Devotion by J.J. Fletcher – J.J. is a 2009 graduate of Atlanta Bible College and has been pastoring Pine Grove Bible Church (Brooklyn Park, MN) since 2017. He has been married to Hope (Kirkpatrick) for 18 years and has 4 children.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
This quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but there is no evidence that he said or wrote it. It’s a good quote, nonetheless. Preparation is critical to proper execution.
John Kruck, a former Philadelphia Phillies baseball player, once joked that he drove hitting coaches crazy because he once used 6 different batting stances in an at-bat and ended up striking out. Baseball players work on their batting stance to get their timing and swing path to a consistent, repeatable motion so that they are not inaccurately flailing at incoming pitches. Preparation is critical to proper execution.
In 1st Peter 1:13, Peter calls on his readers to “prepare their minds for action” and to be “sober-minded.” This is a call to preparation for the goal of living holy lives. As Jesus lived a life filled with holy conduct, Peter says that “you also be holy in your conduct.”
Peter recalls the former ignorance of his readers, living outside the redemption of the Gospel, living lives motivated and marked by their passions or desires, and encourages them to instead strive for holiness.
We all have issues with things that are not holy. Temptation abounds, whether it’s lust, pride, laziness, excess, or the myriads of other things that we might struggle with. Deciding to follow Jesus does not magically eliminate all of these temptations. Whether we’ve been a believer for 5 minutes or 50 years, the struggle remains, but the way that we prepare ourselves for daily spiritual warfare will help determine how successful we are at avoiding the traps of sin.
The language that Peter uses for prepare is literally to “gird up.” In antiquity, men would wear long, baggy outerwear that would be cumbersome to perform many tasks in, so to gird up your loins meant that you would tie up the loose fabric around your belt so that it would not clench up or be a tripping hazard. That is the imagery we are to see here: prepare your mind for the life and battles ahead, just as you would adjust your clothing for a particular task. Being sober-minded means being self-controlled. Self-control is an intentional practice that takes preparation and is marked by discipline. We must be mindful of where/what our temptations and weaknesses are and have an action plan for how we are going to respond when sin is crouching at our door. We should pray for strength, and God will help us, but we must also actively work to orient our lives in a way where we don’t find sin backing us into a corner. Preparation is critical for proper execution.
Reflection Questions
What has become reoccurring tripping hazards for you? Consider specific temptations, bad habits, attitudes.
How would you rate your self-control? How can you strengthen your self-discipline muscles? How can stronger self-control help you make better use of the time, gifts, body, and blessings God has given to you?
What specific exercises, attitudes, thoughts, activities, accountability, verses, songs, etc…would be helpful to prepare your mind for holy action?
Prayer
Dear Father – You are perfect in all Your ways and thoughts, attitudes and actions. And I am not. Forgive me for the times I have not heeded Your word and Your will and instead became tripped up by a lack of self-control and fell to selfish sinfulness. Thank you for all the blessings You have provided for me, including life. Help me to use my mind, body, time and blessings in ways that are pleasing to You. In Your Son’s name, I pray, Amen
-Devotion by Makenna Landry, née Cisler, a 2021 ABC graduate. Makenna is a licensed pastor of the Church of God General Conference working to service God by teaching His word and supporting His people through all aspects of life. She has two children, a passion for helping people, and loves Disney. She spends her time writing and enjoys playing board games with friends and family.
Key passage: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18 (ESV)
James 3 starts off by making the claim that not everyone can be a teacher. This is similar to the lesson I wrote on 1 Timothy that not everyone has the right to understand or focus not on scripture but on other things that tickle the ears of the listeners. This warning from James ties into the passage of Job. Job’s friends are trying their best to help Job and Job refutes them at every turn. At the end of Job, we see neither party was in the right. Job and his friends hold an example to us to be careful what we say to others.
This is why the entire chapter of James 3 is so important. It teaches and guides us on how we can speak to others and what wisdom we should pass along to others.
Let’s break down the chapter.
James 3:5 (ESV) says, “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!”
James is not telling his readers that people should have low self esteem and a bad view of themselves. He warns against pridefully honoring yourself over others. This can be seen more as bragging about your accomplishments instead of humbly celebrating victories.
James 3:8 (ESV) but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
This verse is pretty doom and gloom! It feels helpless and like we are in an endless maze. So the question arises what does that mean? What does it mean that the tongue is a restless evil that cannot be tamed?
You know how sometimes when you stub your toe really hard you cry out in pain. Some people swear others have swear alternatives like “gosh darn it”, “holy cow”, or “great googly moogly” (can you imagine someone actually saying that besides Major Monogram from Phineas and Ferb ha!). All these phrases and words, a lot of us have used in place of curse words. But does that make it good to say it? When I was young and really into the phase of finding alternative expressions from curse words, my mom shared a piece of advice that still shapes how I speak and talk to this day: any word used poorly becomes a curse word. When our intention is to express anger and pain towards an individual or object our words are no longer from God but from the evil that plagues this world.
