Today’s reading is Ephesians 1:1-2:22.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

What a thought! I am not my workmanship. I am God’s workmanship. Obviously, I’m making choices in my daily life. This doesn’t mean I’m nothing more than a puppet with God literally pulling the strings. But it does mean I’m not alone. It means I don’t have to direct the way for me to be all that God wants me to be, all that I want me to be.

God has created me in Christ Jesus to walk in His good works. But is His workmanship merely a moment in time switcheroo? Does Paul simply mean when I was baptized into Christ, God did some work but now He is sitting back hoping the switch took? I don’t think so. This verse means God is still working in me. He is providing me with progressive victory over sin and progressive victory in righteousness.

This doesn’t mean I sit on my backside and wait for God to pull the strings. But it does mean I can take comfort today that God is working in me. I am His workmanship and He is the Master Craftsman. He may not always work on my timetable, but He is working.

I think today, I’ll just surrender to God’s way. I’m pretty sure it works. And I’m pretty sure it will work on me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

PPS. For those who haven’t seen it elsewhere, here is a great video from the Skit Guys about God working on us. Even if you have seen it, you may want to watch it again. Enjoy.

God’s Chisel by the Skit Guys

Here is the link for my e-mail subscribers: http://giveattentiontoreading.com/?p=1620

Today’s reading is Romans 13:1-14:23.

“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:12-14).

I needed to read this today. Thank you, God, for the reminder. Some days are harder than others. Some days are fraught with temptation. Today is one of those days for me. I needed this reminder that my job today is not to make provision for the lusts of my flesh. Today, I need to put on Jesus Christ. I need to wear Him like clothing, like armor of light. I need to surrender the works of darkness that are tempting me to Him. I need to throw them away from me and just let Him guide me into the next right thing.

As Galatians 2:20 says, I need to let Jesus live in me today. I need to work on increasing my faith in Him today. I need to understand that pursuing orgies, drunkenness, immorality, sensuality, quarreling, jealousy, et al, will not draw me closer to God, but drive a wedge between us. These will not make me the man I want to be but will lead me further down a path of guilt, shame, and slavery.

Today, I’m going to wear Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 27:1-28:31.

“But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for th eland, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land” (Acts 27:43-44).

That is phenomenal. 276 people in a shipwreck and every single one survived. Boy they sure were lucky to have all that flotsam and jetsam to help them get to land. I can’t help but remember Acts 27:24. “God has granted you all those who sail with you.” God did this. What intrigues me is trying to actually find God in the saving. What did He do exactly? I don’t know. Did he give those who could swim extra strength? Did He do it miraculously or had He prepared them for this moment all their lives so they would have the right amount of strength? Did he provide the flotsam at just the right place?

I just don’t know the answer to these questions. All I know is God was working. God did the saving. I may not be able to see God working in my life today. But I can take comfort that He is. Since that is the case, I think I can keep working too (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 12:1-13:14.

2 Corinthians 12:10 caught my attention: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities don’t really catch my attention. I’ve heard all of that before. We should count it all joy when those things happen for the name of Christ. What gets me is being content with weakness. What? Surely we’re not supposed to be content with our weaknesses. Rather, we should be doing everything in our power to overcome our weaknesses, getting stronger and stronger and stronger. But Paul said he would be content with weaknesses.

What is up with that?

Additionally, that was the only part of the list he commented on. “When I am weak, then I am strong.” What kind of backward logic is that?

Sadly, I think it is very common today for folks, even Christians, to try to highlight how strong we are. Even Christians try to teach people that what Jesus wants us to do is stand on our own two feet, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, and get with it. Buck up, get stronger or get lost. But Paul said, “I’m content with my weaknesses.” Why?

When I pull myself up by the bootstraps, to whom do I owe allegiance? Me. When I get stronger, in whom am I putting faith? Me. When I stand on my own two feet, who is supporting me? Me. As long as I am discontent with my weaknesses and keep trying to fix them on my own, I’m going to always turn to me, even when I’m covering it in the cloak of religion. It is only when I am radically honest about my weakness will I ever actually turn to the source of true strength. Only when I am content that I am powerless and weak will I ever turn my life over to Jesus and actually have some true strength radiating through my body.

Jesus is not asking us to buck up and do better for Him. He’s asking us to realize we are too weak to do better for Him, so we’ll just turn our lives over to Him, living the life we now live by faith in Him instead of by our attempts to be strong instead of weak.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Luke 5:1-6:49.

