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Ephesians 2:19-22, Various

All In The Family

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 7, 2024

The Bible makes our belonging clear. We belong to God. He made us! We belong to Jesus; he redeemed us and bought us back! We belong to the Family of God, the Church, and we also belong to each other. That truth must affect the way we live together. That’s why Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “tell each other the truth because we all belong to each other in the same body.” You belong to me. I need you! I belong to you. You need me! There are a lot of reasons why I need you, and you need me. I need you to work with me. The wisest man in the world wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two people are better than one. They get a lot more done when they work together.” The verse says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Also, I need you to watch out for me as I watch out for you. Paul tells the Philippians, “Let each of you not only look out for your own interests, but for the interests of others as well.

 I remember that during the night of the first Passover, each family was to take one lamb into their house, and then they were to share it at a meal together, one lamb per family. When John the Baptist appeared on the scene at the opening of a brand new era, he pointed at Jesus and explained that Jesus was the one lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The Passover sacrificial lamb was all pointing directly toward the one “lamb of God.” There’s a great communal truth found in the Passover lamb. Out of Egypt, that is, out of the world, God called a people for His very own. They were to become a new family, a new nation, a new kingdom of priests. They were no longer slaves but set free! They now “belonged” to each other in a very special way as they shared the “one lamb” for the entire family. I’d argue that Christians belong to each other more than they belong to their nation. They belong to each other more than they belong to a sports team. They belong to each other more than they belong to their race. They belong to each other more than they belong to the human race as a whole. There is a kingdom within a kingdom, so to speak. We are a new people in an old world. We are a new family called out of a kingdom in slavery to sin. We are a new “construction” in which each part is totally dependent on the other parts. You see, there is only one lamb for the whole family, the Lord Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 2:19-22, we read, “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto! (Johnny Depp makes a terrible Tonto!) He really wasn’t the “Lone” Ranger at all.  Even the Lone Ranger of my youth was really, at best, the “Almost Lone Ranger.” But even then, in every episode, he was helping out others and serving the cause of justice. I’m sure he knew that a campfire is a lonely place if you have no one to share it with. God made us to depend on each other and to need each other. From the very beginning, he said, “It’s not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). David Jeremiah wrote, “Loneliness is a warning light on an inner gauge that confirms we’re running short on a primary fuel we require to run efficiently.” We need each other in the same way we need food, water, air, and shelter.

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Galatians 2:10

Eager To Serve

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 6, 2024

In the strife associated with the incorporation of Gentiles into the newly formed church, a church council was held and reported in Acts 15. The result was to open wide the doors of ministry to the Gentiles. When Paul excitedly reported this truth to the believers in Galatia, he said that his ministry to the Gentiles was endorsed by Peter, James, and other apostles in Jerusalem, but it was accompanied by a solemn request. Galatians 2:10 gives us that request: “Only, they asked us to remember the poor…”  It was an interesting request because Paul finishes this verse by saying that serving those in need was “…The very thing I was eager to do.” When I pastored a church, I was always eager to do that as well. I set up and maintained a “benevolent” fund to help alleviate needs that could arise in any family. My church also participated in the Food Pantry in our city and the rescue mission that is located in a larger city not far from us. We send teams on foreign trips as well to serve others. Indeed, we are eager to help meet other’s needs also.  Anyone can do this! Our sons went on mission trips in the summer to places around the world where relief of some kind was needed. Nothing is more rewarding than helping to take care of someone else’s needs.

A reporter, Ron Wilson, wrote this story for the San Antonio Express-News (August 5, 2006): Jackson Rogers, ten, raised enough money to put up a house for the homeless. The young entrepreneur said he took on the fund-raising project for Habitat for Humanity in February when he accepted $100 and a challenge from his pastor at First Presbyterian Church. “My pastor gave me a hundred dollars and told me to do something good to help someone,” said Jackson, one of several congregants who accepted their pastor’s challenge. They were told to use the money for good and then report on what they did. At first, Jackson’s father was hesitant about letting his son take up such a daunting task, but Jackson was determined. “I was discouraging him from volunteering because I didn’t know what the pastor intended. But he pulled away from me and ran down there,” the father said. Jackson knew he wanted to help a homeless family. But he wasn’t sure how to do that, so he asked his dad. What they came up with was a letter-writing campaign asking for donations to raise $50,000 to build a house through Habitat for Humanity.