No matter how hard one might try not to use the socially deemed words with bad meetings, our heart behind anything we say reflects whether or not the words are bringing glory to God. This might not even be the words we say but the tone we say it in! Our language abounds in ways that we can be rude to others. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t try. We will mess up and we won’t ever be perfect, yet we can be reminded by James to try our best to tame our tongue.
What are some ways you might be cursing in your life? Do you use curse words, do you use alternative curses, or does your tone reflect one of judgment and anger? What are ways you can work towards taming your tongue?
When we consider shaping the things we say to God, we have to consider what would bring Him glory. That’s why I started the lesson with James 3:17-18. It brings into the view the focus of our hearts and words. Wisdom is not just something we impart to others but something that should be imbued in our very being. Our thoughts, words, and deeds should be done in wisdom.
From James 3:17-18, what does it look like to have wisdom in the way that we speak?
Psalm 98 is a great reminder of the heart behind our words to God. James is specifically focusing on our words to others, but Psalm 98 can be an example of the heart behind the words we say.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I can’t sing so I make a joyful noise”? I know many individuals who have said it to me and they are some of the most joyful worshipers I have ever seen. To give them credit they also can sing a lot better than they think. But worship isn’t about perfection. It’s not about a big band, special lighting, perfect pitch and harmony.
When we worship God with Him as the focus, we are taming our tongue. The more we align ourselves with God’s goodness, faithfulness, and lovingkindness the more our words are shaped to reflect Him. Singing praise to God fills us with holy thoughts and focuses our attention on the one we should be following.
Further QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
How can worship help you tame the tongue?
What are ways you can bring glory to God through your words?
How did you relate to the individuals in the book of Job in today’s reading?
PRAY:
Father in heaven may glory be brought to You in my words and deeds. Help me tame my tongue and speak gently to those around me. You have made all things and Your love endures forever. Be gracious to me and show me how to be gracious to those around me. In the name of Jesus Christ, my savior and mediator, amen.
Key passage: “Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together, before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” Psalm 98:8-9 (ESV)
Psalm 98 is a psalm of praise. It sings great thanksgiving to God recognizing God’s good works and His never ending love. It ends with the reminder that God will judge the world with righteousness and fairness.
Christians today, and across time, have been considered judgmental. Christians hold to the moral standards Scripture teaches and tries to hold others to the same moral standards. This in my own life has come across to people as overly innocent, stuffy, fake-y, and judgemental. I distinctly remember when I told a fellow classmate in my early years of elementary school that he should follow the rules because it shows respect to the adults. He did not agree with me, calling me all of the things I listed above. Needless to say, the years of elementary school he and I were never on good terms because he continued to do the wrong thing and I continued to try to correct him. He viewed me as judgmental and too proper and I was always annoyed that he refused to do the right thing.
Thank the LORD that it is not on me to judge his actions. I think that’s the sentiment behind this psalm. God is the ultimate judge and He does so with great fairness. He has set forward a path to righteousness and He draws the lines on who will receive the reward of the kingdom and who will not. If I could tell my younger self to just let it go, it would have been a much more enjoyable time in my life.
There are times that we might thank God for being the perfect judge, while other times we might question it like Job questions in Job 21.
Zophar reminds Job of the downfall of pride and reminds Job of the importance of carrying for the needy. Job’s response is one filled with questions and a complete lack of reflection on himself. He instead looks outward towards the wicked people. He wonders why they would be receiving so much and living a healthy, long, prosperous life. Zophar stated evil faced death but Job turns it around on Zophar pointing to the sinful individuals living happily around them. This brings into question God’s judgment. Is he truly a righteous and fair judge when Job, a godly man, suffered while evil men had riches?
At that moment, Job couldn’t see the full picture of God’s judgment. He saw the moment he was living in and how unfair that single moment felt.
Do you have moments like that? I know I do, as do my kids.
When I was in high school, my younger sibling was being homeschooled while I had to attend public school. At the time I would have said it felt like the boils Job experienced with how much I disliked public school. It felt unfair to have to get up at 5:30 every morning and get home at 3 just to do homework all night when my brother could sleep in and finish with school before the rest of us were home.
As an adult, I can recognize how that was better for both of us. Our learning styles and career paths were different so we needed different schooling. But in the moment, I felt like Job was pointing to other people and thinking that it wasn’t fair they had what he wanted. That phrase the grass is always greener in someone else’s yard was how I felt. Even four year olds feel this!
My four year old has started saying the phrase “that’s not fair”. It has blown me away how early children build that phrase into their vocabulary thinking they are owed some sort of evenness with their parents, siblings, and friends. Sometimes we look down on Job for having that perspective or on others when they ask why good things happen to everyone but me.
What are some times in your life that you’ve questioned the fairness of life?
In those times, we can remember that God’s fairness isn’t for this life but the life to come. His judgement is on our actions, attitudes, and beliefs during the trials of life. It’s for a glorious, perfect, eternal kingdom and not for the 80 years we are here on earth.
This brings the question, what is God looking for? How do we find ourselves in a place that we can praise God for being the perfect judge instead of viewing life as unfair?
