Belief

Readings for today: Genesis 14-16

What does it mean to believe God? Too often, we apply a modern lens to our reading and interpreting of Scripture. We fail to acknowledge that though the Bible was written for us, it was not written to us. It was written to a particular people who lived at a particular time in a particular culture with a particular worldview. One that is far different than our own. We live in a post-Enlightenment world. A world shaped and formed by rational processes. A culture built on the dictum, “I think therefore I am.” Therefore, when we talk about “belief”, we shift into the realm of philosophy. Abstractions. Theories. We ask a set of questions that would never have even crossed Abram’s mind. We ask things like, “Is there a god? How would I know? What evidence is there for or against god?” These questions are the hallmarks of what Charles Taylor calls the “disenchanted world.” A world where the bias is against God. A world where God has to prove His own existence. A material world where “reality” is confined to what our five senses can confirm.

Abram lived in a far different world. An “enchanted” world where the spiritual was just as “real” as the material. God was taken for granted. His existence provided the foundation for all of life. “Belief” in Abram’s world was not philosophical. Those questions were assumed. It was deeply practical. Abram didn’t just believe in God as an abstract concept. He trusted God with his life. He trusted God would make good on His promises. He was fully convinced God was able to do what He said He would do. So when God tells Abram he will have a son, Abram believes God. He trusts God. He puts it in the bank. And this is why Abram is declared righteous.

Faith does not make one perfect. Abram is obviously not a perfect man. One chapter after he is declared righteous for believing God will provide a child, he takes matters into his own hands. He grows impatient and decides to follow his own plan and the plans of his wife, Sarai. The Hagar/Ishmael story is a tragic one though God eventually brings good out of Abram’s sinful decision. Hagar will be saved. Ishmael will become great in his own right and the father of many nations. Sadly, many of those nations will become the blood enemies of the descendants of Isaac, the promised child. But still Abram is lifted up as righteous. And this is the insight that hit the Apostle Paul like a thunderbolt. His righteousness must come by faith not by sight. It must be dependent on Abram’s trust in the Lord not the works of his hands. Despite his many mistakes and failures, Abram truly believed God. He trusted God. He followed God. He put His life in God’s hands over and over again. This is what it means to believe in a biblical sense and it remains our challenge to this day.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 17-19

I Will

Readings for today: Genesis 12-13

I will. Such powerful words. Especially in a world where we too often expect “I won’t.” It’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn in my life. God’s will for me is good not evil. God’s will for me is blessing not curse. God’s will for me is joy not sorrow. God’s will for me is peace not conflict. God’s will for me is love not hate. God is positively disposed towards me. He wants to give me good gifts. He has an eternal inheritance stored up for me. He has a plan for me. A plan to give me hope and a future.

For most of my life, I believed God’s primary words to me were “I won’t.” You can’t. Thou shalt not. It shaped how I perceived God. I perceived God as a stern judge. A harsh taskmaster who didn’t tolerate failure. I had an unhealthy fear of the Lord. A relationship based on fear and shame and trembling. I assumed God punished me for every misstep. Every mistake. Every wrong turn. I assumed God was just waiting to cast me out. Send me to hell. Torment me eternally. The pressure to perform was immense. The pressure to be perfect was overwhelming. To be honest, I cratered under it. I collapsed. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the strength or ability to manage it. So I turned to all sorts of things to cope with my failure to live up to God’s commands. None of them satisfied. Not for very long. Then I heard the gospel for the first time. I heard about the unconditional love of God. The free gift of God’s grace. The infinite depths of God’s mercy. It was life-changing.

I cannot begin to express how much the shift from “I won’t” to “I will” impacts my life. Every morning I wake up and my first thought is to say “Good morning” to God. I sit quietly in the warmth of His presence. I sense His smile upon me. No matter what I am facing that particular day, I know my Father already knows and has it handled. I may not have it all figured out. I may not have the wisdom or strength to handle the challenges. But I walk with confidence because I know God’s power is made perfect in my weakness and He will work all things to my ultimate good.

