Today’s reading is Romans 15:1-16:27.

“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience–by word and deed…” (Romans 15:18).

But I want to talk about me. I want to talk about I. I want to talk about number one. Oh my me my.

Sorry, didn’t mean to break into song there. But that is the problem isn’t it. I so desperately want approval and acceptance that I want to talk about what I’ve done or can do. I want to talk about what I’ve accomplished. I want to make sure you know what I’m good at, what I’ve learned, what I’ve taught, what I’ve figured out, what I’ve written, what I’ve done. This is just foolishness.

Paul had a healthy head on his shoulders. This wasn’t about him. This was about Jesus. Certainly, he was proud to be part of Christ’s work, but he understood what was really going on. As he looked at those he’d taught, those he’d converted, those he’d helped, he knew who was really behind it all. It was Jesus working through him. He was just the tool. So, he would only boast in what Jesus had accomplished. “Praise God,” he was saying, “I’m just a tool.”

I hope I can permanently reside in Christ’s toolbelt. But to do that, I have to quit trying to be the one fixing everything and just let Christ live in me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 11:1-12:21.

“Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (Romans 11:18).

Wow! That hit me where it hurts.

I’ve caught myself recently trying to barter with God. “God please do such and such so I will be better able to do such and such for You.” Now, I certainly think this is a valid approach to prayer when done from the proper motivation. Clearly, the psalmists prayed for God’s deliverance from death that they might continue to praise God among the living.

However, it is too easy for me to get into barter mode while trying to get the semantics to sound like the prayer is about God instead of me. I need to remember that God is the one supporting me and not vice versa. I need Him. He doesn’t need whatever it is I’m trying to offer Him. There is no room for manipulative ploys in praying.

Today, I’m going to check my motives in my praying. Am I asking because I want to better glorify God or because I want what I want and I’m hoping to make it sound like it’s about Him? That’s the question.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 13:1-14:35.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit int he lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you” (Luke 14:8-10).

Do I actually need to even comment on this? Part of me simply wants to say, “‘Nuff said.”

We must not jockey for position. This isn’t a competition. If we treat it as such, the only outcome will be our own shame. However, when we, with love and without manipulation, put others ahead of ourselves, then we will begin to have the joy that comes with honor.

Today, I need to figure out who I can honor. Not just as a manipulation to receive greater honor for me, but because I need to practice some humility today. How about you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Matthew 23:1-24:51.

Just right out of the starting gate, today’s reading smacked me with an open can of humility.

Speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:5-11).

Certainly, we go to other passages to learn that there are roles within Christ’s body. Ephesians 4:11 says God gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. There is nothing wrong with calling someone who is a teacher a teacher or who is an evangelist an evangelist. Jesus’ point was not so much about titles as it was about attitudes. 

Sadly, those of us who are evangelists, teachers, pastors or some other role can very easily jump into arrogance. We can look forward to someone introducing us, “Oh, you just have to meet my preacher.” “This is so and so, he’s one of the shepherds in our congregation.” “This is sister such and such, she’s one of our top Bible class teachers.” 

Sure, we have roles to fill within the congregation. We all have roles. But not one role is above another. There is no role that makes us higher or more important than anyone. The highest rank in Christianity is servant. 

The question for me today is not how great of a preacher I am. Rather, it is how can I serve someone today?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

P.P.S. Just a reminder: I’m sorry about being sporadic. However, my family and I are in countdown mode. In 6 weeks, we will be moving to Brownsburg, Indiana. Right now I’m covered up with working on our house and trying to get everything in order to move. That is significantly impacting my writing and internet time. Please be patient with me and keep praying for us.

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:16.

I have to admit that 2 Corinthians 7:4 shocked me. Paul said, “I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.”

“I have great pride in you?” What? Isn’t this the congregation we all go to as the epitome of messed up churches? Isn’t this the congregation that was filled with division, had immaturity and weakness, botched the Lord’s Supper, messed up the miraculous gifts, accepted a highly immoral man? Yet, Paul is proud of them. How can that be?

Surely, this pride comes partially from their repentance with the immoral man. That is what Paul goes on to talk about in the rest of the chapter. But still. I mean they were clearly working on things but am I honestly to believe they had gone from poster church for dysfunction to example congregation between these two letters? I don’t think so. Yet, Paul was proud of them. He was expressing his pride in them.

Here’s what I learn, whether dealing with congregations or Christians, we look for improvements. This is a growth process, not a sprint to perfection. Sadly, we all too often treat Christians and churches like the dad teaching his child to swim who keeps backing up and backing up so the child can’t actually get to him. Sure, the person or church has improved here and there, but look at all that is still wrong with them. That is often how we think. We need to express our pride that they are improving just like Paul did. That, of course, will only happen when we are genuinely proud of them. That will only happen when we don’t see ourselves as their judge trying to fix them to our satisfaction.

I need to work on this.

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 Mark 9:1-10:52.

