Tag: J.J. Fletcher

2 Peter 2 – Twice

Job 42

Psalm 103

2 Peter 2

-Today, for a devotion on 2 Peter 2, why not post 2 devotions? And how about 2 devotions from 2 brothers serving in Minnesota….

Here’s a devotion by J.J. Fletcher, originally posted Thursday, October 13, 2022

Peter draws to attention the fact that in the history of Israel, false prophets arose among the people and the same thing will happen in the church age… False teachers will arise, so we must be on the watch. If many will follow, we must be watchful and call out these false teachers as to prevent as many people as we can from falling into these destructive teachings. In thinking of what modern teachings this applies to we could put “Word of Faith” or “Prosperity” teachings into this category. We could also think about the many “liberal” denominations that reject the sexual ethics of scripture and the “evangelical” teachers that often seem to conflate (at least in the way I see it) being a Christian with voting for a particular political party. We need to make sure that we stand in the word and do not allow ourselves to be deceived and exploited, but also we must stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22) and do what we can to keep others from being deceived and exploited.

Peter then delves into ideas concerning judgment and preservation of righteous people standing up in the midst of wickedness. If God will rescue Noah and Lot, will he not also rescue some of us from perishing in this present age of wickedness? Of course, God does not keep all of his people from perishing (for reasons that are known to him and not us… i.e. Stephen and many of Jesus’ disciples), but he does in many instances deliver his people out of dire straits. Not only will he in many instances rescue us, but those who stand in wickedness stand in punishment. While we may not see the unrighteous handled in ways that we desire, we must recognize that God deals in his own ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Peter then writes of the ways of deceivers and references Balaam (see Numbers 22 to begin his story) as he is pointing out many of the traits of these wicked opponents of God.

Peter states that those who depart from the corruption of the world and come to Jesus, but then depart from him and return to deception are worse off than they were at first. Can we wrap our minds around that? It’s better to have never known Jesus than to come into that saving knowledge and then depart from him. That makes it all the more important for us to keep in Christian community and to have people who can speak truth into our lives when we stumble and fall short in our pursuit of righteous living. The self-deception that comes from a lack of self-control is more than just a minor issue, it can cost us everything (abundance now, but more importantly, that abundance that we can embrace in the coming Kingdom).

We just got a new puppy about a month ago, so when I read Peter’s reference to a dog returning to its vomit, it gives me an all too clear visual of what that means. Our dog ate a couple of our children’s socks and had a miserable night (gagging constantly) and then when my wife took him out in the morning he proceeded to puke them up (it was Sunday morning, so in the rush of things getting ready to leave for church, the socks remained on the ground). When I took the dog out after several hours in the kennel, what did he do? He went right for one of the socks and tried to eat it (I got rid of it this time). Later that day (or the next), he got lucky(?) and ate the second sock… I’ll spare you the details of the next morning… The socks were bad for my puppy (he got lucky all things considered), but that did not stop him from going after them. Sin can be the same way for us, even though things are bad for us (and even when we absolutely recognize this), we often return to it (or at the very least are enticed by it) which makes it ever more important that we stay vigilant (constant vigilance!) in abiding in our lord Jesus, because without his advocacy and without the helper that he will send, i.e. the spirit of God, his father) , we are done for.

-J.J. Fletcher

Reflection:

1. What do I need to be most on the guard for? What types of deception might entice me to neglect my faith in Jesus and his kingdom message?

2. Why do the promises of false teachers often sound so sweet? Do they play around with scripture and make it sound like it is saying something that it is not? What can we do to limit the voices of deception that are lurking not only in the shadows, but out in the limelight?

And here’s a devotion by Joel Fletcher, originally posted October 15, 2023

“For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” 

2 Peter 2:21 (ESV)  

An idea stitched through today’s readings is that the God of Heaven prefers human behavior that is good and has an aversion to human behavior that is bad (to put it mildly). The Maker of mankind pays attention to both the wicked and the righteous (Proverbs 15:3). God sees all that happens on earth and, although all bad is wrong from His perspective, there seems to be a certain kind of action that uniquely draws His ire: people, who “speak on behalf of God”, using their influence to persuade others to evil–such people are called false prophets and false teachers (Jeremiah 23:16-17, 2 Peter 2:1). How do we avoid becoming like these people and live in a way that pleases our Maker? 

