Test

Readings for today: Isaiah 38-39, 2 Kings 20:1-21, 2 Chronicles 32:24-33

Testing is a part of life. I think of when I played college sports and how my body was tested over and over again. In the weight room. On the field. I was constantly pushed to my limits and beyond. And what happened when I passed each test? My body got stronger. I got better. My skills improved. I think of my educational work. My mind was tested at every level. Grade school. Middle School. High School. College. Masters. Doctorate. I was constantly pushed to the limits of my ability to grasp and understand complex ideas. But what happened as I learned? My mind grew sharper. My thought processes became far more refined. I was able to articulate what I believe and why with much greater clarity. I think of the work I’ve done in counseling. I was pushed beyond my emotional limits and forced to come to grips with serious flaws in my character. My anger. My frustration. My perfectionism. All were getting in the way of the relationships I cared most about in my life. But what happened as I did the work? I grew more emotionally mature and regulated. I became more self-aware and secure. I was able to confess my sins and mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

Perhaps the greatest tests I have had to face over the course of my life are the spiritual ones. The ones God Himself brings into my life. I’ve been a Christian for just about thirty years now and there are many times where God called me to step out of my comfort zone to learn what was truly in my heart. Was I all talk? Was my faith just a Sunday morning thing? Did I practice what I preached? I think of the tests I’ve endured in ministry. Key moments that determined the future of the churches I served. God has given me so many opportunities over the years to trust Him and I have to tell you, it’s never easy. It brings me to the end of my strength and wisdom almost every time. It pushes me beyond what’s comfortable, beyond what’s familiar, beyond what’s expected so I can learn to lean on God.

Hezekiah faced such a test when ambassadors from a foreign land came to visit him and hear more about the miraculous healing he had experienced. “When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers were sent  to him to inquire about the miraculous sign that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart. ” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭31‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Hezekiah had every opportunity to give all glory to God but he was proud. He was proud of all he had accomplished. He was proud of all he had built. He was proud of all his wealth and power and influence. So when the envoys came, he showed off. He took them all around the palace. Held nothing back as he tried to impress them and in doing so, he seals the fate of his descendants. They would suffer death and destruction and exile. All because Hezekiah failed the test when it came.

What about you? What tests are you facing in your life right now? Are you seeking to pass them in your own strength? According to our own wisdom? With your own resources? Or are you facing those tests with faith? Turning to God? Asking for His help as you face each trial? Seeking His will and His way as you take your next step? When God tests you, what will He discover about your heart? What will He find out about your faith? Are you truly walking the walk and not just talking the talk?

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 40-42, Psalms 46

Righteousness

Readings for today: Isaiah 31-35

One of the misconceptions I run into a lot is how too many people equate “righteousness” with “restrictions.” They see God’s plan as the quickest way to suck all the fun out of life. They perceive God to be a cosmic kill-joy. They believe the old canard that God sits on His throne and spends His days devising all kinds of ways to squash everyone’s joy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Listen to how the prophet Isaiah describes the impact of righteousness on a nation. Isaiah 32:1-2 CSB, “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” That sounds pretty good, right? Especially if you are living in the desert regions of the Middle East? Keep reading. Isaiah 32:17–18 CSB, “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Again, doesn’t that sound wonderful? Isn’t that what we all hope for in our lives? Peace? Quietness? Trust forever? Don’t you want to dwell in a peaceful habitation? Safe and secure? I was in northern Ethiopia a few months back where they are recovering from a civil war and I can tell you things like safety and security and peace are at the top of their list. Let me give you one more. Isaiah 33:5-6 CSB, “The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be times of security for you - a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.” What a beautiful picture of what God has in store for those who will fear Him, those who will follow Him, those who will worship Him. He is the source of all righteousness and justice in the world. And if one wants to experience the blessings of righteousness, one must seek to dwell in God’s presence for they are a byproduct of a life-giving relationship with Him.

So, have you changed your mind about righteousness? Do you find yourself longing for the more righteous life? Do you want the blessings of righteousness in your own life or community or nation? Don’t fall for the enemy’s lies. Don’t believe his falsehoods. Don’t let him deceive you. Your Heavenly Father knows what’s best for you. Your Heavenly Father loves you. Your Heavenly Father has good gifts He wants to give you. Trust Him. Believe Him. Submit to Him. Follow Him. Let justice flow into your life and righteousness be an ever-running stream in your soul.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 36-37, 2 Kings 18:9-19:37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, Psalms 76

Fruit

Readings for today: Isaiah 27-30

“I am the vine and you are the branches.” That’s the first thought that came to mind when I read our passage for today. Take a step back and one can easily see how Jesus draws on the imagery of the Old Testament when He teaches His disciples. He’s not just making it up. He’s taking them back to their history. Back to the sacred words of the prophets. Infusing new and fresh meaning in ancient words of revelation.

In the midst of all the fire and judgment, Isaiah looks forward to a day when God will plant a fine vineyard. He will tend it Himself, refusing to trust the work to another. He will watch over it, refusing to trust her safety to another. He will protect it and provide for it. He will cultivate it and nurture it. Even when weeds spring up, God will simply pull them up and burn them so the vine stays healthy and strong. This vine will cling to God. She will find her life in God. She will hold onto God all her days.

“On that day sing about a desirable vineyard: I am the Lord, who watches over it to water it regularly. So that no one disturbs it, I watch over it night and day. I am not angry. If only there were thorns and briers for me to battle, I would trample them and burn them to the ground. Or let it take hold of my strength; let it make peace with me — make peace with me. In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.” (Isaiah‬ ‭27‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Why does Isaiah use the image of a vineyard? And why will Jesus lift this image up when He could have chosen so many others? I think it has to do with the last sentence, verse six from the above passage. Vineyards are planted for one purpose…to produce fruit. They are cultivated to produce the finest of grapes which, in turn, produces the finest of wines. The goal of the vineyard is not to keep the fruit to itself. The goal of the owner of the vineyard is not to keep all the grapes to himself. No, the goal is to fill the world with what the vineyard produces. Fill the earth with beautiful grapes and fine wines so that all might taste and see how good is the vineyard of God. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” In other words, if you cling to Me, if you find your whole life in Me, if you hold onto Me alone for a good and whole life; you will bear much fruit. You will fill your home, your neighborhood, your place of work, your school, your city, your nation, and even the world with your fruit.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 31-35

The Joy of the Lord

Readings for today: 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalms 48

There is nothing like the joy of the Lord. It is powerful to experience. It moves the heart. It transforms the mind. The impossible becomes possible. The improbable becomes probable. The unexpected becomes expected. Miracles become common. The extraordinary becomes ordinary. All kinds of possibilities are unleashed. All kinds of resources are unlocked. The joy of the Lord forges a unity between people that God uses to advance His Kingdom purposes in the world.