Abram must have experienced something similar in his own life. Look at all the “I wills” in these two chapters. I will make you great. I will bless you. I will make your name great. I will give you this land. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth. These are powerful promises, especially for a man who has experienced so much grief and hardship in his life. A man whose wife is barren and whose future prospects seem dim. A man whose legacy will end with his death. Abram must have thought his life was full of “I won’ts.” But God was faithful. He turned Abram’s “I wonts” into “I wills” and the rest is salvation history. What would it look like for you to approach today with the understanding that God “wills” your good? Are you willing to trust Him?

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 14-16

Family

Readings for today: Genesis 10-11

God loves families. God created the first human family. He ordained the first human marriage. He created humanity to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. So He commanded Adam and Eve. So He commanded Noah and his children. So He will command Abram and Sarai in just a few chapters. God’s desire is for humanity to fill the earth. Rule in His name over all He has made. This is why the Tower of Babel is such a problem. The people would not scatter. They were refusing to “fill the earth.” Instead, they sought to make a tower that would stretch to heavens. A physical signpost they could look to as they wandered so they always knew they would be safe. Much like ancient mariners who always tried to stay within sight of the coastline, the people were too scared to accomplish the mission God had set out for them. So God, in an act of grace, confused their languages and scattered them Himself. He pushed them out of the nest. And the people spread out across the globe, each developing their own language and customs. However, no matter how far afield they went, they still remained part of the same family. A family God loves with all His heart.

God loves the human family. In fact, He loves us so much He chose one particular family to bring about His covenant promise. They don’t know it yet but God has great plans for them. If you stop at Genesis 11, there is nothing remarkable about this family that would suggest what’s to come. Nothing foreshadowing the miracles and signs and wonders God will do in and through and for them. In fact, there are problems with this family. Sarai is barren so it seems the family name will be carried on through Nahor rather than Abram. Haran, the father of Terah, has died in Ur and something prompts Terah to take his clan to Haran. What it is, we don’t know. God has yet to reveal it to us. While they settle in Haran, tragedy strikes again and Terah dies, leaving childless Abram and Sarai, along with Nahor and Milcah, to decide what to do next. Should they return to Ur? Stay in Haran? Continue on to Canaan? Again, if you don’t know the story, these are open questions.

God loves the human family. God loves Abram and Sarai’s family. God loves your family. Perhaps you’re facing some open questions today? Perhaps the future of your family seems unclear? Perhaps you’re wrestling over what to do next? A relocation? A career change? Kids leaving home? Parents moving into graduated care? There are so many open questions in life. The other day, one of my daughters left for Australia for six months. We put her on a plane with no idea what she will experience while she is over there. She is nineteen years old. So much of her life in front of her. So many different directions she could go. So many things she could see and do. We have no idea what God has waiting for her only that God IS waiting for her over there. And He will be faithful. Just as He was faithful to Abram and Sarai and all who have come before us.

Readings for tomorrow: No readings on Sundays

Memory

Readings for today: Genesis 8-9, Psalms 12

Remember. It’s an important word. Even more, it’s an important spiritual practice. As we begin a new year, it’s important to look back on the previous year and remember all that God has done for us. Perhaps even make a list. Count our blessings. Recall to mind the number of ways God made Himself known to us in our struggle, heartache, grief, and pain. 2024 will forever be the year I lost my father. He died suddenly on a Saturday morning in March. As we gathered at the house to wait for the coroner to finish her work, I felt the presence of God. I remembered how God brought my father to faith when we were in Israel. I remembered his baptism in the Jordan River. I remembered the many ways God had softened his heart over the years. And I am thankful. 2024 is also the year my son left for college. I remembered the struggles we went through in high school. I remembered the challenges he overcame. I remembered the people God brought into his life to help him change. Grow in his self-confidence. And now he is launching out on his own. I am thankful.

