September 28, 2006
…Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7b-8)
“Train yourself to be godly.” I know I’ve read this before but today it stood out. Godliness takes training. It takes daily disipline. It takes work. Paul compares it to physical training. What do we know about physical training?
- Physical training takes discipline. We have to make a commitment to physical exercise and stay consistent with it, even when we don’t feel like it.
- Physical training is best done with others and with a trainer. I have found that it is much harder to stay consistent with physical exercise when I am doing it alone. Exercising with others and with someone who knows what they are doing increases consistency and effectiveness.
- Physical training does not bring immediate results but it does bring lifetime health. It would be foolish for someone to do one work-out and expect instant results. Results come over time as the body progressively grows stronger and healthier.
The same things are true with spiritual training. Godliness does not happen instantly overnight. It takes daily discipline. We read God’s Word, pray, serve, share, meditate, and make good choices not expecting immediate results but knowing that, over time, our spiritual health, strength, and vitality will increase. It also helps to have a few others training with us, encouraging us and guiding us along the way.
Though spiritual training is similar to physical training, it has one main difference. Physical training has value for this life alone. When we exercise we may feel better physically and may add a few years to our life. But that’s about it. The body will still give out in the end. Spiritual training, however, not only has benefit in this life but also in the life to come. When we grow our character and increase our intimacy with God, we enjoy the fullness of life here on earth and prepare ourselves for infinite joy in the presence of God.
Lord, increase my desire for “spiritual workouts”!
September 27, 2006
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3:2-3)
When we think of a “good Christian leader,” we probably all have different pictures. Sometimes we focus on charisma or success or evangelistic fervor or church growth or preaching ability or how many books they write. But God’s focus is different. God’s focus is on character not ability. The person with character makes an impact in God’s kingdom–whether that person is a leader in the church or not. So what does godly character look like?
It is above reproach. We are to live a life of integrity. We are to live above board, with nothing to hide. Who we are at church should be the same as who we are during the week. Integrity (which literallly means “wholeness, without duplicity”) is at the heart of true godly character.
It is family-centered. Right after dealing with integrity, Paul immediately mentions the husband-wife relationship (the parent-child relationship gets mentioned in verse 4). Integrity is first displayed in one’s marriage (if one is married) and family relationships. “Husband of one wife” could be translated “one-woman man” which emphasizes the fact that a man of integrity is not just married to one woman but has a growing, faithful, committed relationship to the one he is married to.
It is self-controlled. So many of the characteristics mentioned in 1 Timothy 3 focus on some aspect of self-control–temperate, respectable, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. Proverbs 25:28 says, Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls. A person without self-control is like a loose cannon. Sooner or later someone is going to get hurt. Each day we live in the Spirit we are to grow in our ability to control our passions and channel our energies toward God’s purposes.
It is friendly toward others. It is amazing to me that “hospitable” makes the list as one of the most important characteristics of a godly individual. And it is not just on this list. Paul mentions it again in Titus 1 and Peter includes it on his list of characteristics for “end time living” (1 Peter 4). Opening up our homes is a way of opening up our lives to others. It is a necessary part of fellowship and a vital aspect of growth. Again I think of the Proverbs, Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment (18:1). Isolation and cocooning is one of the most unhealthy things we can do in the body of Christ.
It is able to teach. The one ability that makes the list is the ability to teach. And though Paul is specifically speaking of church leaders in 1 Timothy 3, I think that teaching is the one ability that all of us should work on improving. We should all seek ways to improve our effectiveness in communicating truth to others…whether as pastors, parents, siblings, Sunday School teachers, AWANA leaders, neighbors, co-workers or friends.
So the person of impact in God’s kingdom is a person of integrity, family-centered, self-controlled, friendly toward others and able to communicate. Certainly more could be added to the list but this is a good start with more than enough for each of us to work at.
Lord, I dedicate my life to You. May my actions, emotions, thoughts, attitudes, and words bring You glory and encourage someone else today.
September 24, 2006
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
One of the main reasons Paul wrote this second letter to the Thessalonians is to correct wrong thinking regarding Christ’s second coming. Apparently some people in the church began teaching that the return of Christ was at hand or had already taken place (2:1-2). People in the church became confused by this teaching and many stopped working to prepare for His coming. ”Why work if Christ is coming back soon? Let’s quit our jobs, huddle together, and wait for Him to appear.” Ironically this same mentality has occurred many times throughout the history of the church. Some teacher predicts that Christ is coming back on such-and-such a date and many Christians get worked up or confused and start doing weird things.