The nation of Judah experienced a revival under King Hezekiah. A revival marked by and driven by the joy of the Lord. It begins as the Levites are reconsecrated and cleanse the Temple. This leads to a ritual burning of all the idols and unholy things Ahaz had brought into God’s sacred space. It builds as Judah celebrates the Passover for the first time in generations. A seven day feast that goes an additional seven days because the people don’t want to stop worshipping the Lord. Hezekiah literally feeds this revival by offering an additional thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to the affair! It culminates in an overwhelming abundance of freewill offerings as the nation brings the best of their flocks and the produce of their fields. There’s so much the Levites have to literally pile it up in the Temple precincts. It’s just incredible.

It begs the question. Is such a thing still possible today? Is revival still possible today? And the answer is absolutely! But it requires a single-mindedness. A whole-hearted devotion. A passion to serve God and submit to His will and follow His way. One cannot have revival on one’s own terms. One cannot manufacture revival through human means. One must seek the Lord faithfully and fervently. One must put aside all idols. One must reject all sin. One must cast aside anything that would distract or detract from the worship of God.

So where does one begin? We begin with prayer. We pray through Psalms like Psalms 48. We ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit on us and on those we love and on those we worship and serve alongside in the church. We ask God to fill us with His Spirit. We confess our sins and purify our hearts before Him. We humble ourselves and commit to His will above our own. We give generously and sacrificially of our time, talent, and treasure and we encourage others to do the same. Most of all, we come with a sense of expectation into His presence. Whether we are worshipping at home in our personal time with God or worshipping at church with the family of God, we come with a sense of expectation that God will move. God will answer. God will bring about revival and it will begin with me.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 27-30

The Earth

Readings for today: Isaiah 23-26

God loves the Earth. He loves the world He has made. He loves everything about it. He loves everything within it. He spoke it into existence and shaped and formed and fashioned it with His own hands. God’s desire is to see the earth flourish. To see the world become what He designed it to be. He wants to see all the creatures, great and small, within it live lives of blessing and contentment and peace. This is God’s will. It has been His will from the beginning. It remains His will today. And it will be His will until the end of time. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His plans for the world have not changed, will not change, and do not change.

However, the creature God made in His own image. The creature God set up to care for and nurture and work and keep the earth has fallen. Humanity abandoned her original purpose. Rejected her original mandate to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion” over all God has made. As a result, creation suffers. The world is in turmoil. The Earth herself is cursed. Imagine you come home to your house one day only to find it full of black mold. Black mold everywhere. On every surface. Behind every wall. In every corner. The place would be toxic. Impossible to live in. There is no way to redeem it. No way to cleanse it. No way to get rid of all the corruption. What would you do? You would scrape the house. You would call in bulldozers. Earthmovers to clear the ground. And then you would rebuild. Essentially this is what God is doing in our reading today. He judges the earth not to destroy it but to cleanse it. Not to eradicate it but to prepare it for His great restoration work.

The earth, as it stands, cannot be redeemed. The corruption runs too deep. The rot goes all the way to the core. So God does what any good and faithful homeowner would do. He scrapes it. He scours it. He purifies and cleanses it with fire and judgment. “Look, the Lord is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants: people and priest alike, servant and master, female servant and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor. The earth will be stripped completely bare and will be totally plundered, for the Lord has spoken this message.” (Isaiah 24:1-3 CSB) This is not an easy process. It will involve a lot of pain and suffering. A lot of tearing down in order to build up. “The earth mourns and withers; the world wastes away and withers; the exalted people of the earth waste away. The earth is polluted by its inhabitants, for they have transgressed teachings, overstepped decrees, and broken the permanent covenant. Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants have become guilty; the earth’s inhabitants have been burned, and only a few survive.” (Isaiah 24:4-6 CSB) God will not stop until His cleansing work is complete. He will not relent until sin has been eradicated once and for all. He will purify every nook and cranny, every crack and corner. He will ascend to the heights and plunge to the depths. No stone will be left unturned. No square inch of creation will escape His notice. The result will be complete devastation as God prepares His world for what’s to come. “The earth is completely devastated; the earth is split open; the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunkard  and sways like a hut. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.” (Isaiah 24:19-20 CSB)

And what is the goal of all this terrifying work? The restoration and renewal of worship. All of creation joining together in song. The mountains and oceans. The rocks and trees and flowers. The stars and planets and other heavenly bodies. Every creature finding her voice. The fish in the sea. The birds in the air. The animals that walk the earth. Even in the insects that crawl on the earth. And humanity will be God’s great conductor. God’s great worship leader. Drawing all the different melodies into one resounding voice. “They raise their voices, they sing out; they proclaim in the west the majesty of the Lord. Therefore, in the east honor the Lord! In the coasts and islands of the west honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. From the ends of the earth we hear songs: The Splendor of the Righteous One. ‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭24‬:‭‭14‬-‭16‬ CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalms 48

Love for Enemies

Readings for today: Isaiah 18-22

Egypt. The land of slavery. The land of oppression. The land of attempted genocide. For hundreds of years, the people of Israel labored under the whip. Beaten. Abused. Dying young. Their children born to a life of hard labor. Powerless. Helpless. Hopeless. It was a life of constant pain. Constant torment. Constant suffering. Even after they were delivered by God, Egypt continued to be a thorn in their side. Invading. Killing. A perpetual threat on their southern border. It’s tough to overstate the hatred and enmity between these two nations. And yet, God loves the Egyptians.

