Misconceptions: Selfishness Vs. Self-Care - June 1st

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What is it about Christians that we have bought into this idea that taking care of ourselves is selfishness? I get that we need to be aware and thoughtful of others, but can that cross a line? And why is it so hard to think, that taking care of one’s self is such a wrong thing to do.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus talking about the greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV) Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When Jesus tells us, that we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we often forget that last part of the line – as we love ourselves. Huh? Seriously, as we love ourselves?

I want to point out here, that this says to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Not instead of ourselves or more than ourselves, but the same as you love yourself. Which implies that we know how to do that.

Can I say that during this time of the unknown, we tend to lean into the worst case scenarios. It actually seems like anytime – even when things are going good that we get hit with a bad situation and we go to the worst case of what can happen. And, it’s not that difficult to go there today. Look at what’s going on around our country.

Let’s also think about this, do we take time to ask God what He thinks about all of this? Do we inquire of the Lord like they did all throughout the Old Testament? Or do we do as Jesus did which was His custom – get alone with the Father and pray?

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (NIV) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

You know when we have those times and those situations that bring us to the brink of anxiety. Maybe it would be good to do two things. First, we should invite Jesus into the circumstance.  Just like in the Old Testament, look through the Historical Books – they would inquire of the Lord often.  Which meant they would ask God for guidance and direction in a given situation and then wait for an answer.

Second, don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to someone. Talk to me – you can reach me here on Facebook – I’ll give you my number and we can talk. I would love to listen, just so you know – I don’t always have an answer – but I can listen.

The point is, you cannot be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.  Reading your Bible, spending time with the Father in prayer listening for God’s guidance and direction for your life. And time in worship – which can take many different forms other than singing.

I’ll leave you with this, when you’re on an airplane they always tell you that in the event of cabin depressurization to put your own oxygen mask on first. Why – because if you cannot breathe, you won’t be alive to help those around you.

It’s the same in God’s kingdom.  You must let the Holy Spirit work in your heart before He will work through your heart.  That’s God’s plan for all of humanity – to work in our hearts and lives so that we will be an effective living sacrifice that is a witness of God to those around us.

Pentecost: The Comforter Has Come - Guidance and Direction - May 30th

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John 16:13 (NIV)

Yesterday we talked about how the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Today I want to talk about how we get there. How does the Holy Spirit do this, He guides us.

That word guide, really means that He walks along side of us. Often times we pastors grab on to some thoughts or ideas and take some analogy too far, or far beyond what something means.

For instance, in the song “Jesus Take the Wheel,” we often want to think that when we become a Christian Jesus just simply takes over. And that is just not biblically true. That’s one of those misconceptions that sound great – but it isn’t true. Jesus does not take control rather, He guides us through His Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Remember these are Jesus’ own words to His Disciples – big “D” – Jesus tells them and tells us, the Holy Spirit will “guide” us. “The Greek word for “guide” is similar to a conductor. God’s Spirit will take the disparate [different] parts of our life and bring them together to make something beautiful.” (Strong’s Greek Lexicon [NIV], s.v. “G3594, hodégeó,” accessed January 28, 2019.

It’s the same thought, as someone who is conducting an orchestra. The conductor not only sets the tempo, but gives direction to all the instruments, groups of instruments.  The conductor ques everyone when and where to come in, or how long to hold a note, when to move from one note to the next.

I’ve done a small amount of choral conducting. I actually started when I was 16 years old. I began conducting the Eastmont Presbyterian Church Choir during their interim. It was great – I also got credit in my high school music class, (extra credit – I really needed it – not really, LOL).

I say that to tell you, that I understand that it’s not always easy to get the pick up notes into the next phrase for this group or that group, while you continue to direct the larger portion of the choir. The director is conscious of not just the timing of the piece but all of the dynamics that go along with that; to include starting and ending the different parts of the choir. It takes practice.

That’s what the Holy Spirit does for our lives. He comes in and guides, directs, gives us a cue here and there on what to say and how to say it so that others will hear the message of the Gospel of Christ and respond to it.

Pentecost: The Comforter Has Come - The Spirit of Truth - May 29th

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John 16:12-15 (NIV)

Peter was a humble fisherman, yet when the opportunity presented itself he gave one of the most effective sermons in the history of the church! How was that possible? By God’s Holy Spirit. Peter was experiencing the fulfillment of a promise Jesus had made to the disciples when he was walking on this earth.

John 16:12–15(NIV) “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. This is the same Greek word that is used in Acts 8:31 for the word “explain.”

Acts 8:23-31 (NIV) Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,  and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.  The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Just like we see the Holy Spirit explain through, Peter what was happening on the day of Pentecost, Philip led the Ethiopian to believe in Jesus through answering the questions, or explaining, the Ethiopian had about the prophecy. Simply being able to point him to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Here’s my bottom line, God’s Spirit teaches and confirms God’s truth. You don’t have to have a doctorate in theology to effectively explain the Scriptures to someone.

