Tag: God

The Loving Character of God

Old Testament: 1 & 2 Chron Introduction (See below)

Poetry: Ps. 139

New Testament: Philippians 4

In the midst of all of our discussions of punishment for sin and idolatry, it can paint a picture of a harsh, just God. We know that God is doing the right thing, but it seems like the right thing is also cruel. Today’s scripture brings into focus another aspect of God that proves how loving and truly kind God is. Psalm 139 is a famous scripture and for good reason. Here are some truths we can learn about God from this beautiful and comforting Psalm. 

  1. God knows who we truly are. We cannot hide from God, and we don’t need to feel like we have to. The Psalm begins, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! […] Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (v. 1, 4). We can find great comfort in that all the ugly, messed up parts of ourselves is already known to God. We don’t need to try to “flee from [his] presence” (v. 7) because he is already there. This shouldn’t make us feel afraid. Instead, we should feel like we can bring everything we are to God and lay it at his feet. He already knows anyway. 
  2. God’s boundaries are good boundaries. Verse 5 says, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” When we think of God’s law, we can think of it as the rules that keep us safe. It reminds me of the baby gates in my house. My little girl is just starting to crawl. The one place in the house that she always wants to get to is the stairs. She has no idea how to go down them though! The baby gates in my house protect her from the thing that she wants to do. It is a boundary, a law, of protection that turns out to be provision for her. 
  3. God knows our days. We can find great comfort in the sovereignty of God. As we face trials and uncertainties, we know that “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (v. 16). We believe that God is a good God, and we know that he has good things in store for us. It may not always work out like we hope. But, it will be something that works out for the glory of God. And ultimately, that is the best good. 

As we consider the punishment that God gives, its always important to center that conversation on the never-changing character of God. Exodus 34:6-7 describes the character of God in this way, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generations.” We see here the story of Israel played out. Yes, God punished a few generations of children because of the iniquity of the Israelites. But, before that, God was faithful and stood by the Israelites. Not only that, after the Israelites were in exile for a few generations, God brought them back. He remembered them and brought them home to the Promised Land. Truly how “Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps. 139:14). 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. How does reading about the punishment for idolatry make you feel? Does reading about the character of God change those feelings?   
  2. Read Ps. 139:7-12. What does it mean to you that God’s presence is everywhere? How does that change the way you live?   
  3. Pray over verses 23 and 24. Bring to God any of the areas of your life that you feel like a “grevious” to him.   

1 & 2 Chronicles Introduction

The word chronicles means “a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.”  The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles list two such important pieces of information for post-exilic Jews.  

The first is the list of genealogies recorded in the first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles.  This was important for Jews after the exile to be able to trace their lineage to God’s promised people, and therefore to the promises God made to Abraham.  

The second reason for the name “Chronicles” is that 1 & 2 Chronicles retells the story that was originally told in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  The difference is that 1 & 2 Chronicles gives only information on the kings of the Southern Kingdon (King David and his descendants).  

These books were written after the fall of the Southern Kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar’s army around 587 BC.  And since the last chapter also includes information about the edict of Cyrus – allowing the Jews to return to Israel –, which took place in 539 BC, these books were likely written in or shortly after 539 BC.

While 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings share much of the same historical narrative as 1 & 2 Chronicles, Samuel and Kings point out that Israel is being punished for her sins.  Chronicles was written to inspire hope and faith in God.  

Another example of the difference is that Chronicles shows the kings in a more favorable light, including evil king Manasseh, who 2 Chronicles records as repenting of his sins – a fact not recorded in 2 Kings.

Finally, Chronicles shows more cause and effect within a king’s lifetime for his decision to follow or forsake God.  

As you read through 1 & 2 Chronicles, may you too recognize the results of not only the kings’ life choices but also the consequences of your own life choices.  And may you also experience the hope Chronicles tries to convey.  And may you be among those people God is referring to when he said, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

–Steve

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Where is your citizenship?

Old Testament: 2 Kings 23-25

Poetry: Ps. 138

New Testament: Philippians 3

The place where we live is so central to who we are as people. It truly is one of the most important parts of our identity. It changes everything: from the foods we like, the music we listen to, the political parties we vote for, our priorities… basically everything. I’m from the south, and I remember going to our national church camp, FUEL, in the summer and being teased for the way we talk, the types of drinks we like (Who doesn’t like sweet tea? Oh right, all you northerners.), and the music we listen to. Before going to these camps, none of those things even struck me as weird. It was just the way everyone around me lived. Where we live can define us. But, we have a more important citizenship – a more important place of belonging – than just our physical address. 

