Acts 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Acts 3:1-4:37.

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, and no one said that any of the thing that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32).

I’m not alone. I have a fellowship on which I can rely. What are my needs? I can turn to my brethren and lay them out. God will provide through them. Is my need material? We can help each other. Is my need spiritual? We can rely on each other. Is my need emotional? We can rejoice and weep with each other.

Only when I share my neediness and rely on the fellowship of God’s people are my needs met. I need to quit waiting around for someone to read my mind and heart. Instead, I need to partake in the fellowship of God’s family. I need to reach out and let someone know what is going on. Then I find the help that I need.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can give 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.

Today’s reading is John 1:1-2:25.

“And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out teh coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade’” (John 2:15-16).

Jesus was talking about the temple under the Old Covenant. Yet, I can’t help but remember that the church is the Father’s house now (I Timothy 3:15). What a great blessing to know that Christ’s church is not about business. When I gather with Christ’s church it is not about impressing folks so they will be my customers. I don’t have to put on a mask so they will buy my products. I can be me.

When I look at my brethren who are gathering in the household of God, they are not my customer-base. They are not folks from which I can take and take. Instead, I am their servant. This is the Lord’s house, not His business. This is about relationships, not bottom lines. When I let my involvement in Christ’s church be a business transaction, I lose the great benefit of the fellowship with other saved sinners who are overcoming the tempter.

Today, I need to remember who I’m looking at in Christ’s church. I’m looking at brothers and sisters; I’m not looking at customers and business partners. I’m looking at other children of my Father. I need to keep this relationship about Him.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 John 1-13; 3 John 1-15.

Though these two letters seem to be addressed to two entirely different recipients, they go hand in hand. Perhaps “elect lady” is a metaphor for a congregation and Gaius was a member of that same congregation. I don’t know. 

However, I was struck by the advice in 2 John not to receive those who deny Jesus, those who are antichrist. Of course, this had reference to the Gnostic heretics that were causing so much trouble and who had gone out from among the brethren according to 1 John 2:19. John said if someone received them and gave them a greeting, they were partakers of their wicked work.

On the other hand, in 3 John, he talked about Gaius receiving faithful brethren. In 3 John 1:8, John said when we receive, lift up, and support these kind of men we are partaking in their good work. 

Why do I need to support those who spread the truth of God’s love and will? Because by supporting them, I have fellowship in their good work. I am working while they are. What a great way to amplify the work I’m doing. I can do my work and as I support and receive others, I’m participating in their work even though I’m not there.

***Question: How do you support those who work for truth?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is John 19:1-20:31.

Doubting Thomas. What a bum. Why couldn’t he just accept the testimony of the other apostles. They said they had seen Jesus, but he wouldn’t believe unless he saw the hands and feet. We’ve held that over poor Thomas’s head for centuries. We completely forget Courageous Thomas who encouraged the disciples to go with Jesus to Jerusalem even if it meant they all died (John 11:16). We don’t remember him for his greatest moment. We remember him for his weakest moment.

Of course, it would have been different if he had not stood out as so unique. If the others had doubted like him, maybe we wouldn’t remember him that way. Ooops. There’s the problem. We have a tendency to talk about Thomas as if he was so alone in his doubts. But didn’t the apostles hear testimony from Mary? Didn’t some of them go to the tomb and find it empty? Yet, they didn’t believe. 

(Yes, yes, I know John 20:8 says John believed. However, based on vs. 9, I don’t think the text means he believed Jesus was raised from the dead. The next verse says he didn’t understand the scripture. I think it just means he believed the tomb was empty. If he believed in a resurrected Messiah, why is he holed up with the other apostles “for fear of the Jews” [John 20:19]?)

When did they believe? John 20:20, “When had had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” When were they glad? Not when Mary reported it. Not when they saw the empty tomb. They were glad when they saw Jesus’ hands and side for themselves.

Did you see that? Thomas actually wasn’t alone. Every single one of the apostles believed when they got to see Jesus’ hands and side for themselves and did not believe before that.

Why am I going into all this? Because I often treat myself like I have treated Thomas. I know my own doubts, fears, struggles, temptations, failures. I have a tendency to think I’m alone in that. I attend the church’s assemblies and see smiling faces and hear polite conversation. I think that no one here faces the battles I do every day. No one here knows what I’m going through. No one can help me. I’m alone. I’m so very alone. But I’m not. We’re all dealing with this stuff. Perhaps what we need to do is take the masks off. Be up front like Thomas and share what we are facing. Only then can we help each other.