Pentecost: The Comforter Has Come - The Spirit of Truth - May 28th

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Edited copy for reading devotions is not available for this date.

Pentecost: The Comforter Has Come - Who? Whosoever! - May 27th

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As we get closer to celebrating the Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, which is the birthday of the church, I want us to understand an aspect of salvation and being filled with the Holy Spirit.  I mean that’s kind of what Pentecost is about.  It’s the birthday of the Church and when things changed for Christianity.

In the OT, we see in different places where God imparts – or gives - His Holy Spirit to people.  Bet you didn’t realize that but He did.  Often times it was in response to their obedience, He imparts to them His righteousness in response to their obedient faith. After the death and resurrection of Christ things obviously changed dramatically, and we see the Holy Spirit poured out upon all who will believe.

Acts 2:16-21 (NIV) No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

The social and demographic circumstances of your life are not hindrances to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit isn’t limited to a certain social class or demographic of the population. The Holy Spirit is for “all” people, that is, all segments of the population so, children, young adults, and the elderly can receive God’s Spirit.  Those who can afford servants and those who are servants can receive the Spirit. Because of this gift, anyone who cries out to God can also receive salvation.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Who receives the Holy Spirit? The answer is whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and is saved. Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit’s function In this world bringing us to the conviction of sin in our lives and that brings us to the point of repentance.  It’s the Holy Spirit Who begins to regenerate our souls, and continues to work in us and through us until that day we are indeed glorified with Jesus in eternity.

So, who receives the Holy Spirit? Whosoever believes…

Pentecost: The Comforter Has Come - Personal Evangelism: God's Story - Our Story - May 26th

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2 Timothy 1:6-13

If you’ve been around for any length of time, your life has a story. Even if the story is that you were just born yesterday, you have a story to tell – maybe not with words yet – but your new parents, they can tell us your story already.

In the same way, those of us who are born again, we have a story to tell. Even from the beginning of the new life we find in Christ Jesus we have a story to tell. And frankly, I can’t tell your story any better than you can tell my story. We need to share the story that we have been given, good, bad, ugly – it doesn’t matter because in Christ we all find salvation.

When I say the word evangelism, many of you want to run to the hills. There are quite a few pastors that would join you there. Just because we are called of God to pastor or shepherd His people it doesn’t mean we feel or think that we are qualified in being evangelists – even the Bible recognizes that Evangelists are different from Pastors in their giftings. But that doesn’t relieve us of the responsibility to share what God is doing in our lives. We call this personal evangelism.

The book of Acts isn’t over just because John saw the future and wrote Revelation. We are a continuance of the book of Acts, Jesus is still working, we are between the last chapter in Acts and the first chapter of Revelation. Here is how Paul put it to Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:6-13 (NIV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

So – we are almost at Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit was loosed upon this earth in a new and fresh way. Bet that upset the apple cart a bit. I mean what was the point of sacrifice after that.  Jesus had been offered up as the ultimate sacrifice. We humans became the temple of the Holy Spirit. The time when God was to write the Law on the heart of humanity was here. And it was finally possible to live in communion with God.

And here is Paul, he’s in jail – how embarrassing – but wait, he’s in jail for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And he tells Timothy that he shouldn’t be ashamed. That He should tell the story he has, the testimony of what the Gospel of Christ has done in the life of Timothy.

You see we don’t need a rehearsed five point plan to salvation, or the Romans road to heaven. Those things are nice, they help us organize our thoughts. But you know what makes even more of a difference, is when you share what God is doing right now – what God is doing in your life – what difference is He making. Bottom line evangelism is rooted in love for others.

Magician (and atheist) Penn Teller says that when Christians fail to evangelize, we’re showing that we don’t care for others:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that” (Penn Teller, quoted in Justin Taylor, “How Much Do You Have to Hate Somebody to Not Proselytize?” The Gospel Coalition [blog], November 8, 2009, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/how-much-do-you-have-to-hate-somebody-to-not-proselytize/).

It’s probably not as hard as you think, but how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them the difference Christ makes in your life?

Messy: Loving Others Isn't Easy - All You Need Is Love - May 25th

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Our devotions over the last several days have been about loving our neighbors. I fall short from time to time. It’s not always easy, but it seems like Jesus extended love so easily. Could it be that we just make it too hard, could it be that we just expect too much from ourselves and from others?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Let’s put some perspective on this verse of Scripture here in Deuteronomy. In this particular part of Scripture, this particular command is in fact an echo of the first commandment: You will have no other gods before me. And not to imply that Yahweh could just simply be the strongest or the head of all the gods. He is not like Zeus in Greek mythology. It’s that He alone is God. The totality of Israel’s commitment to God is motivated by His absolute uniqueness. Yahweh is undivided, whole, complete and He is absolute.

If you read further in the book of Deuteronomy, you will find that God is preparing them to transition out of the desert and into the Promised Land. A few chapters further in this story you hear how important it is to put God first in your heart over many, many things so that, the Israelites will not be led astray by the cultures or societal norms in the nations around them.