In Luke 5:33-39, the Pharisees and scribes questioned why Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast like the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees. Jesus essentially responded, “Would you try to make wedding guests fast? That would be silly. Would you put a new piece of cloth on an old garment? Would you put new wine in old wineskins? Do those used to old wine want the new?”

There may be some deep meanings in these verses about old and new covenants. I’ve heard those sermons all my life, but I have trouble finding that in these responses. I think Jesus is making one point. Our religion is to be real, not ritual. The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). What was the reason for their fasting? Was it mourning their own sinfulness? Was it begging God for mercy? Apparently not. It seems they fasted because they had decided they would really be spiritual if they fasted that often. So, rain or shine, joy or sad, they would fast. It was their checklist item to make them feel righteous. It was also their checklist item to make them appear righteous to others (see Jesus’ rebuke of them in Matthew 6:16-18). 

Is fasting a real part of life and submission to God? Sure it is. Jesus expected His followers to fast (again see His comments in Matthew 6:16-18). But fasting is about mourning, confession, struggle, and entreating God for some blessing. The thing with Jesus’ disciples was they were in the midst of the greatest blessing of their lives. The Messiah was with them, teaching them, helping them, blessing them. They were in the midst of joy, not mourning. They were growing with Jesus. They were being blessed. If they fasted then, it wouldn’t be out of a real response to God and His blessing in their lives. It would have been nothing more than a checklist ritual to mark off their to-do list.

How many of my spiritual activities are nothing more than checklist items. How many times do I do things because I need to mark them off my list instead of having a real response to God. James said, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise” (James 5:13). This is about real responses, not marking off the checklists of acts of worship. 

Why do I pray? Do I pray because I need to connect to God? Or do I pray simply because, I’m a Christian that’s what I’m supposed to do? Why do I sing? Do I sing because I’m cheerful in Christ? Or do I sing because I’m “at church” at that’s one of those “acts of worship”? Why do I read the Bible? Do I read it because I know it has the words of life and I want to connect with the God of life? Or do I read it simply because I run a blog that says I’m supposed to read two chapters every day?

Serving God is about being real. It is not about going through motions. It is about seeing God in my life and responding based on that. Sometimes it means mourning. Sometimes it means rejoicing. Sometimes it means praying. Sometimes it means singing. If I’m only going through motions, it isn’t doing me any good.

I’m glad for today’s reminder to get real with God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Romans 1:1-2:29.

The very last verse in today’s reading really hit me. 

“But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

WOW!

This is a tough principle to follow because when men praise me, it is right now. It is evident. It is seen by all. When men complain, the same is true. However, God’s evident praise will only come in the judgment. 

This can be a problem on several levels.

First, we might pursue something sinful because our worldly peers are pressuring us. “What? You too good to get drunk with us?” As we gulp the swill, they pat us on the back and cheer us on. It feels good for a moment. In that moment, that is all that matters. This level, however is just obvious. Most of us know we shouldn’t be involved in this level of peer pressure. 

Second, we might pursue erroneous teaching because our religious peers are pressuring us. Let’s face it. Jesus said only a few would follow His narrow path. But there are all kinds of religious people out there. Everyone is constantly pushing for more and more ecumenicalism. Many are constantly trying to broaden the narrow path to include more and more. Those who stand firm on a truth that someone, anyone, is lost are verbally bludgeoned for being hard-nosed, narrow-minded, legalistic, and Pharisaic. Those who role out the red carpet for more and more people as if we get to decide who goes to heaven are lauded and applauded. How easy it is to accept the praises of men and follow error than wait for the praises of God.

Third, we might do the right things but for all the wrong reasons. Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6:1-18. He talked about folks who gave charity to those in need, prayed fervently, and fasted often. These were right things to do. However, these men were not doing them to connect with God. They were not doing them to humble themselves before God. They were not doing them that God might be glorified. They were doing them so that they might receive honor and accolades. They looked good to their religious friends. They appeared righteous beyond the normal man. But inside they were filled with dead men’s bones. How easy it is to work on a checklist of good works so we look good before men instead of working on a real relationship with God.

Fourth, we might get tied to our traditions because we fear our brethren will not approve. Sadly, many Christians will repudiate a good work simply because the mouthpieces of their fellowship might come down too hard on them. I know there have been plenty of times in which I feared to say exactly what I discovered in my Bible study because I was afraid of being castigated by even well-meaning brethren. It’s grand to be a poster boy for a particular group of people. But stick one toe away from the party line, even with good biblical precedence and suddenly the folks who had been patting you on the back start punching you in the nose. How easy it is to want to maintain the praises of men by sticking with their party line.

