Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Birth

This week, we have been taking a special look at the birth of Jesus ... the prophecy, the promise, and now the presentation.


Luke 2
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancĂ©e, who was now obviously pregnant. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.


Birth. In every great story ever written, there is a turning point. It is a moment when the author begins to unveil their solution to the problem that has been slowly building throughout the story. When the story is made into a movie, the turning point is usually accompanied by music (or a change in tone and tempo). You know what I’m talking about. What scene flashed through your mind? For me, it was the scene in Hoosiers when Jimmy Chitwood told the angry crowd at the town meeting that it was time for him to start playing basketball and that he would only stay and play for Hickory if the coach stayed. It is one of the greatest moments in movie history. In God’s story (the greatest story ever written), Jesus’ birth is the turning point (one of the greatest moments in history). Jesus is the solution to our problem. There was even some music included to accompany the turning point. Here is what I would encourage you to do ... reread the story ... listen for the music ... allow yourself to feel the joy of knowing the answer has arrived! Merry Christmas!


I am going to take a couple of weeks off for the holidays (and the birth of our second child). You can always check out previous entries, in the archive section of the blog,
during the break. I pray you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in a couple of weeks. God bless.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Servant

This week, we are taking a special look at the birth of Jesus ... from prophecy to promise to presentation. Today, we are going to look at how the promise of Jesus, that Isaiah prophesied about, would be presented.


Luke 1
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.


Servant. I love Mary’s question; but I think her response to the answer she received was not only better ... it was more important. Receiving God’s grace (or “favor”) is the easy part of being a Jesus follower. Accepting God’s response to some of our questions is the hard part of being a Jesus follower. My prayer is that God would mold my heart (and yours) so that my response to his answer (no matter how hard the question or how unwanted the answer) would be “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true”.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Given

This week, we are going to push pause on Paul’s letter to the Jesus followers in Corinth and focus on the birth of Jesus from prophecy to promise to presentation. First, we are going to look at the prophecy. Isaiah wrote one of the most famous prophecies about Jesus over 700 years before he was born. The words were originally written to the people of Jerusalem who were feeling the threat of attack from the nation of Assyria.


Isaiah 9
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.


Given. This time of year is all about giving gifts. Isaiah prophesied about the original gift ... given by God ... Jesus. I love the words he uses to describe Jesus ... “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. You have probably heard them mentioned once or twice in a Christmas carol. I would encourage you to take a minute to read through Isaiah’s description of the original gift. Go ahead ... read through it two or three times ... slowly enough to truly soak in each word. Individually, each word provides a beautiful gift. Collectively, it provides the best gift ever. I also wanted to offer you one last thought about this gift, written by Robert B. Chisholm Jr., "Look at Jesus. As the Wonderful Counselor, he has the best ideas and strategies. Let's follow him. As the Mighty God, he defeats his enemies easily. Let's hide behind him. As the Everlasting Father, he loves us endlessly. Let's enjoy him. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us while we are still his enemies. Let's welcome his dominion."

Friday, December 19, 2008

Glory

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul pens a fundamental thought.


1 Corinthians 10
14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18 Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? 19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20 No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. 22 What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is? 23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” - but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything” - but not everything is beneficial. 24 Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 25 So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” 27 If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? 31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.


Glory. In chapter 8, Paul began addressing the issue of whether or not Jesus followers should eat meat that had been used in a ceremony at a pagan temple. In this conclusion, he write one of my favorite verses, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Whatever you do … do it for the glory of God. Whatever you do … do it for the glory of God. Whatever. I don’t think there is anything I can add to that thought, so I won’t.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Warning

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul offers an important reminder (warning).


1 Corinthians 10
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. 9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. 12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.


Warning. We need to be wise enough to learn from other people’s mistakes. We need to be humble enough to acknowledge our propensity to make certain mistakes. We need to be reminded enough to know that God wants to help us not repeat those mistakes. Consider yourself warned.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Discipline

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul talks about control.