Looking through the whole of scripture, one will discover that nearly all the people God employed for His purposes displayed humility (or were first humbled), while those whom God rejected or stopped using were dragged down by pride. When Jesus ministered in Judea and the surrounding regions, he embraced people who were stereotypically seen as bad (or, unrighteous) and opposed those who were known (and self-described) as good (or, righteous). While it is true that those whom Jesus befriended did bad things and those whom Jesus antagonized did good things, the defining distinction between the two was humility (in the former) and pride (in the latter).  

The religious leaders of first-century Jerusalem saw themselves as righteous men who had things figured out–they needed no one to save them. The outcasts, meanwhile, longed for salvation–both from the Roman overlords and their own sinfulness. In other words, the people who embraced Jesus saw him as a doctor and themselves as the sick, while those who rejected him, saw Jesus as an instigator and themselves as the people preserving the peace. If one denies they have a problem, one cannot get the help needed.  

There is a conundrum for the Christian: we are called to do good works (Ephesians 2:10) and to represent Christ on God’s behalf (2 Corinthians 5:10), but we are also warned that one who has claimed to be a Christian (maybe even one who has been an effective evangelist) can come to a place where, because of their pride, it would have been better if they had “never known the way of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:21). How do we avoid this state, while being faithful to our calling? 

From what I see from scripture, the best antidote to getting on God’s bad side is to live in, with, and by humility. First, by fearing, above all (with reverence, awe, and worship) Yahweh. Second, by recognizing Jesus as the only way to the Father, to life eternal, and to the good life. Third, by recognizing that, while this knowledge radically changes lives, it doesn’t make one superior to anyone else. 

You can, with great fervor, study your Bible for countless hours every day, and do all the spiritual practices prescribed or implied by the text, but it won’t make you any better off…unless you are aware and live as though you need a doctor and view Jesus as that doctor. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day didn’t recognize the great physician because they didn’t acknowledge their sickness. If we want to make sure we don’t go down that same dead-end road, if we don’t want to get scolded or labeled as a false teacher, we must take our humble medicine every day.  

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you realize your need for a doctor and Savior? How does Jesus provide what you need?
  2. What happens to those who once knew they needed Jesus, but then are puffed up with pride and go their own way?
  3. What steps can you take to stay humble (or first become humble)? In what areas of your life do you most frequently run into the problem of pride? How can knowing this help you in the future?

Prayer

Dear God, I thank You for Your words of truth, love, and warning. Help us to be devoted to who You are, what You desire, and to Your Son and Coming Kingdom. May we not be led astray by false teachers, covetousness, or returning to our sin and past selves. Help me see and speak and represent Your truth. Give me a heart of humility that magnifies Your name and boasts only of Christ and all he has done, is doing, and will do for his faithful, truthful church. Is his name I pray, Amen.

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Adding More and More

Job 40-41

Psalm 102

2 Peter 1

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (MN)

(2 Peter 1:5-10 ESV) …make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

In contrast to the list of negative attributes to avoid in the second chapter of 1st Peter, we see in the first chapter of 2nd Peter a list of attributes that we should aspire to. Believe, absolutely, but belief must be supplemented with action. Virtue = moral excellence; let your character be representative of Christ. As one called to redemption in the name of Jesus, your motivations and behaviors should be indicative of Jesus’ righteousness (he is your righteousness, so honor it with your lifestyle). As we strive for moral excellence, we should seek to understand. 

Sir Francis Bacon coined the term “knowledge is power.” Knowledge gives us an advantage. Simply hearing that we should behave in a certain way is one thing, but studying the scriptures to understand WHY we should behave a certain way is more powerful and compelling. As someone who grew up in the 90’s, “The More You Know” PSA’s come to mind. To be discerning in addressing the many challenges of life, the knowledge and understanding of scripture is crucial.