Assyria. One of the most powerful and brutal empires in the ancient world. They fielded the world’s first professional army. Developed advanced technology like iron weapons and war chariots. They weaponized terror as a military tactic. And they were absolutely ruthless when it came to putting down resistance. They would sack cities. Displace entire people groups. Employed horrific public torture as a means of psychological warfare. Israel hated them. Israel feared them. It’s why Jonah ran to Joppa rather than go to Nineveh. He simply couldn’t stomach the sight of his enemies. And yet, God loves the Assyrians.

The Book of Isaiah is often called, “The Gospel of the Old Testament” and today’s passage is a good reason why…“On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord of Armies in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them. The Lord will make himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings;  they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will turn to the Lord, and he will be receptive to their prayers and heal them. On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria. On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria a blessing within the land. The Lord of Armies will bless them, saying, “Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance are blessed.” (Isaiah‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is an incredible passage pointing to an even more incredible reality. The unconditional nature of God’s grace. It comes to us all. Jew and Gentile alike. Egyptian, Assyrian, and Israelite alike. Republican and Democrat alike. Progressive and conservative alike. Black, white, and brown alike. It is no one’s possession. No one has a right to claim it for their own. No one is more privileged than another in the eyes of God.

All have sinned and fallen short of His glory and all stand in need of His grace. This is why Jesus gives us this command…”You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Jesus knows there are no “enemies” in His Kingdom. No “enemies” beyond His reach. No “enemies” beyond His salvation. Jesus knows there is not a single person or single power on this earth who can stand before His love. Jesus holds the power to turn mortal enemies into family. Jesus holds the power to overcome hate and anger and the desire for vengeance with mercy and forgiveness. Jesus holds the power to transform even the hardest hearts. The question is…do we believe Him? Do we trust Him? And do our lives and our conduct and our speech and our interactions reflect this deep and glorious truth?

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 23-26

Kingdom of Love

Readings for today: Isaiah 13-17

The words from Isaiah today are powerful. They present a vision that is foreign to us. Alien to the human experience. In our experience, thrones and dominions and kingdoms are founded on power. Authority. Control. It doesn’t matter whether one is talking about monarchies, dictatorships, socialist republics, or democracies. All human governmental institutions are established in power. They are maintained through power. They often come to an end because some other power rises up against them. This is the way of the world and it has been like this since the beginning. Furthermore, those in power tend to become corrupt. They begin using their power to pursue their own selfish ends. How else can one explain the rampant financial and sexual and criminal abuses that we so often see from our political leaders? Certainly not all of them succumb to such temptations but it must be hard to resist when so many are trying to curry favor. And, of course, the ones who do find the strength to resist are often successful only because they cling to a higher purpose. A greater meaning to their lives that gives them the strength to overcome.

Isaiah identifies that “higher purpose” for his people. It is love. “When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ended, and marauders have vanished from the land, a throne will be established in love, and one will sit on it faithfully in the tent of David, judging and pursuing what is right, quick to execute justice.” (Isaiah‬ ‭16‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬) When a throne is established in God’s love, justice and mercy naturally flow. When a kingdom is founded on God’s love, it becomes a light to the world. A beacon of peace and righteousness and goodness that shines for all to see. This was the whole point of the nation of Israel. To show the world a different way. To be a light to the nations around them. To be a country built on the foundation of righteousness and justice where steadfast love and faithfulness undergirded how they lived. In such a nation, outcasts would find refuge. Enemies would become friends. Widows and orphans would find care. The poor would be lifted up. Oppression would cease. Destruction would end. Peace would reign. This is a picture of the Kingdom of God and it is what we pray for when we pray the Lord’s Prayer together.

Jesus affirms this Kingdom. He came to establish this Kingdom on earth through His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is love. He is the love of God incarnate. He is the love of God made flesh and blood. And as He lays down His life for us, He defines love for us. It’s not a feeling. It’s not an attraction. It’s not selfish or arrogant or boastful or impatient or unkind. It is self-sacrificing. Self-denying. It always puts the needs of others before itself. It always focuses on the welfare of others before it’s own. It is costly. It is a high-risk endeavor. It never loses hope. Never gives into despair. It always endures. It always perseveres. It never fails because Jesus never fails.

Ultimately, a passage like the one we read today points us forward to Jesus. He is the One who gives counsel. Who grants justice. Who shelters the outcast and the fugitive. He is the One who puts an end to all oppression and destruction and brings peace. He establishes His throne from the cross, the place where perfect love and perfect justice meet. He sits on His throne with faithfulness and is always swift to do righteousness and justice. As followers of Christ, we acknowledge Jesus is our King. We acknowledge Jesus as Lord. We acknowledge His authority over our lives. As such, we who are called by His name must align ourselves with His Kingdom. We must seek to incarnate His values in our lives. We must reject the ways of this world. The will to power. The will to pleasure. And instead find in Christ the will to love.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Monotheism

Readings for today: 2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chronicles 28

Monotheism is the belief in one god and it’s an open question among biblical scholars as to when Israel came to this conclusion. Certainly, the Bible acknowledges Abraham and Sarah’s belief in the pagan gods before meeting the one true and living God. It’s highly probable the Patriarchs believed in many gods even as they enjoyed a special relationship with one particular God, though they didn’t even know His name. We don’t know much at all about the religious faith of the people of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt but we do know they needed to be re-introduced to the God of their fathers at Mt. Sinai. By this time, God had revealed His name to Moses and made it clear in the Ten Commandments that He was to be worshipped before all other gods. But did that mean those gods didn’t exist? Did that mean Yahweh was the supreme God among all others? Again, the record is mixed. Clearly, the people of Israel often became confused and “went after other gods” worshipping them instead of or alongside Yahweh. This is the reason the northern kingdom of Israel was finally destroyed according to author of 2 Kings. By the time we get to the New Testament, it is clear from Jesus and the Apostle Paul that the other gods are either demonic in origin or simply fantasies of our own creation. There is only one God. His name is Yahweh. He alone is to be worshipped and adored.

Why does this matter? Read the end of the seventeenth chapter of the book of 2 Kings. The northern kingdom of Israel was unfaithful from the moment God set them apart. From the moment He tore them from the hands of David’s descendants and set Jeroboam on the throne, they engaged in idolatry. They set up their own religious system. They refused to worship God on His terms and this led them down the road of polytheism. They worshipped all sorts of gods other than Yahweh and broke the first commandment repeatedly. Their refusal to submit to the terms of the covenant God had made put them in danger and they eventually were destroyed and scattered by the Assyrian Empire. The same thing will happen to the southern kingdom of Judah as well though their idolatry is not quite as pervasive. They will eventually be conquered by the Babylonian Empire and carried off into exile. One may have all kinds of opinions about the socio-political reasons both kingdoms fell but the judgment of the Bible is clear. They fell because of idolatry.

It’s easy to think we would never make such a mistake. It’s easy to assume we are immune from such temptations. I doubt any of us worship pagan gods. We probably don’t set up idols in our homes. We don’t go to “high places” to make sacrifices. But that doesn’t mean our worship is pure. Listen again to what happened after Israel was scattered. “But the people of each nation were still making their own gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made…They feared the Lord, but they also made from their ranks priests for the high places, who were working for them at the shrines of the high places. They feared the Lord, but they also worshiped their own gods according to the practice of the nations from which they had been deported. They are still observing the former practices to this day. None of them fear the Lord or observe the statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments that the Lord had commanded the descendants of Jacob, whom he had given the name Israel.” (‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭17‬:‭29‬, ‭32‬-‭34‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Did you catch the common refrain? “They feared the Lord but…” They feared the Lord but set up pagan priests. They feared the Lord but worshipped other gods. They feared the Lord but didn’t observe His statutes, ordinances, laws, or commands. Any of that starting to feel familiar? Starting to hit home? We fear the Lord but set up priests who serve at the altars of success or wealth or power or position. We fear the Lord but worship gods like money or lifestyle or some form of social/cultural/ethnic identity. We fear the Lord on Sunday morning but don’t give His laws and commands a second thought Monday through Saturday. It begs the question…are we really monotheists ourselves?

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 13-15

Everlasting Faithfulness

Readings for today: Micah 5-7

I grew up going to church every Sunday. I said the creeds. Prayed the prayers. Sang the songs. My mom was a music teacher and she instilled in all of us a great love for music, especially the music of the church. My brothers and I all participated in choir and we learned the great hymns. One of my favorites growing up was a hymn titled, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” More upbeat than most, the chorus goes like this. “Leaning, leaning; Safe and secure from all alarms! Leaning, leaning; Leaning on the everlasting arms.” Though I did not come to faith until college, I’ve always experienced God as a comforting presence. Mainly because of songs like this one that declare His nature and character. Even though I was not a believer, God was instilling in me through the music, prayers, creeds, and sermons I heard a deep understanding of who He is. Building a bridge to my heart that I would later walk across at CU.  

I love how Micah concludes his prophetic work. “Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love. He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬) In this passage we hear echoes of the great epiphany of Moses from Exodus 34 where God literally appears and reveals His divine nature and character to His people. "The Lord, the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Throughout their history. Thousands upon thousands of years. Israel leaned on the everlasting arms of their God. They trusted in His forgiveness and grace. They experienced His deep, loyal, steadfast love. They rejoiced in His great compassion. Every week when they would gather for worship, they sang. They prayed. They declared the glory of God. And they passed on their faith to each successive generation. 

Why is worship so important? Why is reading Scripture every day so important? Why is coming before Christ on a regular basis so crucial for our faith? Because we need to be reminded of God’s great faithfulness. We need to be reminded of His great love and compassion. His mercy and grace. His forgiveness. We need to be reminded in the midst of judgment that while “weeping may tarry for a night, joy comes in the morning.”(Psalm 30:5b) We need to be reminded that while God will not be mocked and will by no means clear those who are guilty of sin, He will not remain angry with us forever. “For His anger is fleeting but His favor lasts a lifetime.”(Psalm 30:5a) We need to be reminded that God knows our weakness and has provided a way for us to salvation. “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times…He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for then his greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.” (Micah‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬, ‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I don’t know what you might be facing today. The challenges. The crises. The difficulties. Maybe it’s a health issue. Maybe it’s a family issue. Maybe it’s a job issue. Maybe you’re staring at an uncertain future. Maybe you’ve made a huge mistake and you’re paying the price. Let me encourage you to lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus! Trust Him. Believe in Him. Place your faith in Him to carry you through! Maybe things are going well for you. Life is blessed. Success seems to follow you wherever you go. Your kids are doing great. Your career is on the upward swing. You’re surrounded by people who love you. Praise Jesus! Thank Him for His great faithfulness. Rejoice in His favor. Share it with others. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, friends. (Hebrews 13:8) There is no shadow or turning with Him. (James 1:17) Believe Him for your life today!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chronicles 28

Intervention

Readings for today: Micah 1-4

I often get asked the question, “Why doesn’t God intervene?” Why didn’t God intervene and save the children in the floods in Texas? Why doesn’t God intervene and save the innocent in places like Ukraine and Gaza? Why doesn’t God intervene and stop injustice and oppression and violence in our world? Why didn’t God intervene in my own life when I experienced trauma or abuse or pain or suffering? These are really important questions. Not to be dismissed.

At the same time, whenever I field these questions, I immediately think of a famous C.S. Lewis quote. (Remember C.S. Lewis lived and taught during the Great Depression and Second World War.) He writes, “I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else - something it never entered your head to conceive - comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it.”

This is the kind of intervention the prophet Micah refers to when he talks about the Lord “leaving his place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth. The mountains will melt beneath him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire, like water cascading down a mountainside.” (Micah‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It is God coming to earth with overwhelming force. God coming to earth to put an end to evil once and for all. God coming to earth to bring justice and righteousness. It will not be selective. It will not be partial. It will not be only for those with whom we disagree. When His judgment comes, it comes for us all. When His judgment comes, none of us will be able to stand. Every knee will bow under heaven and on earth and under the earth. Every tongue will confess He is Lord whether we have believed or not. All of creation will acknowledge His authority and it will be the end of the world as we know it.

Both Micah and Lewis point us to even more fundamental questions. Are we on the Lord’s side? I think of the recent political debates in my own country and how both parties attempt to co-opt God as if He were on their side. Both parties twist the Word of God to support their own political and social agenda. Both sides pray for God to intervene and stop their opponents. But if God were to truly intervene, both parties would find themselves on their faces before the judgment throne for both parties are corrupt and God doesn’t grade on a curve. Do we believe in the Lord? Do we truly trust Him? I think of so many people I know who proclaim to be Christians with their lips but deny Him in the way they live their lives. They try to have a foot in God’s world and our world. They are what the Bible calls “double-minded” in that they want it both ways. They want the safety and assurance of salvation but they want to live life on their own terms. It simply doesn’t work that way. Do we love the Lord? With all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? None of us can answer this in the affirmative. Not completely. But what we can discern is whether we are growing in our love for Him in all these spheres. Are we seeking Him? Are we pursuing Him? Are we surrendering more and more of our lives to Him? This we can answer in the affirmative if we are walking in the Spirit.

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 5-7

Easter

Readings for today: Psalms 81, 88, 92, 93

Holy Week is always powerful for me. It drains me emotionally, spiritually, and physically and not just because there is more activity on the schedule than normal. Yes, there are multiple services and multiple rehearsals and multiple things to do to mark this sacred week. Our teams run hard to pull it all off. There are a lot of late nights. But I find the emotional and spiritual demands of this week far more taxing than the physical ones. Closely walking with Jesus through His final days and hours opens my heart up to all kinds of emotions, many of them expressed so well in Psalm 88 from our reading today. Crying out to God. Feeling the weight of my sin. The loneliness of my journey at times. The rejection I’ve experienced in my life. The despair, weakness, and isolation. I know what it’s like to feel like darkness is my only friend. This is the experience of Holy Saturday and by the time I get there every year, I feel exhausted and spent.

Then comes Easter Sunday. A new day. Another day. An additional day. A bonus day. You see, Holy Saturday is not the end of Holy Week! Though Holy Saturday is the seventh day, the last day, the Sabbath day; the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes things. Changes how we mark time. Changes how we look at our calendars. By raising His Son from the dead, God moves us beyond the old Sabbath into the new Sabbath. An eternal Sabbath. A Sabbath not bound by hours or minutes or seconds. A Sabbath not bound by the cycles of evening and morning. A Sabbath not made for this world but for the world to come. A Sabbath not made for earth but for heaven. And without fail, as each Easter morning dawns, I find my strength renewed. I find my heart lifted. I find my joy restored. I lift my eyes above the hills to see from where my true help comes! My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth! As Psalm 93 puts it, “The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. Your throne has been established from the beginning; you are from eternity.” (Psalms 93:1-2 CSB) Yes, the floods have lifted up. The world has done all it can to rid itself of God. To throw off all restraint. But the Lord rides the waves like a chariot. His voice is lifted high above the tumult of the seas. He will not be subject to His creation. He will not be ignored by the creatures made in His own image. By dying and rising again, He has declared His Word to be completely reliable, trustworthy, and true.

For Christians, Easter Sunday is not just a day on a calendar. It is not just an occasion to celebrate. It is a lived reality. We are an Easter people, shaped and formed by the Easter experience. Once you’ve tasted the new life Easter has to offer, the eternal life Easter has to offer, there’s no going back. And why would you want to? The old life is drab and boring by comparison. Nothing attractive about it all. Certainly not worth comparing to the glory that has now been revealed in us through the Risen Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 7-9

All Things Made New

Readings for today: Revelation 21-22, Psalms 48

I love the image of a new heavens and new earth. Creation redeemed. Creation renewed. Creation restored to its original glory. God finally putting an end to sin and evil and death once and for all. This is the fulfillment of God’s salvation plan. It’s the final act of the divine play that’s been working itself out since the opening words of Genesis. And as you let these words sink into your soul, take note of a few important things.

First, the new creation will be like a bride adorned for her husband. I remember well my wedding day. My wife has never looked more beautiful. Never more pure. Never more perfect than at that moment she walked down the aisle. (I have never felt more unworthy either!) The same is true for the new creation when it comes. God has always intended to have a relationship with His creation. He desires depth. Intimacy. Complete and total transparency. The kind of relationship we can only dream about this side of heaven. The kind of relationship of which human marriage is but a foretaste.

Second, there is no Temple. God is fully present and we are fully able to experience His presence in our glorified, resurrected bodies. God literally takes up residence with us. He can be seen. Touched. Heard. He wipes away our tears. He heals our infirmities. He makes us finally, completely, and utterly whole. There is no need for sun or moon for God will be our light. There is no need for walls or guards for God is in perfect control. There is no need for judgment or punishment for all the nations of the earth will walk in the light of the Lord and will bring Him the worship He deserves.

Third, there are no divisions in the new creation. No human distinctions to keep us apart. Every dividing wall of hostility will finally be torn down. The New Jerusalem is built on the foundation of the twelve apostles and her gates represent the twelve tribes. In other words, God will gather His people - Jew and Gentile alike - together and make them one. He will gather His people from every tribe, tongue and nation before His throne and all that separates us will fade away like mist before the Lord.

It’s a beautiful picture, is it not? Now here’s the challenge. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We ask for the church to be a living reflection of this future glory. We ask for God’s will to be done in our lives. In our community. In our nation. In our world. How are we living and acting and speaking and treating others so that they see the new heavens and new earth emerging in our midst? How are we presenting to the world a picture of heaven? How are we giving those around us a foretaste of what’s to come through what we say and do?

Becoming more like Christ is more a marathon than a sprint. It involves a long obedience in the same direction. I hope you’ve gleaned that if nothing else from your reading this year. God is at work across the centuries and across the generations. His primary desire is to make us more and more into the image of His Son. To restore us to the image He originally intended for us to bear. May the Lord continue His work in us and among us and through us until He comes again! Maranatha!

Readings for tomorrow: Congratulations! You finished!

Our Refuge and Strength

Readings for today: Revelation 17-18, Psalms 46

I lived in Princeton, New Jersey on 9/11. Many of my friends and colleagues interned in New York City. Many of the families my wife worked with in her after school program worked in New York City. On the morning when the planes hit the towers, I was turning left from Canal Pointe Boulevard onto Alexander Street to go to campus. I was listening to the radio when the news hit. Every station I checked carried it. Every person delivering the report was in shock. Like everyone, I was in disbelief. I could not wrap my mind around the events. I could not begin to imagine the scope of the tragedy.

