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Remind The People

A few days ago, our Bible Journal community began reading the book of Titus together. This is a short book, so we are actually finishing it up today! Paul begins the last part of his letter with the words, “Remind them” (Titus 3:1). In the NIV version, it reads, “Remind the people.” He then lists several things that he wants Titus to be sure to tell the people in the churches he is overseeing: “…to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people (Titus 3:1).

All of these admonishments are as relevant today as they were when Paul first penned these words. Each relates to living in community with others – and living in community is hard work! Paul understood that it was necessary to encourage people to pursue behaviors that lead to a healthy community and society.

There is one section of this verse that Paul returns to twice more before he ends this letter. In verse 1, Paul writes, “…be ready for every good work…” (Titus 3:1). Later, in verse 8, he writes, “…so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to good work.” (Titus 3:8). Finally, in verse 14, Paul states, “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works.” (Titus 3:14) Clearly, doing what is good is important to Paul.

In our lives today, what does this look like, to “devote ourselves to good work”? It can be any number of things. Good work can be working at the job God has called us to to the best of our ability and with integrity. It can be something practical, like blessing a friend with a meal. It can be anything, really, that reveals Christ to someone else.

And what is the benefit to our doing good work? Is it for our own salvation? No. Paul states this clearly: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us rightly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7, emphasis mine). That verse is a long one, but the part I want us to focus on today is this: devoting ourselves to good works does not save us. Only Christ in his mercy does this. However, doing good works might draw others to us, giving us the opportunity to share the “the reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Today, let’s consider how we can do something for the benefit of someone else, and let’s always be ready to share the reason for our hope: Jesus.

Fight the Good Fight

Today, we begin reading the first chapter of 1 Timothy together. Paul wrote this letter to his young friend, Timothy, who Paul calls his son in the faith. This letter was written just prior to Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome, which explains the urgency that permeates it. Paul had a message to impart to Timothy and to the world, and he was eager to do so, quickly.
I was curious about what Paul would choose to lead off with in this letter, knowing the urgency behind it. I learned that He begins with truth and love. We see in verse 3 that Paul is still concerned about people teaching false doctrines in places like Ephesus: “…remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine…” (1 Timothy 1:3). Furthermore, Paul states that “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). We are to speak truth, and we are to love well.
Next, Paul shares his testimony. As we have seen throughout the New Testament, Paul never hesitates to do this! He knows full well how he was changed after his encounter with Christ and he wants to world to know Him for this reason. Paul says, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1: 15). Paul’s statement is bold, strong and simple. And in the next sentence, we again glimpse Paul’s deep humility. He explains that, “…I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, calls himself the foremost, the worst of sinners. I believe he does this to give us hope. Our family is currently praying for six people who we love to come to know Christ; some of these we have been praying for for years. Many years. And in this passage, Paul’s words encourage me to not despair, and to keep hoping and praying for the salvation of those I love.
At the end of this chapter, Paul reminds Timothy that the road he will travel will not be an easy one. Instead, it will be fraught with frustration and even danger. Paul exhorts Timothy to, “…fight the good fight, holding on to faith…” (1 Timothy 1:19, NIV). The imagery Paul uses would have been relatable to Timothy and his contemporaries; they were all too familiar with the concept of fighting, from the gladiator fights held in the arenas of Rome to war with neighboring countries. Likewise, we too can relate. So let us push forward, persevere, and fight for our faith. And then let us join Paul in praising our Lord: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)

Colossians 2

Last night, I was cleaning out some old books and journals, and I came across a prayer journal that I had purchased but never really used. I had thought it would “work” for me – I even filled out a few pages – but it just didn’t. Nonetheless, I saved it, thinking that of course I would use it “someday”. Well, someday came and went, and I haven’t used it. But as I flipped through the pages last evening, I noticed a section I had missed before. For each month, the author had put together a list of daily prayer points. And for one month, the list was based on the book of Colossians. The list is titled “Seeing the Lord: Personal Prayers From Colossians”.* Several of the prayers are based on Colossians 2, our text for today.

I read through those prayers quietly, and I remembered all over again why Colossians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I love how the Lord led me to hose prayers last night, as He knew that I would be writing this devotion today. The prayer that resonated with me the most on this list is based on Colossians 2:7. The prayer reads, “Cause me to be firmly established in You, with a heart of gratitude.” This seems to be a central verse in this chapter. Paul begins by stating that he desperately desires that the followers of Christ would be strengthened in their faith. He says “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you…” (Colossians 2:1). Paul continues, explaining why he wants their faith to be strong. He knows that when our faith is strong, our “hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love” with the “full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.” (Colossians 2:2-3) With the strengthening of faith comes encouragement, love, understanding and knowledge. What an amazing gift!

Paul also knows that our strengthened faith enables us to stand firm when we are faced with the temptations of the world. Clearly, worldly temptations existed when Paul lived, just as they do today, and Paul knew how difficult it can be to discern truth from falsehood. Paul says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition…and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) When our faith is rooted firmly in Christ, we can discern God’s voice from among the other voices clamoring for our attention. When we are strong in our faith, we can stand strong in our world. We will stand firm for what Christ stands for.

My prayer for us this week is this: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

May we be both rooted and thankful today.

* “Personal Prayers From Colossians” by Terry Gooding

Introduction to Ephesians

Tomorrow, our Bible-reading community will begin reading the book of Ephesians together. I’d like to offer an introduction to this book today, a brief overview that will provide some historical and cultural context before we start.

Like many of the books in the New Testament, the book of Ephesians was written by Paul. Paul wrote this book in approximately A.D. 60 while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Stop and think about that last fact for a minute. Paul did not let his circumstances – his imprisonment – hinder him from sharing the gospel. Let that be an encouragement to us today!

Paul wrote many of his letters to individual churches, and this one is no exception. His intended audience for this book was the church at Ephesus. God knew, though, that the themes and topics in this book would eventually be spread from Ephesus throughout the world, so in that sense we are also the intended recipients of Paul’s words.

Ephesians is a short book consisting of only six chapters, but each is packed full of wisdom and encouragement. Although several of Paul’s letters were written to warn individual churches against specific behaviors, the letter to the Ephesians is different. This letter is a nurturing one. The church at Ephesus was a young church at this time, and Paul writes to its congregation to encourage it to continue to grow and flourish. He also reminds them of what the Church should look like, and he challenges them to live as Christ-followers in a fallen world. This encouragement and these reminders are just as relevant to us today as they were to the Ephesians in the early days of Christianity.

My favorite verse in the entire New Testament is Ephesians 3: 20-21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” This is the verse I will be praying for our Bible Journal community as we read this book together this week!

Refreshed

“Make room for us in your hearts” (2 Corinthians 7:2). Paul writes this toward the beginning of Chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians, and I just love it. First, a bit of context. It would never have occurred to me that some may not have welcomed Paul upon his arrival in Macedonia, where the Corinthian church was located. But many did not! In fact, Paul tells us, “Even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn – fighting without and fear within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). Paul and his companions were tired and troubled. Can you relate? I know I can.

It’s interesting to note how Paul responds when he is exhausted and stressed. First, he knows the source of his comfort: God. Next, Paul explains the means by which God comforted him: “(God) comforted us by the arrival of Titus”. Knowing Paul was stretched thin personally and professionally, God sent a brother in the faith to encourage him. Take a minute to think about when God has sent someone to you at a time when you really needed encouragement. I remember when I was going through a difficult time, my college roommate arrived on my doorstep – uninvited, after driving for an hour in the middle of a New England winter! And this was before cell phones – so she wasn’t even sure I’d be home! But she showed up. She listened. She encouraged me. She made me laugh. And when she left for work the next morning, I felt comforted. God sent her to me, knowing I needed encouragement.

Did you think of someone who encouraged you? Perhaps you might call or send them a quick text thanking them for comforting you.