In the New Testament Jesus is asked about this.

Mark 12:28-34 (NIV) One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

So this central belief, this idea that God is uniquely God and that we as humanity are living with the purpose to love God above everything else, with everything that is our being would have been taught to the children of the day.  And then – Jesus tacks on this two-part addition: that we are to love others as we love ourselves. Matthew notes Jesus adds emphasis to this by saying that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Please don’t forget that loving others as we love ourselves also implies that we know how to care for ourselves physically, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally – self care is NOT selfishness.

So here is the question that I have and I want to leave with you to think about today. Can you love God and not love others? Can we fulfill one command and not the other? Are these two commands twisted and intertwined with each other? Are they inseparable, if they are then we have to understand that if we don’t love others – if we don’t love the unlovable – how can we say we love God?

Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Messy: Loving Others Isn't Easy - Look Around - May 23rd

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Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

So I want to pick up today where we left off yesterday. It’s the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan. And – as all good rabbi do – Jesus answers a question with a question.

You ever wonder why they did this? Do you ever ponder or think about  why you believe what you believe? Often we believe something because we were taught to believe it.  But when you discover or learn something on your own, you often feel more strongly the ownership of that which you have learned, it becomes more personal a belief to you. And, you believe it not because someone told it to you, but because you have discovered it for yourself.

Hmmm, if you ask me a question and I just give you the answer, yeah, sure, you learn something. But if I turn your hand, and take your question and answer it with a question that leads you to form the answer – where does that take you? Pretty sure I just saw lightbulbs turn on all over. That’s the intent of the parable. To get the teacher of the law to answer the question himself and reveal what was truly in his heart.

Jesus was asked the question, who is my neighbor. To which Jesus answers by telling this parable.  Then He asks the leader the very same question.  He reposes the question back to the teacher of the law, who is the neighbor in this story. And of course, he had no choice but to answer the very way he did – and if we look at Jesus’ response we might come to the conclusion that the leader’s response was sincere.

The leader responds by answering it is the one who showed mercy. Jesus – then commends him to go and do likewise.

Like the law expert who asked Jesus the question in this passage, we may wonder whom exactly does God expect us to love? It can be overwhelming to see so many problems in our world today. We may be tempted to believe “I can’t possibly make a difference.” We may be tempted to throw our hands up in despair and give up.  The truth of it all is, on our own we cannot make a difference.  Without the Holy Spirit living in us and through us we cannot do anything.  Jesus told us that He could do nothing apart from the Father. At the end of this parable and in his response to the teacher of the law, Jesus makes it clear that our neighbor is the person in front of us.

Andy Stanley says it like this, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”

As you go about your day to day life, even this very moment, what are you thinking about? What are you paying attention to? Can you answer at least one of those two questions? Are you looking for people who might need a word of hope? A phone call, instant message, FB comment, FaceTime call, IM Video chat is all it takes.

Here’s the reality of our lives. Often, we get distracted from the needs and the hearts of the people around us. We might be at the cashier’s register of the store, at the gas pump putting gas in a vehicle next to someone, there could be someone dying on the inside at the next table, standing in line near us.  Are we conscious of these people?  Or are we distracted thinking about ourselves and what we need to hurry and do next? Or maybe we are just too busy looking at our phones.

Here’s todays short thought. If we are going to be about loving others we first have to become more Christlike in that we are looking at others through His eyes. And to do that, we have to know Him – not know about Him, but we have to know Jesus.

Messy: Loving Others Isn't Easy - Action - May 22nd

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Today’s Scripture: 1 John 4:13-21

Most of us know the parable that Jesus tells about The Good Samaritan, comes from Luke 10:25-37.

And remember that in that story Jesus is not commending the vocational ministers. He commends the hated foreigner. All of which makes me wonder if Jesus were telling the story today, who would He put in the Samaritan’s place?

Remember, that Samaritans and Jews practiced open hostility. But Jesus asserted that real love knows no boundaries.

Jesus might also have been making a point that loving God religiously, as the priest and Levite certainly would have been taught to do, is utterly meaningless unless it is accompanied by love expressed towards other people when they most need it.

1 John 4:13-21 (NIV) This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

We can only wonder if the Levite and the priest were judging the man for his condition, Jesus does not explain their thoughts as they passed by. Maybe they were thinking maybe he was a drunkard, or somehow brought the misfortune upon himself by his bad choices.

We can be like these two who are truly the anti-heroes of the parable. We can be like them when we see people who look desperate, dirty, and unkempt and we may falsely assume they got in their position by their own foolishness. We may falsely accuse them of getting what they deserve

Judging others for their brokenness distracts us from being able to love them, and see the way we can show them the love of Jesus. Which ministers to the brokenness of all our lives the love of Jesus brings us the completeness of the shalom.

Back to Jesus’ parable, remember the question Jesus asks the religious leader who had questioned Him.

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Who is my neighbor? Jesus’ answer is still the same: Love the one in front of you in whatever way you can.

Messy: Loving Others Isn't Easy - Justice vs. Mercy - May 21st

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Leviticus 19:15-18

Galatians 5:13-14

I want you to think of that 3rd grade class picture. You know, the one where you wore that funny shirt. Or maybe you were the shortest kid in the class, maybe that was the first year you had glasses. What do you look for when you look at that picture? Almost always, you look for yourself. Internally, we are prone to think of ourselves first in nearly every situation.

Oswald Chambers wrote: “Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will begin to grouse and to indulge in the discontent of self-pity—Why should I be treated like this? If we are devoted to Jesus Christ we have nothing to do with what we meet, whether it is just or unjust. Jesus says—Go steadily on with what I have told you do to and I will guard your life.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, June 27 entry).

Leviticus 19:15-18 (NIV) “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

If we are honest, wouldn’t most of us admit that when it comes to sin we want mercy for ourselves, but justice for other people. And yet God’s command is telling us we should treat others the way we hope to be treated, with mercy. Here’s another way for us to hear this same message.

Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV) You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The subject of obeying God, or pleasing God, or answering the question of what must I do has been discussed throughout the ages. It has been quoted that a wise rabbi also noted what the bible has said about how we are to treat others in reflection of Paul’s admonition to the Church in Galatia.

“Rabbi Simlai said, 613 commandments were given to Moses - 365 negative mitzvot, same as the number of days in the year, and 248 positive mitzvot, same as the number of parts in a man’s body.  David came and reduced them to eleven (Psalm 15), Isaiah to six (Isaiah 33:15), Micah to three (Micah 6:8), and Isaiah again to two – Observe justice and do righteousness (Isaiah 56:1). Then Amos came and reduced them to one, Seek me and live (Amos 5:4) – as did Habakkuk, The righteous one will live by his trusting (Habakkuk 2:4).” (David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p.565).

In this passage Paul simply reminds us what Jesus said when He walked this earth, that we are to love each other as we love ourselves. Loving others is not always fun, easy, or pleasant. Loving others is choosing to care for others in a just and kind way, in the same way you want to be loved.

Messy: Loving Others Isn't Easy - Loving Others - May 20th

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The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” dates back to God’s social justice laws given through Moses to the Israelites. As easy as it is to put our desires above everyone else’s, we must love others in the same way we love ourselves.

Leviticus 19:15-18 (NIV) “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 18) is the conclusive general statement at the end of a series of social justice commands in this chapter. If we consider the definition of justice s “making things right,” we can understand these commands as an expression of God’s love.

When someone sins against us, what is right in God’s eyes? According to this passage, it’s to “rebuke them frankly” while refusing to bear a grudge or seek revenge (vs.17-18) – basically giving up our right to get even. In other words it’s right to call sin what it is, and even take action to stop its continuance, while forgiving and loving the sinner just like God does for us.

In verse 18, the Hebrew word for “love” is ahab this word “implies an ardent and vehement inclination of the mind and a tenderness of affection at the same time.” Throughout the Old Testament, this word is used to express God’s tender mercies and unspeakable love for His people; to express affection in romantic human relationships and close ties of friendship; and in familial affection between parents and children, (“Lexical Aids to the Old Testament,” The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, 1708).

Love isn’t passive or just thinking compassionate thoughts for others, it’s active, and requires action. Do you love others with just your thoughts or do you also love them by actively reaching out?

Let me leave you with this…

Romans 10:11-15 (NIV) As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Loving others is messy…

Predicting The Future - Let's Get Together - May 19th

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We’ve looked at many things throughout this set of devotions over the last couple of weeks. And today I want to talk about gathering together.

All across our country, places are re-opening up. And I want you to know that if you are in a place where church services are moving back into buildings, don’t let things just go back to the old normal. I’m not talking about social distancing. I’m talking about how when we have been forced out of our buildings we tend to be the church rather than simply go to church. Don’t just go to church. Remember what we’ve learned from this time, don’t waste the lessons we learned. We are fasting being together so that others stay healthy

And then for those of us who are still separated by isolated under stay home orders, we are not bowing to government because of them wanting to control religion. While it could come to the point of government telling us not to meet because of some political thing, or because they want to stop the Gospel from being preached.       If it ever came to that then we should still meet just like they did in Acts chapter 5.

But that is not what this is at this moment. Right now we are isolating to keep the most vulnerable among us – or should I say the least of those among us – from getting sick. We are isolating out of compassion for others. And shouldn’t that be what’s at the center of the heart of the Church – COMPASSION?!?

I’m still preaching the only way to the Father, the only way of salvation from sin is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Facebook has not shut us down, Google hasn’t shut us down, YouTube hasn’t shut us down. The government has not shut me down. I’m still preaching the Good News of hope and there’s a big difference between those two situations.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

When Luke encourages the readers not to neglect meeting together he was not describing what we typically think of in regards to our Sunday morning gatherings.  Throughout the New Testament believers gathered in homes together smaller more interactive gatherings than our Sunday morning services.