I remember almost 20 years ago when some Bible teacher predicted Christ was coming back in 1988. A booklet was distributed, “88 Reasons Why Christ Is Coming Back in 1988.” I read the booklet while in Bible college and remember thinking, “Wow, if this is true I am not going to finish college. I really am wasting my time doing all this study and work. What should I do instead to get ready?” Thankfully this thought did not last long and I got back to doing what I needed to do each day in school and in life. And needless to say, Christ did not come back in 1988.
Paul basically says, “Stop this kind of thinking!” We will know when Christ comes back. It will be very clear. In the meantime we need to keep working, providing for our families, living righteously, and sharing God’s love with others. Again I think of 1 Peter 4:7-11 which says that “end time living” is being clear minded, praying, loving others, being hospitable, and using our gifts for God’s glory. We are to live with the hope and expectancy that Christ could come back today but with the perseverance and common sense that recognizes that He may not come back for another 1000 years.
The other thought that struck me from 3:6 was Paul’s statement to avoid those who do not live according to the “teaching that you received from us.” The word “teaching” is translated “tradition” in the New King James Version and that is actually the more accurate translation. The NIV apparently changed it to “teaching” to avoid the negative connotations often associated with “tradition.” The same word is used in 2:15 when Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to “stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught.” These verses remind me that there are good “traditions”–traditions built upon God’s Word and passed down by His people throughout history. We are not to live isolated lives. We are to be connected with our brothers and sisters today and with our brothers and sisters in the past. We can learn from their way of life, their understanding of Scripture, and their mistakes. But to learn these things we have to know them. Pick up a good biography on a Christian brother and sister in the past and let it encourage you on how to live for Christ today.
Lord, thank You for my brothers and sisters in the past, men and women who lived for You in hope and expectancy and in perseverance and love. May I carry on their tradition and pass it on to my children.
September 20, 2006
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
In chapter four, Paul reminds the Thessalonians of “how to live in order to please God” (4:1). Paul mentions four things in this chapter:
- Avoid sexual immorality (4:3-8).
- Love one another (4:9-10).
- Live a life of integrity and hard work (4:11-12).
- Encourage one another with the hope of Christ’s return and the defeat of death (4:13-18).
It was the third one that really stood out to me this morning. It is instruction from Paul that is often overlooked. How do we live a life that pleases God?
We are to pursue a “quiet” life. The Greek word for “quiet” is hesuchia. It does not emphasize so much the absence of words but rather the absence of inward strife, outward obstinance and excessive busyness. It describes a life of submission and simplicity. This is further amplified in Paul’s exhortation to “mind your own business.” Who would think that that phrase is in the Bible!? Christians are encouraged to avoid being “busybodies” (2 Thess 3:11). A busybody is one who thinks he has to know everything about what everybody else is doing. “Did you see what she did?” “What do you think about what he is doing?” “I can’t believe they did that.” Paul says mind your own business and focus on what you have to do in life.
Jesus told Peter the same thing in John 21. Upon seeing John, Peter asked Jesus, Lord, what about him? (21:21). In effect, Peter was asking, “I’ve heard Your plan for my life. Now, tell me, Lord, what is your plan for John’s life?” Jesus responded, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me (21:22). In other words, Jesus says, “Get your eyes off John’s life. You don’t have the ability to evaluate or judge My plan for him. You worry about your own life and your responsibility to follow Me. I’ll take care of John.” I tell my kids a very similar thing all the time. “Don’t worry about what your brothers are supposed to do. I’ll take care of that. You do what you are supposed to do.” We all need that reminder, don’t we?
We are to pursue a life of hard work. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to work hard so that they are not “dependent on anybody.” Paul is not talking about an attitude of independence that isolates itself from others. He is talking about finances. We are to work hard so that we can provide for ourselves and our families. Work is a biblical responsibility from the first day of creation (Genesis 2:15). Laziness and soaking off others is not spirituality….it is laziness and soaking off others. Christians are called to help those in need but not to facilitate a life of laziness and irresponsibility in others. We need great wisdom to discern the difference.
