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Luke 6:32-36

Like Father, Like Son!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 10, 2025

I hate to admit it, but the older I get, the more I see my father when I look in the mirror. I’m 78; he passed away at 64, but he had a much tougher life than I’ve had. I can remember the way he yawned. I yawn like that. I remember the way he carried a handkerchief and would blow his nose with one hand because he was always busy with the other. I find myself doing that also. I hear my dad laugh when I laugh. He had a weird sense of humor. Some say I have one, too! My friend and my dad’s cousin, Mary Ellen, told me the last time I saw her, I reminded her of my dad. She lived next door to Dad as they grew up on 47th and Seward and knew him all her life. She said that she’d know just by looking at me that I was Chuck’s kid. The family resemblance was undeniable. Even though he wasn’t perfect, I still liked being told I was like my father in some ways.

As sons and daughters of our heavenly father, it’s not the physical appearance that identifies us as God’s offspring. It’s the way we live. The greatest characteristic that identifies us as children of God is that, like God, our relationships with others are characterized by mercy and grace. In Luke 6:35, Jesus tells us to “love our enemies.” You might remember that “love” in the Bible is often referring to “actions” rather than feelings. It is used that way in this passage. It’s how we treat others who have hurt us, offended us, or otherwise deserve some sort of retaliation. When we are gracious, we identify with God’s character. We do what God does. We treat others as God treats us. We are “like God” in a moral, family sense. That’s how we distinguish ourselves as God’s children. In the preceding passage of Luke, Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.”

Grace and Mercy in our relationships with others is what marks us as children of God. Even the sinners of the world give back what they get in life, but only God’s children give good when they get something bad! Mercy and grace go together. Mercy is when you do not get the judgment that you deserve, and grace takes it a step further in that instead of getting retaliation, we do something good for another. In the passage following “love your enemies,” Jesus says, “… and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36).

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Hosea 13:6-7, Isaiah 30:18

God Waits For You!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 9, 2025

Mercy, forgiveness, and Grace are common themes that often run hand in hand through the stories in the Bible. Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is one of them. The ungrateful, rebellious son takes the hard earned inheritance of his father and runs to the big city and wastes it. He ends up living in hunger and poverty alone as an alien in a foreign land. When he returns, he expects to be judged, but he gets mercy. He does not get what he deserves. Instead, he receives Grace. The father lavishes his love and wealth on his son again. The older brother still relates to his father out of “justice.” He argues how unfair it is the father throws a party for the rebellious son while the faithful one doesn’t get one. The father reminds his older son about the need to forgive and restore this wayward child to his rightful place in the family. I seem to have a positive disposition toward the older brother.  Don’t you? It’s just not fair that this rebel should be treated so well.  There is something within each of us that tends towards justice rather than mercy and grace.

I often wonder what the older brother was doing and thinking while his younger sibling was off living the good life in the big city. From his response upon his brother’s return, I think it would be fair to say that he wasn’t standing by the gate, longingly looking towards the city, praying for and waiting for the return of the prodigal, like we sense the father was. No he was more likely fretting over being left at home to do all the work. He may even have been jealous of his brother’s riotous living. Both the prodigal and his brother expected “justice,” not mercy. Jesus wants us to understand that this is the attitude God has towards sinners. But also, we understand that the attitude of the Father toward the prodigal is the attitude Jesus calls us to have for those who have harmed us, offended us, rebelled against us, or in any other way might deserve retaliation.

Isaiah 30:18 says that God “waits to be gracious to you.” But when we are alienated from God, we run and hide from Him because we believe he “waits” to be condemning of us, to bring us the judgment we deserve. We expect that attitude because we often carry that attitude as it relates to others. When the nation of Israel turned their back on God, Hosea said that this was the attitude they had. He writes in 13:6-7, “…but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard, I will lurk beside the way.” The word translated as “lurk” is the same Hebrew word in Isaiah 30:18 that is translated as “wait.” But the point is they viewed God as the God of judgment, not of mercy, love, and grace. He is waiting just to pounce on us like a lion. But like the father of the prodigal son, God is always waiting for us, not to judge, but to be gracious to us.