Jackson then wrote a letter in his own handwriting on notebook paper. “I used the hundred dollars to buy stamps and paper,” he said. He then sent out letters to friends and family. One woman was so touched by his letter that she passed it on to several of her friends and colleagues. Soon, people from Tennessee, Virginia, and Idaho were sending in checks. The 170 people who responded contributed a total of $43,000. When the congregation at First Presbyterian learned the little miracle worker was $7,000 short of his goal, people chipped in the rest. “A little person can do something really good. You don’t have to wait to be an adult,” said Jackson’s mother.

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1 Corinthians 12:12, Various

One Body – Many Parts

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 5, 2024

Paul used the body as an illustration to picture the need to work together with the Corinthian believers and with us as well. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, he talks about the one body composed of various parts. He writes, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ.” Actually, the first 30 verses of Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians could be neatly outlined using the “one body” idea. Verses 12–14: one body, each part doing what it should, when it should, communicating with the head. Verses 15–19: one body and diversity—desiring one another’s gifts.  Verses 20–24: one body and discrimination—disparaging one another’s gifts. Verses 25–27: one body and development—depending on one another’s gifts. Verses 28–31: one body and discretion—desiring the greater gifts. This was a pretty important subject that Paul addressed to the believers in Corinth because they were not working together very well.

Sir Michael Costa was conducting a rehearsal in which a great chorus joined the orchestra. About halfway through the session, with trumpets blaring, drums rolling, and violins singing their rich melody, the piccolo player muttered to himself, “What good am I doing? I might just as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway.” So he kept the instrument to his mouth, but he made no sound. Within moments, the conductor cried, “Stop! Stop! Where’s the piccolo?” It was missed by the ear of the most important person of all. The other instrument players may be so wrapped up in their own performances as not to miss a piccolo player, but the great conductor, the one who’s leading us, the one to whom we all must give an account, always hears our solos.

The whole point of Paul’s body illustration is to drive home the truth of how much we need one another to be as effective as God wants us to be. Dizzy Dean, the famous baseball pitcher, once was hit by a line drive directly on his toe. Not too big a deal. But he didn’t give it adequate time to heal and instead kept pitching. Because of the pain he felt whenever he put any weight on that toe, he changed his delivery. This put additional stress on his pitching arm and forced him into retirement. A “little thing” like a stubbed toe ended up having major and unforeseen consequences. Kistemaker wrote, “A stubbed toe impairs one’s ability to walk and thus affects the entire body. Filling one’s stomach with delicious food satisfies all the parts of the body, but the pain of a stomach ulcer has the opposite effect. Similarly, when a member of the congregation mourns the death of a loved one, the entire congregation grieves with the mourner. When one member receives recognition for either an accomplishment or an anniversary, the rest of the members surround the recipient with joyful adulation. The Christian community mourns with those who hurt and rejoices with those who celebrate.”[1]

[1] Kistemaker, Simon J., and William Hendriksen. 1953–2001. Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Vol. 18. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

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Acts 2:44-45, Various

Dependence and Interdependence

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 4, 2024

On July 4th, we celebrate our “Independence” from the tyranny of an oppressive nation. Our founding fathers signed a “Declaration of Independence” but at the same time signed a declaration of “dependence on God” as well as a declaration of “interdependence” on their fellow Americans. These two aspects are often overlooked. There are those who still argue that America is not a nation founded on faith in God. But that’s not true. Our Declaration of Independence goes on to declare that they have “A firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” They are claiming to have faith in God. Then it goes on to say by way of interdependence, “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” They needed God, and they needed each other.

We Americans are in this together. In Acts 2:44-45, we read, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” This is not a verse supporting communism; it is a verse talking about meeting each other’s needs in the community.  The Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education (EDCE) says, “…there was an assumption by the apostles that believers would minister to one another as they grew in their knowledge of Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:5; 10:24; James 5:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:9). The type of interdependent life together that the early church practiced was proclaimed by Jesus Christ (John 13:34–35) and modeled by him… Many, if not all, of the profound lessons the disciples learned from Christ unfolded out of their intimate relationships with one another (see John 13:14).”

We need to learn to lean on each other in our times of need. We need to learn to set aside our pride and receive from others. We need to learn to set aside our own personal interests and accept responsibility for one another as well. When God asked Cain where his brother, Abel, was, Cain said that he didn’t know and then asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God’s response to Cain tells us that His expected answer to that question is just the opposite of what Cain expected. He thought he’d escape responsibility, but it’s clear that the answer to that question should be, “Yes, Cain, you are responsible for your brother’s care.”  The EDCE goes on to give some suggestions on how to foster interdependence: “First, for true interdependence to exist and flourish, there must be a putting aside of individualism that focuses on self and the advancement of personal interests. Second, man-made barriers of nationality, race, class, education, and gender must be overcome. One mark of …moving toward Spirit-empowered interdependence is the way members of different backgrounds experience a sense of belonging and freedom to relate to each other. Third, interdependence can be nurtured by practicing corporate experiences…as group members participate with one another in disciplines such as prayer for one another, singing, sharing burdens, and even eating together, a sense of unity and oneness will be generated.”