Why do we live such a life of integrity and hard work? So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders. Paul’s method of evangelism was simple. Live a life of integrity. Earn respect from others. And share the message as the opportunity arises. St. Francis got it correct when he said, “Preach the gospel at all times…if necessary, use words.” William Barclay’s commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 is also insightful: “The only way to demonstrate that Christianity is the best of all faiths is to show that it produces the best of all men. When we Christians show that our Christianity makes us better workmen, truer friends, kinder men and women, then we are really preaching. The outside world may never come into church to hear a sermon but it sees us every day outside church; and it is our lives which must be the sermons to win men for Christ.”
Lord, thank You for the reminder that living for You is not something complicated…it is living each day in purity and integrity, keeping my eyes on following You not on others, working hard, loving my brothers and sisters in Christ, and showing the world the difference that you have made in my life.
September 19, 2006
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 3:5-8)
I was struck again today by the passion and emotion of the apostle Paul. There is a common conception among Christians that true spirituality is being a stoic. Stoicism was a philosophy during Paul’s day that basically said that the goal of life was to achieve an emotion-less state, to be totally unaffected by the circumstances around you, to reach a state of a-pathy (literally, meaning “without passion/emotion”).
This was not the life of the apostle Paul. His emotions bleed through the entire book of Thessalonians (and many of his other letters). He expresses deep longing for the Thessalonians. He expresses fear that they may have fallen away from the Lord thus making his ministry among them “useless.” He expresses incredible joy over the report that the Thessalonians were still walking with the Lord saying “now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord.” That’s quite a statement…”now we really live.” Paul’s joy was tied to the spiritual walk of other believers. When they fell, his emotions fell. When they walked with the Lord, he rejoiced in the Lord.
This is what it means to be in the body of Christ. My life affects you and yours affects me. When I stumble in my faith or backslide away from the Lord, I impact others. When I walk with the Lord, I bring joy to others. And the same holds true for you.
This also means that emotions are okay. I should feel some aspect of fear when I wonder what path my children will take. I should feel sadness when tragedy strikes or when others walk away from the Lord. I should feel deep longing for friends in the faith. I should feel joy when others progress in their faith. True, my emotions should not govern my life but they should be a vital aspect of my life. Emotions let me know that I am a human made in the image of a passionate God, that my heart is still soft to the promptings of the Spirit, that I am growing to be more like Christ (who also experienced intense emotion), and that God is fulfilling His promise to turn my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Lord, keep my heart from growing cold. Teach me what it means to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
September 18, 2006
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. (1 Thess 2:19-20)
Paul’s hope, joy, crown, and glory all centered on the Thessalonian believers. Whoa. It is an amazing thought. Paul is saying that when he stands before the Lord at the end of his life and at the end of time, his greatest joy and glory will be in the people standing next to him, the people that he helped lead to Christ and to disciple. They are his hope–the thing that keeps him moving forward. They are his joy–the thing that thrills his heart. They are his crown–the greatest reward he can receive. And they are his glory–the thing that will make his life worthwhile.
What does this teach me?
1. People have eternal value. We never meet a person who is not created in the image of God, who is not precious in God’s eyes, who is not being convicted and drawn by the Spirit of God. Sometimes I wonder. People are a strange lot. As I “people watch” at the park or in the mall, I see a wide of variety of people. It is easy to focus on their appearance or their attitude or their actions and forget that underneath the skin is a heart looking to fill a void and a soul that will last forever. They may not know it or ever acknowledge it but they have infinite value in the eyes of God. Thus they should have value in mine. I think of the eyes of Jesus that always saw people differently than the disciples. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9:36). In the mulitudes, the disciples saw more work and more problems to deal with. Jesus saw people needing a shepherd. Too often I have the eyes of the disciples and not the eyes of my Savior.
2. People are our source of joy and glory in the presence of Christ. I can’t help but think of the old Ray Boltz’ song, “Thank You.” It is a powerful song and a powerful reminder that our joy in heaven will be proportionate to the number of people there who were impacted by us. I have had Mark 9:41 on my mind, For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Giving out cups of water to others will be the source of our reward. It is not the great things we do or the great projects we accomplish that will be our joy and glory. It is the small things we do to minister to others with the love of Jesus Christ.
3. My focus in life must be on people. People can frustrate you, encourage you, drain you, enrich you, annoy you, thrill you, offend you, and bless you. There is usually not a dull moment when you work and interact with people! But despite the challenges, people must be my focus. I cannot isolate myself or withdraw or put on masks or engross myself in solitary tasks. I have to risk and reach out to people. It is a risk but in the end it is also my reward.