Remember we talked about, as followers of Jesus we are not to live our faith solitarily. We live in community with each other, and we need other believers for encouragement. We need each other. We need others to encourage us and we need to be encouraging others.

Here in Washington State we are looking to move into phase 2 which allows small gatherings in your homes.  What a great way to get together as the church, on a Sunday morning for a Watch Party to do church together in smaller groups in our homes, just like the Church in the Book of Acts.

As we gather with others, we need to risk being vulnerable. By sharing our struggles and challenges - contrary to modern thought – vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. All of us need at least one person in our lives that have walked down paths we are just beginning to take.

A new mother with a seasoned mother, or a person entering the pains of grief with one who has journeyed through the valley of grief. A person struggling to become free from pornography needs to be walking with one who has fought that battle and who is standing as an overcomer beside them.  A person desiring to get in better shape, with a person who has undergone their own physical transformation. We need each other on this journey. The unity within the Body of Christ is so important, and we need that to be the Church God will work through to build His kingdom.

Predicting The Future - Take Courage My Friends - May 18th

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Within our quest to change there will be times we become discouraged somewhere along the way. Remember it takes diligence and planning and like any plans, it is doubtful they will always go smoothly. We will sleep in some morning and miss spending time with God. We will skip exercising for some reason, or we will eat something we shouldn’t have. We might even make an impulsive buy or miss our small group after a long day.

I want you to be encouraged and take heart because it happens to the best of us. And we cannot let the seeds of disappointment and frustration take root and grow in our hearts. As we seek to change we will need encouragement from God, and from others around us, and the people around you are going to need encouragement from you someday. We were not created to do this alone. Humanity was created in the beginning and thusly so many years after the initial creation, we are created to do this in communion – community. Its going to take all of us to do this task.

Hebrews 10:19–25 (NIV) Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Remember, the writer of Hebrews was writing to a specific audience of those converted from Judaism to Christianity. And there are some definite pieces to this particular passage that are Jewish in understanding.

First it looks to me as if we need to have a firm grip on the Temple and sacrifices to grasp the breadth of information the writer wanted their readers to understand.

Remember it was only the high priest who would dare to enter the holy of holies, And only under prescribed occasions with definite ceremony would they enter. And don’t forget bells on his cloak and wrapped and tied around his waist A large, long rope – just in case he went in to offer the sacrifice and didn’t purge himself of sin prior to entering…oops –        I’d hat to be that priest, right…?!

All of that to say, that the writer Hebrews went to great lengths to remind readers that Jesus being the first of the resurrection, opened a way through the curtain of the Holy of Holies to gain entrance into the very presence of God. Just as much as Jesus has given humanity the ability to enter in, we also have a responsibility to help each other.

In the Pixar movie – Cars (1),   Lightning McQueen wins all the races as a rookie, except that he got a little huffed up and know everything, so he races too long on a set of tires so he can win.  He does all of that to have flat tires at the end, only to tie with two other cars for the coveted Piston Cup.

So the three cars race for the Piston Cup ensues. And Lightning gets a bit lost along the way to the next raceway.  Now this whole time Lightning is wanting to be at the raceway so he can get a new sponsor – Dynaco. Even though that didn’t happen, Lightning McQueen is still going to race for the Piston Cup, but during the race, he’s a bit lonely, discouraged and dismayed. Until his team from Radiator Springs show up just in time for the last lap. Lightning quickly emerges to lead the final lap and it looks like he will win. But at the last minute Chick, refusing to lose to The King again, sideswipes and sends The King sending him into a hurling, dangerous crash. Just as Lightning is about to cross the finish line he looks to the jumbotron and sees the wreck. Recalling Doc Hudson's fate, Lightning stops just short of the finish line allowing Chick to win. He drives back to push The King over the finish line, to help him finish his last race.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we play a powerful role in helping one another. We need people in our lives who will encourage and help us on in our journey. This is especially critical when we are seeking to implement some change in our lives.

Predicting The Future - Make Plans - May 16th

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Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

We have covered lots of ground in just the last few days talking about what it means to invite the Holy Spirit to do His work in us by transforming us into the men and women of God that we need to be for God to accomplish His work here on earth In His kingdom. And all of this transformation comes by the renewing of our minds as we follow and are discipled by Jesus Christ.

So we have looked at how Jesus lived. We’ve looked at what was important to Him. And we learned yesterday that we need to be doers of the Word as much as we need to hear the Word. When we don’t do – then It’s the same as if we look at ourselves in the mirror and moments later forget what we look like.

Very few people have an intentional plan for change or growth in their lives. So here are a few things that might help us along the way. I would say that as you open yourself to the Holy Spirit you will allow Him to speak to your heart about what things He would like to see changed. This is our starting point.

James 1:2-8 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

We simply need to ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you in the process and to fill you with wisdom of what area(s) of life need change. And then be intentional to do your part. Take action and change what you’re doing now to what God is leading you to do instead. Most people possess the desire to change, few people actually take the steps to change. It is not the absence of desire that holds us back but execution.