1 Corinthians 9
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.


Discipline. I don’t think anyone likes the word discipline. Look it up in the dictionary, none of the definitions sound like they’re any fun. However, I do think everyone needs discipline. It is really a matter of control. Am I expressing every impulse I experience (including my thoughts, words and actions) or am I gaining controlling of my impulses and submitting them to God’s control? It won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight; but it is the foundation of becoming a follower (or disciple) of Jesus. I would encourage you to take it slow (the same advice any trainer would give you if you were starting a new workout). Start with becoming aware of your impulses ... what you are thinking and saying and doing. Life moves so fast sometimes that we don’t even realize what we are doing. Once you have gained some awareness, work on evaluating your impulses before expressing them. The standard for evaluation should be simple (check out
Matthew 22:35-40). Does it honor God? Does it help others? Once you have implemented an evaluation process, it becomes a matter of repeating the ones that do (honor and/or help) and replacing the ones that don’t.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Compelled

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul provides some important insights.


1 Corinthians 9
16 Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! 17 If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. 18 What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. 19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.


Compelled. Paul felt compelled to tell others about Jesus. If you are like me, there have been times in life when you have been more compelled by you and your wants than by God and his need for everyone to truly understand and experience grace. In this passage, Paul provides some insight on how to reverse that. It all starts with a change of heart ... “I have become a slave to all”. He embraced (and expressed) the heart of Jesus, a servant’s heart (check out
Mark 10:45). If you are like me, there have also been times when you struggled with how to “spread the Good News”. Thankfully, Paul offers some insight on how to initiate that process. It begins with building a relationship ... “I try to find common ground with everyone” ... which was a huge change of strategy for him. His approach to introducing people to God used to be a lot more abrasive (check out Acts 9:1-2). A relationship based on acceptance and compassion and grace will allow you to tell others about a God who is accepting and compassionate and gracious.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Right

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul provides an example of giving up our rights.


1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? 2 Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle. 3 This is my answer to those who question my authority. 4 Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? 5 Don’t we have the right to bring a Christian wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? 7 What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? 8 Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? 9 For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? 10 Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest. 11 Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? 12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. 13 Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. 14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. 15 Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.


Right. Paul had the right to financial support. It was a common practice in their society to support spiritual teachers (reread verses 4-5 and 12-13) and even taught by God (reread verses 9-11 and 14). That is why I love verse 12 ... “We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ”. It seems that Paul would rather have people question his authority as an apostle because he gave up that right and worked to support himself (Greeks tended to look down on manual labor) than have people potentially question his motives because he accepted their money. In a world that seems to hold rights above responsibilities, we (as Jesus followers) ought to hold responsibilities above rights no matter what obstacle it creates.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Stumble

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us that we need to watch where we “walk”.


1 Corinthians 8
4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life. 7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. 9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you - with your “superior knowledge” - eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live - for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.


Stumble. As a Jesus follower, I need to be conscience of the fact that what I say and do has an affect on people ... especially people that don’t follow Jesus (check out
John 13:34-35) and people that are just starting to follow Jesus. I’m not talking about making changes in my life so that I can feel like I am earning my salvation or feel like I am more spiritual than other people or feel like I am earning extra gold stars from Jesus (they don’t exist). I am talking about choosing to make decisions, about what I say and do and watch and listen to, that honor God because I “live for him” (reread verse 6). Out of love for God (and his love for others and his desire for me to love others), I don’t want to create confusion or distractions for people, thinking about or trying to “live for him”, that would cause them to make a bad decision. So, I’m going to try using verse 13 as a filter in my life.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Knowledge

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul makes a very important distinction.


1 Corinthians 8
1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.


Knowledge. Let’s just get this out of the way, I love verse two. In case you were wondering, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with knowledge (the accumulation of information). The cause for concern lies in where the knowledge leads us. Does it turn us inward creating a selfish attitude that leads to pride and an expression of arrogance? Or, does it turn us outward creating a selfless attitude that leads to humility and an expression of love? Really, it is another “mindset” question (in what seems like a week full of them), is our goal recognition from man or recognition from God?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Best

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul answers another question posed by the church in Corinth.


1 Corinthians 7
25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. 29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. 32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. 36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancĂ©e improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancĂ©e does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better. 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.


Best. I love when Paul says, “I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best”. As you know, most of the responses (to questions asked by believers in Corinth) in this section of Paul’s letter are focused on the issue of marriage. However, this thought “I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best” is really a question that should apply to every “big” decision we make. When you are deciding who to marry, ask yourself, “Will this relationship help me serve the Lord best?” When you are deciding where to work, ask yourself, “Will this job help me serve the Lord best?” When buying a house, ask yourself, “Will owning this house help me serve the Lord best?” This question forces us to rethink our decision-making priorities. The search for the “best” forces us to delve a little deeper when it comes to two great options. If the answer isn’t obvious and you need a little help, ask a trusted (wise) friend for an honest, outside perspective. Most importantly, pray. Who else would know the best way to serve God than God?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Slave

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul forces us to take a long look at who is in control.


