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1 Thessalonians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20.

“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thessalonians 2: 8).

This is what being the salt of the earth and light of the world is all about (cf. Matthew 5:13-16). Being the salt of the earth means investing ourselves in the lives of others around us. Being the light of the world means inviting them with the gospel message. I think Paul’s success might be that his desire to share the gospel with others came from a genuine care for them. He didn’t simply see others as a check off on his personal evangelism chart. (Hmmm, let’s see, yes, I met my quota of 5 invitations this week.) He didn’t just desire to preach to someone, he wanted to give himself to them. That means even if they didn’t accept the gospel, he still cared about them. However, because the gospel was part of who he was, it entailed teaching them.

That is the key I have to learn. Make the gospel so much a part of me and care so much about people that I can’t help but bring the two together. Then I’ll be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Then I’ll invest and invite.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

PPS. By the way, this probably stuck out to me because it fits so nicely with my recent sermon: Be Salt and Light-Invest and Invite.

Romans 9-10 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Romans 9:1-10:21.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believer in him of whom the have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15).

God could save people however He wanted. If He wanted to send daily visions into the minds of all mankind and see if they wanted to submit. He could have determined in His mind who would submit and who wouldn’t and just save them. He could have decided before the world began who He would save and just elected them to salvation. But He didn’t do any of these things.

Instead, He developed a plan, sent His Son to die, then gave that message to us through certain men, and now asks us to carry that message to others. How awesome is that? He could have done it however He wanted, but He chose to use you and me to help save the world. The #1 way God is planning on saving people today is through you and me. What a privilege. What an honor.

What am I doing to be part of that plan? Is it a privilege and an honor I take for granted? How am I training myself to spread the gospel? Am I paying attention to the opportunities? Am I using the opportunities?

How will they believe if no one tells them? Who am I telling? Who are you telling?

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.

Today’s reading is John 11:1-12:50.

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me” (John 12:49-50).

Imagine that. Jesus, God in the flesh, God the Son, incarnate deity, would not speak on His own authority. That is,  unless He had authority from the Father, He did not speak. He did not go out on a limb saying, “The Father is silent about this, I will speak.” He did not cross the Father saying, “The Father has spoken against this, but I will speak for it.” He did not say, “The Father has spoken for this, but I will speak against it.” He spoke only what the Father authorized.

How much more should we?

But why?

Because what the Father has authorized is eternal life. Jesus was not trying to be legalistic here. He was simply recognizing that what the Father had taught and said was the way that worked for those who wanted eternal life. When we go out on our own authority that won’t lead to life. That way leads to death. God’s way works. Ours does not.

Today, I want to simply speak where God speaks and be silent where God is silent. I don’t want to step out on my own authority. I want to be like Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

photo by Randall's Photography

Hello friends and subscribers,

First, I want to thank you so much for being part of our trek through the Bible. I hope it is edifying you and drawing you closer to Jesus.

Second, I would love to meet you face-to-face. This week provides a great opportunity for me to meet folks who want to serve God in a place I’ve never been before. Starting tomorrow (September 12), I will be preaching a series of lessons on prayer for the Kirkwood Church of Christ in St. Louis, Missouri. If you are in the area, I would love to meet you. Further, I believe these lessons will be beneficial and edifying for you.

I will be conducting two series on prayer and I invite you to both or to any of the individual lessons you can attend.

Plugged In: High Voltage Prayer

Sept. 12, 9:30 AM:      The Power Who Hears Our Praying
Sept. 12, 10:20 AM:   Prayer: Empowering God’s Warriors
Sept. 12, 6:00 PM:      The Dynamic Duo: Prayer and Bible Study
Sept. 13, 7:30 PM:      The Plugged In Saint
Sept. 14, 7:30 PM:      The Plugged In Family
Sept. 15, 7:30 PM:      The Plugged In Congregation
Sept. 16, 7:30 PM:      Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?
Sept. 17, 7:30 PM:      The Kinds of Prayer: A Sermon in Prayer and Song

Praying Like the Psalmists

Sept. 13, 10:00 AM:    Believing in the God of the Psalmists
Sept. 14, 10:00 AM:    Seeing Ourselves as the Psalmists Did
Sept. 15, 10:00 AM:    The Goal of the Psalmists’ Praying”
Sept. 16, 10:00 AM:    Rigorously Honest and Candid
Sept. 17, 10:00 AM:    Praying Creatively

If you are able to attend, I am sure you will be warmly welcomed. You can find directions here.

Have a great week.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20.

Today, Paul said I need to be like a nursing mother. In I Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul said, “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

I am much more attuned to 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God…” I think I get the being like a father who coaches, teaches, tells and even directs. But being like a nursing mother, gentle, affectionate, sharing not only the gospel but sharing myself? That is not something I’m really up on. That sounds kind of girly.

I don’t have a tendency to want to share myself with others. I want to tell them what to do and send them on their way. But watch a mother with her nursing child. It is a slice out of the day. It is a burden. It is tiring. Yet, for love of the child a mother nurses her infant, accepting the burden, the sacrifice, the labor, giving herself to the child, not just giving direction and then shooing away.

If I will walk in the footsteps of Paul as a teacher, I will learn that my job is not merely that of the father, exhorting and directing, but also that of the mother, caring, nurturing, sacrificing, sharing.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

Lately, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 has been very pointed to me: 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

We all know this means we don’t take up arms against non-Christians or Christian with whom we disagree. Rather, we take the gospel of Jesus to them. We persuade with the grace and gospel of Jesus, not the force of weapons. Yet, today, it seems that many Christians are neglecting part of this passage. They think that there is one fleshly warfare that is part of our lives. Those who have followed some of my other writings know exactly where I’m going with this. 

It seems today that the new battlefield is no longer the spiritual realm, fighting against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12), but the political realm fighting against policy we don’t like. It is as if Christians are beginning to think the way to spread God’s gospel is to legislate it through our nation’s policies. 

Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. If it were, His citizens would stand up and fight (John 18:36). Yet some Christians seem to be intent on denying what Jesus said as if the United States of America is God’s kingdom in this world. It is not. It never has been. It never will be no matter what our laws say. 

God has not asked us to take up political arms to spread His will. He’s asked us to take His gospel to our neighbor, loving them enough to talk to them about His grace and salvation in His name through His Son. If we do that, then it won’t matter what our national policies and laws are, we’ll have helped another person surrender to God and live by His will. Who cares what the nation’s laws are if we can convince individuals to live by God’s will? On the other hand, who cares what the nation’s laws are if we don’t convince people to live by God’s will? Have we accomplished any good if we get abortion and homosexuality outlawed but our neighbors are still practicing them?

Let’s not wage the war according to the flesh today. Instead, let’s ask for opportunities to share God’s gospel with someone. 

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 4:1-5:13.

Continuing the theme started yesterday on preachers, I’m struck again by what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”

I know Paul is telling the Corinthians how they should view preachers. I can’t help but realize this is how we ought to view ourselves (especially those who are preachers). We are not to view ourselves as great orators. We are not to view ourselves as stellar performers. We are not to view ourselves as the great leaders of men. We are not to view ourselves as the indispensable cogs of the wheel. Rather, there are two keys.

1. Servant of Christ.

Certainly, we are servants of the congregation. Surely, we are under the oversight of our shepherds. No doubt, we serve our brethren. But first and foremost, we answer to Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Master. He determines what we speak. We must always remember that.

2. Steward of God’s mysteries.

“Chicken Soup for the Soul” is nice. I love to read self-help books. Maxwell, Blanchard, and Covey can easily become my trinity. There are numerous good things we can pass on from many sources. However, the one true source for us is God’s word. Others may give us perspective and teach us something about God’s word, but if we are passing on warmed-over, and sanctified pop culture instead of God’s word, if we are simply proof-texting to teach our favorite business manual, we had better step back and regroup. We are stewards of God’s mysteries, not popular management styles. As stewards, we must show ourselves trustworthy.

So then, the question for me today is what can I do to serve Christ as I work with this local congregation and what would a faithful steward do with God’s mysteries today? I need to go work on those things.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

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

“I am of Paul,” some said. “I am of Apollos,” said others. Even others said, “I am of Cephas.” They all had their favorite preacher. This is not surprising. The common custom of the day in the secular world was to get behind one philosopher or another and compete against each other. “My teacher is better than your teacher.” The Corinthians were simply bringing their secular baggage into their spiritual community.