Proverbs 13:4 (NIV) A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

A diligent effort, in combination with the Holy Spirit's empowerment is critical for our transformation. So make a plan to make the changes the Holy Spirit guides you to change.

It could be setting aside a specific time to sit quietly and simply listen for God to speak to your heart. Whatever change the Holy Spirit impresses you to make, you need to be intentional. No matter how small the step, do it right away and with regularity to help move your change and developmental process forward. Your changes do not need to be hard, need to read your Bible – take 5 minutes, or 1 chapter to start with. Whatever changes they are, they need to be consistent. Plan out your week ahead of time with specific actions. You can take each day and determine when in the day you will do these actions.

And give it some time, maybe you could take a moment each day to reflect upon your changes and write them down. Sit with the Holy Spirit and reflect on your journey. What lessons are you learning about change? What are you learning about yourself? Are you still putting on the truth of God or are your listening to the lies of the Enemy?

Predicting the Future - Doers of the Word - May 15th

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So far in this set of devotions, we can see how God's purpose for our lives is to be changed into the likeness of Jesus. And that this transformation is a partnership between God and us. The Holy Spirit works in us to empower us to change as we also put forth effort – and we call that discipline.

And we have discussed that the process of transformation begins with the critical need to renew our minds (Romans 12:1–2). If we believe any lies about God, ourselves, or our situation, then we need to repent of accepting those lies and put on the truth of God.

So here’s our focus for today. As we renew our minds the next step in implementing change is to begin new practices. Remember I talked about the four things that Jesus modeled for His Disciples then, and these are four things that He still wants for us – His disciples today – to see as well.

We need to make these four things intentional happenings in our lives. This is our investment in the part of our life that will live beyond – into eternity:

(1)  Spending time with the Father

(2)  Doing the will of the Father

(3)  Judging as the Father judges

(4)  Speaking only as the Father speaks

Now it’s fairly easy to spend time with the Father. We can do this through reading His Word. Or maybe these devotions here on Facebook Live help you to hear the words of the Father. And we can always be reminded to spend time in prayer, or we can spend time worshiping. But there’s also a part of spending time with the Father that is us listening to Him – being still – quiet.

I don’t know about you but being quiet has never been something that I do very well. But there are times in my day where it’s peaceful to sit in silence and follow Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

There is a way that my soul is re-set – I can re-charge – I can re-fill my spirit in this way when I do these things, because I open a direct line of communication – communion with Almighty Creator of the Universe. And that re-builds the very core of my being – my soul.

And we need to do this regularly. But James reminds us that there’s more to this life than just soaking up the goodness of God. And that means we need to be about the Father’s business.

James 1:19-25 (NIV) My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

I want to leave you with this thought. It’s not enough to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. It’s not enough to simply study God’s Word and learn about Jesus. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has to make a difference in our lives daily. When we do not reflect and apply the Gospel to our daily lives we become forgetful hearers.

Predicting the Future - Thinking The Truth - May 14th

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Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

We’ve spoken about how the purpose of this journey, the purpose of our lives according to the Bible is to be completely transformed into the likeness of Christ. And we have established that it is only through the Holy Spirit progressively transforming us into the image of Christ Jesus. And we need to realize that Jesus, whom we call Immanuel – that’s actually more a phrase than a name.  Eem – with, anu – us, El – God. So this idea of God with us, when He is in the storm with the Disciples His name is, God with us in the midst of the storm.  When Jesus is suffering on the cross Jesus is, God with us in our sufferings.  Do you see how Jesus has identified Himself with us, and how we do need to become more like Him?

We spoke briefly about Satan – the adversary, who is indeed the father of all lies. He is seeking to kill and destroy not just the believers, but He wants to destroy all of God’s wonderful creation. And all of this brings me back to a couple days ago where Paul told us in Romans 12 that as our minds are transformed, as they are renewed into the likeness of Christ, we would begin to discern God’s perfect and pleasing will.

So – how do we do that? When we are looking to be transformed into the men and women of God that He needs us to be for His kingdom, how do we do that?

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Remembering that Jesus is the absolute perfect revelation of God, that He is the complete embodied truth and that we are to be transformed into the likeness of Christ through the renewing of our minds would be absolutely logical.  Being empowered by the Holy Spirit to take our thoughts and make them obedient to the teachings and the way of Christ simply seems logical.

Certainly now in light of some of this, we can see where Jesus speaking to His Disciples told them I am the way, the truth, and the life… All of this totally makes sense now. So we are taking captive every thought and measuring it against Christ. Christ is our example. If we are being discipled by Him, then we are going to do what He did – spending time focusing our lives on what He focused upon in His life.

This is indeed what is going to assist the work in our lives the Holy Spirit needs to accomplish by renewing our minds with the truth Christ brings.