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Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 2:11-14, Matthew 11:28-30

Grace And Good Works

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 8, 2025

When Paul wrote to His young disciple, Titus, he told him that God’s grace trains us to live godly lives and makes us “zealous” for good works (Titus 2:11-14). Doing good things won’t make a person right with God. It is by “grace” we are all saved, as Paul instructs the Ephesians in Chapter 2:8-9. But the Grace of God that has appeared once and for all in the person of Jesus Christ is a tremendous motivation for living a life that’s pleasing to God by using our gifts to serve others. Verse 10 of Ephesians chapter 2 also connects God’s grace with living lives of service to others. Verses 8 and 9 say, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” But we should keep reading, for the next verse completes God’s purpose for his creation: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We Christians are the creative work of Christ’s marvelous grace. Knute Larson writes in one of his commentaries, “We are new creations formed and shaped by Christ’s death and resurrection. Good works, deeds born from the goodness of God’s Spirit, characterize those who belong to God. Christians should never have to be cajoled into service, nor should they follow God’s commands as a duty. We should be zealous, eager, and passionate to please the Father by extending his goodness to others.” The places of good works and God’s favor have reversed themselves in Christ. Under a dispensation of law, we are to do good deeds so we can receive God’s favor. But under grace, it would be stated that we do good deeds because we’ve already received God’s favor.

Grace motivates us to give grace to others in the form of good deeds. M.R. DeHaan understands Jesus’ call in Matthew 11:28-29 to be a call to unbelievers and believers. The first part, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” is the part for non-believers. It’s a call to rest your salvation in the hands of Jesus and trust in Him. The second part, “Take My yoke upon You,” is for believers. DeHaan adds, “Now that you are saved get busy and go to work, and you will find an additional rest and peace, over and above the “rest” of salvation.” He goes on, “Failure to distinguish to whom the Scripture is addressed results in confusion, and as a result, we have preachers urging people to work, give up things, sell all they have to give to the poor, as conditions of salvation, which is a denial of salvation by grace. Salvation for the sinner is by doing nothing but receiving the grace of God. And then good works follow.” Many preachers are putting the horse before the cart and proclaiming that salvation is earned by the good works we do. This is a perversion of the gospel. Good works are not the horse that draws the cart of salvation. The horsepower behind good works is salvation itself. Paul said, “It’s by grace you are saved through faith. It’s not of works.”

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1 Peter 4:10, Zechariah 3:10

Pay it Forward!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 7, 2025

The movie “Pay it Forward” captured the idea that when you get grace or receive some unexpected blessing from another, you should pass it on to others in some way. In the movie, Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) takes up his seventh-grade teacher’s challenge to make the world better. Trevor proposes a chain letter of good deeds. He will do good deeds for three people and then instruct each recipient to “pay it forward” by doing good deeds for three other people who are instructed to pay it forward, and so on.

Some time ago, Kathy and I took Jean, Kathy’s mother,  to Pizza Hut after church for lunch. We always see others from CBC when we go there. When we finished, I went to the counter to pay for our dinner and was told that someone had already paid my bill! This made my day! Not that I needed the money or was even worried about the expense, but that someone stepped out to do something gracious for me and my family. So, the next time I was at Pizza Hut, I did the same thing. I saw a family from the church and paid for their meal. The mom said something to the effect, “Thank you, we’ll be sure to pay it forward.” Grace should always motivate more grace. In Christ, the old familiar saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” falls apart!

Now, we can’t all buy each other’s lunches all the time, but we can always pass on the grace we receive to others in various ways. We are especially called to pass on God’s grace to us to others in the form of using our gifts to serve. In 1 Peter 4:10, believers are instructed to pass on the grace of God to others around them. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” This utopian world that is visualized in the movie is prophesied by Zechariah several thousand years ago. He’s talking about how things will be upon the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth at the “Day of the Lord.” When the Messiah sets up the kingdom everyone will be blessed with much prosperity, each having their own crops and fields and fruit trees. But even better than that, Zechariah 3:10 says, “In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” I believe Zechariah goes on to explain that this will never happen until the grace of God settles upon the whole land and moves in the hearts of His people. In Chapter 4, he writes, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

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2 Timothy 1:6

Growing my Gift!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 6, 2025

We’ve all been given particular gifts by God. We all have particular passions, abilities, personalities, and experiences that God has brought us through in order to help us become all that he desires of us. The most fulfilling aspect of the spiritual life is to find and use the gifts that God gives us to serve others. Paul writes to a young man named Timothy and says, “That is why I remind you to help God’s gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire” (2 Timothy 1:6). Like the oak tree, rather than the blade of grass or the dandelion, growing something that will be significant takes time. With reference to our gifts and abilities, they need to be developed. You’ve heard it said that there are three secrets to success in any intricate skill. The three secrets are practice, practice, and practice.

In his book entitled “Outliers: The Story of Success,” Michael Gladwell entitles his second chapter, “the “10,000 hour rule.” He argues that to get exceptionally good at anything, it will take 10,000 hours of practice. The examples the author uses span every discipline, from computers, sports, and music to acting and many others. One of the key studies performed in this area involved violinists. They had studied three groups of violinists. The first were the elite professionals that were known worldwide. The second were professionals who played in symphonies etc. The last group was talented ones who taught or played with small groups part-time or as a hobby. It was found that the level of natural talent wasn’t as disparate as one would think. The real difference was in the hours of preparation. The conclusion was (I quote) “that the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller role innate talent seems to play, and the bigger role preparation seems to play.” The point of this chapter, and the point I’m making, is that as Paul instructed Timothy, you really need to develop any talent God gives you. The development of a gift takes time and energy.

People who are passionate about something are much more likely to devote the time and energy to develop in that area. Football players, musicians, as well as accountants, and administrators don’t rise very high in their field without a passion for their subject; neither do those who attempt to serve God or even live the spiritual life of following Christ. We are called “disciples” because it truly does take discipline. I hear people often speak about ministry “fit” strictly in terms of natural ability and Spiritual gift. These are true aspects, but they do not completely define a perfect match. Passion enough to stay with the activity is the key to real success. Without passion, many lose motivation and eventually quit. Many professing Christians fall away because of a true lack of passion for the expression of the gifts that God has given them. When Paul tells the young man, Timothy,” to fan his gift “into flame,” he really means, “get passionate about it!” Paul goes on to tell the Philippians, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

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Galatians 5:13, Colossians 4:12

Grow in Serving Others

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 5, 2025

One of the most significant kinds of growing we can do is in serving Christ and serving others. The Apostle Paul mentored several young men into their roles as Christian leaders in the first century. Everyone is aware of Timothy because of the two letters that Paul wrote to him from prison that are part of the New Testament. But there were several others mentioned in the New Testament also. There was Luke, John Mark, Silas, Titus, Onesimus, Philemon and many others. There was one young man from Colossae named Epaphras. When Paul was in prison in Rome, the church at Colossae sent this man to visit Paul and to encourage him. When Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians, he spoke about Epaphras and said, “Epaphras sends greetings. He is one of you. He serves Christ Jesus. He is always praying hard for you. He prays that you will stand firm in holding to all that God has in mind for us. He prays that you will continue to grow in your knowledge of what God wants you to do.” Colossians 4:12

There are several Spiritual gifts that we are all exhorted to exercise. Some have a special gift with regard to “giving.” Paul includes that one as one of the Spiritual gifts in his list of gifts. Ones with that gift have been specially blessed by God to make money in ways that most of us never experience in life. Paul expects them to be extra-generous. But all of us are challenged to give. Some have the special gift of evangelism and seem to reach people that others cannot. Yet nearly all the writers of the New Testament charge every Christian with the duty of sharing their faith with others. Service, itself, is one of the spiritual gifts, but we’re all called to serve.

Paul intimately connects the call to serve others with the new freedom that comes to us through our faith in Jesus Christ. The book on Christian liberty, Galatians, corrects false teachings regarding the role of doing good deeds and avoiding bad deeds as they relate to our salvation. We are set free from the confines of the law and that is one of the greatest enablements in the world. It’s surprising what I can do when I don’t “have to.” It seems like my whole life was lived under a system built on “have to”, “need to”, “ought to,” and “should of” kind of thinking. Removing the necessity of doing good works for my salvation sets me free to do good works.. The question then becomes, what are you going to do with all this freedom? Here’s what Paul says in his conclusion to the Galatians: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) Furthermore, Peter reminds us, “Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully.” 1 Peter 4:10

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Ephesians 5:18

What Excites You?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 4, 2025

The word for passion in the Bible is often used to refer to the physical drives for food, sex, and water. It’s a compulsion that one will do whatever is necessary to fulfill. Paul talks about fulfilling the sex drive in the bounds of matrimony. He says, “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:9). It is often included in the list of fleshly sins. Paul also writes, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). The root of the word deals with “strong desire” but it doesn’t always have to be a bad “strong desire.” In a verse that is contrasted with the fleshly passions, Paul says to Timothy, “But as for you…flee these things (fleshly passions). Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11)

