Tag: Sarah Johnson

Dear Church in Smyrna – and You

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 30-31

POETRY: Psalm 119:33-40

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 2:8-11

Rev. 2:8-11 – Letter to Smyrna

Welcome back to our second letter!

Looking at some historical context of Smyrna is a bit harder than other churches, because it is only mentioned here in these verses.  However, we do know that the church of Smyrna is the only church still thriving in the modern day.  Reportedly, more Christians have lived in this area than any other Turkish city in the world.  This is quite impressive, considering this region has experienced repeated wars, massacres, earthquakes, and plague since they first received this letter.

Smyrna was a very rich area, populated by Roman and Jewish-born people.  Unfortunately, Christians were viewed as “cult followers” and often banned from being able to work, purchase needed items, and often faced social or physical persecution.  This really highlights what Jesus was speaking of in verse 9 when he described their poverty and afflictions.  So how could they possibly be rich?  Well, because just like all of us who are baptized, they had the promise of life, and avoiding hurt in the second death (v. 10-11).

From historical records, it has been concluded that a pastor at the church in Smyrna by the name of Polycarp, refused to worship Caesar and renounce the name of Christ.  Because of his choice, he was burned at the stake.  From these records, it is reported that when commanded to reject Christ, he stated “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and in nothing hath He wronged me; and how, then, can I blaspheme my King, who saved me?”.  From there, records indicate he was heard singing praises to the Son of God while being burned alive.  It seems Polycarp truly took the words of Jesus to heart, not fearing what he was suffering, and being faithful to the point of death.

It’s hard to imagine even a fraction of the persecution that was experienced in Biblical times, living in modern day America. Even harder, we know that both social and physical persecution still exists around the world today. In a recent report from Open Doors (link below), it is estimated that 1 in 7, or 365 million, Christians worldwide faced persecution in 2023.  Of those numbers, roughly 5,000 murders are recorded to be directly related to a person’s faith. Nearly 15,000 churches or Christian properties were attacked. From these reports, it has been determined that North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian.  Despite this, Christianity continues to be the highest category across the global population, AND is projected to continue to grow even higher based on current trends.  Even with the affliction and suffering, Jesus continues to touch the lives of billions around the world. 

Smyrna was one of many churches to experience persecution, but because of their faith, they are considered rich and worthy of the victor’s crown.  This message of reward was not meant just for them, but is for everyone who has ears to hear what the Spirit says (v.11).  You will face trials in this life as a Christian, whether or not they may be as severe as others around the world.  Will you remain faithful?

Reflection Questions:

  • Have you ever imagined yourself in the place of a Christian around the world?  Contemplate how you would respond when faced with persecution.  Pray today for those that experience this on a daily basis. For more information, check out the “World Watch List” found here: https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ 
  • In the passages in Jeremiah today, we see an example of God describing His restoration on earth, sharing the same promise that we also cling to in times of trials.  Reading those chapters, what verse sticks out to you as most encouraging when you consider the perfect restoration we will get to experience?
  • What ways can you hold fast to your faith when you experience suffering in this life? What has worked for you in the past?  How can you encourage and support a fellow believer who may be struggling right now?

-Sarah Johnson

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Dear Church in Ephesus – and You

OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 27 – 29

POETRY: Psalm 119:25-32

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 2:1-7

Rev. 2:1-7 – Letter to Ephesus

Hello all!  Although the other material is just as wonderful, we will be taking a focused look on the Revelation passages, exploring the Letters to the Churches.  Let’s dive in!

Each letter has a general pattern of a greeting and introduction, praise for their behavior, a warning or correction, plus a reminder of what is to come (hint, it’s the Kingdom!)

For some context, the church in Ephesus was visited and established by Paul back in Acts 18 & 19. We know from these passages that the silversmith Demetrius, and his shrines or idols to the goddess Artemis, were popular opposers of the message of Jesus the Messiah.  From the book of Ephesians, we know that Paul believed the Ephesians loved all of God’s people, but still needed guidance on how to daily live out the Christian walk.  Knowing this can impact how we read the letter John transcribed to them in Revelation 2, and how we can take that message and apply it to our own churches and lives.

After greeting the church in Ephesus, through John, Jesus writes to the church of Ephesus and commends them on their hard work, perseverance, and holding fast to doctrinal truths diligently (v.2-3).  But their correction is that they have forsaken the love they had at first (v.4).  Some people debate the exact meaning this has, but personally, when paired with the information we have from Paul’s writing, I believe this means they have lost the love they had for God’s people. 

Back in Paul’s time, they were a church in the middle of a dark, secular, perverse community.  Yet, they were growing and evangelizing in a way that was drawing people away from worshiping other gods, and bringing them to repentance.  Clearly they were doing something right at this time to be so appealing to people in such a community, so much so that those trying to make a profit off of sinful practices started a riot!  And THAT is what I believe they lost.  

This church seems to have swung the pendulum to the side of practicing truth without love.  While we can only speculate, I do think this likely looked like church leaders who were so focused on ensuring their church stood out from the worldly crowds, they lost the compassion for those outside of their own doors.  They lost the zeal and vigor for spreading the gospel, and became too heavily focused on trying to maintain the doctrinal ‘purity’ they had built.  