Paul also notes that Titus himself was encouraged by the Corinthian people. The very people who Paul was ministering to encouraged the person sent to comfort Paul! Listen to what Paul writes: “And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.” (2 Corinthians 7:13) Could my friend possibly have been encouraged by me as well, as Titus was by the Corinthians? I’m not sure – I certainly was more focused on receiving than giving comfort at that time in my life. But maybe I did encourage her in some way, and maybe someone who encouraged you also received comfort from you, or those around you, at the same time.

Finally, Paul notes that he himself was encouraged when the Corinthian people encouraged Titus. Paul writes, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you…so that I rejoiced still more.” (2 Corinthians 7:6-7) What a full-circle idea! Paul is troubled and tired. God sends Titus to encourage Paul. The Corinthians encourage Titus, and this fact also encourages Paul. Amazing!

How can we apply this to our own lives? First, we must look for ways that God wants to use us to comfort and encourage others. And when He calls us to do so, we must respond. Second – and this is perhaps even more difficult – we must be open to receiving comfort and encouragement. So many of us – me included – have a difficult time asking for help, or receiving it when it is offered. Perhaps if we consider the help a divine intervention from God, we will be more ready and willing to accept it, and allow ourselves to be refreshed.

1 Corinthians 10

Since I last wrote two weeks ago, we have finished the book of Acts and are now reading 1 Corinthians together. In today’s reading, our focus is on chapter 10. This chapter has two primary themes: it is a strong warning against idolatry, and an equally strong encouragement to glorify God.

Paul begins by warning the Corinthian people against putting anything – another person, an object, a behavior – in God’s rightful place. He mentions sexual immorality, testing God, and…grumbling. Paul writes, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.” (1 Corinthians 10: 10) Grumbling? When I’m overwhelmed, I can be a good grumbler. A really good grumbler, actually. I try not to, but it happens more often than I’d like to admit. So, reading Paul’s words about grumbling and idolatry really made me think. How is grumbling a form of idolatry? Personally, I grumble when I think that I should be treated better, or that a situation should have turned out differently. Basically, I grumble when I’m making everything about me. Ouch. Right? What should I do – what should we do – when we are tempted to grumble? This is what I’m going to do: since I grumble when I feel overwhelmed, I’m going to do a better job asking for help. There are plenty of people in my life who are ready and willing to help me – and I’m pretty sure it is impossible for me to request help and to grumble at the same time.

Next, Paul gives his readers hope. He explains that even though we will face temptation as a follower of Christ, God is faithful and will always – always – provide us with an escape route from that temptation. He says, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Did you catch that God provides us with the way (ESV)? One way? How, then, do we know what that way is? I believe that He is The Way. We stay close to Him. We read His word. We pray. Then, we will be less likely to bend to temptations, and when we do – and we will, because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) – we will be more likely to quickly glimpse that one specific escape route: the one that leads directly back to him.

Paul’s last words in this chapter are both beautiful and challenging: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:21). I remember when I was a new mom, hearing a speaker suggest that when we performed the more mundane tasks of motherhood – like changing diapers and washing toilets – we should praise God that He has given us the ability to do those things, and consider our daily chores a privilege. I remember jumping on that bandwagon right away -only to forget a day or an hour later, and begin grumbling to myself in my head. With perspective, and age, I’ve come to think of this verse in a different way. Now, throughout the day, I praise Him for the privilege of walking through my life with Him. I seek to glorify His name by doing the work that He has called me to do each day. Without grumbling.

Love Well

Today, we are reading Romans 13 together. This chapter is relatively short – only 14 verses – but it is full and rich in content. I’d like to focus on the second half of the chapter, in which Paul encourages us to love God, each other, and ourselves well.

Romans 13:8 reads, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” When I first read this, I was confused by the idea that we owe each other our love. After I thought about it a bit more, though, I remembered a conversation in which Jesus answers a scribe’s question regarding which commandment is most important. Jesus says, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) To love, therefore – God first, and then our neighbor – is the greatest commandment, and it is by loving that we fulfill the law.