1 Corinthians 7
17 Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. 18 For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. 19 For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments. 20 Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. 21 Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you - but if you get a chance to be free, take it. 22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 23 God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 24 Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.


Slave. There are so many great phrases in this passage; but one really stood out, “you are now a slave of Christ ... so don’t be enslaved by the world”. The question that keeps rolling through my mind is, “Who/what controls me?” Am I a slave to this world and what it considers important? Am I a slave to Jesus and what he considers important? A pretty good question to consider ... especially this time of year.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Stay

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul provides some patient advice regarding a really important decision.


1 Corinthians 7
8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows - it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. 10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife. 12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?


Stay. The prevailing theme that Paul presents in all these scenarios is to stay. Some times we are so anxious to move onto the next chapter of life (jumping into a marriage or running away from a marriage) that we don’t let God finish the current chapter ... and we miss out on what could have been a much better ending. On one hand, you may be rescued from a relationship that would cause years of trouble. On the other hand, you may see the Holy Spirit miraculously change your spouse and your relationship. If you have any reservations at all ... stay ... let God finish what he is writing in your life.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Sexual

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul moves to the next section of his letter ... questions.


1 Corinthians 7
1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.


Sexual. In the previous chapter, Paul was addressing a group in the church at Corinth that had adopted the slogan “I am allowed to do anything” when it came to God’s grace ... including sexual promiscuity (check out yesterday’s entry ...
Body). In this part of the letter, Paul is addressing a group at the opposite end of that spectrum. They began to believe (probably in response to the first group) that sex was wrong and that it was more appropriate to be celibate ... even in marriage. Paul was trying to restore a sense of balance to this spectrum. Sex isn’t “wrong” and celibacy “right” (or vice versa) ... they are both a healthy part of life. Singleness isn’t “right” and marriage “wrong” (or vice versa) ... they are both a gift from God. All of them have equal value; as long as, they are expressed properly ... celibacy in singleness and sex in marriage.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Body

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us who is really in charge.


1 Corinthians 6
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” - but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. 15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.


Body. We you become a Jesus follower, you (your future, your family, your talents, your finances and your body) no longer belong to you. You belong to God. That is so easy to forget when our default mode is a selfish one and when we are constantly encouraged to do what we want because “we deserve it” or because “it feels right”. It’s like we need a new “app” (iPhone owners know what I am talking about) for our heart ... a filter that helps us discern if something is beneficial and honorable (or not). Actually, if you are a Jesus follower, God has already given you one ... the Holy Spirit. You won’t hear an audible voice ... more like an “internal nudge” that encourages you to do something beneficial and discourages you from doing something dishonorable. It can be difficult to experience those “internal nudges” when there are so many external “voices” in your life. I have found that when I turn off those external “voices” I can “hear” the “internal nudges” more clearly.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Wise

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul gives us a negative of wisdom.


1 Corinthians 6
1 When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 4 If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? 5 I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? 6 But instead, one believer sues another - right in front of unbelievers! 7 Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


Wise. The church in Corinth needed more wisdom. Wisdom to know how to resolve disputes. Wisdom to know that our decisions impact others. Wisdom to know we should avoid the bad habits of our past. Unfortunately, wisdom isn’t developed overnight. It is a combination of knowledge (knowing God’s word) and experience (putting God’s word into practice). In case you are visual learner like me, here is a snapshot of what wisdom looks like ... purity, faithfulness, generosity, self-control, gentleness and honesty. Basically, it is doing the opposite of “those who do wrong”.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Sin

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul confronts how we view sin and how we deal with sin.


1 Corinthians 5
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you - something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. 3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. 6 Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. 9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. 12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”


Sin. As a result of reading this passage, I have two prayers. One, that God would break my heart regarding sin ... that he would turn my apathy and tolerance of sin into the sorrow and shame I should regard it with. And two, that God would help me to love my friends (that are Jesus followers) enough to graciously confront them if there is a sin in their life that they aren’t willing to confront.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Imitate

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us of an old adage.


1 Corinthians 4
14 I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. 15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to imitate me. 17 That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go. 18 Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. 19 But I will come - and soon - if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. 20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. 21 Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?