Predicting The Future - Renewing Our Minds - May 13th

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Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

So, we talked a bit about the struggle that we all feel in regards to learning to live this life of holiness God’s Word calls us to live. All of us have areas of change we desire to make. However, change is rarely easy. Yet God’s purpose for our lives is to be conformed into the image of Jesus. The first step of change involves renewing our minds with the truth of God.

I believe, we often want this to be an instant transformation. Like adding the Kool-Aid powder to the water and sugar and instantly you have colored, flavored water.  It has been my experience that there are times like that in my life, where The Holy Spirit causes quick growth.  But, more often than not, this transformational process is more like the process a caterpillar undergoes when changing into a butterfly.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Now I want you to pause for a moment, and contemplate your age. I know – there are some of you who are like me and do not like to think about how old we are.  But take a minute and think about everyone and all the experiences you’ve had over the years that make you – you.

It’s seriously taken this long for you to grow into the person that you are today. How many years has it taken for you to get here? 

Now, I will say this, I remind people of this all the time when we look to invite the Holy Spirit to transform our lives He indeed will – and the transformation will be lifelong – but He’s not going to go at warp speed.

Think of this journey as walking up a very long flight of stairs. We can’t go 2 or 3 steps at a time all the way up, we’ll trip and fall or have to stop and catch our breath. But when we step on step one, then two, then three and so on and so forth, we will make it to the top. And what seemed so insurmountable, becomes attainable.

A good friend of mine – Rev. Hal Perkins has written a couple of books: Walk With Me & Discipled By Jesus. Both of these are tremendous books       that truly bring us to the point of being transformed – by the renewing of our minds through the reality that Jesus still wants to disciple you and me today – right now – this moment. However, we will not be transformed if we don’t spend intentional time with Jesus.

If there is anything that I remember, or have learned and put into practice from my brother Hal, it’s that Jesus called The Disciples way back then, and He also calls us today to follow Him. If I’m going to follow Him, I need to know what He did. If I remember correctly Jesus did these things… (Paraphrased from Walk With Me)

First, Jesus spent time with the Father. On several occasions in the Gospels we see that Jesus went off to pray alone on a hillside as was his custom.  Jesus being the very Son of God – and Paul in His letter to the Philippians tells us that Jesus is in His very nature God – did not see that equality with God was something to be attained, yet Jesus being all of that spent time with the Father.

Second, Jesus only did His Father’s will. He spoke of doing what He saw the Father do, or only doing that which pleases the Father and Jesus did only what the Father commanded.

Third, Jesus judged as the Father judged. He told the Disciples that apart from the Father, He could do nothing. Those are His words, that He was unable to do anything apart from the Father.

Finally, Jesus spoke as the Father spoke. Several times in the book of John Jesus mentions that the words He speaks are not His own, the words He speaks are only those that are in agreement with the Father. And that He did what He did, only because the Father was living in Him.

This transforming of the mind does not take place overnight, but is a lifelong process.

Predicting The Future - The Struggle Is Real - May 12th

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Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

The struggle is real! That’s kind of a strange statement. And yet, Paul talks about the real struggle that we all share when inside our souls there is a war raging between living  holy and sinning.

Romans 7:14-25 (NLT) So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.  I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

I usually have to read this in small bits because most times when I read this, I get dizzy. I get so dizzy because it seems as if Paul is writing in circles. I do what I don’t want to do, I don’t do what I want to do… There’s a war raging within and so on and so forth. Sometimes I wish I could read the Greek and Hebrew so I could study this in it’s original language just to see if – it made more sense. It probably doesn’t, but for now I just have to trust those who can read this in it’s original languages to translate an interpret what Paul is trying to communicate here.

I want to have a discussion on sin, but that is going to be for another time. We will get to it I’m certain just not today, other than to say here Paul is dealing with what we would call Original Sin. He’s talking about the part of us that is enticed or drawn to do wrong  - the old human nature. When we walk through the gate of salvation, and make that decision to follow Christ, often times there is a war within us between living the way we always have and living the life of holiness God’s Word calls us to live as newly born disciples.

In essence in this Scripture – and here’s where we will end today – Paul is telling us that on our own strength there is absolutely no way we can defeat the power of sin. The only way is to accept the rescue God supplies, by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Predicting The Future - Changes - May 11th

You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/1198217830509322/

Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

The reality is that most of us have multiple areas we would like to seriously change. Usually we focus on these at the beginning of the New Year. But there are other times throughout our lives we want and need to see change.

Many of these changes include our spiritual lives. We have all talked about wanting to become more like Jesus, to overcome a sinful habit, to have a deeper relationship with God, or to impact the world more. It’s not that we don’t desire these things.  It’s that most of us struggle to create and maintain lasting change in our lives. Especially when we try to do it on our own. God has purposed that our lives will be changed into the image of Jesus – to reflect his actions, attitudes, and beliefs in our own lives.

Take a moment to turn to the book of Philippians. Even though over two-thirds of the New Testament is written by Paul, we need to remember that he was simply a church-planter shepherding his disciples. So while we look into these words to find all the deep theological thoughts, we need to remember Paul was simply trying to continue to disciple all of those in the Philippian Church that he felt responsible.