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Revelation 4:1, Various

An Open Door

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 3, 2024

In the Rock and Roll era in which I grew up, there were many songs that referenced “Heaven’s Door.” According to Bob Dylan and Donovan, as well as Guns & Roses, “We knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door.” Alicia Keys is going to “March up each step until she reaches heaven’s door.” The infamous Jimmy Hendricks (or was it Led Zeppelin?) made the phrase “Stairway to Heaven” common language in the 60s. I’m sure there were, and still are, many other pop culture references to Heaven’s Door. But all of them have their origin in John’s vision. I would expect that the Apostle John understood the world in much the same way as others in his day. He sees the earth as being covered by a “firmament,” a large canopy that stretches over the earth.  He may draw his views from Isaiah. The Prophet explains, “It is he (God) who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in.” (Isaiah 40:22). This firmament keeps us from seeing beyond it into the heavenly realms. We have no idea what’s happening beyond it in the spiritual or heavenly realm. But in John’s vision recorded in the Book of Revelation, John sees a break in the firmament. He calls it a door. He writes in chapter 4, verse 1, “After this, I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!” He sees what the normal physical eye cannot see.

Even though we’ve visited the moon and sent spacecraft into some rather distant reaches of outer space, the realities of heaven and the validity of John’s vision are in no way compromised. We still believe, at least I still believe, that heaven is a literal place but not necessarily a physical location that can be reached by a rocket ship or any kind of time travel from our physical, earthly position. I don’t think we can understand it fully, but when Jesus promised to return to take us to be with him, in John 14, he was referring to a specific place. It could be a physical place, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a place for sure because Jesus is there. Often, during His life on earth, he would look up to heaven and speak of it as a place. From my point of view, heaven is a place. How could it have a door if it wasn’t a place?

In his commentary on Revelation, M. S. Mills concludes his comments on this verse, Revelation 4:1, by writing, “What an inexpressible privilege it is to have Heaven’s door opened for us, to have the opportunity to view this ethereal scene! God has allowed us a preview of our eternal destiny, for in His love and through the gracious work of Christ, we need not fear the magnificent, awesome personage seated on that glorious throne. This fantastic privilege is solely based on the atoning work of Jesus Christ; otherwise, our sins would keep us eternally exiled from this: the Source of all holiness, the Source of all being, the Source of all life, and the Source of all power. The privilege we enjoy through Christ is the assurance that we will eternally be part of this scene and eternally have access to this supremely wonderful God! As believers, this is our happy, eternal lot.” John saw the door open. It is to all who believe in Jesus.

 

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Hebrews 6:19-20. Various

An Anchor For The Soul

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 2, 2024

It’s not uncommon to speak of life as a sea or an ocean. It’s used as such in the Bible on occasion and after having sailed the seas on three different Navy vessels, I’d say that the sea itself is the symbol of uncertainty. It changes daily with the wind and the waves. One day, it’s peaceful and calm; the next, it’s a cauldron of confusion and disarray. The unpredictable seas can be calm, restless, and tempestuous on the same day – just as the waters of life. Vessels upon the seas are at the mercy of every wind that blows and wave that swells. The Navy has made provision for such possibilities by equipping each ship with an appropriate anchor. According to one dictionary definition, an anchor is “a heavy object on a ship cast overboard to hold the vessel in a particular place.”

God knows full well the storms that we will encounter in life and He too has equipped us with an appropriate anchor.  Our spiritual anchor for our souls is the believer’s hope of heaven in the midst of the storms, trials, and struggles of this life. The writer of Hebrews talks to us about our hope of heaven. He refers to it as a “steadfast anchor of the soul.” (See Hebrews 6:19-20). He says, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…” Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for us and promised to return to assist us in our travel from this world to paradise. He promises to return for us and “take us” to be with Him. He told the thief on the cross that the place was called “paradise.”  He promises us that we too will be where He is. He will take us there! Our eternal destiny is not something we hang on to, but it’s something that he hangs on to for us. No storm or struggle or person can rip us free from His loving grasp.