Our knowledge gives us a basis to exercise self-control. Having an understanding of scripture gives us a metric by which to measure our behavior. If we know what we should do, then we can aspire to behave that way and recognize where we might fall short. Our salvation is not based on our works or actions, but our works/actions speak, or bear witness to our faith. If the way we behave is supposed to point others to Jesus, then we should be passionate about being self-controlled. If we can’t manage our emotions or behaviors, what message is that sending to others about our faith and character?

Add to your self-control steadfastness; this is understood as endurance or staying power. It is one thing to exercise self-control for an hour, a day, a week… Even someone who is convicted or passionate about something can get worn down or discouraged over time; so we continually need to renew our minds and evaluate ourselves.

Godliness can be understood as the way that we submit and respond to God and the way that we look at and respond to his creation, namely that which is created in his image (spoiler alert, that means people). Brotherly love (or affection) and agape: general love, care, concern, and treatment of people in general, are the logical and spiritual outpouring of our submission to God’s will in the way that we relate to and treat others.

Lacking these characteristics is tantamount to blindness, but practicing them is indicative of absolute victory. We don’t have to be perfect in our execution, but we need to strive for all of them in our behavioral orientation.

J.J. Fletcher 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.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why is just having faith not enough?
  2. Virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Why is having just a bit of any of these not enough? What would it look like to add more and more of each of these qualities?
  3. Is one (or two) of these harder for you than the others? How could you especially focus on that/those? Is there something to get rid of in order to make it easier to build more of this/these qualities?
  4. When have you been blind – missing these? How does your blindness affect your relationship with God? How does it affect your relationship with others?

Prayer

Dear God – I praise You for being the One True God – perfect in all your qualities. Forgive me for the times my faith is incomplete and blind. Help me see where I need to add on more and more that I will be effective and fruitful. And help me do what is pleasing to You, living like Jesus. In his name I pray, Amen.

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A Humble Shepherd Leader

Job 38-39

Psalm 102

1 Peter 5

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (MN) – J.J. Fletcher 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.

Humility is a key trait that Peter homes in on in chapter 5. Leaders who lack humility will be ineffective and often destructive to those who are under them and to the work of the church. 

Leaders in the church need to exercise oversight of the church, but do so because they are willing to (elsewhere in Scripture we see the idea of desiring the work) and not under compulsion or for their own gain. Some people like control and attention, but that is not a godly way to view or pursue leadership. Good leaders garner the respect of those they are charged with overseeing, or shepherding, because they are looking out for the flock and are stewarding the direction of the church. Respect is not something that should be demanded or expected. Certainly, general respect for certain offices is warranted, but poor character, behavior, and leadership style can erode respect. 

Leading by example, as Peter writes, is key. It’s hard to ask people to make sacrifices if you yourself are not willing to sacrifice. People will work with you and follow you into the trenches of ministry if you are leading them into it and not simply trying to tell them what they should do.

Those who are younger, submit to the elders. Why? Because they’ve been doing life and ministry much longer and should have valuable insight that will help you mature in Christ. We may disagree on methods and approaches to ministry, but we can have conversations about why we should do some things and refrain from others. 

Submitting doesn’t just mean doing what someone else says, but can be as simple as working under someone else’s wisdom and authority, throwing ideas off them, and asking for insight and advice. A good leader is not simply going to say no to an idea, but help individuals discern the appropriateness or feasibility of an idea or ministry. Sometimes we have to say no to good ideas because of resources (money, staffing, business, etc.). 

One thing that leaders should be doing is helping people discern their spiritual gifts and guide them to appropriate roles in ministry and leadership. 

God opposes the proud. Humility is a trait that we all should strive for. After all, Jesus didn’t want to suffer, but he humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, to submit to the will of God, his Father.

Reflection Questions

  1. In whom have you seen the beauty of a humble leader?
  2. Whether you are an official church leader or not, how can you approach life and others with more humility? Why do you think that is pleasing to God?
  3. How well do you submit to elders?
  4. No matter what position you do or do not hold, someone is always watching you – how can you lead by example?

Prayer

Dear God, Thank You for being a loving, guiding, providing Shepherd. Thank You for the gift of Your Son who learned from You and who took on the shepherd role even to the point of giving his life for his sheep – including me. Thank You for the humble shepherds You have supplied in my life – church and family leaders who have guided me to You. Help me to be a good and humble example in the way I live my life for You, that when the Chief Shepherd appears again I and the sheep who have followed my example will be ready for those crowns of glory.

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Above All

Job 36-37

Psalm 101

*1 Peter 4

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (MN)

At the beginning of chapter four Peter says to “arm yourself with the same way of thinking” aligning this directive with Jesus suffering in the flesh. While Jesus’ suffering was likely to exceed what these Christians endured, they were still facing a culture that might ostracize, if not outright persecute or kill them.


Peter points out distinctions in how the gentiles live according to the flesh (perverting many things that God intended for good), and how we as believers are to pursue the will of God – this means among other things giving up things that might feel good or make us feel like we belong.


We’ll home in on what Peter writes in verses 7-11:


“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7–11 ESV)


Considering the coming kingdom (which is immanent, but we don’t know when it will come): Exert Self-Control! Many times, we see this attribute called for in the life of believers (at least 18 times in the ESV). Looking in the letter of James (which I preached from yesterday), lack of self-control can lead to self-deception. When we allow our thoughts to be clouded by worldly things or self-centered behaviors, we are going to miss what God would have us do. By being sober (or clear) minded we can think critically, and we need to think clearly so that we can be effective in our prayers. Jesus gave us a model by which to structure our prayers, but our prayers are not meant to be mindless or rote… We need to be looking at things through the lens of God’s spirit, which allows us to see things that our physical eyes cannot see. Think back to 1 Peter 3 where it says a man should live with his wife in an understanding way as not to have his prayers hindered – the way that we think, live, and act has a direct impact on how we pray and the effectiveness of our prayers.


We’re instructed to love one another earnestly, because love covers a multitude of sins. (Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13). “…in the face of extreme social hostility, love will be necessary for spiritual survival. For Peter the primacy of love is accompanied by a qualification, and this qualification is a partial citation of Proverbs 10:12 similar to James 5:20—’love covers over a multitude of sins,’ rather than magnifying the faults of others. After all, love is patient and doesn’t keep a record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5)” (J. Daryl Charles, “1 Peter,” in Hebrews–Revelation, vol. 13 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition).

How does the Church expect to thrive if we let piddly little things (or even larger disagreements) get in the way of caring for each other? How are we to expect to overcome the world through Jesus if we don’t exercise with others the grace that we have been shown (we all kind of stink at times, to put it mildly)?

We need to show hospitality in a world that is oft inhospitable to Jesus’ way of living. If we’re inhospitable to other believers, they might find hospitality in places that will draw them away from the grace of God. We shouldn’t grumble when we have an opportunity to be hospitable, but rather see it as an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus (Genesis 12 says Abraham was blessed to be a blessing, and through grace and mercy we’ve also been blessed to be a blessing as well).


In everything we do we need to do so viewing ourselves as representatives of God, as ambassadors of the kingdom, and imitators of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3-8).


Reflection Questions

  1. How does my life look like the life of Jesus and how does it look different?
  2. How does hospitality with fellow believers prime me to be hospitable to those who I disagree with?
  3. Am I doing well at being self-controlled? What are my biggest obstacles to living in this way? Who can I ask for help or be accountable to help me in this endeavor?

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Oct 10, 2022)

Prayer

Dear God, You are worthy of all my praise. Thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ. I want to become more and more like him. Show me where I fail, strengthen my self-control, guide me in thinking and doing what is right and loving better.

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Giving Grace & a Blessing

Giving Grace & a Blessing

Job 34-35

Psalm 101

1 Peter 3

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (MN)

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV)

Much of 1st Peter has to do with our conduct: to our faith community, our family, those in authority over us, and to the world at large. Peter gives us a list of traits in 3:8 that are emblematic of who we should be as those who are in Christ.

We should be living our lives in a way that those we interact with see those encounters as a blessing. The idea of grace is key. Elsewhere in Scripture (Rom. 14, 15 and 1 Cor. 8) we are instructed to give grace to those who are weaker or immature in their faith, not allowing ourselves to be a stumbling block to them. 