So lets pick it up in chapter 3. It started with Paul imprisoned and he wants to dispel concern for his situation and focus on what needs attention in the Church at Philippi.

He begins to explain that while he had everything going for him as a son of Abraham like he was circumcised on the correct day, he was a pure-blooded citizen of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin, professing being a real Hebrew if there ever was a real Hebrew. He was all of that.

Not only was the previously mentioned true about him, Paul was a respected member of the Pharisees. Now remember that the Pharisees demanded the strictest obedience to Jewish law. And Paul was so jealous for the Law, that he persecuted the Church.  Paul obeyed the law without fault.  And yet all of this he sets aside so that he could KNOW Christ. 

Paul doesn’t want to just know about Christ, but truly know the mind of Christ. He wants to experience Christ living in him.  Paul wants to experience suffering with Christ Jesus, sharing in His death, so that he would some day also share in the resurrection.

I know to us today, that doesn’t seem all that interesting or stand out to being different than most of the avenues of Christianity most of us grew up knowing. But back then, that would have been a big deal especially to a Pharisee.

This idea of experiencing a physical resurrection, a bodily resurrection was actually a dividing point in Jewish theology so to speak.  It was a dividing point with another faction within the religious order of Jewish men. The Sadducees did not believe in a physical or bodily resurrection.  So for Paul being a converted Pharisee this was indeed a very important issue. Here’s where we pick up his letter in verse 7.

Philippians 3:7-14 (NLT)  I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

This is why we need change in our lives – look at how Paul writes that it is Christ Jesus who is calling us to change, to press on, to move forward to become the man or woman of God that we can become.  And this idea of pressing on to the end of the race indicates this is not just a one and done trip down to the altar, it is a lifelong endeavor, a process to become more aligned with the Spirit of Christ.

It's a process to grow in discipleship, and we have a part in this, a responsibility if you will. We must identify the areas of our lives in which we need growth. The idea here is that we will be transformed  by the renewing of our minds – through the work of the Holy Spirit.  And we have a responsibility to discipline ourselves to implement specific changes the Holy Spirit will enable us to do, and stay connected to community while we are on this journey.

This Is Our Community - Life - May 8th

You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/556093478661510/

Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions.  And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately.  I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.

The world we live in is full of kindness. But it is also filled with sin. Issues like racism, prejudice, poverty, and sickness are unfortunately a part of our everyday lives.

When it comes to loving our community we must love the people in it by combating the hateful issues that affect our neighbors and coworkers.  They could be suffering from racist trauma in their community, or you might have friends affected by discrimination on their job for all sorts of reasons.  When we choose to not tolerate the ill treatment of the neighbors in our community, we are taking a stand to not allow our surrounding community to be a hub of negativity.  And here’s why.

We are all made in the image of God. And therefore, should never allow the mistreatment of others become normal in our society. Other than loving God with our whole being, our greatest imperative as Christians is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The church in Acts had to completely revolutionize their way of thinking and widen the scope of evangelism to allow “all” in their gospel message. Before we take a look at the Church in Acts, which we are going to do tomorrow, it is important to begin with a look at humanity’s intrinsic value.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)  Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, wrote this about this particular verse, he said, “God took of the dust of the earth and fashioned man. In this world I have discovered the two affirmations that man is nothing and that man is great.  If you consider nature alone, he is nothing and has no value; but if you regard the honor with which he has been treated, man is something great.” New Beacon Bible Commentary: Genesis 1-11, p87, Joseph Coleson.

If we are to look at simply how God treated humanity compared to the rest of how God created all of creation, isn’t humanity something to be held in high regard? Isn’t human life in general something to be held in high regard?

Think about it like this. Picture a rock. Now that rock remains that rock, it’s size, shape, weight stays the same without the rock doing anything. The rock doesn’t breath, it has no heartbeat, it’s just a rock. But each and every human being on the face of this planet has a heartbeat. To live, one has to breathe in and out – inhale oxygen and exhale CO2. Our lives don’t merely exist like that rock, we strive to thrive.

And as much as my heartbeat is important to me, shouldn’t your heartbeat count for something? Shouldn’t I honor the miracle of life that you also hold as a fellow human being, and by doing so hold you in high regard?

Not only should I hold all of humanity in such high regard, because God has from the beginning of creation held us all in that way – He has loved us, but I need to remember God wants everyone – everyone – everyone to come to Him through the Son – Christ Jesus and be saved.       Paul said it like this to Timothy.

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.  And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

Yeah – even those rascally Gentiles can be saved. Are you hearing me today? Paul wanted to remind Timothy that God has a plan for everyone to hear the Good News. Even some of “those” people. Who are the “those” people I’m referring to?  Let me ask you this, who are “those” people in your community, in your life, how do you treat them?

How are you being the hands and feet of Jesus to them even today – right now? Jesus loves them and He wants to see them saved.