Today, we read about the final demise of the Israelite nation. From the beginning, when God called Abraham out of the future land of Babylon and into the promised land of Canaan – the future land of Israel, there was a beacon of hope and assurance that God was for the Israelite people and would come to their aid. They were his people. 

Even though Josiah instituted reforms to bring his people back to God, the evil the people of Judah had done was so great that God promised, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there” (2 Kings 23: 27). The devastating consequence of sin is the removal of belonging with God. This meant that the people of Judah – the last remnant of the Israelites who had settled in Canaan – could no longer find their citizenship in the Promised Land. Instead, they were taken captive by the Babylonians and returned to the land that God had called them out of. This is a harsh statement of rejection of the Israelite people. The one whom God had said, ‘I called you out of Egypt to be my chosen possession’ had been returned to the places of captivity. 

Citizenship, rejection. Freedom, captivity. These opposite poles of human existence that the Israelites could choose based on how obedient they were to God’s commands. Because they rejected God’s commands, he rejected them. The freedom they would have in submitting to God and setting boundaries on their freedom based on his law became captivity under other rulers due to their desire to do whatever they pleased.

We have the same promise and warning today. The same choice is set before us. We can choose for our citizenship – our place of belonging – to be in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21) or to be enemies of Christ (v. 18). Phil. 3:19 describes these enemies in the following way: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame.” This statement could have been written for the people in Judah and Israel. And it could be written to those today who choose to do whatever is right in their eyes rather than follow God’s word. 

To be citizens of heaven, we must follow Paul’s example. I “press on to make it [the resurrection of the dead, aka the Kingdom Life we are promised] my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v. 12-14). Hold fast to God, and obey his commands! Choose to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom! 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. How does the place where you live affect who you are as a person?   
  2. How would a citizen of the Kingdom act differently than those of the world? Where do you find your citizenship?   
  3. There’s a glimmer of hope in 2 Kings 25:27-30. Jehoiachin is able to “put off his prison garments. Every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table.” How do you put off your prison garments of sin and dine at the table of the King in your everyday life?   

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Shine like Stars

Old Testament: 2 Kings 21-22

Poetry: Ps. 137

New Testament: Philippians 2

My son, Jonah, is afraid of the dark. For a while, after we would read him a bedtime story and sing “Silent Night” as a lullaby, we would close the door to a dark, quiet room. And, a few moments later, we would hear the pitter-patter of feet as he would get out of his toddler bed, go over to the lamp in his room, and click it on. One day while he was playing, he told me that he had to turn his light on because he doesn’t like the dark because there are monsters in the dark. 

Even though I am grown, I can empathize with his fears. I remember – and I bet you do too – those moments of fear when the lights go out. I remember begging my parents to leave the closet light on because I was unsure what was lurking out there in the dark past my bed. It seems only natural to be a little afraid of the dark, those places you can’t see. It’s a built-in defense mechanism that humans have to navigate nighttime in our world. 

The Bible is full of themes that occur from beginning to end. You could trace the way water is used as a symbol of chaos and cleansing or the way trees represent a strong, godly life. One theme that occurs from beginning to end is the contrast between dark and light. Darkness is always connected with sin and evil, whereas light is connected with righteousness and God himself. 

This is a quick overview of the way this theme is used in scripture. In the beginning, God created the light and called it good (Gen. 1:4). After the fall, the world is described as being in darkness. God is constantly beckoning his people to be a light to the surrounding nations (Gen. 15:5), but Israel repeatedly chose darkness. Jesus is the true light that shines out into the dark world – and his light “gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). We are now the torchbearers that continue to shine a light in the world. We are called to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). We “cast off our works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, see also Eph. 5:7-14). 

We see an example of being a light to the world in Judah’s king Josiah. After two dark, wicked kings of Judah, Josiah repairs the temple. He becomes a light to the nation calling them back to worship God and obey him after over half a century of disobedience. He repairs the temple and shares the law with Judah. The people were in darkness because of the evil kings, but Josiah was being a light pointing them back toward God. Just like the nation of Judah, we also have a tendency to pull toward darkness. In fact, sometimes we seem to like darkness; we prefer it over having our deeds exposed in the light. However, since we are in Christ, we need to put aside those worldly desires and choose to follow God completely. God is light and there is no darkness in him (1 John 1:5). We cannot do the deeds of darkness and follow God at the same time. Let’s be like King Josiah, and be a leader of light to those around us. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. Why do you think that the Bible uses the imagery of light and darkness to represent good and evil?   
  2. How was King Josiah a light to his country?   
  3. How can you be a light that represents Jesus to others today? What are some actions you could take?   