Imitate. Paul encouraged the church at Corinth to imitate him ... to imitate the way he followed Jesus. I think he would encourage us to do the same thing ... have someone to imitate. Someone that is further along in their journey of following Jesus. At the same time, I think we need to be providing an example to imitate for people that are just starting their journey of following Jesus. I think the key to how we choose who to imitate and how we provide an example is found in verse 20. Take a second and reread it. I love that verse. We should be able to see God living through the people we choose to imitate. People that choose to imitate us should see God living through us. I guess it is true ... actions speak louder than words.


I pray you have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Eastside Journey will return on Monday.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Display

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul asks us to look a little closer at our lives.


1 Corinthians 4
6 Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I’ve been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. 7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? 8 You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you. 9 Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world - to people and angels alike. 10 Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. 11 Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. 12 We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. 13 We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash - right up to the present moment.


Display. In reading these verses, I am reminded that, as a Jesus follower, I am on display for the whole world. Everything I say and do is displaying who I am (or who I should be). You might be wondering, what should that display include? If you look closely, I think you will find a list in this passage: nonjudgmental (reread verses 6 and 7), humble (reread verses 7 and 8), committed (reread verses 10 - 12) and gracious (reread verses 12 and 13). What does your display really include?

Monday, November 24, 2008

Faithful

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul redefines success.


1 Corinthians 4
1 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. 3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. 5 So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time - before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.


Faithful. I am sure I am not the only one that has fallen prey to the desire to be successful in the eyes of this world. We seem to have this innate desire to evaluate ourselves or to evaluate others or to have ourselves evaluated by others with a predetermined picture of success. The key is who defines success because whoever defines success (in your life) determines what the picture looks like. Just so you know (at least according to Paul), God defines success in terms of faithfulness. Were you faithful in fulfilling the roles that he gave you (as a spouse, parent, student, friend, employer, employee, leader, servant)? Were you faithful in using the gifts that he gave you (to teach, to encourage, to give, to lead, to care, to study, to love, to serve)? The good news is that it isn’t too late to have (true) success. You can start being faithful today.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Building

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul tries to correct our focus.


1 Corinthians 3
... You are God’s building. 10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have - Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials - gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.


Building. Growing up, I was told that the church was “God’s house” as if he somehow lived there and we just stopped by to visit him on the weekends. In this passage, Paul corrects that thought. The church isn’t a physical building made up of bricks and drywall. The church is a community of people made up of men and women that are striving to understand and express the love of God. As a Jesus follower, this is very important ... we should never let ourselves become more preoccupied with where we meet as a community than the spiritual development of one another when we meet.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Workers

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us of all the work that needs to be done.


1 Corinthians 3
5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field...


Workers. As we have been talking about all week, there is more to Christianity than just being “saved”. There is a level of maturity that we need to aspire to with the help of God’s Spirit; but there is other work that needs to be done as well. There are people in our “circle of influence” that need to know what God has done in our life. There are organizations in our community that need help with caring for so many. There are tasks at our church that need to be completed (rooms that need to be cleaned, guests that need to be welcomed, children that need to be taught, groups that need to be led, etc.). The beauty is that all this “work” ... growing, reaching, caring and serving ... is really worship. The key is managing our resources (our time, our abilities, our passions, our money) wisely so that worshipping ultimately becomes the central focus of our life.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Controlled

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul asks an important question.


1 Corinthians 3
1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?


Controlled. In yesterday’s passage, Paul discussed a layer of Christianity that goes beyond accepting God’s grace (and receiving God’s Spirit). It is a level of spirituality that involves taking time to intentionally drown out the distractions of this world so we can “hear” God’s Spirit. In today’s passage, Paul alludes to another layer that goes beyond listening to God’s Spirit. It is a level of maturity that involves acting on the “promptings” God’s Spirit gives you ... to the point of letting God’s Spirit control you. You can hear it in Paul’s writings ... he wanted the Corinthians to aspire to that level of maturity. I long for that level in my own life ... and I pray for it in your life. We need to ask ourselves the same question Paul asked them ... what is controlling our lives ... our desires or God’s desires?

Monday, November 17, 2008

Spiritual

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul encourages us to listen carefully.


1 Corinthians 2
6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God - his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.