Did you know that the word from which our word “enthusiasm” comes is a combination of two words, which are “theos” (God) and “en” (in)? It means God in you! Jesus told us that He would send us the Holy Spirit who would “…be in you” (John 14:17). Even today, we say he or she has “spirit” when we see someone filled with enthusiasm and passion about what they are doing. All the enthusiasm and spirit we need are right here in us. It’s a wellspring that will never run dry. Once we grasp the depth of God’s love for us, as expressed on the cross of Calvary, our lives will never be the same. His “passion” for us took Him to the cross. It’s even called “the passion.” We are changed forever. Paul tells the Ephesians and all of us that we should “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Spiritual Gifts are special abilities that come along with the presence of the Spirit in our lives. Based on our specific abilities, experiences, and personalities, they are the things we get excited about.

I don’t get enthusiastic about everything in life! I’m not a good numbers person! I’m not a good details guy! I don’t do well in physics, science, biology, geography, or geology. My father was in construction, doing plastering, cement, stone, and artificial stone work. He was excellent at that and got passionate about it. He would take every opportunity to sign his work, like an artist. On the north side of the Longhorn Bar in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, you will see his name cut right into the stone along with “Durostone,” the name of his company. He was a good artist and I have lots of drawings he made as well. But that wasn’t for me! I couldn’t draw a straight line. I would never be happy doing that kind of work. But I really do get excited about talking about God’s Word. Once I became a Christian, that’s all I’ve wanted to do, thus off to Bible College and then Seminary to study and learn God’s Word to spend the rest of my life talking about it. Jim Collins, in his book “Good to Great,” says, “The good-to-great companies did not say, ‘Okay, folks, let’s get passionate about what we do.’ Sensibly, they went the other way entirely: ‘We should only do those things that we can get passionate about.’” I still write these morning devotions because I’m passionate about studying and talking about the bible. I can say with the Apostle Paul, “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

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Matthew 12:35, Proverbs 4:23

Speak From The Heart!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 3, 2025

The heart is a deep subject in the scriptures. It shows up over 700 times in the Bible and is used in several different ways. I’m not sure it can be easily defined. We are to love God with all of our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew and Mark). Our heart can have confidence (Psalm 27:3). God will not despise a repentant heart (Psalm 51:17). I like the way Max Lucado describes the biblical use of the word heart. He writes, “…the heart was the totality of the inner person—the control tower, the cockpit. The heart was thought of as the seat of the character—the origin of desires, affections, perceptions, thoughts, reasoning, imagination, conscience, intentions, purpose, will, and faith…To the Hebrew mind, the heart is a freeway cloverleaf where all emotions, prejudices, and wisdom converge. It is a switch house that receives freight cars loaded with moods, ideas, emotions, and convictions and puts them on the right track.” I would add a short phrase at the end of Max’s thought, “…or the wrong track.”

There is one theme that is recurring regarding the heart. It is that the heart is the seat of all our motives in life. Only the “heart” can explain why we say the things we say. Jesus told his listeners on several occasions that “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). In Luke 6:45, Jesus says the same thing. In Matthew 15:18, Jesus said that the heart, the motives behind our speech, is something that often results in sin. He said, “…but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.” Now, the wisest man in the world, Solomon, in the book of Proverbs, tells us that we must “guard our hearts, above all else” (Proverbs 4:23). He explains why it’s so important by adding that the heart “is the wellspring of life.” Why we say what we say is determined by the heart. Matthew 12 goes on to say that a “good heart brings forth good things… while an evil heart brings forth evil things.”

What we say either helps others or hurts them. The Amplified version of the Bible translates Psalm 4:4 (the Psalm Paul quotes in Ephesians 4:26) as “Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not; commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be silent…” It then gives a parenthetical explanation of this phrase. It is “…sorry for the things you say in your hearts.” I’m often sorry for the things I say with my mouth, but I’ve not spent much time repenting and being sorry for what I say in my heart. Paul gives us a clear directive regarding our speech. He writes, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” Ephesians 4:29. If the heart is on the right track, the words will also be. That was Paul’s practice, “He (Paul) traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people…” Acts 20:2

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