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Philemon (ESV) by Wordle*

1 Timothy 1 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Philemon 1:1-25; 1 Timothy 1:1-20.

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service…” (1 Timothy 1:12).

I am truly humbled by Paul’s statement here. Paul understood that whatever strength he had wasn’t his own. Therefore, he thanked Jesus for the strength he had.

I rarely thank God for my strength. Rather, I want to come to God and show my strength to Him as if it is something with which He should be impressed. “Hey, God, look at me and my strength. Have you seen everything I’ve done for You. Pretty good, huh?” That wasn’t Paul. No doubt, Paul recognized his own involvement in the work he had done. But he was no fool. Whatever he had accomplished had been by the strength given to Him from Jesus Christ. Without Jesus he could accomplish nothing. Thus, Paul’s strength was not his gift to Jesus. Rather, it was Jesus’ gift to him.

I don’t want to think this way. I want to think that somehow I can be strong and show Jesus how strong I can be. However, when I pursue that course, I always fail. How could I possibly think I can impress Jesus with my strength?

Today, I need to recognize I don’t have any gifts to give Jesus. I need the gifts He has to give me. I just need to turn to Him for that and be thankful.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link in order to add your input: Post a comment.

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Today’s illustrations are provided by the wordle tool at Wordle.net. You can find my wordles here.

Hebrews 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Hebrews 7:1-8:13.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be my people” (Hebrews 8:8-10).

I think I’ve misunderstood the Hebrew writer’s use of this prophecy from Jeremiah 31:31-33. God says He is going to give a new covenant because they didn’t keep the old one. At one level, that doesn’t make any sense to me. Is He saying, “Well, you flubbed that one, let Me see if I can give you something you can keep.” Is the New Covenant a dumbing down? Is it just an easier law to keep? I don’t think so.

Rather, I think this hearkens back to Hebrews 7:11, 18-19. “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise…” And also, “For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)…”

The issue is not, “Well, you people were disobedient to My first Law so let Me try an easier one.” The point was that the Law didn’t work in making us perfect. In fact, law doesn’t make anyone perfect. It can’t. Does that mean the Law failed? I don’t think so. God didn’t establish law to justify us, but to show us we aren’t perfect. The Law did its job well. It shut everyone up under sin. It did what it was intended to do. So, God’s new covenant is not simply just another law that He thinks we might be able to keep this time (though there is certainly law as part of this covenant). The new covenant is different. It is not just different in that some of the laws are different. It is different in that the way we draw near to God is different. Instead of drawing near to God via our attempts at keeping a law, we draw near to God through the One who did keep God’s law. We draw near to God through our faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:19, 25).

Here is the great part. As we draw near to God through Jesus Christ, God will work in our lives, writing His law in our hearts and minds. God will be working in us to accomplish His will. Isn’t that what Paul had said in Philippians 2:12-13? As long as we are trying to keep God’s law by our own strength, we will fail to attain perfection. When we give up on that and instead strive to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, then God will work righteousness in us. Again, that is what Paul said in Romans 9:30-10:4.

Today, I need to quit trying to prove how well I can keep God’s law (attempts to establish my own righteousness). Instead, I need to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, having faith in Him and what He has said (submitting to God’s righteousness).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 1:1-2:23.

“…and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab…And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” (Matthew 1:3-6).

Wow! Look at Jesus’ family. They are messed up. Tamar pretended to be a harlot to be impregnated by her disobedient father-in-law. Salmon married a harlot. David committed adultery, murder, and wife-mulitplying, then had a child by the woman of the man he murdered. This is where Jesus came from? Really?

Maybe something good can come from my family too.

I am comforted today. If God could make a silk purse out of the sow’s ear of Jesus’ family, then God can do great things through me and my family as well. I don’t have to despair because we aren’t good enough or like someone else’s family. The great issue is not how great my family is but how great my God is. That’s where I’m going to rest today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Thessalonians 1 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

How easy it is to get bogged down with fear that we aren’t going to make it. We mess up so much and we have been so blistered by the concept that one mistake can blast us to hell. Some of us just want to throw our hands up in the air and give up.

But Paul encourages us. We are not alone. God will sanctify us. He is setting us apart. He is growing us. He is working in us. He will keep us blameless. He is faithful. We can trust Him to do it.

