Author: Jillian McGriff

 

Psalms 46

Jude is an interesting person. He has been mentioned and referred to by many names throughout the Bible: St Jude, Judas Thaddaeus, Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, or Lebbaeus. He was one of the Twelve Apostles and the brother of James and Jesus.   He is mention in the New Testament twice: Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13.

The epistle of Jude was written around 65 A.D. The epistle is short, but packed with complex themes and messages. For centuries many biblical scholars have tried to analyze the messages and relay them in a fashion that is easy to consume. From the NIV Life Application Study Bible it states that the main themes are: False Teachers and Apostasy.   These themes are both valid then and now: be aware of those not teaching in accordance with the scriptures and walking in the truth of Christ; and do not drift away from our commitment to Christ.

Jude is sending us a wake up call. He is reemphasizing the need to be alert and forever on our guard. In the busyness of our lives, we have everything on a particular schedule: take the children to school; walk the dog; shop for groceries; prepare meals; schedule this practice; pick up this book/clothing/project for the family. But do we take the intentional time to schedule quiet time, devotionals, small groups, serving others, and being with other Christ followers. It is during these times of busyness we allow our spirit to drift away from Christ (Apostasy) and then we have weakened our armor and are vulnerable to the attacks of false teachers.  We must recommit ourselves to these intentional times to stay aligned with Christ.

Jude tells that knowledge of all of the scriptures is good, but without the true relationship of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit we are not able to truly understand God’s purpose for us. I pray that the Holy Spirit continues to strengthen our relationship with Christ and give us the understanding and awareness to be vigilant and ready for the challenges and schemes that lie ahead.

In the midst of the events that have unfolded last week I want to close the post with this verse :

Psalms 46 : 10-11

“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

 

Todays Reading: 1 Peter 4

Several weeks ago, Jillian and I embarked on a wellness journey together to renew our bodies, minds, spirit and relationship. The adventure that we are on focuses our energy to rethink how we eat and what we eat. I have had to take a few more doses of “will power” and dedication to stay committed. Some of my favorite foods are breads and grains to which this program is not ascribed. I have been eating a larger amount of the healthy foods: fruits and veggies. I have notice a positive change in my energy, focus, and endurance.

As I am retraining my mind and body I started to consume large amounts of fruits and veggies as I had previous mentioned. As an example, one day I packed for lunch and snacks: 1 bag of chopped carrots, 1 bag of chopped celery, a bag of pistachios, a fit-packer container of chicken and sweet potatoes and a apple and a pear. I felt almost like the hungry caterpillar. Throughout the day I consumed about 90% of the lunch, except for the pear. An aside, I am constantly purchasing too unripen fruit and my wife always reminds me. So with that stated, the pear was a beautiful green pear and hard as a rock when it was purchased. While on this journey, I would bring lunches as the one previously detailed to work and forgot about the pear.

About a week went by and I remembered the pear. I searched the fridge for the pear and finally found it at the back of the office fridge. It was bumped and bruised and soft and something really not appetizing. Then I remembered a story from my mission days about a traveler who would have the luxury of having pear. I had to just try and see if this pear would be any good. I took a bite and the pear was awesome. It had to be given a little bit of misuse and handling and struggles and strife to really allow the fullness of the flavor and refreshment to be fulfilled. It was so tasty that I almost ate the core.

1 Peter 4:12-16

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[b] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Here we are told about the sufferings and pain that use Christians will face and what the rewards are. Its like this pear, when we are green and sparkling we are unripe and easy to watch and see. But the fullness of the manifestation of God is only seen when we have some bruises, some scars, some disappointments, some hard days, some crying nights, and some unrest. We have to have hope, because when we are at the lowest humbled level this is when God can and will do some amazing work in us and through us. We have to be vulnerable to allow the Spirit to make us bruised so that others can see the sweetness and awesomeness of God.

Take ways:

• Journeys with my wife are always fun and exciting
• The Spirit wants to work with you and make you ripe
• The more bruises that you have, the more work God has prepared
• As Paul states “ when I am weak, he is strong” – 2 Corinthians 12:10

Be blessed this week.