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When You Don’t Know What Else to Do

Old Testament: 2 Kings 19-20

Poetry: Ps. 136

New Testament: Philippians 1

Yesterday, we learned about the exile of the nation of Israel because of the idolatry that they practiced. 2 Kings 17:34 describes the Israelites who lived in Samaria: “To this day they do according to the former manner [fearing God but also serving the gods of the surrounding nations]. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law of the commandments the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.” The nation of Israel had spiraled down the dark, deep hole of sin that ended in exile. 

There is a glimmer of hope in 2 Kings 18, as we read about Hezekiah the good king of the neighboring nation, Judah. “He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses” (v.5-6). 

A little over halfway through his reign, Hezekiah is faced with a terrible situation. The king of Assyria attacks Judah and forces Judah to pay him tribute. Things even got so bad that Hezekiah stripped the gold off the temple doors and gives it to the Assyrian king. The Assyrians mock God and swear that God has forsaken Judah. This is where chapter 19 picks up. 

When faced with a terrible situation, what does Hezekiah do? Hezekiah humbles himself, goes to God, and listens. Hezekiah sent people to Isaiah to pray in the nation’s behalf (v. 4). This proves to be exactly the right course of action. 

We can learn so much from the reign of Hezekiah, but I think it’s so important to look at how he handled these difficult situations. You can follow the example of Hezekiah in doing the following: 

  1. Humble yourself. Hezekiah tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth. He didn’t try to appear to have his life together. He recognized the severity of the situation and knew he could not save himself without God. 
  2. Go to God. Hezekiah went to the house of the Lord immediately. He knew where to turn with the situation got tough. 
  3. Seek counsel and comfort from godly people. Hezekiah gathered up a few trusted servants and priests to go to Isaiah, the prophet for help. 
  4. Recognize that you have a mediator who knows your needs. Hezekiah turned to Isaiah to be a mediator between God and him. He asks Isaiah to pray for him. We don’t have to turn to men to pray for us. Instead, we can go to God ourselves because we have a mediator in Jesus. 

At the end of this chapter, Isaiah gives some reassuring news. The Assyrian king would not destroy Judah. In fact, he would fall by his own sword. Verse 35-37 goes on to say, “That night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when the people arose early in the morning, behold these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword.” God’s promises are true. Praise God that we can go to him in all of our sufferings. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. What difficult situation are you facing today? What strikes fear in your heart? Makes you despair? Bring this situation to God. 
  2. Who are some people you can turn to in difficult situations that can help to point you to Christ?   
  3. How is prayer different from the Old Testament to the New Testament because of Christ?   

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Consequences of Idolatry

Old Testament: 2 Kings 17, 18

Poetry: Ps. 135

New Testament: Philippians Introduction Below

The school year has just ended in SC, and I am thoroughly enjoying summertime. After teaching for 5 years (and being in public school/college all those years before it), summer has become a beautiful time of rest, relaxation, and lots of swimming and sunshine. Summer is one of the perks of being a teacher, but it is definitely a time that feels earned. After a year of pushing students to be better learners and better people, I need a break. 

One of the most challenging things about being a teacher is the constant redirection and discipline that are required to make sure a classroom runs smoothly. If everyone is always doing what they want – whether that’s blurting out, going to the bathroom (as soon as we start taking notes!), or playing on the iPad – not much learning is happening. One of my jobs as a teacher is to set up a structure for my classroom that involves rules so that students know how to overcome doing what they want so that they can do what they need in order to learn. Sometimes students are happy to follow these rules. But, sometimes they are not. When they don’t follow rules, there is a system of warnings and consequences to try to get them back on track. Lunch detention, emails home, you know the drill. Occasionally, a student will not listen, and that is when the big punishment happens: ISS or OSS. Any public school kids know about this place of detention. The purposes of ISS, or in-school suspension, are two-fold: (1) By taking them out of the classroom, they miss out on the fun and good things we do as well. Normally, they don’t want to be away from the class because of this. (2) It also removes the student from the learning environment so they don’t pull everyone else down with them. 

