TO READ: Philippians 4:4-9
March 4
Enjoying Joy
... View MoreTO READ: Philippians 4:4-9
March 4
Enjoying Joy
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!Philippians 4:4
Church leaders are well aware that disagreements among participants in church life are not uncommon. Music is one of the most controversial areas. One minister had a problem with his choir, who decided to withdraw their services unless their demands were met. He responded by writing a hymn which included the line “Let those refuse to sing who never knew our Lord!” This may have helped the minister feel better, but it probably did little to resolve the conflict. Styles of music vary so dramatically and musical tastes have been nurtured by such widely divergent experiences that music too easily becomes a battleground, a test of spiritual orthodoxy, or a determinant as to what constitutes worship. No wonder someone said, “When the devil was thrown out of heaven, he landed in the choir loft.”
Notwithstanding the struggles and pain surrounding music in the church, it is still one of the greatest means of expressing praise, giving thanks, and generating joy in the company of God’s people. And praise, joy, thanks, and delight are integral parts of the believer’s life.
This should not surprise us, because God is a joyful God! Zephaniah tells us, “For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song” (Zeph. 3:17). A singing God? A joyful God? Undoubtedly! So, of course his people should be a joyful people.
Paul, writing from prison, insisted, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). It adds poignancy to this instruction to realize that these words were penned in a dismal prison cell by a man under sentence of death. “Always” in Paul’s mind apparently meant always! But isn’t this unrealistic? Aren’t we allowed “down days”? In fact, didn’t Paul get discouraged and depressed and even despair of life itself on occasion? Yes, he did, but he was not contradicting himself. Note carefully what he actually said: “Always be full of joy in the Lord.” To be “in the Lord” is to be conscious of being part of his salvation, kept in his love, guarded by his grace, comforted with his compassion, convinced of his faithfulness, and secure in his hand.
It is not in our circumstances that we find the ability to be “full of joy.” Circumstances often won’t allow it. Joy resides “in the Lord” in the midst of our circumstances. This is worth singing about—and agreeing on!
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TO READ: Ephesians 3:14-21
February 17
The Plan
... View MoreTO READ: Ephesians 3:14-21
February 17
The Plan
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father.Ephesians 3:14
When General George Marshall, Secretary of State in the Truman Administration, gave the commencement address at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, he said, “It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace.” Europe at that time was, in Winston Churchill’s words, “A rubble heap, a charnel house, a breeding ground for pestilence and hate.” It was clear to Truman, Churchill, and Marshall that unless America became involved in the restoration of Europe, World War III was not far distant. So the Marshall Plan, to invest twelve and a half billion dollars in the shattered states of Europe, of both friend and foe, was born. There had never been a plan like the Marshall Plan.
With one exception! Paul talked about “the wisdom and scope of God’s plan” (Eph. 3:14). This “unchanging plan” was born “long ago, even before he made the world.” This plan was all about God establishing “his own family,” which “gave him great pleasure” (1:4-5). “It is a plan centered on Christ. . . . And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” (1:9-10). So before the creation of the world God was busy planning that the world, which would eventually turn against him, should be brought back under his gracious, sovereign control through the activity of Christ in time and space.
But there is more. The church would play a significant role in the plan, too. For it is “his body” (1:23), through which (as is the case in all bodies) the wishes and promptings of “the head” will come to pass. This church, an integral part of God’s plan, would be made up of the most unlikely material—those who “were dead, . . . full of sin, obeying Satan, . . . following the passions and desires of our evil nature,” and “under God’s anger” (2:1-3). Not only that, Christ also would reconcile traditional enemies to God and each other “by means of his death” (2:16), and they would become the church!
So God has a plan, an eternal plan, born before the world began, centered in Christ and his church, which is made up of redeemed sinners! No wonder Paul marveled at “the wisdom and scope” of it all! God has a plan—and we’re part of it!