And God remembered Noah. Does this mean God had forgotten? Noah and his family had slipped God’s mind? God lost track of them as He ran the universe? Not at all. God remembered Noah is another way of saying “God was faithful to Noah.” God would not forget Noah. God would remain true to His promise. The floodwaters recede. The earth reappears. The act of new creation is completed. Noah is given a renewed creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply. But I imagine the PTSD of what they went through was strong. So God gives them a sign. A rainbow in the clouds. Every time the clouds gather and they feel the fear inside - “is this going to be another flood?” - God makes the rainbow appear so they will not worry. They will know God has not forgotten His covenant. God will never again flood the earth in an act of judgment. “I have placed my bow in the clouds,  and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant  between me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature. The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the permanent covenant  between God and all the living creatures on earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and every creature on earth.” (Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭13‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

What signs has God given us of His faithfulness? A child born in Bethlehem. The cross. The empty tomb. Jesus Christ is the ultimate sign that God will be faithful to His covenant. Jesus is the sign that God always remembers. He will not leave us or forsake us, much less forget us. He loves us with an everlasting love. He has made a permanent, eternal covenant with us through the blood of His Son. Seed time and harvest. Cold and heat. Summer and winter. Day and night. None of these shall pass away until God’s covenant finally comes to completion when Jesus comes again in glory. Until that great day comes, we are called to remember God’s covenantal works. Cling to God’s covenantal signs. Trust God’s covenantal love.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 10-11

Favor

Readings for today: Genesis 6-7

Favor. It’s a core human need. A primal desire within all of us. We all want to be looked on with favor. We all want the approval of others. We all want to be supported, blessed, encouraged, esteemed. A friend of mine reached out the other day. He’s got an important interview next week. I told him I would pray for him to have favor with the interview team. Another friend is seeking to close on a home. She needs her mortgage application to come through. I told her I would pray for her to have favor with the lender. A couple I’m working with is struggling. One of the things I pray regularly over them is favor. I pray they would favor each other even as they seek the favor of one another.

Noah found favor with God. What an incredible statement. In the midst of all the pain and heartbreak in the world, one man still seeks God. One man still walks with God. One man is found righteous with God. Blameless in his generation. Does this mean Noah is perfect? Of course not. Part of our problem is we always think favor has to be earned. We think favor is something we achieve. If I do something for you, you will look with favor on me. But that’s not really favor at all, is it? Not at least the way the Bible talks about favor. Favor flows from relationship. Favor is the natural response of God to a heart that is turned towards Him. Abel’s heart was right with the Lord so He looked on his offering with favor. Noah’s heart was right with the Lord so God chose Him to be a new Adam. As such, he represented a fresh start. A fresh start for humanity. A fresh start for the world.

How does one find favor with God? The same way Abel did. The same way Noah did. The same way all the saints of the Old and New Testaments did. By faith. We look to God by faith. We seek God by faith. We nurture a relationship with God by faith. We follow God by faith. We trust God by faith. We orient our hearts towards God by faith. A man named Augustine once wrote, “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.” Restlessness is what happens when we aren’t sure we are favored. When we aren’t experiencing favor. When we have lost favor. It could be with our spouses or children or friends. It could be with colleagues at work or at school. It could be in our community. Most of all, our hearts will be restless until we find favor with God. Make it your aim in 2025 to seek favor with God above all else.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 8-9, Psalms 12

Communion

Readings for today: Genesis 3-5

Communion. It’s what God created in the beginning. Communion with Him. Communion with one another. Communion with the world He had made and all that is in it. Communion is a blessing. It is sweet and intimate. It connects us. It is marked by joyful and mutual submission. It serves as a blessing to all who enjoy it. It’s a relationship that benefits everyone. When humanity lives in communion with God, we live openly, freely, transparently. We are protected from any kind of shame or guilt or coercion or manipulation. We have nothing to fear. Nothing to be anxious over. Nothing to worry about. And these benefits flow into the other relationships we enjoy in life. Relationships with family and friends. We find our communion with one another deepening and becoming more rich and full and sacred. Furthermore, these benefits convey to the work we do in the world. Our gratitude for the blessing of being able to enjoy and exercise dominion over all God has made. The land flourishes. Society thrives. God is honored. This is what God intends for us.