Notice how Jesus doesn’t say in these verses they should stop holding fast to those important practices, but rather they should do them in combination with what they did at first, loving others in their community so well that they were attracted to the church.  In fact, right after this reminder, he even says that he appreciates that they hate the same detestable practices he does!  Jesus was never saying to disregard the importance of true and accurate teaching of the Gospel message.  But he was challenging a church who had been a beacon of light to their community, to remember how they felt in those early days when they received the Holy Spirit, and go back to the same energy and passion for the people they were surrounded by.

Well-established churches or believers, especially those who hold tightly to doctrinal truths, must be on guard for this same loss of love in their own communities and hearts.  Not compromising on the biblical truths they hold, but never losing sight of the greatest commandment, to LOVE one another.  We all may have a bit more Ephesus in us than we think… which isn’t always a bad thing, but is something we must be cognizant of to make sure we are still remembering the love we must show, in order to have the opportunity to experience the “paradise of God” (v.7).

Reflection Questions:

  • Consider yourself and your church, have you lost your first love?  If you have, what steps can you take to revitalize that passion?  
  • Think of someone you care about deeply.  Have you shared the truth of Jesus Christ with them in a loving way?  If not, how can you start that conversation?
  • Reread Psalms 119:29-32 from today’s reading.  Clearly we see throughout all Scripture the importance of holding fast to God’s commands, just like the church in Ephesus.  Are you truly “setting your heart” on God’s laws as in these Psalms verses?

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

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More Opportunities

For God’s Children To Have a Relationship with Him

Isaiah 43-44 and 1 Timothy 3

When you read through Isaiah 43 and 44, what do you see?

I see a God who loves His people, whom He has chosen.  I see a God who shows mercy and patience.  I see a protective God.  I see a jealous God.  I see a God full of power and authority.  I see a world full of broken and lost people.  I also see a Father whose children have ignored Him.  I see a Father who knows there are unrighteous people in the world trying to pull His children off the path of righteousness.  I see a Father longing for a way to have relationships with His children.  I see children who do not understand what they are missing.

All of the great qualities we observe in or read about our God can seem far away when looking at the Old Testament and reading that He set His chosen people aside for destruction and abuse, or when we see large groups of people destroyed, or when the barbaric sacrifices of animals somehow allow for the forgiveness of sins.  I feel at times that the God of the New Testament seems to be much more loving and gracious than the God of the Old Testament.  And yet, since creation, God has had a plan for redemption not just for His chosen people, but for all who called upon His name.  The whole thing can be a bit confusing if I am being honest!  I have to remind myself that God has never changed, He has simply created more opportunities for His children to have a relationship with Him.

The Christian faith is one of just that, faith.  We can scientifically prove many of the events that have happened in the Bible did in fact happen.  However, the idea that an omnipotent God who has created everything in existence chose to create a group of imperfect beings to be made in His image with the purpose of praise, but then those imperfect beings were given free will and ruined it so He had to send them away but He still made a way for them to come back to Him but it still didn’t make them perfect enough so He sent a perfect being as a sacrifice for all the imperfect beings but then the perfect being came back to life to offer hope to the imperfect but the imperfect ones kept making the creation less perfect so one day the perfect one has to come back and fix the imperfect forever so that the omniscient one can live with the imperfect ones who will now be made perfect……Let’s be honest, it doesn’t make sense.  God’s grace requires faith to accept! 

1 Timothy 3:15 – 16 says “…This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.  Without questions, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit.  He was seen by angels and announced to the nations.  He was believed in throughout the world and taken into heaven in glory.”  

Our God is a living God.  He has been at work in the nations from day one, and He has had a plan for us to all live in relationship with Him from the start.  Why?  I have no clue.  But faith allows me to know that this is true, and our hope through Jesus Christ allows me to live each day knowing that I have an incredible gift of grace that should be used to praise and glorify the One True God.  Do you accept the completely confusing idea of God’s grace? How do you show that daily? 

(In case you were wondering, I definitely plan on asking God why He gave us free will in the Kingdom…along with many other questions 😊)

-Sarah Johnson

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 43-44 and 1 Timothy 3

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Our God is an Awesome God

Isaiah 41-42 and 1 Timothy 2

Good morning! (Or afternoon, or evening…)

Our God is an awesome God, and He has no problem telling us that!  Isaiah 41 is all about God telling the nations who is in charge.  In certain places, it can seem a little harsh… calling the Israelites weak worms, putting them in their place knowing that their work is worthless compared to God, etc.  HOWEVER, there are also multiple verses where God’s comforting love shows through as he reminds the Israelites not to fear, and that He is there to help and strengthen them (v. 10, 13, 17).  While the passage can be blunt at times, it ultimately is God simply speaking truth to a group of individuals that He cares deeply about.  He wants them to understand how great He is, and how much He cares for them!