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TO READ: Ephesians 1:3-14
February 13
Heavenly Realms
... View MoreTO READ: Ephesians 1:3-14
February 13
Heavenly Realms
How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.Ephesians 1:3
Awoman was asked by her husband, “Will there be golf in heaven?” She wisely replied, “If it is necessary for your eternal bliss—Yes!” His question and her response suggest that our idea of heaven is everything we enjoy on earth, only more so! So if the boss gives you 50-yard-line seats at the Super Bowl, you think you’ve “died and gone to heaven,” while your wife’s idea of heaven might be a few days on a tropical island with blue sky, white sand, azure ocean, warm sun, and candlelit dinners for two. Who knows? But Scripture speaks of heaven in a way that should not be left to speculation or relegated to somewhere in “the sweet bye-and-bye.”
God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ” (Eph. 1:3). It is clear that this is not reserved for the future, because God “raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms” (2:6). The tenses say it all: “he raised us;” “we are seated;” “we are one with Christ Jesus.” We‘re already there!
When God saves people, he transports them from where they were to where they will be. They were “dead,” now they are alive. They were “under God’s anger” (2:3), now they are seated “in the heavenly realms.” So in one sense, heaven is not something we anticipate to be like the best of earth but better. Instead, it is something that we experience now while we may be going through some of the worst of earth!
What then are these “heavenly realms” (1:3)? John Stott helpfully suggests that the heavenly realms are “the unseen world of spiritual reality.”1 It is there that we experience “every spiritual blessing,” and it is there that the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” are being educated by God (3:10). The emphasis is on spiritual reality.
Experiencing life in the heavenly realms is all about being related to the risen Christ, having immediate access to him in his glory, and enjoying security in his love. It is in this invisible realm of spiritual reality that you have all that you need to live wisely, winsomely, and well. So rather than thinking longingly of something like pristine beaches or 50-yard-line Super Bowl seats, why not rejoice in the abundance of blessings that make the invisible realm as real as the material? Enjoy where you are right now, while you’re on the way to where you’re going sooner or later.
John R. W. Stott, God’s New Society.
🙏✝️👑
TO READ: Isaiah 65:1-10
February 8
I Am Here!
... View MoreTO READ: Isaiah 65:1-10
February 8
I Am Here!
The lord says, “People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, ‘I am here!’“Isaiah 65:1
In 1999, Christian History magazine surveyed its readers and Christian historians. Respondents to the survey were invited to name the five most influential well-known Christians. By a substantial margin, C.S. Lewis was most often named.
Born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898 to parents who loved books, young “Jack” Lewis became a book lover during childhood, embarked on a scholarly career at Oxford, and became a convinced atheist. Strange beginnings for a man voted the most influential in spiritual growth!
In 1929, Lewis discarded his atheism and became a theist—but not happily. He described himself as “a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape.”1 Jack Lewis was experiencing the love of God drawing him.
Two years later, Lewis converted to Christianity. He had been meeting people he admired, only to discover (to his horror) that they were Christians. He had been reading his favorite authors, whom he liked except for their Christianity. But through their influence, his understanding of God grew. He was led to recognize that if God is God, he must be obeyed—not for the sake of reward but simply because he is God. Lewis wrote, “If you ask why we should obey God, in the last resort the answer is, [because God says,] ‘I am.’“ Lewis insisted that he was no more seeking God than a mouse seeks a cat. But God was seeking him. And he responded, he submitted, and the rest (as they say) is history.
We must always remember that the impulse to think about God comes from him, and that the desire to discover truth and beauty and reality is born from him. Jesus said, “People can’t come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me” (John 6:44). The Lord said through Isaiah, “People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, ‘I am here!’“ (Isa. 65:1).
Through the people Jack Lewis met, the books he read, the beauty he saw on his long country walks, and the longing in his own heart for which he found no satisfaction, Lewis eventually heard the Lord say, “I am here.” For years he wasn’t looking and listening. But once he did, his life became a vehicle through which the Lord began to speak.
Every converted life is supposed to be a pulpit from which the Lord proclaims, clearly, to people who may not be listening, “I am here!”
C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy.