***Question: What do you do to get help from brethren spiritually?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Ephesians 3:1-4:32.

I think it is ironic that I’m reading this today. On Saturday, I am scheduled to preach at the First Street congregation in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Their series is about unity and comes from Ephesians 4:4-6. My topic is “The One Body.” If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, drop down to Lawrenceburg on Saturday at 6 PM and let’s get to know one another.

However, because of my prep for that lesson, the issues of unity really stood out to me while reading today. While Paul speaks of some broad aspects of the universal church, he applies those principles to the practical unity of the local church. Instead of looking at all the religious division “out there,” we should each look at how we are living within the local congregation. In Ephesians 4, Paul provides the keys to maintaining unity within the local congregation. If we will all follow these keys, then the local congregation will be internally united in Christ.

Key #1: The unity must be based in Christ and His word–Ephesians 4:15.

No matter what else we do, if the unity is not based on growing up into Christ, who is our head, then our unity is pointless. We may all be united, but if we are all united in going the wrong direction, it won’t help us. Colossians 3:16, part of a parallel passage, points out that we must let Christ’s word richly dwell within us. That is the basis and foundation for positive unity. Therefore, individually, we must make sure the Word of Christ is our standard. This way, as Ephesians 4:14 says, we will not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

Key #2: We must each work and provide what we can–Ephesians 4:16.

Sadly, for many, unity merely means getting along. For Paul, unity meant working together, growing together, progressing together. Unity does us no good if we are not going somewhere with it. This only happens when we are working, when each member is providing what he or she can. We can’t all do the same things. We don’t all have the same skill levels. However, we can all do something. To have positive, progressing unity, we must all be using our strengths to further the growth of the congregation.

Key #3: We must walk with humility–Ephesians 4:2.

I love one of the definitions Strong’s gives this term for humility. “A deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness.” Sadly, too many Christians are like the Pharisee in the Luke 18 story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. With that mindset, we are just pushing division. We push others away with our arrogance and pride. Many Christians don’t even realize how puffed up they are. They simply think they are being spiritual while others aren’t quite making it. We need to recognize our own moral littleness. As Paul, who called himself “the very least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8), we should view ourselves this way. In that way, we won’t separate ourselves from our brothers and sisters thinking we are better.

Key #4: We must walk in gentleness–Ephesians 4:2.

This meekness or gentleness is not weakness. It is not submitting to others because we have no ability to do otherwise. Rather, this is strength under control. This term was used of a tamed horse, who clearly had the power to throw off its rider and then trample him into the ground. However, the horse did not. The horse submitted to the direction of the rider. In the same way, instead of throwing off our brethren and trampling them in the ground, we submit to their needs. We humble ourselves before them and gently submit. As Philippians 2:3-4 advises, we must view others and their desires as more important. This is especially important when we need to correct others. We should do so with gentleness (Galatians 6:1) lest we too be tempted and fall. We do not correct them to put them in their place, to show our superiority, or to vent our wrath. We do so to help them because they are more important than we are. I know–this is tough for us.

Key #5: Walk with patience–Ephesians 4:2.

The term for patience here specifically means having great restraint when it comes to responding to being wronged. Wow! That’s tough. But, if we want to have congregational unity, we have to learn to deal properly with the wrongs others do. No, this doesn’t mean sweeping them under the rug. However, it does mean not blowing up and taking vengeance. If someone wrongs us, we go back to the last principle and approach them with gentleness. Our goal should not be to see them grovel. Our goal should be to help them grow. This is easier if we have the humility mentioned above, remembering the times we have wronged others and wished they were patient with us.

Key #6: Walk with forbearance–Ephesians 4:2.

We must learn to bear with one another. As I Corinthians 13:7, when we love others, we will bear and endure anything. This means to hold up, to strengthen and stand firm. As Galatians 6:2 says, we should bear one another’s burdens. We hold each other up. Sadly, too often we keep asking the question, “When should I leave the congregation?” Perhaps this is the wrong question. Paul seems to suggest our question should really be, “How can I stay and help lift up those who are struggling?” Who knows how much unity we might maintain if we worked from this standpoint thus leaving division only for the extreme cases when others simply won’t submit to God.

Key #7: Walk in love–Ephesians 4:2.

This encompasses all the other keys and then stretches them. This is the “agape” love we’ve heard about in so many sermons. We know what it means. It means unconditional love. In other words, we don’t walk in any of these things as long as someone else does. We strive to walk in them regardless. No matter how we have been treated, no matter what has been done to us or what can be done for us, no matter how others are walking, we walk in these principles.