Not everyone is at the same place in their faith. Someone who is new to faith is not going to have everything figured out with their doctrine, their lifestyle, or their personal conduct. Someone who is seasoned in their faith may also not have everything figured out with their doctrine, their lifestyle, or their personal conduct. While all may strive to be faithful, we have our unique (or not so unique) challenges to living a life that is faithful to the calling which we have been called. 

Everyone has a bad day once in a while, and everyone goes through seasons of difficulty, so we should be prepared with hearts full of grace and mercy when someone experiences failure or lashes out due to the stresses of life. If we bless someone with an attitude of grace and forgiveness, perhaps we can help them grow and feel supported, rather than repaying with dismissiveness or combativeness that might ostracize them or create a stumbling block that might hinder healing and restoration.

Even hard truths and confrontation can be done with a spirit of grace. Peace and grace should be the goal for all of us in any hard conversation that we may need to have. Even with graceful conduct, we may encounter challenges and conflict, but if we are conducting ourselves in righteous obedience to God, then our God looks upon us and hears us. If we are lacking grace and are allowing our frustration and selfish anger to guide us, then God is against us. 

Our proper behavior is not just to be aimed toward our family in Christ, but to all people. Peter further writes:

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17 ESV)

If people hate or disregard you, let it be because you were faithful to your calling in Christ, not because you are a jerk or are manipulative. And if you do find yourself being a jerk or acting underhandedly, seek forgiveness and restoration. Share your faith but be well-reasoned and gentle when you do. When you have to correct someone, be gentle and gracious, doing so out of concern for the individual and not simply for the optics of their situation.    

Reflection Questions

  1. Reread 1 Peter 3:8. When have you seen those qualities exhibited by another? How can you strive to show each one of these traits today in every interaction?
  2. “We should be living our lives in a way that those we interact with see those encounters as a blessing.” – Think about your last 5-10 encounters – for how many of them do you think the other person(s) would view the encounter as a blessing? What could you do to boost that number?
  3. How often do you seek peace and pursue it? What happens when you don’t? What are the benefits to giving grace?

Prayer

Dear God Almighty – Thank you for the grace You have given to me. Help me to pass it along to others every day. Help my words, attitude and actions be a blessing to all I encounter. Led by Your direction in 1 Peter and by Your Spirit, may I be pleasing to You.

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What to Eliminate & What to Survive On

Job 32-33

Psalm 100

*1 Peter 2

-Devotion by J.J. Fletcher – J.J. Fletcher 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.

Yesterday we looked at Peter’s exhortation to be prepared and self-controlled. Chapter 1 ends with the following words: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:22-25 ESV)

As we prepare ourselves for self-controlled lives of holiness, Peter mentions that we should love our brothers and sisters earnestly from a pure heart. 

Sometimes we may love someone but not treat them well. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” As we become more intimately involved in the lives of others, we become more acutely aware of their strengths and faults. We typically know our shortcomings, and we may try to hide or compartmentalize them, but someone may have the same shortcomings, and we can easily hold those things against them in a way that we would never hold them against ourselves. This can be anything from personal sin/temptation issues to lack of social awareness. If someone is transparent with their struggles or confesses sin, it can be easy to look upon them with judgment; it can color the way that we view them or our respect for them. On the flipside, sometimes people carry themselves in a certain way or have mannerisms that put us off. I once shared in a sermon illustration that everyone annoys me… if I let them. If I want to be annoyed, I’ll find a reason. If I am set on people behaving in a certain way, it can be very easy to let irritation or resentment take over my perception of a person. 

Peter’s words at the beginning of chapter 2 are important to understand in a relational sense. Malice can be interpreted as having a “mean-spirited or vicious attitude.” Deceit is “taking advantage through craft or underhanded methods.” Hypocrisy is “to create a public impression that is at odds with one’s real purposes or motivations, play-acting, pretense, outward show.” Envy is wanting what others have, and slander is speaking ill or evil about another. Peter does not address gossip in this section, but all of these things can play into the sin of gossip, which can tear apart people on both an individual and relational level. (Quoted definitions from BDAG Greek Lexicon).

Allowing room for these attitudes or behaviors in our lives will destroy the way that the church is meant to relate to one another; it reminds me of these words from the book of Hebrews: 

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

(Hebrews 12:14-15 ESV)

So we should not allow ourselves to be caught up with these attitudes and behaviors. We should be willing to receive correction if we are behaving in a way that is detrimental to ourselves and the church, and also we need to be willing to confront those who harm the church by their conduct.

These problems stem from not being focused on what Peter calls “pure spiritual milk.” If our priorities and focus are not on the life that God wants us to lead, but rather on what we want for ourselves, we open ourselves up to relating to others in a selfish or prideful way that opens us up to these types of destructive conduct.

We’ll close out with this excerpt from the NIV Application Commentary:

“Pure spiritual milk” refers to the very things that nourish the Christian community in its growth: knowledge of God, prayer, instruction in the gospel, faithful obedience, and hearing God’s preached word. The desire for spiritual nourishment is the desire of any church that wants to know the Lord and live in light of his will.”

Reflection Questions

  1. Who do you love that you can work on treating better? What will that look like?
  2. Do you allow yourself to be annoyed by others? What are your options? How can you view others instead?
  3. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, and gossip. Stop and examine yourself. What can you get rid of in your own life? What will you replace it with?
  4. How do you get spiritual nourishment? How does it help you grow in respect to salvation? If you have been feeling spiritually malnourished recently what can you do to crave – and consume – more pure spiritual milk?

Prayer

Dear Father – I give you praise and worship for You are a great God. Thank You for Your faithfulness and love and the gift of Your Son. Help me to get rid of all bad attitudes and evil thoughts, words and actions towards others. I want to love others well, as You and Your Son have loved me. Thank You for Your perfect Word that lives forever and supplies all we need to grow in You. Help me crave it, learn from it and pass it on until Your Son returns. In his name we pray, Amen.

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Preparation

Job 31

Psalm 100

*1 Peter 1

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

  1. What has become reoccurring tripping hazards for you? Consider specific temptations, bad habits, attitudes.
  2. 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?
  3. 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

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Anxiety, Attitude and Action Plan

2 Chronicles 5-6

Psalm 77

Philippians 4

-Devotion by Pastor J.J. Fletcher, son of Jeff & Karen Fletcher (MN)

Anxiety is a significant issue today. A quick Google search yields the statistics that nearly half of U.S. adults report feeling more anxious than in previous years. Nearly 20% of adults deal with some sort of anxiety disorder, and about 15% of young adults experience moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. 

Some anxiety is enhanced or brought on by various disorders, but other anxiety seems to be directly impacted by the way that we order and perceive life. 

In Philippians 4, Paul gives us an action plan for life. Our attitude can directly impact our response to people and situations. I made this point in a sermon once: Everyone annoys me… if I let them. If we’re looking for something to complain about or dislike, we’re going to find something. Paul says: Rejoice always! Look for what God is doing and find joy in that. He doubles down on that idea for emphasis. Even when chaos and pain surround: rejoice. When things are not going how you would like them: rejoice. 

Actively looking for and remembering God in our lives will directly impact our perception of reality and frame our outlook on life. Certainly, there will be difficulties, but God gives us the tools to endure.

Joyfulness doesn’t mean being “Pollyanish”; we should not ignore reality, but we can and should show a resilient life and faith through hardship and disappointment. Being reasonable (not insisting on every right or letter of law or custom, yielding, gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant – BDAG) seems to have some implications of not making everything about yourself and being mindful of others, even when you are down or suffering.

Paul says don’t be anxious. Instead, channel your struggles and disappointments into prayer. A couple of days ago, I wrote about complaining… don’t do that; rather, vent to God, tell him how you feel (respectfully), ask for wisdom and grace to deal with your situation. Ask him to work in you and work in the situation that may be pushing you toward anxiety. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Paul says that this approach will bring the peace of God, which doesn’t make sense. My caveat to this is that it doesn’t make sense to someone without faith. Yes, it transcends what our minds can handle and how we operate, but it should make sense to us who believe in a God that does supernatural things. It’s no biggie for him to change our hearts and minds and bring about a non-anxious and peaceful paradigm.

