Today’s reading is Acts 23:1-24:27.

“And looking intently at the council, Paul said, ‘Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day’” (Acts 23:1).

How important this is. I understand this is Paul’s defense of his whole life. I also understand that our conscience can be wrong as Paul’s conscience allowed him persecute Christians at one time. But this verse reminds me of something I have learned. I have to live with a good conscience (cf. I Timothy 1:5), not simply because God requires it. Rather, I’ve learned that when I’m living in violation of my conscience, it sets up a dreadful cycle.

I violate my conscience. Even though I try to cover it up on the outside, my inside is in disparity. I may not even consciously know what is wrong, but something isn’t right on the inside. It is like a splinter is festering in my heart. There is pain, discomfort, depression, perhaps despair. Wanting to get rid of these feelings, but not wanting to face what is really going on inside, more sin becomes appealling to try to numb the pain I’m feeling. I sin. Having gone against my conscience again, the process continues in a downward spiral.

The only solution I’ve found is to face the reality of my actions. Confess my wrong to God and to another person, making amends with whomever I sinned against and then surrender my life and actions to God. God can and will purify my conscience. If I don’t have that good conscience, I’ve learned I’ll be a in a world of hurt. Today, I’m going to work on living with a good conscience before God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

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

I know I’ve preached on 2 Corinthians 2:11: “…so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Another translation says “schemes.” Satan is cunning, baffling, wily. He has tricks up his sleeves, ready to make us fall. I’ve preached on this passage and gone all over the Bible finding examples of his trickery. I’ve looked at the fall of Eve in the garden. I’ve examined the temptation of Jesus. I’ve looked at the betrayal by Judas and the denial by Peter. I’ve examined passages that talk about Satan the roaring lion. But I guess I’ve forgotten to look specifically at the context of the verse these lessons were based on. Now don’t get me wrong, I think there was some benefit in those sermons and classes I’ve taught. I don’t think they were wrong or unscriptural. I’m simply saying I missed something.

In those lessons, I usually talk about all the sins Satan tries to get us to commit. Satan will try to tempt us to immorality, idolatry, adultery, theft, hate, and on and on. However, did you notice that the specific problem Paul is addressing is the lack of forgiveness? It seems the immoral man of I Corinthians 5 had repented and the same Corinthians who had been boasting in their acceptance of the sinner were now having the opposite trouble. They weren’t accepting the penitent.

Satan certainly has many schemes to get us to go commit sin ourselves (and this verse applies to those as well). However, in its specific context, Paul is talking about Satan’s scheme to keep us from forgiving others when they sin. What division and trouble that causes for those of us who won’t forgive and for those who aren’t receiving the forgiveness.

I’m reading What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey right now. (Yes, that was an affiliate link. What can I say? 2 Corinthians 2:17 said I shouldn’t peddle God’s word. It doesn’t say anything against peddling Yancey’s word.) He tells the tremendously tragic story of Daisy, Margaret and Michael, a story that truly demonstrates Satan’s schemes of unforgiveness (pp 75-81). Daisy was born in 1898. Her dad was an alcoholic who caused all kinds of turmoil for the family. When Daisy had grown, she had promised she would never speak to her father again. When he later repented and sought forgiveness, she had none for him. Her “ungrace,” as Yancey calls it, had hardened her. She never turned to drink, but she was a driving taskmaster in her own family, perhaps in an attempt to keep her kids from being like her father. “She ruled her own family with a milder form of the tyranny she had grown up with.” Her daughter Margaret once came to her apologizing for something she had done wrong. Daisy’s response was simply, “You can’t possibly be sorry! If you were really sorry, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place.” Margaret determined to be completely unlike her mother. Yet as her children became teenagers she felt like she was losing control. Specifically with her son Michael who seemed to really get under her skin. He seemed a bit of a rebel. She threatened him. She kicked him out of the house for smoking pot. She reported him to a judge. She wrote him out of her will. Nothing got through to Michael, finally one day she said, “I never want to see you again as long as I live.” They’ve been living this out. Michael eventually came out of the rebellion, got married. But the marriage didn’t work. One day when Michael was talking to his friend, Philip Yancey, he said of his ex-wife, “I hope I never see her again as long as I live!” What a chain of sin. What a chain of unforgiveness. Over 100 years of family turmoil that might have been avoided if Daisy could have found the grace to forgive her earthly father the way our heavenly Father forgives us. Right now, there appears to be no end in sight.

Do you see Satan’s designs? His schemes? If he can keep us from forgiving each other, look at what he can accomplish through us. Look at what he can do to our families, our children, our grandchildren.

I fear this passage because I know Satan’s schemes about immorality, drugs, idolatry, covetousness, etc. But sometimes I come up with reasons why I don’t need to forgive someone. Maybe I need to study Satan’s schemes a little more deeply. I don’t want to fall prey to them.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Peter 2:1-3:18.

First, my apologies for missing last week. We were traveling and then working through the death of Marita’s Maw-maw. 

Second, I want to ask for your prayers. My family and I have decided to relocate to work with the church in Brownsburg, Indiana. The next three months are going to be a very stressful time (I haven’t been very good about keeping our house in ready-to-sell condition). I don’t know how that will impact my blogging over that time, but I’ll try to keep it up.

On to today’s reading.

God Doesn’t Want Us to Perish

I love today’s reading because it reminds me that God is patient. He doesn’t want me to perish. He doesn’t want you to perish. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 says so:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

I don’t know how many times I get asked what will happen if I get cut off in traffic, lose my cool, give someone the finger and shower them with profanity and road rage only to end up in a fatal accident without time to repent. I believe this question is looking at God all wrong. God is not looking to wipe us out. He is looking to save us. God is giving everyone time to repent. I don’t have to fear that there will ever be something that I would have repented for if given the time but God cuts the cord of my life before I have that opportunity. God is not willing for any to perish, but is patient wanting everyone to repent. What that means is you, me, everyone will have enough time to repent. If we die without saving penitence, it won’t be because God didn’t give us the time.

The great comfort for me in this passage is not simply that God is patient. The great comfort is that God wants us to be saved. God wanted us to be saved so badly that He sent Jesus to die for us. Surely, if He went that far to make sure I could be saved, He is still working to help me be saved. The question is not about what God is doing. The question is about me. Will I surrender to His work to save me or keep trying to go my own way?

God doesn’t want me to perish. How badly do I not want to perish?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 1:1-2:28.

I was struck pretty early in today’s reading. When the Jews were going out to see John the Baptist, they were being baptized and confessing their sins.

I recognize, of course, that the confession that is part of becoming God’s child is not the confession of sin, but the confession of faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10). However, this confession caught my attention. Perhaps it caught my attention because of something a friend said to me recently.

“I didn’t really grasp God’s grace, until I actually started confessing my sins.” It was when he began to list out what he was forgiven for that he began to realize exactly how much God had done for him and exactly how much God must love him.

By the way, notice they did more than simply confess that they were sinners. They confessed their sins. Let’s not argue about how necessary this is in order to be saved. Instead, let’s simply recognize how beneficial it is to see God’s love and forgiveness. I’m going to spend some time today considering what God has done for me, what God has forgiven me and be reminded of how much He loves me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 17:1-18:43.

Little children and blind beggars. They are nuisances. They get in the way. They bug and bother. Why would anyone be interested in them. In fact, no one was. The disciples were disturbed by the little children. The crowds were bothered by the blind beggar. Why can’t these people be quiet and stay away? Why do they always have to horn their way in on our time?

However, there was one who was interested. Despite the disciples attempts to keep the children away, Jesus said, “let the children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Luke 18:16). Despite the crowds attempts to quiet the blind beggar, Jesus stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41). Jesus did it.

Sadly, I often have little time for the children and blind beggars of the world. I’m too important. I’ve got too much important stuff to do. Don’t bother me with the trifling needs of the people around me. But Jesus is not like that. And I’m thankful. Because in reality in relation to Jesus, I am just a blind child begging for mercy and recovery.

Others may get in the way. They may try to convince me (some knowingly, some unknowingly) that I’m an embarrassment, that I’m not worthy, that I need to get my life together and then come back. But Jesus stops them and says, “Let him come to Me.” Thank you for that, Jesus. I love you.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 7:1-8:56.

At first glance, there is something wrong in Luke 8:40-56. I mean sure, it is great that Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood and it is great that He raised the little girl from the dead. However, he touched an unclean woman with a flow of blood and a dead girl. There were laws about that. That made Him unclean. See Numbers 19:11-16. See also Leviticus 15:25-27.

I guess we can say that being unclean is not the same thing as sinning and so it doesn’t matter if He was made unclean. However, if we take that route, I think we actually miss the great point.

If you or I touched the woman or the girl, we would be made unclean. However, Jesus was so clean that when He touched them, their uncleanness didn’t rub off on Him. Rather, His cleanness rubbed off on them. They did not defile Him; He purified them. The woman became so clean her discharge stopped. The girl became so clean, she was made alive again.

What does this mean for me? When I draw close to Jesus, His cleanness will rub off on me. His touch cleanses me.

What am I going to do today? I’m going to figure out how I can get close to Jesus and touch Him.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 9:1-10:48.

The story of Cornelius really hits me. Here was a good man, as far as we might count goodness. He was devout. He feared God. He taught his household to fear God. He gave to the poor. He prayed all the time. But something was still wrong. Cornelius was lost. He still needed a Savior.

Certainly, I realize that God worked it out that Cornelius would hear the message so he would be saved. But he wasn’t saved until he heard the message and responded to it. All his goodness did not save him.

I like to think I’m a pretty good guy. I mean, I know I’ve done some pretty awful things over the years. However, over all, I’m a good guy. The thing is my goodness cannot save me. Further, if I try to simply be a better guy, getting rid of the bad things I have done and increasing the good that I already do, that won’t help. If I go to heaven, it will not be because I’m good enough. It will be because God is good enough.

I have to quit resting on my good works. I have to quit thinking the way into heaven is by working harder at good works. I need to realize the only way into heaven is through Jesus Christ the Savior. The only way into heaven is to turn my life over to Him. 

That is what Cornelius had to do. That is what I have to do.

***Question: What does it mean to you to turn your life over to Jesus?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Luke 7:1-8:56.

In Luke 7:36-50, the woman was so sinful, Simon refused to touch her. In fact, she was so sinful, Simon believed Jesus must be a sinner simply because Jesus would let her touch Him. The fact is there will always be people who look down on us. We will always deal with people who believe they’ve got it all together and they feel they must condescend to the rest of us because we are just not so good. We sin.

Here is what I can remember. No matter who else rejects me. No matter who else disdains me, no matter who else looks down their nose at me, Jesus will touch me. Jesus will let me come to Him. He will hold me. He will heal me. He will love me.

Today, I rest in that thought.

***Question: What about Jesus provides you comfort in your daily walk?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Matthew 19:1-20:34.

Okay, actually, this was last Friday’s reading. However, the weekend was pretty hectic for me. But right now I’m sitting in a hotel room by myself and have plenty of time to catch up. So, I figured I would read Friday’s and today’s. You get a double post today. Enjoy.

Matthew 19:25-26 struck me today and how much did I need it?

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The disciples were astounded that the rich would have a hard time entering the kingdom. We need to keep in mind their background. As a nation subservient to Rome, they knew how someone entered the Roman kingdom. They were either born into it or they bought their way into it. For them, the obvious people entering God’s kingdom would be those who could buy their way in. But now they just heard the rich would have a hard time getting in. If the rich can’t get in, how could they possibly get in?