That’s where James comes in!
James chapter two is really what the book of James is known for. It speaks on the fact that our faith should spur on our actions in order to live a righteous life. Simple belief doesn’t make us righteous. Belief is the first step to a life committed to God. James expands on what to do once you take the step of belief.
He does this by pointing to Abraham and Rahab. For some background, Abraham is considered the founder of faith and a righteous man that we all want to strive to be like. His faith spurred him towards countless times of obedient action. The first was moving away from his home, family, and all that he knew to travel to a foreign land. During those travels he obeyed God at almost every turn. No one can claim perfect, not even Abraham, but his failures don’t define him. Instead his times of obedience do. James specifically points to Genesis 22. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was Abraham’s only son with his wife Sarah. Isaac was a long awaited promise who took Abraham and Sarah many years to conceive. He was God’s promises fulfilled for Abraham and the other promises God had made rested on the shoulders of Isaac. Yet, Abraham was still obedient. His actions marked his righteousness. The same goes for Rahab. She risks everything to hide the Israelite spies in Jericho.
But how do we show our faith?
Living in the United States in the 2020s doesn’t give a lot of opportunities to help hide God’s spies, discover new lands, or sacrifice everything. Some of the things Abraham did would even be extremely frowned upon in today’s society!
We can be thankful for the book of James once again. It shows that faith looks like helping others, showing fairness to everyone around us and other key ways to have our faith displayed in every aspect of our lives that we will read in the days to come.
God is our good, righteous, and fair judge. We can bring Him glory, honor, and praise through our actions towards those around us. Instead of judging others like in the story I shared from my past, we should show them love and kindness, helping when they are in need, and treating all people with respect and dignity.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
How can you remind yourself to trust in God’s judgment?
How can you praise God each day for what He has blessed you with even if the grass seems greener somewhere else?
What is one way you can show your faith to someone today?
PRAY:
Dear God, thank You for Your righteous judgment. Thank You for the Biblical examples You have gifted the world to show me how to be righteous. Heal my heart from judgement of those around me and replace it with a heart of love and kindness. Place in my life a way to show someone Your love today and open my eyes to the needs of those around me. Amen
Makenna Landry, née Cisler, an ABC graduate of 2021, is a licensed pastor of the Church of God General Conference working to service God by teaching His word and supporting His people through all aspects of life. She has two children, a passion for helping people, and loves Disney. She spends her time writing and enjoys playing board games with friends and family.
-Devotion by Paula Kirkpatrick (originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Oct 27, 2021)
When children finish high school, and they go off to college or to live on their own for the first time, those frenzied final weeks before leaving are usually a flurry of activities. To-do lists are checked off and then added to, last minute shopping trips become a daily occurrence, and packing everything needed seems an impossible task. Finally, the day arrives, and the slightly panicked parents are often confronted with this stark realization: did I prepare them sufficiently for the challenges they will face in life? And so ensues final reminders, gentle warnings, and many sentences starting with “Don’t forget,” or “Remember.” The parents want the best experience for their children at college and in life.
The writer of Hebrews also desires the best outcome for his dear readers, his spiritual children, as he finishes his letter. Of course, that best outcome is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Thus, Hebrews 13 concludes with straightforward instruction to reach this prize.
Consider the direct instructions found in verses 1-7, and the reasons WHY these instructions are important.
“Keep on loving each other as brothers”
“Do not neglect hospitality to strangers—(WHY?)—”for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated—(WHY?) – since you yourselves also are in the body.”
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; – (WHY?) – for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.”
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; – (WHY?) – for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you.”
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; – (WHY?) – considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.”
Verse 17 goes hand in hand with verse 7. “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, – (WHY?) – because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Hebrews 13:8 can be a stand-alone statement and beloved promise, easy to memorize (and it should be) and underlined in your Bible.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
What an assurance to us that Jesus has not changed and will not change—he is our Savior and coming King. Perhaps the writer felt a plain statement of our basic hope was warranted after his beginning list of directives.
Building on that simple reassurance, verse 9 warns the early Christians and us today, not to “be carried away by varied and strange teachings,” just as parents might advise their departing children—stay true to your foundation, the principles of your upbringing. It is firm, it is solid, it will keep you grounded.
Now, remember our reading from Hebrews 10 a few days ago.
“But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Heb. 10:12-14)
Continuing in Hebrews 13, verses 15-16 should be OUR response for this sacrifice.
“Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Our Salvation Gift from God:
Jesus—ONE SACRIFICE for all time
Our Response:
CONTINUAL SACRIFICE of
Praise
Doing good
Sharing
As the end of verse 16 says, “for with such SACRIFICES God is pleased.”
The writer concludes with a benediction or ending prayer in verses 20 and 21 that sums up his thoughts in this chapter.
“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
This prayer serves as the perfect final reminder for young adults off to college, and for each one of us.
Reflection Questions
What reminders would you pass on to your children (biological, adopted and spiritual children)? What spiritual instruction do you want them to hear one more time?
What did you need to hear again (or for the first time) from Hebrews 13?
What do you love about Jesus’ once for all sacrifice? What will your continual sacrifice look like today?
Prayer
“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
We just returned from General Conference in Atlanta and wonderful fellowship with all the people that were there. The theme of the conference is “Pillars and Pathways”. As we read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews yesterday, we were shown what the pillars of faith from the Old Testament had stood for and with. The pillars of our faith run back to Abraham who believed God and it was counted for righteousness because of his faith. As we begin chapter twelve the focus turns to the central theme of the whole Old Testament. All this faithfulness from the believer in the OT brought us to Christ who is the perfect representative of the Father who formed him and filled him with the holy spirit giving him power to do God’s will.
Look together at the first verses of chapter 12:
Hebrews 12:1-3(NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
The direction of our walk following Christ is a straight path of endurance that we follow as our champion and captain of salvation goes before us showing us the way to walk. The path he has given us is straight and direct, going to the Father God that has called us to a life of faith and service.
Matthew 6:22(NKJV) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
What we focus our eyes and our mind on will be the things that come into our thoughts and hearts. The word “good” in verse Matt 6:22 can also be translated as “simple” or “straight”. When our eye is looking “straight” at our champion, and we follow him in this race of life our path will be straight and our way direct. Following Jesus is a simple path, he has shown us the way. For our lives, families, fellowships and churches the path has been given to us by the pillars of our faith, and Jesus Christ has shown us the path to follow.
When our eye is simple, following Jesus, our whole life will be filled with the light of God’s presence and fellowship with us.
Psalms 96:1-4(NLT) Sing a new song to the LORD! Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! 2 Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. 4 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
Psalms 96:11-13(NLT) Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! 12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the LORD, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.
All the peoples of the earth will be judged by the Word of God spoken to us by the pillars of our faith, and by our Savior Jesus Christ.
Reflection Questions
What Old Testament pillars of faith do you love to look to for example, encouragement and instruction? Who in your life has been a pillar of faith for you, teaching you the wonderful words of God and what to do with them?
What do you love about Jesus? What have you learned from him? How would you describe the path he is setting before you?
Would you describe your eyesight as good, simple and straight, following Jesus to the Father? Is anything clouding your vision or is anything in your peripheral vision distracting you from good, simple and straight vision following Jesus? How can you improve your eyesight?
Prayer
Father God, we reach out to follow your champion of faith that is before us. Make our eyes and hearts straight to follow him. Give us this day the bread of our need and keep us from turning to the right or left away from You. We sing Your praises from our hearts of joy that You have given us. In the name of the champion of our faith, Jesus Christ we pray.
It should be pointed out that to the Jewish folks, Moses (Moshe) was a Really Big Deal. Moses is a big deal to any of the “Children of the Book”, and Christians and Muslims alike regard Moses as a man who spoke God’s words to the people, a prophet who God performed miracles through. All of the prophets were highly revered but to the Jewish people though, the people who Moses led out of slavery, the people who witnessed miracles performed by God through the man, the people who witnessed him going in to speak with God until his face actually glowed, he was a really, really, big deal. Like, 5 out of 5 stars in all the reviews, just top notch. Best Guy Ever.
Let’s review quickly: Moses, old guy with a beard. Not really a big talker. Happily tending his flock out in the middle of nowhere when God* starts to have a conversation with the guy from a burning bush and then tells him that he’s going to be the agent by which God frees His chosen people, the Israelites. A little bit of whining, God loops in his brother Aaron to assist, then off they go back to the land of Egypt. “Give me my people”, “No”, plague plague plague plague (x10), then “ok, you and your people get out”. Run away, “wait, now who’s going to do all the manual labor?”, pursuit, miraculous escape through the sea, followed by immediate miraculous destruction of pursuing army by same sea. Wandering, whining, miracles, manna, more whining, there’s the promised land go get it, “we’re a’scared”, wander wander wander (x40yrs), there’s the promised land go get it, “ok, but can we stop wandering?” and right about then Moses dies. That very brief, highly summarized review of Moses took place in the latter third of his life, covering the time when he was 80-120 years old, the 40 years directly prior to his passing.
Moses was an incredibly Big Deal, he gave the people The Law, and lots of good advice on how to act (which went largely ignored until they were forcibly reminded), and God performed miraculous signs through him. God used Moses to do all of these things, and had a unique and special relationship with Moses unlike any man before or after (until Jesus came). Moses gave the definitive books of the Torah to the Israelites, faithfully recording what God spoke and was a faithful servant who was “more humble than any man was on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3) even despite all of the great deeds listed above. The level of respect and reverence that later generations of Israelites had and have for Moses can not be overstated.