An acquaintance of mine was serving as a pastor off Fifth Avenue at the time in the city. When the towers fell, he put on his clergy robe and ran out into the streets. He threw open the doors of his church and people streamed in seeking sanctuary. A safe place. As he watched them mill about the auditorium, he knew he needed to say something. But how does one begin to put words to the national nightmare we were experiencing? My friend turned to Psalm 46. He read the Psalm aloud over and over again. God is our refuge and strength. God is our present help in time of trouble. We do not need to fear though the earth gives way for God is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Our stronghold. Be still and know that I am God. As he recited those words, a sense of peace came over the place. The people began to calm down. They began to weep. The initial shock began to wane. They provided what food and water they could. They let people stay as long as they wanted. The church stayed open 24/7 for days as people kept coming, looking for help. Looking for hope. My friend kept returning to those Psalm.

There is nothing more powerful than knowing God is with you in the midst of tragedy. Nothing more comforting than knowing we are never alone no matter what we may go through or face in life. God is the one unmovable, unshakeable, unbreakable reality in existence. Everything else is on the clock. Father Time is undefeated whether you are talking individuals or empires. The universe itself is dying every day as more and more of her energy is spent. This is why we look to God. We know we cannot count on the things of this world. We cannot depend on the people of this world. We cannot place our trust in princes or kings, prime ministers or presidents. There is only One who is faithful. Only One who is good. Only One who has the authority and power to be our refuge and strength. Be still and know God, friends.

Readings for tomorrow: Revelation 19-20, Psalms 47 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Worthy is the Lamb

Readings for today: Revelation 4-6, Psalms 41

Is there life beyond death? Is there existence beyond our own? Is there a world beyond our world? These questions seem to haunt the human race. We cannot seem to escape them no matter how hard we try. Sure, some of my atheist friends believe these questions are meaningless because there is no existence beyond what we have in the material world but their opinions are the extreme minority. Some of my physicist friends believe we already have the answer, eventually the universe will become cold and lifeless as all the energy runs out but again, that answer doesn’t seem to satisfy. So why is it that human beings for thousands of years have wrestled over these questions? Why have they developed elaborate rituals and systems of belief in order to come up with explanations? Why are we always looking for something more? Something transcendent?

I believe it’s because God has set eternity in our hearts. It’s part of what it means to be made in His image. Somewhere in our genetic memory, there is an echo of Eden. A fleeting recall of a time when we walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day. And our souls long to go back there. Sadly, we cannot seem to find our way. We stumble through this world, blindly groping after an existence that remains forever beyond our grasp. Thankfully, God is faithful. He will not allow us to remain in our lost and helpless and hopeless condition. He sends His Son to save us. To redeem us and to make all things new.

The Book of Revelation gives us a window to the future. We know how the story ends because God has revealed it to us. He has answered all our questions. He has settled all our doubts and fears. He shows us a world without end. A world perfected by grace. A world full of love and devotion. A world without sin and death and fear and pain. A world where all of creation joins the angels and elders and saints who have gone before us in praise to God’s glorious name. Read these words from Revelation 5 again and let your soul join in the praise…

“When the Lamb of God took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before Him. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Revelation 7-9, Psalms 42

Contending for the Faith

Readings for today: Jude 1, Psalms 39

How does one contend for the faith? It’s an important question and many are asking it these days. In certain circles, “contending for the faith” means reigniting a “crusader” mentality and using any and all means necessary to reimpose the Christian faith in our country. The rhetoric coming from these camps is harsh, judgmental, condemnatory, militaristic, and postures the people in these camps as the true defenders of the faith. In other circles, “contending for the faith” means bringing change and reform to some of the core doctrines that have made up the Christian faith for centuries. Contending for the faith means saving it from itself by adapting it to fit the patterns of the world. Still others believe we need to “contend for the faith” by withdrawing from the world entirely, setting up neo-monastic communities where the true faith can be preserved. I believe Jude would reject all of these.

We have to remember that Jude lived in a world not unlike our own. He lived in a world of many different religions. He lived in a world where there was extreme political and social pressure. He lived in a world full of suffering and pain, death and disease, gross injustice, slavery, and oppression. Jude was an evangelist and church planter. He sought to contend for the faith in a very complex socio-political-religious environment. He was a Christian missionary from an ethnic Jewish background who sought to take the gospel to his own people. It’s why he quotes from books like Enoch and the Testament of Moses as he seeks to persuade them to stand firm in their faith. But rather than call them to arms or call them to compromise or call them to retreat, Jude calls those he writes to to “contend for the faith” by living a life of faithfulness to Christ. Listen to how he describes it again, “But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Build yourself up in the holy faith. Fellowship with other believers. Worship God together. Study and submit yourself to God’s Word. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Pray for God’s wisdom. Pray for God’s power. Pray for God’s grace and mercy and love to fill your hearts. Keep yourself in the love of God. Make walking in God’s love in all relationships your aim. Never sacrifice God’s love. Never abandon or lose hope in God’s love. Wait expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Always live with this great end in mind. Always keep your eyes fixed on heaven not on earth. Always keep in mind where all of human history is headed and live in this world as you will in heaven. Have mercy on those who waver or doubt. Do not judge or condemn. Save others by snatching them from the fire. Always be reaching out to those who do not yet believe and be willing to cross every barrier or boundary to share God’s love with them. Love the sinner even as you hate what sin is doing to their hearts and minds and lives. This is what it means to contend for the faith in Jude’s world and our own.

Readings for tomorrow: Revelation 1-3, Psalms 40 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Christ Alone

Readings for today: 2 John 1, 3 John 1, Psalms 38

Many years ago, I was part of a denomination that struggled to affirm the truth of Jesus Christ. There were church leaders who denied His divinity. Church leaders who denied His exclusivity. Church leaders who denied His physical, bodily resurrection from the dead. Many claimed He was simply a good moral teacher. An example for us to follow. An enlightened human being who made a significant impact on His followers. Not surprisingly, it was also a denomination in steep decline. Every year, thousands of people would leave and hundreds of churches. It was painful to witness. The final straw came for me when I became a church planter and began to work with a board of church leaders whose theological vision conflicted deeply with my own. I was unapologetically evangelical which means I hold to the biblical truth about Jesus Christ. I affirm His divinity and humanity. I affirm His virgin birth. I affirm His suffering, death, and resurrection. I affirm He is the only way to the Father. Many of the board members didn’t share these same beliefs and the result was a disaster that was painful for all involved.