Just as the ship’s anchor sinks into the invisible depths of the sea and finds footing, so too does our hope reach into the invisible reaches of the spiritual world and find a sure and steadfast hold for the stability and safety of our souls. Our hope attaches itself to the certainty of the invisible world to which the promises of God link us with an unbreakable chain. Our small vessels, upon a sea of turmoil and confusion, can find solid ground to hold it firm. In “The Loins Girded,” J. J. Knap puts it this way, “In this way we are safe,—eternity holds on to us. We have nothing to fear,—the unchangeable God shall not let us go. Our salvation is certain,—the Savior keeps us: our hope is anchored in a ground that is both sure and steady and it shall never fail us.” The hope of heaven is our sure anchor for our souls as we sail the stormy seas.

 

 

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1 Chronicles 1:1, Various

Our First Parents

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
July 1, 2024

Beginning with the Genesis account of creation, the Bible assures us that we’re all descendants of two people: Adam and Eve. Everyone born on the earth descended from those two people. The book of 1 Chronicles picks up that idea and follows the genealogy from Adam. The Chronicler, whom I believe was Jeremiah, begins his account with Adam.  The first four verses of this book say, “Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” The Chronicler doesn’t question the biblical teaching about the heritage of all human life on earth.

For the Chronicler, it’s all about the connection of his present with the past, all the way back to Adam. Modern evolutionists will argue that DNA studies demonstrate that man descended from about 10,000 original family types. This reasoning begins with a presupposition and proceeds to prove that supposition. As one website records, “The claim that human genetic diversity could not have arisen from only two original people is actually not new at all. This assertion comes from mathematical simulations done in the 1990s. These simulations assume that evolution happened in order to prove evolution happened. The reasoning is entirely circular and therefore invalid.”[1] According to this writer, “Christians should also be confidently able to share the Gospel of salvation by beginning with the truth that the Bible is not anti-science. Some people may doubt God’s Word and ask, “Did we all come from Adam and Eve?” We must remain firm on the authority of God’s Word, as His Word is truth. Furthermore, the wonders of modern genetics, far from unhitching humanity from Adam, is actually completely consistent with God’s eyewitness Genesis account of His special creation of two humans—Adam and Eve, the parents of every human being ever born.”

The importance of this truth for modern Christians is undeniable. The New Testament assumes the genealogy of every person reaches back to Adam and Eve is true also. As Adam brought about the fall of man through sin, the second Adam brought about the salvation of all mankind. Our need for salvation goes back to Adam and Eve. The origin of sin and suffering and death and our need for a Savior is rooted in the truth of human origins as described in Genesis. Therefore, it is vital that Christians avoid the compromising positions presented by evolutionists and theistic evolutionists who attempt to make our first parents into a simple allegory or, at worse, a myth that is just the product of good storytelling.

[1] Did We All Come from Adam and Eve? | Answers in Genesis

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Malachi 3:7-10

The Tithe

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 30, 2024

Believing in God and trusting God is not necessarily the same thing. Many believe in God, but trusting God is much harder, especially when it comes to money. In Malachi 3:7–10, God instructs us to “Be” obedient to Him in three areas. First of all, He calls us to be honest. Verses 7 & 8 say, “From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.” The call to return is a call of repentance. It all begins with the acknowledgment that there is sin in the camp and in our selfish lives. He just wants us to be honest about it and acknowledge our failure. The greatest thing about sin is that there is a remedy. There’s no remedy for a bad upbringing, a genetic disposition, or a societal influence. But there is hope for us if we can be honest and call it what God calls it: Sin! But like the Israelites, we argue that we don’t know what God is talking about. They said, “How shall we return?” God explains that they are robbing him! They again don’t understand how and say, “How have we robbed you?” God answers “in your tithes and contributions.”

God then calls for them (and us) to be faithful. He says in verse 10, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse…” The word means one-tenth. Many Christians argue that this standard is no longer relevant for us today, but I strongly disagree. It was obvious before the law was given when Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek in Genesis 14. it was alive when Jacob promised to return a tenth of all God blessed him with when he woke from his dream at Bethel. The New Testament calls for us to give “proportionately.” The only thing Jesus commended the religious leaders for was tithing. He even said, “Yes, you should tithe,” but don’t neglect the more important matters of love, truth, and compassion.

Finally, the call to obey God with honesty about our giving, and then faithfulness in meeting the standard, is followed by the call to give expectantly. God promises to bless this faithfulness. Verse 10 concludes, “If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Trusting God always has an impact on our check stubs.

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