Spiritual. Last week, we acknowledged that God’s viewpoint is different than our viewpoint (check out
Foolish). Today, Paul goes on to explain that what God considers wise is different than what our world considers wise; and more importantly, that this wisdom is available to those that are “spiritual”. So, how do we get this wisdom (become “spiritual”) that allows us to “know” and “explain” and “evaluate”? Paul seems to imply three steps ... two in this passage and one in tomorrows. The first step is really pretty simple ... you have to receive God’s Spirit (reread verse 12) by accepting God’s grace and becoming a follower of Jesus (check out Acts 2:32-39 and John 14:15-17). The second step requires a little more perception ... you have to be tuned in to God’s Spirit. The best analogy I can think of is a weather alert radio that I can remember my grandmother listening to. It was tuned in to the broadcasts of the National Weather Service. These special broadcasts are transmitted 24/7, but aren’t available on a regular AM/FM radio. They are only available through one of these special receivers. When we become a Jesus follower, God places a special “receiver” (his Spirit) in each of us that is tuned in to and “broadcasting” his wisdom. The key is listening carefully to hear it (reread verse 13) which can be very difficult in a world that wants to offer so much wisdom from so many different sources. Have you ever practiced the spiritual discipline of solitude ... where you took some time to be alone in God’s presence and “listen”? Jesus did (check out Mark 1:35) ... maybe we should try it too.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Power

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul reminds us about a very important (but sadly underused) source of power.


1 Corinthians 2
1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness - timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.


Power. I hope this passage encourages you when it comes to sharing your faith. Part of our responsibility, as Jesus followers (and one of our passions at Eastside), is to reach out to the people God has placed in our “circle of influence” (our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.) and share with them our life story ... what we have “seen and heard” (check out
Acts 4:18-20) in our relationship with God. I think we are sometimes afraid to take this step in our journey because we don’t think we are wise enough or clever enough or persuasive enough; but as you can see they aren’t prerequisites. What God is really looking for is humility and graciousness and compassion ... and a little preparation. I would encourage you to take some time this weekend and write out your life story. What was life like before you experienced Jesus? What was it like when you accepted God’s offer of grace? What has life been like since you began following Him? I hope what you will find is a reminder that it wasn’t some creative presentation that transformed your life; but the power of God. I think what you will find is the courage and conviction to share your life story with someone you care about ... so that they can experience the power of God for themselves.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Boast

This week, we are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul encourages us to boast ... really.


1 Corinthians 1
25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”


Boast. Remember, this section of the letter is dealing with division among the Jesus followers in Corinth. They had shifted their focus from the message (of Jesus making us right with God) to a debate about who was the best messenger (check out
1 Corinthians 1:10-17). Now, take a minute and reread today’s passage. Go ahead. It’s only six verses. I’ll wait. Did you follow the action (verbs)? God called. God chose. God used. God united. God made. Jesus made. Jesus freed. Who is doing the “heavy lifting” in this relationship? That is why Paul thought it was so absurd for them to be boasting about who had told them the message instead of who made the message possible. Maybe we should consider being a little more boastful … about God. It would certainly help us maintain a more accurate focus.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Foolish

This week, we are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul explains God’s point of view.


1 Corinthians 1
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.


Foolish. In case you hadn’t noticed, God sees things differently than we do. From the world’s perspective, humility and compassion and integrity and peace are seen as signs of weakness. From God’s perspective, they are signs of strength that he blesses (check out
Matthew 5:3-10). From the world’s perspective, power is an opportunity to gain control. From God’s perspective, power is an opportunity to offer peace. From the world’s perspective, wisdom is a resource that gains status. From God’s perspective, wisdom is a resource that offers service. From the world’s perspective, the cross was foolish. It was a shameful way to end life. From God’s perspective, the cross is the ultimate display of power over sin and death that leads to eternal life. From the world’s perspective, the cross was foolish. Why would God let himself get nailed to a cross? From God’s perspective, the cross is the ultimate display of wisdom. It allowed him to express the full extent of his love and his justice. Which perspective do you live by?

Monday, November 10, 2008

United

Last week, we started making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul focuses on divisions.


1 Corinthians 1
10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News - and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.


United. Last week, our preview revealed that Paul would be addressing a couple of important issues in the church at Corinth (check out
1 Corinthians). This issue of division is the first. Divisions have a way of distracting our focus. Our focus tends to shifts away from the focus and onto the division; and until the division is dealt with, the division becomes the focus. The only way to reverse the division is to rediscover the focus … and then stay focused on it. For the Corinthians, Paul had made very clear that the focus was the “Good News” made possible by the “cross of Christ”. After Paul left, the focus had been divided into a debate about who was the better/more important speaker/leader … some thought Paul was a more important speaker … some thought Apollos was a better speaker … some thought Peter was a more important leader … some thought they were more important because they had developed some better level of spirituality. The focus had moved from the message to the messenger and the presentation of the message. Sound familiar? Sadly, many churches today are still focused on this division. The only hope of reversing this division universally is for us to refocus individually.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Everywhere

Yesterday, we took a look at some background info on this letter. Today, Paul kicks things off by painting a really big picture.