Twice this year already, I’ve had opportunity to travel with some other preachers to hear a series of lectures by multiple preachers. On the way home, I noticed how easy it was for us (the preachers who had not been asked to be in these series) to talk about the mistakes the presenters had made. (To be fair, we also talked about the great lessons we heard and learned.)

One of the fellows traveling with us on both occasions was a young man who has just started working in a training capacity with a friend. Recognizing how much we were talking about the supposed mistakes of our brethren, I turned to the young brother and said, “Don’t mind us, this is the part of the trip in which we try to make ourselves feel better about our preaching.”

Sad, but that is often the way it works. Fortunately, on one of those trips we got to hear a great lesson on envy. That helped keep us in our own skin a bit.

However, I can’t help but think of this when I read of Jesus’ disciples arguing about who is the greatest in Mark 9:33-37. I still seem to get that backwards. Too often, I want to be the greatest, the greatest preacher, the greatest teacher, the greatest pray-er, the greatest song leader, the greatest whatever. That is not what being God’s child is about. God isn’t looking for the greatest. He’s looking for servants. He’s not looking for people who can prove how amazing they are. He’s looking for people who are asking, “What can I do next for others?”

The fact is, the preachers we heard in those two series did a great job. They didn’t do everything the way I would, but then why should they? God didn’t put us here to compete with each other. He put us here to serve as best we can. That’s what I need to do today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Acts 17:1-18:28.

I’m impressed with Apollos today. He was eloquent. He was mighty in the Scriptures. He mostly knew what he was talking about. He taught most things accurately. That is all good stuff. However, what I’m most impressed with is when someone came to him and pointed out his error about baptism in Jesus’ name, he didn’t get defensive. He didn’t dig his heels in the ground. He didn’t start getting manipulative and trying to get back at the people. He apparently listened and changed.

Wow!

I need to be more like that. I need to hear what others are saying to me, even when we disagree. They might just be right. But even if they aren’t, I need to listen with the right attitude. When I find out I’m wrong, I need to change and keep on working for the Lord.

I’m going to work on this today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

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

Today’s reading is Romans 11:1-12:21.

Paul’s admonition to the Gentiles reminded me of how too many Christians behave today. In Romans 11:17-24, Paul talked about how the Gentiles were the grafted in shoots to the vine and the Jews, the natural shoots, had been cut off making room for the Gentiles. He then anticipated the potential arrogance of the Gentiles. He reminds them that if the natural branches might be cut off for not submitting to the root, then they can as well.

This made me think about how Christians can behave toward the world. We became Christians because we recognized we were sinners in need of a Savior. We laid out our brokenness before God and asked Him to mend us. So He started His work of grace in our lives. We started cleaning up. Our lives started looking better and better. Sadly, at this point, some of us look out at those who have not yet come to Jesus and instead of looking with eyes of mercy from the been there, done that perspective, we looked askance with eyes that said, “What is wrong with you? You should be more like me.” 

Forgiveness is no reason for arrogance. If our lives have been cleaned up in Christ, it is not because we are great but because God has been great through us. We need to remember from where we came. We need to remember by whose power we have come so far. Then, instead of looking at all those we think don’t deserve what we have, we need to remember how little we deserved it and look toward them with God’s love, letting our prayer and our heart’s desire be for their salvation.

Forgiveness is no reason for arrogance. It is every reason for mercy, compassion, and love.

***Question: How do you overcome arrogance in your spirituality?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Luke 19:1-20:47.

Luke 20:18 says, “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

At first, this seems to be saying there are two different ways to be annihilated–fall on Jesus or let Jesus fall on you. However, I don’t think that is the point. I think this is a contrast.

If we fall on Jesus, the corner stone, we will be broken. However, if the stone falls on us we will be broken and judged. The word translated “broken to pieces” just means broken. However, the word translated “crushed” actually is connected to a winnowing fan. It doesn’t just mean crushed. It means ground to powder and winnowed away. I’m sure you already recognize the language of judgment there as used in passages like Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17. 

The first statement is saying if we fall on Jesus, if we surrender to Him, we’ll be broken. That makes sense. After all, if we want to receive true life, we must give up our lives. Read Philippians 3:1-21 to see how broken I must be to lean on Jesus. I must recognize my complete powerlessness and how much I need Jesus. Falling on Him means being broken myself. The latter statement says if I don’t fall on Jesus and become broken, He will fall on me and I will not only be broken but scattered and judged.

The takeaway for me is that surrendering to Jesus is tough. It means sacrifice and giving up things I want to hang on to. It means breaking my power. It means humbling myself. It means being broken from my pride, strength, will. Let’s face it, that doesn’t sound like a very appealing process. I can see why some want to opt out. However, Jesus is pointing out that I’m going to end up broken one way or another. If I wait too long, then He’ll break me in judgment. I will be humiliated. I will lose my pride. I will lose my will. I will see how powerless I am. But then I’ll be judged. 

So, if I’m going to be broken anyway, why not be saved while I’m at it? Why not fall on Jesus instead of waiting for Him to fall on me in judgment?

***Question: Why do you think so many reject Jesus?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC