalm 51

            “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:

  1.  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?
  2. 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?
  3. 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?
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How Deep is Your Love Jesus?

Theme Week: Review of Paul – Ephesians 3

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 50

            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:

  1.  How important is it for you to know that you are loved?
  2. Reflect on your life, can you name some ways that Jesus has demonstrated his love for you?
  3. 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.
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Paul Preaching Jesus

Theme Week: Review of Paul – Acts 26

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes Intro (below)

Poetry: Psalm 49

            In the Movie, Forrest Gump, the titular character, Forrest Gump, met three different Presidents in the Oval office.  First, he met President Kennedy while a member of the All-American football team. He later met President Johnson to receive the Medal of Honor. Finally, he met President Nixon to receive an award for player of the year while on the national Table Tennis team.  Of course this was all fiction, but wouldn’t it be kind of cool to actually be invited to meet the president?

            As we review Paul this week, today we read in Acts 26 that Paul was given a chance to meet, not the president, but the King.  Paul appears before King Agrippa.  The back story is interesting and you can read about it in Acts 21-26.  Here’s the Cliff Notes version:  Paul came back to Jerusalem after his third missionary tour, he was accompanied by several people including some Gentile believers in Jesus.  Paul went to the Temple to offer a sacrifice of purification (he was still Jewish and did not want to be offensive to his fellow Jews).  The Jews who opposed Paul for being a Christian used this event as a chance to try to get rid of Paul and falsely accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple.  Paul was arrested and given multiple trials in several different locations.  This gave him a chance to keep giving his testimony and preaching Jesus Christ in all kinds of high places including before the Jewish ruling court, the Roman Governor, the King of Israel and Paul hoped to ultimately be sent to Rome where he could preach the good news of Jesus Christ to Caesar. 

In today’s reading Paul is on trial before King Agrippa, but he’s using this as an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to the King.  It’s no small irony that in trying to silence Paul and prevent him from preaching Jesus Christ, his enemies actually gave him a huge platform to preach Jesus Christ.

This reading is helpful in that it shows us an example of how Paul preached Jesus Christ.  He begins by drawing a point of connection between himself and his audience.  He begins by talking about those points that he and King Agrippa both have in common.  He shows respect to Agrippa.  I think this is so important, especially in today’s world where people are so divided and confrontational.  The person of God who seeks to share Christ should treat others with respect.  The only difference between you and an unbeliever is faith.  You may be the first one who is proclaiming Jesus Christ to another.  Don’t demean or put down your audience.  Show them respect.  Honor what truth they already have, even if it isn’t all the truth that you have.  Try to find areas where you can connect with them.  Attempt to build a bridge and not a wall.

Paul talks about his credentials as a faithful Jew who followed the Torah all his life.  He claims his past and who he was, and then he shares how God has brought something new into his life through faith in Jesus Christ.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What key points can be learned from Paul about how to preach Jesus Christ? Of those you list which is an area you you could use some experience or refinement?
  2. How well do you show respect to unbelievers? Why is it important? What happens when we don’t?
  3. How are your bridge-building skills? Think of a specific unbeliever you would like to have a conversation with about Jesus. How can you show them respect? What do you have in common already? What pieces of truth might they have that you can acknowledge? Why do they need Jesus? Why do they need you to tell them?
  4. Where has God placed you to share about His Son?

Ecclesiastes Introduction

Solomon (the teacher), the son of David wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to probe the meaning of life.  Solomon attempted to find fulfillment in every pleasure he could imagine – only to find that everything was meaningless.  He then pursued accomplishments, and found that they were meaningless as well.  In fact, without God, everything is utterly meaningless.

Most of the book is pretty depressing until we get to chapter 12, where Solomon finally revealed his insights in verses 13 and 14, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

-Steve Mattison

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Saying Goodbye

Theme Week: Paul in Review: Acts 20

Old Testament: Job 40-42

Poetry: Psalm 48

            Goodbyes are hard.  This week I gathered with a lot of people that I love.  First at General Conference in Oregon, IL.  I was gathered for 3 days with people that I love.  Some are my biological family- My Mother, sisters, brother-in-law, uncle, cousins, sons and daughters, and sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren. My wife was also there, while not biologically related she is my family and the one I love most in this world.  Then there were friends, fellow members of the Church, pastors, and other. Colleagues, people I’ve met through years of ministry.  Some I’ve known for over 40 years and they are part of my extended Church family that I love as brothers and sisters.  At the end of our conference, it was time to say goodbye.  I hope to see all of them again, but realistically, some of them I may never see again in this age and that makes me sad.

            Right after the conference we had another gathering, a family gathering to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday.  We had family come from across the US and across the world including my daughter from Germany and niece from New Zealand.  I saw cousins I had not seen in over 40 years and met their grandchildren.  We had a wonderful celebration.  But then we had to say goodbye as we all left to return to our various homes.  It will be months and years and possibly for some we will never see each other again in this age, and that makes me sad.

            What if you knew you would never see a group of people that you love again?  What would you be thinking about and wanting to say as you said goodbye to them?

            In Acts 20 the Apostle Paul is saying goodbye to a group of leaders from a Church he helped build in Ephesus.  He had spent three years of his life teaching, baptizing, training, encouraging, and correcting these people.  He loved them as brothers and sisters.  God had revealed to Paul that he would never see these people again in this age, and that made him sad.  As he said goodbye to them he gives us some insight into what things were important to him and how he had lived when he was with them and encouraged them to continue in the faith.

            Paul reminded them, and us, how he served the Lord.  Paul had been religious all of his life.  He was an observant Jew who faithfully abided by all ceremonial and purification rituals of the Jewish faith.  He was a descendant of Abraham through Jacob and a meticulous observer of the Torah, which is the Old Testament Covenant Practices.  Yet all those things didn’t get him to where he truly wanted and needed to be.  Something was missing.  That something, as it turned out, was a relationship with God as His father that was given as a gift of grace through entering into a covenant with God by faith in Jesus Christ.  Out of that new relationship with God through grace by faith in Jesus Christ came Paul’s understanding of himself and his mission.  Everything he did was in service to the Lord.

            Paul served with humility.  He knew that his call and commissioning did not originate with him and was not based on his merit but on God’s grace.  While he was not shy about claiming and using his authority as one sent by God (an apostle) Paul used that authority humbly.

            Paul did not serve God at a distance.  He was down in the front lines of battle where the true spiritual warfare was taking place.  Paul was often harmed both emotionally and physically.  He reminds his hearers that he served them with tears and trials.

            Paul discipled them by teaching a total way of life in Jesus Christ.  His teaching was not detached and theoretical, but practical.  Paul says that he taught anything profitable (vs. 20 ESV). Paul taught the whole counsel of God (vs.27). He didn’t just talk about a few narrow subjects that were most important to him.  For Paul following Jesus Christ impacts every area of your life.  There is no sacred vs. secular, religious vs. non-religious.  Jesus Christ is just as much a part of your schooling, your job, your friendships,  your marriage, your family, and your sex life as he is part of what you do at 11:00 on Sunday Mornings.

            Paul carried out his service for Christ in both public and personal spaces.  Whether he was in a large, organized group or in someone’s private home with one or two persons, Paul was about his mission.  In those spaces Paul emphasized the importance of repentance (turning away from sin and turning toward Jesus Christ as Lord), Paul emphasized faith as a way to access Jesus Christ.

            Paul placed his whole person into his service.  He was passionate in offering admonishment (correction) with tears. (Vs. 31).  Training others in following Jesus Christ includes a lot of encouragement and positive reinforcement, but it also includes the hard work of correcting both incorrect beliefs and behaviors.  Paul elsewhere talks about “speaking the truth in love.”  There is a loving way to speak even hard and corrective truth, but it is hard work and Paul did not shy away from hard work.  Paul reminded them of the many ways that he worked hard among them.

            Paul concludes his parting words by showing the value of working hard to help the weak.  The Christian’s job is not to shame the weak or guilt the weak, it’s not to judge the weak or berate the weak, but to help the weak.  This requires a great deal of altruistic love and willingness to patiently and sacrificially give.  Paul concludes with a reminder of Jesus’ own words on the value of giving over receiving. (Vs. 35).

            At the end of this passionate reminder of his life and teaching among them, they are all in tears as Paul gets down on his knees with them and prays.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. If you were preparing to say goodbye to your brothers and sisters in Christ, what would you want to make sure they heard from you?
  2. What are you most impressed with what Paul shares with the Ephesians?
  3. What do you think Paul might say to your church if he was saying goodbye to you instead of the Ephesians?
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How Will You Lead?

Isaiah 65-66, Philemon 1

                What is the best way to lead people?  You may be a leader in some area of your life, at school, at work, at Church, among your friends, on a sports team, in your marriage, with your children etc…  Most of us have had some experience being a leader and I’m going to guess that everyone has had the experience of having a leader, probably many, in your life.

                There are a number of leadership styles.  Authoritarian leaders impose expectations and define outcomes.  It’s a very top down approach.  It’s efficient and sometimes required, but doesn’t always create a great experience for those being led.  If you’re the parent of a 2 year old, it’s pretty much the only leadership style.  But what works with a 2 year old doesn’t work as well with a 16 year old, or with your spouse.  It might work okay if you’re the manager of a fast food restaurant with a bunch of first time teen-age employees, but probably not so well if you are managing a medical practice with a group of physicians.

                Participative leadership is more democratic and helps people feel more engaged, but it can be more time-consuming and lead to poor decisions if the employees participating lack necessary information or skills.

                Delegative leaders step back and let the members of the team set their own agendas, which in the right environment can produce a lot of creativity, but can also lead to disunity.

                Transactional leaders use a lot of carrot and stick, reward and punishment.  They give clear expectations and offer clear feedback and immediate rewards and punishments.  It works well getting a 7 year old to clean her room or finish her vegetables, but doesn’t inspire a lot of creativity in capable adults.

                Transformational leaders inspire with a vision and then encourage and empower followers to achieve that vision.  They act as a role model.  This type of leadership is not coercive and leads to high morale.  To learn more check out: https://www.imd.org/imd-reflections/reflection-page/leadership-styles/

                Great leaders adjust their leadership style to the appropriate context and situation.  The little book of Philemon is a wonderful case study on Christian leadership.  The Apostle Paul writes to his disciple, Philemon, about their mutual acquaintance, Onesimus.  Paul and Philemon were brothers in Jesus Christ.  Paul was responsible for Philemon coming to faith in Christ.  Now, Philemon was a leader in the Church and actually had a congregation that met in his home.  When he wrote the letter to Philemon Paul was in jail, probably in Rome awaiting his trial.  While in prison he met Onesimus.  Onesimus was a runaway slave who had been the property of Philemon.  It seems that Onesimus became a follower of Jesus Christ through Paul while they were in prison.  Onesimus had become a supportive helper to Paul.  Paul has a dilemma.  He has two Christian brothers, Philemon, a slave owner and Onesimus, a runaway slave.  Paul wants Philemon to release Onesimus from his enslavement and either welcome him back not as a slave but as a fellow Christian, or allow him to return to Paul and support him while he’s awaiting trial.

                So what leadership style does Paul use?  He could have played the authoritarian card and said “Philemon, I’m an Apostle, I met Jesus personally, I brought you to faith, and now I order you to release Onesimus.”  Under Roman law Philemon had the right to demand Onesimus’ return.  He was not legally obligated to release him.  Legally, under Roman law Paul had no authority to force Philemon to let Onesimus go.  Paul practiced transformational leadership.  He inspired Philemon and gave him a vision of how being a follower of Jesus Christ can transform a person and their values and relationships.  He gave him a vision of Onesimus as more than property or an asset, but as a person, a child of God, as a fellow heir of the kingdom of God bought from slavery to sin and death through the blood of Jesus Christ.

                In using this leadership style Paul creates space for the spirit of God to transform Philemon’s heart, and have a much wider impact on the Church (for nearly 2000 years).  Hopefully, other Christian slave owners saw Philemon’s example and also chose to release their slaves and welcome them as brothers and sisters in Christ.

                Paul uses his personal relationship with Philemon to persuade and inspire him to recognize what Paul had done for him and what Paul was inviting him to do for Onesimus.  This is a great example of persuasive transformational leadership.  In times when God calls you to be a leader either at school, at work, in your family, at Church, in community, or wherever you might be called to lead, remember Paul’s great example of how to be a transformational leader.

                The passage in Isaiah also gives a glimpse of leadership.  In this instance. God is leading his disobedient and rebellious children, Israel.  God’s leadership style here might be interpreted as transactional.  God has punished Israel for their idolatrous and rebellious ways.  God also promises better days ahead for those who faithfully listen to God and walk in the ways of obedience.  Ultimately, God is a transformational leader calling people to look to the vision of a new heaven and a new earth to inspire them to faithfulness now.  God doesn’t enjoy punishing the disobedient.  It’s true that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”(Provers 9:10), but ultimately God wants us to respond to Him out of love- to love him with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:5).  God always leads in exactly the way we need, because He is the perfect leader.  Let us follow Him and learn from Him just as Paul (and hopefully Philemon) did.

-Pastor Jeff Fletcher

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 65-66 and Philemon

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Reminders

Isaiah 63-64, Titus 3

Life is so busy and complicated that I have to create lots of reminders for myself.  Fortunately, my phone and computer and watch all have features where I can set reminders for myself.  “Doctors appointment Tuesday at 3:00.  Take the garbage to the dump on the way to work in the morning.  Stop by the store after work and pick up some milk and bread.” I can even set reminders months or years in advance.  I can set alarms to remind me that in 2 hours I have a meeting.  In 1 hour I have a meeting.  In 15 minutes I have a meeting.  The Meeting is now starting.  Maybe I’m too busy or maybe I’m getting old, but I find myself more and more needing reminders.

Do you ever need reminders?  Little kids need to be reminded to brush their teeth, make their bed, do their homework.  What do you need reminders for?

The Apostle Paul thought reminders were important for Christians.  I guess he understood how easy it can be to forget what’s important when we are busy living life and doing  what’s necessary or urgent.  Do Christians ever forget important things about God, about Jesus, about how we are supposed to live?  Yep, we sure do.

In Titus 3 Paul tells Titus to remind the believers of some important things.

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” -Titus 3:1-2

Those reminders were important in the first century when Christianity was brand new and people were still learning the basics, but it’s been 2000 years.  We’ve certainly got being a Christian all figured out by now, don’t we?  Do we really need to be reminded to obey people in authority?  Do we need to be reminded to always be ready to do good?  Don’t all Christians always do what is good?   Certainly we never  slander or falsely accuse someone of wrong doing.  I’m always peaceable and considerate and gentle toward everyone, aren’t you? (My tongue is in my cheek- that means I’m kidding).

To tell the truth, I still need to be reminded all of those things.  Just because I’ve been reading the Bible for over 50 years doesn’t mean I always remember to do good.  I still need to be reminded to be considerate and gentle, and so do you.  That’s why Christianity was never designed to be lived in isolation, but in community.  We need each other.  There’s a passage in Hebrews (a different book from today’s reading,  but important) Hebrews 10:24-25 says that Christians shouldn’t get out of the habit of meeting together, because we need to encourage (I think Hebrews says “spur one another on”, like a rider spurs on a horse) each other.  

Following Jesus is hard some times.  Being obedient to God is hard some times.  Remembering to do good and be gentle is hard sometimes.  I need help, I need encouragement to keep on doing what is right.  I need you, and you need me, we need each other.

I’ve read the Bible many times in my life and I need to keep on reading it to help me remember all the important things I need to remember.  Today’s readings in Isaiah 63-64 and Titus 3 remind us both about God’s wrath and about God’s mercy.  God has both.  God hates sin, he hates it when his children are brutal to each other.  He hates it when his children fight and argue.  He hates sin because he loves us and he knows that sin hurts us.  We hurt each other when we sin.  No parent likes to see their children hurt each other.  We learned that from our Father, God.

So keep reading your Bible and keep coming to Church and meeting with other believers so that you can remind them and they can remind you to keep on following Jesus.

“Hey Siri  set a reminder for 7 a.m. tomorrow:  be considerate and gentle to everyone.”

“Alexa, remind me to get up for Church Sunday at 8:00.”

-Jeff Fletcher

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 63-64 and Titus 3

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Let the World See

1 Timothy 1

Welcome!