1 Corinthians 1
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. 2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way - with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


Everywhere. There are certain times of the year, like this one (with the election and Veterans Day), when we become more nationalistically minded ... with good reason. I am very grateful to live in a country where I have a say in who is in charge. I am very proud that this country was built on the willingness of so many to sacrifice so much. I just want to make sure that I never lose sight of who is really in charge of my life (“called by God to be his own holy people”) or the privilege (“partnership with his Son”) and responsibility to help (“you have every spiritual gift you need”) spread his message (“holy by means of Christ Jesus”). Most importantly, I pray the privileges of this country open my eyes to the possibilities of fulfilling God’s agenda (“for all people everywhere”) and turn my eyes from the focus of my agenda.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

1 Corinthians

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been making our way (chronologically) through the letters written by Paul. Today, we are going to transition to a letter (1 Corinthians) that Paul wrote to Jesus followers in the city of Corinth. I feel like I can approach a book of the Bible better when I have some background and context for the writing. So, I wanted to reread the account we have (in Acts 18) of Paul’s first visit to Corinth.


Acts 18
1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. 4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5 And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads - I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. 12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. 13 They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.” 14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. 15 But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” 16 And he threw them out of the courtroom. 17 The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. 18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea.


I also wanted to encourage you to read some notes on 1 Corinthians that really helped set the scene for me. An Introduction included in Dr. Thomas Constable's "Notes on 1 Corinthians" (check out
http://soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/1corinthians.pdf). If you would like to get a head start on tomorrow, we will begin by looking at 1 Corinthians 1:1-9.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Imitate

Today, Paul finishes up his second letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica by talking about the importance of imitation in our spiritual journey.


2 Thessalonians 3
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. 17 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting - Paul. I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me. 18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.


Imitate. As you read through the letters Paul wrote (especially in this passage), you begin to see a pattern of imitation. It begins with imitating God and Jesus (check out
Ephesians 5:1-2). It moves to imitating someone that is a little further along in their spiritual journey (check out Philippians 3:17). It comes full circle when someone imitates you and becomes an imitator for other followers (check out 1 Timothy 4:12). Paul followed this same pattern in his own life ... learning to imitate Jesus (check out Galatians 1:11-17) ... being mentored by Barnabas (check out Acts 11:22-25) ... mentoring Timothy (check out Acts 16:1-4). Where are you at on your journey ... who are you imitating ... who is imitating you?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Pray

We are making our way through Paul’s first letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul offers a prayer guide.


2 Thessalonians 3
1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.


Pray. In this passage, Paul offers a perfect guide for how we should pray for each other. In the first half, Paul provides a great example of how your friends can pray for you (or even how we can pray for ourselves) ... ask them to pray that God would use you to share his message and that God would open the hearts of the people in your circle of influence so that they would receive his message and that God would protect you from any evil that might get in the way of his message being spread. In the second half, Paul provides a great example of how you can pray for your friends ... pray that God enables them to reach such a deep understanding of his love and Jesus’ patient endurance that both will naturally flow out of their hearts and spill out into their lives. Here’s the most important point ... these great examples will never do us any good unless we actually use them. So, take a minute right now ... and pray.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Grip

We are making our way through Paul’s second letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul talks about some very important exercises we need to practice.


2 Thessalonians 2
13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation - a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.


Grip. When we face injustice (like the Thessalonians were facing, check out
2 Thessalonians 1:4-5) and doubts (like the Thessalonians were facing, check out 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3), we have a choice. We can let go of our faith or we can strengthen our grip. Paul’s encouragement for them (and I believe us) was to strengthen their grip. The question is how do you do that? I think Paul eludes to it a couple verses later ... the idea that God will “comfort” us and “strengthen” us as we live out our faith ... through what we “do and say”. Every time you express grace in the face of injustice or forgiveness in the face of hurt or integrity in the face of deceit or love in the face of hate ... you exercise your faith and strengthen your grip.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Destroy

We are making our way through Paul’s second letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul predicts a really big win.