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TO READ: Isaiah 63:7-14
February 6
The Suffering God
... View MoreTO READ: Isaiah 63:7-14
February 6
The Suffering God
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.Isaiah 63:9
In the old days fathers were allowed to spank their children without being charged with child abuse. As those fathers prepared to administer whatever punishment they deemed necessary, they would tell the offending child, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you!” No child ever believed it. But years later these children became parents, and they began to understand the pain a father feels.
Throughout her troubled history, Israel had frequently felt the Lord’s displeasure and had been subjected to his discipline. It was Israel’s fault entirely. God’s “unfailing love,” His “great goodness,” and His “mercy” were abundantly evident (Isa. 63:7)—so much so that the Lord had said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again” (63:8). But they were—and he was obliged to discipline them once again.
In their distress, God’s people complained. They questioned him, wanting to know where he was during their affliction (63:11-13). They recounted the ways that he had saved and led, provided and cared for them, and they wondered where their great Savior had gone (63:18-19). It apparently did not occur to them to ask, “What have we done to cause such a sad situation?” They preferred to ask, “Where has he gone? What is he doing?”
The answer to that question was that he was not distant, although he had withdrawn from them. In case they thought he might be remote, they needed to know that “in all their suffering he also suffered” (63:9). The Lord was certainly a father who disciplined, but it hurt him more than it hurt them! Not that his children believed it—but it was true!
Discipline is not designed for the benefit of the one handing it out. It is not a God-given means of venting frustration. When properly administered, it is supposed to bring about the disciplined person’s reformation. The heart of the one doing the disciplining should be set on the well-being of those being disciplined. Without it, they would continue in their mistaken ways. A father’s love requires that they be reproved. But a father’s loving heart cannot help but feel the anguish of their suffering.
Remember: Next time you receive the Lord’s discipline, don’t complain. It hurts him more than it hurts you.
🙏✝️👑
TO READ: Psalm 65
February 5
Joy—or Fun?
... View MoreTO READ: Psalm 65
February 5
Joy—or Fun?
What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What joys await us inside your holy Temple.Psalm 65:4
Some people say they are not interested in religion because they’re having too much fun. Should you, by chance, catch them in a somber moment, they may admit there is value to a faith life, but they don’t want it to interfere with their fun life. They may even concede that, toward the end of their days, they will probably take religion a little more seriously. After they’ve had their fun!
It isn’t that they are against a life of faith, it’s just that they see it as a hindrance to having fun. They do not necessarily deny the existence of God; in fact, they may even call on him when they’re in a fix. It’s his reputation as a somber old spoilsport that bothers them. They think he’s no fun!
God is certainly serious, and he warrants serious thought and deep devotion. Furthermore, the issues of life and death that God speaks to us about demand that we stop playing around and start getting our lives on track. But to imagine that these serious issues are antithetical to the deepest joy and enjoyment is to seriously misunderstand the essence of who God is and what he offers to his people.
The psalm writer, speaking realistically about his life, said, “Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near” (Ps. 65:3-4). Indeed, there is no deep joy for people who have a guilty conscience, no matter how much fun they are having! There is unspeakable joy, though, for the person who knows release from guilt and the relief of forgiveness. And while many people have the impression that church is boring, the psalmist exclaimed, “What joys await us inside your holy Temple” (65:4). Ironically, it is the people who take God seriously enough to learn the serious deficiencies of the fun life who discover the joy of the forgiven life.
The joy that God gives is infinitely more durable and enjoyable than the “fun” that is available apart from him. Those who are forgiven discover that the world is full of people just like them who rejoice in the Lord’s goodness. The psalm writer celebrated this fact: “Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy” (65:8).
When you have experienced God’s forgiveness and release from a guilty conscience, there is no shortage of people with whom to share your joy! And there is not a place on earth where you will not find reasons for rejoicing. Observe creation and you will see that created things “all shout and sing for joy” (65:13). That’s much better than just having fun!
🙏✝️👑
TO READ: Ephesians 2:11-18
February 4
External Religion
... View MoreTO READ: Ephesians 2:11-18
February 4
External Religion
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders by birth. You were called “the uncircumcised ones” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.Ephesians 2:11
Things aren’t always what they appear to be. We used to say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but we now know that, through modern technology, a picture may not be worth the film on which it was exposed. For example, when one television network broadcasting the New Year’s celebration in Times Square at the end of 1999 realized that the picture being broadcast included the massive logo of a competitor, they simply erased the logo from the screen and superimposed their own. Millions “saw” the new logo on their screens, even though it was not really there.