Key #8: Walk in peace–Ephesians 4:3.

We must be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Peace must bind us together. While we can certainly talk about the Christians as peacemakers (cf. Matthew 5:9), in the context of Ephesians, this is not simply talking about peace in general with others. This is specifically talking about the relationship between the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus (Ephesians 2:11-22). Jesus Christ is the peace between Jews and Gentiles. Through Jesus, each group had peace with God and therefore should have peace with one another. They should work together and love one another. They should follow all these principles with each other. The Jew/Gentile division is not as big a plague for us today. But what about the other divisions we have, namely race. It is a sad tragedy that churches often continue to be divided along racial barriers, black churches and white churches. We should be ashamed. I am ashamed. Rick Warrens purpose driven marketing to a set group within our culture aside, each congregation should be for all. We should not market to one group but learn how to meld the cultures together. Paul would have thought the idea of having two congregations in town, one marketing to Jews and one to Gentiles was anathema. How can we take up that banner cry as if it is going to be beneficial for the congregation. Oh, I have no doubt we might get more numbers. But we won’t have the unity God wants us to have. Walking in peace means learning how to work together with people from a different culture and background.

No doubt, divisions will come (I Corinthians 11:18-19). Clearly there will be people who will leave us because they are not of us (I John 2:19). No doubt, there will be times when we must discipline the impenitent, removing the leaven from among the congregation (I Corinthians 5:1-13). However, these ought to be the exceptions, not the rule. Further, we should live by the principle of Romans 12:18. As much as it depends on us, be at peace with all. Let us make sure we are living by these principles. When the divisions come, let them be in spite of us and not because. Let them be laid at the feet of others.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 13:1-14:23.

Although I’m not sure I fully understand exactly how to apply Romans 14 in all situations, I do understand its context. I understand when Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17), he is explaining that we should not stake our souls on what we eat. Rather, we should be willing to give up certain foods if it makes our brother stumble. 

However, I can’t help but see an overarching principle here that is increasingly being missed by today’s up and coming churches. Whether it is home churches or emergent churches or whatever kind of churches, I see some of them (the more vocal, though not all in any category) that seem to be missing this principle. This happens with their handling of the Lord’s Supper. It starts with the innocent position that many Christians take claiming the Lord’s Supper is the center of what we do as Christians. In Acts 20:7, the church at Troas assembled on the first day of the week in order to partake in the Supper. We have taken that and claimed it is the reason we get together every Sunday. I say, yes and no. Certainly, if we will be like our New Testament counterparts, when we gather on the first day of the week, we’ll partake and on the first day of the week, we’ll gather to partake. However, that doesn’t mean the central purpose of the church’s assembling is to take the Lord’s Supper. The church assembles to edify and build up its members. The church assembles to praise, honor, and glorify God together. One of the things we do in our assemblies is the Lord’s Supper. It is extremely important. Yet, we assemble to sing, pray, teach and be taught. These are not secondary to the Supper. They are just as important because they are all part of Christian assembling.

The next step some take is claiming the Lord’s Supper is more than the memorial meal Jesus established after partaking in the Passover. Now we are told it is an actual meal to satisfy our hunger (that is said despite Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 11:22, 34 that if we are hungry we should eat at home). It is a fellowship meal. Or they co-opt the unexplained verse about love feasts, add in some historical information from post New Testament churches and call it the Agape. We hear stories about how these early Christians gathered for what was the most important part of their Christianity–they gathered to eat together. Then in the middle of that, they remembered the death of Jesus.

I guess I just keep coming back to Romans 14:17. Again, I know this verse is not written about the Lord’s Supper, “fellowship meals” or love feasts. Yet, Romans 14:17 is not merely about the Romans 14 context. Rather, Paul brings in a general principle and discusses how it applies to his Romans 14 discussion. I can’t get past his general principle. If the kingdom is not eating and drinking, how can the most important aspect of my Christianity be eating and drinking? If the kingdom is not eating and drinking, how can the most important part of serving God be having some kind of “fellowship meal” with my brethren? Further, if that is the most important part of Christianity, as some seem to be suggesting, why isn’t there more about it in the New Testament?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for Christians eating together (cf. Acts 2:46). However, I just can’t help but think this idea stems more from our modern ideas of get togethers and the necessary nature of food to them than it does from the Bible. For instance, I can hardly see this concept coming out of churches in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. I’m not surprised it is coming out of American churches. But in either case, Romans 14:17 says it isn’t coming out of the Bible.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?