In our reading today, we see the punishment the Israelites received that reminds me quite a bit of ISS, except much more severe and far-reaching. The Israelites were exiled from their land as a consequence of their sin. We read in 2 Kings 17:1-23 about how the Israelite king, Hoshen, continued to follow the pattern of doing evil in God’s sight. This caused the king of Assyria to invade the land and ‘carry the Israelites away to Assyria and place them’ throughout the land of Assyria (v. 6). Verse 7-8 says, “And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of the Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.” Verses 9-23 go on to describe the Israelites’ descent into sin from the time they entered the promised land with Joshua until the present time. In Deuteronomy 28, we read the promised consequences for the sin of disobedience and see these consequences given after the Israelites choose repeatedly not to listen to what God has told them to do. Despite knowing these consequences, the Israelites still pursued other gods and idols. When God would try to call them out of their sin and draw them back to him, they would not listen. 

Ps. 135 describes the difference between God and idols. Calling back to the deliverance from Egypt, it states the great works of God and praises him because “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession” (v. 4). In contrast, the idols are the work of human hands that cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe. “Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them” (v. 18). It’s chilling to read this Psalm after seeing the demise of the state of Israel. Because the Israelites trusted in their idols, they either died or were forced to live in captivity where their “life shall hand in doubt before them. Night and day they shall be in dread and have no assurance of their life” (Deut. 28:66). Instead of Israel being God’s chosen possession, God “rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight” (2 Kings 17:20). 

This is a harsh consequence, but like the punishment of ISS, it is twofold in purpose. The descent into sin needed to be stopped. This was God’s boundary line, stating that if they continued to act like this they would not be allowed to remain with him. It also removed Israel from close proximity to Judah, the nation that still remained in the Promised Land. At this point, Judah was not too far gone, so God didn’t want Judah to be brought down further into sin by Israel. 

God takes idolatry seriously, and there are severe consequences for it. We cannot be God’s chosen people if we choose to pursue idols. Idols look different than in the Israelites’ time, but they are all around us: Beauty, Money, Sex, Work, Family, Political Beliefs, Identity, Alcohol, Drugs, Social Media, Image. These are the intangible idols. We can’t hold them in our hands like idols of the olden days, but we may worship them all the same, giving offerings of our time, money, and relationships – sometimes sacrificing our parents, children, spouses, or friends on the altar of their worship. We will be exiled from his presence if we choose to pursue idolatry if we choose these things over God. It is not too late to turn back to him! Cast down your idols today. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. What are some of the idols that you see in your life or the life of the people around you?  
  2. Why does God give such harsh consequences for idolatry? What is the danger of idolatry?  
  3. What does exile look like in a modern day context? Do you think God punishes people in the present day, or is it just a future consequence (aka a lake of fire punishment)?

Philippians Introduction

Paul wrote the book of Philippians to the Christians in Philippi, which was the first church Paul established in Europe.  Despite the fact that Paul wrote this letter while he was a prisoner in Rome, Paul repeatedly talked about joy – showing that he could be content in any circumstance (4:11).

Paul reminded the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (1:27), despite the persecution they were suffering (1:29-30).  He pointed to Jesus as the ultimate example of humility and submission, and reminded the Philippians that they should have the same attitude as that of Jesus (2:3-11).

In chapter 3, Paul reminded the Philippians that even Paul didn’t earn his righteousness from following the law, even though he was a model Jew.  Instead, all of us receive righteousness that comes from God and is by faith in Christ.

I particularly like Paul’s admonition in 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I also like Paul’s reminder in 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

May we be able to say like Paul in 4:9, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”

–Steve

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Pride

Old Testament: 2 Kings 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 131

New Testament: Ephesians 3

There is no doubt that you have run across the word “pride” more times than usual these last couple of weeks.  While we may not participate in the spirit of this month, it is hard to deny we love celebrating our identities and choices, because in essence, they become the composition of who we are, whether we like it or not.  I am proud of the family I have made, the education I’ve earned, the garden I keep, and the poetry I write.  Each of these things requires time, effort, energy, and dedication to make it beautiful.  These are my efforts, my pride and joy.  However, when I think of God, beginning with the incomparable way he makes the heavens and the earth, my feats are futile.  We are lying to Heavenly Father and ourselves,  if we come to any other emotion than humility.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

Yet too often we put our hope in the things that are fleeting or powers that are finite. When we depend on our power alone or put our faith in anything other than God, we will fall short.  We have access to a God who stands outside of time and has infinite power, so why is it that we must be weaned off of seeking answers from a lesser source? It is pride.  But aren’t we entitled to something for our efforts?  The answer is yes – death! But by the grace of God, we do not receive it when we humble ourselves and ask for help from Jesus Christ, and then His Father takes over.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. – Psalm 131:2

Paul, a former Pharisee, clothes himself in humility.  He realized that his accumulation of titles, his formal training, his status, and his education were a bogus bunch of accumulation; in fact, these things become his greatest humility when he states, “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:9)  It is when Paul submits to Jesus that he knows the full reach of the Gospel message.  Paul decreases, Jesus increases, and the Kingdom of God grows by leaps and bounds with Gentiles receiving the Good News.

Let the message of pride be our call to humility.  When we are asked to define who we are, put aside the usual string of things that are our pride and joy.  Let our first answer be we are humbled before God, and that He is the source of all we have and do.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. What does it mean to have “(insert your name here) decrease and Jesus increase”? (based on words of John the Baptist – John 3:30) What would it look like? What would it sound like? What would be different from last week?
  2. What are the things that you COULD take pride in? When is it good to remember God opposes the proud? How can you work at canning the pride and showing more humility?
  3. Look at the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 3. Does this look like your current prayer list? What might you add to your list? If you don’t currently have a written list, give it a try, write it out and revisit it.
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Grace That is Greater

Old Testament: 2 Kings 7 & 8

Poetry: Psalm 130

New Testament: Ephesians 2

“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.” Psalm 130:1-2

At the beginning of Ephesians 2, Paul terms the forces at work that draw us away and towards gratifying ourselves as the “Kingdom of the Air.” We hear the wind blowing from this kingdom as we see the work of countless groups that have formed today that are in direct opposition to God.  While these groups follow different threads, they each perpetuate this idea that gratifying your desire is a higher form of living and leads to a more fulfilled life.  This type of living isn’t enlightened; it is carnal.  The “air” is hot and it stinks, so it’s no wonder that this advice leads to a lake of burning sulfur. Yet at some point, we all were residents here.  However, with the waters of baptism, Christ moves us, sending an Uber (not a U-haul because our junk stays behind) and we have made our way out.

“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” – Psalm 130:3,4 

 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:8-10

God doesn’t see our rap sheet, whether it extends feet or miles. He doesn’t care if we visited sin on the weekend, or if we had set up a mansion in the city center of a false kingdom.  Those who declare Jesus as the Lord of their life are covered in marvelous grace that hides the stain of sin.  This is not a one time deal, but a perpetual gift that will always outweigh our folly.  Grace isn’t earned through righteous acts, but it is the free gift of God received when we acknowledge the trespass, transgression, and unrighteousness.  We put to death the selfishness, and we become alive in Christ, ready to take on the mission which has been prepared by a loving Father. 

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” – Psalm 130:7

Moreover, we are called to show grace to others. While we don’t live in the past, we should remind ourselves of where we once lived.  We do so, not as a comparison, but to remind ourselves that we desperately need the grace of God, and additionally, have benefited from the grace extended by those who follow Him.  Jesus addresses the issue of grace in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, as a response to Peter’s inquiry about how many times we should offer forgiveness (Matt 18:21-35).  We cannot out love God.  We cannot out forgive God.  We cannot out grace God.  Like our Heavenly Father, let the stories we tell not be about the trespass, but let it be about the grace that is greater than sin.

“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Make a little comparison chart – Old Life of Sin vs. New Life in Christ. Use Ephesians 2 and your own personal experience. What does each look like? Characteristics of each? Ruler of each? Future of each?
  2. If you haven’t personally experienced new life in Christ yet, what is holding you back?
  3. What does God’s gift of grace mean to you? Today, how will you thank God for this gift? How will you show God’s grace to another?
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A Man Attested by God

THEME WEEK: Death and The Kingdom – Acts 2
Old Testament: 1 Kings 15 & 16
Poetry: Psalm 123

Yesterday, we read about the resurrection of Lazarus. John actually structures the first part of his book (chapters 1-12) around seven signs that Jesus is the Messiah, with the power of raising Lazarus as the seventh. Peter points out that Jesus was attested to the people of Israel by God through those mighty works and wonders and signs. (Acts 2:22) However, while most commentaries talk about the seven signs, I would contend that the resurrection of Jesus himself is the eighth sign of his Messiahship. Acts 2:24 “God raised [Jesus] up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

What an amazing verse! Not that Christ could struggle against and eventually overcome death, but that it was not possible for death to hold him. 

What an amazing savior! Christ had every right as the Son of God to rule as king and call upon legions of angels to defend him, but instead he chose to willingly submit himself to the plan of God. 

What an amazing God! God gave us a salvation through the death of Christ that we could never earn, and gave us a hope through the resurrection of Christ that is greater than any we could ever imagine!

Luke wrote Acts based on the eyewitness testimony of those who not only followed Jesus when he was alive, but saw him when he had been raised. God raised up Christ, and all these fishermen and tax collectors and sinners in Acts 2 experience in and participate in the miracle of new life through the Holy Spirit now. Because Christ has been raised to life and is at the right hand of God, we are able to praise him with the Holy Spirit speaking through us, extolling the greatness of our God and his Christ.  

If you want this new life that begins now to continue forever, you need to follow the commands of Peter in Acts 2:38 : “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” “The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.” (Ephesians 1:14, NIrV)

What an amazing gift! The Spirit given to us through baptism is the teacher, guide, helper, and empower-er of the people of God so that we can do God’s will in the world. 

What an amazing promise! The Spirit guarantees that we will one day be raised from the dead, like Christ!

What an amazing Spirit, the power of God!

What an amazing Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord!

What an amazing God, The Father of Jesus, YHWH alone!

Amen!

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Do we too often forget how amazing God’s plan and his words are? What do you find amazing in Acts 2?
  2. What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Messiah? What does it mean to you that death could not hold him?
  3. What is your hope?
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All Prove True

Old Testament: 1 Kings 1 & 2

Poetry: Proverbs 30

New Testament: Acts 24


I try to always follow through on my word, but sometimes I forget, and other times the circumstances are out of my control. I teach 6th graders who are always quick (and annoyingly eager) to call me out on these times.


“You said I could go to the bathroom after the lesson.“ Sorry, I forgot. I can’t keep track of 130 students’ bladders.


“You said we’d have time to work on this assignment.“ Sorry, somebody pulled the fire alarm and we’ve spent all class outside.


I’m fallible, so my word is fallible, too. But, God never forgets and every circumstance is within His control. He is infallible. Today’s proverb holds the promise that all God’s promises are true. It’s like God extending his pinky towards ours and locking it in an eternal pinky promise.


Every word of God proves true.
(Proverbs 30:5a, ESV).


One man, Everett R. Storms, once counted 7,487 promises made by God to humankind. They. All. Prove. True. Of those 7,487, here are just a few promises to reflect on today:


God Promises Strength
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10, ESV)


God Promises to Fight For You
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:14, ESV)


God Promises Wisdom
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without
reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5, ESV)

God Promises to Be With You
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2, ESV)


God Promises to Answer Prayer
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, ESV)


God Promises Peace
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7, ESV)


God Promises Forgiveness
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, ESV)


God Promises the Kingdom
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV)

-Mackenzie McClain


Reflection Questions:

  1. How does knowing God’s promises change the way you approach your everyday
    life?
  2. How have you experienced these promises in your own life?
  3. What other promises does God make throughout scripture? Hint: there’s 7,479
    more!

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The Last Time

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 19 & 20

Poetry: Proverbs 26

New Testament: Acts 20

     Paul chose to bypass Ephesus based on an urgent drive he felt to be in Jerusalem for Passover, a drive that may have come from God more than himself. He describes himself as “bound by the Spirit” or “bound in spirit” – he is aware the bonds and afflictions await him, but he is not sure that death is near. But he is sure he will never see the Ephesians again. But Paul arranged to meet the church leaders from Ephesus and gave some words of encouragement and warning (Acts 20:18‑35). It is hard to imagine how that meeting must have affected them. A man who basically shaped their community through years of teaching and healing and tears now said he would never see them again, and that some of them would not remain true to the faith. Their greatest concern remained the loss of Paul. They loved and valued him. The news about their future must have been stunning, maybe even sickening, but what could be done? They had already faced opposition. They may even have anticipated that not all who claimed the name of Jesus would stay true to him. But such concerns had to be for later days.

     I wonder what further meanings they drew out of Paul’s words when they looked back on them, not simply as his closing thoughts about his own ministry, but as a commendation about their ministries. Some of his words are so poetic, or they seem so to me: “I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (v. 26-27). Looking back on it I think this may have seemed less a description of Paul’s own life and more a call to them of danger, for if he was innocent for not shrinking from the task, then that raised the threat that some of them who did so might be condemned for doing so. The image Paul offers of leaders becoming corrupt and seeking to build up themselves is an awful one. I would wish it was presented as a warning to them, something to be avoided, but as with Judas this was simply a prediction.

     A note on Acts 20:28: I prepared these devotions mainly using the 1995 NASB, which has the phrase “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Clearly there is a problem here, as God doesn’t have blood. Meanwhile you might have seen this NRSV wording: “the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.” Or perhaps you read the American Standard Version: “the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” Why do these differences exist?

     You may know that the Bibles we read aren’t translated from a single master copy of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek (with a few chapters’ worth of Aramaic). It would be unlikely for a book on paper or papyrus to survive from the first century to today. Instead we have copies of what was written then. And it isn’t easy to prevent all confusion when copying by hand. You could always make just one copy and destroy the original – but that doesn’t remove all risk of errors, though it removes the ability to check if there were any. F.F. Bruce was a well-known Greek scholar, he wrote: “For Caesar’s Gallic War (composed between 58 and 50 B.C.) there are several extant manuscripts, but only nine or ten are good, and the oldest is some 900 years later than Caesar’s day.” People don’t tend to question the text of Gallic War. The text may be wrong if the error got in long enough ago, but we just aren’t going to know.

     The Bible was intended to be spread widely. And because the Bible was used so widely and copied for people in so many parts of the world we have lots of copies, way more than for most things – about 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Having those different manuscripts meant they would get looked at, by language experts who wanted to know if they differed and how they differed. As it turned out almost none of the differences matter. The Church historian Philip Schaff (1819‑1893) wrote that in his time he was aware of only 400 New Testament variants that affected the meaning of a passage, and of those only 50 were of any significance. He didn’t think that any of the 50 rose to the level of affecting an “article of faith” (Companion to the Greek Testament and English Version, p. 177). The figures may be higher now, but it still isn’t something to lose your faith over. There are books (I have one) where committees of language experts evaluate the differences and what they think the situation is for each one.

     Back to Acts 20:28, it is an interesting case for involving two options. Is the issue that the text was changed at some point to say “Church of the God” rather than “Church of the Lord” – maybe because that phrase was more common in the Bible and the copyist thought it was what Luke originally wrote? Or at the end of the sentence was a reference to “son” dropped, changing what would have said “blood of his own son”? You can see here what Philip Schaff was getting at. Everyone agrees that Paul was trying to talk about Jesus here, not the Father, and that something got garbled in some of the manuscripts. It is not clear which of the manuscripts has the original intention, but this is not a big issue of doctrine.

     The matter of manuscripts and translation history can be fascinating, or it may quickly seem overwhelming. Rest assured it is not an area you normally need to concern yourself with if you are not interested in it. (For myself, with my history as an editor, it bothered me that the NASB had not addressed the issue in the verse even with a note.) As one more detail on this history, by the year 600 the gospels had been translated into nine languages. The Gospels were usually the first written literature of these languages. People were creating written forms of their languages just to better spread the news of Jesus to their people. I find that beautiful.

Dear Lord, thank you that you allow us to know about Paul’s struggles, and not just his successes. Help us to be more open with each other about our weaknesses, our tears, our losses. Let us be willing to admit that we need each other. It is more blessed to give than to receive, but if we don’t admit how much we need to receive sometimes people will not know to reach out. And help us, at least, who know that we are weak, to recognize that as a real possibility for others and offer them support and compassion and patience and time. We are not always hurting, but it is hard to make up for missing the opportunity of helping a hurting friend. So let me be more aware, more attentive. Let me listen with your son’s ears. And help me to speak with his words more often. Thank you, Lord. I love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Questions

  1. Why do you think Paul valued meeting with the Ephesian elders? What are some things he may have been hoping for with the meeting?
  2. If you were among the Ephesian elders warned that some of the group would turn against Jesus, what do you think your reaction might be? Do you think that Paul’s statement may have changed how many elders fell, rescuing some?
  3. What do you think the Ephesian elders did when they returned to Ephesus? What kind of message did they have to tell the regular members? How soon?
  4. Did the discussion of manuscripts and translation leave you confused? If so, I’m sorry, email me with your question (danielsmead1993@gmail.com).
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