Lord, enlarge my vision, enlarge my heart so that I can see people as You see them and I can reach out in small ways to encourage, refresh, and bless those I come in contact with today.
September 16, 2006
And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. …She [Mary Magdalene] went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. (Mark 16:8, 9-10)
There is a lot to digest and discuss in Mark 16 and I can’t begin to discuss it all here. As I meditated on this chapter, the three verses above impacted me most. Two thoughts came to me:
1. Fear can keep me from speaking the good news.
2. Grief can keep me from believing the good news.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most glorious truth in all of history. Death is defeated. It does not have the final say. We have a hope beyond the grave. Yet when Jesus was first resurrected, His disciples and followers struggled to believe. It is hard to blame them. Dead people just don’t come back to life. Intellectually the resurrection would be a difficult thing to swallow. But Mark chooses to focus more on the emotional element–fear and grief. Fear kept them silent. Grief kept them from believing. Often we struggle in the same way. Intellectually we know and affirm the resurrection but fear keeps us silent (”they won’t believe me”) and grief/sorrow/depression keeps us from wholeheartedly believing (”it’s too good to be true…and I can’t risk further disapppointment”). Faith calls us to move past our fear and past our sorrow to fully experience the joy and good news of the resurrection of Jesus.
Lord, help me not to give in to a spirit of fear or a spirit of grief and despair. Keep my eyes on You and on the power and promise of Your resurrection!
BTW….I think I would be remiss not to at least mention the issue of Mark 16:9-20. Your translation of the Bible may indicate that these verses are not in some of the ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. Mark 16:9-20 is actually the longest disputed passage in the New Testament. Basically there are 5700 existing Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Whenever there is disagreement between these manuscripts (which is normally insignificant and rare), there are two theories on how to determine what is the true, authentic reading. One theory is that you go with the oldest manuscripts since they are closer to the original. Another theory is to go with the majority of manuscripts since they are more likely to represent the reading most accepted by the early church. In the case of Mark 16:9-20, the oldest manuscripts do not have it while the majority do. It would seem odd for Mark to end at 16:8 so most translations include verses 9-20 with the disclaimer that they may have been added later to supplement the book. I personally believe they are authentic but I can see why there is debate. As for the “signs” mentioned in these verses, I believe that these signs accompanied the apostles (as you see in Acts) and confirmed the authenticity of their message (just as the signs Jesus did were meant to confirm His message). That was the primary emphasis of Jesus’ words. So should we handle snakes and drink poison today? No way! Jesus does not command such actions nor does any other New Testament book even mention them as a normal or essential part of the Christian life. However, it is still important to remember that God, in His sovereignty, may choose to protect His witnesses in miraculous ways to allow their message to spread and to confirm it in the eyes of unbelievers. We should not seek these things but not be surprised if they do happen.
September 15, 2006
A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. …Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:7, 15)
The crowd wanted Barabbas. It is an interesting choice. Barabbas’ name literally means “son (bar) of the father (abba).” Jesus identified Himself as the Son of God, the Son of the Father.
I wonder how Barabbas got that name. Either his father simply named him “my son” or perhaps Barabbas claimed some divine messianic role himself. It is clear that he led an uprising with the intent of casting off the rule of Rome. He was an insurrectionist, a man vehemently opposed to Roman domination of Israel and willing to kill and be killed in the cause. He was the “messiah” that many in Israel wanted. An angry man, a hardened warrior, a man willing to kill for freedom.
Jesus was a different Messiah than what the people expected or wanted. Sure, He healed and did many miraculous things but He never seemed to address their real problem, Rome. He seemed much more interested in talking about their bondage to sin than their bondage to the cruel Romans. And He never seemed to want their support. He often hid from the crowds and downplayed His miracles and told people to keep silent about his Messianic role. What kind of Messiah is this? A compassionate man, a quiet healer, a man willing to die for the freedom of others.
I think the choice between Barabbas and Jesus is still with us today. What kind of Messiah do we want? What kind of deliverance do we want? Barabbas offers deliverance from external problems, the quick fix, the immediate solution. Get angry. Take action. Do things your way.
Jesus bids us down a different path. There are no quick fixes, only daily steps of obedience. Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. Pursue love. Live in humility. Serve others. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. It is a strange path and not one we are familiar with. That is why we must give up our own way and follow the One who knows the way, who is the Way. Because His path is the only one that leads to life.