Good Morning! Today, I am excited to share a guest post from my friend Elizabeth Giger. I met Elizabeth at Eastview Christian Church through music ministry. A few weeks ago she shared a devotion that moved my heart and stirred my soul. She spoke a truth that I needed to hear that day!  When I asked her to write a guest post for Bible Journal, she graciously agreed.  I hope you enjoy her beautiful post and I pray you are moved by the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Reading: James 3

Our words have power.

It was so from the beginning.

The Word spoke and it was done. The Word breathed and life was bestowed.

We are created and we have His image and like our Father, our words make things happen.

Just as His words go out and do not return empty, we cannot throw heedless words to the wind. Just as all He speaks has deliberation and purpose, so should we have careful thought bolstering what we say. So should we speak with wisdom, with peace.

Too often we talk, we rant, we fill up the air with our words. And our words are not of grace.

When we who pray the Lord’s Prayer also write ugly in online spaces, when we who sing of God’s love also snip at our family at home, when we who praise His servant-love also speak short and proud to those who serve us,we pump poison into our world.

We forget that those on the receiving end of our arrows are just as beloved as we. When truth is forgotten, we who are called to reign and serve, to glorify and praise, we set the name of our King afire in the eyes of this world.

Words exist for a different purpose.

God’s Word created man. He created man and then God’s Word became a man. He put on flesh and dwelt among us.

The Word incarnate.

The Word came so that the incarnation can continue, so that our lives can become incarnate, the whole of life an incarnation of the Word.

The Word came to be wisdom and peace, and that is what we should speak into our world, with our mouths and with our lives, into this space we are given to influence.

So speak with wisdom and with peace rather than with poison and with fire.

Our harvest of righteousness is waiting.

Art credits: Holy Night by Antonio da Correggio; Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Jan Vermeer; all other photos copyright by Made Sacred 2017

Today’s guest post is by Elizabeth Giger who writes weekly on her blog, Made Sacred  (madesacred.com).

 

Today’s Reading: Hebrew 10, Psalms 18

God works in an amazing plan and strategy, as with Michael and his blog on Hebrews 5, I have had an epiphany as I write my journal. The Holy Spirit is reaffirming scriptures and messages to me on daily basis and today is no exception. I have been preparing for this week’s post since last Monday and had a particular focal point, but it was changed today with the sermon that was given, Christ the ultimate sacrifice.

In the sermon, the pastor illustrates the original Passover that the Israelites experienced.   He explained in detail the actual act of how each family had to choose the Pascal lamb on a certain day. Then after choosing the lamb, the family then takes the lamb home and keeps it inside for four days. Next, the lamb is slaughtered in a particular fashion to keep the blood and also to keep the body intact. Following this the family then roast the lamb whole and the entire body is presented to the family to eat.

This detailed explanation allowed me to peer a little deeper into the setup that that God was preparing the people for the ultimate sacrifice. God choose the perfect Lamb for the sacrifice. Then He allowed the Lamb to be with the people and become part of the family for a short amount of time. Then the Lamb is sacrificed whole to take on ALL of the sins of the World and make a perfect sacrifice.

Take some time to read Hebrews 10 and Exodus 12, and you can sense the awesomeness of God’s Plan. He has setup the redemption of the people, given them signs and ways to remember the Sacrifice centuries before, and He has a plan to complete the journey. God’s plan is above anything we can imagine or conceive.

Hebrews 10: 4-7

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ Consequently, when Christ^[a] came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
⁶ in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

 

Heavenly Father, you have plans before we are even brought about on this earth. Your plans are to allow Your Glory to be seen and witnessed to all. Allow us to be instruments in your plan.

Today’s Reading: Hebrews Chapter 3

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” Hebrews 3:7-8

 It’s not often that a verse from the bible resonates with me from my childhood. I was raised Catholic for the first thirty-one years of my life.  I was deeply rooted in that faith tradition. The foundation of my faith was built on tradition and ritual.  My religious education was not particularly focused on scripture.  The way that I learned scripture was through song. Now, as I mature in my Christian identity I get really excited when I recognize God’s words from the sacred songs I learned so long ago. It’s a way for me to reconcile the tenants of my Catholic Christian identity to my new more biblically based Christian identity. When I read through today’s scripture Hebrews 3, I immediately heard the melody of a song by David Haas sung so frequently during mass called, “If Today You Hear His Voice.”

I know now that this passage refers to the Israelites that had hardened their hearts toward God while in the desert. By resisting God’s will we become convinced that God cannot deliver on his promises. Despite the fact that we hear His voice leading us on a daily basis we often refuse to listen. As we dig in our heels and our stubborn nature takes over, we cannot turn to God for help. For the Hebrew Christians, their faith was deeply rooted in the rituals, commandments and the prophets they knew. The message of Jesus conquering sin, fulfilling the Law and providing eternal life was surprisingly hard for them to accept. The NIV Study Bible says this about the second generation Hebrew Christians,

“Although they had sought the Messiah for centuries, they were entrenched in thinking and worshiping in traditional forms. Following Jesus seemed to repudiate their marvelous heritage and Scriptures. Those who did accept Jesus as the Messiah often found themselves slipping back into familiar rout9ines, trying to live a hybrid faith.” (Zondervan NIV p. 2059)

Hybrid faith.  Did you get that? The Hebrew Christians were trying to customize or personalize their faith into a hybrid that more or less worked for them. Yep…I do that. How often do I hear his voice and harden my heart? Do I pick and choose the aspects of his word that work for me and my moral compass and leave other less popular doctrines behind? What we learn from Hebrews 3 today is that Christ alone is sufficient for salvation. He is superior to our prophets and our priests. If today we hear his voice, we must open our hearts. The message may not feel comfortable.  It may not feel modern and we can count on the fact that it will challenge. God invites us to give ourselves completely to Christ and in return we will come to share in Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Reading: Titus 2,Psalms 4

Over the past several years, I have been able to listen and become more aware of God and the Holy Spirit in my life and my daily actions. When I received this passage to reflect on this week, the Holy Spirit allowed me to fully experience his message: I am with you.

The first week of August for my family is one that has a lot of emotional attachment. Three years ago, my family and I were celebrating my daughter, Ruby’s, baptism and the following day, August 4^th, my wife’s grandfather passed away. Last year, my mother’s sister’s husband passed away on August 5^th. And this past Friday, my sister’s father-in-law passed away. These were men that were the backbone and foundation of families that I am directly attached and bonded. It is hard to loose these men, but I gain some peace at the love and devotion that they lead by example. The combined years of marriage that they had were over one hundred years. The influence and wisdom that I received was truly impactful and have help to shape me as the man I am today.

As Paul writes to Titus about the right living in church and the role of the elder men and women play, I know that the Spirit is working in me to continue to live the examples that I have been expose.

Titus 2: 3-5: ³ Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

These men create ways to show me how to be 1.) Temperate 2.) Worthy of Respect 3.) Self-controlled 4.) Sound in Faith, Love, and Endurance.   I learn a lot from these gentlemen as was instructed to Titus and Timothy. I know that each of the last times that I had with each of these men were filled with God’s grace and the knowledge and wisdom that I received allows me to take courage that God is with me and all that were a part of their lives.

As we read and pray through these scriptures, let us allow God to bring people to influence and encourage us to be the person that He can use to encourage others and show Christ’s love. Amen

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6

 Today we welcome the second book of Timothy. Here we read Paul’s last words of encouragement and advice from his jail cell before he is executed. Biblical scholars date Paul’s second letter to Timothy between 66 and 67 AD. He was convicted of being a follower of Jesus and sat alone in a Roman prison writing out his final words of wisdom. As I studied this time in Paul’s life, I wondered whether Timothy received his letter in Ephesus before or after Paul’s death. I imagine Timothy reading and rereading the letter, the great weight of responsibility resting squarely on his shoulders. He opens the letter tenderly,

“To Timothy, my beloved child…” 2 Timothy 1:2

 What follows is a rich tapestry of wisdom, advice and encouragement. As I consider both the author and the recipient, I’m aware that there has never been another person like Paul. He shows us his vulnerability and his loneliness in this letter. It’s clear that he has surrendered and uses his imprisonment and impending execution as an example of obedience and faith in Jesus Christ. His words are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. In this final letter to Timothy, Paul outlines four main tenants for leading in Christian service:

• Be Bold
  • Paul encourages Timothy to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit he has been given to both preach and teach
  • He reminds Timothy that there will be opposition and that he must persevere without guilt or shame
• Stay Faithful
  • Paul anticipates his martyrdom and uses it as a powerful example of loyalty
  • Paul speaks of endurance and diligence, he reminds us that God will give us strength to remain steadfast in the face of evil
• Preaching and Teaching
  • Paul encourages Timothy to carry the burden of truth and train others in preaching the doctrines of Christianity
• False Teachings
  • Finally, Paul warns Timothy that there will be false teachers. He implores Timothy to correct, rebuke and finally encourage those teachers to preach sound doctrine.

Just as we cherish the final words, the handwritten notes and photos of a loved one that has passed, so can we cherish Paul’s final words to Timothy. I’m looking forward to studying these chapters with you this week and exploring how our community is not so different from the Ephesian community in 67 AD. May God bless us as we commit to being in the word with Him this week!

 

 

Introduction to I Timothy

I am excited to start off this week and this book with you. This is the first time that I have had the privilege to introduce a book this year and I am excited to introduce I Timothy which is the beginning of the Pastoral Letters of Paul.   The assumed time period that I Timothy was written about AD 64 or 65, around the time after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment and during a time that he and Timothy revisited the church in Ephesus.   This is a letter of encouragement and instruction to Timothy as he beings to pastor of the Church in Ephesus. The main blueprint that Paul lays out is: instructions on the right belief, instructions for the church, and instruction for elders. The main themes can be further broken down to: Sound Doctrine, Public Worship, Church Leadership, Personal Discipline, and a Caring Church. (NIV Life Application study bible)

As I prayed and prepared for this introduction I found out some interesting facts of Timothy:

1. Was from Lystra and Derbe. This is the same place that in Acts Chapter 14 the people of the city actually stoned Paul and left him for dead. God has a plan for you and sometimes the place he sends you, you might not want to return.
   1. Acts 16: Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
2. Was prepared for his role. Sometimes the preparation is necessary for the journey and allows others to see God’s work in you.
   1. Act 16: ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey; so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
3. Was raised and nurtured by his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois. (II Timothy 1:5)
   1. This strikes a note with me because I was mainly raised by my mother and grandmother and they had and continually have an impact on my adult life, especially my Spiritual life. I am often reminded of the gentle and loving way that my grandmother would: sing hymns and read the bible and pray daily. I pray that I would have a portion of her dying devotion to the practice of spiritual living and giving.

As we prepare to enter into this lesson to Timothy, let us reflect on the words of Paul to Timothy :

 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.    I Timothy 1:5

Lord, as we continue our journey in the letters of Paul, allow us to remember that the purpose of this journey in faith is to recognize your LOVE for us and how we can share your love with others and listen for your direction in our lives. Amen

Today’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3

“For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.” 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5

 I’m on my way to an electronic free vacation for 8 wonderful days. As I type the cell signal is waning and I’m aware that we’ll be cut off from the world in the Boundary Waters between Minnesota and Canada. We take this trip every year with our children and my parents and it’s always a beautiful time to deepen our relationship and truly be present with one another.  When I read 1 Thessalonians 3 today, I really connected with the Thessalonian people. There were no cell phones or face time for them to connect with Paul to seek counsel or encouragement.  Instead there was simply distance. Silence. As I head up north I’m aware that I’ll have the opportunity to experience that distance and silence in the next week. We’ve had some really difficult life circumstances leading up to this trip. We’ve had those moments of “why us, God” in fact the phrase we’ve heard most often lately is, “you guys just can’t catch a break can you!” But here is, right here from Christ’s apostle Paul: we kept telling you…we were to suffer affliction…and it has come to pass.  Sometimes, I think as Christian’s we have the attitude that we are not meant to suffer since we are His chosen ones. When things get dark in our lives, it’s easy to come undone and focus on the unfairness of it all. But Paul tells us here in verse 5 that it’s our tempter that encourages us to doubt God’s sovereignty in these moments.

This short chapter from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is a powerful reminder to us that our Father is all powerful, all knowing and loves us unconditionally. We can show Him our commitment and obedience to Him by honoring Him and trusting in Him in our darkest times. It’s not an easy task. But just as Paul rejoiced in the good news that Timothy brought, so will our Father rejoice in our unwavering faith. As I sit by the water and breathe in His stillness, I’ll pray for you and your dark hours. I’ll pray for all of you that your endurance in your faith and commitment to Him will stay strong even in the hardest times. I’m grateful to this community for giving me an opportunity to write so that I too may be strengthened by the knowledge that our faith multiplies when we are together and encouraging one another in our Christian journey.

Peace and love to you readers