When things are going poorly or just not how we desire, it is easy to hyperfixate on our disappointments. Paul says not to do that. Look for the good in people. Look at what God has done in your life and the lives of others. If sin is at the heart of your issues, turn away from that sin and look to things that are excellent and worth paying attention to.

Finally, put your faith and training into practice. It does no good to simply be hearers of the word; we need to be doers of the word (James 1:22).

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you tend to handle anxiety or situations that could potentially cause anxiety? What healthy practices have you tried and benefitted from? What unhealthy practices have you used and want to avoid?
  2. When have you hyperfixated on disappointment? What was the result? What would have been a better reaction to the disappointment – and one you will try next time?
  3. “Look for what God is doing and find joy in that.” Look carefully. What do you see God doing? With joy, thank Him.

Prayer

Dear God – I thank You for always being up to something good. We eagerly await Your perfect Kingdom, but until then, help me rest in the peace that only comes from knowing You. Help me see You at work and joyfully serve. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

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The Unwritten Rules

Matthew 15, Mark 7

Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (Minnesota)

I’ve been following baseball for around 30 years. My dad was (and still is) a Baltimore Orioles fan, but when the time came for me to pick my team, I pledged my allegiance to the Atlanta Braves. In the late 90s, one of my most despised teams was the Montreal Expos. In 2005, the aforementioned villains moved to Washington, DC and became the Nationals. My dad was also a Senators fan when he was a kid, growing up just outside of DC, so he also began rooting for them after the move brought the nostalgia of baseball back to the nation’s capital. My dad has always given a couple of my brothers guff for being Yankees fans, but I felt similar betrayal.

Baseball is known for its “unwritten rules”. Though these rules are waning as younger players enter the league and the stalwarts retire, they still exist to some degree. Your best player gets hit by a pitch? The next guy up in the opposing lineup is taking one in the ear or back. You don’t celebrate home runs, or you get hit the next time up. You don’t walk over the pitcher’s mound or bring up the fact that a perfect game is going on. The list goes on and on, but you won’t find them written down anywhere official. They have not been codified in the official MLB rule book. But the players expect each other to abide by these traditions that have become known as the Unwritten Rules.

We see some Pharisees confronting Jesus about his disciples not conforming to the “Traditions of the Elders”. Specifically, the disciples are not washing their hands before they eat. Now, there are some regulations in the Torah about washing hands, but they are very specific. They have nothing to do with washing hands before eating. Over time, new “rules” or traditions morphed from the written law into behaviors that were expected, perhaps even viewed as equally important to the codified text of the Torah.

Think of your time attending church. Growing up, there were probably some things you were told not to do (running in the sanctuary) that don’t appear anywhere in scripture, but people were passionate about it (you’d better dress up for church). Some churches have certain ways of doing things: Do you take the Lord’s Supper weekly, monthly, or quarterly? Do you use grape juice or wine? Who can pass out or pray over the emblems? Is it sacrilegious to have a guitar on stage? Maybe you’ve moved from your childhood church, or maybe you’re like me and have moved many times. Things are different at your current church, right? So, who is right and who is wrong? Or are different ways of doing church equally proper? 

Sometimes the way we do things is perfectly fine, but it’s not necessarily “the right way”. We sometimes run into obstacles when someone tries to serve in their church, and the status quo gets in the way. There are times and seasons for various ministries. Often, the reason that something is done a certain way is because the first person who served in a role or started a ministry did things that way. It was a fine way to do it, but was it the right way? Was it the only way? Maybe there’s a better way? Or maybe it just comes down to being a different way, because a different person is leading a ministry or function of the church. It’s ok to have preferences, and it’s ok to do things WAY differently from other churches. The main thing is to make sure that what we are doing is furthering the Kingdom of God and benefiting the body of Christ. Sometimes it will be necessary to restrict things or do things in a particular way because scripture instructs it. The Bible and our faith should never be weaponized to keep us comfortable, but rather our sword and shield should be wielded to fight spiritual battles. We are to fight against darkness, not dwell in or create a new kind of darkness, but I’m afraid that can sometimes happen when we cling to traditions the same way that we cling to the hope of the Risen Savior.  

Back to the Pharisees. They were calling out the disciples for violating the unwritten rules, which had no true basis in the Law, and treating them like lawbreakers. Jesus points out the irony of them making these accusations. By following the tradition of the elders that allows one to declare something as “corban”, to be set apart for use in the temple, they are violating the Law of Moses. By setting aside money that might be used to support their elderly parents to instead go to the temple (where they may then benefit from it due to their roles) they are not honoring their parents, which by the Law is punishable by death. 

Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Traditions can be valuable. They can be invaluable. They cannot equal or trample the law or instruction that comes from God. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What traditions do you hold dear? How would you approach someone who wanted to do something differently?
  2. How might you deal with a person in a loving way who is clinging to tradition to the detriment of another, to the body at large, or even to themselves?
  3.  Is there an evaluation process in place to think about how and why your church does certain things and considers how things may need to change over time?
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Bread: Not Just a Comfort Food

John 6

Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (Minnesota)

Hunger is a powerful thing. It can affect your mood, and it can cause you to make poor decisions. There’s the old saying, “never go shopping on an empty stomach”. You will buy stuff that you don’t really need because your mind is affected by hunger. I can relate to that. Once upon a time, while I was at the Bible college, a friend and I decided to go on a green tea fast. On the day that we broke the fast, I went grocery shopping and spent way more money than I should have on food, and I’m pretty sure most of it went to waste. I was buying out of hunger, not necessity. I’m sure you can relate to my bad habit of stopping and getting horribly unhealthy food because you were hungry, and it was quick and convenient. Maybe you decided to stop because it was a cheap option?

We see the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000. There were a lot of extra people around because Passover was coming up soon. They find themselves in the conundrum of not having enough food for all these people who are gathered to hear Jesus. They could perhaps go buy food, but that would take a lot of time, not to mention money. And how do you source food quickly for this many people? How many people would be required to carry it back? I don’t really think there’s an avenue for coordinating food for this gathering.

Jesus ends up telling the disciples to gather up all the food that the group has collectively. What they end up with is a boy who has five loaves of bread and two fish. This is a laughable amount of food for a group of 5000 plus. Jesus prays over the food, and they start passing it out, and they pass and they pass, and they pass and they end up having leftover food after everyone has eaten their fill. What a miracle. Jesus perceives that the people being moved by this miraculous action are going to try to grab him and make him king forcibly. It is not the proper time, nor is this the proper motivation. Jesus is king because God declares it himself, not because of this miraculous meal.

Jesus withdraws to be by himself. The disciples set sail across the sea without Jesus, but encountered him walking on the water. They are freaked out, but they’re glad when they see it’s him, and once he’s on the boat, all is well. But the crowds are hungry for more and start to search for Jesus.

The people want to see more miracles, but that is not the purpose of Jesus’ ministry; rather, an attestation of the power behind him. Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God is truly powerful. Jesus says that the crowds are not seeking him, not even after the power behind the signs that they saw, but because they had been well fed. 

The people bring up the desire to see miraculous signs and recall that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness. Jesus, comparing his role to that of Moses, says that it was not Moses who fed the Israelites in the wilderness, but that it was God. He warns them of seeking temporal comforts and satiety; rather, they should seek after the true life-changing and life-saving power of God. Jesus’ claim that he is the “bread of life” or “bread come down from heaven” is a claim that God has ordained, empowered, and approved his Kingdom ministry and his standing as the savior. 

It is a long and winding road that leads to the cross. Many will reject the bread of life for the bread of satiety or comfort, or maybe bread leavened with the yeast of the Pharisees, but many do take Jesus up on his “the bread of life” offer and are the beneficiaries of God’s amazing power that was and is at work in the hearts of the redeemed.

Reflection Questions

  1. What significance do you see in the contrast of Jesus’ miracle, the manna of the Exodus, and the Bread of Life that Jesus speaks of?
  2. Does the metaphor of food effectively drive home Jesus’ emphasis on the importance of the Gospel for true life?
  3. In what ways can you take Jesus’ words from John 6 and apply them you your life in a way that strengthens your personal ministry?
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