But doesn’t the fact that Jesus died on the cross in our place mean that we are no longer slaves to the law? Yes: Jesus’ death on the cross put an end to the ritual sacrifices that we read about in the Old Testament. However, Paul is writing AFTER Jesus’ death on the cross, and Paul tells us to continue to love each other. Why? We are to love each other BECAUSE Christ sacrificed Himself for us.

Whew!

But wait – there’s more. Did you see the end of the commandment in Mark 12:31? We are to love our neighbor as ourselves (emphasis mine). That might be the most difficult part of all, right? I know that I am harder on myself every single day than I am on those around me. So how can we practice loving ourselves well? I’m convinced that one of the best ways we can do this is to cultivate rest. We are a culture that extols busyness – we often wear our busy days as a badge of achievement or of honor.

Instead of perpetuating the culture of busyness, I’d like to encourage you to practice pausing each day. If you’ve never done this before, start small. Just a few minutes, five or ten – go for a slow walk outside, read a few pages of a book, or simply sit and be still. I know that this can be hard. It is hard for me to remember to even take that pause – and then it can be difficult to actually be still, or to read, or to walk slowly in the middle of a busy day. But I can also tell you from personal experience that it helps. Traditionally, Sunday afternoons have been my rest times. But I rarely took the time to rest at all during the week, at least until it was time to go to sleep. I’m finding, though, that taking even one short pause during the day resets my brain and renews me, allowing me to finish the rest of the day in a more peaceful state of mind. It helps to slow the tide of busy back to a more manageable, healthy pace. When we walk through life unrushed and unhurried, we have more margin to love those around us well.

Will you try this with me?

Humble Servanthood

Today, we are reading Acts 28 together. In this chapter, the final one in the book of Acts, we continue to travel with Paul and his close friend Luke. Luke, Paul and the rest of their group have recently been shipwrecked after a terrible storm; in fact, they have not eaten in 14 days and were forced to swim to the nearest island (see Acts 27:14; Acts 27:33; Acts 27:43). They learned that the island was called Malta, and they remained there for three months. Fortunately, the native Maltans welcomed Paul and his group wholeheartedly. From Malta, the group traveled to Rome and here Paul’s circumstances changed dramatically. In verse 16, Luke writes, “When we actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a soldier who had been assigned to guard him.” (Acts 28:16) In fact, Paul was now under house arrest, and he knew that his years of ministry would soon come to a close.

Despite his imprisonment and impending death, Paul somehow managed to remain humble. It is this character trait, humility, that I would like us to focus on today. We see evidence of Paul’s humility right after he arrives in Malta. Despite having just survived a terrifying shipwreck – he is most likely exhausted and starving – Paul doesn’t hesitate to help his hosts when it begins to rain:

“It had begun to rain and was cold…Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire…:” (Acts 28:3).

Paul’s humility is evident here in his service to others despite his own physical weakness.

When Paul arrives in Rome and begins his season of house arrest, he remains humble here as well. We read that Paul constantly places others before himself:

“From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus…” (Acts 28:23)

Paul could easily have chosen an attitude of bitterness regarding the loss of his personal freedom, but he did not. Instead, he chose to spend his days – from morning to evening – telling others about Christ, so that they too might be saved.

It takes humility to serve others who are treating you as an honored guest, and it takes humility to serve others when you are imprisoned with a guard watching over your every move. From guest of honor to prisoner, Paul remained humble and served those around him. In doing this, he taught people about Jesus. Although few of us will experience either shipwreck or imprisonment in our lives, we can all try to set aside our current circumstances, whatever they are, and serve others in humility. In doing this, our actions reveal Christ and his love for the world. How can you, today, humbly serve those around you?

Acts 14: Not Without Testimony

I have read through Acts 14 several times while preparing to write this devotion, and each time, one verse keeps jumping off the page at me. A bit of context, first, before I share which verse this is. Paul is in the middle of his first missionary journey. He has traveled already to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch and Iconium, and will soon return to Antioch in Syria. At the point where we pick up the story, Paul is teaching in Lystra and in Derbe. Those listening to him want to offer sacrifices to Paul and to his co-worker, Barnabas, in response to Paul’s healing of a crippled man. Paul and Barnabas immediately correct the people, redirecting their worship back toward the God who created them. It is at this time that Paul reminds the people that God “has not left himself without testimony.” (Acts 14:17). This is the verse that keeps jumping off the page at me.

The Message version of verse 17 reads like this: “He didn’t leave them without a clue.” The NIV version uses the word, “witness” in place of “clue” or “testimony”. Clearly, Paul intends to remind us that God “made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.” (Acts 14:15). Knowing that we humans are prone to forget Him, prone to wander away, God left us evidence of Himself all around us.

Paul uses relatable examples from the natural world to teach about the evidence of God. He says, “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons…” (Acts 14: 17). In Romans 1:20, Paul writes about nature again: “But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being.” (MSG)

When I need to feel God’s presence, His nearness, I always head outside. I go for a walk, roam around our yard, and I can’t help but notice Him in the budding trees and flowers, in the changing colors of the leaves later in the year, and in the the blanket of snow during the winter. My favorite place, though, to draw near to God is at the ocean. There is something about standing on a beach and looking over the vast expanse of the sea that always turns my heart toward my Creator.

Perhaps, like me, the testimony of God’s creation reminds you of Him. And perhaps something different serves as a reminder – a relationship restored from brokenness, coffee and conversation with a close friend, or an answered prayer. Paul’s words, though, are a reminder to those of us who are looking at unrestored relationships, strained friendships, and unanswered prayers. In these times, Paul reminds us to simply look outside, even if only for a moment. We cannot help but see Him there. His work began at creation and continues to this day. Thankfully, “He has not left himself without testimony.”

Introduction to Acts

Together, our Bible Journal community has finished reading the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – and tomorrow, we will begin reading the book of Acts. I’m looking forward to reading this book! The book of Acts was written between 60 and 62 AD by the apostle Luke, and it is a sequel to his gospel.

The book of Acts was written for three specific purposes. First, it describes how the early believers were blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Second, it records the birth of the church in Jerusalem. Finally, it tells the story of the spread of the gospel from the Jewish believers to the Gentile (non-Jewish) people in Rome and from there, past the borders of Europe and the Middle East to the world beyond.

We will read about several key people in the book of Acts. Some of them will be familiar to us from our reading of the gospels; others we are introduced to for the very first time in this book. We will read of the apostle Peter’s incredible sermon on the day of Pentecost, when those listening received the Holy Spirit. Peter’s powerful sermon resulted in 3000 people choosing to follow Christ! Later in this book, we will listen to Peter preach to the Gentiles. We will read of Philip’s travel to Samaria where he taught the people there about Jesus; many of these people were not Jewish. And we will read of the apostle Stephen and his incredible display of courage and forgiveness when he was faced with martyrdom.

It is in the book of Acts that we first read about Saul. A brutal persecutor of Christians, Saul attended Stephen’s stoning. However, after a remarkable encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to Christ and began telling people how the course of his entire life had been altered because of Him. We will learn that Saul changed his name to Paul, a Greek name, to better connect with the Gentile population, and we will travel with him on his three missionary journeys that ended with his house arrest in Rome. Luke traveled with Paul during these trips, so what we read is a first-hand, eyewitness account. We will also read of Lydia, who after a conversation with Paul became the first convert in the Gentile region of Macedonia. She, along with her family, was changed forever by Paul’s obedience to Christ.

There are several other key people who we will meet in the pages of Acts, including John, James, Barnabas (he is one of my favorites – I love the story of his friendship with Paul), Silas and Apollos. We will learn that the term “Christian” was first coined during this time in history, and that this word was first used in the city of Antioch. What a full, rich book this is! I’m excited to begin this journey together as we seek to learn more about the spread of Christianity through the obedience of God’s people.

Source: biblehub.com/summary/acts/7.htm