That’s why it is such a big deal in Hebrews 3 when the author says “Moses, yea, super guy, but Jesus? He’s better.” (Heb 3:3, painfully paraphrased). This is being written specifically to convince the Jewish folks that Yeshua the Nazarene (you know, Jesus of Nazareth) was The Christ, the Messiah prophesied long ago by the prophets (including Moses, see Dt 18:18). This guy, he’s really important because with no disrespect to brother Moses (again, 5 out of 5 stars, super guy); Moses was as a servant, but this Jesus guy is as a son. Both came and were servants of God, both came and spoke the words God told them to, both saved a whole bunch of people; but Moses came to save and restore the Israelites, but Jesus came to save and restore the entire earth, and all of it’s people**.
In Heb 3:1-2 it clearly states that we have a High Priest (Jesus) who is faithful to Him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful. God appointed Jesus as High Priest. Where do we get the High Priest from though? Heb 5:1 says “from men”, and and Psalms 89:19 says “from among the people”. In Heb 1:2, it states “His son, whom He appointed heir of all things…”. Over and over we see very clearly that God has appointed Jesus, as His son, as our High Priest, as The Messiah. To clarify the pecking order, our corporate flow chart, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”(Heb 3:4) and it then goes on to clarify “but Christ was faithful as a son over his house-whose house we are…” in Heb 3:6. God built everything, and appointed Christ heir to inherit it, as a reward for his obedience. Listen: if you already own something (Ps 24:1), you don’t need to appoint yourself as the heir to it. If you already have full supreme power, you don’t need to anoint yourself as king. You’re already in charge of everything. We all agree that “Christ” means “the anointed one”. Anointed by who? Well, the “builder of all things is God”. The heir that God anointed and appointed is Christ. It’s pretty straightforward, if you base your doctrine exclusively on scripture, and not tradition.
This is a pretty basic and undeniable understanding of scripture. We miss out on a lot of opportunities to talk to Jewish folks (God’s chosen people, see above) about the Messiah as Christians because of a lot of the theories and convoluted explanations that are so exasperatingly confusing and contradictory are now held to be doctrine by a huge number of our brothers and sisters. Even worse, we miss out on a lot of opportunities to be obedient to our King and to our (and his) God, when we harden our hearts and don’t listen when we hear his voice. (Heb 3:15). One last thought I’d like to put forth today: both Moses and Jesus were exceptionally humble men, who not only obeyed God’s word and performed miracles, but did so obediently and sometimes in opposition to what they wanted to do personally. These are the true “church fathers”, the one’s that we should listen to, our role models, and our examples of how to please our God.
*-Moses talked to God. Weeeell actually, Moses talked to God’s agent, the angel God sent. See Ex 3:2-4 and contrast v2 with v4, it’s the first unquestionable documented example that God uses agents to interact with His creation, and that when these agents (shaliah) speak God’s words, they speak with the full authority of God (and so are often called God, because as His agent they’re representing His authority). This is well understood in Jewish culture and literature and is common throughout scripture. See also Ex 20:21-22 for another specific example, and note as well the approximately 40 times or so that Jesus says that “God sent me” in the book of John alone, which the Jewish people understood to mean “he speaks with the authority of God because God sent him”, not anything else super confusing that may have been suggested later. Lots of people “saw God” (or His agent) particularly in the OT, but 1 John 4:12 states clearly that “No one has ever seen God”, and this is confirmed in 1 Tim 6:15-16, ergo, anytime that happened it was most likely either in a dream, vision, or an agent that God sent.
**Jesus came to restore the entire earth. Weeeeell actually, initially he came specifically (and exclusively) to “restore the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). Gentiles were given the favor and opportunity for salvation specifically because some of the chosen people of God (the Israelites) rejected him, and also because God had planned to do it this way: to the Jew first, then to all of the nations of the earth. Acts 10 starts the beginning of gentiles receiving salvation, well after Jesus had ascended and finished his earthly ministry, so if you’re a “dog of a gentile” try not to get too arrogant about it. If we do make it into the kingdom, we’ll probably end up being the janitor or “fetchers of wood”, if we’re lucky. Let’s be humble.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Why do we, as gentile dogs who are grafted on to the root while other (and arguably better) branches are pruned, ever become arrogant about our salvation when considering the humbleness of both Moses and Jesus (who were much more important than we’ll ever be)? (Yes, I know it’s a leading question, consider it though)
Have you ever considered how highly favored you are, if you are a member of the body of Christ, a child of God? Just reflect on that for a moment, don’t take it for granted!
Isn’t God amazing? He told us in the beginning the plan (Gen 3:15), we just didn’t understand it.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for providing a way for the rest of us, I am humbled and awed that you did. Please lead us, forgive us when we fall short, and teach us the way to salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Hebrews 1 is one of those chapters that’s often used by our brothers and sisters with a more “complex” understanding of God as a proof text, and we’ll look at it closely today and with love in our hearts acknowledge the few instances that could seem to point to a more difficult reading, while also examining the majority of the verses that tend to point toward a more simple reading, verse by verse. I was once told by a man I love as a father that “To take any verse by itself as a basis for one’s theology is a mistake. The entirety of scripture should be weighed and measured and the most likely reasonable interpretation based on all scriptures should be the preferred understanding.” With that in mind, and keeping also in mind that we are all human and fall short of the glory and wisdom of God, let’s proceed. I’ll be using the ESV translation primarily, since it’s a pretty mainstream “standard” version that lots of folks use.