Alienation. Sadly, we chose to chart our own path. We chose to go our own way. We allowed the lust of the flesh - the fruit of the tree was good for food - and the lust of the eyes - the fruit of the tree was delightful to look at - and the pride of life - the fruit of the tree was desirable for obtaining wisdom - to warp our perspective. The result was alienation. We became alienated from God as we sought to hide from Him in the Garden. We became alienated from one another as we sought to shift the blame and entered into a power struggle. We became alienated from creation itself as it became resistant and hardened to our desire to exploit it for our own benefit. As one African theologian put it, this is what happens when we choose communion with the “ancient serpent” over communion with God.

Communion and alienation. We make choices every single day to pursue one or the other. From the moment we wake up in the morning until the moment we lay our head down at night, we are making decisions that lead to deeper communion with God, one another, and the world around us or greater alienation with the same. And we cannot claim ignorance. God has shown us what a life lived in perfect communion looks like in the Person of Jesus Christ. He has literally come to earth to show us the way. To mark the path. To map it out for us. The fundamental question for us is the same as it was for Adam and Eve. Will we believe God or will we trust the serpent? Will we trust God or will we trust ourselves to discern right from wrong, truth from error? Will we rely on the wisdom of God or will we seek to be wise in our own eyes?

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 6-7

Word

Readings for today: John 1:1-3, Psalms 8, 104

Words. Words are important. They are essential to communication. We use words to express ideas, give shape to thoughts, and bring definition to the world around us. We use words to convey meaning and purpose and values. Words have power. The power to hurt and the power to heal. The power to hinder and the power to help. The power to curse and the power to bless. When we use words well, the world around us experiences life and love and joy and peace. When we use words poorly, the world around us experiences death and hatred and grief and violence. Words are critical to understanding our world and our place in it. Words are vital in discerning truth. Words are the key to learning wisdom.

As important as our words are, they are ultimately finite. They are limited. They cannot begin to describe the majesty and glory of our Creator. Our words fail when it comes to describing God. We can use every word that has ever existed in every language throughout human history around the globe and still not scratch the surface of God. He is beyond human words and human expression and human language and human understanding. This is why we need the Word.

Word. The Word is different than human words. The Word is God’s expression of Himself. God’s revelation of Himself. God communicating Himself to us in a language we can understand. Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. The Word of God made flesh and blood. But He has always been the Word. He was present and active at creation, speaking the universe into existence. He was present and active even before creation, existing in eternal fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. One God, Three Persons, Blessed Trinity. In the beginning was the Word. John is deliberately recalling the opening words of Genesis to convey a fundamental truth. The Word is God. The Word is with God. The Word is the Creator God. And all that has come into being was made by Him and through Him.

This is a stunning revelation. Almost all of the creation narratives of the religions of the ancient world involved a great war between good and evil. Good typically wins and dismembers evil, thus creating the world and all that is in it. Creation birthed in conflict. The universe formed by violent processes from the beginning. Much of modern science would agree though they would depersonalize and demythologize it. The Big Bang is a violent explosion that results in a rapid expansion of matter. Stars are formed when molecular clouds collapse under the weight of their own gravity thus creating the conditions for nuclear fusion. When massive stars reach the end of their lives, they can turn into black holes with a gravitational pull so intense nothing can escape, not even light itself. Meteors pummel moons and planets throughout our solar system. Asteroids cruise through the universe primed for collision. It’s not a safe environment at all. So one can understand why the ancients believed what they believed.