The problem is that is not the way it works in Jesus. Christ is in all, above all, and through all. That is who we are about, not one of his particular messengers. I guess because of our upcoming move, I’m hearing about more churches looking for preachers and more preachers looking for areas to work. I certainly recognize that a church can pick out a particular person because his gifts and abilities may fit well with the church’s goals and needs. Isn’t that what Barnabas did when he went to get Saul from Tarsus (Acts 11:25)?

The problem is we as Christians can get caught up in preacher competitions. “I like this guy.” “I like that guy.” “Not me, I like this other fellow.” Then we start fussing with each other about who we should really listen to. Instead of coming together in unity around God’s message, we are fighting over God’s messengers.

But what about those of us who preach? I notice that Paul did not get upset that someone liked Apollos more than him. He didn’t get upset that someone liked Peter more than him. He didn’t get excited because some folks liked him more than the others. He was upset because folks were not focusing on Jesus. Each of these men were simply servants of Jesus. We preachers must make sure we don’t give folks cause to fixate on us. Certainly, we must do the best we can and work as hard as we can because Jesus deserves our best. But we must not strive to be better than others or gain a following. There is no room for competition among us. We are all on the same team, striving for the same goal. Let us support one another and simply do the best work we can wherever God is giving us opportunity.

I’m very thankful that most of the preachers I know are striving to do exactly that. I guess I’m noticing this today because of my present circumstance and knowing how easy it is to get proud when people like you or devastated when they say they don’t. This is not about being liked, it is about glorifying God with the opportunities He provides.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

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

Sorry about the end of last week. I had several computer and server problems Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I had scheduled the entries for my other site ahead of time, but not this one. Anyway, we’ll get back on track today. Thanks for your patience.

II Corinthians 2:4 struck me today. Paul wrote: “For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was somewhat harsh. He rebuked them for several issues, not the least of which was the impenitent sinner they needed to discipline. That sinner repented and now Paul is going to advise the Corinthians to love and comfort him.

However, before getting to that, he talks about his mindset. Every Christian has seen times when someone needed rebuking. But that puts us in a very awkward position. First, who are we to rebuke anyone when we have committed so many grievous sins ourselves? Second, and more to Paul’s point here, how can we rebuke someone and let them know we are doing so out of love? 

This was Paul’s point in the verse. He had not written as an apostle from on high who was living perfectly and bringing judgment down upon those unworthy Corinthians Christians. He had written as a fellow traveller who saw the terrible end the Corinthians were making for themselves and wanted to help. He did not write with vengeful glee, laughing as he scribbled out the words. Rather, he wrote with tears, affliction, and anguish. He wasn’t trying to hurt the Corinthians; he was trying to help.

There are certainly times when we need to rebuke others. When we do, we need to check our motives. For what purpose am I rebuking this person. Is it to show myself as righteous? Is it to put them in their place? Is it to pronounce judgment? Or is to humbly help them surrender to the Lord? In order to check this motive, I need to check how I feel about their sin. Am I silently glad because it reminds me I’m better than them? Am I silently arrogant because at least I have done what they did (at least not for a while)? Am I internally happy for this opportunity to show my own spirituality? Or am I afflicted and in anguish because of where their sin is leading them? Am I humble because I remember my own sins and what they’ve done to me?

I once heard the story of a preacher who for years had preached sermons directly intended for the husband of one faithful sister. The husband attended regularly and regularly received a spiritual diet of sermons designed to get him to repent and serve the Lord. But nothing phased him. Nothing changed him. Then one Sunday a guest speaker presented a lesson and the husband came forward in tears wanting to submit to the Lord in baptism. The local preacher was amazed. He couldn’t believe it. He asked the man why he hadn’t budged for so many years despite hearing so many lessons, but on that day he finally did. The man responded, “Preacher, I don’t want to hurt your feelings. But, I’ll tell you. For years you have told me in your sermons that I was going to hell. You always sounded like you were happy about that. That made me feel like God was happy about it too. Today, this fellow told me I was going to hell and it sounded like it broke his heart. He let me believe that if I went to hell it would break God’s heart too. That broke my heart.”

I have to ask myself, when someone needs rebuking how do I sound when I talk to them?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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