In chapter 42 God provides a little more reasoning behind his passionate words towards the Israelites, He reminds them that they are a chosen people dedicated to being a light to the nations (v. 6).  Isaiah has been tasked with sending this message to the Israelites despite the way they continue to reject God.  I can almost feel his exasperation as he does his best to help them understand that they have a purpose, that God has a plan, and that they keep ignoring it! (v. 20) Do you ever feel like Isaiah trying to convince people that God has the best plan for their life?  It can be difficult to speak truth into the lives of others who are not receptive, and it can be hard to see them ignore the need for God in their life.  We must know that it is not our job to convince individuals they need God, He can do that all His own!  Our job is to share the information, model how God can change a life, and continue to pray for their eyes, ears, and hearts to be opened to the truth.

In reality, I think we end up being most like the Israelites ourselves!  We continue to disobey, ignore, or rebel against the purpose God has for us even though we may know exactly what God wants from us.  We all have sin in our lives.  It looks different in everyone!  That is why it is so incredible that God still includes us in His chosen people, and that we all have the same opportunity for salvation and an eternal life with Him in the Kingdom. 

Unlike Isaiah, we are fortunate to live in the time that we don’t have to just tell people salvation is yet to come; we get to share that a Savior has already come, already been put to death for our sins, and has already rose from the grave with a promise of eternal salvation!  We are told in 1 Timothy 2 that God wants everyone to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth (v. 4) and that Jesus was a human who gave himself as a ransom for all (v.5-6).  Who can you share some knowledge with today?

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Isaiah 41-42 and 1 Timothy 2

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Let the World See

1 Timothy 1

Welcome!

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

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

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Hope for A Broken World

Isaiah 33-34 and 2 Thessalonians 1

Hello!

I am excited to dig deeper into God’s word with you this week as we go through some chapters in Isaiah, 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Timothy!  I have to be honest with you… I am never “looking forward” to writing these devotions when the time comes.  However, I am always so surprised and happy with how God speaks to me while I write to you, so each year when the wonderful Marcia asks for writers, I will never turn her down! I imagine that this year will be no different 😊

We are going to start this week off in Isaiah, chapters 33 and 34.  The first chunk of Isaiah is mainly discussing destruction, purification (not really a fun process), and God’s vengeance.  What I find so interesting about the prophecies of the Old Testament is that we often look at them through the lens of our current age, yet so many of these destruction prophecies seem to apply to our world across generations and generations.  People have been going through cycles of brokenness throughout all of existence!  These prophecies to broken people in Isaiah’s day applied in the moment just as much as they apply to our lives today. Thankfully, the prophecy of hope will also apply!

In chapter 33 Isaiah is describing a sad, sinful, and broken world.    There are destroyers, traitors, broken agreements, despised cities, no ways to travel, and human life has been disregarded.  Sounds pretty familiar to me.  In verse 10 God starts to speak, and OH MAN does it get exciting.  From this perspective Isaiah describes God essentially smack-talking the kingdoms of that day and putting them in their place, under Him, and shares how His people (the righteous) will be blessed and safe, also in their place as citizens to a just and majestic King.  We are told that everyone who dwells in this Kingdom will be forgiven of all their sins (v. 24).  Visualize that AMAZING day and tell me it’s not something you want to be part of!! 

In chapter 34 Isaiah explains all the emptiness and evilness that will be in Edom, a nation “set apart for destruction” (v. 5) after God has had His day of vengeance.  This idea can seem confusing, especially if we don’t take the overall context into account.  Here’s a quick recap of what we know about Edom based on the Bible: God had given the land to Esau, the nation of Israel and the nation of Edom were active enemies, Isaiah prophesied about Edom’s destruction (as we see here) and multiple other books of prophets describe the same eventual ruin, Edom was attacked multiple times, and this prophecy eventually came to pass when King Amaziah slaughtered the nation in 2 Chronicles, even though the people were not officially wiped out until King Herod (that guy that tried to kill Jesus as a baby) died.  While this still doesn’t completely answer my questions of “Why Edom?”, it does give that much more credibility to the prophets and to God following through with what He says he will do.  In my quick research of Edom to provide the recap, I came across some notes of people who had more recently traveled to the ruins of Edom and described the deserted space filled with ‘unclean’ wild animals, just as God says it will be forever, from generation to generation (v. 17). 

We also see God’s consistency in judgement in our verses from 2 Thessalonians today!  We are told that God will show vengeance to those who don’t know Him and to the people who afflict His righteous citizens (v. 6 & 8).  Our broken world has not changed, and neither has God’s opinion on how to handle it.

I am not going to pretend that God’s plans and purpose for the world always make sense to me.  But I am always convinced that God follows through on everything He says, and I do trust that it all has a plan and purpose, even when it doesn’t make sense.  Our world has always been broken (since the fall of man that is…), and God has always had a plan, and that plan has always included a way out for the righteous.  How lucky are we to be living in the age of brokenness that has the opportunity to experience salvation in such a grace-filled way?

The rest of this week we will continue to dive into scripture and see that our brokenness isn’t all that new, and our hope is closer now than ever!

-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened at BibleGateway here – Isaiah 33-34 and 2 Thessalonians 1

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