I wish I had listened to the Apostle John back then. In his second letter, he writes, “Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The reason my situation was so hard is that several of the church leaders I was working under had not remained in Christ’s teaching. They went beyond the Bible to create their own theological vision. They didn’t hold fast to what Christ Himself had revealed and lost the plot. They shipwrecked their faith and almost took me down with them. Not that I lost sight of Jesus. On the contrary, He was all I had in those dark moments. No, they almost torpedoed my pastoral ministry. In fact, one of them did his level best to try to obstruct me at every turn. What I learned from this experience is that it is critical to link arms in ministry only with those who are building on the same theological foundation. Christ alone is the rock on which we stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

What is true for ministry is also true in the Christian life. It holds true for marriages. Believers in Jesus Christ must marry other believers or your marriage will be divided from the beginning. It holds true for families. Believers must disciple their children or they risk losing them to the influence of the culture around them. It holds true for churches. Sure, there will always be people at various places on their spiritual journeys but the leadership of any church must make Christ the center lest they get pulled down all kinds of different social, political, or theological rabbit trails. Start to major in the minors and lose sight of Jesus. Every single believer faces the choice every single day in a variety of situations as to whether they will choose to place their faith in the truth of Christ, walk in the way of Christ, and receive the life of Christ or choose to place their faith in themselves, walk in the ways of the world, and experience all kinds of anxiety, fear, shame, and pain. Choose Christ that you might live!

Readings for tomorrow: Jude 1, Psalms 39

Testing the Spirits

Readings for today: 1 John 3-5, Psalms 37

Discernment is a lost art. The ability to determine right from wrong. Truth from falsehood. Good from evil. In fact, recent studies have shown how challenging it is for people to identify fake news, debunk conspiracy theories, and identify propaganda. The crisis is compounded by the rise in online warfare as nefarious organizations weaponize social media to sow seeds of dissent and confusion in societies that value free speech. All this is made possible, of course, by post-modern philosophies that started taking hold in the 20th century where truth was intentionally relativized, individualized, and marginalized. The results are not good. We are more depressed than ever. More anxious than ever. More dis-integrated than ever. The social fabric of our culture tearing apart at the seams.

Over and against the prevailing winds come these words from the Apostle John, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.” (1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Graeco-Roman world was a lot like our own. People did what was right in their own eyes. It was a culture that showed little to no restraint. People were encouraged to engage in whatever behaviors felt good and right at the time. John is writing to Christian believers who are trying to remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of all the mess. He wants them to be able to know right from wrong. Good from evil. Truth from error. So he offers them a roadmap, a decision-making matrix that will allow them to find the godly path.

Test #1: Does the thought, attitude, or action align with Jesus? Does it reflect the ethics of the Kingdom of God? Does it bring honor and glory to His name? Will following the “spirit of the age” lead one to confess or deny Jesus?

Test #2: Resist temptation. Once one determines what is good and true and noble and right and godly, one must resist the very real temptation to go the other way. To listen to the false prophets. To follow the ways of the world. It’s tempting to think we are at the mercy of our feelings. Trapped by our biology. Helpless in the face of our circumstances. But these are lies from the spirit of the anti-Christ. John promises that in Christ we have the power to overcome temptation because greater is He that is in us than is in the world.

Test #3: Hold fast to your identity in Christ. No matter what challenges may come. No matter what difficulties you may face. No matter how much stress and anxiety and fear you may endure. You are from God. You are in Christ. Your heart has been transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Listen to God’s Word. Obey God’s commands. Trust in His will and His way for your life.

I know I’ve found these three tests to be true in my own life. They’ve kept me from running my life into the ditch time and time again. By employing them regularly, I have also learned to listen to the Holy Spirit. I’ve learned how to discern His voice among the cacophony of others that demand my attention. And as I listen to the Spirit and learn from the Spirit and live by the Spirit, God has made my life a living demonstration of the gospel in action. I could ask for nothing more.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 John 1, 3 John 1, Psalms 38

Who do you love?

Readings for today: 1 John 1-2, Psalms 36

Who do you love? It’s a really important question. It’s a defining question. Perhaps THE defining question of our lives. If we love God, then we will live our lives according to His ways. We will follow in His footsteps. We will love what He loves. We will love who He loves. We will love to love. Love to serve. Love to give. Love holiness and righteousness. But if we love ourselves or we love the world, our ability to love will be limited. It will be limited to those who think like us and act like us and agree with us and look like us. It will be limited to those who please us, affirm us, support us, encourage us. It will be limited to those who meet our needs and help us achieve our wants and desires. It will be a utilitarian kind of love. An erotic kind of love. A selfish kind of love because it will revolve around our own love of Self rather than our love for God.

The Apostle John clearly articulates this distinction in his first letter. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB) John understands the temptation we all ultimately face. It’s the temptation to love something or someone other than God. It’s the temptation to love the temporal over the eternal. To love the finite over the infinite. To love selfishly rather than selflessly. These loves cannot exist simultaneously. They cannot co-exist peacefully. They cannot occupy the same space in the same heart. One naturally drives out the other. One naturally conflicts with the other. One naturally pushes against the other. Love the world and the love of the Father is not in you. Love the Father and the love of the world is not in you. Pursue the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life and the love of the Father is not in you. Offer you body as a living sacrifice, do not covet or give a foothold to greed, and crucify the ego and the love of the world will have no hold on you. This is the key to the Christian life.

Human beings were created to and for love. We were created to love God. Created to love each other. Created to love the world and all God has made. Sadly, we chose to love Self over God and the result was alienation, brokenness, pain, heartbreak, division, separation. And what flows from this rupture is anger, hatred, bitterness, and violence. Without the love of God, everything falls apart, for only God’s love is powerful enough to hold it all together. God’s love is holy, righteous, and just. God’s love is faithful, noble, and true. God’s love is patient and kind and good. God’s love overlooks a multitude of sins. God’s love covers a multitude of sins. God’s love endures a multitude of sins. God’s love eventually overcomes a multitude of sins. God’s love can bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things because God’s love never fails. It never fails because it springs from a divine source. It flows from a divine well. It is the gift of God Himself.