Hebrews 1:1- Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, There’s really nothing difficult in interpretation here, but I did want to point out the constantly recurring scriptural theme and concept of God interacting with His creation through “agents” or “shaliah”: the prophets, in this instance.
Heb 1:2- but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. We now see that same concept of agency (or shaliah) applied to Jesus (in the same exact sense as the prophets) for God to speak to us, the son whom God “appointed heir of all things”. This is a double point for our specific understanding, because Jesus is being used as an agent (by God) to speak to men, and God has appointed him “heir of all things” (ie, Jesus received that position because God gave it to him). The “through whom also he created the world” is a bit problematic on first reading, but I’d like to point out that the actual word for “world” is “aeonas“, which is more applicable to an “age” or “time”. This word is used 102-128 times in scripture (depending on the manuscripts used) and about half of that time in your bible it’s translated as “age”. The actual strongs translation is: From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period. It really depends on your translational bias, so while we can acknowledge in fairness that this could be a difficult text, it seems more likely when considering the entirety of the verse to indicate the simpler understanding that God created this current “age” through Christ.
Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (ESV)
This is the verse that “more complex” interpreting folks lean into and go “aha! There it is!”, but I’d suggest that the translational bias slip is showing again. The word for radiance here is “apaugasma” (A light flashing forth (from)) which implies a reflection of light rather than an origin. The “exact imprint” is translated from the word “charakter” (From the same as charax; a graver, i.e. engraving, the figure stamped, i.e. An exact copy or representation) and could be (and is) also translated as reflection or image in different versions. It should be noted that being the image of something precludes you actually being that something generally, but let’s look at a few other mainstream translations and compare:
(NASB) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
(NET) The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The elephant in the room, of course (for our more “complex” interpretation folks) is: if Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (God), and if you believe that Jesus is literally God (and not God’s agent), then is God currently literally sitting beside Himself? That’s confusing, and would on the face of it contradict Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:29-31. I personally opt for a simpler reading, and think the NET translation did a better holistic job of translating into english (this time).
Heb 1:4 -Heb 1:7 are pretty non-controversial, so for the sake of brevity I’ll skip a commentary.
Heb 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
Right now, our more “complex” interpretation brothers are going: “Aha! There! It clearly says “but of the Son” and then “Your throne, “O God”!”, THERE IT IS!”. Granted, that could be a difficult text, by itself, particularly if you are thinking like a modern day English speaking person and assume that the bible was written originally in English (it was not). Dig a little in the original languages, and you’ll see there’s a very good reason there are multiple translations in English. I would propose that to the ancient Jewish mind, any throne or kingdom that God establishes is God’s throne or kingdom, regardless of whom God chooses to rule it. It’s understood (and stated) that the authority to rule is granted by God, and the one who is sent by God acts with the authority of His name and on His behalf (shaliah). This simpler and culturally accurate reading seems like a much better reading particularly when you combine it with the following verse below:
Heb 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
Because the Most High God, by definition, doesn’t have a God. He is the “Most High God” (it’s in the name). Jesus did have a God (John 20:17). We see further that “God has anointed you”…do you recall what “Christ” means? It’s simply, “The Anointed”: anointed by God, your God. God is the anointer, Jesus is the anointee. God is the ultimate authority and power, and He has appointed (see v2) the Christ as the heir of all things. It’s a much simpler and less confusing reading.
Heb 1:10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
The “and” here above indicates a transition in subject, we’re now speaking of God again, the creator of heaven and earth, as the following verses also seem to indicate.
Heb 1:11-11:14 are also pretty straightforward, so for the sake of brevity again, I’ll skip a commentary. So looking back over the fullness of Heb 1, I personally don’t find anything with such a difficult reading that I feel the need to alter my beliefs. Any texts that I’ve heard used as proof texts to espouse a different doctrine have variant readings that seem simpler and to make more sense, taken holistically. Please keep in mind, I’m just a human being so I absolutely accept that I could be mistaken. I sit under the authority of scripture and not over it, but digging into these scriptures and examining them closely I feel about 90% confident that I have made a correct interpretation in this instance. I think it’s important to deeply search the scriptures and to be honest with yourself with what you find.
Before we leave today, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least give a polite nod to our Esther reading, because Esther 1-2 is what I’ve mentally labelled in my mind “The Cautionary Tale of Queen Vashti” as an example of how not to act. We have been given great blessings and favor undeservedly by our God, let’s make sure we don’t get demoted due to our own arrogance and self importance, and removed from our position (Like Queen Vashti was).
REFLECTION QUESTION
When you read scriptures, do you rush through it quickly or dig deep and compare translations and alternate meanings or complexities? Why?
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for giving us Your word. Please grant us the wisdom to understand what You have spoken, and the sense to listen. In Jesus name, amen.
The restoration of a people is a beautiful thing. When the (1st) temple was destroyed in @587/586 BC and the people were taken captive and led off to Babylonia as a result of their sins, they languished there for 70 years. The return happened in waves: Zerubbabel went to start rebuilding the Temple (@538BC), Ezra went later and restored the law (@458BC), and then Nehemiah returned (@445BC) and rebuilt the wall, the infrastructure, and finished restoring the law to Israel (with Ezra). Tying prophecy to history is sometimes confusing and can be very subjective depending on your interpretation and understanding. One of the things that confused me initially is that the Jewish year has 360 days in it, our calendars today have 365 days in it. Over time that can skew calculations, but keep in mind that the OT prophecies (as most scriptures) were written for ancient Jews. That’s important to keep in mind, particularly to keep a correct context and exegesis when interpreting scripture: the target audience was (at least initially) the Hebrews, God’s chosen people.
The ancient Jewish understanding of God is very clear in this exceptionally beautiful prayer of repentance by the people in Nehemiah 9. To help give yourself that same understanding, I highly recommend that if you have a bible that translates the name of God as “THE LORD” (all capital letters), highlight that every time you come across it. Then, somewhere on that same page write a note “YHVH”, the sacred and holy personal name of God, and highlight that. Note that this will not be a quick task, because the personal given name of God occurs about 7000 times in the Old Testament, more if you count the abbreviated “Yah” or compound titles like “YHVH Tzevaot”. The correct pronunciation of this is debated (The V is thought to be pronounced like a W in ancient Hebrew), but the important thing to remind yourself every time you come across it is that this is a personal name, not a title, and it’s the name God asked to be identified by (in Ex 3:15) “forever”.
Chapter 9, v1-3 gives a very, very important description of how the people approached God, one that we should take to heart when we’ve transgressed and are seeking to return to His favor: humble yourself . These folks fasted, humbled themselves, and confessed their sins. They called upon God by name (v5) and blessed the name of God. Then they pronounced this critical statement of faith that was central to the entire faith of all Jews: “You alone are Yahweh“, and followed with a list of accomplishments and deeds that God had done (v6-15). They continue on and confess their sins (v16-31), and then while acknowledging their own guilt and the righteousness of God in punishing them for it, they ask for mercy (v32-37), and ask to enter again into a covenant with God (v 38, and then all of the specifics of the covenant are listed in Chapter 10 in it’s entirety).
In Nehemiah c9v27 about 3/4 down the verse it says: “You gave them saviors, and they (the saviors) saved them (the Israelites).” (LSB translation). So, who sent them saviors? God did, we see throughout scriptures that God interacts with His creation through agents, but that even though the agent may have physically performed the task, it was God who caused it. So who saved them? God did, again, because He sent the saviors (the judges, in this instance). Even today, we understand that if a subordinate performs an action on behalf of their superior’s direct orders, it was actually the superior that caused the action to occur. The Jewish folks have a legal term for this, called “shaliah” (see 1/27/26 devotion). It’s critical to understand this concept in order not to misinterpret or misunderstand scripture.
Here’s a good example of why: in Titus 3:4 it says “4 But when the kindness and benevolence of God our Savior appeared,” (REV) , and then down a little bit further in Titus 3:5-6 it says, “5 he saved us, not because of righteous works that we ourselves did, but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of a new beginning and renewal by the holy spirit, 6 which he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christour Savior” (**Note that I’d originally had the LSB pulled up, but switched to the REV for this quote because the LSB evangelical bias was showing pretty strongly: holy spirit had been capitalized, and “which” had been incorrectly translated as “whom”, attempting to nudge the readers in a specific direction of interpretation.). In the above comparison, we see that God is stated as being our savior, and then Jesus is stated as being our savior. Does that point to a hidden “complex” understanding of God then?
Certainly not. We understand that when God sends an agent, the credit for the actions of that agent are reflected to God, since God sent them. While we can absolutely say that Jesus (the) Christ is our Savior due to his obedient submission and sacrifice, we can also absolutely say that God is our Savior because He sent Jesus. God initiated the action, Jesus performed the action. Jesus himself explains this to us, saying that God sent him about 30 times in the book of John alone. This is very clearly explained throughout scripture. I sometimes find myself getting a bit passionate about this very simple scriptural understanding, particularly when later traditions are presented to me as biblical truths, and particularly in a “church” environment. That can be dangerous, though.
That same passion is probably exactly what allowed men’s hearts to be corrupted, and to torture and murder fellow believers, when they believed differently. We see in Titus 3:8 that: “those who have put their trust in God will apply themselves to good works” and in Titus 3:9 that we should “avoid foolish speculations and genealogies and strife and fighting about the law, because they are unprofitable and pointless.”. Our focus should be on doing good works. We’re just humans. Regardless of what you believe, how are you acting on that belief? This scripture tells us that we should be more concerned about performing good works in God’s name. I absolutely believe that scriptural truths are important, but I also don’t want to be the most correct theologically understanding guy that didn’t make it into the kingdom because I didn’t act with love towards my fellow creation.
So what is the perfect balance? It’s tricky. We see from scripture that our priority should be to trust in God, and to focus on performing good deeds to the glory of God. That being said, it’s also important to understand scripture properly, because “God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24), and I believe it’s a very good thing to share our understanding: provided we can do it in love. Humbly, gently, with overwhelming concern and patience, and considering others to be greater than ourselves: but also firmly, and unwaveringly, using the scripture as our foundation. Pray to God, and He will grant you wisdom. In the meantime, if you’re not sure on how to proceed, focusing on good works will show where your heart is to those around you. It will take time, patience, love, and God’s wisdom to affect any changes in understanding that are deep and meaningful. Be a light to the world around you, don’t beat up the world around you with your light, but let it shine.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Have you put your trust in God, or are you still trying to run things your way?
What good works have you done this week?
Do you plan your good works, or just wait for opportunities? Why?
Which is more important to you: a correct understanding of scripture, or the correct implementation of the scriptures you understand? Why?
PRAYER
Father God, grant me the heart to do Your will here on the earth, in a manner that pleases You. Help me to love as deeply as You’ve loved us, and to share my faith in a manner which honors and pleases You. Help me to be humble, and to follow Jesus’ example. In Jesus name, Amen.
Did you know that there are over 40,000 denominations of Christianity across the world? Although most of them have the same 66 books in their Bibles, they have come up with some very different interpretations on many topics. In the Church of God, we know this more than most, as we can read the same Bible verse as someone from a Roman Catholic or Lutheran background and be on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. With all these different groups and teachings out there, we have to wonder: How can we tell who is telling the truth?
While I don’t believe that we will know everything until Jesus comes back (1 Corinthians 13:9-10), there are some good indicators from Titus 1 that someone is lying to us. Ultimately, their lifestyle is the biggest warning sign about their teaching: if they are living a godless life, they aren’t likely to share godly truth. This is what Jesus teaches us too:
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. – Matthew 7:15-20
This is the biggest reason why those who are elders and pastors in churches are called to live lives that are above reproach (v. 5-9): you will know someone is telling you the truth if their lifestyle matches what they’re teaching. In an age when we can pull up any famous preacher on YouTube and have our ears tickled by their teaching (2 Timothy 4:3), we should be extremely cautious that we examine our teachers’ lives and hold them accountable to live in a godly way. It’s an unfortunate reality that many news stories are showing just how far pastors and teachers are falling when they’re not held accountable: we should love our pastors and teachers enough to warn them if they are not living well.
Questions
Examine your life and ask yourself: what fruits are being produced in my life? If you notice that there are some things popping up that are out-of-line with Jesus’ teachings, come to the cross and repent. You CAN change if you are willing.
Who are the most influential teachers in your life? Are you close enough to them to see how they are living?
If you are a teacher in any capacity, you are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). Does your life reflect what you are teaching others? If not, make it your priority to develop a more godly lifestyle for your students to see.
Prayer
Dear God – I praise You because You are holy, always righteous, and the giver of all truth. I confess any times that my words and my actions did not claim You or were out-of-line. Thank You for the teachers and pastors and role models in my life who uphold both truth and godly lifestyle. Show me truth, Lord, and help me speak it and live it well until Your precious Son Jesus returns. In his name I pray.
In the “real” world, our status is so often measured by worldly things – your family, your job, your home, your car, your social circle, your financial reality…the list goes on. However, status in this sense means very little to God. It doesn’t matter what we are “made of.” It matters whether we are pure.
Verse 20 in 2 Timothy 2 says, “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.” If we looked at these materials from a worldly standpoint, we would obviously deem gold and silver as much more valuable, and wood and clay as more standard and unpolished. However, gold and silver can be impure. They may look bright and shiny on the outside, but impurities can lurk, and often it takes more than just a skin-deep glance to determine this. On the other hand, raw wood is primitive and simple in nature, but can be pure in its constitution. The opposite can be true of each element, but the point is, outward status alone cannot determine something’s purity.
In verse 21 Paul tells us that if we cleanse ourselves of dishonorable, impure things, we can be “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Cleansing from impure things and setting our hearts and minds on the word of God and His heart and will makes us vessels that He can use for good.
I am not someone who the world would look at and say “oh, she has made it!” My status in this life is pretty average. But, I am a child of God and my desire isn’t to be looked upon in envy by the world, but to be used by God as a vessel for His good. I want to have a pure heart and mind, so I can be God’s agent, out in the world, proclaiming His name and working as the hands and feet of Jesus. In this life, I’ll happily be the clay, a long as He is the potter.
Reflection Questions:
Do you look up to anyone who the world would consider a high-status person? Why? Why not?
If you’re being honest with yourself, do you sometimes wish you could reach a certain worldly status? What would you consider that to be?
How do you want to be used by God? What is holding you back?
Prayer:
God, thank you for seeing my heart. Thank you for not looking at my status in this world to determine my worth. Thank you for seeing me for who I am, and shaping me into someone who can be used for your good. Help me to cleanse myself of impurities so I can wholeheartedly serve you and honor you. Amen.
Seek Grow Love 