We just need to hang on to Him. Don’t give up today. Hang on to God today. He is working on you. He will do it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your in put by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

1 Thessalonians 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:18.

“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

Paul tells me to encourage you with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Do I really need to add any of my own words to the encouragement?

What a great day. I’m looking forward to it. Aren’t you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

II Corinthians 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:18.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

WOW! How awesome. The Old Law was great. It was glorious. So glorious in fact, that Moses had to wear a veil before the people after God had revealed Himself and given the Law. But we are part of something even more glorious. Here is why it is more glorious.

1. Only Moses was part of the glory under the Old Law. “We all” are beholding the glory of the Lord now.

2. The glory of the Old Law was fading away. In fact, Paul claims the reason Moses wore a veil was not to mute the reflection of God’s glory but to hide the fact that it was diminishing. We are part of a permanent glory. The glory of the Spirit’s ministry is about righteousness and will not fade.

3. We are not just taking part in something that is glorious, we are being glorified. The ministry of the Law couldn’t change us; it could only condemn us. But this ministry of the Spirit is actually transforming us step by step until we get to that final glory to be revealed to us in eternity (cf. Romans 8:18).

I’m totally stoked today to know that the Holy Spirit is working to take me from glory to glory. I think today, I’ll stick with God and just do what He says so I can be part of that glory.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Click Here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

I Corinthians 14-15 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58.

“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42-44).

The congregation with which I work has been focusing on confident living in Jesus Christ. We want folks in Christ to be confident about their salvation. We are convinced that confidence in God’s love is much more likely to produce love in us that constant doubts and worries (cf. I John 4:19). We are convinced that confidence in God’s working is much more likely to produce working out our salvation than doubts about God’s presence (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).

Paul reminds me that confident living is one thing. Confident dying is another. But where is my confidence if I’m not also confident at death. We have nothing to fear regarding death. Look at these pathetic, pitiful, perishable, dishonorable, weak, natural bodies. These are going to get put in the ground. We get to shed these bodies like a molting lizard. For those of us in Christ, we have hope beyond hope (earnest expectation, not wishful thinking) of our resurrection. This pathetic body is going in the ground but we will come out of that ground again with new bodies, with spiritual, powerful, glorious, imperishable bodies.

When the time of death draws near, why would I desperately cling to this frail flesh. Let’s die confidently, as we have lived, looking forward to the glories that will be revealed to us (cf. Romans 8:18).

Today, while I’m not hastening y death, I won’t fear it either. I’m going to live confidently so I can die confidently in Jesus Christ.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking the following link: Click here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

1 Corinthians 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:23.

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (I Corinthians 3:5-7).

It must be providence. We seem to get back to this chapter at just the time I need it most. How easily we preachers can compete. If someone has a different style, we want to prove that ours is better and they are making all kinds of mistakes. Maybe I shouldn’t say “we,” but should just say “I.”

But this isn’t just about preachers. And in my preaching is not the only place I do this. What about on the job? What about in parenting? What about in school? How often are we caught up in competitions to prove we are better. If anyone does anything differently, has a different personality, has a different approach or viewpoint, we immediately try to figure out why they are wrong and their way is bad. (Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to say everything in the world is okay.) It is like we are caught up in this competition and the only way we will feel good about ourselves is if we can convince everyone else in the world that we are the best.

Paul had a different foundation. He wasn’t trying to be the best. He wasn’t in competition with Apollos. If Apollos had some success that Paul didn’t, Paul wasn’t deflated. If Apollos had some failure that Paul didn’t, Paul wasn’t elated. Paul understood that the real power in all of this was God. God has the right to use each of us as He sees fit. Praise God if He provides a victory through someone else. Praise God if He provides one through me. Praise God that He shows us our weaknesses so we can grow. Praise God for the opportunities, resources and abilities He has given to each one. We need to look past the various blessings God has given to each one of us as if they are an indication of how great we are and instead simply look to the blessing giver as the great one. We need to be thankful that He has blessed us and let us be part of His plan.

Today, I’m going to quit worrying about competing and proving I’m the best at whatever. Instead, I want to look to God and glorify Him because He is the best.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

PPS. Check out this video by One Time Blind. It took me watching it a few times to actually finally get the point. But I think it is spot on. Enjoy!

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.