The ability to project what is palpably false has been developed into a fine art—and not just in the realm of advertising. It has been going on in religion for thousands of years. For instance, the classic definition of a sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” What appears is intended to convey what is actual. But historically, this has always been a problem. One example was in ancient Jewish culture.
The ancient Jewish people were rightly proud of their special place in God’s plan. He had established a covenant of love with them, initiated unique lines of communication with them, and had determined that through them all the nations of the world would be blessed (see Gen. 12:1-3; Rom. 3:1-2). They were given special promises, they received special mandates, they were granted special privileges. They were special, they knew it, and they did not hesitate to let other people know.
In some instances, their pride got the better of them. They demeaned others in order to exalt themselves. This was nowhere more apparent than in their attitude toward non-Jews, whom they called “the uncircumcised ones” (Eph. 2:11). Circumcision is hardly a topic of conversation for polite company, but they were referring to the fact that circumcision was both a sign and a seal of their special relationship with God. It was a sign that “signified” that they had “cut off” all that was displeasing to God. It was a seal that reminded them of God’s covenant promises and instilled confidence and assurance. It was an outward sign of an inward grace.
And therein lay the problem, for things were not always as they appeared—that is, the inward grace was not always present. Paul told the Ephesians that the Jews were “proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts” (2:11).
The believer is called to practice the externals of Christian faith as a symbol of the internal realities of faith in Christ. Signs signify, and symbols symbolize. Signs that signify nothing and symbols that symbolize a fiction are contradictions. Congruence is required between the symbol and the reality. The alternative is hypocrisy.
🙏✝️👑
TO READ: 1 John 2:1-6
February 2
Cheap Grace
... View MoreTO READ: 1 John 2:1-6
February 2
Cheap Grace
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely.1 John 2:1
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young Lutheran pastor in Germany before World War II, fiercely opposed the policies of the Nazis out of profound Christian conviction. Because of this, he was captured by the Gestapo, imprisoned, and eventually executed in April, 1945, shortly before the prison camp where he was held (Flossenburg) was liberated by the Allied forces. He died a martyr.
In his well-known book The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer deplored what he termed “cheap grace.” He defined “cheap grace” as “the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”1 Bonhoeffer recognized this as an abuse of the biblical doctrine of grace—that most wonderful truth that God, out of a heart of love, reaches out to lost and sinful people, favors them in ways that they do not deserve, and grants them blessings that they could never earn. Bonhoeffer’s concern about cheap grace was right on target, and he lived and died in accordance with his convictions.
The apostle John expressed similar concerns when he wrote, “I am writing this to you so that you will not sin” (1 John 2:1). John was not promoting sinless perfection—he immediately added, “But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father.” John wanted to remind believers that their sins are not forgiven in order that they may casually and contentedly continue in them. He wanted them to experience the freedom of victory over the sins that had formerly held them captive.
A reminder that Jesus “is the sacrifice for our sins” (2:2) should be sufficient to encourage believers to view sin seriously and to seek freedom from its bondage. Who can sin without remorse when he remembers that the penalty for sin is death and that Jesus assumed our penalty in that most horrendous of deaths, crucifixion?
But how do we enjoy this freedom and victory over sin? John suggests two foolproof methods. First, out of love for the Lord Jesus we embark on a lifestyle characterized by obedience. “Those who obey God’s word really do love him” (2:5). Second, we intentionally adopt the Lord Jesus as our role model. “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did” (2:6).
No one, least of all Dietrich Bonhoeffer, would suggest that doing these things is easy. Look where obedience and following Jesus took Bonhoeffer! But if we are to avoid the abuse of God’s grace, we must accept the disciplines of discipleship.
There is nothing cheap about God’s grace—it is costly, both for Christ and for us! Yet it has great worth.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.
🙏✝️👑
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