2 Thessalonians 2
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed - the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.


Destroy. In sports, coaches (of good teams) commonly tell their players, “You can’t just show up and expect to win.” And yet, that is how Paul describes the encounter between Jesus and “the man of lawlessness”. He writes that Jesus will “destroy him by the splendor of his coming”. I love that phrase. Throughout the centuries (and even still today), many great men and women (who are more Godly and more intelligent than I) have tried to “clarify” what is known as eschatology (the study of the end times). They have covered topics like the rapture (check out
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18), the tribulation (check out Matthew 24:15-31), millennialism (check out Revelation 20:1-10) and ... the man of lawlessness. I would never make light of those theological pursuits; but what frustrates me is when the focus becomes the pursuit and not the point ... the point is, “In the end, God wins!” Seriously, reread each passage ... in the end, God wins ... which provide great hope and a great challenge. The hope is that we have the opportunity to be a part of the winning team. The challenge is helping as many people as possible experience that hope.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

His

Over the next couple of days, we are going to take a look at Paul’s follow-up letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul exposes God’s point of view.


2 Thessalonians 1
1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. 7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people - praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. 11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.


His. Ever notice how everything is different from God’s perspective. Persecution can reveal justice. Blindness can provide insight (check out
John 9:1-3). A real leader is a servant (check out Matthew 20:20-28). Life can overcome death (check out Luke 24:1-8). What is complex can be simple (check out Mark 10:13-16). Apparently, I need a new point of view.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Will

Today, we are finishing up Paul’s first letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul addresses one of the most commonly asked questions.


1 Thessalonians 5
12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love. 27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


Will. What is God’s will for my life? It’s like the “holy grail” of spiritual questions. Some people have spent years reading books, watching videos and attending conferences in search of that answer. And yet, Paul is somehow able to rattle it off while using only 11 words. Is that possible? Can it be that simple? Yes and no. I say no because I don’t believe Paul meant it as an exhaustive list. I say yes because I believe Paul was demonstrating a pattern for our lives that would cultivate the will of God. There are certain characteristics (like joy and humility and gratitude) that should be so ingrained in our hearts that they naturally flow out of our lives on a consistent basis. This may disappoint you; but I believe God’s will ... his desire for your life is more wrapped up in who you are rather than who you marry or what job you have or where you live. If you’re wondering how ... I believe the answer is found in the verses that follow ... don’t suppress the impulses you have to do what is right (like being joyful and humble and grateful) ... even if it doesn’t make sense in today’s culture, do what God’s word says is right (like being joyful and humble and grateful) anyways ... if you don’t believe me, try doing it and see what happens ... avoid what you already know is wrong (like being angry and prideful and selfish).

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Alert

We are making our way through Paul’s first letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul provides an important “heads up” for our journey.


1 Thessalonians 5
1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. 4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.


Alert. For those of you that don’t know me, I am a huge Ohio State football fan. Jim Tressel, the head coach, has a saying that he supposedly repeats frequently to his players, “Nothing good happens after 10 pm.” I am sure each of has a “10 pm” in our life ... a line we know we shouldn’t cross because it will only provide negative results. Nothing good happens when I watch (fill in the blank). Nothing good happens when I hang out with (fill in the blank). Nothing good happens when I drink (fill in the blank). Nothing good happens when I (fill in the blank). The goal is to avoid returning to the darkness ... even for a visit. The key is us being honest with ourselves about what our weaknesses really are, where they are most readily available and avoiding them at all cost. How alert are you?

Monday, October 27, 2008

Hope

We are making our way through Paul’s first letter to the Jesus followers in Thessalonica. Today, Paul shares one of the most important passages of scripture in the entire Bible.


1 Thessalonians 4
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.


Hope. According to Benjamin Franklin, "The only two certainties in life are death and taxes." According to Paul, you can add one more certainty for a Jesus follower ... hope. Hope that this life isn’t the end. Hope that Jesus will return. Hope that we will be with God forever in a new life. If you don’t believe Paul, listen to Jesus (check out
John 14:1-3). Here is the sobering part of this hope ... it is only available to Jesus followers (check out John 14:6). That reality makes what Paul has already written in this letter so important (reread Example or Messengers or Holy). It is also why it is so important for us to share our hope with others. Again, if you don’t believe Paul, listen to Jesus (check out Matthew 28:18-20). In fact, reread the whole chapter (Matthew 28). It will remind you where hope comes from.