However, the part that astonishes me is that Jesus didn’t reply, “Oh, you guys don’t get it. You don’t enter the kingdom by money. You enter by righteousness.” He didn’t say, “You enter by humility.” He didn’t say, “You enter by your personal holiness.” Rather, His response was, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 

Did you catch that? He didn’t say, “Here you go guys, here is what you must do to enter the kingdom.” Rather He said, “Well, I mean, guys don’t you realize it is impossible for you to enter the kingdom. You don’t have what it takes. You can’t buy your way in. You can’t work your way in. You can’t sacrifice your way in. If you keep thinking of this as what great things you must do to enter the kingdom, you are going to be out of luck. The only way to get in is if God brings you in. It is impossible for you to save you. However, God can save you. God can bring you in.”

Let’s not miss how groundbreaking and earth shattering this is. We have a tendency to think we can enter the kingdom because of our greatness. If we try a bit harder, work a bit more, push ever farther, then when we die, we’ll warrant heaven. It just doesn’t work like that. We have to get this into our heads and our hearts, if we are relying on our strength, our work, our money, our effort, heaven is an impossibility. Heaven is only possible by the grace of God. If I go to heaven, it will not be because I am good enough. It will be because God is good enough.

Don’t misunderstand this. I’m not saying we sit on our thumbs and just hope we are one of the lucky chosen that God miraculously saves. Absolutely not. What I’m talking about is a mindset shift. Instead of working to enter the kingdom. Instead of thinking if we try just a little bit harder we’ll be good enough. We need to admit how powerless we are. We need to admit how impossible salvation is for us. Then, based on that, we need to surrender our lives over to God. We need to realize God can save us so we’ll just do whatever He says. We don’t obey God to try to be good enough to be saved. We obey God because God way works. His way is the way of salvation. 

I recognize that on a visible level this means our lives may not look exceedingly different. Those who are trying to earn their way into heaven read their Bibles a lot, pray every day, “go to church,” talk to other folks about Jesus, avoid sins, etc. The problem for them is as they are relying on themselves to be good enough, they constantly are reminded of how short they fall. They just can’t make it. They can’t ever be that good. However, those who are surrendering to God will also read their Bibles a lot, pray every day, “go to church,” talk to other folks about Jesus, avoid sins, etc. However, their mindset is different. They aren’t doing these things to be good enough. Therefore, they don’t have a constant reminder that they fall short. They are doing these things because they know on their own they will fall short so they are just giving their lives over to God, following His way, knowing that as they progress in their surrender God will measure up through them.

Okay, I know I’ve rambled on long enough. I hope I’ve explained the two mindsets well. However, if you get nothing else out of this post, go back to Jesus’ statement. Salvation is impossible for us. Only God can save us, we can’t. So, let’s quit trying to be good enough to be saved. Instead, let’s surrender our lives to God and ask Him to save us by His mercy.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Matthew 11:1-12:50.

I understand now why David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” in Psalm 51:10. Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”

Why did David pray for a clean heart and a renewed spirit? Because he understood that his sin went deeper than just a mere slip. He recognized that the sin was merely the symptom of a deeper heart problem. He didn’t simply need to apologize for the action. Rather, he needed to dig deeper and root out the canker in his heart. But more than that, he knew he couldn’t cleanse his heart on his own. He needed God to do that.

When I see the sins I have committed, I need to recognize they are actually just the symptom of the problem. The real problem is something on the inside is still amiss. I can fight all day long to quit committing the sin, but if the heart problem isn’t fixed, I’ll never overcome. I need to pray along with David for God to create in me a clean heart. I need to pray along with David for God to renew a right spirit within me. If I only attack the outside, I’m doing nothing more than trying to cover up the wound with a band-aid. I need God to perform some heart surgery. I need to submit my heart to the great physician for healing. I need to quit hanging on to parts of it for myself, but rather submit all of it to Him. If I do, He’ll heal me. He’ll cleanse me. He’ll forgive me and set me on the right path.

I must not try to excuse, justify, or minimize my sins. They are the only way I know something is wrong in the heart. If I keep looking the other way when those sins slip out, I’ll never see the problem and my soul will be lost. I need to see those sins and slips for what they are and let them guide me to turn more of my heart over to God. He’ll fix the heart problem if I’ll just let Him.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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