This is what makes the creation story in the Bible so remarkable. God speaks the world into existence. God tames the chaos through Word not power. God makes everything good. God sets everything in order. God rests on the seventh day. There is nothing analogous to it in any other religion in the world. It’s one of the many reasons to believe it is divine revelation not human myth. It’s simply not credible to think that any human being or human society would come up with this on their own.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 3-5

Genesis

Readings for today: Genesis 1-2

Genesis = origin, creation, in the beginning. Studying the opening chapters of the Bible gives us a window into God’s realm. It gives us a picture of what our world was intended to be. It gives us a glimpse of what our world one day will be when God Himself returns to make all things new. As such, it is worthy of our most intense study. This is the world our hearts long for. This is the world that echoes in our genetic memories. It’s the world we were made for which is why our world feels so foreign, strange, and alien at times.

What is God’s world like? It is a world of order. A world where everything has a purpose and place. The sun, moon, and stars in their courses above. The birds in the air. The fish in the sea. The mammals and insects and other creeping, crawling things on the earth. It’s world full of life and beauty and biodiversity. Each plant and animal reproducing according to its kind. It is a world designed by God specifically for the enjoyment of humanity. The creatures He made in His own image. The creatures He set in the world to care and to keep and to steward it towards ever-greater heights of fruitfulness. Note how God carefully crafts the environment so that humanity can flourish. Light. Atmosphere. Land. Water. Flora and fauna. Animals galore. And God sets us in this world to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over all He has made. Not domination. Dominion. This is a critical distinction. We are not set up as tyrants but as servants. We are not given authority to rule but to serve. The world doesn’t exist for our pleasure alone but for the glory of God.

God’s world is a community. It is the place where the dimensions of heaven and earth meet and God walks with us in the cool of the day. It is the place where God and humanity engage in deep, covenantal friendship as humanity lives out her purpose and obeys the commands of her Creator. It is the place where human beings find intimacy with other human beings. Adam and Eve. Bone of my bones. Flesh of my flesh. And all of it is good. Very good in fact. This is the world God designed. This is the world God desires.

Yes, we are far from this world. Yes, chapter three will bring disruption to this world. But today we sit, if but for a moment, and imagine the world as God intended it to be. A world without chaos, violence, injustice, suffering, or pain. A world of perfect peace and grace and generosity and service where those bearing the image of God perfectly serve their Creator with joy and satisfaction, stewarding the life of the garden God has planted. Partnering with God to help all of creation thrive. And so we join our voices with church since at least the 4th century singing the ancient hymn, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. Amen.

Readings for tomorrow: John 1:1-3, Psalms 8, 104

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

Prayer

Readings for today: James 4-5, Psalms 32

“Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” (James‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB)

I’ve been praying about prayer over the last few years. Perhaps it’s because I feel like I’ve fallen into a bit of a rut. Perhaps it’s because some of my normal spiritual disciplines have become routine. Perhaps it’s because I find myself running out of words when I pray or simply repeating the same phrases over and over again. Perhaps it’s because the list of people I pray for is long and I don’t want to rush through their names. Whatever the reason, I’ve been asking the Lord to teach me how to pray on a deeper and more intimate level and He is answering my prayer. Here are just a few of the reflections I’ve written down recently…

“Prayer is colossal work. It is the nakedness of a soul intent before God - heart and mind and will, answering deep unto deep.” (Alexander Whyte) Prayer involves the whole person. Heart, mind, body, and will. It requires each of these facets of a person to intentionally direct themselves towards God. It’s a posture physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. This is the secret to true prayer. It is about orientation. I think of my Muslim friends who orient themselves towards Mecca or my Jewish friends who orient themselves towards Jerusalem. As a Christian, I orient myself towards no earthly city. No earthly place where a Temple once stood. No, I orient myself towards a Person. I fix my soul’s gaze on Christ. He is the fount of heaven from which I drink. He is the bread of heaven on which I feast. He is the joy of heaven which fills my heart. He is the strength of heaven which sustains my life. He is the wisdom of heaven which guides me through life’s challenges. He is the comfort of heaven in the midst of my griefs and losses. No matter where I am, He is there to greet me. No matter what condition I find myself in, He is there to receive me with open arms.