I don’t know about you but I want this love in my life. I want to wrap my life around this love. I want my life to be defined by this love. I want to love like God. And if that’s your desire as well, I encourage you to pray this prayer or something like it, Father, how I long to love like you. How I long to have my life wrapped around your love. To love so well and so selflessly and so sacrificially that my entire existence becomes defined by it. There is nothing like your love. Your love gives me the power to serve. Your love offers me the joy of giving myself away for the sake of others. Your love drives me to the ends of the earth to make you known. Your love keeps me going back over and over again to hard and difficult places and spaces and conversations and relationships. Your love compels me. Your love constrains me. Your love sets boundaries around me. Your love informs me. Your love guides me. I have never regretted loving you or loving others. I have never regretted putting all I have into love. I have been hurt, yes. I have been betrayed, yes. I have been attacked, yes. I have been put down, yes. I have been dismissed and ignored, yes. I have been all those things but I have never regretted, not for a second, the choice to love. Thank you, Father, for giving me a heart to love.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 John 3-5, Psalms 37

Effort

Readings for today: 2 Peter 1-3, Psalms 35

Dallas Willard is famous for saying, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” We have this false idea in the Christian faith that because we are saved by grace through faith that what we do doesn’t matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love how 2 Peter describes the dynamic tie between faith and effort. “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB) Yes, God’s divine power has given us everything we need. Yes, we share in God’s divine nature by faith and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. But rather than create a sense of spiritual complacency in our hearts, these truths should motivate and drive us to build on what God has done. We should make every effort to add or “supplement” our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly and sisterly affection, and love.

Sadly, I meet far too many Christians who love the truth of Jesus but don’t follow the way of Jesus which is why they don’t experience the life of Jesus. They love what Jesus has done for them. Love what Jesus has accomplished for them. Love the unconditional nature of God’s love and the free gift of God’s grace. But they don’t allow it to change how they live. They don’t seek to align their lives with the life of Jesus. Align their wills with the will of Jesus. Align their hearts with the heart of Jesus. As a result, they never seem to experience victory over sin. They never seem to experience the joy and peace God promises to all who follow Him. They never seem to experience the assurance of God’s forgiveness. It breaks my heart because it’s honestly not complicated. It’s simply putting into place certain practices and attitudes that will change how you live and relate to others. Practices like a weekly Sabbath. A daily devotional time. Regular corporate worship. Attitudes like seeking to serve rather than be served. Seeking to love rather than be loved. Seeking to give rather than receive. Putting the needs of others above our own. These are challenging to be sure but they are not complicated. It simply means living with intentionality. It means waking up each day and determining to live for God rather than for Self.

My life is a testimony of what can happen when we seek to supplement faith with action. I used to be addicted to affirmation. I used to do everything in order to promote myself. I used to live for the praise of others. I used to pursue achievement and success at all costs. This was true even after God got ahold of my heart. Sure, the metrics for success may have changed but my attitude remained the same. Thankfully i was challenged early on by godly mentors to make every effort to build on what God had done for me. So I began chasing humility rather than pride. I traded in my cynicism for hope. I traded in my skepticism for trust. I gave up my anger in favor of peace. I let go of my bitterness in favor of joy. I reprioritized my life. I put God first. My wife second. My children third. My church family fourth. And myself last. I have never regretted it. Not really. Sure, I have my moments where my natural selfishness raises its ugly head but I’ve learned how to quickly pivot away from such thinking in order to love and serve those around me. This way of life does take time to develop. It doesn’t come naturally. We don’t just stumble into it. It’s a long obedience in the same direction. But like any discipline in life, it gets easier and easier over time.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 John 1-2, Psalms 36

The Power of God’s Love

Readings for today: 1 Peter 3-5, Psalms 34

I am convinced there is nothing stronger than God’s love. There is nothing more powerful. I have staked my life on God’s love. I have pushed all my chips to the middle of the table to bet on God’s love. I have made it my aim in life to love fiercely and faithfully and unconditionally because I believe that’s how God loves me. Make no mistake, loving like God isn’t always easy or comfortable. It is often costly and takes you into all kinds of challenging situations. It forces you to forgive when you’d rather hold onto bitterness. Reconcile when you’d rather cut someone off. Let go when you’d rather hold onto hurt. At the same time, loving like God is transformational. It truly covers a multitude of sins. I have experienced this in my own life.

My father passed way last March. For the last forty years or so, my father battled alcoholism. Thankfully, he wasn’t abusive but he wasn’t easy to love. When he was drunk, he could be mean and hurtful. He could be overly critical and shaming. I often got into it with him. I would get angry and frustrated. There were times when I considered cutting him out of my life and might have done so if it wouldn’t have impacted my mom. Having said all that, God really challenged me to love my father. Especially over the last twenty years. He challenged me to love my dad unconditionally which didn’t mean giving his bad behavior a pass. He challenged me to love my dad faithfully which often meant hard, honest conversations with him. He challenged me to love him fiercely and courageously and boldly which meant sharing Christ with my dad and praying for my dad and even hugging my dad and telling him how much I loved him every time we saw each other. What happened as a result? I got to see my dad change. I got to see him soften and grow more tender. I got to see him drink less and less as the years went by. And miraculously, I got the opportunity to baptize my father in the Jordan River when we went to Israel together. It was amazing.

“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭CSB) I have learned to embrace this kind of love as a way of life and God has blessed me in so many ways. My wife and I no longer sweat the small stuff. We no longer let the minor irritations get in our way. I text my adult children two to three times a month just to tell them how much I love them and how proud I am of them and how I am praying for them. It opens doors to all kinds of wonderful, life-giving conversations. I am learning to listen more attentively to my colleagues and friends in ministry. I am learning a ton as a result and becoming a much better pastor. I am intentionally seeking to build bridges with those who are different than me. Culturally, ethnically, economically, politically, and as it relates to matters of faith. I am growing in so many ways as a result. My life is so enriched by every single one of these relationships and only God’s love is powerful enough to hold us all together.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Peter 1-3, Psalms 35