Today’s passages seem to have some different main themes, so while all of these are valuable, we will be focusing mainly on 1 Timothy 1 for the purpose of keeping this devotional to a reasonable length 😊

1 Timothy 1 is written by a very dedicated and enthusiastic believer, Paul.  Paul is a very impressive man with an incredible testimony (that we get to see a little bit here) and clearly has a passion for the Kingdom.  This is why I sometimes have to re-read his messages to better comprehend just how deeply he cares for people and soak up all the energy for spreading the gospel he has!  Paul tells Timothy that God’s plan operates by faith (v. 4) and that our role as believers is to have love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (v. 5).  I LOVE that description of who Christians should be in the world!  Loving, Good, and Sincere.  Do you think the world today has that view of Christians? Or do you think that unfortunately, the world has the view of Christians who turn to fruitless discussions regarding the law (v.6-7)? 

It can be hard to swallow verses like 1 Timothy 1:9 where it says “the law is not for the righteous, but for the sinful”, if you are a sinner and know a Christian who has fruitless discussions about the law.  However, if more Christians today took their righteousness and expressed the “glorious gospel” that has been entrusted to them (v. 11), I have a feeling that it would be much easier to reach those who do not know the law!  The implied context in this passage is not expressing the idea that once you are a believer you don’t have to follow the law, but rather that once you are a believer your focus should shift off yourself and your “good works”, and move towards reaching others who need to know the law.  Paul models a great example of how to approach others about Jesus, by telling them that Christ came to save ALL sinners, including the worst of them all, which was himself! (v.15) When we openly share the impact Christ has in our lives and humbly recognize that we are all sinners, it becomes much easier to reach those who need salvation just as much as we do.

This is not to say that discussions of the law should not happen amongst believers!  Paul tells Timothy to strongly engage in battle to avoid having a shipwrecked faith (v. 18 -19).  To be prepared for battle, it’s important to know what you are up against and how to combat it!  What is key here is that our battle is not one meant to destroy arguments or put down people by boasting of our own righteousness, but rather our battle is against the evil one who is dedicated to keeping people out of the Kingdom.  Our battle is fighting for the citizenship of an eternal Kingdom, for ourselves and for everyone we meet.  The law is one tool we use to win that battle!  Another tool is our own testimony, another is the story and purpose of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and yet another is simply sharing how amazing our God truly is.

Isaiah 40:28-31 provides a great passage to reach others with; I encourage you to memorize it for the sake of winning the battle!

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth.  He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.  He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.  Youths may faint and grow weary, young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.”

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 39-40 and 1 Timothy 1

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The Apostle Paul Refused to Mask Up!


1 Thessalonians 2

If you’ve not read Marcia’s devotion for yesterday, it would be good to give it a quick scan now.  She sets us up well for I & II Thessalonians.  By the way, thank you Marcia, for all the work you do with SeekGrowLove!  These readings and devotions are a great ministry!  It is amazing how often the Old and New Testament readings complement each other.  Isaiah did speak a great deal of judgment, but as always, God never wasted an opportunity to lay out hope for his people.  Isaiah also had much to say about the coming Messiah.  I appreciated Marcia’s suggestion that we note what Paul alludes to at the end of every chapter in I Thessalonians.  If I had known that before, I had forgotten.  


At any rate, let me note just a few highlights in I Thessalonians 2 . . .


Paul was literally driven to preach the gospel, the good news of the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus the Christ.  Neither opposition, nor disagreement, nor persecution could dissuade him.  He was a straight shooter, told it like it was.  He would have nothing to do with masking, hiding anything, or any impure motives (See V. 5).  He provided for his own needs, toiling at his own profession, rather than to be a burden in any way upon the church.  Actually, on another occasion he apologized for that very practice, realizing the church needed to understand and meet their responsibility to care for those who provided for their spiritual needs.  The context of the situation would evidently dictate what is right.  


Notice the tenderness of Paul’s love and concern for the brethren.  He was gentle with them, like a mother caring for her little children (V. 7).  Then in Vs. 11,12, he dealt with them as a father deals with his own children – encouraging, comforting, and urging them to live lives worthy of God who calls us into his kingdom and glory.  He was thankful for them, and proud of them as they served and obeyed.  Who are your spiritual mentors, men and women who have taught you, encouraged you, comforted you, and challenged you spiritually?  May we make them proud.  May we walk in their footsteps.  May we build on the foundation others have laid before us!  May we minister to others!  May we be true as we wait and watch for the coming of Jesus!    

-John Railton

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 25-26 and 1 Thessalonians 2

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