Prayer is simply entering into Christ’s presence each morning in the silence and quiet before the noise of the day gets too loud or the demands force me to pick my pace. To stand in that place before Christ with all the confused business of my life and this world spread out at His feet. To try and see things as He see them. To try and see the people as He see them. To seek to understand the situations as Christ understands them. To have compassion. To open my heart to grace. And then to take up the burden once more onto my shoulders, full of confidence that I do not bear the burden alone, and go about my day not really having known what I should pray for but knowing that even as my words fail the Spirit prays for me with groanings too deep for words. This is what it means to pray.

Prayer begins by slowing down long enough to truly see people. To listen long enough to truly hear people. To spend enough quality time so others feel valued and of worth. Prayer is attending to the hearts and souls of others. Hearing the words behind the words. Paying attention to body language and what’s being communicated subconsciously as well as consciously. Prayer is spending your day focused on others and then bringing them before Christ in the quiet of your office at the end of the day. Keeping them in your mind’s eye with all their hopes and dreams, fears and failures, hurts and confusion, anger and frustration, joys and sorrows, loves and desires as you come into Christ’s presence. Holding them out to Him as you speak blessing and grace and peace over them. Christ knows their needs before you speak them. You do not have to give Him a list. You can simply speak their names and the names of their children and any particular burdens you know they carry before Him and trust Christ to meet them right where they are. You can do this not only for the individuals and families you know but also for entire churches and communities and nations. You can hold up the Town of Parker before Christ. The State of Colorado. The United States. You can hold up before Christ the people of Ethiopia and South Sudan and Uganda and Bangladesh and Dominican Republic and North/South Korea and Afghanistan and Bolivia and the many, many other nations you’ve been and where you have friends doing Christ’s work. He is with them in their suffering and heartbreak and He is at work bringing beauty from the brokenness just as He is doing with you.

The challenge of prayer has very little to do with finding the time for it or the space or the quiet or the solitude. It has very little to do with the internal wrestling that ensues when you feel you aren’t being heard or your prayers go seemingly unanswered. It has very little to do with the doubts that creep in when you try to make sense of prayer or evaluate it’s effectiveness or square it with science. No, the real challenge for you is allowing yourself to be stripped naked before Christ. To be strapped in the “prison house of your own life.” To sit long enough for all the stuff you try to hide or stuff down deep inside to bubble to the surface. Prayer keeps you honest. Prayer keeps you real. Prayer reminds you that you cannot run from yourself nor from Jesus.

These are just a few of the thoughts that I’ve had recently and I believe they are leadings from the Holy Spirit. Ways He is answering as I seek to learn more about how to pray. You see, I want to be a man of prayer. I want to pray righteous prayers. Prayers that are powerful and effective for healing and forgiveness and reconciliation. Prayers for peace and wholeness and shalom. Prayers for my family, my church, my country, and my friends around the world. I want to pray bold prayers. God-sized prayers. Prayers of faith that will move mountains, drive out demons, and bring revival. I want to pray in such a way that the devil trembles and the kingdoms of this world shake. I want to pray such prayers not for my own sake but for the sake of the world God loves so much. Lord, teach me to pray!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Peter 1-2, Psalms 33 (No devotionals on Sundays)

God’s Wisdom

Readings for today: James 1-3, Psalms 31

I have met many people over the years who claim to speak for the Lord. They claim they hear from the Lord. They claim they have words from the Lord. They claim they’ve received some form of special revelation from the Lord. Now do I believe God still speaks to His people? Of course. Do I believe God visits His people in dreams and visions? Absolutely. Do I believe God sometimes gives His people a prophetic word of encouragement or conviction? Without a doubt. But how does a person know when a message is actually from the Lord?

Years ago, I was a Manage of Patient Access Services at Boulder Community Hospital. I had about four departments and around fifty employees working for me. One of them was a believer who often would claim to hear special messages from the Lord. She would wander around the office delivering these “messages” to her fellow employees. It made people uncomfortable. Her words often didn’t make sense. She asked people to share inappropriately with her. It was disruptive. It was manipulative. And it created a lot of resentment and frustration in our office. When I confronted her and asked her to stop, she grew angry and resentful. She began spreading all sorts of rumors and lies about my leadership. Eventually, she had to be terminated. It was a sad episode that taught me a lot about the importance of discernment.

So how do we discern if a message is from God? James 3:17-18 is clear. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.” Looking back, it was clear the wisdom my employee was offering wasn’t pure or peace-loving or without pretense. It was more designed to promote her own sense of self-worth. Her intent wasn’t to sow peace but to sow pride. And I know I’ve made similar mistakes myself. Especially as a preacher. Every week, I am responsible to get up and share a message from the Lord with God’s people. I always have to check my heart to make sure I am not sharing from a place of pride or selfishness or anger or frustration or a need for affirmation. Every preacher I know wrestles with their motivations every time they get into the pulpit. We have to crucify our ego and desires and fears. We have to empty ourselves of all pride and pretense so God can fill us with His wisdom through His Spirit. And, at the end of the day, we need to be judged on our fruits. What do we produce? Not numbers. Not butts in the seats. Not influence. Not the number of followers we have on social media. But the fruit of purity and peace. The fruit of gentleness and mercy. The fruit of righteousness. This is the ultimate determination of whether we are sharing God’s Word or our own words. And the same holds true for every believer in the world.

Readings for tomorrow: James 4-5, Psalms 32

By Faith

Readings for today: Hebrews 11-13, Psalms 30

Some say faith is blind. Some say faith is foolish. Some say faith is an opiate of sorts for the masses. A delusion we are indoctrinated into by religious institutions. That’s not how the Bible defines faith. It is a fundamental belief. A conviction that what remains unseen is nonetheless very real. It is an assurance for the future where all our hopes and dreams for eternity will come to pass. It is ultimately a deep and abiding trust in God and His plan for our lives and for our world.

Hebrews 11 is rightly called the “Hall of Fame” of faith. It lists the many heroes and heroines who walked by faith. Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Why? Because he offered it in faith. Enoch did not taste death. Why? Because he walked with God. Noah risked it all to build an ark. Why? Because he loved God more than he loved the things of this world. Abraham left home, kindred, and country. He left behind all that was familiar. All that was safe. All that was secure. Why? Because he had his eyes fixed on a better country. A heavenly one. Sarah embraced a miraculous pregnancy in her old age. She carried Isaac to term though the toll on her body must have been enormous. She risked her life to bring the child of promise into the world. Why? Because she knew God was faithful. The list goes on and on. And it’s not meant to be exhaustive. It’s meant to be illustrative. To encourage those of us who are still fighting the good fight of faith in this world. It’s written to encourage those of us who are still seeking a homeland, eternal in the heavens.

What does walking by faith look like for you today? In what areas of your life are you being called to trust God? How are you placing your life, your future, your hopes and your dreams into His hands? Are you intentionally seeking to live by faith? Remember, “without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬) Living by faith requires intentionality. Walking by faith requires self-discipline. It means dying to self every moment of every day. Laying aside the desires of the flesh in favor of the fruit of the Spirit. It means trusting God to reveal His will in His time. It means taking all that we are and all that we have and placing it at God’s disposal to use as He sees fit. It means walking with open hands before the Lord, allowing Him to guide and direct our steps.

I can tell you from personal experience there is nothing more exciting and nothing more daunting than following Christ. You end up on these amazing journeys you never thought possible. You have these experiences you never would have imagined. You get taken to the end of your own wisdom and strength and resources again and again as God teaches you to rely on Him. It’s not easy. It’s often scary. But God is faithful and He always delivers on His promises.

Readings for tomorrow: James 1-3, Psalms 31