Fifth, we might maintain a holy facade and therefore never do what is necessary to overcome the sin that has taken over our lives. Perhaps this is the most insidious. Sadly, many Christians want to do right. They want to serve and glorify God. They want to overcome sin. However, they meet with their churches and all they perceive is a bunch of families and Christians that don’t ever seem to do anything wrong. These Christians are hurting on the inside but on the outside they look good. They are afraid to bring down that facade and let people see the spiritual infection on the inside. They are afraid that their “perfect” brethren will kick them out. They are afraid they will be looked down upon. Sadly, because of this, they receive the praises of men, but they never do what is necessary to overcome sin. They don’t receive the praises of God.

I have to work in all five areas. How about you?

***Question: How do you overcome the desire to receive the praises of men so you can receive the praises of God?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

We all know the parable of the Sower (Mark 4:3-9). He spread his seed everywhere and it fell on different kinds of soil. Granted, the point of this parable is from the perspective of the sower. We need to sow everywhere if we want any of it to fall on good ground. However, this passage helps me see the plans Satan has for us.

Plan A: Satan wants you to STAY OUT

The packed down path with its accompanying birds represents the heart the gospel does not penetrate. Satan doesn’t mind so much that we hear the word, as long as we don’t listen to it and allow it to sink in. I can’t help but think about Ezekiel 33:30-32:

As for you son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say but they will not do it (ESV).

Satan will do what he can to keep you from accepting God’s word so you will stay out of covenant relationship with God and avoid the eternal salvation God is offering.

Plan B: Satan wants you to DROP OUT

To Satan’s chagrin, he can’t seem to steal the Word out of everyone’s heart before they believe it, accept it and act on it. He does not, however, accept defeat easily. He has a back-up plan. He capitalizes on the rocks in our heart. That is, he makes use of anything that will keep the soil of our heart from being well-suited to grow the plant. He lulls us into a sense of safety, letting us believe we do not have to work very much to be safe in the arms of Jesus. He lets us believe we have had our moment of salvation and now everything is good. 

Because of that, we do not grow in Christ. The roots of our faith do not dig deep and gain purchase that can withstand the attacks that will inevitably come. Because our faith is shallow, the moment Satan brings an attack, like the blistering heat of the sun, we are scorched and wither away. We drop out. We head back to our old ways. I can’t help but think of the Israelites, freed from Egyptian bondage. The first sign of trouble and they cried out

Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’” (Exodus 14:11-12, ESV).

Their faith in God was shallow. Even after God’s ten plagues, they simply did not believe God would really deliver them. They were ready to turn back to Egypt.

Plan C: Satan wants you to FIZZLE OUT

Once again, to Satan’s chagrin, his repeated attacks don’t always work. Some folks believe and hang in there even in the midst of real trials and full frontal assault. Satan, however, is not done yet. He has one more plan up his sleeve. If he can’t keep us out and can’t make us drop out quickly, he will make us fizzle out. To be honest, I think this is his main plan in our time. Instead of directly attacking, he allows that sense of safety to continue to grow. Then he allows little things to creep in like weeds and thorns to choke us out. He brings in the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. He lets us get so worried about paying for our kids college or planning for our retirement. He lets us get so focused on our own personal pursuits that we forget to focus on God’s will.

This makes me think of the restored Israelites following the Babylonian captivity. They immediately returned to Jerusalem and got to work. They rebuilt the altar and restored the sacrifices. They reinitiated the feasts of the Lord. They laid the foundation of the temple. But then they got sidetracked. God explained what was going on in Haggai 1:2, 4, 9:

Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord…Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?…You looked for much, and behold, it came to little, And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declared the Lord of host. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house (ESV).

Satan is actually happy for us to think we are still in the safe arms of Jesus so long as we aren’t bearing any fruit. If he can get us more focused on earthly things but still think we are being spiritual, then he has accomplished his greatest coup.

God has plans for you too!

The final soil represents what God wants for you. In this final illustration, God explains that He wants you to COME IN, STAY IN, GROW UP and BEAR FRUIT. Whether you bear as much as someone else, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you find salvation in Jesus and let Him build you up and grow you into the fruit bearing child of God He planned for you to be.

As II Peter 1:5-11 says:

for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (ESV).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC